The mysterious and terrifying Xiangxi "corpse chasing"

A corpse catcher in Xiangxi must be interviewed when entering the industry. He must be at least 16 years old, be more than 1.7 meters tall, have an ugly appearance, and have great courage before he can be admitted. Xiangxi has both the world-famous Zhangjiajie and the mysterious corpse catchers. In the early days, if you stayed in a small inn in a mysterious mountain village in western Hunan, you were very likely to see dead bodies walking. Before dawn, a row of dead bodies came staggering in front of the inn, all covered in a large black shroud. In front of these bodies covered in black shrouds, there was a living person holding a copper gong. This living person was called a "corpse mover" by the locals. In fact, it is more like a "corpse driver" to call him a "corpse driver", because he was beating the small gong in his hand and leading the group of corpses forward. He did not play lanterns, but shook a soul capture bell in his hand to warn night walkers to avoid and notify people with dogs to lock up their dogs. If there are more than two bodies, the cadaver driver will string the bodies one by one with straw ropes, one at a distance of seven or eight feet. When walking at night, the bodies wear a high-cylinder blanket hat on their heads, and several pieces of yellow paper with symbols written on them are pressed on their foreheads and hanging on their faces. There is a "dead body inn" on the road. This mysterious "dead body inn" only houses dead bodies and corpse pickers, and most people don't live there. Its door remains open all year round. Because behind the two gate plates is where the bodies rest. The corpse pickers rushed the corpses and arrived at the "corpse shop" before dawn, and quietly left at night. The bodies were all standing neatly against the wall behind the door panels. It was difficult to walk on a rainy day, so I stopped in the store for a few days and nights.

Only after passing the three passes can you become an apprentice to the people of Xiangxi. The industry of chasing corpses has been in existence since ancient times. Those who study this industry must have two conditions: one is bold and the other is in good health. Moreover, you must learn from the master. Corpse porters never take in apprentices indiscriminately. The parents first establish a letter for the apprentice, and then the cadaver driver must be interviewed. Generally speaking, one must be over 16 years old and be more than 1.7 meters tall. At the same time, there is also a very special condition that one must look uglier. The cadaver driver first asked the candidate to look at the sun in the sky, then rotated, and then suddenly stopped, asking you to immediately distinguish the east, west, north, south, and south. If you cannot tell the difference, you cannot be hired. Because you don't distinguish between east, west, north and south at this time, it means that you can't distinguish the direction of driving corpses at night and can't drive corpses. Then, the cadaver driver asked you to find something and carry the burden. Because the body is not a living person after all, and when encountering a steep slope, the body cannot climb up. The corpse pickers had to carry and carry them one by one up the high slopes. Finally, there is an interview. This is where the corpse driver places a piece of tung leaf on a grave deep in the mountains and lets you pick it up alone in the dark. Only in this way can you show that you have the courage to be competent as a corpse driver. If you pass these three tests successfully, you will have the possibility of becoming an apprentice cadaver. The corpse driver's family, like ordinary farmers, still "works at sunrise and stops after sunset." Only when they received the corpse removal service did they dress up and go to the corpse removal service. Although they chased corpses, they taboo the term chased corpses. Therefore, when experts asked them to drive corpses, they all said,"Master, please go and walk" or "walk a little." If the cadaver agrees, he will take out a special piece of yellow paper and ask you to write the dead man's name, date of birth, date of death, gender, etc. on this yellow paper, then draw a talisman and stick it on this piece of yellow paper, and finally hide this yellow paper on yourself. The corpse driver's clothes were also very special: no matter what the weather was, he would wear a pair of straw sandals, a blue cloth gown, a black belt around his waist, a blue cloth hat on his head, and a bag of talismans hidden in his waist pocket.

The first thing the master taught his apprentice was to draw talismans. This very strange talismans were drawn on yellow paper with a red pen that looked like words and pictures. When encountering an accident on the way, he hung this strange talismans facing west on trees or doors, and sometimes burned ashes and swallowed them with water. At the same time, the apprentice must learn thirty-six skills before he can chase away the corpse. The first achievement is that the dead body "stands and performs meritorious service", which means that the dead body must first be able to stand. The second skill is the "walking skill", which means that the corpse can stop walking freely. The third skill is the "turning skill", which means that the corpse can turn when walking. In addition, there are "Downhill Skill","Crossing Bridge Skill","Dumb Dog Skill", etc. "Dumb Dog Skill" can prevent dogs along the way from barking at the sight of corpses. Because dead bodies are afraid of dogs barking. When the dog barks, the dead body will be startled. Especially when the dog bites, the dead body has no ability to resist. Dead bodies will be bitten to pieces. The last kind of skill is the "soul recovery skill". The better the soul recovery skill, the more souls the dead body has, and it will be particularly easy to drive the dead body away. This "soul recovery" is actually sprinkled on the corpses with a herbal medicine specialty of Xiangxi. What is particularly worth mentioning is that this unique industry can only work in southern and western Hunan. Because, first, only Xiangxi has a "dead body inn". 2. Only the people in western Hunan heard the small Yin Gong of the corpse driver and knew to avoid it. 3. There are roads outside Xiangxi Village, but roads in other provinces generally pass through the village. Of course, they will not allow dead bodies to enter the village. 4. When people in Xiangxi hear the sound of a gong, they will take the initiative to lock up the dog at home. Otherwise, when the dog comes out, it will bite the dead body to pieces. Therefore, this very strange corpse removal industry is only found in Xiangxi. Many scientists are studying how dead bodies can be driven away by living people. Each has different opinions. Maybe one day, this strange industry and phenomenon that is difficult for ordinary people to understand will be given the scientific explanation it deserves. However, another theory is that "chasing corpses" is actually a smuggling activity of gangs, using this creepy team to avoid it to cover up illegal drug trafficking. The incredible "shouting the dead" The author has seen a piece of paper spread out by the roadside, with the words "Including shouting the dead over the province" written on it. At that time, I didn't believe that this would happen, but I later witnessed this spectacle with my own eyes.

"The death of the fox is the first hill." China people are particularly nostalgic for their own countryside. No matter what, leaf fall must be rooted to its roots. A wanderer who died in a different place must be buried in his ancestral tomb if he wishes; a filial son and a virtuous grandson must be moved back to his hometown, and relatives and friends who know each other also have the obligation to support this matter. It was impossible for a while, so he had to settle down. In addition to being a rich official, this move was easier said than done! As a result, there is a profession other than the seventy-two lines of "shouting dead"(shouting means shouting, the actual action is to catch up, but this action is generally accompanied by oral sounds to help, such as driving chickens and pigs is called shouting chicken and pig, and driving dead people is also called shouting dead). It is said that this occupation comes from "Henan religion", so it is even called "Henan religion dead". But "Henan education" is how a form and content, whether the official name is so, even whether it is "Henan" these two words, although the author has visited a very experienced old man, still can not be detailed. But many elderly people say that they have seen dead people walking on Xiangguan Avenue with their own eyes. It is true! In my early years, I had also seen a piece of paper spread out by the roadside with the words "Bao Yao, the dead pass through the province" written on it. In fact, I always don't quite believe it in my heart: How can a dead person walk? Is it really as the old people say,"evil laws have that magic power"?

At the end of 1949, Meishan, Pengshan, Danling and Qingshen in Sichuan had just been liberated. At that time, I was working in the Minjiang River Water Transport and Transportation Management Department in this area. Shortly after noon one day, I was walking on the road in the Pengshan boundary. Then someone walked by behind him, and I immediately noticed that he walked very strangely, with a hard stick and very unnatural. I couldn't help but stop to review, and a soft voice sounded in my ear: "What a pain!" At this time, another pedestrian who caught up saw my suspicious expression and woke me up. I suddenly realized it, so I looked more carefully: the "dead man" was wearing a long and large black robe without sleeves. He looked a little bloated, and his head seemed a little black and bulging. I don't know if it was his collar or it was covered by a straw hat. The straw hat tilted back slightly. His upper body was stiff, but he moved forward step by step in a rhythmic manner. In front of the black robe, there was another person in short clothes. He covered a bamboo basket or something on his left wrist and held an old lamp in his hand, as if there was a fire shining in front of him. The way this man in short clothes walked was also strange: he always leaned sideways, facing the black robe with a corresponding half face; his eyes were fixed on the black robe and behind him, and he tilted his head to look forward from time to time. Every time he walked not far, a small piece of paper floated down from his hand. I quickly realized that this was "paper money", the so-called "road money" that I had to throw away along the road even when carrying a coffin to go to a funeral. Driven by curiosity, I followed him for a long distance. When encountering uphill and downhill or under bridges, the man in short clothes still shouted to Black Robes; turning and turning, Black Robes also listened to the man in short clothes. At that time, I thought: To say it is "shouting at the dead", but actually it is called "attracting the dead", which is more realistic!

This is a great adventure in my life. Unfortunately, there was something going on at that time and I couldn't "follow" it to the end to find out. However, coincidentally, the next day, I learned about the whereabouts of the men in black and short clothes from an acquaintance, and fulfilled my wish.

It turned out that they had arrived at the hotel early yesterday evening. If the hotel industry has encountered guests like this, it will understand their profession-they check in early and arrive before ordinary tourists even visit. The man in short clothes came to the cabinet and shouted,"Happy God hits the shop"! When the boss saw the black robe behind this person, half of his face was covered by a straw hat, he couldn't help but be surprised and happy: he was surprised to be a dead person, but he was happy that the income was more abundant than usual; moreover, if the "happy god" came, he would be very lucky. So he immediately took them to a remote room. The man in short clothes brought in the black robe, placed it in the corner of the door, placed the lantern on the table, and then took out the money to pay the boss standing outside the door, telling him to make a hearty meal and buy some candles for the lanterns; the rest was the store's account, and the amount was quite considerable. For ordinary passengers, the boss will only quietly prepare firewood and water there, and does not care about making the food. However, when encountering this passenger, he has to handle it. Before the meal was delivered, tea was delivered first and a urine bucket was brought, because the man in short clothes wanted to guard the dead and did not go to the toilet. Two sets of utensils are required to deliver meals, one of which is used to pay homage to the "Joy God". The boss delivered it to the door as required, and the man in short clothes took it in. I will leave early the next morning and no longer have contact with my boss. At that time, the area had just been liberated, and two People's Liberation Army soldiers were sent to the police branch there. That day, a soldier went to the hotel to check the night, and the boss reported it truthfully. The People's Liberation Army soldier asked his boss to check this number. At first, she didn't respond to the door. She knocked loudly and shouted "Open the door". She only agreed "What a hell of a bitch" and still did not open the door. So he knocked and shouted loudly, and he heard the answer "coming" from inside, but there was no movement. It took about a few minutes to open the door. The soldier stepped in and indeed found the black robe in the corner of the door. He took off the straw hat and found that it was indeed a body. The man in short clothes reported his name and the name of the deceased, and said that he had come from the north (probably somewhere on the border between Shaanxi and Henan). Under the flashlight light, the dishes on the table were exhausted, the cups and plates were in a mess, and the two pairs of chopsticks were still wet. He shone everywhere again, but found nothing. The soldier came out after checking the number and asked the boss in detail. The boss said that this was the first time he had received this guest. Fortunately, he had heard about it by his ancestors and colleagues before, so he was still aware of it and knew that they would rest early and leave early so that they would not alarm others. The soldier went back and thought about it for a long time, and felt that there was a lot to be said about it. First of all, dead people would never walk, let alone walk so far! Secondly, how do you explain the two pairs of chopsticks that have just been used? Can dead people still eat? Joke! He immediately met another soldier and hurried back to the hotel to conduct a secret inspection. The night was still deeper and snoring began everywhere. There was no sound in that room, not even the sound of dozing off. Probably after checking the number, he was so surprised that he couldn't sleep. Not far from dawn, this group of guests opened the door silently and came out. At this time, the owner had already opened the store door, and he saw a man in short clothes in front of him, guiding the black robe on the road in a very low voice. The two soldiers followed behind far behind... It was dawn, and the two quickly followed closely. Only then did the soldiers checking the numbers clearly see the face of the man in short clothes and immediately became vigilant: it was the face of a young man without much beard, but under the flashlight last night, it was clearly full of beard and looked at least in his fifties. The soldier drew out his pistol and ordered them to stop and obey obediently. Under the escort of the two soldiers, he walked towards the branch station. The black robe's walking style was basically the same. The man in short clothes was not halfway backward but forward, and his mouth was still making the guiding sound. When we arrived at the branch office, the secret of "shouting to the dead" was finally completely revealed: the body was real, but there were two people. One was playing a lantern in front of him and was clearly called "shouting to the dead"; the other hung the body on his body and wrapped it in a long and large black robe. He straightened his back and carried the weight. His hands were vertical, so he probably used his strength to lift the weight. The eyes cannot see, and listen to orders by the ears to exercise their feet. To be honest, this kind of labor is surprisingly difficult! If you rest early and leave early in the day, you have to travel for eight to ten hours, and you only have one meal a day! The person carrying the lantern was more relaxed. This ease was combined with the hardship of the black robe, which changed every day, so the soldier saw two different faces; the innkeeper couldn't see them because they walked too early; the pedestrians walked faster than them, so they could only see one person and not the second person. Over the years (it is really impossible to verify what dynasty it began to exist), under the cover of feudal superstition, I don't know how many gullible people like me. These two have a master-apprentice relationship, have been specially trained, and are very skilled in martial arts; one trip can make a lot of money (customers are a big province compared to hiring people to transport coffins), and the apprentice can also become a master and can take on another apprentice. There are choices in the seasons for accepting this kind of business. Generally, autumn and winter are suitable, probably because corpses tend to stink and rot in other seasons. It is said that there are some superstitious activities at the beginning, as well as mercury disposal and other matters. At the last hotel on arrival at the destination, the host family was notified to come and welcome. When the two People's Liberation Army soldiers learned about this situation, they were very surprised by their great physical strength. The heavy burden, extreme conditions, and long journey were unimaginable! Since they are also very hard workers, I warned them not to engage in superstitions and deceive people. They have martial arts and physical strength, so why not change careers and pursue legitimate careers? The master and apprentice nodded repeatedly in agreement. The destination of the body was not far away. After taking money from others, he confiscated only the lanterns and paper money. It took only two to three hours to solve the problem. The acquaintances who told me about this just caught up with them excitedly lifting the body and walked on Xiangguan Avenue... The "warlock" led the way, and the dead man followed him, raising his legs and stepping hard with hard skills. His appearance was extremely terrifying, and those who saw him were afraid to avoid it. Want to know why? Please read this article.

In the early days of liberation, the people's government reformed people who did not do proper work and used deception to seek money, reformed them and serve the people. He once organized people such as Duangong, witches, divination sellers, and driving people to die... to study, explain policies, and point out the way out. He also ordered him to be honest and confess his deceptive methods and become a new person.

The "cadaver" scam involves one person pretending to be a dead person; the other person pretending to be a "cadaver". The "dead man" wore a large straw hat that covered the entire head, and even the outline of his face was difficult to see clearly; he wore a green robe and a coat; paper money and yellow watches were hung on his arms. When walking, paper money fluttered, like a lonely ghost dressed in old dramas; four limbs were tied with spotted bamboo strips, like a splint used in orthopedics. Its function was to prevent the joints of hands and feet from bending, allowing them to lift their legs and step forward on hard branches, just like a stiff dead body! The appearance is extremely terrifying, and those who see it are afraid to avoid it. The "Warlock" leads the way and walks in front, with a withered body and a smoky face. He walks obliquely, always turns around to take care of the "dead people" who follow him, throwing paper money while walking, which is called "buying road money"; the "dead people" move forward along the "buying road money", and in fact, paper money becomes a road sign.The guide also carried a lantern, the light of which was half-lit and flickering, which was also a sign for the direction of the dead. The back of the towering back a clip back; full of paper money and incense wax. Thus, one after the other, slowly, spooky, ghostly, walk in the wilderness path, or secluded small waiting alley. At night, he stayed in a chicken feather shop, lit incense wax and burned paper money. For a while, the atmosphere was filled with cold wind and misery, so that no one dared to approach it. Two or three days before arriving at the destination, notify the family of the deceased in advance to prepare clothes, quilts and coffins. When the "dead man" arrives, immediately put on the dead man's shroud, cap and sandals and put them into the longevity wood. This kind of burial process is entirely undertaken by the "corpse mover", and no one is allowed to poke in or watch, just as the corpse is "lifted out of the coffin" when setting out is not allowed to peep. It is said that at these critical moments, when a stranger approaches the body, there is a danger of "shocking the body", and the burial process must be in the middle of the night. All arrangements are in place, which means that after the deceased has been buried, the funeral family will not claim it. As soon as the lid of the coffin was lifted, the eyebrows and eyebrows were all revealed. They were indeed relatives who had lost their homes. The elephant looked like yesterday, but now they were sleeping in the coffin. They were heart-wrenching and destroying the hearts of people. Some cried loudly, and some broke down in sobs. At this time, the "cadaver" person specially advised everyone not to be too sad, making the deceased uneasy. Fortunately, he had accumulated merit during his lifetime and returned to his hometown safely. Just after a long journey, I urgently need rest in peace. In addition to grief, people feel a sense of reassurance, satisfaction, and satisfaction after seeing the deceased. Who would suspect that it was a fraud? According to the confession, it is shocking! It turned out that all the secrets were in that clip. On the surface, it seemed to be paper money and wax. It was all a cover-up to conceal people's eyes and ears and a trick to distract people's attention. Surprisingly, the bottom of the paper clip contained the body. To be precise, the clip back contained the head and limbs of the deceased. As for the main part, it was unknown which deserted tomb contained the remains of the wanderer.