Having spent my childhood in Mohe, where the climate is perennially cold, I had never once laid eyes on the reptilian creature known as the Stone Gecko.

The fetid Coffin Liquid trickled to a dwindling stream, and with a mutual glance, the Sun Family Brothers silently nodded to each other in understanding.

The black Coffin Liquid flowed over the Golden Coffin Board, its yellow and black hues intertwining in a way that unsettled the onlooker.

"Let's get to it, Third Brother. A Golden Coffin and Silver Outer Coffin of such grandeur—I'm quite eager to see what sort of individual lies within."

Third Brother nodded, and the two simultaneously took up their Sapper Shovels.

"The coffin board is tightly sealed to the coffin; we'll need to apply some force!"

What followed was a grating, unpleasant metallic sound as the Sapper Shovels pried and the Golden Coffin Board began to slowly separate from the innermost coffin.

It took considerable effort.

As the golden boards fell away, they finally revealed the Coffin wrapped within.

This Coffin was pitch-black throughout. Thanks to the excellent seal of the outer Golden Coffin and Silver Outer Coffin, the Coffin itself was remarkably well-preserved, not a single sign of collapse or deformation.

The material of this dark casket was Ebony Wood. Our Boss, the rice seller turned merchant in our crew, had a keen eye—he recognized it immediately and said with a grave expression, "If I'm not mistaken, this is a Yinchen Locust Wood Coffin."

"Yinchen Locust Wood?"

I swallowed hard and whispered, "Could it be, Big Brother? Isn't it Golden Phoebe Ebony Wood? Since when did people use locust wood for coffins?"

"Cloud Peak, you're only half right. There are many types of Ebony Wood, not just the Golden Phoebe variety. There's also Red Chinese Mahogany, Greenheart, Cypress, Desert Willow, Yew, Mulberry, and so on. Conventional wisdom holds that Golden Phoebe Ebony Wood is the rarest and most precious, but this is incorrect. The true rarity is Yinchen Locust Wood, a timber that doesn't rot for a thousand years and is immune to vermin and insects."

"Moreover, from the perspective of Feng Shui Study, locust wood has a cool nature and is yin, making it most suitable for preserving corpses."

Red Sister also looked at the Coffin and nodded, evidently agreeing with the Boss's assessment.

This pitch-black Ebony Wood Coffin featured five Bronze Coffin Nails. Third Brother counted twice to confirm, indeed there were five Coffin Nails.

"Shall we remove the nails, Big Brother?" Third Brother's complexion was somewhat uneasy.

"Do it! Fortune from Coffin Opening!"

However, just as the Sapper Shovel touched the Coffin Nail, something happened.

The Yinchen Locust Wood Coffin suddenly trembled, and a muffled sound emanated from within.

I thought I had misheard and was about to ask Red Sister beside me if she had heard any noise from within the Coffin, but at that moment, the Coffin trembled once more!

I hadn't misheard, nor had I seen it wrong! This time I heard it clearly.

There was unmistakably something alive inside the coffin!

I was frightened, involuntarily stepping back several paces, my voice trembling, "There's... there's something, something inside the coffin!"

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The Sun Family Brothers quickly retreated two steps, the third brother's face pale as he cursed, "Damn it, that's impossible! How could anything get inside with the Golden Coffin and Silver Outer Coffin sealed so tightly!"

He meant that perhaps a rat or something had gotten into the coffin.

"It's not that, Third Brother, it might not be a rat..."

He immediately glared at me, "Don't speak of ominous things at Cloud Peak! What do you mean it's not a rat, it must be a rat! Let's not scare ourselves!"

Chastised, I grew anxious and blurted out, "Third Brother, let's run! What if it's a Dumpling Zombie?" As I spoke these words, a chill ran down my spine, and goosebumps covered my body.

"Damn it, what dumpling or not dumpling! I've followed King Leader into so many Large Tombs, there's no such thing. Cloud Peak, stop spouting nonsense at every shock!"

"Open it! Open it now!" Having said this, the third brother, in a fit of bravado, picked up the Sapper Shovel and stepped forward to target the Coffin Nail.

We stood still, not daring to breathe, for fear of disturbing him.

As he pried off the third Coffin Nail, the third brother moved in closer, pressing his ear against the coffin lid to listen carefully to the sounds inside.

After two or three minutes, he suddenly turned around, eyes wide with alarm, "There... there seems to be breathing inside!"

At that moment, I suddenly remembered the nightmare I had after passing out, and thinking of the protagonist in the dream, my hand trembled as I pointed at the coffin, "Third Brother, please don't open it!"

But I was too late.

With a loud shout, the veins on the back of his hand bulging, he cursed, "The Northern Faction has no cowards! You think you can scare me? No way!"

With a "crack, crack" the last two Coffin Nails...

Fell...

He braced his hands on the coffin lid and with a fierce shove...

Red Sister was gripping her Small Dagger tightly, while Boss was holding the Sapper Shovel aloft, ready to strike down anything that dared to emerge from the coffin.

After pushing the coffin lid open, the Third Brother stood motionless with his back to us, as if an Immobilization Technique had been cast upon him.

"What's wrong, Third Brother! What's in the coffin!"

As if he hadn't heard Big Brother's question, he remained frozen, still in the position of pushing the coffin lid.

"Third Brother!" Big Brother shouted, lifting the Sapper Shovel and charging over.

Red Sister and I immediately ran over to check out the situation.

As we arrived at the coffin and took a closer look, it wasn't just Third Brother who was stunned; every one of us was struck dumbfounded, struck dumb!

Lying in the coffin was a face we all knew too well.

It was Second Brother.

It was Second Elder Sun, Sun Lianfu, a member of our gang who had been missing for half a year!

The scene was too bizarre for words.

The chilling surroundings, the somber locust wood coffin, and within it, Second Elder Sun, whose usual clothes were nowhere to be seen. Instead, he was dressed in a voluminous grey robe that made his body appear much larger, the fabric bulging outwards.

Second Elder Sun's complexion was a ghastly green, his lips were a stark red, and his eyebrows were furrowed in pain as he lay in the coffin. His hands were crossed over his chest in a fixed position, his expression one of agony.

"Second Brother! Second Brother!" the Sun Family Brothers shouted in panic as they came to their senses.

Who could have imagined that Second Elder Sun, who had vanished without a trace six months ago, would now be found in a golden coffin with a silver outer coffin, a burial luxury surpassing even that of Princely Kings!

This was too strange, too eerie! Had we not witnessed it with our own eyes, we would never have believed such a tale.

Now, with Second Elder Sun lying there in the coffin, his face green and lips red, if one listened closely, one could hear his faint breathing. Looking at his chest, it too was gently rising and falling.

Third Brother's eyes were red-rimmed as he cradled Second Elder Sun's face, saying, "Second Brother, what... what has happened to you? How did you end up in this coffin? Who has done this to you, Second Brother..."

Months of hardship, half a year of heartache, and all the fear that had come before it, all transformed into two lines of clear tears at the moment the brothers were reunited.

For a moment, Third Brother lay weeping uncontrollably at the edge of the coffin.

"Stop crying!" Red Sister scolded upon seeing this, "A grown man bawling like a little wife, now hurry up and get Second Brother out!"

"Yes, yes," Third Brother came to his senses, fumbling as he said, "Get him out, get him out."

We all crowded around, eager to lend a hand and lift Second Brother out of the coffin.

Just then, I accidentally touched the grey robe that Second Brother was wearing.

I looked down and saw it very clearly.

Beneath Second Brother's clothes, it seemed as if a snake was writhing incessantly, twisting and turning.

Then, inadvertently, a slender dark yellow tail slithered out from beneath his clothes.

This tail swung from side to side, brushing against me.

The instant it touched me, it felt cool and slippery.

It was devoid of warmth. (To be continued)

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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free]: https://www.readgates.com/article/7b136c