Chu Wanning, having heard this much, was already livid. He wished only that he could withdraw the willow vine and direct it with vigor toward the Chen couple instead. But he couldn't open his eyes to curse them out just yet, because the restoration illusion would disappear immediately if he were to do so. A ghost could only be trapped by the Truth Restoration Barrier once; if interrupted, he would never be able to hear the rest of what Luo Xianxian had to say.
So he could only bear with the burning rage as he listened to the rest of Luo Xianxian's story.
After death, her spirit went to the Underworld, numb and disoriented.
She remembered only a lady dressed in resplendent colors, who looked quite like the ghost mistress in the temple, standing before her and asking in a soothing voice, "You and Chen Bo'huan could not lay together in life, but do you wish to be buried together in death?"
She answered in a panic, "I do… I do!"
"Then I will have him come keep you company right away, alright?"
Luo Xianxian almost blurted out an eager agreement without thinking, but suddenly remembered something, and paused. "Am I dead?"
"Yes. I am the Ghost Mistress of Ceremonies of the Underworld, I can bestow you a good match, fulfill your longtime wish."
Luo Xianxian said in a daze, "Then, if he comes to keep me company, will he… also die?"
"Yes. But the heavens are compassionate, life or death is insignificant,
merely a closing of the eyes, what's the difference?"
Chu Wanning thought to himself that, as expected, this ghost mistress used trickery to lure people into making wishes on the lives of others, truly an abominable deity.
Although Luo Xianxian had died a wrongful death, she was not a malicious ghost. She shook her head repeatedly. "No, don't kill him, it wasn't his fault."
The ghost mistress gave a melancholic smile. "Such kindness, but what will you get in return?" But it didn't try to change her mind; as a deity, coaxing people into making malevolent wishes was fine, but coercion was not. Gradually, its figure faded away and its voice became blurry.
"The soul returns on the seventh day[1]. When you go back to the living world on the seventh day, go see what the Chen family is up to. Then, I will come ask you again, and see if you are still without regrets at that time."
Seven days later, on the day of return.
Luo Xianxian's spirit regained awareness and returned to the world of the living.
She followed the familiar roads to the Chen Manor, eager to see her husband one last time.
Unexpectedly, the Chen Manor was festively adorned with lanterns and banners, the reception area was piled high with betrothal gifts[2], and there was a massive "Xi"[3] character in the main hall. Madam Chen's entire face was glowing, no sign of any illness whatsoever, as she smilingly directed servants to pack the betrothal gifts with red silk and ornate decorations.
Who was… getting married?
Who was… preparing betrothal gifts?
Who was… sparing no expense, how very grand.
Who was...
She weaved between the busy crowd, listening to the drone of voices.
"Madam Chen, congratulations on the engagement of your son with Governor Yao's daughter, when's the engagement feast?"
"Madam Chen is truly blessed."
"Mistress Yao really is the Chen family's lucky star! The betrothal was just settled, and Madam Chen is already looking much better."
"Your son and Mistress Yao are as gold and jade, a match made in heaven. I'm so envious, hahahaha."
Your son…your son…
Which son?
Who is getting married with the daughter of the Yao family?
Frantically, she roamed the familiar halls and yard, looking for that familiar silhouette between the chatter and laughter.
She found it.
Chen Bo'huan stood before the peonies in the rear hall, his face wan, cheeks sunken. But he was dressed in red—not wedding robes, but Butterfly Town's traditional butterfly-embroidered red robes, worn by the son-in-law when he goes to the bride's house to propose[4].
He was…going to propose…?
All of these lavish gifts, full of gold, silver, and pearls, all of it had been prepared by him… by Chen Bo'huan, her husband, for the daughter of the Yao family?
She suddenly recalled when the two of them had got married.
There had been nothing, just two people, one heart, and nothing else.
No master of ceremonies, no bridesmaid or best man, no gifts. The Chen family had not yet prospered, and didn't even have so much as a single decent set of jewelry. He had walked to the clementine tree in the yard that they'd planted together and plucked a delicate blossom, carefully tucking it in her hair.
She had asked him, "How do I look?"
Beautiful, he had said. Then he had been silent for a moment before stroking her hair apologetically. "You deserve better."
Luo Xianxian had smiled and said she didn't mind.
Chen Bo'huan had said to her, that when he formally married her in three years time, he would definitely make it up to her with a grand ceremony, and everyone would be invited. He would go pick her up with a big sedan carried by eight men, adorn her in gold and silver, and the reception would be filled with betrothal gifts.
The promise made that year rang in her ears. Here and now, the ceremony was grand, and everyone was invited.
But he was marrying somebody else.
Anger and sorrow washed over her. Luo Xianxian screamed as she tore at the red silks and brocades in the room.
But, being a ghost, she couldn't touch any of it.
As if sensing something, Chen Bo'huan looked back, gaze hollow as he stared blankly at the silks in the room, drifting despite there being no wind.
His little sister walked over. There was a white jade hairpin in her hair; she was mourning secretly for someone.
She said, "Da-ge[5], please go eat something, you haven't eaten properly for days, and you still have to travel to the governor's residence to propose later, your body won't hold up like this."
Chen Bo'huan suddenly asked out of the blue, "Xiao-mei[6], do you hear someone crying?"
"...Huh? No? Da-ge, are you…" She grit her teeth and didn't finish the thought. Chen Bo'huan continued to stare at the place where the silks drifted.
"How is Mother, is she in a good mood? Has she recovered from her illness?"
"…Da-ge."
"…It's good that she's recovered." Chen Bo'huan stood there spacing out for a while, then mumbled to himself, "I've already lost Xianxian, I can't lose Mother too."
"Da-ge, please go eat…"
Luo Xianxian cried, screamed, held her head and wailed in anguish.
Don't…don't go…don't leave…
Chen Bo'huan said, "…Alright."
The exhausted figure turned a corner and disappeared.
Luo Xianxian stood there alone in a daze, fat droplets of tears rolling down her cheeks. By chance, the voices of the Chen brothers who had caused her death drifted over, the second and youngest brothers whispering to one another.
"Mother is overjoyed, sigh, things are finally falling into place."
"You don't say? It took half a year of pretending to be sick to finally force that unlucky pest out, how could she not be happy?"
The youngest brother clicked his tongue, then suddenly said, "I can't believe she just up and died though. We only threw her out, it's not like we wanted to kill her. How stupid was she, did she not even know to go find help?"
"Who knows, maybe she's just thin-skinned like her sourpuss father. It's not our fault that she died. Mother may have duped her, but things are difficult for us too. Just think about it, between the governor's daughter and some peasant girl, only an idiot would choose her. Besides, if we offend the precious daughter of the Yaos, things won't end well for us."
"You're right, she's just a dumbass. If she wants to freeze to death, that's on no one."
The words drifted to her ears.
Only in death did Luo Xianxian finally understand that the so-called "bringer of misfortune" just meant that she was poor and low-status, and couldn't compare with the governor's honored daughter.
Only an idiot would choose the peasant girl.
She finally lost it.
She returned to the temple of the ghost mistress, heart filled with hatred and resentment.
She had died there, weak and helpless. She returned there now, bitter and stone-hearted.
She had once been so kind and good-natured, but now she called up all the hatred in her lifetime, and all the wickedness in her character that she had never let loose before. She screamed herself hoarse, eyes red, soul quivering.
She screamed, "I, Luo Xianxian, am willing to give up my soul to become a malicious ghost, I beg the Ghost Mistress only for vengeance! I want the entire Chen family——to die miserably!!! I want her… I want that mother-in-law of mine, who is worse than a beast, to kill her sons with her own hands! All of them!!! I want Chen Bo'huan to come keep me company in hell!! To be buried together with me!!! I refuse to accept this!! I hate! I HATE!!!!"
On the shrine, the clay idol lowered its eyelids, the corner of its lips curving into a smirk.
A voice echoed inside the temple.
"Your worship has been accepted, and your wish will be fulfilled. Henceforth you are a malicious ghost——go forth and slaughter——all who have wronged you——"
A piercing, blood-red light flashed, and Luo Xianxian remembered nothing after that.
But Chu Wanning already knew what happened next. The ghost mistress controlled the malicious ghost Luo Xianxian to possess Madam Chen and murder the Chen family one by one.
And the reason Chen Bo'huan was in that red coffin dug up at the mountain was also to fulfill Luo Xianxian's wish——"I want Chen Bo'huan to be buried together with me". On top of that, it had intentionally placed the coffin where he and his new wife were going to build their house to both curse and avenge.
As for the scent inside Chen Bo'huan's coffin, it was that of the Hundred Butterfly Fragrance that had been on Luo Xianxian's body when she died. The coffin was filled with both strong resentful energy and heavy fragrance because Luo Xianxian's soul slept inside with Chen Bo'huan.
Luo Xianxian had no family left. When such a person dies, they are customarily cremated rather than buried. Thus, she no longer had a body, and could only take on her form inside the ghost mistress's coffin. Back then, when Chu Wanning had split open the coffin with a whip, Luo Xianxian's soul had lost its shelter and scattered, temporarily unable to reconvene. That was the reason why the coffin's resentful energy was strong when closed, but faint once opened.
Still, in the illusory realm, why were all the corpses matched in pairs except for Chen Bo'huan, who was matched with a paper ghost bride?
Chu Wanning pondered for a moment, and figured it out:
The ghost mistress wouldn't break its own promise; that ghost bride was meant to be Luo Xianxian's "corporeal body", or a medium in other words, since only Luo Xianxian could be buried together with Chen Bo'huan.
Everything became clear.
Chu Wanning looked at the helpless girl in the illusion. He wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say.
Yuheng Elder really was bad with words — everything he said came out stiff — so the silence stretched on, and he ended up saying nothing after all.
The girl stood in the endless darkness, her soft but bright eyes round.
Chu Wanning looked at her eyes, and suddenly didn't have the heart to bear it anymore. He wanted to leave, unable to bear another glance. He was just about to open his eyes and leave the Truth Restoration Barrier when the girl suddenly spoke.
"Yanluo[7]-gege, th-there's something else I wanted to tell you."
Chu Wanning: "…Mn."
The girl lowered her head and started crying into her hands. Softly, she said,
"Yanluo-gege, I don't know what I did afterwards, but, I…I really don't want to get my husband killed. I don't want to be a malicious ghost. Really…"
"I didn't steal the clementines, I really am Chen Bo'huan's wife, and my whole life, I really, really never wanted to harm anyone."
"I really didn't want to hurt anyone, please, I beg you, please believe me."
Her trembling voice was broken with sobs.
"I…didn't…lie…" I didn't lie.
Why is it that my whole life, hardly anyone ever believed me.
She sobbed miserably. Chu Wanning's voice rang out in the darkness. He didn't say much, but it was without hesitation.
"Mn."
Luo Xianxian's small body jolted.
Chu Wanning said, "I believe you."
Luo Xianxian tried to wipe away her tears but couldn't stop crying. In the end, she covered her tear-streaked face with her hands and bowed deeply toward the person she couldn't see in the darkness.
Chu Wanning opened his eyes.
He said nothing for a long while.
Time passed differently inside the barrier than it did in reality. He was inside for a long time, but it was a mere instant to those on the outside. Mo Ran hadn't arrived yet, and the remaining members of the Chen family were still watching him apprehensively.
Chu Wanning suddenly put away the willow vine, and spoke toward Madam Chen, "I will voice your grievances, you can sleep now."
Madam Chen stared blankly with blood-red eyes, then suddenly collapsed to the ground with a thud, unconscious.
Chu Wanning lifted his head again, his gaze sweeping across Landlord Chen's face and then landing on the youngest son. His voice was flat and cold.
"I will ask one last time." He spoke slowly, clearly enunciating each word. "You really do not know whose voice that was?"
[1] 七日回魂 a person's spirit returns to the world of the living on the seventh day after their death
[2] 聘礼 gifts to the bride's family
[3] 囍 marriage symbol, for fortune and happiness
[4] Engagements are arranged by the parents of the couple before the man goes to the woman's house to propose with betrothal gifts
[5] 大哥 big brother
[6] 小妹 little sister
[7] 阎罗 King of the Underworld