The River God Refuses to Ferry Souls

In the seventh year of the Republic, the Yellow River changed course, and a bronze coffin emerged from the silt. Nine hornless dragons were carved into its lid, with eighteen empty eye sockets. My grandfather was a river worker. He secretly kept one of the dragon's eyes, and from then on, the Li family owed a debt to the underworld. On the first and fifteenth of every month, we had to throw a live chicken into the Yellow River. Miss even one, and the River God would come to claim a life.

This rule was passed down for three generations. My father passed it on to me. When I was eighteen, my grandfather grabbed my hand as he drew his last breath and said,