“They left.”
Long Dan rushed outside. He saw only space under the roadside tree, and at the other end, the horse-drawn carriage, cleared of snow by Old Qin. The reinvigorated black horse snorted white mist from its nostrils.
He bent down, grabbed a handful of snow, and rubbed his face before returning to the dilapidated temple.
“Long Dan, what exactly did you discover last night?” Old Qin, who had been holding back all night, asked.
Long Dan’s expression was grim. He spat on the ground: “It’s truly ominous. Old Qin, those two figures you saw last night weren’t living people at all, but two corpses!”
Old Qin put down his porridge bowl, looking surprised.
Jiang Si was also startled and looked towards Long Dan.
“Dead for at least three days, their faces were a grayish-black. It was an ill-omened sight. What’s more terrifying is that the younger corpse took a step towards me. Good thing I’m brave; someone more timid might have wet themselves…”
Long Dan went on and on. Last night’s bizarre experience was enough for him to boast about for a lifetime.
“That grandmother and granddaughter must be corpse herders,” Elder Hua, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke.
All three looked at her.
Elder Hua’s expression remained unchanged as she calmly explained: “There’s a tribe neighboring the Wu Miao that has some members skilled in the art of corpse herding. They make a living by guiding the corpses of those who died away from home back to their native places. However, their corpse herding follows the rule of hiding by day and moving by night. Last night, the snowstorm must have made travel too difficult, forcing them to take shelter in the temple.”
Long Dan grew more curious: “If they move by night and hide by day, why didn’t the grandmother and granddaughter wait until nightfall to continue their journey?”
Elder Hua looked somewhat helpless: “They were probably worried you had discovered something, so they left before dawn, perhaps to find another place to rest until nightfall. In any case, these corpse herders prefer not to encounter the living while on their journeys. They won’t interfere with us.”
Hearing Elder Hua’s explanation, Long Dan asked no more questions and began slurping his porridge.
So it was just corpse herders after all. He had thought the corpses had come back to life, breaking out in a cold sweat for nothing.
Jiang Si slowed her porridge-drinking pace, her thoughts turning.
The tribe Elder Hua mentioned as masters of corpse herding must be the Bai Xiang. In her previous life, she had lived among the Wu Miao for a time and had heard of them, though she had never interacted with anyone from that tribe.
The Wu Miao and Bai Xiang tribes coexisted peacefully, with occasional interactions but generally keeping to themselves.
After breakfast, the four quietly left the dilapidated temple, leaving behind the two still-unconscious Northern Qi men.
Long Dan, walking at the rear, discreetly left a mark as they passed the roadside tree.
Sometime later, the older the Northern Qi men regained consciousness. Looking around, he discovered his companion still unconscious.
“Wake up,” the older man called his young companion’s name.
After several calls, the young man finally opened his eyes.
“You’re finally awake—”
The young man threw a punch, crying out in terror: “Ghost!”