The night was cold and quiet, chirps of insects and snores of an oblivious person filled the ears of a person who couldn't contain his excitement.
Shen Zhufu paced around the bed, pretending to be asleep, waiting for the right time to act out his plan. But he couldn't as he pretended to be thirsty or sleepwalking to check on a certain person, if he was asleep or not several times.
He had to wait for several hours in agony before the watchman was asleep.
In a quiet voice," A-Xiao." he shook the man who was also pretending to be asleep beside him, " Let me wake Cao Chang."
Shen Zhufu stealthily crept to the sleeping space of Cao Chang. he whispered," Cao Chang."
Shen zhufu was glad when Cao Chang's body shook but to his dismay, he just wanted to change his sleeping position, mumbling in his sleep, " Mn...let me sleep more." using his hand to brush off the noisy ' mosquito '.
' This peacock!!'
Shen Zhufu's lips curved into a smirk ' if you won't wake up while I'm being gentle... don't blame me.' he rolled up his sleeves and rubbed his palms together before making it have sharp contact with the sleeping person's head.
The sleeping person jerked up screaming and rubbing his head in pain. His cry was muffled by a smirking gongzi.
" Don't want to wake him up?"
Cao Chang's teary eyes went wide looking at the sleeping person whose body jerked a little but didn't wake up and back to his gongzi.
" Will you be quiet?"
Shen Zhufu released him after he got a bit quiet, " Good."
In a hushed voice, a confused peacock whose head still hurts from the hit, asked, " What's wrong?"
Shen Zhufu rolled his eyes as if the answer to that question was very obvious, " No time. Wait here, let me call A-xiao."
Speak of Xiao Xiao and he arrives.
" It's good you are here. What of A-Xiang?" Xiao MeiNan looked in the direction of the room where a baby is supposedly sleeping in. The corner of his mouth quirked up towards the room. He mumbled, " A-Xiang, we will be back soon."
" Gege, so..?"
" Hush and just follow me."
During his parade of being thirsty and sort, he took his time to map out every nook and cranny in his head.
The house is small and has just three windows. One in the bedroom, the second in the kitchen, the third was not a real window and the last right above the sleeping watchman.
The other three are useless because they are small and won't fit either of them, even if they want to squeeze their body to pass through. The third one which is big enough to fit them is located right above Pu xian.
' Who the hell has just four windows in their house?'
Well, it was a simple task for Shen Zhufu and his team. Xiao MeiNan carefully carried the sleeping man who didn't even jerk a bit to sleep in another corner.
He was placed the same way he was and covered with a blanket.
Shen Zhufu was proud and excited about everything, " A-Xiao, lift me." his excited body felt like jelly that it was so weak to climb through the window without help or else he might be stuck.
Xiao MeiNan wrapped his hands around his waist and gently lifted him off the ground so that he could jump over.
After Shen Zhufu landed on the other side, he beckoned to the others, who silently did the same thing but not with help.
Cao Chang," Gege, what do you think Pu Xian meant by that?" he asked while dusting the invisible dust off his clothes after closing the window.
Shen Zhufu, " We only have to find out tonight." he looked heavenwards with his hands on his waist. The sky was blank, with no moon to light up their path.
The night held a foreboding atmosphere and it made his body tremble in excitement.
" Let's go."
The trio with Shen Zhufu leading, circled the weirdly quiet village several times. Hopefully, especially for Shen Zhufu, to find something.
" Gege, there is nothing here."
" Hmm."
Shen Zhufu was determined to follow his instincts, ignoring his lazy comment.
He sat on the floor covered with joss papers and brought a small pouch from his sleeves. He brought out the drum he had secretly stored inside and placed it in front of him.
He didn't know what made him do it.
Was it its instincts?
His hands caressed the smooth top of the drum, the bell began to jingle as if they recognised its owner's touch.
He closed his eyes and immersed himself as his hands furiously beat the drum.
Suddenly a large gust of wind blew and everywhere became clouded with fog, the other two who quietly watched him became alert, each placing themselves beside him.
He let out a low gasp as his eyes flew open wide. Without saying anything, he immediately stored the drum back into the pouch and ran towards a direction, leaving the other two no choice but to follow.
Did he hear it? It was in that position?
Amongst the frantic beat of the drum and jingles of the drum, Shen Zhufu was sure he heard a woman crying out loud and clear that it sounded so close to his ears. He closed his eyes, and a slender image in white appeared in his mid-eye.
Shen Zhufu stopped in his tracks and murmured, " She is around here?"
Cao Chang who is trying to catch his breath after the marathon he just finished, " Where?"
Shen Zhufu was not sure where since he could only see an unclear image of white. he nipped hard on his lower lips, his eyes scanning where he had led to.
The surrounding was dense with fog and a strong odour hit him hard in the nose as he gradually regained his senses.
''Fuck, what's that smell?"He used his sleeve to block his nose from melting away.
" What smell?"
Shen Zhufu turned to look at the person who doesn't seem to perceive the foul stench his nose is fighting with.
' Am I the only one or he just doesn't have a sense of smell?'
Shen Zhufu's whole face scrunched in disgust as his eyes watered. He spat out a huge gulp of saliva that has already begun to build up behind his throat. He asked again with a choked voice, " Really? A-Xiao? Even you?" Both were unharmed by the attack of the pungent odor. He stared at them with his eyebrow crinkled in confusion. He couldn't stay there anymore as his gut tightened.
Shen Zhufu said more likely to himself since he was the only one who could perceive it, " What's the cause of this foul stench?"
Shen Zhufu carefully surveyed the stinky place with his eyes, probably finding a clue as to what caused the stench or the figure in white.
" Let us check around."
They took separate routes to investigate.
Now he was all alone, but as a cautionary act, he surveyed his surroundings making sure he was alone before settling up the communication link.
A pretty feminine face holding a huge smile on her face appeared in the mirror.
" My Lord, it's been a while."
" Yes, it has been."
" How are you doing over there?"
"... Well, I guess...and you?"
" I'm doing well also."
" Qing Hua?"
Qing Hua looked a bit lost as to what her lord needed by this time of the night. When the earth should be asleep?
With a curt voice. Qing Hua, " Yes my lord."
Without wasting time, Shen Zhufu told her what he needed and cut off the link with a sigh.
' This could be a little disgusting, horrifying but very exciting.'
Not a minute had gone after speaking to Qing Hua, he heard a little whisper beside his ears. His whole face lightened up.
' Qing Hua, you never seem to surprise me. Thanks.'
A cheeky voice whispered in reply.
Shen Zhufu took a secret glance over his shoulder and a knowing smirk gradually crept up his lips. He called out in sing-song " Lady in white, I know you are behind me."
He knew from the very start. She has always been behind him ever since he heard the scream. When they were at the stinky field, he saw her hiding behind the trees. No wonder he was the only one who could perceive it because all along she has been stalking only him from a distance. That was why he told them to go on a separate investigation. He knows she won't come near him having those two with him. And he doesn't know why she fears them.
A rustling came behind the bushes and a pungent stench filled the whole surrounding.
Now she was in front of him, Shen Zhufu felt the urge to cover his nose but he doesn't. He gradually turned to face the tall greyish figure in white.
She is as tall as the trees, has grey decayed skin, and her face were horrible to look at.
It was like her face was bashed with something hard before her death; her skull was open oozing black liquid, her left eye socket was empty and the other had no life to look like, her mouth was slitted at both sides that it reached the end of her cheeks, her lips were sewn together and she had just a hand.
' So she is the cause of this stench.'
He tried not to show any emotion in front of this ' Lady in white '. His voice was cool and his face was devoid of emotions," What happened to you?"
Instead of replying, she screeched so loud that he almost became deaf. But he tried his best to remain unfazed by it.
He closed his eyes and took a huge breath. He asked again, " what happened to you?" this time he looked her in the eye not minding how she looked like.
She screeched again but was louder than the other, now gradually, approaching him with huge steps. She was slightly bent when she walked, making her body and her steps bend towards the left.
Shen Zhufu's whole was stuck to a spot, he knew what to do but his body didn't let him. He watched her approach him with big steps while deafening his ears with her screeches, with a calm look on his face despite the internal turmoil going on within him.
As she approaches, the only thing he could do was close his eyes trying hard to conjure up something while still expecting his end.
But nothing happened.
Echoing beside him were a loud terrifying roar and a low whimper.
He opened his eyes and saw the 'Lady in white ' curled up whimpering and shaking. He looked around him but saw no one else apart from him and the scared ' Lady in white'.
' What could make her like this?'
He approached the curled gigantic form of 'Lady in White ' and watched her shaking.
When he opened his mouth to speak, she moved back in fear, if she had had a complete forehead, it would have creased. Her dead eye only stared behind him whimpering like a little dog.
When he moved closer to her, she crawled further away from him with her body shaking.
' Was I the one that roared? but no one except me is here?'He chuckled at his question when he, himself couldn't do anything but stand still and hope for the best.
He looked around again, his brows knitted but couldn't see anything even a shadow.
' I guess I have to find a way to know what happened to her before the others find me.'
He sat beside her and brought out his drum.
He closed his eyes as a heavy breeze blew past and let himself be sucked inside its melody.