dead end

Just after noon, Master Shen arrived in the courtyard, his expression cautious. He smiled and asked, "Young Master Tang, is there any progress?" Tang Zhou looked at him and pondered, "There has been progress, but..."

Master Shen immediately asked seriously, "But what?"

Tang Zhou knew he had grasped a clue, yet he felt constantly being led by the nose. He couldn't continue observing in the shadows forever; no matter how well-reasoned his guesses were, they were still just guesses. "I sensed the strongest resentment in the southwest corner, so I followed it and found a skeleton under a haystack. It was buried very shallowly, and it didn't look like it had been buried for very long," he slowly recounted. Sure enough, the other person's expression changed drastically, his lips trembled, and he hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

Tang Zhou smiled slightly: "Of course, I am just a Taoist priest, not a constable, and I don't want to investigate what exactly happened. But Master Shen, you wouldn't want a vengeful spirit always following you around, would you?"

Mr. Shen's face was pale, and after a long while he said, "This matter actually has to start with my first wife. My first wife was a Yi woman, and according to their custom, after a person dies, their bones are collected and buried."

Tang Zhou was even more confused when he heard him start by talking about completely unrelated things, but he still listened patiently. Yan Dan had already turned to go back to her guest room, but she turned back after hearing what he said. Master Shen continued, "My wife's family has some status among the Yi people. Many prominent families in the Yi people know witchcraft. When she first married into the Shen family, she told me that she was the only one in the family who did not know witchcraft, which is why the elders in the family did not object to me marrying her."

“After my wife married into the Shen family, she longed for her hometown, so I decided to move to live with the Yi people. There, I witnessed a burial ceremony. At that time, the clan chief had just passed away, and his descendants buried his body directly in the ground behind the house, only digging a shallow pit and pouring boiling water on the soil every day. That was the first time I had ever seen it, and I was horrified. We people from the Central Plains would definitely buy a thick wooden coffin before burying him.”

Tang Zhou became increasingly confused as he listened, and could only say, "The customs of the Han and the Yi peoples are mostly very different."

“They poured boiling water on the body every day, and after two or three months, the corpse rotted. The boiling water separated the flesh from the bones. The Yi people then dug up the pit where the body was buried, took out the bones, put them in jars, and buried them in the mountains. It is said that the bones left behind by those Yi people who practiced witchcraft also contained Gu worms, and this method prevented the Gu worms from escaping.” Master Shen sighed. “Once you’ve seen such a scene, you’ll never forget it. Later, after my wife passed away, I brought my daughter to Qing Shi Town. By then, Yi Jun was old enough to understand and had started taking care of the family. Seeing how capable she was, I felt reassured and went out to do business.”

Yan Dan suddenly asked, "How many years have you lived here?"

"It's been seven or eight years. Yijun and Xiangjun are both twenty-four this year, and it's a pity neither of them has found a good family to marry into." He paused, then continued, "Once, I went to Nandu to trade, and it took me almost three months to return home. When I came back, I felt that Yijun was a little different than usual. You two have seen her smile today, haven't you? It seemed a bit strange. I felt uneasy and couldn't sleep well that night. As a result, I went to the accounting room in the middle of the night to finish reviewing the accounts I hadn't completed. As I walked through the courtyard, I saw Yijun burying something there with a flower hoe. I originally intended to..." He pretended not to see, but his unease grew, and he couldn't concentrate on the accounts. He returned to the courtyard and dug up the soil where she had buried things. And then—" Master Shen suddenly covered his face, overcome with anguish: "I saw a corpse. The corpse was horribly mutilated; the flesh was dried up, as if all its life force had been drained. Its face was purple, its eyes wide open, and the skin was almost pressed against the bone… I immediately understood. My wife had lied to me about not understanding witchcraft. Yijun only knows these evil tricks!"

Yan Dan seemed to understand something: "So, the reason why the skeleton we found in the haystack was buried so shallowly was just to wait for it to decompose until only bones remained, and then bury it again using a bone-collecting burial method?"

Master Shen nodded silently, and after a long while, he continued, "After that, people in Qing Shi Town began to die mysteriously every few days. Everyone said it was the vengeful ghost of the goddess harming people. But I knew it wasn't like that. They... were all drained of their life essence by vicious witchcraft. I knew what was going on, but Yi Jun was, after all, my daughter, so I naturally couldn't say or ask too much. Because so many people died tragically for no reason, I was still uneasy, so I found people to perform exorcisms. I invited many people, including many famous Taoist masters, but most of them left without saying goodbye. I suspect that many of them are already buried underground."

Tang Zhou coughed lightly and said calmly, "Mr. Shen, you are only speculating about this matter and have no real evidence. Please rest assured, I will not tell anyone."

Mr. Shen buried his face in his hands and nodded: "Thank you, Young Master Tang."

Yan Dan watched his figure disappear, then rested her chin on her hand and said, "This story sounds quite interesting."

Tang Zhou glanced at her sideways: "You don't believe me?"

Yan Dan turned her head and smiled slightly, "I know that the Yi people do practice bone burial, but this witchcraft is too mysterious. So let's just believe half of it for now."

Tang Zhou said coldly, "I don't believe a single word of it."

Yan Dan was surprised: "Really? I think some of what he said is true. For example, he said that his first wife was Yi. I think he must have spent a lot of time in the southwest, otherwise he wouldn't know about burial. He also said that the mysterious deaths of people in Qing Shi Town were not caused by the vengeful ghost of the goddess, which I also believe. It should also be true that Miss Shen is Yi."

"Aside from these, there is nothing of importance that can be assured."

Yan Dan smiled charmingly: "You're favoring Miss Chen. Actually, I wouldn't mind having another sister-in-law."

Tang Zhou looked at her for a while, expressionless: "Actually, I've always felt it was a pity that I didn't seal away all your demonic power. Now it seems you feel the same way."

How much of what Master Shen said is true? What was his purpose in saying all this? Are there more untold stories hidden within this Shen mansion?

This is probably something that cannot be solved in the short term.

Tang Zhou felt as if everything was shrouded in a thin mist; every time he made a little progress, things would veer further into an even more perplexing direction. Yan Dan, however, seemed completely indifferent to all of this. Whenever she had free time, she would sit by the lotus pond feeding the fish, often spending half a day there. Sometimes he wondered if Yan Dan truly understood the language of the fish, as she claimed, but he immediately dismissed the thought. Yan Dan was still bound by restrictions, unable to leave the Shen residence, and even her magic was restrained, making it impossible for her to perform any supernatural feats. He had previously dismissed the lotus spirit's meager magic, and now she was far inferior to him. However, he had to admit that Yan Dan sometimes had insightful observations, and her words sometimes seemed both true and false; he couldn't completely trust her, nor could he completely disregard her.

Some demons are cunning, others naive, but generally, they lack understanding of human nature and social dynamics. Yan Dan, however, is remarkably adept at navigating the complexities of the mortal world. Her inquiry into his lineage and background suggests she was trying to find his weaknesses. In the tomb, she anticipated the activation of the Dragon-Slaying Stone's mechanism from the start, yet deliberately remained silent until they were trapped, at which point she approached him to negotiate. Yan Dan's choice not to directly demand his release, but instead inquire about her companions' whereabouts, was extremely clever. He wouldn't refuse this request, nor did he need to; after all, having made an exception once, he might soften his heart again and make another. Moreover, her question showed her tact and loyalty, gradually lowering his guard.

Tang Zhou couldn't help but sigh. In any case, he no longer harbored such deep hostility towards her.

He strolled along, eventually ending up in the east wing he'd visited that night. In front of the guest room, Ling Xuzi sat on the steps, a crumpled piece of paper on his lap, intently studying it. Surprisingly, he didn't seem like someone driven mad by horrific circumstances. Tang Zhou took two steps closer and saw the man's hand holding the paper tremble slightly, veins bulging on the back of his hand, but he didn't look up, staring blankly at the words on the paper.

Tang Zhou noticed his subtle movements, which further solidified his suspicions. He hadn't thought about it carefully before, but now he realized there were several inconsistencies. Ling Xuzi was, after all, a grandmaster, far surpassing him in experience and knowledge. He was able to escape the ancient tomb unscathed, so how could Ling Xuzi not be feigning madness to escape? After all, no one would be too wary of a madman. He approached, and his eyes suddenly caught sight of the four characters at the very top of the Xuan paper: Seven Luminaries Divine Jade. He inexplicably felt that this was somehow connected to what he had long sought.

Suddenly, Ling Xuzi jumped up, pounding his chest and stamping his feet. He crumpled the sheet of Xuan paper in his hand into a ball and frantically stuffed it into his mouth. Tang Zhou took a step forward, then suddenly stopped, looking at the other man quietly: "Senior, why do you need to keep pretending?" That sheet of Xuan paper might contain everything he wanted to know, but he preferred to investigate and find out the truth himself.

Ling Xuzi looked at him with a smile, saying repeatedly, "Why are you pretending? Let's see how long you can keep up this act." After saying that, he started crying and laughing at the same time.

"At your age, you still cry and make a scene, aren't you ashamed?" A clear voice rang out, and Shen Xiangjun stroked the parrot on her shoulder, chirping and laughing. She tugged at Tang Zhou's sleeve, tilted her head back, and smiled innocently: "I know you wouldn't bully him, it must be him who bullied you and then blamed it on you."

Looking into her clear eyes, Tang Zhou felt a pang of pity. In this Shen mansion, she was probably the only innocent one. He smiled slightly and said softly, "How did you know?"

Shen Xiangjun turned her head and thought for a while, then looked at him again: "My sister said this person is crazy, and I am stupid, so we are a perfect match. Only you would not say I am stupid, you are a good person."

Tang Zhou raised his hand and placed it on her shoulder, his voice gentle: "How could you be so foolish?"

Shen Xiangjun tilted her head and pressed her cheek against the back of his hand: "Could you come with me for a walk in the backyard? It's a nice place, not many people know about it, you'll definitely find it fascinating."

It was an abandoned well, its edges covered with moss. The opening was narrow, just big enough for two people to squeeze in. The water level was low, and a pool of emerald green could be vaguely seen at the bottom.

Shen Xiangjun leaned over the well and said, "Father said that we can see our past and present lives from this well. Only Father and I know this; even my sister doesn't know."

Tang Zhou stood to one side with his hands behind his back, unconvinced. Suddenly, Shen Xiangjun turned around and gently tugged at his sleeve: "Come and see too." Tang Zhou chuckled and had no choice but to walk to the well. The well water was deep and seemed to emanate a chill. His and Shen Xiangjun's figures, standing side by side, were reflected in the water, slightly distorted.

“Do you see? In my past life, I was a bird with gray feathers and a pointed beak, which is why I can understand birds now,” Shen Xiangjun said with a smile. “Sometimes, when you look into a well, you see a reflection in the water smiling at you, but you don’t smile back. That’s an auspicious sign.”

Tang Zhou glanced at her, noticing her glistening eyes, which rippled slightly. He looked down into the well and saw the water ripple. The figure standing beside Shen Xiangjun in the water suddenly changed; a stream of crimson blood slowly flowed from the corner of its eye, yet the figure's expression remained unchanged. Tang Zhou's heart skipped a beat. Was that figure a premonition of his future?

In his view, these were nothing but nonsense.

He closed his eyes and looked down again, but he no longer saw the scene he had just witnessed. Could it be that what he had seen was merely his imagination?

Suddenly, he heard light footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw Yan Dan, still breathing heavily, standing about seven or eight steps away from them. She caught her breath, her eyes sparkling, and smiled sweetly: "What a coincidence, I was just out for a stroll, and somehow I ended up here with you all."

She spoke with a sincere expression, without the slightest hesitation. Tang Zhou knew without a second thought that she was talking nonsense. Putting aside why she would come to the secluded backyard for no reason, the mere coincidence of bumping into them was suspicious.

Yan Dan raised her hand to touch the black hair that fell over her shoulder, then raised her wrist: "Senior brother, are you worried that I'll run into a vengeful ghost? Look, I've already brought the talisman you gave me to ward off evil spirits, so nothing will happen."

Tang Zhou nodded, "It's good that you're alright." This amulet was meant to ward off the evil spirit of this lotus. However, since she was currently under this restriction and couldn't even stir up the water, he didn't take it to heart. He tentatively asked, "Have you ever had any illusions?"

Yan Dan smiled proudly: "I've always relied on my own true talents and skills, how could I have any illusions?"

By the time he returned to his room, it was already dark. After dinner, Tang Zhou reflected on what he had seen and heard that day, finding it even more unbelievable. Shen Xiangjun had said that only she and Master Shen knew about this well, not even Shen Yijun; and after thinking about it for a long time, he felt that the figure with blood dripping from the corner of its eye that he had seen in the well was not an illusion, and there must be more to it than met the eye. He tidied himself up, put a dagger and a tinderbox in his sleeve, and went alone back to the abandoned well in the backyard.

The night is deep, with most of the crescent moon obscured by dark clouds, and the stars in the sky are sparse and dim.

Tang Zhou lit a tinderbox, raised his hand to support himself on the edge of the well, and leaned down. With the light of the tinderbox, everything in front of him became clearer. He could vaguely see a pale, withered face in the water, its eyes wide open, which was quite terrifying. Tang Zhou was stunned, and suddenly heard a clear crack. The edge of the well suddenly collapsed, and he lost his footing and fell into the well water with a splash.

He wasn't a good swimmer, and after falling in, he swallowed several mouthfuls of cold water. He quickly held his breath and slowly slid up the well wall. The well water was icy cold, and seemed to emanate a chilling aura. It was only now that the weather was warming up, and being soaked in the water was quite unpleasant.

Tang Zhou surfaced from the water, his eyes meeting a pale, withered, and wrinkled face. Even with his composure, he was startled. He had just reached for the dagger in his sleeve when he suddenly felt a chill on his wrist, as if caught by an iron ring. The withered, wrinkled face twitched, and in the blink of an eye, it was pressed against his face. The pale lips moved, uttering, "It's witchcraft… Go, go quickly!"