Chapter 3: The Family's Coffin Shop Legacy
Ji Yun had always thought his family was utterly ordinary.
His parents ran a small shop in the township, selling custom-made coffins.
They were neither rich nor starving.
The coffin shop was a craft handed down through generations of the Ji family.
It was said that, a century ago during the old dynasty, their family had even made coffins for nobles and princes.
But cremation had become the norm in recent years, and the coffin business had steadily declined.
Especially after most of the traditional elders from neighboring villages had passed away, the coffin trade was truly on its last legs.
Perhaps sensing this craft was destined to be eliminated by the times, Ji Yun’s parents had sought new livelihoods while he was still in high school.
They claimed to have joined an offshore fishing vessel.
Other than monthly remittances and occasional phone calls, they had not returned home in over two years.
So when Ji Yun saw “Shang Xiaoyu’s” reply, he felt inexplicably bewildered.
How could his honest and upright parents, who had lived their lives by the book, commission someone to protect him?
Besides, who would want to harm a law-abiding, ordinary university student like himself?
...
He glanced at the text message again out of the corner of his eye, confirming he hadn’t misread.
And then—
The beautiful woman next door taking a shower—was she that legendary... forbidden corpse?
Ji Yun’s heart thudded.
He recalled the ghost stories he’d heard as a child, where the “forbidden corpse” was a humanoid monster that had lost its personality.
Most often, they were sacrificial offerings used in ancient rituals by shamans.
They were considered a type of zombie.
Ji Yun’s mind conjured the image of the woman bathing moments earlier, and an ominous energy surged to his forehead.
He realized, belatedly, why he hadn’t seen her face—and was grateful he hadn’t.
Legend said the forbidden corpse was a shamanic zombie with long hair covering its face.
It was said to have been exceptionally beautiful in life,
But its black tresses veiled its face, never letting the world glimpse it.
For that face was not meant for mortals, but offered as sacrifice to the gods.
Those who saw it would have their soul seized and perish.
Now, everything made sense.
No wonder the steam was so thick during her bath—she wasn’t alive.
But...
Were there truly ghosts in this world?
Tonight’s series of uncanny events were unfolding in a bizarre, yet singularly logical direction.
Ji Yun understood the chain of reasoning.
In that moment, he let out a heavy breath, feeling oddly relieved.
Earlier, his terror was born of the unknown.
But if it truly was a ghost, he—having grown up in a coffin shop—felt little fear.
He remembered the village elders saying that certain unclean entities could not enter a home with living breath unless invited.
“Shang Xiaoyu” had told him not to open the door, likely because the ghost could not enter his room.
...
Ji Yun inexplicably relaxed.
Yet countless doubts sprang up at once.
When he tried to ask who “Shang Xiaoyu” really was, there was no reply.
So,
Was “Shang Xiaoyu” truly someone commissioned by his parents to help him?
But then, why had she been telling everyone these past few days that he was dead?
And thinking back, “Shang Xiaoyu” had transferred to his school exactly when his parents left for work.
Yet his parents had never mentioned her.
And then there was the funeral.
---
Reflecting on the events of tonight, Ji Yun found things increasingly suspicious.
A mysterious figure using the identity of his dead ex-girlfriend—something felt off.
Of course, he couldn’t simply believe there were real ghosts.
He’d asked, but there was no answer.
Ji Yun had no intention of recklessly opening the door to investigate, nor did he plan to obediently stay inside.
So,
He took out his phone.
He chose—to call the police.
The village elders had always said, stray spirits and wandering ghosts dared not approach the magistrate’s office.
Public institutions were protected by the nation’s fate.
The more prosperous the era, the less ghosts dared to trespass.
If there really was haunting in Happy Community, the state’s law enforcement would break all evil.
If someone was merely pretending to be supernatural, they’d catch the culprit!
...
Claiming ghosts was out of the question.
Not knowing the full story, Ji Yun could only report that a thief had climbed into apartment 305 next door.
Oddly, after he made the call, all paranormal disturbances ceased.
The sound of water from the neighbor’s shower vanished.
No one knocked on his door anymore.
“Shang Xiaoyu” stopped replying.
He didn’t have to wait long before a police car appeared outside the community gate.
The red and blue lights flickered through the window, bringing a sense of inexplicable solace.
Yet strangely, Ji Yun watched as two uniformed officers entered the complex.
But he waited and waited; no one came to knock on his door and question him, the original reporter.
Instead, oddities began anew.
The first police car remained, and several more arrived in succession.
The scene resembled a major criminal case in Happy Community.
While Ji Yun puzzled over this, in a shadowy corner of Happy Community, two dark figures silently watched the officers ascending the stairs, their expressions grim.
“The old dog is dead. This commission isn’t so simple…”
“Yes. The old dog was no amateur, yet he was dispatched without much resistance. That ghost is powerful…”
“Looks like we’re not the only ones eyeing that ‘item.’ There are other competitors.”
“With such high commission fees, it’s normal for the task to be tough. But old woman, stop hiding things. What exactly is it the client wants us to retrieve?”
“The intermediary truly didn’t say. But I suspect…the thing escorted by the ghost messenger might be a ‘cursed object.’”
“Cursed object? Tsk… I knew it. Anything needing a ghost escort must be extraordinary. Even the cheapest grade-one cursed objects on the black market are worth millions. If it’s high-grade…”
“Forget about wishful thinking. Focus on dealing with the competitor lurking in the shadows. No one dares touch the ghost messenger, but once that ‘item’ is handed to the boy, we can steal it. If it's truly a cursed object, we can forgo the final payment…”
“Agreed. Let’s lure out the competitor first.”
“…”
With that, the tall figure donned a hat.
Its silhouette resembled the bejeweled cap worn by officials of the previous dynasty.
The moment the hat was placed, corpse energy billowed from the figure.
...
The old apartment had poor sound insulation.
Ji Yun hadn’t opened the door, but could clearly hear the dense footsteps on the stairwell outside.
With the crowd, the eerie atmosphere of the old building dispersed.
Yet Ji Yun remained perplexed.
So many people had arrived, as if some major crime had occurred in the building.
But none came to question him, the one who called the police.
He stood by the door, listening intently to the subtle noises outside, hoping to deduce what was happening.
He didn’t know how much time had passed.
As he listened—
“Knock, knock, knock!”
The door was knocked again.
Unlike the previous impatient banging, this time it was gentle.
---
At the same time, someone outside politely asked, “Hello, South City Road Police Station. Were you the one who called the police?”
Ji Yun heard them mention his report and thought with relief: They finally arrived.
But he didn’t dare open the door right away. Instead, he pretended not to hear clearly and asked, “Who?”
A reply came from outside: “I’m Liu Min, officer of South City Road Police Station, badge number 631X43. Did you make the report?”
Ji Yun heard the officer state his identity and felt much more at ease.
He checked the police website on his phone; the badge number and name matched.
The knocking and prompting sounded again: “Hello? Are you there?”
A decade of scientific education had not easily shattered his worldview.
Even now, Ji Yun had not completely accepted the existence of ghosts.
He had no reason not to open the door after making the call.
After a moment’s hesitation, he cautiously turned the handle.
He opened the door, and saw at a glance a uniformed officer standing outside.
His taut nerves relaxed slightly.
Compared to a dead ex-girlfriend, the national emblem atop the officer’s peaked cap instinctively inspired trust.
The door was opened just a crack, allowing it to be closed at any moment.
Ji Yun peered through the iron gate at the person outside.
The officer also looked at Ji Yun and asked directly, “There are some matters we need your cooperation to clarify. You were the one who called?”
As he spoke, he took notes.
Ji Yun wondered why they hadn’t come before, but now finally did.
Just as he was about to answer, he caught a faint, strange odor with his nose.
A suspicious glint flashed in his eyes.
He became alert.
Ji Yun braced his foot behind the door, showing no intention of opening the iron gate to let the officer in, and replied, “Yes. I saw a suspicious figure next door. But I recall my elderly neighbors shouldn’t be home. So I called the police…”
He recited the explanation he’d prepared.
It was not a lie.
He had indeed seen someone next door.
Though he didn’t mention the bathing woman.
Seeing Ji Yun had no intention of inviting him in, the officer said nothing further.
He only glanced around the nearly transparent apartment, took notes, and said, “We’ve already contacted the property security. After a joint patrol, nothing abnormal was found.”
“No one?”
Ji Yun’s expression grew subtly odd, as if confirming a certain suspicion.
The police had confirmed no one was there—so it wasn’t a person.
But when had they checked next door? He hadn’t heard any knocking.
Ji Yun sensed something was amiss.
The officer offered no further explanation.
“By the way, did something happen upstairs?”
“There was indeed a case; details are under investigation. If you notice any suspicious individuals recently, let us know…”
“…”
After a few brief questions, the officer turned the notebook and pen toward Ji Yun, indicating he should sign: “If the record is correct, please sign here.”
The notebook couldn’t pass through the iron gate.
Judging by the gesture, the officer was signaling Ji Yun to open the door.
This was standard police procedure.
Yet it was this very motion that deepened Ji Yun’s suspicion.
He didn’t move.
He simply stared at the notebook through the iron bars.
The officer was puzzled by Ji Yun’s sudden scrutiny.
After two seconds of eye contact, he prompted again, “Is there a problem with the record? If not, please sign.”
Ji Yun studied the officer’s attitude, his suspicions largely confirmed, and tentatively asked, “May I ask you a question?”
The officer outside looked at him in confusion: “???”