Long Dan had seen faces pale with fright and faces pale with anger, but never faces as pale and rigid as these before him.
These were the faces of two dead men.
Even the thick-skinned Long Dan felt his hair stand on end, and he involuntarily took half a step back.
The two figures – no, two corpses – remained motionless, like the most dutiful guards standing by the tree.
After the initial shock, Long Dan moved closer and caught a faint whiff of decay.
Long Dan’s face changed dramatically.
In this weather, for there to be the smell of decay, these two must have been dead for at least three days.
Why would corpses dead for over three days appear here?
The situation seemed increasingly bizarre.
Long Dan suppressed his alarm and examined the two corpses in the dim snowy light.
They were both male. Because of the poor lighting, their features were barely discernible, but one appeared to be middle-aged, while the other was young, likely not yet an adult.
It was truly too dark, with only the faint light reflected off the snow between heaven and earth.
Long Dan leaned in closer, trying to get a better look.
Suddenly, the younger male corpse took a step forward.
A chill instantly shot up Long Dan’s spine. He turned and ran, not stopping until he reached the temple entrance.
By then, his face had turned as white as snow.
Long Dan steadied himself and caught his breath. Mustering his courage, he glanced back once more before wiping the cold sweat from his brow and entering the temple.
Inside, all was quiet. The others seemed to be sound asleep.
Long Dan returned to Old Qin’s side and lay down.
In the darkness, Old Qin opened his eyes and gently touched Long Dan’s hand.
Long Dan jerked his hand back, his lip twitching.
Old Qin needed to break this habit. For someone who seemed so taciturn and aloof, why was he so fond of grabbing other people’s hands?
In the middle of the night like this, it was liable to frighten someone.
Thinking of how the young male corpse had suddenly walked towards him, Long Dan’s scalp still tingled.
Today had truly been bizarre!
Seeing Old Qin still gazing at him intently, Long Dan shook his head slightly and closed his eyes.
Old Qin was somewhat puzzled. He glanced across the dying fire at the grandmother and granddaughter resting on the other side, then looked towards the temple entrance.
His sleeve was tugged, and he met Long Dan’s newly reopened eyes.
“Sleep first,” Long Dan mouthed silently.
At this time, Jiang Si was also awake.
Long Dan wouldn’t have gone out for no reason. His excuse of relieving himself was likely a cover for investigating something amiss.
No, Old Qin must have noticed first, and Long Dan went out to confirm.
Long Dan’s lack of reaction upon returning could only mean the situation was unexpected, abnormal enough that he dared not act rashly.
What could be outside the temple?
Jiang Si glanced toward the temple entrance.
The faint firelight inside the temple revealed only darkness outside.
Unable to guess, Jiang Si simply let go of everything and fell asleep.
Having administered the sleeping drug, the two Northern Qi men wouldn’t wake before they left. As for the rest, since nothing could be done, it was better to sleep well and regain energy.
When Jiang Si awoke, daylight was bright. Old Qin and Elder Hua were preparing breakfast, while Long Dan leaned against the wall, snoring softly.
“Has the snow stopped?”
Old Qin paused his work: “It has. Long Dan kept watch for most of the night. He hasn’t slept long.”
“Then let him sleep a while longer.” As Jiang Si spoke, she glanced toward where the grandmother and granddaughter had been resting, but they were nowhere to be seen.
“The grandmother and granddaughter left before dawn. I didn’t stop them,” Old Qin said.
He had kept watch for the latter half of the night and knew exactly when the pair had left. After some consideration, he saw no need to intervene.
Whatever oddities surrounded that pair, they were mere passersby with little connection to their group.
“Old Qin, when you suddenly went out last night, did you notice something unusual?”
“I didn’t notice anything strange about the grandmother and granddaughter. I just went to check outside as a precaution since they appeared at that time. Then I saw two figures vaguely standing under a tree by the road. I quietly told Long Dan, and he went out later, but when he came back, he didn’t say anything, just indicated I should sleep early…”
Jiang Si didn’t wake the napping Long Dan. After a simple wash-up, she sat by the fire.
As the rice porridge finished cooking, Long Dan opened his eyes, roused by the aroma.
He quickly glanced across, then jumped up: “The grandmother and granddaughter are gone?”
“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!”