Before the big show began, Yang Xiao paced back and forth several times to familiarize himself with the route. The old man reminded himself that the offerings could not be discarded carelessly but should be stacked by the incense burner.
As he approached, Yang Xiao noticed a long piece of yellow paper beneath the incense burner, resembling a charm. In addition to ghost charms he couldn't decipher, it featured a string of eight birthday characters. He glanced at the four incense burners, each pressed with a charm, and realized that the eight characters corresponded perfectly to the birthday of Xi Yao.
After checking around and finding no issues, Yang Xiao returned to his seat and lifted the red cloth covering the bamboo basket beneath it. The four baskets, from left to right, contained raw meat, rice noodles, fresh melons and fruits, and finally a basket of candies and fruit for children—perfectly matching the order of the sacrificial offerings.
He noticed a dirty rag tied to the handle of the first bamboo basket. A quick look revealed it was the same shroud draped over the old man's shoulder. Getting closer, he caught a whiff of its stench.
This rag would be useful later. Once the ghost play started, he needed to wrap the sacrifices in it to conceal their scent; otherwise, the ghosts might target him on the way to deliver the offerings.
After the old man's explanation, combined with Yang Xiao's analysis, the evening's plan became clearer. Su Tingting was the protagonist of the ghost drama. If everything went well, she would be temporarily possessed by Xi Yao's vengeful spirit, re-enacting the ghost play from that year. He and Kwong Hongyi were stationed a mile away, tasked with stabilizing the evil spirits below the stage, ensuring the performance proceeded smoothly.
As for Shi Dali and Shi Guanming, he figured they were by the lake, waiting for the signal. Once it was confirmed that Xi Yao was in Su Tingting, Kwong Hongyi would raise a red lantern. When they saw it, Shi Dali and Shi Guanming would enter the water to search for Xi Yao's body.
Theoretically, as long as Xi Yao's spirit was drawn in, the underwater corpses would also gather to watch the play. The lake would remain safe for now. As long as they found the body during the performance and closed its eyes for Xi Yao, they would achieve their goal tonight.
It didn't sound difficult. Most of the pressure was still on the three of them. Yang Xiao doubted that the wronged spirits would sit quietly and watch below.
"Boring--!"
Before Yang Xiao could continue his thoughts, a gong made him look up. Moments later, he saw a figure emerge from the curtain, moving stiffly—it was Su Tingting!
But now, Yang Xiao hardly recognized her. She wore a red wedding dress that trailed on the ground, adorned with a gold-painted and silver phoenix crown, decorated with pearls and gems. Even in the dim light, she was dazzling.
Her makeup was exquisite and delicate—just the right amount of foundation. Her eyebrows were perfectly shaped, and her cherry lips were striking. Yang Xiao realized it wasn't that her mother couldn't wear makeup; it was that Su Tingting had never taken the time to prepare herself properly!
Su Tingting's back was a four-sided martial arts disguise that matched the flag. After studying it for a moment, Yang Xiao suddenly recognized it—a soul streamer!
"A song of bitterness, where is the lover~
Love man knows what I mean, but how can I separate yin and yang~
The underworld crossed the water to cool, and Meng Po cried two lines~
Even if there are all kinds of hardships, I dare not forget my love~
Eee--, ah--"
As soon as she lit up, Su Tingting began singing the opening lines. Yang Xiao recognized her trembling voice immediately.
Now, Su Tingting on stage resembled a puppet, her movements stiff and her pace slow. Although she wore a smile, it was more reminiscent of a grimace. The lyrics were out of tune, clearly not practiced well.
A sudden gust of wind swept through, dimming the candlelight around him. The paper money charms beneath the incense burner shook violently, and Yang Xiao was nearly overwhelmed by the dust stirred up.
When he opened his eyes slightly, the sight before him made him sweat. Su Tingting's eyes trembled violently before rolling back, leaving only the whites visible. The soul streamers behind her swayed like flags in a storm, buffeted by the wind.
Moments later, Su Tingting returned to normal, but her demeanor had changed entirely. A strange smile spread across her face as one arm stretched out, her robe hanging unevenly. She twisted her body in an unnatural way, "Eeah-, ah-!"
Yang Xiao felt a chill wash over him. He was certain that at that moment, Su Tingting had been replaced by Xi Yao—the ghost play had officially begun!
He had to admit, Xi Yao embodied the spirit of the Bai family. Just a few simple vocals and movements conveyed a powerful presence, her singing poignant enough to draw tears.
"Woo-woo-woo..."
Yang Xiao stiffened at the faint sound of crying. As the singing grew louder, the weeping became increasingly evident and sorrowful, and… it was right behind him!
Tilting his head slightly, he caught a glimpse of strange paper figures behind him—no different from before.
Taking a deep breath, Yang Xiao recalled the old man's warning. He closed his left eye, then, despite the discomfort, slowly opened his right eye. "Hiss--"
At that glance, he felt cold all over. Through the yellow paper, he saw dozens of bloated figures crowded in the seats, their heads disproportionately large as they stared at the stage, their bodies shaking. He couldn't tell if they were crying or doing something else entirely.
"The left eye sees people, the right eye sees the devil!"
Holding his breath, Yang Xiao averted his gaze. But the scene on stage struck him hard. Su Tingting, once slender, now appeared swollen like a waterlogged sack, swaying grotesquely. Her decayed, bloated face dwarfed the phoenix crown on her head. It was a sight that resembled a rotting corpse!
What was worse, when Yang Xiao's eyes lingered on the rotting face, the singing and movements abruptly halted. Though he couldn't see clearly through the yellow paper, he felt a vengeful gaze, and the spirit on stage became aware of him!
He quickly lowered his head and looked away, closing his right eye and opening his left. The next moment, everything vanished. Su Tingting moved gracefully again, her features beautiful, her singing gentle and melodious. The paper figures sat quietly, as if everything just now had been an illusion.
Yang Xiao swallowed hard, drenched in cold sweat. He realized he couldn't use his right eye carelessly. The old man hadn't made it clear that his right eye not only revealed ghosts but also allowed them to see him.
"This is troublesome..."
Meanwhile, outside the courtyard, Kwong Hongyi was also on edge. Upon hearing the change in singing, he realized Xi Yao had emerged, marking the official start of the ghost play. He quickly raised a red lantern to signal and lit the welcome incense in his hand.
Soon, a fog rolled in from the distance, obscuring everything around him at a rapid pace. Shadows danced within the mist, visibility dropping below five meters. Gradually, figures emerged from the fog, making their way straight to the courtyard gate.
Following the old man's teachings, Kwong Hongyi steadied himself, holding three sticks of incense to welcome the guests, smiling and nodding gently.
Not daring to meet their eyes, he could only glimpse them from the corner of his vision. Most were men clad in gray clothing, black shoes, and trousers, with linen belts cinched at their waists—servants' attire.
These figures moved in small groups. Aside from their stiff movements and silence, they appeared no different from the living.
As the singing in the yard improved, more people emerged from the fog: muscular men in short black shirts and young women in dark blue satin dresses.
Kwong Hongyi deduced that the former were guards and the latter were housemaids. None of them showed obvious injuries, and if all went well, they would have been substitutes for Master Feng's family.
Fortunately, most of them ignored him and shuffled into the courtyard to listen to the play. Occasionally, a few glances fell on him, but he instinctively dodged their gaze.
The fog thickened, heavy with moisture. At some point, the ground outside the courtyard became wet, and closer inspection revealed wet shoe prints trailing into the depths of the fog.
Kwong Hongyi inhaled deeply. He realized his suspicions were correct—these guests seemed fine, but they were all long-dead drowned ghosts.
Suddenly, a rustling sound made him alert. Although the drowning ghosts made noise when they walked, this sound was different—more agile.
Turning his gaze, he spotted a crooked-necked tree ahead, its silhouette unclear in the fog. Kwong Hongyi sensed it was watching him.
"Stay calm and pretend nothing's happening," he silently instructed himself, looking away and continuing to greet the approaching guests.
The rustling grew closer again, and when Kwong Hongyi regained focus, a sneaky figure stood before him. He held his breath, suppressing the urge to flee, bowing slightly and nodding with a smile.
To his surprise, the figure spoke, startling him, "Brother Kung, something's happened at the lake!"
The man seemed to have rushed a long way, breathless. "Housekeeper Liu sent me to inform you—both of you in the lake are dead. You can't continue the ghost play tonight. If you do, something terrible will happen!"
Kwong Hongyi examined the man, who appeared to be in his early thirties, dressed like a servant, and somewhat familiar, though Kwong Hongyi couldn't place him.
Seeing Kwong Hongyi's lack of response, the man grew anxious, glancing nervously into the fog. "Brother Kwong, why are you hesitating? Come with me! The singer can't be saved; we need to leave!"
Kwong Hongyi, however, stood firm. He ignored the man, turning to look away as if he didn't exist.
This was no ordinary person but a ghost masquerading as one. The act was clumsy, and the timing was poor.
He had come too early.
From the moment he raised the lantern until now, only a short time had passed. Shi Dali and Shi Guanming couldn't possibly have died already. With Shi Dali's cunning nature, he suspected they hadn't even entered the water yet.
Besides, given the distance from the lake and the fog, it was uncertain whether they could run in time, let alone evade any ghosts along the way.
Moreover, there was something odd—since this man approached, no new "guests" had appeared in the fog. What was going on? This man was acting strangely. It seemed he had no intention of simply coming to warn him.
At that moment, the man's expression darkened. His eyes gleamed with cold light as he studied Kwong Hongyi for several seconds before decisively abandoning him and slipping into the yard.
Once the man left, a pool of water stains remained where he had stood.
Kwong Hongyi realized he had been deceived, likely to lure him away from another. His first concern was for Chu Xi, being new and inexperienced. However, reflecting on Chu Xi's previous performance, he reassured himself that his worries were unfounded.
Meanwhile, the ghost play in the courtyard continued to build momentum. Su Tingting on stage was flawless in both posture and singing, with the paper figures behind her clapping in a crackling rhythm.
Yang Xiao had gone up to change the offerings once, carefully adhering to the old man's warnings. Fortunately, he had remained safe.
The paper figures, drawn in by the performance, were oblivious to his presence.
Just then, a scuttling sound came from behind him—someone was approaching. Yang Xiao had heard many footsteps before, but this one felt different.
Then came the sound of a wooden chair being moved, followed by someone sitting down behind him.
Yang Xiao tensed; this was not right. The earlier footsteps had vanished as this presence drew nearer. He suspected that the resentment had infiltrated the body of the paper figure, but how...
"Chu Fuke, something's happened!" The voice behind him was low but urgent. "Everyone at the lake is dead. Housekeeper Liu told you to leave quickly!"
After a brief pause, the voice added, "I've informed Brother Kwong. You should run away."
Yang Xiao quickly collected his thoughts, realizing the absurdity of a dead person delivering news. Ghosts were all around him, yet this one dared to approach him, clearly out of place.
Were they underestimating his intelligence, or were these ghosts simply blind?
Yang Xiao remained unresponsive, staring at the stage like the paper figures, catching the wind as it swirled around them.