After a moment of thought, Yang Xiao suddenly shuddered and dispelled the idea. Knowing the temperament of those playwrights, he knew he wouldn't get any sympathy. He could already imagine their reactions: strange excuses for leave +1, suspecting the author was just being lazy. "Are you really fit to coach in the world competition?"
Some might be more extreme: "Don't write a script that makes you seem realistic in Jedi Survival!"
Then there was the one who pretended to be weak, threatening Yang Xiao's health with, "Pigeon Pigeon~, I can't handle seeing the word 'leave' in your book right now, or I'll be stressed."
Yang Xiao was best at dealing with this. After some thought, he decided to just push through. He would find time to exercise in between writing the script. If he knew a group of playwrights was waiting outside, he might not be able to handle the pressure.
Whenever the script came to mind, Yang Xiao's imagination ran wild, but this also helped relieve some of his psychological stress.
Eventually, sleepiness washed over him like waves. When he couldn't resist anymore, he got up and woke Kwong Hongyi.
Without hesitation, Kwong Hongyi woke up Su Tingting, and the two exchanged glances until dawn.
Perhaps fatigue caught up with him, as Yang Xiao slept surprisingly well. He even dreamt that a female ghost was banging on a door. Yang Xiao struggled to hold it shut, nearly crying out, "Don't kill me, I'm still a child!"
Startled awake, he found Kwong Hongyi and Su Tingting looking at him oddly, while Housekeeper Liu's hurried, hoarse voice came from outside, "Several lucky guests, something has happened! You... come out and take a look!"
"Mr. Chu, did you have a nightmare?" Su Tingting asked, blinking with curiosity.
Yang Xiao felt a bit embarrassed. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it. I used to sleepwalk when I was young, especially when I was nervous during the day. It hasn't happened in years."
Kwong Hongyi opened the door, revealing Housekeeper Liu, whose face was filled with grief. Shi Dali and Shi Guanming, from another room, rushed over, their dark circles indicating they hadn't slept well.
Soon, under Housekeeper Liu's lead, they returned to the lake. Outside, the weather was gloomy, with low-hanging dark clouds and light rain. The atmosphere was oppressive, reminiscent of twilight, with mist still hovering over the darkened lake.
Many servants stood by the lake, whispering as they gazed into the water.
"Get out of the way!" Housekeeper Liu's voice cut through the murmurs. Everyone quickly parted, and following Liu's gesture, Yang Xiao and the others spotted a corpse floating in the lake's center.
The body swayed gently with the waves, and from the silk garments, it was clearly the third young master they had seen last night!
Shi Dali sneered at Housekeeper Liu, "Now that he's dead, do you really expect us to fish for the body of your third young master?"
Housekeeper Liu shook his head sadly. "The body must be retrieved, but not now. I'm afraid no one can go into the lake right now."
Curiosity piqued, everyone turned to Housekeeper Liu as he called over a strong man in a bare chest.
"Tell them what you just saw."
The man, clearly shaken, trembled as he spoke. "I just went out to bring back the third young master's body, but... before I could get close, I saw many faces floating around him!"
"Floating faces?" Shi Guanming asked, confused.
"It's the dead in the water." Shi Dali's face paled as his gaze drifted toward the body. From this distance, he could only see the dark lake.
Housekeeper Liu glanced at Shi Dali, surprised, then nodded. "This lucky guest knows his stuff. We suspect it's the dirty thing."
"What is that?" Su Tingting asked boldly.
"It's a kind of corpse that can stand in water. They're said to be resentful souls that refuse to reincarnate after drowning." Shi Dali spoke with a hint of fear. "These walking corpses are attracted to the living, moving freely underwater and even climbing onto boats to drag people under as substitutes."
"This thing is so fierce that professional corpse scavengers avoid it. Even looking at it from afar is said to bring three years of bad luck."
"Years ago, boatmen on the Yellow River feared these things, as they would leave footprints in the riverbed. If someone saw those footprints, they'd immediately steer clear. The old boatmen called them Yellow River Corpses."
"By the way, these creatures are drawn to places of heavy resentment. Generally, where the Yellow River walking corpse is found... there have been major shipwrecks." Shi Dali concluded, glancing at Housekeeper Liu.
Housekeeper Liu took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, the tension in the air palpable. Yang Xiao held his breath.
Shi Dali's words were chilling, and Housekeeper Liu turned to lead them away. "Come with me."
The group exchanged glances and quickly followed, recognizing it was inappropriate to discuss this in front of the servants. Housekeeper Liu moved further away, and they realized they were heading toward Master Feng's residence.
"Oh!" Housekeeper Liu sighed heavily. "There are things I, as a servant, shouldn't say, but... the old man... he is truly cursed!"
No one dared to respond, but Housekeeper Liu continued. "Years ago, I tried to persuade the old master, but he seemed infatuated with ghosts. He insisted on finding a woman whose birth details matched his to marry on the seventh day after his first day, believing it would bless the family."
"Thus, the first son of the Bai family was chosen. The Bai family's master was unscrupulous; he willingly sold his daughter for a thousand taels of silver."
Kwong Hongyi chuckled. "What could they do? The old man's family had a great career; not everyone dares to oppose him."
Housekeeper Liu grew anxious. "I'm not speaking lightly. This arrangement must be agreed upon by the woman's direct relatives; otherwise, it won't work. I can guarantee with my life that the Feng family did not coerce the Bai family. Out of a desire to make amends, my master sent 200 taels of thank you money, and the Bai master accepted it."
"There are still documents from the Bai family in the Feng family's accounting room, including two receipts totaling 1,200 taels. The Bai family emphasized that if they didn't collect the money, cash was acceptable, and the old accountant can also testify."
After speaking, Housekeeper Liu appeared weary. He shook his head, his voice lowering. "Regardless, it was my fault. I met the girl Xiyao; she was beautiful, and her skills were exceptional. It's a pity she was a good girl."
Yang Xiao sneered internally. That was not what Housekeeper Liu had said before; he had labeled Xi Yao as either evil or a fierce ghost, full of resentment. Now, with the third young master dead, he recognized her strength and referred to her as a good girl.
As they spoke, they arrived outside Master Feng's room. Before getting close, they heard a series of coughs and a man's muffled sobs.
Pushing the door open, they saw Master Feng slumped in a chair, his expression pained and dull, eyes red and swollen, clearly overwhelmed with grief.
"Master!" Housekeeper Liu rushed forward, tears streaming down his face. "You can't leave us!"
This seemed to snap Master Feng back to reality. He looked at Yang Xiao and the others, tears streaming down his face. To everyone's shock, he struggled to stand and then suddenly knelt on the ground.
"Please save my family. I know my father is deeply guilty, but... my juniors in the Feng family are innocent!" Master Feng cried. "I've lost three sons, and now there's only one heir left. If anything happens to Zhitong, my family will be cut off! How can I explain this to my ancestors?"
This scene left Su Tingting speechless. Master Feng was emotional and sincere, kneeling decisively with perfect timing. She had thought her acting skills were impressive, but compared to Master Feng, she felt outmatched.
But then, Yang Xiao stepped in, kneeling beside Master Feng. "Master Feng, please get up. You're burdening our juniors!"
"Though Master Feng is at fault, he's still the old master. What does this have to do with you?"
"Housekeeper Liu has already told us the truth. You strongly opposed this from the start, but the old man was stubborn. This isn't your fault; please don't blame yourself."
"Our priority now is to help Zhitong and ensure her safety so that she can give birth peacefully. We need to resolve this situation as soon as possible."
At that moment, Yang Xiao felt a surge of sympathy for the Feng family. His heartfelt emotions left no room for criticism. He assisted Housekeeper Liu in helping Master Feng back to his chair. "Please, Master Feng, tell us everything you know. The more details, the better, so we can act accordingly."
"Alright, I'll tell you everything I know." Master Feng wiped his tears, looking ten years older.
"When my father was critically ill, he came across a remnant of an ancient text containing an evil recipe. It claimed that if followed, it could bless our family with prosperity for ten years and endless glory for future generations."
"In essence, we needed to find an unmarried woman whose birth details matched my father's and marry her on the seventh day after his first day."
"You likely know the process. We built a large ship, covered it in red, hung red lanterns, and placed my father's body in the cabin."
"The Bai master coaxed Xi Yu into the house under the pretense of a performance, tying her to the boat for safety."
"When the boat was ready, a hole was made at the bottom, and we sailed to the lake's center, sinking it slowly. When the red lantern on the mast disappeared, the first step of the ceremony was complete."
Hearing this, Shi Guanming exclaimed, "Is that... just the first step?"
"Yes, according to the text, the ceremony consists of four steps, and the first is called... um... what's it called?" Master Feng frowned.
"Kinxi," Yang Xiao interjected.
Master Feng's eyes brightened. "Yes! That's it! It's a seed of joy! It seems this blessed guest knows a lot about this evil art."
Yang Xiao remained serious. "This kind of evil art is divided into four steps. The first is to sow happiness; then comes the wedding, followed by receiving happiness, and finally, the most crucial step: sending happiness."
"Yes, Zhongxi involves intertwining my father and his eldest daughter in the lake. Jiexi requires us to worship by the lake for ten years, making significant sacrifices each year on Zhongxi and hanging red lanterns in the house."
"Dexi, which takes place ten years later, requires me to bear an heir for the Feng family within this year—a boy who can inherit the family business. If the boy is born and survives, it means this evil art is complete."
At this, Master Feng's eyes sparked with hope. Leaning forward, gripping the wooden armrests, he said eagerly, "So, I beg you to help my Feng family through this crisis! As long as Zhitong is protected and she gives birth smoothly, I promise the benefits I offer will be substantial."