Seven Days, Seven Nights

The distance between each tomb was not too far. Some gravestones were several meters high, densely packed with inscriptions written in small letters. The people who made the gravestones used these actions to show how numerous the sins were that they could not list them all. (1)

In the ancestral hall, most of the guards had one of two surnames, ‘Li’ or ‘Zhou.’ Coupled with the fact the ballot box was made of white bones, Su Er subconsciously searched for tombstones with those two surnames.

Excluding the girl who hanged herself not long ago, he found only one more tombstone with the surname ‘Li.’ The child had been only thirteen years old based on the birth and death dates inscribed. The crime recorded was that he had snuck out to play and drowned to death. Patiently, he turned around and searched again from beginning to end until he finally found a gravestone for ‘Zhou Linjun’ at the side near the mountain wall.

Because of old age and erosion from the wind and rain, the word ‘Zhou’ on it had become somewhat blurred.

He looked at the crime: Theft.

Compared to the other tombstones, there were only a few words written.

Su Er looked back at Ji Heng: “Will the ghosts suddenly appear?”

“It’s unlikely, Ji Heng said, “unless you commit a taboo.”

The game favors ghosts, but it also limits them. Otherwise, the player would have no place to stand at all.

Su Er: “Does digging up a grave count?”

Before Ji Heng could open his mouth, Wen Buyu took a deep breath of cold air. Was this guy crazy?!

Of course, Su Er was not willful. Only by opening the coffin could he be sure whether the bones of the ancestral hall’s voting box belonged to this person. (2)

However, Ji Heng did not answer.

Su Er knew he shouldn’t get used to seeking him out for everything, so he quickly changed his mentality and thought independently. Buried here were the people regarded as the disgrace of this village. There wasn’t a single trace of anyone coming to worship this land, which was more like a mass grave.

Even so, he couldn’t say there was even a 10% chance that he could escape after digging up the coffin. (3)

After thinking about it for half a minute, Su Er made up his mind and got ready to dig.

Though he had Ji Heng carrying him for now, who knows how many life-or-death situations he will have to face alone in the future. How could he achieve perfection every time?

He first dug into the earth with his hands wrapped in his sleeves. However, he was disgusted with the slow speed, so he wandered around looking for a sharp plank he could use as a simple shovel. (4) Wen Buyu felt her nerves going numb: “Should we stop him?”

Ji Heng glanced at her, and the latter swallowed back her unfinished words. Wen Buyu gritted her teeth and stepped forward to help Su Er dig.

“Huh?” Su Er was a little surprised.

“If you work alone, you may not finish digging before dark.” Wen Buyu didn’t want to help, but if she did nothing, she’d be abandoned by Ji Heng eventually as a discarded pawn.

Su Er raised his eyebrows. Although her strength was not high, there was a reason she had survived up till now.

Wen Buyu obviously had more experience with digging than Su Er did, and her grasp on time allowed her to skillfully apply strength. (5) She had also been in the game for a long time, so her force value was far above Su Er. The two of them worked together and soon saw a corner of the coffin.

Wen Buyu: “Do you want to open it?”

Su Er gently knocked on the lid of the coffin: “Are you there?”

Wen Buyu was speechless. Just as she was about to speak, there was a ‘bang’ from the inside of the coffin. Scared by the sudden noise, she scurried back and fell to the ground. She then found that Su Er had already jumped three meters away! (6)

Su Er was also a little sheepish. He pursed his lips and said, “It was my survival instinct.” (7)

Wen Buyu stood up bitterly. If the coffin had broken open, it would definitely be herself who bore the brunt of it.

Su Er approached the coffin again with a straight face and asked: “Senior, what do you think of me? Do you think I’m qualified to be the Chief Guard?”

The coffin suddenly fell silent.

Su Er recommended himself: “Once I become the Chief Guard, I promise to make more stringent rules to prevent anyone from exploiting loopholes.”

Wen Buyu frowned and reminded him in a low voice: “The rules killed all those buried here.”

Su Er turned a deaf ear to her and continued: “The current level of punishment is still not enough to convince the public.”

A harsh jittery sound came from inside the coffin, and the strong wind seemed to rush down from the top of the mountain onto the lid of the coffin. The soles of their feet were glued to the ground, making it impossible to take a step at all. With a creak, the coffin opened slightly, and Su Er even saw the rusty nails bend and get stuck in the gap.

A stack of red paper floated out of the coffin, divided into three parts, and fell into Su Er, Wen Buyu, and Ji Heng’s hands, respectively.

“By tomorrow morning, whoever can hold the majority of these things will be the new Chief Guard.” (8)

A hoarse voice came from within the coffin, and the surrounding graves seemed to have sensed it. For a while, the wind became stronger and the soil on top of many of the graves was blown away. (9)

None of the three showed any joy. Instead, they stared at the red paper in their hands, as if looking at a hot potato. Wen Buyu took the lead to tell Su Er: “I abstain. Here, take these things.”

Su Er didn’t answer: “Let’s leave this place first.”

The gravesite gradually shrunk in the distance behind them, and the temperature warmed up a little. Su Er clenched the red paper in his hand and looked at Ji Heng, not knowing whether to laugh or cry: “Similar to your educational philosophy, if there are no conditions, then just create your own.” (10)

It’s okay if these red papers could be kept, but if not, it is estimated you might die in their hands.

To put it bluntly, the ghosts gave benefits, and the price of failure was your life. The ghosts have created conditions to kill them.

Wen Buyu had an awful premonition: “Will we be chased by numerous ghosts tonight?”

“It’s reasonable.”

This was the first time Ji Heng affirmed her thoughts.

Wen Buyu wept without tears. She wanted to stuff the red paper into Su Er’s hands for the second time: “Aren’t you bent on being the Chief Guard?” (11)

Su Er: “If you aren’t holding a piece of red paper the next day, you might be targeted for obliteration.”

Thinking of the words that came out of the coffin, Wen Buyu’s hand froze midair.

During the entire journey, she thought hard about how to escape. When they were about to reach the marketplace, she suddenly asked, “By the way, why did you say you wanted to strengthen the rules, not sabotage them?”

The latter one should be more in line with the wishes of the deceased.

Su Er told her the story of his previous game: “Those who were killed by the evil cult still wanted to become that god’s envoys after death.”

Even when he was alive, the prodigal son couldn’t return, so how could they expect them to reach enlightenment after death? (12)

“If Ji Heng’s speculation is correct, then every move the Chief Guard makes is under the supervision of ghosts. This proves that these ghosts don’t want revenge. Instead, they want to bind the later generations with stricter rules.”

Wen Buyu silently looked at Ji Heng, who nodded slightly, agreeing with what Su Er said.

Su Er sighed softly: “After being abused by her mother-in-law for 10 years, the daughter-in-law becomes the new mother-in-law and abuses her daughter-in-law. It’s an endless cycle.” (13)

“…” It was an outrageous but inexplicable image. Wen Buyu tried her best to calm down: “Our top priority is to figure out how to survive tonight.”

Su Er: “The soldiers will divide into three groups.”

There was obviously more than one ghost in this village. If they gathered together, the three would definitely face a siege. If they could disperse these ghosts and attack them separately, the pressure would be relatively less.

Wen Buyu did not object. Su Er was the weakest persimmon among them, and the threat she faced would not be too great in comparison. (14)

A faint fragrance drifted into her nose. Wen Buyu raised her head and saw Ji Heng hand Su Er a small box.

“What’s this?”

“Ghost bone flower,” Ji Heng said: “Until the flower fully blooms, ghosts can’t see you.”

Su Er didn’t expect he would have such a wonderful thing in his hands: “How long can it last?”

Ji Heng shook his head: “I haven’t used it, so it should be enough to hold on for a period.”

Su Er didn’t refuse and thanked him solemnly.

Wen Buyu’s eyes flickered. Ji Heng hands the things to Su Er just like that in front of her. She wasn’t afraid… However, just as the idea came to her, she saw Ji Heng watching her from the corner of his eye. He silently mouthed: “Just try it.” (15)

It was three simple words, but they shook Wen Buyu’s heart, and she put away any thoughts of snatching.

Before fighting the dog (Su Er), look to see who his master is (Ji Heng). Not to mention, with Su Er’s potential, he’s likely to grow into a wolf. (16)

Ji Heng: “I have other things on me you can use, but they may kill you.”

Su Er nodded. He was not an insatiable person. The ghost bone flower was already an extremely precious consumable.

Before night fell, the three gathered at a roadside snack bar for a full meal and then separated.

Su Er headed west, which was the furthest from the gravesite. He was also familiar with the surrounding terrain, so it was relatively advantageous.

The sky wasn’t dark yet, so he could still think of countermeasures safely. When night came, Su Er was inevitably a little nervous. He didn’t know how ghosts found people, but at least there was a process. After contacting those dirty things several times, he knew the surrounding temperature would drop a little, so he could go to a cold and wet place. However, it wasn’t certain that temperature could conceal his presence from the ghosts.

Finally, Su Er chose a big water tank and squatted in a spot next to it that had a lot of cover.

The term “nightlife” did not exist in this town at all. When it got dark, very few people would appear on the road.

With his back leaning against the wall, a deep chill crept up his spine. The streets were devoid of any sound. He didn’t know how much time had passed before a gust of wind suddenly blew and whirled into his ear, almost like a whisper that was hard to decipher. (17)

Su Er didn’t dare to relax anymore. He pricked his ears and listened carefully. There seemed to be some kind of discordant melody mixed in the wind—— (18)

Rattle. (19)

No, it was more like clang clang. (20)

The moon was unnaturally round tonight. Su Er quietly stuck out half of his head, trying to use the moonlight to see what it was. After a glance, he almost couldn’t help cursing.

A white skeleton appeared on the empty street— to be more exact, half of one. It had lost all the bones below its waist, moving forward solely using its hands. Yet, it moved very fast. One second there might be ten meters between it and a person, but in the next second, the distance would be reduced to less than one meter.

As it got closer, Su Er could clearly see maggots emerging from the skeleton’s eyes, and immediately looked at the box Ji Heng gave him.

With the taser in his possession, he was naturally reluctant to waste the flower in the face of ordinary little ghosts. This skeleton didn’t look strong, but then why was Su Er always thinking about the voting box made of bones? There seemed to be a lot of bones missing from what he could see in front of him. (21)

Did he want to use it or not?

Many thoughts flashed through his head, and it only took him three seconds to make an actual decision. Su Er quickly opened the box and put the flower in his pocket.

Almost at the same time, a gust of wind swept over his head. This half skeleton had reached him. Su Er hunched down, fear lingering in his heart. It really had discovered his existence. (22)

A sharp boney finger jammed into the wall behind him, leaving a hole. The skeleton was a little puzzled. He clearly sensed that he was here. Why did his breath suddenly disappear? (23)

Su Er breathed a sigh of relief.

The skeletons’ eyes had long since disappeared, and they can’t see things normally. It seems the ghost bone flower was more precious than Ji Heng had described. Not only can it make ghosts unable to see him, but it also blocks their other senses.

Five minutes passed, but the skeleton had no intention of leaving. Su Er tried to walk a few steps to the side, but before long, the skeleton also appeared around him.

What’s going on?

The ghost bone flower also had a time limit, and when the flower fully bloomed, he’d be done for. Su Er tried to calm down and suddenly found that the maggots had come out of the skeleton’s eye sockets. They were half a meter away from him, spinning like headless flies.

Damn it!

No matter how calm Su Er was, he still felt sorrow for his ‘incredible’ luck.

Could ghosts also have helpers?

Ten minutes later, a petal bloomed

The ghost bone flower obviously wouldn’t hold on until dawn, and wherever he went, the skeleton would follow. If this continued, he would definitely die.

“Aight bet.” Su Er looked back at the skeleton that wouldn’t stop until it took his life and made a bold decision: “The most dangerous places are most often the safest.” (24)

.

The ancestral hall.

Ji Heng leaned against a pillar. So far, he had only met two weak ghosts.

Gasping for breath, Wen Buyu also staggered in. Half her sleeve was stained with blood, and she was obviously injured.

“There’s someone already in here.” Ji Heng wasn’t humane at all. (25)

Wen Buyu had racked her brain before thinking of coming to the ancestral hall. There was obviously something wrong with the voting box, and there might be ghosts. However, most of the ghosts were executed in the ancestral hall when they were alive. Since most were unwilling to enter, she would be relatively safe here.

It’s just that it was hard to say this for certain if there were two people gathered here. The primitive desire to kill would likely prompt the ghosts to rush in altogether.

She was a little unwilling: “Su Er is also very cunning. If he comes soon, will you also drive him out?”

Ji Heng: “This place was originally meant to be occupied by him.”

When Su Er arrived, Ji Heng would naturally leave.

Wen Buyu was stunned for a moment: “If that’s the case, why didn’t you…”

Before she finished the question, she realized it first. This was training. Return to the Grave selected people based on character, which had both its advantages and disadvantages. (26) Just like the last time Return to the Grave lost a member, they had to find a replacement as soon as possible to make up for the weakened strength of the organization.

Ji Heng didn’t rush to kill her, and pointed a clear way out: “You can find Wan Yi and tell them about the red ticket. With his ability, he’ll have no problem protecting you.” (27)

She couldn’t figure out why Ji Heng was willing to tell others about the red paper, but she had no better choice now.

Because of slight jealousy and unwillingness, she finally said before leaving: “He might not have thought to come here.”

Su Er is indeed outstanding, but he still lacked survival experience.

“The most dangerous place is the safest place,” Ji Heng said flatly. “He certainly understands such a simple truth.”

.

Su Er did indeed think of the ancestral hall at first, but he thought about one more thing. If he could think of it, Ji Heng and Wen Buyu would definitely think of it. If the three of them met, what was the point of splitting up?

Besides, the most dangerous place wasn’t the ancestral hall. (T/N:  )

“What ancestral hall…” Su Er looked at the skeleton that was still chasing him with maggots and then looked at the yard in front of him. He gritted his teeth: “Mr. Shuhai’s bed is the most exciting.”

The author has something to say:

Mr. Shuhai: Why the bed?
Su Er: It makes it more convenient to push you out as a shield
Mr. Shuhai: … ! ! !

 

FOOTNOTES

罄竹难书 – “Too numerous to be inscribed on all bamboo strips,” “Too numerous to be listed”Su Er wants to check to see if Zhou Linjun’s grave is missing bones.Su Er’s observations imply that no one in the village cares at all what happens to the graves/coffins in this cemetery, so they might not care even if the coffins are dug out. However, part of the reason for the high difficulty of this game is that the players don’t know all the rules that are in place in this town, so there is still a high chance they’ll die or be heavily injured after digging up the coffin.快 – fast, sharp准点 – on time; 施 – apply, exert; 巧 – skillful; 劲 – forceMore accurately: “The sudden noise scared her to step back and sit on the ground.”逃生的本能 – instinct to escape; 逃生 – flee for one’s life, escape“Majority” wasn’t in the raws, but he meant whoever has the most of the ghosts’ ballot papers will win黄土 – Loess; loosely compacted yellowish-gray deposit of windblown sediment of which extensive deposits occur, i.e., in eastern ChinaWhat Su Er is saying is a modification of a line from the 1974 movie ”创业” (English title: Start an Undertaking”), “有条件要上，没有条件创造条件也要上” – “If you have the conditions, you must step forward. If you don’t have the conditions, then create the conditions and then step forward.” 要上 – go up; have to go. The film talked about the struggles of oil workers during China’s Cultural Revolution, and the tenacity they held. You can read more here.欲哭无泪 – idiom meaning “to feel like weeping but have no tears;” you’re too heartbroken to even cry浪子回头 – “return of the prodigal son,” “return of the wayward son,” “the prodigal son becomes good.” 大彻大悟 – “greatly discerning,” “great awakening”十年媳妇熬成婆，婆又开始虐媳妇的无限循环 – “10 years after the daughter-in-law became the wife, she becomes the mother-in-law and continues the infinite cycle of abusing the daughter-in-law.”In the raws I kept getting “the threat he faced,” and the character used was
“他” which also means he/him, but I think based on context it should be “she.”闪烁 – flickered, flashed, gleamed, glistened; 试试看 – have a try, have a shot 打狗也要看主人 – “To beat a dog in the face of the owner.” It means if you want to find trouble with someone, you should figure out their background first. For instance, what is that person’s upper-level interpersonal relationships? Who is their boss, and can you afford to offend them? If the person has connections in high places, you would usually give them face for the sake of maintaining cordiality with the higher-position boss, unless you want to be retaliated against more severely. This saying is used to intercede potential conflicts. A lot of those 1D villains in face slapping soap opera novels could learn a thing or two about this lol.婆娑 – whirling, dancing中间 – “in the middle—” but I changed it to wind. It just means there was a weird discordant sound mixed in with the sound of the wind blowing.“嗒嗒” – Pinyin “Da Da;” means sound to represent rattle, clatter, or pounding“铿铿声” – “clang clang”More literal translation: “The problem was that Su Er always thought of the ballot box made of bones, and there were a lot of bones missing from what he could see in front of him.”More literal translation would be “The half skeleton really discovered his existence.” There was no “reached him” in the raws. That part was added by me.“He (the half skeleton) clearly sensed he (Su Er) was there. Why did his (Su Er) breath suddenly disappear?” It implies he was using Su Er’s breathing to find him, since dead things don’t breathe lol.“赌一把” – bet, let’s gamble, let’s make a bet. “Aight” is added.Ji Heng is kicking Wen Buyu out of the ancestral spot because this is his current hiding spot精 – essence, refinement, excellence, finesse; Basically, Return to the Grave focuses on quality over quantity of members.指了条明路 – pointed out the clear road

 

Fun fact, I went to see if I could find anything on the “Ghost Bone Flower.” I don’t know if it’s what the author could be referring to, but this is a “Skeleton Flower,” which usually grows on moist, wooded mountains in the colder regions of Japan, China and the Appalachian Mountains (USA). They turn transparent when soaked in water, such as after rainfall.