Detective Afanti - (Humorous Literature Completion Version)

Author: Xu Xinghua, Su Yan, Wu Qian, Shi Ren / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: It is said that on this day, Afanti was walking alone when he suddenly saw a donkey cart approaching from a distance. The cart carried a black lacquered coffin, with five men in their thirties following it, all dressed in mourning clothes. Judging by their attire, they must be sons-in-law. Each of them wore coarse cotton robes and white hats, with the leader holding a mourning staff. Strangely, all five men were burly and rough-looking, with fierce expressions.
They arrived at the foot of a mountain and, with great effort, lowered the coffin from the cart, sending the driver away. Afanti stepped forward and greeted them, "Are you all going up the mountain?" The leader, with a beard like iron wires, glared at him and grunted, "Yes, are you going too?" Afanti replied, "Yes. May I ask who has passed away?" The man said, "Our eighty-year-old father." Afanti added, "Eighty is a venerable age. If you are all brothers, then?" The man impatiently replied, "Indeed." Afanti felt a flicker of doubt: the five men looked nothing alike—how could they be brothers? Besides, an eighty-year-old father would be unlikely to have children in his fifties, let alone five sons. Afanti deliberately engaged them in conversation, asking, "I greatly respect filial sons. Are you close to the burial site? Do you need help with carriers?"
A thin, tall man among them growled, "Do you have to keep bothering us? We are in mourning, and you're not the type to make small talk." Before he could finish, the leader nudged him with his elbow and said, "He means well, so don't be impatient. Thank you, the way up isn't far. We'll manage on our own." Afanti smiled and said, "I have a contact nearby who manages carriers for the mountain. He has, and I could ask him to send a few over. That would save you some money." The man hesitated and quickly said, "It's nothing, we wouldn't want to trouble you. Carriers are unnecessary anyway—we have plenty of strength, and ropes and poles are ready. We'll carry it ourselves."
Afanti watched coldly and noticed the four others behind them showing disdain. Two of them looked like they wanted to fight him, while the other two tried to stop them. Confident in his plan, Afanti added, "Given your filial piety, I assume your father's burial plot is well-chosen. Only a site with good feng shui can produce such filial sons. If I may trouble you, I'd like to follow later to see the area and perhaps buy a plot nearby. Would that be possible?"
The thin man couldn't hold back any longer and exclaimed, "You're such a nuisance! Are you bored to death? It's a miracle such a repulsive person hasn't been beaten to death yet." The leader quickly scolded, "Don't speak like that, Third Brother!" Turning to Afanti with a smile, he said, "My third brother always lacks tact. Please don't take his words to heart. We brothers are all unlucky, and the feng shui of that burial site is truly terrible. There's no need for you to waste your energy on it."
Unfazed, Afanti merely smiled and stood nearby, talking in a noncommittal manner without leaving. Soon, the five "filial sons" had secured the coffin with ropes and two sturdy poles. Seeing Afanti still there, they cursed under their breath and slowly lifted it.
Afanti watched coldly and noticed that even with four men carrying the thin coffin, it was incredibly heavy, bending the poles into arcs. Clearly, it wasn't carrying a corpse. Remembering the robbery in a wealthy family nearby a few days ago, with over forty men involved, Afanti smirked and said, "Four strong men carrying a thin coffin—how much effort does that take? I'm tired from walking, may I rest on it for a while?" He deliberately moved closer.
The thin man flew into a rage, "Are you asking for trouble? You deserve it!" He raised his fist to strike, but the leader blocked him and said, "This man is a bit crazy. Ignore him! I think he really dares to climb onto the coffin."
Just as the two men holding the poles stood up and the front two were still straightening, Afanti swiftly moved forward, braced the coffin with both hands, pressed with his left and lifted with his right. Using clever leverage, the others were caught off guard. With a loud crack, the coffin overturned, and the two behind fell to the ground. Before they could even shout, Afanti had already landed, and the two fell rolling down the hill.
The coffin landed on the slope, its lid knocked open, revealing not a corpse but a pile of weapons—short swords, long spears, sticks, and more.
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