Kwong Hongyi, an elderly man with a heavy presence, noticed a hint of strangeness and asked quietly, "With all due respect, even if the second young grandmother gives birth smoothly, how can you guarantee it's a boy?"
Master Feng paused, momentarily stunned, then coughed awkwardly. "You needn't worry about that. We've found the best midwife in the city and consulted numerous secret recipes for Zhitong. As long as the birth goes well, it will surely be a baby boy."
"Cough... Cough cough..."
Perhaps he had said too much, for Master Feng began to cough violently. He waved his hand, and Housekeeper Liu stepped forward with an outward gesture. "Dear guests, the master needs to rest. If you have any questions, please direct them to me."
As the group departed, Housekeeper Liu's demeanor became noticeably more sincere. "Fukuke, don't worry. The late master of the third young master can still be avenged. The most crucial thing now is to ensure the survival of the last heir of the Feng family—the child in the second young grandmother's womb."
"To be frank, neither the young master nor the third young master holds as much significance to the master as the second young master. He is the master's favorite."
At this point, Housekeeper Liu pressed his lips together, lost in thought. "The master always protected the second young master best, which is why he was the last of the three children to encounter misfortune. Initially, the master insisted on taking good care of the second young master, but who would have imagined... Oh!"
"The second young master is the true heir to the family in the master's eyes. On the day of the accident, the master had planned for the second young master to practice swordsmanship with a martial arts master in the palace, but the second young master, being playful, slipped out of the house instead."
"The master regretted this deeply, even suffering from repeated bouts of vomiting blood. He lamented countless times that he should have kept the second young master closer."
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao and Kwong Hongyi exchanged glances, their expressions shifting slightly, recalling the ancient saying: the second son stays under his knees.
"Is there really only the third young master, Master Feng?" Kwong Hongyi asked casually, "Don't you have a precious daughter?"
"No." Housekeeper Liu shook his head. "The first lady passed away early, leaving only the three young masters. The master was deeply attached to the first lady and refused to remarry or take a concubine."
"Perhaps Master Feng was a romantic in his youth, and you, Housekeeper, just don't know it," Yang Xiao quipped, eliciting a frown from Housekeeper Liu.
"Don't speak nonsense. My master is renowned for his fidelity. Besides, the old master was extremely strict with discipline; my master has never frequented those places, as the entire city can attest."
Yang Xiao, unbothered, bowed slightly. "I apologize; I was just trying to lighten the mood. Please don't take it to heart."
Housekeeper Liu, feeling a bit embarrassed, acknowledged, "It's alright. I appreciate your understanding."
The ancient saying suggests that a daughter does not marry out, and the second son remains close, with the last part likely referring to the second young master of the Feng family. Yang Xiao and Kwong Hongyi speculated that the woman's reluctance to marry might also be tied to Master Feng. Could he possibly have a daughter?
The thought crossed Yang Xiao's mind, but he sensed there was more to it than met the eye.
At that moment, it was around 10 a.m., yet the sky was dark and overcast. Light rain fell, surprisingly cold.
Upon returning to the backyard, the scene by the lake was even more unsettling. From a distance, the third young master's body floated face down in the murky water, shrouded in lingering mist.
Shi Dali's expression turned serious. "There's a heavy evil spirit here."
Seeing this, Housekeeper Liu was visibly shaken. He turned to the others and said, "You've all seen it. Tonight, she will certainly target the old master or the second young grandmother. We must act preemptively. After nightfall, we need a few people to return to the lake."
"Are you suggesting we recover the third young master's body?" Shi Guanming instinctively recoiled. It was clear that the third young master's corpse was bait; anyone who approached would be in danger.
However, Housekeeper Liu shook his head. "I'm not asking you to retrieve the third young master's body. Your task is to find Xi Yao's body."
Everyone was taken aback by this, and Su Tingting nearly cried out, "Are you serious?"
"Don't worry; I'm not asking you to disturb the body. Just find it and close Xi Yao's eyes. After all, she is deceased." Housekeeper Liu explained quickly. "We also have a plan for tonight. If you follow it and rely on your skills, there won't be any mistakes."
"Alright, tell me what your plan is first," Yang Xiao replied, skeptical of Housekeeper Liu's intentions. It seemed like a death sentence to send them into the water.
Housekeeper Liu took a moment to gather his thoughts and said slowly, "Tonight, we will set up a soul-summoning array in the hall, complete with incense, candles, and offerings, as well as the robes and jewelry Xi Yao wore before her death. We will use the eight characters of her birth date to draw her soul back."
"As long as we attract her soul, the corpse beneath the water will be nothing more than an ordinary body. Closing the eyes of a dead body shouldn't be difficult."
While Housekeeper Liu spoke confidently, the others remained unconvinced. Shi Dali laughed, "If it's just an ordinary corpse, why not let the servants handle it? Why involve us?"
"You're all renowned lucky guests from nearby villages, and your good fortune is vital. The servants are expendable; if they go, it could lead to unnecessary trouble." Housekeeper Liu smiled. "Besides, you've been compensated."
After a few rounds of discussion, Housekeeper Liu's attitude grew increasingly firm, leaving the group with no choice but to comply.
Kwong Hongyi's expression hardened as he stared at Housekeeper Liu. "First, let's discuss the reliability of tonight's soul-summoning ceremony."
With hands clasped within his sleeves, Housekeeper Liu appeared confident. "You can rest assured. The array was acquired at great expense from monks on Qingzhe Mountain."
"Xi Yao loved singing opera in her life. We will set up a stage for her to perform, complete with paper figures as her audience. With the magic array in place, we only need to distract her momentarily while another team retrieves her body."
However, Housekeeper Liu then cast a glance at the group, his gaze lingering on Su Tingting. "But we need to borrow the body of one of you for this magic array."
He smiled strangely, his eyes fixated on Su Tingting.
After leaving the meeting, Su Tingting remained confused. According to Housekeeper Liu, she would need to don Xi Yao's costume, wear makeup, and perform on stage to imitate Xi Yao's singing. It was said that this would attract Xi Yao's spirit, but... was there truly no other way?
"Brother Kwong, Mr. Chu, you have to think of a solution!" Su Tingting pleaded, on the verge of tears, with only these two to rely on.
Yang Xiao urged her to calm down. "Miss Su, I understand your anxiety, but let's consider this from another perspective. This situation might not be entirely negative."
Su Tingting regarded him skeptically. She had just witnessed Yang Xiao's impressive performance and didn't trust his words at all.
Seeing that his initial attempts to reassure her were failing, Yang Xiao turned to Kwong Hongyi. "Miss Su, Brother Chu is right. Think about it: if you refuse to sing, what do you think they would send you to do?"
Yang Xiao mimed a diving gesture, causing Su Tingting to shiver in fear.
"They... they would make me pick the corpses!"
"It's not about fishing," Yang Xiao corrected. "It's about helping Xi Yao close her eyes. Oh, let me tell you, that body has been submerged for ten years; it's probably beyond recognition. Who knows if you'll even find her eyes."
Horrifying memories surged in Su Tingting's mind as she recalled the ghost she saw in the lake's shadows—swollen and rotting. The moment the ghost turned to face her, her heart stopped.
Between two horrors, it seemed better to choose the lesser one: singing rather than diving into the water.
Seeing that Su Tingting had reluctantly accepted her fate, Yang Xiao and Kwong Hongyi felt a sense of relief. After all, they had all agreed to act as a team, and if Su Tingting had refused, they would have been forced to retrieve the body together—or rather, help Xi Yao close her eyes.
Yet, Su Tingting couldn't refuse. Yang Xiao had at least five ways to convince her; if gentle persuasion failed, he would resort to forceful tactics, and if that didn't work, Kwong Hongyi would step in.
Once Su Tingting was pacified, Yang Xiao and Kwong Hongyi began discussing the clues they had gathered from Master Feng. "Brother Chu, did you notice Master Feng's strange attitude when we mentioned the unborn child of the second young grandmother?"
"Yes, it was odd," Yang Xiao recalled, furrowing his brow. "Master Feng seemed overly confident it would be a boy and rushed to end the conversation for health reasons."
Kwong Hongyi poured tea for both of them, his grip on the cup tightening. "It seems the Feng family has deeper waters than we realize. Master Feng is clearly hiding something from us."
With the knowledge that more secrets were buried beneath the surface, Yang Xiao struggled to fathom the extent of the Feng family's misdeeds. As for Housekeeper Liu's insistence that everything was under Master Feng's control—he believed it was all a ruse. When the old master died, this turmoil had yet to unfold; his trusted friend was still alive. If he had truly wanted to prevent this, it never would have occurred.
Yang Xiao suspected that this dark magic was something Master Feng sought out with intent. Perhaps Master Feng was oblivious, and his body had merely become a vessel for his desires.
Three ancient sayings lingered in his mind, yet only the first remained elusive: the first daughter does not marry out.
With many hypotheses but no clear answers, Yang Xiao and Kwong Hongyi decided to halt their speculation and rest before nightfall.
Originally, their plan had been to venture out for clues. Yang Xiao had the address of the Yi son-in-law, and the Bai family's opera troupe awaited a visit to the theater. But with the third young master's body still afloat in the lake and the dismal weather, Housekeeper Liu firmly declined their departure.
The sky grew increasingly ominous, the rain persistent, and dark clouds loomed lower, casting an apocalyptic shadow. It felt as though something dreadful was imminent.
The Feng family's dark practices had backfired, leading to a series of tragedies instead of the anticipated joy. According to Housekeeper Liu, their business had plummeted, but Yang Xiao remained uncertain about the cause.
In another room, Shi Guanming gently closed the window, turning with a trace of fear on his face. "Brother Shi, the sky outside is becoming more terrifying."
Shi Dali sat at the table, his brow furrowed. "The thing in the lake is about to turn evil. Its resentment is so potent that it has attracted all the wandering corpses from the water."
"Then... what should we do tonight?" Shi Guanming asked, anxiety rising. "Are we really expected to dive in to help the female ghost close her eyes?"
Shi Dali shot him a bored glance. "Do you think Kwong Hongyi would do it for us? They won't be so generous."
"No, I meant... doesn't it depend on Su Tingting's decision? If she won't perform the ghost play, she certainly won't dare go into the water."
"If she refuses to sing, do you think she'll brave the water to find the corpse?" Shi Dali was baffled by Shi Guanming's reasoning. If not for his usefulness, he would have dismissed him long ago. After a moment, he softened his tone.
"Brother Shi, consider this. With Kuang Hongyi and Chu Xi's personalities, even if Su Tingting hesitates, they'll find a way to push her. Also, be cautious of Chu Xi. He isn't a novice; he's an experienced player masquerading as a rookie to lower our guard."
After a pause, Shi Dali lowered his voice in warning. "I suspect Kwong Hongyi and Chu Xi are in cahoots. They must have known each other before coming here, acting in tandem, and Xu Su has likely fallen victim to their schemes."
"They and Ke Long are all on the same side. I'm afraid... I'm afraid they might strike against us soon."
Hearing this, Shi Guanming's nervousness intensified. "What should we do? How did Brother Shi know this?"
Shi Dali smirked inwardly. Shi Guanming wasn't foolish; he had merely chosen his words carefully. Simple lies wouldn't suffice to deceive him. "Brother Shi, think about it. When Kwong Hongyi asked Master Feng about having a daughter..."
"Yes, that's right." Shi Guanming didn't quite understand where this was leading.
"What did Chu Xi say next? He joked that Master Feng might have been a romantic in his youth, potentially having children outside the marriage, and yet Housekeeper Liu seemed unaware of it." Shi Dali's smile took on a mysterious quality. "Doesn't it strike you as odd that he would risk offending Housekeeper Liu with such a thoughtless jest?"