Due to its remote location near Black Crow Mountain, very few people visited the area. The two individuals, bold as they were, started digging in broad daylight.
When they reached a depth of about three meters, they unexpectedly dug up a coffin.
This confused the two individuals because they had initially planned to create a tunnel, so why did they uncover a coffin?
Moreover, judging by the condition of the coffin, it looked as if it had been buried only a few days ago.
This was completely unscientific since the soil on top of the coffin couldn’t have been recently placed there.
Filled with anticipation that the coffin held treasures, the two individuals fully excavated it. After great effort, they managed to pry off the nine coppers nails that secured the coffin lid.
What puzzled them was that the nine nails were not made of iron but were entirely made of vermillion-colored cinnabar. They had no idea what material was used.
Regardless, they thought about getting rich from the coffin, so they decided to open it.
When they opened the coffin, both of them gasped in surprise. Their eyes widened.
Inside the coffin, there wasn’t any extraordinary treasure or zombie-like creature. Instead, there was a woman lying there-a beautiful woman who appeared to be peacefully sleeping in the coffin, completely naked.
One of the two tomb raiders, upon seeing this scene, couldn’t control his lower body and felt an embarrassing arousal.
Summoning courage, he reached out to check for breath and pulse, confirming that she was indeed dead. However, there were no signs of livor mortis on her skin.
What were they supposed to do now?
They had come to loot a tomb but ended up digging out a corpse, and it was such a fresh-looking corpse.
After considering their options, they came up with an idea.
Since they had unearthed a “beautiful corpse,” they couldn’t just let it go to waste.
They decided to temporarily put their tomb raiding plans on hold and sell the corpse to someone who needed it for a ghost wedding.
After inquiring around, they found a family in Green Plum Village. Recently, the family had lost their son before he could get married, so they needed a female corpse for a ghost marriage.
The two tomb raiders struck a deal with the family and sold the accidentally discovered “fresh” female corpse for thirty thousand dollars.
The family consulted a geomancy master in the village and chose an auspicious date to proceed with their deceased son’s ghost wedding.
Ghost weddings were different from regular marriages. They had to be conducted at night, and this particular ghost wedding was quite lively.
It was only after the female corpse was buried together with the deceased son of the family that the ghost wedding was considered complete.
The following morning, a relative of the family came to visit.
After knocking on the door for a while without a response, they noticed that the front door wasn’t locked from the inside. The relative pushed open the door and entered, but soon a horrified scream shattered the tranquility of the village.
The man and woman of the family had died in a horrifying manner. Their necks bore two grim black holes.
The relative immediately called the police.
At this point, Professor Orlando paused, took a sip of tea, and continued narrating the subsequent events.
After the police arrived and conducted their investigation, they initially classified the case as a murder.
On the morning of the third day, one of the two tomb raiders went to the police station to confess. He claimed that a female ghost was trying to kill him. The terrified expression on his face left the police dumbfounded.
The tomb raider stated that his partner had already been killed. There were two black blood holes on his neck, as if something had bitten into it and drained his blood.
The terrified tomb raider refused to leave the police station and requested to be detained in a holding cell. He spilled the beans about their involvement in digging up a female corpse and selling it to a family in Green Plum Village.
Following this lead, the police found the burial site of the village resident’s son. The graves had been dug up, and the coffins were empty.
Using the information provided by the tomb raider, the police located the spot where the female corpse had been unearthed near the Black Crow Mountain.
The coffin had been carelessly discarded to the side, and the burial site had been turned into a large pit by the tomb raiders.
Three police officers jumped into the pit and continued digging for about half a meter. Suddenly, the soil gave way, and all three officers fell through.
A pitch-black hole appeared, descending straight down. Even with the aid of flashlights, they couldn’t see the bottom.
Since the three officers didn’t resurface, another group of three officers was sent in to search for them. To their horror, the second group of officers never returned either. The ropes tied to them had inexplicably snapped.
The head of the police force sensed that something unusual was afoot. With the missing officers and the connection to an ancient tomb, it became a major incident. The officer in charge of the Green Plum Village area immediately reported the situation to higher authorities.
Considering the potential connection to an ancient tomb, the person in charge invited the renowned archaeologist, Professor Orlando, to assist.
Accompanied by his students, Professor Orlando visited the site for on-site exploration. They received support from the police and gained access to the information gathered at the crime scene, allowing them to understand the whole sequence of events.
The eerie and perplexing incidents immediately reminded Professor Orlando of Leo, which led to the decision to invite Leo to Riverdale.
After listening to Professor Orlando’s account, Leo fell into contemplation.
The entire situation was filled with strangeness, and it was not as simple as just a ghost wedding.
“Dr. Bloomer, what are your thoughts and insights on this matter?” Professor Orlando asked with anticipation in his eyes.
Leo shook his head and responded, “At this point, I can only conclude that the corpses dug up by the tomb raiders are problematic. As for the rest, I’m afraid we’ll have to visit the scene to find out.”
Professor Orlando nodded, “Time is of the essence. Let’s set off now!”
The four of them first traveled by car to Horndean County and then switched to another vehicle to reach Green Plum Village.
Green Plum Village was not actually a remote place, and based on its appearance, it was certainly not within the realm of poverty and backwardness.
However, the villagers still practiced the custom of ghost weddings, showcasing the fearsome power of superstition.
They first went to the police station located in the village. Since Professor Orlando had been there before, most of the officers recognized the dedicated old professor. Additionally, with Professor Orlando carrying out a mission from higher authorities, the police provided them with maximum convenience.
Under Professor Orlando’s guidance, Leo entered the makeshift morgue and came face-to-face with the three bodies.
As soon as the white cloth covering the bodies was lifted, Leo felt a chilling aura hitting him.
Expanding his consciousness, Leo began scanning the three corpses.
All three bodies had two puncture wounds on their necks, devoid of any blood.
Could it be the work of vampires?
Vampires were most commonly associated with foreign countries, where they considered themselves an independent community known as the Blood Clan.