Chapter Forty-Three: Ah Hao of the Miao Family

The man removed his bamboo hat, revealing a scar that ran diagonally from the upper left to the lower right of his face, making him look truly terrifying.

“I want you to help me find someone.” His frightening face, the putrid odor that accompanied him, and his chilling voice sent shivers down my spine.

“I am a corpse driver from Xiangxi. Fallen leaves return to their roots. I have come to find my brother.”

“Then you should go to the police station. I don’t know your brother.”

“My brother is already dead.” The corpse driver paused, his cloudy eyes betraying no emotion.

“Then you…”

“I want you to help me find his spirit.” He stretched out his hand, touching the door of my shop. “He has been here.”

Old Liao frowned, saying nothing as he watched the corpse driver. He eyed the silver bells hanging at the man’s waist, noticing the strange symbols engraved on them, and seemed to suddenly recall something.

“Are you from the Miao tribe?”

The corpse driver looked up but said nothing. He straightened and offered a respectful salute.

“An outsider of the Miao clan, Sun Chenhao.”

It turned out the Miao clan was divided between insiders and outsiders. Outsiders inherited yin arts focused on corpse driving and insect curses, powerful yet thankless trades, and those who worked outside were mostly outsiders. The corpse drivers of Xiangxi naturally knew some curse and Taoist arts, but their skills were not as refined as those of the inner clan.

The inner clan, it was said, specialized in witchcraft and heart curses, holding yin arts so sinister they could affect a person’s mind.

“You can call me Hao. We met last night.”

Hao put away his hat and silver bells, sat on the sofa, and his robe covered most of his skin, leaving only his terrifying scar visible.

Noticing our gaze, he touched his face and gave a bitter smile. “Corpse drivers are only chosen among the grotesque. Once you step into the world of the dead, you live alongside sinister things every day. But to me, they are family.”

Everyone carries their own story. We didn’t ask further, though the foul smell in the air seemed to have lessened, perhaps due to Hao’s yin arts.

Old Liao poured him tea. Hao tapped his finger three times on the table. Old Liao nodded and asked, “How did you find us? How did you know we deal with the dead?”

“It’s a coincidence, really. I was guided by a spirit. This place bears the scent of my brother’s soul.”

Old Liao and I exchanged glances, each turning over possibilities in our minds. Was it a former client? Or a soul used for the Yin-Yang embroidery? If Hao’s brother was indeed one of the souls I had used as material, and he found out—what then?

The thought made me sweat. Facing someone so adept in the occult, I certainly wouldn’t foolishly expose myself. I decided to ask Old Jin.

I dialed Old Jin, and before the call connected, I turned to Hao. “What’s your brother’s name?”

“Sun Xing. He was a real estate agent.” Expectation flickered in Hao’s expression. Soon, Old Jin answered.

“Hey, kid, what’s up?” In the background, I could hear women’s laughter and merriment.

Damn, Old Jin, indulging in pleasure in broad daylight.

“I want to ask about someone—or rather, a soul,” I said awkwardly. Asking about the dead always sounded odd. “His name is Sun Xing, a real estate agent. He shouldn’t have passed long ago.”

“Hm… I don’t recall, but I’ll check the ledger later. In our line of work, karma matters, so every transaction is logged. Don’t worry, if he left through me, there’ll be a record.”

His resolute tone eased my nerves, so I began to ask Hao about his past.

The society of those dealing with the dead is complex. Old Liao often warns me never to reveal too much when walking the rivers and lakes. Perhaps I am too young, but I always approach these people’s stories with trust.

Turns out, becoming a corpse driver in Xiangxi isn’t just a matter of inheritance; accepting apprentices is a careful process.

First, one must be ugly. Corpse drivers must be born ugly since they spend their days with corpses, naturally intimidating wandering spirits. Some are born this way, others are made. Looking closely at Hao’s features, if not for the scar, he would have been a striking man.

Second, courage. On the day of graduation, the master asks the apprentice to retrieve a sacrificial item from a grave, proving their bravery. Xiangxi is rife with sinister happenings—if you encounter something truly evil, you’re on your own.

Third, skill. To become a qualified corpse driver, one must learn thirty-six techniques—walking, jumping, turning, and more—which demonstrate their control over corpses and are the foundation for the craft.

With these three, one becomes a proper corpse driver. As for curse arts and spirit summoning, those are unique skills developed later, which neither Old Liao nor I dared inquire about.

Hao and his brother Xing were siblings—one became ugly due to childhood misfortune, the other grew up handsome. Hao became a corpse driver in the Miao village, while Xing went south to work, reportedly becoming a real estate manager in Guangdong in recent years, living quite comfortably.

Half a month ago, Hao received news of his brother’s sudden death. According to Xiangxi custom, the body must be brought home. When Hao found his brother’s corpse in the morgue and performed the spirit summoning ritual, something strange happened—the soul gave no response, as if trapped by some force.

Hao spent a long time searching both city and countryside, eventually uncovering clues through secret yin arts, which led him here today.

Soon, Old Jin called back. “Hey, kid, that soul never passed through my hands. Why are you looking for information about the dead? Did you get yourself into trouble?”

I mumbled as I hung up, seeing Hao’s grave face fixed on me. I felt troubled—just as I was making progress with Brother Lin’s matter, now I had another headache to deal with.

“Can you give me a list of the clients you’ve dealt with? I’d like to look for clues.” Hao was clearly restless. To him, finding his brother’s soul and ensuring it returned home was the highest priority.

“That’s not possible. You know the rules in our business—client information is confidential…” I shook my head firmly. Anyone confronted with a difficult situation would want to keep their information safe, not invite more trouble.

“Was there anything strange about your brother’s corpse?” Old Liao, cigarette in mouth, handed one to Hao and asked.

After a brief silence, Hao’s eyes suddenly lit up.

“There was a new mole on my brother’s face!”