Chapter 2: Exploding Corpse

  "Sister-in-law, hold back your grief! Alas! What a pity, Ah-Dai was only 15 years old! Alas! He was just about to come of age..." A sorrowful sigh consoled.

  "Who's Ah-Dai? Hmm! It seems like they're talking about me." Xiang Qiushui was suddenly startled, his head throbbing with a sharp pain, swelling up, the memories of 'Ah-Dai' fragmented and disjointed, like a holographic movie, suddenly appearing in his mind.

  'Ah-Dai', named 'Xiang Qiushui', at the age of 6, due to a thunderstorm, "Rumble!", after a loud and powerful thunderclap, was frightened, from then on, he appeared somewhat dull, timid and weak, idle and useless.

  Because his father, Xiang Huaiyi, was the county magistrate of The Hague, he had a face like jade and was learned and talented. He gave birth to such a half-witted son, but did not have any idea of abandoning him. He just hoped that he could reappear in his youth like autumn water, reflecting the red maple leaves, so at the age of 6, he named him "Autumn Water".

  'Ah Diao' was 12 years old when the border war broke out, his father Xiang Huaiyi, as the county magistrate of Haigang County, was temporarily assigned to transport grain, cloth and other logistical materials. He never returned, the border report said he encountered...

  From then on, everyone in the Xiang family called him 'Ah Dumb', and everyone dared to tease him for fun, so his real name 'Xiang Qiushui' was almost forgotten...

  "Hmm! Luckily, I'm still called by my original name 'Xiang Qiushui', nicknamed 'Ah-Dai'. However! This 'Ah-Dai' is too embarrassing, must change it. Alas! Looks like I've hit the jackpot of 100 million, starting from YY, countless people have written about this crappy 'crossing over' story, and it actually happened to me, who knows where I've crossed over to? Are there any 'Magic Beasts', 'Contra', 'Magicians' or something, at least I should become a 'Great Swordsman'..."

  Xiang Qiushui was thinking with a complicated mood when suddenly, from outside came...

  "Vase, jar, you two be careful, handle with care..." The same desolate voice shouted.

  "Damn! I thought it was a real name, but it's actually a person's name. What a crappy name! And there are people with this name too. Are there also people named Box, Cabinet, and Bracelet? Haha...” As soon as he heard the name, Xiang Qiushui couldn't help but mutter to himself.

  If the words behind were transmitted into Xiang Qiushui's ears, he would be anxious!

  "Everyone, pay attention! Before the sky gets dark, hurry up and move quickly, get down quietly, seize the time, otherwise we'll have to light lanterns and waste tung oil, and it's not good to be slow in the dark..." A rough, hoarse voice loudly shouted.

  "Squeak——screech——squeak——screech"

  It seemed like the screeching sound of wood and hemp rope rubbing against each other was coming over.

  "Fire the cannon, light the soul lanterns, beat the divine drum, blow the spirit conch...!" A loud, hoarse voice shouted, "Easy does it! Porter! You damn well bumped the coffin and knocked the Autumn Water Young Master out of it, I'm docking you 100 wen..."

  "Old housekeeper, I'm also grieving for the young master, my heart is in a mess, don't mind if I'm a bit rough! Don't mind! Waaah... Young master, rest in peace...... Vase, jar, hurry up and put them away properly, you guys prepare to fill the soil, pack it tightly, don't let water leak or flood!" A hoarse voice shouted.

  "One, two, three... everyone heave together!" The synchronized whistle sounds came over, just like when lifting heavy stones.

  "Good grief! They seem to be doing the job of filling coffins, I'm going to be buried alive!" Xiang Qiushui thought in horror, and quickly struggled to raise his fists.

  "Bang! Bang! Bang!"

  Fighting desperately against the coffin board, I feel that this fist is not good at all, weak and feeble, can't even exert any strength. If it were the "innate" superhuman skills of my past life, I estimate that with such a punch, the coffin would have burst open with a loud "bang".

  "Help! Help......"

  Xiang Qiushui's accompaniment was also used up, and he desperately punched and scolded while shouting.

  It's estimated that this family is also a big household, after all, Ah-Dai's father was once the county magistrate, and their family still has some wealth. So the coffin's materials are both thick and hard, made very sturdy, with good sealing properties.

  A large crowd of people came to see off the funeral, filling the coffin. The sounds of shouting and crying, "thud" footsteps, comforting voices, "creaking" rope tightening sounds, horn blowing sounds and so on all mixed together. Outside, no one noticed Xiang Qiushui in the coffin.

  They didn't hear it at all, what's wrong with you?

  Xiang Qiushui was already sweating profusely.

  Sand! Sand! Sand!

  The first shovel of earth was scattered on the thick coffin. "Damn it! I finally won the big prize and didn't go to the underworld, but I still remember my previous life's Dongdong. My soul has made a 'crossing', could it be that I haven't even seen the beauty of the 'alien world' before I kick the bucket?!

  "Autumn water! Where has your intelligence gone? Double PhD! You've studied the ancient and modern, can't you apply any of it? Must a living person be suffocated by this coffin?"

  "Calm down! Don't lose your composure!"

  Xiang Qiushui suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, and in an instant, he was calm again.

  Suddenly, a phrase that Suxun often whispered in his ear emerged in his mind - Su Xun's "The Book of Power - Heart Technique".

  "When it comes to the way of governance, one must first govern their heart. Mount Tai may collapse in front of them and their expression will not change; a deer may suddenly appear on their left and their eyes will not blink. Only then can they control benefits and harms, only then can they await the enemy."

  "I've been through death once, what's there to fear? Think of a way! Calm down!" Xiang Qiushui silently encouraged himself.

  He felt around with his hands and found that it was difficult to stretch out in this narrow coffin. He searched the left side, but apart from a thick layer of what seemed like coarse silk fabric, there was nothing else.

  Then quickly swept to the right, and at this moment Xiang Qiushui finally physically felt the meaning of 'time is life'.

  Something hard and smooth was knocked against his palm, and he really felt a small bamboo tube-like thing. Two fingers wide, half a meter long, the body of the tube was round and smooth.

  Xiang Qiushui's heart skipped a beat, "Could it be the bamboo tube?"

  He hastily squeezed the other hand, pinched this thing in his hand and stroked it smoothly. "Ah! Like a flute or a short whistle. Alright! Hurry up and blow!"

  Xiang Qiushui has been fond of playing musical instruments such as flute, sheng and erhu since childhood. As he grew older, he also learned guqin and hulusi. During his summer vacation, he even spent his leisure time learning from a folk music master named Qi Lao.

  Now he has a good model, and with his intelligence beyond others, he learns everything relatively quickly. With the influence of classical literature, his understanding of ancient music is somewhat unusual, blending the old with the new.

  To say the least, he has already entered the threshold of a 'master' in music, with profound attainments and solid foundation.

  Fortunately, this coffin was made relatively high, and there was still nearly half a meter between his chest and the top plate of the coffin.

  He twisted his body as much as possible, and with great difficulty brought the flute to his mouth. Pouting, inhaling, sucking in, bulging out, blowing...

  Although the internal strength and energy are gone, the technique is still there. This gesture, the mouth shape is still done with precision and care.

  "Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!"

  The faint and crisp bird calls echoed in the coffin, and at least a slightly weaker sound was scattered out.

  Xiang Qiushui liked to imitate various bird calls, so he wanted to use the bird calls to attract people's attention outside. However, after blowing with all his might for over ten seconds, still no one responded to him.

  "Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!" The bird's voice became clearer and more energetic.

  The clear and crisp oriole's voice "Gua! Gua! Gua!" No way! Still no movement.

  Knock! Knock! Knock---the continuous knocking sound of the Red-breasted Woodpecker starts.

  Cuckoo! Cuckoo! The low, muffled call of the Oriental Turtle Dove resonated.

  Chirp! Chirp——Many small birds cried out in unison, and with Xiang Qiushui's concentrated air flow, the shrill cries were particularly piercing. Xiang Qiushui was desperately blowing on a small bamboo flute, already starting to feel dizzy and blurry-eyed.

  "Alas! This coffin is really too weak, it can't even withstand the blowing of a flute. It's truly pitiful! If this were my past life, I could have used the 'pre-heavenly' air flow to gather in the jade flute and blow this broken coffin apart with ease. Why hasn't anything happened yet? Is heaven really going to destroy me?! Although I'm not confident that I've done any great good deeds, I'm also not a wicked person..." Xiang Qiushui muttered to himself as he continued blowing."

  How unfair!

  "Milady! I think I heard a bird chirping." a voice called out respectfully.

  "Heaven is finally showing mercy, someone has finally heard us." Xiang Qiushui blew even harder.

  "Shut up! You're just a loudmouthed fool! Hurry up and fill the hole, or do you want me to deduct your wages?" The ram-headed man cursed.

  "My goodness! I'll dig up your ancestor's grave! How dare you scold the cabinet like this! This troublesome old man. I'm really inside here!" Xiang Qiushui wished he could rush out of the coffin immediately and slap that old man a few times on the ear.

  "Armoire... really heard it." The one who called out to the armoire muttered in a dissatisfied tone.

  "Guai zi, I think you've been feeling unwell since you were young and had a good relationship with Ah Dai. Recently, your breath has not been smooth, and you have become dizzy. Take a rest!" A hoarse voice choked back tears and said softly.

  At this moment, the sounds of gongs and drums, as well as the noisy voices, all stopped because the hostess was speaking. Xiang Qiushui knew that "an opportunity once lost can never be regained".

  Took a deep breath.

  "Chirp! Cheep! Cluck! Honk! Hoot......"

  A chaotic mess, like a hundred birds opening a grand meeting, all sharp and loud, blowing out in full force.

  And meanwhile, the feet were not idle either. The hands above pinched the flute and blew desperately, while the feet below exerted all their strength to kick, trample, and stamp against the coffin wall.

  A sharp pain like a drill pierced through Xiang Qiushui's heart, causing her to furrow her brow. She estimated that Ah Dai's delicate feet had also been ruined by him. But he didn't care about it anymore.

  Life is at stake!

  "Wow! Wow! Wow!"

  "Madam! Listen! This time there's not only the bird's cry, but also that voice." The cabinet cried out again, "It seems to be coming from Young Master's coffin."

  As he shouted this out, even the grave fillers stopped in curiosity. Everyone pricked up their ears and listened intently.

  "Squeak! Cheep! Chirp! Tweet! Cheep... Help! Mother!" Xiang Qiushui occasionally let out a few ear-piercing screams, interspersed among them.

  It just so happened that this place also coincided with a rare "total solar eclipse" that occurs only once every few decades. In an instant, the sky suddenly darkened. Before long, the entire sun was gone.

  Modern people know the scientific principle of 'total solar eclipse', but the people in this place are still in that ancient era. How can they understand the principle of 'total solar eclipse'.

  At that moment, the chaotic bird language blown by Xiang Qiushui, accompanied by the sound of "chirping" kicking the coffin board, plus the gloomy weather caused by the total solar eclipse. The feeling of the people on the scene was -

  Dark winds blow in waves, cool breezes whistle, evil spirits rise...

  "Look! The sun is being eaten by the heavenly dog! An ominous sign of great calamity! Is it... because... of the voice in this coffin." A shriveled old scholar, his upper teeth clicking against his lower ones as he trembled with fear, analyzed.

  "No! Ah! Corpse explosion...!"

  The ram's throat trembled as it shouted.