"A Ke Bi? The A Ke Bi who was mistakenly killed during the Tujia people's 'Returning the Head Vow'? How could he be buried here?" Ji Ye mumbled to himself, his expression extremely surprised and shocked.

"Returning the Head Vow?" I was completely bewildered.

"Oh! That's a widely circulated legend. In the early days, the Tujia people had a custom of sacrificing people to the gods, called the 'Returning the Head Vow.' Usually, they would first buy a little beggar, raise him, and then kill him to offer to the deity when the vow was fulfilled. This practice is also called the 'Returning the Honored One's Vow,' a desperate measure taken by the Tujia people during special times. Long ago, the son of a Tujia clan leader offended the White Tiger God and needed a 'Returning the Head Vow.' The clan leader bought a little beggar, intending to use his head for the offering. Unexpectedly, the leader's son and the beggar were of similar age, easily became close, and even slept on the same **. Because the beheading had to be done at night, and due to poor visibility in the dark, the executioner shaman mistakenly cut off the clan leader's son's head. The clan leader was devastated and filled with regret. He made a firm decision: from then on, when performing the 'Returning the Head Vow,' they would no longer kill people but offer a cow's head instead, calling it the 'Returning the Ox Head Vow.'"

"Could it be that the person buried in this grave is the clan leader's son who was mistakenly killed?"

Ji Ye nodded solemnly, "That clan leader's son was named 'A Ke Bi.'"

"That doesn't sound right, Ji Ye. If the child in this grave is the mistakenly killed A Ke Bi, why do this grave and the white banner look so new? What about the white candles in front of the grave? What era was A Ke Bi from? Also, you mentioned that the Tujia people didn't have their own script in the early days, only adopting Han characters later—so was this stone tablet erected by later generations?"

"That's the part I haven't figured out either. Look at this protruding wooden plank; it seems new, but it's actually saturated with mist, turning into what looks like aged wood. Legend says A Ke Bi belonged to the period when the Tujia people were called 'Man.' As for the characters on this stele, I don't know the reason now. — Let's not worry about these things for now. I'll burn some joss paper first to see if I can borrow some guidance from the old man buried here." Although he basically understood that a child was buried in the grave, Ji Ye's actions of burning paper money and lighting incense were still extremely respectful and pious. He kept mumbling, seemingly praying to the "old man" named A Ke Bi in the grave.

The orangey-yellow light of the burning joss paper added a hint of warmth to the cold and damp space. I looked up around me and noticed the sky was still like a winter dawn—neither fully light nor completely dark, a world of pure chaos. The mist thickened gradually from near to far; the people, the dog, the stone bridge, and the lone grave seemed to hang suspended in ethereal clouds.

After kneeling and burning a large pile of joss paper, Ji Ye reached out to steady the tombstone. Just as he grasped the stone, before he could retract his hand, a completely black rabbit suddenly sprang out from where the tombstone had been covering. It rotated its two round, cold, and sinister eyes to glance at Ji Ye, puckered its mouth, let out a sharp shriek of "Uh-ho-ho," a sound that pierced the eardrums and stabbed straight into the heart. Before the cry finished, the black rabbit leaped up fiercely and bit down hard on Ji Ye’s hand.

Ji Ye couldn't pull his hand back in time and, startled, kicked out at the black rabbit. The rabbit was kicked flying, spitting out a plume of black smoke that arced through the air and plunged into the abyss shrouded in thick fog. One of Ji Ye's shoes flew off with it.

I rushed forward to check on Ji Ye's injury, but to my surprise, Ji Ye suddenly turned around with lightning speed. His hands clamped together, gripping my neck. His complexion was dark green under his tanned skin, his gaze sharp, his breath icy cold, and he spoke to me fiercely in a surprisingly childish voice: "A-ma-ni-chi? A-ma-ni-chi?"

I was so scared my soul nearly left my body. I struggled to pry open Ji Ye's hands, stretching my neck, and managed to gasp out, "Ji... Ji... Ji Ye... What... what are you... saying? What's... what's wrong with you?"

"A-ma-ni-chi? A-ma-ni-chi?" Ji Ye’s grip made my veins bulge, stars flashed before my eyes, my breathing became extremely difficult, and my head throbbed intensely.

"A-ma-ni-chi? A-ma-ni-chi? Ho-ho-ho... Eh-neh-ba-mi! Eh-neh-ba-mi!! Eh-neh-ba-mi!!... Ho-ho-ho..." A string of words, as innocent as a small child's babbling, poured from Ji Ye’s mouth—his hair bristling, eyes blood-red, and face contorted in a terrifying grimace—striking absolute terror into my heart.

My vision started to darken, my heart strained as if trying to burst from my throat, and consciousness was slowly being squeezed out of me like water from a sponge by the fear and Ji Ye's massive hands. In my blur, I vaguely felt all my internal organs being compressed toward my back, and an unknown object seemed to be trying to force its way into my body. Simultaneously, a very strange and ominous sensation flooded my mind, trying to tear my normal thoughts to shreds. I fought back desperately, struggling with all my might; my fingernails even managed to scratch dark blood from the back of Ji Ye's hands, but his grip remained like iron pincers around my neck, unmoving.

Amidst Ji Ye's bizarre roar, the unknown object grew stronger, seeming intent on ripping open my chest and forcing its way into my viscera.

Just as my consciousness was fading to a final thread, Hua'er, who had been barking furiously nearby for a long time, finally gathered courage. It leaped toward Ji Ye, opening its maw wide to bite at Ji Ye's hands. Ji Ye instantly relaxed his grip, seizing the opportunity to grab Hua'er’s neck, hoisting the dog suspended in the air, and yelling furiously at it in a delicate voice: "A-ma-ni-chi? A-ma-ni-chi? Ho-ho-ho... Eh-neh-ba-mi! Eh-neh-ba-mi!! Eh-neh-ba-mi!!... Ho-ho-ho..."

In a flash, Hua'er's frantic barks were abruptly silenced by the vise grip of Ji Ye’s hands, muffled into choked whimpers in its throat. Hua'er raked its front paws hard against Ji Ye's chest a few times, its hind legs kicking wildly, desperately trying to break free. This process coincided exactly with me breaking free, slumping to the ground, and gasping deeply for air.

Ji Ye squeezed tighter, forcing Hua'er's tongue to loll out extremely long, foul saliva dripping from its jowls. Ji Ye let out a few garbled cries, then opened his mouth and bit down on Hua'er's nose. He puffed out his cheeks and bit down hard enough that a spray of blood shot from Hua'er's nose, splattering all over Ji Ye's face and head.

Ji Ye let out a few whimpering cries of "Er-er," and then suddenly collapsed onto the ground. The white banner on the grave, however, began to flutter wildly from left to right, then spun around the bamboo pole, wrapping around it tightly before suddenly bursting open.

The moment Ji Ye released my neck, the unknown object that had tried to burrow into me also abruptly withdrew. My internal organs snapped back into place, and the strange feeling in my mind vanished without a trace.

I craned my neck, coughing violently and tearing at my throat, forcing in a few ragged breaths as consciousness rushed back into my body like a rising tide. I raised my right hand and found it empty; the flashlight must have flown somewhere, but strangely, the white candle in front of the grave had been relit by someone. Its flickering, eerie green glow allowed me to vaguely perceive everything that had just transpired.

Ignoring the ghostly candle for the moment, I collapsed onto the ground and twisted my head to see Qin Ping'er, pale-faced with her eyes shut tight, lying unconscious next to Man Niao Niao. Hua'er was bleeding profusely from its nose, half-sitting on the ground, scratching its neck with its front paws, occasionally coughing and barking, spitting out a pool of murky fluid. As for Ji Ye, he was slumped by the grave like a scarecrow whose support had been removed, his life or death unknown.

Overwhelmed with anxiety, I spat up a mouthful of blood. Four people and one dog—five companions—and besides Hua'er and me, the remaining three were of uncertain fate. Could this place truly be where our souls would finally end up?

I crawled over to Qin Ping'er and checked her and Man Niao Niao's breathing. To my surprise and relief, I found they were merely unconscious. Feeling slightly reassured, I crawled back to Ji Ye and reached for his nose. Ji Ye suddenly lifted his head, saying, "Eh? How did I fall asleep?" His face was utterly dejected and weary, like someone just waking from a heavy drink.

When Ji Ye spoke, I was startled at first, but hearing his own voice calmed me down. I noticed that although his face was streaked with dog blood, he no longer looked fierce and savage as before. I lay weakly on the ground, feeling heartbreak, thinking: "Fell asleep? You say that so lightly, like you’re discussing eating dry grass! You nearly had me consigned to the Underworld for King Yama to sign for personally!"

"What happened just now? What language were you speaking?" After catching my breath, I sat up and asked Ji Ye.

"I don't know... Was I sleep-talking? What did I say? All I remember is that I got bit by that rabbit and then dozed off..." Ji Ye looked utterly innocent, then held up the hand the rabbit had bitten, spat some saliva on it, and rubbed it.

"Sleep-talking?" The bleeding in my heart intensified. "You remember nothing of what just happened?"

"What happened?" Ji Ye asked, full of confusion.

"You just now..." The words caught in my throat. I realized this was no time to dwell on the past; the priority was to get Man Niao Niao and Qin Ping'er away from this bizarre gravesite before things worsened, so I changed the subject: "We'll talk about this later. Look at that candle, Ji Ye... and the 'mountain-watching money' on the grave!"

"Eh?" Ji Ye exclaimed. "This candle... who lit it? And how is that 'mountain-watching money' moving without any wind?"

I didn't answer, staring fixedly at Ji Ye. Seeing my unusual expression, Ji Ye's eyes widened. "Could it be...?" I nodded quickly. Ji Ye stared at the solitary grave, wiped his face, and looked grave and cautious.

"Eh? Is there blood on my face?" While reaching for things in his basket, Ji Ye noticed his hands were covered in blood and asked me in surprise.

I nodded silently and pointed toward Hua'er. "It's hers."

Ji Ye looked at Hua'er, who was staggering and whimpering by the grave, still looking puzzled. "Hua'er's nose... how did it get cut?"

"You bit it."

"I bit it? What happened?"

"Don't you remember? Ugh... why are we going in circles? I said I'd tell you later. The critical thing now is finding a way out... We'll discuss the rest later, alright?" I was thoroughly irritated. Although I suspected Ji Ye genuinely didn't recall his actions, he shouldn't be so long-winded in this situation.

Hua'er barked back and forth in front of the grave, its blood streaming onto the ground. Strangely, Hua'er was ignoring Ji Ye now, whining low and cautiously while staring at the white banner on the grave. Ji Ye walked over to Qin Ping'er and Man Niao Niao, flipped open their eyelids, and checked them. "They're fine, just fainted!" I already knew that.

Ji Ye took two tightly wrapped plastic packages from his basket and handed them to me solemnly: "Here’s the plan: You carry Miss Qin on your back, and I'll support Niao Niao. Let's get past the grave first. If anything happens, scatter this stuff; it should buy us some time." I took the packages doubtfully and opened them. My uncle—I thought it was some kind of treasure, but it was just a bag of ordinary rapeseed seeds.

Ji Ye noticed the confusion in my eyes but offered no explanation, simply saying curtly: "Later."

Though filled with questions, I dared not delay. I threw my excess belongings into the fog-shrouded abyss, including the bamboo bow and the already riddled plastic tube that held the wine. I put the remaining few bamboo lamps into Ji Ye's basket, lifted Qin Ping'er onto my back, and gripped the bag of rapeseed seeds tightly in my hand.

Ji Ye tossed the blackened chunk of pork onto the grave mound. The pork rolled a few times on the dark earth, rapidly shriveled and withered, instantly turning into a pile of powder, which then vanished amidst the fluttering of the white banner.

Hua'er would sometimes pounce toward the grave mound, only to retreat suddenly, its eyes locked intently on the white banner. Ji Ye’s face grew even uglier. He slung the basket onto his back, supported Man Niao Niao over his shoulder, a fierce glint in his eyes. He lit an oil-soaked torch and held it in his mouth. He nodded at me, signaling me to head toward the solitary grave.

As soon as we reached the front of the grave, the ethereal green candlelight suddenly doubled in intensity. In my blurred vision, it actually transformed into a young boy dancing an uncanny dance.

"Ying Ying, careful..." Ji Ye pointed at the top of the grave and whispered to me, "...Look!"

I had been focused only on the candlelight and hadn't noticed the top of the mound. Hearing the unusual tone in Ji Ye's voice, I looked up and felt an indescribable horror—a black rabbit was squatting on the grave, its feet resting on the shoe Ji Ye had kicked off, staring at us coldly with wide-open eyes...

"Damn your grandmother!" Ji Ye roared, waving his hand and flinging the bag of rapeseed seeds he was holding toward the black rabbit on the grave. The paper bag burst open in the air, and thousands upon thousands of rapeseed seeds flew out like buckshot, pelting the black rabbit.

The black rabbit couldn't dodge in time and was completely enveloped by the seeds. It let out a strange "Uh-ho-ho" cry, then began to wail like a child, dark red blood weeping from its eyes. The rabbit cried while frantically gnawing and clawing at the grave mound, sending dirt flying everywhere, all of it falling into the abyss. The wooden box ** became increasingly exposed, stark white and chilling, seizing the soul!

"Go!" Ji Ye roared again, supporting Man Niao Niao, and strode quickly toward the grave mound. My legs felt weak, my heart hammered like thunder. Carrying Qin Ping'er on my back, I followed closely behind Ji Ye, clutching the bag of rapeseed seeds even tighter.

Seeing us advance onto the mound, the black rabbit stopped digging. It crouched low, bent its back, and screamed shrilly, "Uh-ho-ho," standing on the grave to confront us head-on. The white candle's flame grew fiercer and greener, flickering faster; the white banner on the grave spun like a pinwheel, stirring strands of mist, and a gust of cold, foul wind rushed toward us...

"Quick! Take off your trousers!" Ji Ye bellowed.

This command was earth-shattering. I could barely believe my ears. Was Ji Ye still possessed by a ghost, having lost his mind? At such a critical, life-or-death moment, why would he tell me to take off my underwear?

Ji Ye bent over, sucked in his stomach, reached into his crotch, and yanked hard, tearing off his blue cloth underpants. He swung them around, draped them over the arm supporting Man Niao Niao, and pressed forward toward the black rabbit crying miserably on the grave mound.

The black rabbit stared fixedly at Ji Ye's underpants; the sinister malice in its eerie eyes diminished, replaced by a look of fear, and it retreated toward the far end of the grave. The flame of the candle in front of the grave also gradually weakened, though it still flickered faintly and unstably. The spinning speed of the white banner on the grave slowed, looking weak and exhausted.

I was dumbstruck, never imagining that a pair of foul-smelling underpants could have such an effect. I inwardly sighed that Ji Ye was indeed a master among masters!

Standing on the grave mound, Ji Ye turned back and saw me frozen in place. His eyebrows and beard bristled. He snatched the torch from his mouth and waved it at me, roaring, "Hurry up and take them off!" The shout startled me awake. After a slight hesitation, I gritted my teeth and imitated Ji Ye's action, pulling off my own underwear. Holding my breath, I clumsily wrapped it around my head, praying silently that Qin Ping'er wouldn't wake up, or I'd die of shame or awkwardness.

Suppressing the weakness in my legs, I walked toward the grave mound, carrying Qin Ping'er on my back under Ji Ye's torchlight. I caught sight of the still-burning white candle and was instantly overcome with anger and a surge of reckless daring. I swung my foot and kicked the candle away. The candle spun in the misty air and fell far into the abyss, its light shrinking until it finally disappeared.

Ji Ye, supporting the still-unconscious Man Niao Niao, laboriously hooked his foot into the shoe the black rabbit had abandoned on the mound. He muttered curses—"Damn your grandmother, damn your grandmother..."—while warily glancing sideways at the black rabbit at the far end of the grave, urging me to hurry up and climb onto the mound.

The delicate Qin Ping'er felt like a massive mountain pressing on me, forcing me to stoop and gasp like a bellows. After finally climbing the not-so-high mound, I found the black earth used to build the grave slippery and sticky, and it had been thoroughly dug up by the black rabbit. My foot sank deep into the pile as I stepped down. Losing my balance, I instinctively let go with my hands, and Qin Ping'er, like a sack of flour, tilted and fell straight onto the mound from my back.

I was terrified. I forcefully pulled my foot out, turned over, and hugged Qin Ping'er tightly, lifting her up.

Without caring where I stepped, I instinctively alternated my legs, wading through the loose soil as if through wet coal, struggling until I reached Ji Ye's side. Before I could fully recover my composure, the teetering white banner on the grave suddenly swept down toward me and Ji Ye, knocking the torch flame sideways, though thankfully not extinguishing it. In my terror, I accidentally glanced back and saw that I had completely stepped over the stark white, chilling "box." Murky, foul water began to bubble out of it in thick streams, bringing with it a horrifying, ominous aura.

As the white banner fell, Ji Ye frantically kicked, sending the entire pole and banner tumbling into the abyss.

I saw Hua'er sniffing low over the "box" and the muddy mess, worried it might meet trouble, and called out in a trembling voice, urging it to climb up quickly. Hua'er ignored me, its throat emitting a low, terrifying growl. It scrabbled its legs wildly a few times and finally managed to completely dig open the "box," fully exposing a small, headless skeleton to our view.

At that moment, the black soil of the grave, the stark white aged wood, and the grayish-white headless bones, all illuminated by the crackling fire of the torch, pulled my senses and thoughts far, far away without restraint...

"Move! What are you staring at?" Ji Ye shouted, snapping me back to reality.

I turned back and glimpsed the black rabbit lying at the far end of the grave, staring at us venomously, mimicking an infant's voice as it wept heart-wrenchingly. I quickly urged Hua'er to follow and trailed behind Ji Ye as we circled toward the end of the grave.

Seeing us approach, the black rabbit avoided the confrontation. While keeping its eyes locked on us, it sidled along the edge of the stone bridge toward the grave mound, clearing a path. Still uneasy, I hurled the rapeseed seeds in my hand hard at the black rabbit. The seeds scattered like a black cloud, engulfing the rabbit's head and face...