Whistle Coffin

Whistle Coffin in Mystic Nine

**The Whistle Coffin (哨子馆)** is a type of coffin that was altered by grave robbers to contain an evil thing. The most common evil inside the coffin was a zombie which would cause corpse-poisoning. Because there was a hole in the coffin, like a whistle, it became known as a whistle coffin.

## Overview

The coffin was sealed by grave robbers with molten iron. The method was created when the Feng Shui of many places was destroyed and zombies were easily created. Grave robbers would melt their weapons, seal the coffin with the molten iron, and leave a hole at the top of the coffin big enough for only one hand to pass through. When the molten iron condensed, the grave-robber would put their hand into the hole and explore the contents of the coffin. If there was any change in the coffin, the arm would be cut off to save their life.

### Method of Opening

The Zhang Family used shears set above the opening of the coffin that could slice off the arm of the person reaching in. The shears were connected to a pulley system that was attached to a horse's bridle some distance away. If anything unusual happened in the coffin, someone would hit the gong and the horse nearby would run and trigger the device that cut off the arm. They used the double-fingered probing technique to break the corpse's jaw with their fingers so the body couldn't bite.

## Train 076's Whistle Coffin

The coffin was in the final carriage on train 076. The Zhang soldiers set up a device that would cut off the arm of the person putting their hand in the opening of the coffin. The device was attached to a horse's bridle and when a gong was hit, the horse would move activating the mechanism.

Qi Tiezui would be the one to hit the gong. An unnamed Zhang soldier was the first to put his arm into the opening. The soldier was very young, only sixteen or seventeen years old. The child put his hand into the opening. The Zhang soldier's face changed and he began to sign something with the fingers of his other hand. Zhang Qishan shook his head and the child didn't take his hand out. The child continued signaling with his fingers and Qishan's face darkened and made a gesture for the child to take his hand out. The child was stubborn and continued. The child suddenly jerked, cried out, and was pulled down by a force. He tried to get free but was only dragged in further. Qi Shan attempted to help and was able to pull the child's arm out a little bit but a red rash was crawling up towards the child's shoulder.

Qishan cried out to Qi Tiezui to hit the gong. Qi Tiezui dropped it and the horse ran forward, the shears closed, and the child screamed. Qi Tiezui almost fainted while Lieutenant Zhang set up the device again. Qishan put his hand into the opening and retrieved the child's arm. He also brought out something black and filthy.

### Inside the Coffin

The corpse in this particular coffin was facing down just like the bodies on the train. The fragment pulled from the coffin had a strange fishy odor, was black and white, and had a pattern on it that looked like the inscriptions on oracle bones. The characters were so faded, however, that the meaning couldn’t be distinguished.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Lao Jiu Men, Chapter 5
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Lao Jiu Men, Chapter 7
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lao Jiu Men, Chapter 9
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lao Jiu Men, Chapter 8
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lao Jiu Men, Chapter 10