What was terrifying was that the entire ship was painted blood-red from top to bottom, floating in the fog like a coffin. As Yang Xiao approached, he could see that the blood-red color was merely paint, much of which had flaked away, revealing the original wood beneath in many places.
The deck was covered with mud and water plants. The entire ship was wet, as if it had been soaked for a long time. Some areas were rotting, and the hull was riddled with cracks of varying sizes, from which water still flowed.
This was an old ship. No, more accurately, it was a shipwreck!
Su Tingting covered her mouth, looking up in horror. Noticing her reaction, Yang Xiao followed her gaze and saw a large red lantern on the mast swaying in the wind. Its back displayed a chilling white character that struck his eyes.
Yang Xiao was shocked to realize this was a bridal ship! Due to his work, he often searched and organized information. He knew that in riverine areas, there was a custom of worshiping the river god. Every festival, the whole village would offer sacrifices, tying paper maids and the like.
However, in times of disaster, such as famine or the sudden extinction of fish and shrimp, the specifications of sacrifices would escalate. The village head or a senior elder would select one unmarried girl to be sacrificed as a bride to the river god, hoping to appease its anger and bless the village with good weather and children.
The girl would be dressed up and rowed out in a red boat late at night, under the watchful eyes of the entire village. A hole would be made in the bottom of the boat, and once it reached the center of the lake, the ship would sink—signifying that the marriage had been completed and the river god had received its bride.
To prevent the bride from escaping, villagers would tie one of her feet with a thick rope, the other end of which was fastened to a pile of wood on the boat. Locally, the river god was often referred to as Hebo, and such a farewell boat was known as the Boyu boat.
Yang Xiao had also heard another theory suggesting that because this event linked to yin and yang, it was called Bai Yu, but in some dialects, Bai Bo was not differentiated, hence it was also referred to as Bo Yu Ship. Regardless of the name, it was a vestige of feudal oppression. The chosen girls typically came from poor families. Now, this so-called uncle ship had been relegated to the dust of history, and Yang Xiao never expected to encounter it here.
Books described two key features of this bridal boat: the entire ship was painted red, and a red lantern hung from the mast, adorned with a large white character. The character was displayed on the back of the lantern because it was intended for the river god, not the living.
Now the two matched perfectly. There was no doubt this was a bridal ship. Yang Xiao felt increasingly certain about his earlier speculations—Xiyao's death was indeed significant.
Suddenly, a loud bang interrupted his thoughts. He saw the hatch of the ship vibrate, and in an instant, a numbing sensation coursed through him. The book stated that the bride who was sacrificed to Uncle He would sit in the cabin after being dressed.
If he didn't slip away now, when would he?
Yang Xiao reached for the pole to escape, but a horrifying scene unfolded. No matter how hard he rowed, he couldn't get away; he could only watch as the two ships drew closer.
Seeing this, Su Tingting rushed to help, grabbing a half-broken oar from the cabin and rowing desperately. But even with her assistance, the two ships remained almost stationary, only 4.5 meters apart.
The banging on the hatch grew louder and more frantic, until the old, rotting hatch could withstand no more. It tore open, revealing a pale arm reaching out.
Oddly enough, seeing that arm invigorated both Yang Xiao and Su Tingting, who had been exhausted moments before. They gripped their oars tightly and rowed with renewed strength.
Soon, a figure emerged from the cabin. The man was soaked, his clothes clinging to his body, hair matted with water plants. It was evident that he was a man—no, it was the third young master!
He staggered to the side of the boat, his movements strange, extending a hand toward Yang Xiao and Su Tingting, making a faint plea, "Help me... Help me quickly..."
Even Su Tingting sensed something was amiss. How could the third young master be here, on this shipwreck? There were female ghosts aboard!
"Row faster!" Yang Xiao hissed, keeping his eyes glued to the task.
Su Tingting focused on her rowing. Suddenly, a glimpse in the light terrified her, nearly making her drop the oar. In the lake's reflection, another man stood behind the third young master. He was swollen and too close, his hands gripping the third young master's arm, controlling his movements like a puppet.
Realization struck Su Tingting: the third young master's awkwardness stemmed not from himself, but from the ghost manipulating him.
In the next moment, the figure behind the third young master stopped, then abruptly turned to gaze at Su Tingting through the water. Their eyes met, and she stopped breathing. The face was a dark blue, rotten, and swollen—its eyes almost squeezed shut by decay. Yet from that crevice, she felt a cold, vengeful stare.
Dizziness swept over her, and she almost succumbed to the urge to fall into the lake. "I can't die, I don't want to die!" The fierce instinct for survival drove her to bite her tongue, the metallic taste of blood snapping her back to reality.
"The ghost is controlling the third young master from behind!" she warned Yang Xiao urgently. "Don't look at the lake! The ghost in the reflection can see us."
"Thanks," Yang Xiao replied, having noticed the same thing. But he was more focused on how to escape.
Su Tingting's timely reminder sparked a determination in Yang Xiao. Finally, their efforts bore fruit; their boat began to move away from the bridal ship. After about thirty meters of rowing, a strange voice floated through the air behind them.
The voice was a haunting melody, sometimes distant, sometimes close, filled with sorrow and reluctance that sent shivers down their spines. Summoning courage, Yang Xiao turned to look, and a horrific sight met his eyes.
The third young master stood on the boat's surface, one hand raised high, the other low, posing in an impossible stance. He moved in small steps, fingers pinching as if he were manipulating something. A rope was tied around his left ankle, the other end affixed to the mast.
The haunting opera reverberated across the foggy lake, like the prelude to a sinister show.
As the singing continued, the bridal ship slowly sank, the third young master submerging halfway into the water. Yet he kept singing, shifting positions until he was completely engulfed.
This horrifying scene dulled any joy that remained. If Yang Xiao had reached out to the third young master just moments ago, he would have found himself dragged down into the depths.
The ghost in the reflection must have been Xi Yao. This moment mirrored Xi Yao's tragic fate, but now the main character was Master Feng's beloved son.
The third young master was dead, that much was clear to Yang Xiao.
Su Tingting slumped against the cabin, panting, her hands shaking around the oars. Everything she had experienced since arriving in this world had shattered her understanding of reality. Ghosts existed, and the horror far exceeded her imagination.
After the red lantern of the bridal ship vanished, another appeared in the fog in the distance, fluttering and high above.
With no other choice, they steered toward it. The lake beneath the fog felt endless and unwelcoming. Yang Xiao and Su Tingting held their breath as they moved closer to the red lantern, the surroundings filled only with the sound of water.
Suddenly, Yang Xiao became alert. A ship emerged not far from them. As they drew closer, he recognized it—exactly like the one beneath them. There was no one aboard, no sound.
"Did the second team perish here too?" Su Tingting's voice trembled, feeling as if only they remained alive on the vast lake.
Yang Xiao scrutinized the ship and interrupted her, "This isn't our ship. There are no incense burners or lanterns in the bow, and the items aboard seem off."
The ship appeared well-maintained, unlike the one they occupied, which was dilapidated and leaking.
"Isn't it ours?" Su Tingting scanned the area nervously. "Did the Feng family send more ships to search for the third young master?"
Yang Xiao leaned on the pole, his gaze steady. "Let's approach and take a closer look."
In Su Tingting's eyes, Yang Xiao was now an authority. Even if he suggested they leap onto this unknown ship, she would consider it.
With Su Tingting's help, their boat turned slightly, but the next moment, something floating in the murky lake caught their attention.
Yang Xiao froze. It was a corpse, face down, and there was more than one. They wore the clothing of the household servants.
Relieved it wasn't a teammate, Yang Xiao felt a weight lift. If all his allies had perished, he would be left to confront everything alone.
"Look at this man's head!" Su Tingting pointed at one of the floating bodies.
With a splashing sound, Yang Xiao swatted her hand away. "Don't use your fingers! The floating corpses are filled with resentment; be careful they don't grab you as a stand-in."
In that moment, he noticed a tennis-sized sarcoma growing behind the corpse's head—an unsettling sight.
"It's him!" Yang Xiao recognized the man. This was the paper craftsman who had sent them to the water not long ago. The paper figures in the house had come from his hands.
Unexpectedly, he too had met his end on the lake...
But why hadn't the housekeeper Liu mentioned that the paper craftsman would accompany them in the search?
Connecting the dots, Yang Xiao speculated wildly that they hadn't been the ones dispatched by Fengfu to find the third young master tonight; it had been this paper craftsman all along!
Their three ships had served as bait to distract Xi, buying time for the paper craftsman. Yet, the plan had gone awry, leading to the demise of everyone on board.
They couldn't linger here any longer. Yang Xiao immediately instructed Su Tingting to continue toward the red lantern. Before long, as the fog cleared, they finally glimpsed the shore!
Su Tingting almost cried out in relief. She vowed never to set foot on a boat again; this ordeal had left her deeply traumatized.
"Don't rush. Slow down," Yang Xiao cautioned, signaling her to ease up on the rowing. "Do you know how to get back?"
Su Tingting looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
"Don't mention the paper craftsman or the bridal ship. Pretend neither exists," Yang Xiao instructed quietly. "Once we're ashore, don't speak. Act scared and dazed. You excel at this, and I'll handle the rest."
"Okay," Su Tingting agreed, following his lead.
As they neared the shore, Yang Xiao recognized the dead face of housekeeper Liu. Two ships were moored there: one identical to the one they had just escaped, leading Yang Xiao to hope it belonged to a teammate. Strangely, the other ship looked as if it had just been salvaged from a wreck.
Once ashore, housekeeper Liu approached with a peculiar expression. "Have you found any clues about the third young master?"
Yang Xiao recounted their encounter with the third young master and the ghost ship driven by Sun Amao, explaining the difficulty they faced in escaping.
As the author of the script, he refined the story without detaching it from reality. Housekeeper Liu seemed to accept Yang Xiao's account, then turned to Su Tingting, who sat motionless on the boat, her expression vacant.
When a servant failed to rouse her after a few attempts, he reached to shake her, but Su Tingting suddenly screamed, nearly sending him tumbling into the water.
"Quick, come on!" he shouted, "She must be possessed!"
Panic ensued as they managed to pull the frantic Su Tingting off the boat. Her limbs twitched until Yang Xiao helped her regain some semblance of composure; then her head lolled, and she fainted.
This scene was not a ruse for housekeeper Liu and the others. Even Yang Xiao almost fell for it. Had Su Tingting not received the code he issued, he would have doubted her act, believing she was genuinely lost to the experience.
"Are there really so many female college students in drama now? Impressive," housekeeper Liu remarked, instructing someone to take Su Tingting back to rest. He then led Yang Xiao around a corner, where a stone table emerged behind the wall, surrounded by several people.
"Brother Chu!" Kwong Hongyi exclaimed, standing abruptly.
The others, Shi Dali and Shi Guanming, also rose.
Yang Xiao hadn't anticipated both ships would return with survivors. He scanned the group, confirming Xu Su was missing. "Where is Sister Xu Su?"
At his question, Kwong Hongyi sighed, his expression darkening. "She died. We ran into trouble—those damned things got on our boat."