Chapter 1: The Cracked Coffin

Chapter 1: The Casket Cracks

Prologue:

On the frontier.

Yunnan Prefecture.

Yan Sanhe knelt by the coffin, dressed in mourning clothes. Inside lay her grandfather.

He had passed away peacefully in his sleep, free from any illness or suffering.

Yan Sanhe did not feel sorrow.

His life, filled with inconsistencies, had finally reached its end. For him to depart so easily could be seen as a sweet reward after a lifetime of hardships.

On that last night, she sent others away and stayed alone in the funeral hall. Come dawn, when the casket was buried, their bond as granddaughter and grandfather would come to an end. Yet, she still found it hard to let go.

Yan Sanhe tossed a few sheets of white paper into the brazier.

Amidst the flickering flames, she heard a faint "crack."

What was that sound?

Before she could comprehend it, another "crack" echoed.

This time, she discerned it clearly, as if something was splitting apart.

Yan Sanhe swiftly scrambled to her feet, grabbed the oil lamp, and approached the coffin for a closer look. In an instant, her heart was seized with terror.

The coffin, which had been sealed tightly just moments ago, now revealed a crack.

The fissure widened, exposing half of her grandfather's face.

Tears welled up in Yan Sanhe's eyes, and they rolled down her cheeks.

According to legend —

The lid of a dead person's coffin refusing to close signifies unresolved yearnings in life. Over time, these yearnings turn into an obsession.

One cannot find peace in the grave with an unvanquished heart demon.

"Grandfather," Yan Sanhe whispered as he gently traced the cracked wood of the coffin.

"What is it that you couldn't let go?"

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Main Text:

Capital City.

Hundred Remedies Hall.

The carriage came to a halt at the entrance. Yan Sanhe paid the fare, took up his umbrella, and stepped inside.

The shop assistant greeted, "Miss, what medicine do you need to compound?"

Yan Sanhe brushed away the raindrops that had landed on her clothes. "I need two taels of a colorless and odorless powder that dissolves instantly in water and can be consumed without notice..."

"Please stop right there!"

Pointing at the sign outside the door, the shop assistant said, "This is a pharmacy for healing and saving lives, not for malicious purposes."

"It's a... tonic that doesn't cause any sensation after consumption."

The assistant was taken aback but quickly recovered with a smile. "Atractylodes has a taste; pearl powder is tasteless but doesn't dissolve easily. The best option would be premium white ginseng, which is both colorless and odorless, albeit a bit more expensive."

Yan Sanhe took out ten taels of silver from her bundle. "Is this sufficient?"

"More than enough, more than enough!" The assistant accepted the silver and grabbed a small scale. Turning to a drawer, they weighed out two taels of white ginseng.

"Miss, please take a seat. I'll have my master freshly grind it for you in the back."

Yan Sanhe nodded, about to grab a chair and sit down when she suddenly noticed another person in the apothecary.

The man was dressed as a military officer, leaning with his head tilted sideways, one leg crossed over the other, half-sitting and half-reclining in a corner armchair. He was observing her with an almost inquisitive gaze.

Yan Sanhe frowned and sat down beside him.

That gaze remained fixed on her, persistent and unyielding. Yan Sanhe returned the cold stare.

Unfazed, the man shifted his eyes away.

Just then, voices emerged from behind the curtains.

"I heard that Lord Ji in the eastern part of the city was dismissed from his position yesterday."

"What bad luck for the Ji family. First, the matriarch passed away towards the end of last year, then the grandson fell ill, followed by the granddaughter's broken engagement. It's quite eerie, isn't it?"

"Perhaps they've come into contact with something impure?"

"Spit, spit, spit! Don't talk nonsense like that…"

A subtle hint of suspicion flickered in Yan Sanhe's eyes, barely noticeable, as she discreetly glanced behind the curtain.

Moments later, the shop assistant emerged from behind the curtain, holding a small package in hand.

"It's ground now. Please take it."

Yan Sanhe approached and tucked the paper package into her embrace. "May I ask, where is Xie Daozhi's residence?"

"Who?"

The assistant, doubting if he had misheard, couldn't resist asking again.

"Xie Daozhi," she repeated.

Maintaining a neutral expression, the assistant was inwardly stirred by a tempest of thoughts - one question repeating in his mind:

What connection does this young lady have with the Xie family?

There weren't many in the entire city who dared to address Master Xie by his given name!

"Turn left at the gate, pass through four lanes, and walk for another quarter of an hour. It's not far."

The voice from the armchair was neither high nor low, laced with a hint of amusement.

Yan Sanhe lifted his gaze. When their eyes met, he replied expressionlessly, "Many thanks."

The man touched the tip of his nose, coughed, but didn't speak further.

Yan Sanhe turned to leave and paused by the door. After a moment of hesitation, he finally spoke up.

"Ask the Ji family to exhume the grave and examine if there's any crack in the old madam's coffin."

The servant felt his knees go weak and an urge to urinate. Looking up, he could no longer see the young lady, only a corner of her dark green garment.

"Third Master, that lady..."

"She's quite intriguing!"

The man known as Third Master nonchalantly shifted his leg, propping it up lazily.