Sensing that something was wrong, Li Huowang's expression stiffened. He quickly put the book back in his pocket, pulled the curtain aside, and looked toward the stage.
What he saw made his pupils contract to pinpoints. The actors on stage and the musicians off to the side were all trembling in terror, their faces pale with fear.
He followed their gaze to the audience and instantly saw what froze them in place: the double-faced, bound-footed woman he encountered in the forest was sitting among the black ancestral tablets in the front row, casually crossing her legs and watching the play.
"This thing followed us here? Has it latched onto us?" he muttered under his breath.
"Don't stop. Keep singing," Li Huowang ordered, dragging a wooden stool to the stage's front edge and sitting down heavily. His gaze locked onto the bound-footed woman.
Cultural Note: Bound feet were a historical custom in China, where young girls' feet were tightly bound to create the so-called "lotus feet," a standard of beauty. It often resulted in permanent physical deformities. In this novel, the bound feet symbolize both something sinister and deeply rooted in tradition, blending folklore with a critique of ancient practices._
Li Huowang's resolute stance gave the troupe some courage. Swallowing hard, they exchanged glances and restarted the music. The sharp notes of the suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument) and the singers' trembling voices filled the air once more.
The bound-footed woman remained focused on the stage, seemingly ignoring Li Huowang's presence. Her demeanor made it appear as though she was genuinely there to watch the opera.
"If she doesn't make a move, neither will I. Let's see if she can stay here until daylight," thought Li Huowang, deciding to wait it out. Spending three months of his lifespan to summon You Laoye (Lord You) was his last resort.
Cultural Note: You Laoye is a supernatural figure introduced earlier in the story. This enigmatic being, summoned through a special bell, reflects a blend of Chinese folklore's belief in guardian spirits and ritual practices._
As the opera continued, a faint mist began to rise from the ground, and the atmosphere grew heavier. Suddenly, the bound-footed woman moved. Her chubby hand reached for two red candles on the altar in front of her. She stuffed them into her mouth and began chewing loudly.
Her actions caused the actors to falter again. This time, the actor playing the young scholar, Lu Xiucai, started to sob audibly.
Then something even stranger happened. The paper figurines placed near the ancestral tablets—decorations meant to serve the spirits—began moving of their own accord. They picked up trays of offerings from the altars and carried them to the bound-footed woman, who accepted them with glee.
Cultural Note: Paper figurines are often burned or placed at altars during traditional Chinese funerals and ancestor worship rituals. They are believed to serve the deceased in the afterlife, acting as servants or aides. Their sudden animation in this scene adds to the supernatural tension._
The eerie, high-pitched laughter of the bound-footed woman echoed through the ancestral hall, sending chills down everyone's spines. Even the bravest among the troupe began trembling.
"Don't stop! Keep singing!" Li Huowang roared, his voice breaking through the oppressive silence. The commanding shout startled the actors into action. They sang louder, putting all their energy into their performance as sweat poured down their faces.
This time, the bound-footed woman's expression darkened. She glared at Li Huowang with an intense hostility, her mood mirrored by the paper figurines, which also turned their attention toward him.
Li Huowang, however, met their gaze without flinching, a faint smirk forming on his lips.
"Three hours down. Two more to go," he thought grimly as the night crept toward the fourth watch (1 a.m. to 3 a.m.). The actors' voices were now hoarse, but they dared not stop.
The bound-footed woman suddenly stood up, swaying as she walked toward him. Her voice, sharp and mocking, echoed, "Am I more like a person or a god?"
"You look like a lowly, worthless spirit to me!" Li Huowang shot back. With a sharp "clang," he drew his sword and charged at her without hesitation.
Cultural Note: In Chinese folklore, many spirits or supernatural entities attempt to frighten humans to gain power. Li Huowang's defiance reflects the belief that showing fear feeds these entities, while bravery and mockery can weaken them._
The blade gleamed under the flickering candlelight, slicing cleanly through the bound-footed woman's body. Red candles spilled out from where her torso was cut.
But instead of falling, her upper half floated into the air, her pale hands stretching toward Li Huowang's back. Yet, just as she was about to touch him, her hand recoiled as though burned.
Li Huowang instantly understood—she was repelled by the book he carried, the Tianshu.
Cultural Note: The Tianshu (Heavenly Book) in this story symbolizes divine power and moral order. In Chinese culture, sacred texts are believed to carry protective power against evil entities._
Tossing his sword aside, Li Huowang grabbed the Tianshu and swung it at the bound-footed woman's face. The moment it came near, she let out a shriek and darted away.
What followed was a strange chase. Li Huowang pursued her around the ancestral hall, but despite her bound feet, the woman moved surprisingly fast, always staying just out of reach.
Finally, Li Huowang stopped, panting heavily. He glared at her across the room and shouted, "Get out of here! Don't let me see you again!"
The bound-footed woman hesitated, her eyes filled with malice, before retreating into the shadows of the hall. When Li Huowang approached with a lantern, she had vanished completely.
Relieved, he turned to see Lyu Zhuangyuan (the opera troupe leader) approaching with his sword in hand, smiling nervously. "So, do I look more like a person or a god now?" Lyu joked, trying to lighten the mood.
But Li Huowang's face darkened as he realized something was wrong. The singing on stage hadn't stopped. This wasn't the real Lyu Zhuangyuan—it was an imposter.
Before he could react, the fake Lyu lunged at him, and its cold, pale hands pierced through his chest. A bone-chilling cold spread through his body, dragging him into a suffocating darkness.