Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts - Chapter 11

Tao Village isn’t too far from our town—just a twenty-minute walk southward. The village is surrounded by peach trees, which is how it got its name.

Hearing there was trouble in Tao Village, my heart skipped a beat. I turned to ask Brother Xiang, “Who called you?”

“Old Li Shi Gao,” Brother Xiang muttered, frowning. “We need to head over to Tao Village and check things out. Li Shi Gao’s already there.”

We didn’t dare waste time. I supported Brother Xiang as we hurried on; his face was pale, and sweat was trickling down his forehead—common after being possessed by a ghost.

It wasn’t long before we arrived in Tao Village. There were about fifty households here, most of the houses made of wood or mud bricks, with only a few constructed from actual bricks. Most young and able-bodied folks had left for work, leaving behind only the elderly and a few young children who weren’t yet old enough for school.

On the way, Brother Xiang made some calls to gather more details. The deceased was an elderly man, Wang Yongquan, around seventy years old. He lived alone, abandoned by his ungrateful children and grandchildren, who’d left him to fend for himself. And now, he’d ended up dead like this.

Wang Yongquan lived in the very center of the village, in one of the only two-story brick houses. When we entered, the living room was in front of us, and Wang Yongquan’s body lay right in the middle, covered with a white cloth. The Old fortune-teller was there too, frowning deeply.

There were also seven or eight other elderly folks muttering nearby, mostly grumbling about how Wang Yongquan’s children were unfilial. The three of us ignored them. Han Si Fan led us directly to the Old fortune-teller and asked in a low voice, “Old man, what’s the situation?”

“Not easy to deal with,” the Old fortune-teller muttered, giving us a significant look before gesturing toward the corpse. He squatted down and carefully lifted the corner of the white cloth. Given the angle, only the three of us could see it. It was my first time seeing a corpse, so I was curious, but one glance nearly made my knees give out.

The body was pitch black, the skin on the face swollen, though I could still faintly recognize the old man’s features. the Old fortune-teller coughed and gave me a sharp look, then replaced the cloth and stood up. Bowing slightly to the elderly onlookers, he said, “Everyone, please leave Mr. Wang’s afterlife arrangements to me. I’ll ensure he is properly laid to rest. It’s getting late, so please head back for now.”

“Old Wang was a good man. Li Shifu, we leave this to you,” the elderly folks said, offering a few words before leaving. Once they were gone, the Old fortune-teller quickly closed the door, and the room grew dark. Being so close to the corpse, I was terrified. No way I could stay calm.

“Alright! I’ll keep it short. Mr. Wang here was strangled by a hopping corpse, and as you can see, his body is already starting to turn into one. I stayed here because I was worried it might get up and start attacking people. Si Fan, go get my equipment! Sunset’s in an hour. Xiao Xiang, Xiao Hui, you two stay here and keep an eye on him. If he turns, do not let him escape, or we’ll have endless problems!” the Old fortune-teller said, then darted out.

“And what about you?” I asked instinctively as I saw him head for the door.

“I’m off to find the hopping corpse. It was likely startled awake by that Shuimang Ghost. You two, be careful!” With that, the Old fortune-teller dashed out, looking anxious.

“Sis Han, I’ll help you grab the gear…” I didn’t even finish before Han Si Fan was out the door, not paying us any mind.

Left staring at each other, Brother Xiang and I exchanged nervous glances, then looked down at the corpse. Crap, what kind of nightmare was this? I immediately bolted to a corner to the left of the door, squatting down as far away from the corpse as possible. Brother Xiang followed my lead, squatting in a corner to the right.

The Old fortune-teller expected us to keep the old man from escaping? I’d bet anything that if this guy so much as twitched, we’d both be out that door without hesitation. As for Brother Xiang, he was already trembling worse than me.

“Hey, Brother Xiang, maybe one of us should head out. If both of us stay here, and he really turns, we’re both dead. Isn’t that a bit tragic? I mean, I’m still your little brother, young, and, well, still a virgin…” I hadn’t even finished before Brother Xiang stood up, all righteousness, and said, “Got it. You and Mr. Wang here go way back, right? You want to spend some quality time with him alone, yeah? No problem. I fully support that. I’ll be right outside the door, so just holler if anything happens.”

Before he even finished talking, he was already outside, slamming the door shut. This was a typical village door, made of wood, with two handles on the outside and none on the inside. I pulled at it twice, but Brother Xiang was holding it tight from the other side, refusing to let me out.

“Brother Xiang, open the door! Let me out for some air!” I pleaded desperately, glancing back at the white cloth-covered corpse, dreading the moment it would rise. I was so scared I started trembling all over, begging Brother Xiang from outside.

“Don’t worry, Xiao Hui! I read your fortune; you’ve got a long life ahead of you. You’ll be fine, really. Besides, sacrificing a little for the good of the world isn’t a bad deal, right?” came Brother Xiang’s voice from outside.

“Fuck you!” I cursed, realizing that pleading with Brother Xiang was pointless. He was probably afraid the corpse would escape and cause him trouble, so he definitely wasn’t opening the door. When I looked back again, I could’ve sworn I saw the corpse move. My hair stood on end. What rotten luck! I glanced around, realizing the windows were sealed with iron bars. No way out there. But wait—there was the second floor!

Village houses aren’t that tall. Even if I jumped from the second floor, the worst I’d get was a sprained ankle—better than facing this old guy head-on. I cautiously circled the corpse, making my way to the stairs behind it and climbed to the second floor. There was only one door at the top, which I kicked a few times, but the damn wooden door was tougher than I’d expected. It wouldn’t budge. Just as I was about to head back downstairs and plead with Brother Xiang, I suddenly heard footsteps in the living room below.

A cold sweat ran down my face. There was no way Brother Xiang had come back to save me. If Han Si Fan or the Old fortune-teller were here, they’d have said something, loud and clear, not left everything so silent, just with footsteps.

I crouched down, trying to stay perfectly quiet and covering my nose, just like in Uncle Ying’s classic movies. If I held my breath, I wouldn’t be seen by any zombie or whatever was out there.

Time seemed to freeze, seconds ticking by. My heart was pounding faster. Slowly, I saw Old Wang shuffling his way up the stairs, one unsteady step at a time. Hell, he’d really turned!

T/L Notes:

1. Uncle Ying: Nickname for Lam Ching Ying, he was a Hong Kong actor and martial artist, famous for his role as a vampire-fighting Taoist priest in classic horror comedies like Mr. Vampire, blending martial arts with supernatural themes.