The Yin-Suppressing Coffin

Chapter 3 It's alive

We had just reached the edge of the burial pit when Grandpa tucked away his dry tobacco pipe.

Without a word, he snatched up the rooster beside him. I saw his fingers quick swing twice, and then he gently placed the bird on top of the crimson coffin. The rooster didn’t move an inch—it was as if some kind of spell had frozen it in place.

“Try again!”

Grandpa’s Make a hoarse noise out as he looked toward the eight coffin bearers, signaling them to give it another go. Without hesitation, the eight men bent down and gripped the coffin poles.

This time, the coffin slowly began to rise from the pit. My eyes locked onto the coffin’s spirit lamp—once that light went out, I’d have to stop them immediately.

But, thankfully, the lamp remained steady, flickering softly with no sign of going out.

Yet, just as the coffin was lifted three inches off the ground, it suddenly dropped with a heavy thud, landing hard against the earth.

The entire burial site fell into a deathly silence. Every eye turned toward Grandpa—no one dared to speak.

Grandpa’s expression darkened completely. There was a strange gleam in his eye, a sharp glint that made my heart skip a beat. Then, suddenly, he turned to look at me.

“Boy. You go sit on the coffin.”

The words hit me like thunder.

My body stiffened. Did I hear that right? Grandpa wanted me to sit on the coffin?

I pointed at myself in disbelief. “Grandpa... You want me to sit on it?”

I emphasized every syllable, hoping he’d take it back—but he only nodded, unwavering.

I didn’t know how to respond. My mouth opened, then shut again. Before I could think further, Grandpa’s voice came again, stern and commanding:

“You’ve been drinking rooster’s blood since you were little. Only your body carries enough yang energy to suppress whatever is inside that coffin. Remember—hold your breath!”

I didn’t fully understand what “that thing inside” was, but I trusted Grandpa. He’d never lead me into danger lightly. Still, this was the first time I’d felt true fear in all my years helping with burials.

Looking into Grandpa’s steady eyes, I turned to face the large red coffin. I stared at it for a moment, then forced myself to walk forward.

Closing my eyes and bracing myself, I stepped up and climbed onto the coffin. Then My legs straddled it, and I set myself down in one swift motion.

At once, an icy chill surged up through my body. The cold wasn’t just on the surface—it seeped deep into my bones.

I almost gasped from the shock, but Grandpa’s words echoed in my mind: Hold your breath!

I slapped a hand over my mouth. Now was not the time to screw this up.

Then Grandpa’s deep voice boomed again from above. “What are you all waiting for? Lift it!”

As Grandpa's shout fell, the eight people carrying the coffin quickly reacted and lifted the coffin bar directly. This time, the coffin was lifted without any surprise, which shocked me deeply.

But even as it moved, the chilling energy coursing through me made my entire body tremble. It wasn’t just cold—it was unnatural, like something from beyond the grave was leeching the warmth from my soul. Every hair on my body stood on end.

Seconds dragged like hours.

Finally, the coffin was set down gently atop the wooden bench.

“Come down,” Grandpa called out.

The moment I heard his voice, I swung my legs to the side to jump off.But My limbs, stiff from the cold, nearly gave out under me, and I stumbled hard. But the instant my feet touched the ground, the cold vanished as if it had never been.

I stood up, breathing heavily, staring at the red coffin with wide eyes.

Whatever was in there… it wasn’t normal. It's so evil.

Grandpa stepped forward, rooster in hand, and began to circle the coffin.

This was a ritual to soothe the departed soul, The purpose is for the dead to rest peacefully and bless their descendants.

The rest of the ceremony went smoothly, and once Grandpa finished, he turned to me again.

“Open the coffin.”

I hesitated.

Second burials required opening the coffin—cleaning the bones, dressing the dead in new clothes, and reinterring them for a more dignified farewell. In return, the deceased would offer stronger protection to their living kin.

But after what I’d just experienced, fear still gnawed at my chest.

Still, I had already taken the job. For the sake of the 150,000 yuan, I had no choice.

I picked up a nearby chisel and walked to the coffin. I found a seam along the lid and wedged the chisel into it.

With a deep breath, I pushed with all my strength.

Just as the seam split with a soft pop, a shout rang out—nearly overlapping with the sound.

“Boy, stop—!”

It was Grandpa.

His voice struck me like lightning.

I turned quickly and saw him staring in horror at the table in front of the coffin. The coffin light, which had been moved there during the ritual, was now flickering wildly.

Then—poof—the light went out.

A wisp of greenish smoke drifted lazily into the air.

My heart dropped.

I lunged forward, trying to shut the coffin lid before it was too late—but just then, a ghostly wail echoed from the coffin.

It wasn’t human. It was laced with sorrow… and hatred.

Panic swept through the crowd like wildfire. Everyone’s faces turned deathly pale. They backed away, eyes darting in every direction.

But only I knew the truth.

That sound—it was coming from inside the coffin.

I slowly turned back. Grandpa’s face was darker than I’d ever seen it. His eyes were locked onto the coffin, his jaw clenched.

I swallowed hard. My chisel clattered to the ground.

Just as I began to step back—

A pale, corpse-white hand burst out of the coffin seam and seized my wrist.

“Aahhh!”

The scream tore from my throat. I’d never experienced anything like this—an icy force, cold as the grave, surged up my arm and spread through my entire body.

“damn you...!”

Grandpa’s furious growl came from behind. In one swift motion, he grabbed the three half-burned incense sticks from the table and lunged to my side. He drove all three incense were inserted into the pale back of the hand.

Wraaahhh!

A ghastly shriek erupted from within the coffin. I stared in shock—the incense had pierced straight through the ghostly hand, and black, viscous blood poured from the wounds.

Behind came the shrieks of Wang Yuansheng and the others, who had long been scared into stomping back, more than ten meters away from the coffin.

Only Grandpa and I remained at its side.

With a final spasm, the hand retreated into the coffin. Grandpa grabbed my arm and yanked me backward. I stumbled and fell hard to the ground. My clothes were soaked with cold sweat.

My wrist still throbbed with a chilling numbness.

Looking down, I saw a dark, purplish handprint where that thing had grabbed me.

It had been so close—I could have lost my soul.

My heart pounded wildly, refusing to calm.

Beside me, Grandpa stood stiffly, muscles taut, eyes locked on the coffin like a predator ready to strike.

What the hell was in that coffin?

The body had been buried for a hundred years… but from the look of that hand, it hadn’t rotted at all.

What's worse, what's inside the coffin is still alive.