After that, Hu Guohua became a soldier and was highly valued. However, during that chaotic time, the world was in turmoil, with warlords fighting for power. A group of a hundred or so men could easily establish their own territory. One day, you might defeat me, and the next day, someone else would take you down. Very few forces could survive for long.
The warlord faction that Hu Guohua followed was not large to begin with, and within a year, they were severely beaten in battles over territory by another warlord. Many soldiers died, while others fled. The warlord leader who had promoted Hu Guohua was also killed in the chaos.
After the defeat, Hu Guohua returned to his hometown, only to find that his family’s dilapidated house had already collapsed. He had fled in a hurry and had no money with him. He hadn’t eaten for two days, and his craving for cigarettes kicked in. With no other options, he had to sell his handgun to bandits in exchange for some tobacco and food to relieve his immediate hunger.
He thought to himself that this situation couldn’t go on. The little food and tobacco he had would only last him three to five days at most. What would he do after that? At that moment, he remembered what the spirit attached to the woman in white had said: when he became too poor to survive, he should go to the desolate graveyard at Shisanli Pu and look for a lonely grave without a tombstone. She had mentioned that there were gold and silver ornaments buried with her.
By this time, Hu Guohua had been a soldier and fought in battles, so he was much braver than before. He recalled hearing an old soldier in the army talk about many tomb raiding stories. Tomb raiding, known as “Dao Dou” in folk terms, could bring in a fortune, but if caught, it could cost him his life. So, he didn’t dare to act during the day. Taking a deep breath, he decided to go out on a night with a faint moon. He lit a lantern, grabbed a shovel, and headed to the graveyard at Shisanli Pu.
When he arrived at the location, he took a swig of the half a catty of liquor he had brought with him to bolster his courage. That night, the moon was cold and the stars dim, with a chilling wind howling through the grave mounds. Phosphorescent lights flickered in the air, and occasionally, strange bird calls echoed in the darkness. The lantern in his hand flickered uncertainly, as if it could go out at any moment.
Even though Hu Guohua had just drunk some liquor, he was still scared out of his wits in this eerie place, and he broke out in a cold sweat. It seemed that the half a catty of liquor had been for nothing, as it all came out through his pores.
Fortunately, this was a wild graveyard, and no one knew how old the graves were. There were no signs of people nearby, so he didn’t have to worry about being heard if he shouted. To boost his spirits, Hu Guohua sang a few folk songs, but he didn’t know many, and soon ran out of lyrics. So, he resorted to singing the two songs he was most familiar with: “Can’t Sleep All Night” and “Touch Me More”.
Hu Guohua steeled himself and cautiously made his way to the center of the graveyard. There, he indeed found a lonely grave without a tombstone. In this desolate area filled with graves, this one stood out as something truly unusual.
What was even stranger was that the coffin was not buried beneath a mound of earth; instead, it was standing upright on the grave hill, with more than half of it exposed. The coffin looked brand new, shining brightly with eighteen layers of red lacquer. Under the dim light of the moon, it emitted an eerie glow.
Hu Guohua felt a bit uneasy. Why was the coffin positioned like this? It was really strange, and he suspected there might be something unusual about it. But since he was already there, wouldn’t it be a waste not to open it and take a look? Dying of hunger without money for food was one way to go, and suffocating from his craving for tobacco was another. Either way, it would be a death. He thought it might be better to let a ghost take him than to suffer like this. He had endured enough humiliation in his life. Damn it, today he would go all out and see it through to the end.
With his mind made up, he swung the shovel and began to dig up the earth covering the lower half of the coffin. Soon, the entire coffin was revealed before him. Hu Guohua was a heavy smoker and had poor stamina; after digging for a bit, he was already out of breath. He didn’t rush to open the coffin. Instead, he sat down on the ground and took out some opium he had brought with him, inhaling a bit to calm his nerves.
With the opium stimulating his brain, Hu Guohua felt a surge of energy. He stood up and pried open the coffin lid with his shovel. Inside, he was taken aback to find a beautiful woman’s corpse, her features remarkably lifelike. However, her face was heavily made up, with thick layers of powder and two large patches of bright red blush on her cheeks. Against the white foundation, it looked as if she had two pieces of red plaster stuck to her face. She was adorned in a phoenix crown and a flowing red silk wedding gown, dressed as if she were a bride.
This corpse was definitely not the same big-faced woman he had seen two years ago. The paper figure had been the one that led him to dig up the grave back then. After such a long time, even if that woman had been buried just two years ago, she should have decayed by now. Could it be that she had turned into a zombie?
At that moment, Hu Guohua was no longer concerned about anything else. His eyes were fixated on the jewelry adorning the corpse in the coffin. The gold, silver, and gemstones sparkled enticingly in the light of the lantern. There were also stacks of silver dollars wrapped in red paper and numerous gold bars beside her, so many that he couldn’t even count them.
He thought he had struck it rich. Hu Guohua reached out to grab the emerald ring on the corpse’s finger. Just as he extended his hand, the corpse suddenly flipped her arm and seized his wrist with surprising strength. Her long, hook-like nails dug more than an inch into his hand, making it impossible for him to break free. Hu Guohua felt a sharp pain and fear coursing through him, leaving him at a loss for what to do.
The corpse opened her eyes, and stare at him. Hu Guohua felt like he had fallen into an ice hole; even his breath turned to mist in the cold air.
With a cold laugh, the corpse said, “You really are a greedy fool. A lowly person like you would do anything for money, wouldn’t you? I see your heart is useless, so I’ll just take it for you.”
Horrified at the thought of losing his heart, Hu Guohua quickly protested, “No… no…” But the corpse would not let him speak further. She tore at his clothes and, with her long nails, made a deep cut across his chest. A living heart leaped out from Hu Guohua’s chest, and the corpse reached out to grab it. Without chewing, she swallowed it whole, blood dripping down her chin.
Hu Guohua was stunned. Looking down, he saw a scar on his chest but felt no pain. Instead, he felt his consciousness fading, an emptiness filling his mind. Unable to comprehend what had just happened, he collapsed to the ground, repeatedly bowing his head to the corpse in a desperate gesture of submission.
The corpse sat atop the upright coffin and coldly said to Hu Guohua, “You are now my puppet. I won’t mistreat you; I will ensure you live in wealth and luxury. However, you must bring me eighty-four innocent women to this graveyard so that I can consume their hearts. If you make even the slightest mistake, I will take your life first.”
At that moment, Hu Guohua dared not disobey her orders. He realized from the stories he had read that this corpse was a hundred-year-old corpse demon. To escape her own calamity, she was temporarily bound to this graveyard. She had devised a scheme to lure greedy people like Hu Guohua to dig up graves, then used threats and temptations to force him to capture innocent women for her to consume their hearts. Once she had eaten sixty-four hearts, even the god beings would be powerless against her.
Hu Guohua hurriedly left the graveyard at Shisanli Pu, still shaken from the fear that had made him lose control. Once home, he quickly stole a pair of pants that his neighbor had hung out to dry. He thought to himself that he was in big trouble; he didn’t even have a wife, so where would he find women for that monster? He also felt that he had lost something important, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember what it was. It was definitely something very significant, and if he couldn’t find women to offer her, his life would be in danger.
As he was lost in thought, he suddenly felt something in the pocket of the pants he had just changed out of. To his surprise, he found two gold bars—gifts from the corpse. Hu Guohua frowned, and a bad idea popped into his head. Sighing, he thought that to save his own life, he would have to betray his conscience. The thought of conscience made him feel uneasy, but he didn’t have time to dwell on it. Staying alive was the most important thing; he could deal with the guilt later.
The next morning, Hu Guohua went to the county town to exchange the gold bars for cash. He then found a smokehouse to enjoy a good smoke. Afterward, he spent ten silver dollars to buy a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl from a poor village in the mountains. Although human trafficking was officially banned in the early Republic of China, poverty drove many families to sell their children, and the government was unable to enforce the law, making it practically meaningless.
After purchasing the girl, Hu Guohua told her on the way that he had bought her to be his wife and that she shouldn’t worry. He promised her a good life, saying that if she followed him, she would enjoy delicious food and wear fine clothes. The girl, named Xiaocui, was shy and kept her head down, blushing and saying nothing as he led her away. Hu Guohua took the lead with a small donkey carrying the girl, and that night, under the cover of darkness, they headed straight for the desolate graveyard at Shisanli Pu.
The mountain path was rugged and difficult to navigate, and Hu Guohua hurried along, worried about losing time. Along the way, he encountered a well-known Feng Shui master named Mr. Sun. Renowned throughout the province, Mr. Sun possessed a natural ability to see the Yin-Yang, allowing him to not only read fortunes but also perform extraordinary techniques.
Upon seeing Hu Guohua, Mr. Sun immediately noticed a layer of dark energy surrounding him. After calculating with his fingers, he was taken aback and quickly stopped Hu Guohua, asking, “Sir, why are you in such a hurry?”
Irritated, Hu Guohua replied, “I have urgent business, don’t block my way.” But Mr. Sun suddenly raised his voice and demanded, “I will only ask you one thing, you walking corpse, where is your heart?”
At those words, Hu Guohua felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He quickly fell to his knees, begging Mr. Sun to save him.
Mr. Sun helped Hu Guohua to his feet. “Although you have led a morally corrupt life, you haven’t committed any unforgivable sins. You must understand that turning back is the way to salvation. I can help you, but you must first become my disciple and quit your smoking habit.”
Hu Guohua was dismayed at the thought of giving up opium; he felt it would be easier to lose his life. However, after careful consideration, he realized that his life was more valuable than his addiction. As long as he was alive, he could find a way to indulge in his habit later. He decided to seek Mr. Sun’s help to free himself from the corpse’s grasp, and once he was safe, he could return to his opium. With this plan in mind, he bowed to Mr. Sun eight times on the mountain path, formally acknowledging him as his master.
Once that was done, Mr. Sun made the necessary arrangements and instructed Hu Guohua on what to do, while he kept a safe distance behind to protect him.
By the time the moon was high in the sky, Hu Guohua arrived at the desolate graveyard at Shisanli Pu with the girl. The corpse had been waiting for a long time and scolded Hu Guohua before eagerly grabbing the girl. With her sharp claws, she reached for the girl’s heart and swallowed it whole. Suddenly, the corpse let out a strange scream and tore her body into pieces.
At that moment, the girl Xiaocui revealed her true form; it turned out that Mr. Sun had used her own tactics against her. This fake Xiaocui was actually a paper figure, while the real one had been kept safe by Mr. Sun in another location.
The heart that the corpse consumed was actually a black donkey’s hoof hidden inside the paper figure. This object was known for its ability to ward off evil, particularly effective against undead creatures like zombies.
Upon realizing she had been tricked, the corpse was filled with rage and attempted to tear Hu Guohua apart. However, he had already distanced himself. The corpse let out a long howl, and one by one, her clothes turned to ashes, her body dissolving into blood. Before long, only a white skeleton remained on the ground.
Mr. Sun, who had been watching from a distance, rushed over and found a red pill the size of a chicken egg among the bones. He instructed Hu Guohua to swallow it, and finally, Hu Guohua’s heart was restored to its rightful place.
Together, they placed the bones into the large red coffin. Just as they were about to close the lid, the skull suddenly leaped up and opened its mouth, spewing a cloud of black mist at Mr. Sun. Caught off guard, he was hit directly and felt a wave of cold, corpse-like energy surge in his chest. However, having faced many dangers before, he remained calm. He pushed the coffin lid down forcefully, secured it with long nails, and then used a chalk line to draw intricate patterns on the coffin, creating a black net that sealed it tightly.
Mr. Sun had been injured by the zombie’s dark energy and was unable to move after all the commotion. He instructed Hu Guohua to gather some dry wood and burn the red coffin. Hu Guohua complied, lighting a fire that quickly engulfed the coffin. Flames roared high, sending thick, foul-smelling black smoke into the air, and eventually, the coffin was reduced to a pile of ashes.
It was only then that Hu Guohua remembered the treasure of gold, silver, and jewels that had been inside the coffin. He stomped his foot in frustration, lamenting his missed opportunity. Regretting it was too late, he helped Mr. Sun to his feet, took Xiaocui with him, and they all went to stay at Mr. Sun’s home.
Afterward, Mr. Sun used his secret methods to cure Hu Guohua’s addiction to opium and taught him some skills in Feng Shui and divination. Hu Guohua set up a small stall in the county town, offering fortune-telling services to earn some money, and eventually married Xiaocui. Grateful for his master’s life-saving help, he settled down and began to live a better life.
However, ever since Mr. Sun had been sprayed with the corpse’s dark energy, he had never fully recovered from the cold poison that seeped into his bones. A few years later, he passed away.
Before his death, Mr. Sun summoned Hu Guohua to his side and said, “As your master, I regret that I haven’t had the chance to teach you my true skills. I have here an ancient book, ‘The Sixteen Characters of Yin-Yang Feng Shui Secrets.’ It’s a fragment, only half a volume, containing some basic techniques for finding burial sites. Keep it as a memento.” After speaking, he took his last breath and departed from this world.
Hu Guohua buried his master and, in his spare time, studied the fragment Mr. Sun had left him. Over time, he gained some insights and began to select auspicious burial sites for wealthy clients in the county, gradually building a reputation and increasing his wealth.
Xiaocui gave birth to a son named Hu Yunxuan. When Hu Yunxuan turned seventeen, he went to study at an English missionary school in the provincial capital. With a lively and free-spirited personality, he was exposed to revolutionary ideas that stirred his passion. He dreamed every night of participating in revolutionary uprisings, which led him to run away from home and join the revolutionary base in Yan’an.
Afterward, Hu Yunxuan enlisted in the army and, by the time of the founding of the nation, he had risen to the rank of a regiment commander in the Sixth Division of the Third Field Army during the Huaihai Campaign. Following the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign, he moved his family south.
Eventually, I was born at a fortunate time, coinciding with the August 1st Army Day. My father named me Hu Jianjun. However, when I started kindergarten, I found that there were seven or eight other kids in my class with the same name, so my name was changed to “Hu Bayi.”
My grandfather, Hu Guohua, remarked, “That’s a good name; it sounds like ‘Hu Eighty-One.’”
When I turned eighteen, our family faced a severe upheaval. First, the leaders of the Third Field Army began to fall from power, and gradually, the repercussions reached us. My parents, who came from humble backgrounds, were both isolated and interrogated. My grandfather was taken out for public denunciation and humiliation. At his old age, he couldn’t withstand the strain and passed away after only a couple of struggles. He had spent his life helping others with Feng Shui and selecting burial sites, yet in the end, he himself was cremated. Such is the unpredictability of life.
Our home was searched three times, and all valuable items were confiscated. My grandfather had a passion for collecting antiques, but everything was either smashed or taken, leaving nothing intact. The only thing that remained was a fragment of a book he had left behind. He had instructed me to wrap it in oilcloth and hide it on the roof of a public restroom, which ultimately saved it from being discovered.
During the Cultural Revolution, young graduates had three main choices. The best option was to join the military, which offered personal development and future job placement opportunities. The second choice was to stay in the city and work as a factory worker, which also provided a steady income. The worst fate awaited those without connections or whose families had been affected; these young people were sent to the countryside to work in rural areas.
You might wonder if I could choose a fourth option—staying home and doing nothing. Unfortunately, that wasn’t allowed. At the time, there was no concept of being idle; everyone was expected to be a productive part of the socialist machine. If you tried to stay home, local committees, schools, and youth organizations would constantly come to pressure you to participate. However, some people held out until the end and refused to go to the countryside. They would ask, “What can you do about it?” In the end, those who resisted often remained in the city and were eventually assigned jobs.
This is how things worked in China—it’s complicated and often confusing. The rules were never clear, and the unspoken rules were not understood by everyone.
At that time, I was too young to fully understand what going to the countryside meant. Given my family background, I had no hope of joining the military, and there was no one to help me find a job in the city. With no other options, I thought, “If I have to go to the countryside, I might as well embrace it as a chance to broaden my horizons.” I figured the farther I went from home, the better.
Most people from our area chose to go to Yunnan or Xinjiang, but I decided to go to Inner Mongolia. A friend of mine, Wang Kaixuan, who was a bit fairer and heavier than most, also joined me. We were assigned to a place called Ganggang camp, a name I had never heard of before. It wasn’t until I was told that we were going to Ganggang camp that I realized such a place even existed.
When we left home by train, no one came to see us off. Compared to the enthusiastic farewells for those joining the military, our departure felt rather bleak and tragic. I only brought with me the book “The Sixteen Characters of Yin-Yang Feng Shui Secrets,” which I had hidden on the roof of a public restroom. I didn’t know much about the book, but it was the only thing my family had managed to keep. I thought it would be nice to have it with me, so I could take it out and look at it whenever I felt homesick.