Evil Spirits Carrying A Coffin

Chapter Ten: The Human-Faced Bird

“Damn it, how many people must be dead here?”

Hammer had seen all kinds of scenes following my second grandfather, but this magnificent River of Bones was something he had never encountered before.

“It looks like it has been here for a very long time.”

Lu Yifa bent down and picked up a bone. With just a light tap, it crumbled instantly into white powder. The fragments slipped through his fingers. These bones must have soaked in the river for far too long, so long that they had already lost all hardness and simply dissolved.

“And judging from the direction of the water flow,” Lu Yifa said after looking around again and frowning, “these bones were probably washed down from upstream.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Second Grandfather said calmly, stopping Lu Yifa from continuing. “As long as they do not block our path, we move on.”

He glanced at the River of White Bones a few more times. Although the sun was still shining brightly, time could not be wasted. We still had to hurry on our way.

Lu Yifa nodded and continued leading the group forward. Even though the bones were buried beneath the soil, stepping on the ground still gave an unsettling feeling underfoot.

After finally crossing the River of Bones, we entered a jungle. Unlike before, the ground here was dry. No longer did every step sink into water and soak our shoes. At last, it felt possible to walk normally again.

However, the trees here were far denser than before. The only light came through narrow gaps in the canopy, with just a few thin rays slipping through. Even so, the entire forest remained dim and oppressive.

Seeing this, everyone took out the flashlights they had prepared in advance. They were all military grade products purchased through the black market by the family. Waterproof, fireproof, and highly resistant to impact, each flashlight was worth several thousand dollars.

Lu Yifa led the way, followed closely by Second Grandfather. Hammer and I walked behind them, while the others guarded the perimeter.

“Second Master, come take a look.”

Lu Yifa suddenly raised his hand, and the entire group stopped. Several people moved forward and discovered the remains of a campfire. It was clear that someone had stayed here not long ago.

Looks like we did not come to the wrong place.

Second Grandfather nodded and signaled Lu Yifa to continue. The group pressed on.

After walking for a while, a towering structure suddenly appeared before us. There seemed to be a massive carving on its surface, but it was almost completely covered by vines, making it difficult to see clearly. All that could be made out was a vague oval shape.

“Second Master, should we go in?”

Lu Yifa turned to ask. Seeing Second Grandfather nod, he raised the gun in his hand and cautiously approached the building.

Hammer and I followed slowly behind him. Just as Lu Yifa stepped inside, he suddenly dodged backward. A dark shadow dropped from above and slammed into the spot where he had been standing a moment earlier.

“Damn it, that scared me half to death.”

Lu Yifa patted his chest, still shaken. “Good thing I have stayed in shape all these years. My reaction was fast enough. Otherwise, that thing would have hit me.”

He raised his flashlight and walked forward. Only then did we see clearly that the dark figure on the ground was actually a human corpse. The man’s face was twisted. His eyes were bluish, as if something had hooked them shut from the outside. His body was covered with pitted, uneven wounds.

Hammer and I both sucked in a breath. We had no idea what kind of creature could leave behind something like this.

“Be careful,” Hammer warned.

He stepped forward and searched the corpse from head to toe but found nothing of value. The only item was an unmarked lighter. Hammer turned it over in his palm a few times before slipping it into his pocket.

Second Grandfather also examined the body. There were clear wounds on it, but he remained silent, and no one could tell what he was thinking.

The group carefully passed the corpse and continued deeper into the building. The interior layout was unclear, with several side rooms branching off. A strong stench of decay drifted from within them, suggesting they had not been cleaned for a very long time.

At the very center of the main hall stood a massive skull sculpture. Seeing it, I could not help thinking of the indistinct carving on the exterior of the building. Perhaps they were meant to depict the same thing.

From this alone, it was clear that the people who once lived here genuinely revered this head. Otherwise, they would not have gone to such lengths to carve something like this. After all, in ancient times, resources and tools were far more limited than they are today.

Just as everyone approached the sculpture, a sudden flapping sound echoed above the hall, as if birds were circling overhead. Startled, I quickly raised my flashlight and shone it upward.

Above the skull carving, several pitch black shapes hovered, resembling crows. They seemed disturbed by our presence, but they were partially concealed by the roof beams, making their forms difficult to see clearly.

When the beam of light swept over them, one of the creatures abruptly turned its head. Its face was shockingly grotesque. It looked almost human, yet twisted, and when its features came together, it formed an ambiguous, unsettling smile that made one’s skin crawl.

“Careful!”

Uncle Hammer suddenly rushed toward me and shoved me aside. At that very moment, another creature identical to the first lunged straight at me.

It was incredibly strong. Although Hammer managed to push me away, the creature grabbed him from behind. I saw the fabric on the back of his arm tear open, leaving several deep marks beneath.

Hammer frowned and glanced at his own injury. When he saw that I was unharmed, he let out a quiet breath of relief. He then raised his gun again and aimed at the creature.

The others also drew their weapons and opened fire at the human faced birds. As the shots rang out, debris fell from above, dirt shaken loose from the roof beams by the bullets.

Although the creatures were extremely fast, they could not withstand the combined firepower of several people. One after another, they fell to the ground and lay motionless, seemingly dead.

Just then, a series of frantic flapping sounds echoed throughout the main hall, as if many more of those things were gathering nearby.