Chapter 42: Chapter 42: The Show Begins
While the grand performance had yet to commence, Yang Xiao had walked back and forth a few times to familiarize himself with the layout, remembering the old man’s reminder that food that had been "eaten" must not be discarded carelessly, but rather stacked by the incense burner.
It was only upon getting closer that Yang Xiao noticed a long yellow paper under the incense burner, resembling a talisman, covered in incomprehensible ghostly script and a string of words that looked like a birthdate.
After checking four incense burners and finding talismans under each one with matching birthdates, it seemed certain that this was indeed Xi Yao’s birthdate.
Upon completing his inspection without discovering any issues, Yang Xiao walked back to his seat, lifted the red cloth that was draped over a bamboo basket under his chair, to see four baskets arranged from left to right—raw meat, rice and flour, fresh fruits, and finally a basket of candies and candied fruit that children loved, matching exactly the order on the offering plate.
Tied to the handle of the first basket was a grimy piece of tattered cloth, which Yang Xiao glanced at and quickly recognized as being the same type of Corpse Wrapping Cloth that the old man had over his shoulder; upon closer inspection, a foul stench was detectable.
This object now served an important purpose; after the ghost performance began, he would need to wrap these offerings with the Corpse Wrapping Cloth to conceal their scent, lest they attract attention from ghostly entities during delivery.
After listening to the old man’s explanation and piecing it together with his own analysis, the flow of tonight’s task became somewhat clear: Su Tingting was the protagonist of the ghost play, and if all went well, she would be temporarily possessed by Xi Yao’s resentful spirit to reenact that year’s ghostly drama, while he and Kuang Hongyi would stabilize the restless souls and fierce ghosts attracted to watch the play from both inside and outside, ensuring the smooth progression of the performance.
As for Shi Dali and Shi Guanming, Yang Xiao thought they must now be waiting by the lake, looking out for a signal; once it was confirmed that Xi Yao’s spirit had entered Su Tingting’s body, Kuang Hongyi would raise the red lantern. Only upon seeing the red lantern would Shi Dali and Shi Guanming enter the water to search for Xi Yao’s body.
In theory, as long as Xi Yao’s resentful spirit was drawn there, the walking corpses under the water would also gather to watch the ghost play, making the lake momentarily safe. If they could find the body during the duration of the ghost play and close Xi Yao’s eyes, their task for the night would be complete.
The task didn’t sound too difficult; the bulk of the pressure was still on the three of them. If he were to believe that those aggrieved souls and fierce ghosts would obediently watch the play down there, Yang Xiao wouldn’t believe it himself.
"Bang—!"
Before Yang Xiao could continue his thoughts, a sudden gong strike made him look up. Moments later, a figure walked out from behind the curtain with stiff steps—it was Su Tingting!
But now Yang Xiao could hardly recognize Su Tingting; she was dressed in a brilliant red wedding robe, its hem trailing on the ground, and on her head sat a golden and silver-inlaid Phoenix Crown, studded with pearls and gems, dazzling even in the dim light.
Her makeup was meticulous and delicate, lightly dusted in a perfect balance, eyebrows and eyes artfully crafted, and lips enticing, completely outdoing Yang Xiao by leagues. Yang Xiao then realized it wasn’t that the old woman didn’t know how to apply makeup; she had never intended to properly do it for him!
Behind Su Tingting were four flags, the kind typically paired with a military role in the theater. It took a long while for Yang Xiao to realize that these weren’t any ordinary flags: they were actually the Soul Summoning Banners that had been altered!
"A song of yearning so bitter, where can one find a lover~"
"Lover knows my intention, yet we’re separated by life and death~"
"The Yellow Springs’ waters are cold, Meng Po sheds tears in her plight~"
"Though sufferings are manifold, I dare not forget my lover~"
"Eee—, ah—"
As soon as Su Tingting brightened up and sang the opening line, Yang Xiao knew from that trembling voice that it was undoubtedly her.
Su Tingting on stage now was like a marionette, her movements stiff, her steps sluggish. Her face, although strained with a smile, was uglier than if she were crying, and her singing was off-key, carelessly flipping between notes, clearly untrained.
In an instant, a gust of cold wind swept in, pressing down the flame of the candles around and causing the paper money and talismanic charms under the incense burner to shake violently. Dust stirred by the wind almost blinded Yang Xiao.
When he managed to open his eyes slightly, the scene before him made his hair stand on end. Su Tingting’s eyeballs trembled violently and then suddenly rolled up, leaving only the whites of her eyes showing. Behind her, the four Soul Summoning Banners, like flags in a storm, fluttered wildly in the wind.
After a moment, Su Tingting returned to normal, but her whole aura had changed. A strange smile was on her face, and with one arm outstretched, the wide sleeve of her robe hung down, her shoulders uneven, her body twisted in a pose that was completely incomprehensible to ordinary people. "Eee—, ah—"
At the sound of it, Yang Xiao felt numb. Ice seemed to form in his veins. He was certain that at this moment, Su Tingting had been replaced by Xi Yao and the ghost play... had officially begun!
It must be said, Xi Yao truly deserved to be the pillar of the Bai Family Stage. With just a few lines of song and simple gestures, she showed the poise of a master: the singing was mournful and plaintive, moving people to tears upon hearing it.
"Woo woo woo..."
Yang Xiao’s body tensed involuntarily as he heard the faint sound of crying that grew clearer and more tragic with each rise in the singing and, moreover... it was right behind him!
Glancing askew, he could catch a glimpse of some of the scenes to the side and rear. The strangely shaped paper effigies appeared unchanged.
Taking a deep breath, and remembering the old man’s warning, he first closed his left eye. Then, with considerable effort against discomfort, he slowly opened his right eye, "Hiss—"
With just that glance, Yang Xiao felt a chill from head to toe. Through the yellow paper, he saw dozens of bloated figures squeezed into seats, their heads several times larger than normal, staring fixedly at the stage as their bodies swayed non-stop. It was unclear whether they were crying or making some other strange movements.
"Left eye sees people, right eye sees ghosts!"
Yang Xiao held his breath, withdrew his gaze, but what he saw next on the stage struck him hard. The originally slender Su Tingting now appeared bloated as if she were a large sack filled with water, swaying from side to side without any grace. Her rotting, swollen face was even larger than the Phoenix Crown on her head—she was like a waterlogged corpse!
What was more terrifying, as Yang Xiao’s gaze briefly lingered on the putrid face, the opera singing abruptly ceased, the movements stopped as well. Though he couldn’t see clearly through the yellow paper, he felt a malicious gaze upon him—Xi Yao on stage had noticed him!
Yang Xiao immediately lowered his head, shifted his gaze, and at the same time closed his right eye and opened his left. In the next second, everything vanished. Su Tingting on the stage was enchanting and lovely, her features delicate and picturesque, her singing melodious and flowing. The paper effigies at her side sat quietly, as if what just happened had been an illusion.
Swallowing, Yang Xiao was now drenched in cold sweat. That had been a close call. It seemed he couldn’t use his right eye carelessly. The old man hadn’t made it clear that not only could the right eye see ghosts, to a certain extent, it also let the ghosts see him.
"This is trouble now..."
