Chapter One, Prologue - Part One

Grandfather stood still in place, not because he was bold, but because he had been completely frightened into a stupor

In the twenty-first year of the Republic, during a time of warlord chaos, my grandfather, who had just turned eighteen, was conscripted by the Beiyang warlords. He initially thought he was destined to become cannon fodder on the battlefield. However, after being captured, he was assigned to a unit, given a set of clothes, and taken deep into the mountains. At that time, my grandfather was still puzzled, wondering whether they were being taken to be executed or buried alive. It was only after arriving in the mountains that he realized they were there to dig.

At that moment, Grandpa heard a dull sound of footsteps behind him, mingling with the patter of the rain. Clearly, someone was approaching the wooden cabin. He thought that others were also interested in the jade figurine, so he began to retreat into the cabin while glancing back. It was a mistake to look; after he did, all the hairs on his body stood on end. What he saw outside was not a person at all, but the jade figurine itself, standing motionless in the rain, staring at him.

The ensuing chaos began with those armed overseers

What Grandpa is deeply concerned about is that jade figurine. He thinks that such a piece of jade is worth a fortune, and now that the camp is in chaos, it is the perfect opportunity to steal it.

Through the sunlight streaming in, one can see on the lush green surface, some faintly visible red threads resembling broken ends scattered throughout, and they seem to follow a certain pattern, leaning towards one side and slanting like a book.

It is said that the foreman who went to seek instructions had not returned for a long time. Later, the foreman from another area cursed and went himself, bringing two supervisors along. However, within five minutes, Grandpa and the others heard earth-shattering cries and wails.

In the heavy rain, even the loudest sounds seem much smaller. By the time the crowd heard this sound, the man had already arrived at the edge of the mountain. Through the clothes he was wearing, the crowd could determine that he was one of the two supervisors who had accompanied the later arrival.

When they saw the appearance of these two individuals, they all retreated as if they had seen a ghost, and then they no longer cared about the thousands of people still working on the construction site, scattering in the rain.

At first, my grandfather truly did not understand what this was all about. Thousands of people were digging with shovels and hoes in a specified direction—today they were digging to the west, tomorrow to the east. After a day or two, my grandfather gradually began to see the pattern; this was not just grave digging, but something else entirely.

This piece of jade in the shape of a human figure was carried into the camp, presumably for appraisal and safekeeping

Indeed, although it was apparent, my grandfather did not dare to say anything. Instead, he continued to work as if he knew nothing. As my grandfather said, the more it came to this point, the more one had to pretend to be oblivious. At that time, although my grandfather was young, he understood the importance of concealing information. In his words, revealing too much at this moment was akin to courting death, as one might be dragged underground and fed zongzi one day.

As soon as the overseer ran away, these conscripted laborers naturally seized the opportunity, and immediately they scattered in all directions, creating almost complete chaos in the rain

This heavy rain has been relentless, and it shows no signs of letting up, with a tendency to intensify. The entire mountain is shrouded in mist, and the supervisor, unable to endure it any longer, mustered the courage to go to the camp to seek instructions.

He walked the entire way, yet encountered no one. As he saw the camp was almost in sight, there was not a single figure to be seen. Amidst the sound of the pouring rain, the camp revealed an unusual silence.

This story was told to me by my grandfather

This rain came suddenly, and even though it was pouring heavily, the commanding officer above did not show any intention of allowing them to take shelter from the rain. Without orders from above, no one among the thousands dared to stop, and even the guards responsible for watching over them were puzzled, enduring the rain together.

Moreover, in my grandfather's words, if he had seen the appearance of that foreman at that time, perhaps he would have run away like the other strong men. Perhaps it was fate; at that moment, he did not even glance at him and just ran towards the camp.

At that moment, everyone's gaze was entirely focused on these two individuals. The grandfather said that it was raining heavily at the time, and he could only see the person who was trying to help him desperately retreating, with both hands clutching their face. Meanwhile, the supervisor beside him had already collapsed on the ground, motionless and without a hint of activity.

Grandfather and over a thousand people worked tirelessly day and night digging, and with explosives constantly detonating, a shocking gash was soon carved into the vast mountain. Moreover, that very night, someone unearthed something.

Moreover, with such a large green head, it must be worth a considerable amount. However, upon closer inspection, my grandfather immediately shook his head and sighed, lamenting that the color is not pure, which would at least result in a price difference of about ten times.

He stumbled in the dirt, shouting in a sharp voice with a changed tone: "Do not kill me, do not kill me..."

In earlier years, my grandfather learned some underground skills. Although he was only a novice in seeking dragons and finding holes, he could still discern certain things. Therefore, upon observing their method of excavation, he had already guessed about eighty to ninety percent of what was happening.

Moreover, he clearly saw a pair of human eyes on the face of the figurine

Later, in my grandfather's words, this entire camp became chaotic

Grandfather said that a moment's difference at that time caused him to spend almost his entire life in fear and unease. Unfortunately, I was too young then to understand the bitterness and regret in his words. Now, reflecting on it, I cannot help but lament the greed and terror of the human heart

Most of those digging in the mountain do not even know what they are doing. When they uncover something, they naturally find it strange. When they found something, my grandfather was right there beside them, and he saw it clearly. My grandfather said, that is a human head

After the humanoid jade was unearthed, over a thousand people dug for an entire day without any further discoveries. Moreover, as the sun was about to set, the originally clear sky suddenly turned overcast, with dark clouds rolling in and quickly covering the sky, making it appear as if the entire expanse was about to collapse. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, and within less than half an hour, a torrential downpour began.

Grandfather came to the camp alone, feeling somewhat apprehensive. He thought about what he would do if he encountered someone. He prepared an explanation, saying that the workers who were digging the mountain had run away, and he had come specifically to report the news

Grandfather said that at that moment he had an impulse to turn around and run away, but what is often referred to as being bewitched by ghosts may have been the state he was in at that time; he actually mustered the courage to enter the wooden house in the camp.

I have always believed that what my grandfather said was true, because what later happened here was indeed the nightmare of his entire life

At that time, people believed that another legion had arrived at the camp. The overseers immediately raised their guns and gathered in one place, while some went to assist the weeping and wailing overseer. However, those who tried to help him soon let out screams even sharper than his.

On a rainy day, the dimness was even more pronounced inside the wooden cabin. Before Grandfather could see anything within, he was met with a strong stench of decaying corpses. Then he beheld a room full of bodies—company commanders and clerks, secretaries, and all those who had wielded power and authority lay sprawled in disarray. Strangely, in just a moment, they appeared as if they had been dead for several days, their bodies completely decomposed, with yellowish-black putrid fluids covering the floor.

Since grandfather cannot clarify the location, it remains a mystery. However, he is clear about the sequence of events, and he has articulated it with utmost precision, leaving no detail unaccounted for.

Grandfather has been unable to clearly state the location of this incident from beginning to end. Sometimes he says it was in Changsha, and other times he claims it was in Luoyang. In any case, every time I ask him, he appears quite agitated and then names different places. I believe that, in fact, Grandfather has forgotten where this event took place, and the most direct reason for this is that he was frightened into forgetting.

Of course, it was not a real human head, but rather a green piece resembling one. At that moment, my grandfather was startled; at first glance, it was clearly a precious green object!

Those who dig in the mountains naturally do not understand the intricacies of jade appraisal. Upon discovering such a large piece of green jade, they immediately became extremely excited. With just a few shovels and picks, a piece of jade, standing as tall as a person and in the shape of a human, was revealed before everyone's eyes

This matter was soon brought to the attention of the higher-ups. Upon seeing such a large jadeite unearthed, those individuals were quite pleased. Consequently, they immediately ordered the team to continue excavating in that area, suggesting that there might be much more beneath the surface