Borrowing the Yin Bone, Demon Wife

My grandfather, to save my life, dug up the entire mass grave and found nine female corpses to bury together. He said that on the night I was born, the nine stars shifted in the sky. Among the nine, four ominous stars—Two Black, Three Blue, Five Yellow, and Seven Red—aligned at the center, which marked my birth with misfortune. Because of this, I was born with four black moles on the soles of my feet. Grandfather said I was destined to be followed by bad luck and face a perilous life. Sure enough, the moment I was born, I wouldn’t stop crying. I cried so much that blood flowed from my eyes, and my limbs convulsed. Seeing this, my family panicked. My mother and grandmother cried, asking my grandfather, “What if this child doesn’t survive?” Grandfather sighed and told the family, “If you trust me, let me take him away.” With no other options, my family agreed. Grandfather carried me to the mass grave and built a small straw hut there. That’s where we lived. Every day, my grandfather carried me on his back and started digging graves in the mass graveyard. According to him, it took half a month to find the first suitable female corpse. During that time, he was so worried he aged rapidly, his hair turning white before he even hit fifty. I was on the verge of death when he finally found a suitable corpse, dug her up, and placed me in the grave to be buried with her. I stayed buried with her for a year. By the time I turned one, I could already walk. I ran around the graveyard with my grandfather. The place was desolate, with no living people, and at night, eerie ghost lights floated around. Every year, my grandfather would find another suitable female corpse for me to share a grave with. By then, it didn’t feel strange or scary to me at all. To me, it was normal. By the time I was three, my grandfather started teaching me how to read and showed me strange books. I was a quick learner. Whatever my grandfather taught me, I understood immediately. That’s when I realized my grandfather wasn’t just an ordinary old man—he knew feng shui. When I turned nine, my grandfather found the ninth female corpse. He told me that over these nine years, my “original yin” had been replenished, temporarily suppressing the ominous stars in my life. But there was one last step to complete. At nine years old, I was much more mature than other kids my age, so I understood a lot. Over the years, my grandfather had dug through almost every grave in the mass graveyard. The entire graveyard was filled with resentful spirits, but none dared harm us. My grandfather explained that my bad stars made me so ominous that even the King of Hell would avoid me. I noticed my grandfather was looking weaker and asked him, “What’s the final step?” He coughed a few times, took a puff of his cigarette, and said heavily, “In three days, you’ll know.” Three days passed quickly. On that day, I woke up to the sound of firecrackers and fireworks. The entire mass grave became lively. Through the thick fog, I saw smoke, flying paper money, and heard the sound of suona horns. A loud voice echoed through the fog: “The He family of Sanqing Prefecture presents nine blood coffins as a dowry to bring the groom home.” The sound was deafening, as if it pierced through the heavens. Suddenly, drums, gongs, and firecrackers filled the air, leaving me dazed. Having never seen so many people before, I clung to my grandfather in fear. Grandfather smiled warmly and said, “Don’t be scared, Xiaoqing. They’ve come to take you home.” My name is Xie Qing. Grandfather said my name represents the three waters, as water calms turbulent stars. He believed it would bring balance to my life. I grabbed his hand and said, “Grandpa, I don’t want to go anywhere.” He sighed and said this was the final step. Without it, all the effort of the past nine years would be wasted. He pleaded with me not to let his life’s work go to waste. Before I could say more, he grabbed my hand and walked me forward, saying, “Come, Xiaoqing. Let’s meet your bride.” Grandfather, dressed in white, led me to where the commotion was. As the fog cleared, I saw dozens of people carrying nine blood-red coffins. When the coffins were placed on the ground, the noise stopped, and the graveyard returned to complete silence. Not long after, a beautiful woman dressed in black appeared, holding the hand of a little girl in red. The girl had round pigtails, snow-white skin, big eyes, and delicate features like a porcelain doll. Compared to her, I was like a chicken in the dirt, completely out of place. The woman said, “Old Master Xie, as per our agreement nine years ago, I’ve brought Xingchen here to fulfill it.” Grandfather nodded in satisfaction. Looking at the little girl, he said, “From now on, you’re Xiaoqing’s wife. Call me grandpa.” The little girl smiled sweetly and called out, “Grandpa.” Her voice was crisp and clear, bringing visible joy to my grandfather’s face. He handed her a gift—a set of jade beads—and said, “These are for you. If Xiaoqing ever bullies you, tell me, okay?” The little girl nodded and glanced at me. The woman in black said, “We’ve brought the dowry, and it’s time for the groom to come home with us.” She reached for my hand, but I quickly avoided her. Grandfather said, “This is the final step. Just do it for me, okay?” Looking at my frail grandfather, who had aged so much, I felt my heart ache. I knew how much he had sacrificed for me over the past nine years. “Grandpa, I don’t want to go,” I said, my voice trembling. He handed me three silk pouches and said, “Xiaoqing, when you leave the graveyard, if you’re ever in mortal danger, open the first pouch.”