Chapter 21

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The swirling mist seemed to reveal the female ghost’s past.

A cold wind blew away thick layers of snowflakes, brushing against her flushed cheeks. She followed the silhouette of her father ahead, walking through a vast expanse of white. When she looked back, their home was obscured in the heavy snowfall, becoming a blurred image.

She was only seven years old that year.

There were many things the young girl understood, and many she did not. She followed her father to a town, entering a warm and bright place. Her father told her to wait outside while he spoke with an old man inside. The room was filled with beautiful clothes, headdresses, gongs, and drums. Across from her, near the dark doorway of another building, a child about her age was watching her.

Not long after, her father emerged with a jingling bag, crouching down in front of her.

“Don’t blame your father… and don’t blame your mother either. Stay here and be good. Listen to your uncle, and you’ll have food to eat. It’s better than starving at home, understand?”

She knew she had been sold. Her eyes reddened, but she didn’t cry. Timidly, she followed her father to the doorway, nervously fidgeting with her fingers, standing in the wind and snow.

In the end, she couldn’t hold back her sobs and cried out: “Dad! When will you come to get Yun’er?”

Her father said nothing and walked away. The old man from the house came out instead and pulled her inside. The old man was not kind. He carried a thin whip and used it to beat her as he trained her. The more she cried, the harder he struck. He only stopped once she was too afraid to cry anymore.

Over time, she began to understand the meaning of what her mother had said as they parted: “Be obedient and sensible when you’re outside, or you’ll go hungry.” The other children in the courtyard gradually dwindled. Some were deemed unfit for this trade and were sold to brothels. After two years, she was also resold to an opera troupe in He Valley Prefecture.

Her original name was changed to Hong Lian. She practiced singing, performing, and the basic skills she had learned in the small courtyard. Any sign of laziness would be met with a beating and scolding. Three years passed, and at the age of twelve, she took to the stage, performing small roles, and finally earned some small rewards.

Looking at the small wooden box being filled with copper coins, she felt it was the happiest year of her life. Later, due to her beautiful and melodious voice, she gained the troupe leader’s favor and, by the age of sixteen, became a renowned “Hua Dan” in the Li family troupe. Perhaps soon, she would truly become the leading actress.

[TL_Note: Hua Dan = young female lead]

With the wealth she had accumulated over the years, she exchanged it for silver and chose a good day to take a rented carriage back to the house from her childhood memories, hoping to see her parents and younger brother.

However, she was met by the neighboring villagers, who informed her that her family’s house had long since fallen into disrepair and had collapsed. From the neighbors, she learned that her mother had died when her younger brother was just one year old. Within six months, her brother had fallen ill. Her father, who had faith in the local temple’s masters, made offerings to alleviate the disaster, but her brother’s illness was not cured. After a prolonged period, he was taken to the town’s medical clinic, but it was already too late to save him.

After her brother’s death, her father finally came to his senses and went to the temple with a hatchet, only to be beaten severely by the temple’s people. He was carried back by the villagers, and within half a day, he too passed away.

The temple’s people claimed he had barged in with a weapon and was treated as a bandit, so the authorities did not pursue the matter further.

There was no one left from her family.

Hong Lian, holding the wooden box, listened to the neighbor’s account while suppressing her tears, with drops of sorrow falling onto the box. When she left, she left the box with the neighbor and went to kneel at the graves of her parents and younger brother for a long time. As dusk approached, she left by carriage, gradually departing from that small village, which she feared she might never return to.

Upon returning to the theater troupe, she seemed to have matured. She sang happily, and her reputation grew louder, with more and more people coming to support her. The newly acquired wooden box continued to fill with precious gold, silver, and jade hairpins. Yet, there was no longer the same sense of anticipation as before. At least she was living better than her parents had… Heaven had given her a beautiful face and a captivating voice, as a reward for her sustenance. The troupe leader, Li Yunxiu, had said that if heaven has already provided the food, one should at least be able to hold the bowl steady, otherwise, it’s not worth living.

Not only did she need to eat, but the entire troupe also needed to eat. Receiving an invitation to celebrate the birthday of Landlord Chen from Fushui County, the entire troupe became busy, and they carefully prepared <Southern Lord Asks for Longevity> as the main performance.

Hearing the enthusiastic cheers from the audience, she knew that the performance was a success. Soon, perhaps everyone in Fushui County would know her name.

As a famous Hua Dan performer, she had a private space to remove makeup and change clothes. Humming a little tune, she saw a shadow pass by the window. The door was pushed open by a drunken scholar who confessed his liking for her.

Hong Lian recognized him as Landlord Chen’s only son, but one doesn’t just confess their feelings upon meeting. She pushed the scholar away with both hands: “Young Master Chen, you should leave first…”

The scholar refused to leave. Seeing no one around, with a drunken smile on his face, he rushed at her, picked her up, and threw her onto the table. He impatiently reached out to unbutton her trousers.

Hong Lian tried to hit him with her hands and kicked at him with all her might: “Young Master, Hong Lian is here to perform, not to be a courtesan… Please let me go… Go away…”

In her desperate plea, she kicked him in the groin, causing him to retreat a step in pain. Hong Lian quickly jumped down and ran toward the door, but she was caught midway and dragged back to the ground.

Enraged by the pain, the scholar slapped her hard across the face, causing her cheek to become red and swollen.

“What’s the difference between a performer and a courtesan?! The fact that I look down on you is a blessing from your parents!”

“Father… Mother…” Perhaps it was the pain in her cheek or the awakening of deep-seated memories, but Hong Lian suddenly went mad and headbutted the scholar in front of her.

“Ah—”

The scholar screamed as his nose was smashed and immediately dragged Hong Lian by her hair to the side of the bed, throwing her onto it. He grabbed red silk from the table where costumes were piled and tried to bind her.

Hong Lian struggled and screamed, desperately trying to fend him off.

“Let me go… Someone help me… Father… Mother… Where are you? Save Yun’er…”

Fearing that someone might hear, the scholar covered her mouth and nose with the red silk and shouted, “Don’t scream!” With his other hand, he quickly began to undress her. As he removed her outer garments, he noticed that her struggling body had gone still.

The scholar hurriedly removed his hands and the red silk.

The woman’s eyes stared blankly, silent…

The scholar panicked and ran outside, finding his red-faced father and the Troupe Leader Li, and told them the truth. The enraged old man beat him, and the troupe leader, due to the gold ingots, did not report the incident to the authorities.

They dug a pit in the outskirts, wrapped Hong Lian’s corpse in a straw mat, and buried her.

No one would ever know.

The mist surged, and the crowded people fell into a deep silence that lasted for quite a while. Lu Liangsheng was also moved and no longer made any further moves, simply staring at the distant stage.

“This female ghost is indeed somewhat pitiful, but what a shame…” The Toad Daoist had woken up at some point.

Lu Liangsheng lifted his eyes to look at the toad seated above him. “Master, she is indeed pitiful, but what do you mean by saying it’s a shame?”

“Hm… She has turned into a malevolent ghost and claimed several lives. If she kills one more person, she will become a Rakshasa Ghost. At that point, she will be condemned to never be reincarnated, not even as an animal.”

The young man’s gaze fell upon the solitary female ghost on the stage, and he fell silent.

“Heaven has been unfair to her… and now she encounters such a fate, and in the end, she won’t even have a chance at rebirth…”

He loosened and then tightened the centipede’s antennae he held in his hand.

After a moment’s thought, Lu Liangsheng took a deep breath and spoke seriously toward the stage.

“Young Lady, where mercy can be shown, let it be shown. Today, while I am here, you are not allowed to kill anyone. Please leave quickly. If you seek your own demise, feel free to come forward!”

The female ghost’s figure flickered and, instead of focusing on the crowd, fixed her gaze on Lu Liangsheng in the cloak. After a moment, she bowed slightly.

“I dare not offend you, Sir. I will let him go today, but you will never stay in this small mansion forever. Once you leave, I will come again!”

“That is a matter for later!”

The female ghost raised her face and glanced at the scholar in the crowd, letting out a few cold sneers. “For today, since you are here, I will spare his life for now. After you leave, I will have another private meeting with Gentleman Chen.”

As she gave a distant bow to Lu Liangsheng, her figure gradually disappeared into the mist, taking the stage with her. The surrounding swirling mist and the gusting cold wind gradually subsided.

The people sitting on the flowerbed grass let out a heavy sigh, and sweat poured out like a dam that had just been opened.

“My goodness, I’m never coming here again. I almost lost my life.”

Some people shouted out in outrage, while others stood up and spat toward the Chen family, shouting: “Beasts, not even as good as animals!”

“Yes, yes, these father and son are utterly inhumane!”

“Let’s report this to the authorities!”

However, Landlord Chen ignored the accusations from the crowd and hurried over to Lu Liangsheng, who was standing on the rocky outcrop. His son followed, kneeling with a thud and repeatedly banging his head on the ground.

“Esteemed Sir, please save my life. This was truly a foolish act done in my drunken state, and I swear I will never do such things again…”

By this time, the mist had cleared, and the voices of maids and servants could be heard. Landlord Chen quickly called for someone to bring out five hundred taels of silver, which he presented with great respect.

“Sir, please accept this silver.”

The silver ingots were neatly arranged before Lu Liangsheng. Since he had come for this very purpose, and given that he had indeed helped the father and son, he accepted the silver.

He nodded immediately: “I was merely passing through and heard of the malevolent ghost causing trouble, so I came to take a look… Unfortunately, I cannot stay long. Here’s what we will do.”

He then drew a small knife from his waist.

“This is an item I carry with me. Let your son carry it with him to guard against the malevolent ghost’s return, and to ensure he does not commit such heinous acts in the future.”

Chen Yaoke quickly took the knife and tied it around his waist, repeatedly bowing to Lu Liangsheng.

“Thank you for your guidance, Sir!” “Thank you for this protective talisman!”

“I will certainly do more good deeds in the future!”

Under the shadow of the cloak, Lu Liangsheng stared at him coldly. He stretched out his hand to take the tray of silver, infused spiritual energy into the centipede demon’s antennae, and summoned a gust of demonic wind. As the wind blew and the people couldn’t open their eyes, he swiftly took the silver and ran off.

In a cluster of bushes, he threw aside the dusty bed sheet and hid the five hundred taels of silver before coming out.

Blending back into the still-arguing crowd, he called for Lu Pan and the others, quietly dividing the silver into nine portions and hiding them on each person. When he returned, there was a commotion in the front yard. Servants from the courtyard ran over, saying that the Head Constable Zuo had arrived with his men.

With the ghost gone and the sky turning dark blue, the crowd’s fear had eased considerably. They felt reassured by the arrival of the authorities and hurried to welcome them.

“Head Constable Zuo, you arrived just in time. This place really is haunted!”

“Yes, indeed. That ghost was quite formidable. If it weren’t for the fact that we had so many people, the Chen family might have already suffered.”

Yet, no one mentioned the ghost’s origins. After all, these people still needed to make a living here, and if Chen Yaoke were to be arrested, how could Landlord Chen let them off easily?

Zuo Zhengyang frowned as he listened to the chattering crowd. He ordered his subordinates to pull them aside for detailed questioning and to take notes.

Then, he stood at the entrance, scrutinizing each face as they exited the Chen residence.

He was skilled in martial arts, and that night, while pondering the Chen residence case at the yamen, he had felt a shiver of unease. This prompted him to bring his men over. Judging by the expressions of those leaving, it seemed something truly unbelievable and strange had occurred.

Once everyone had left, he sought to continue questioning Landlord Chen but was turned away on the grounds of exhaustion. He had no choice but to return to the county yamen with his men.

Not far away on another street, a group of nine people found an inn, secured a spacious room, and looked at the five hundred taels of silver piled on the table, grinning and celebrating.

“Haha, we’ve struck it rich this time!” “Let’s buy some rouge and face powder for our wives when we head back?” “Hey, for the essentials, you should definitely get food, oil, and salt.”

“Better yet, buy some cloth and make new clothes for the family.”

“But we should let Liangsheng make the final decision.”

“By the way, that female ghost was truly pitiful. The Chen family, especially Chen Yaoke, is utterly inhumane. I’d love to chop him down with a knife!”

When it came to deciding how to use this considerable sum, everyone still looked to the young man who would make the final call.

“Let’s see how things go. Buying things for each household is a given. As for Chen Yaoke, it’s beyond our control. Heaven will deal with him.”

Lu Liangsheng smiled at them, holding a book as he sat by the bed. Under the oil lamp, he quietly turned the pages.

As time passed, the night grew deeper and deeper.

As the night deepened, the once-quiet Chen residence began to stir. Lantern-bearing night watchmen patrolling the eaves suddenly heard a faint, eerie laugh carried by the wind.

“That ghost… just left not long ago. Is it coming back to kill again?”

“Quickly notife Landlord!”

Someone dashed away quickly. The lantern bearer saw something drifting toward Chen Yaoke’s courtyard in the dark blue night sky.

In a panic, he shouted, “Help, quickly—”

The entire estate was thrown into chaos. Maids and servants rushed over, banging gongs and drums. Landlord Chen, hastily putting on a coat, was assisted to his son’s room. Two burly men smashed the door open.

A strong smell of blood wafted out.

The maid holding the lantern peeked inside and screamed, “Ah!” The lantern fell to the ground.

The flickering light revealed a scene: a figure lay sprawled between the bed and the floor, clothes torn open, chest exposed, and a large gash in the stomach.

Internal organs and blood were splattered on one side. Not far away, a small bloodstained knife lay on the floor.

“My son…”

Landlord Chen howled, trembling violently. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed into a maid’s arms.

Moments later, the entire residence was in chaos.

The night wind swept across the eaves.

Unnoticed by anyone, a figure in a white dress sat atop a tree, her dark hair swaying. After observing this scene, the figure floated away.

Outside the chaotic Chen Residence, the street was quiet, with only the occasional dog barking. Inside a room with lit paper windows, eight burly men, holding the silver, lay sprawled on the ground in deep sleep, occasionally emitting muffled laughter.

The toad nestled on a pillow opened one eye and glanced at the desk.

“What a fool.”

He then yawned and went back to sleep.

The oil lamp dimmed, and the young man, Lu Liangsheng, was asleep at the desk. Next to him lay a book titled <Southern Waters Collection of Lost Arts>. A breeze from the window turned a page.

“In Huangchuan, there are dark arts that are extremely malevolent. With just a single item, it can harm others. Those who are careless may suffer from their intestines being pierced and their stomachs rotting…….”
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