Chapter 47: Chapter 47: The Child Who Ate the Sacrificial Offerings
As Shi Guanming’s corpse sank into the water, the fog over the lake gradually dissipated, and Shi Dali seized the opportunity to steer the boat towards the shore.
Shortly after reaching the shore, they heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching. Turning to look, a White Lantern floated out from around the corner.
It was Chu Xi who held the White Lantern, followed by Kuang Hongyi who was slightly hunched over, carrying someone on his back.
"What happened?" Shi Dali advanced to meet them. By now, the fog over the lake had entirely cleared, and the clouds above had split open, spilling moonlight down, signaling that the crisis of the night was over.
Shi Dali also held a lantern in his hand, which Yang Xiao had already noticed, "Exhausted. He passed out right after singing the last line."
Kuang Hongyi looked around but did not find Shi Guanming. An ominous premonition rose in his heart, "Where is Shi Guanming?"
"He... he’s dead." Shi Dali’s eyes rimmed with red, "I tried to save him, but I couldn’t. There were issues underwater, Xi Yao impersonated the third young master; she didn’t leave! She’s still here!"
Kuang Hongyi was stunned and looked at Shi Dali in disbelief, "What do you mean, Xi Yao’s vengeful spirit didn’t go to sing the opera?"
This statement also completely ignited Yang Xiao’s suspicions. He had felt that the ghost singing on the stage was off, different from what he had heard by the lake. Yet when he looked with his right eye, the ghost on stage was indeed the Drowned Ghost, and the singing technique was top-notch, all of which matched Xi Yao’s characteristics.
"Are you sure that the one underwater is Xi Yao?" Yang Xiao was more skeptical of Shi Dali’s judgment than these points.
"Absolutely, I saw it with my own eyes. Xi Yao was wearing the third young master’s clothes, floating on the water surface, her face completely decayed. The third young master’s corpse had been in the water for only one day; it couldn’t possibly have turned into that ghastly appearance."
Shi Dali recalled the sight of the third young master’s body drifting downstream, its side face exposed, still feeling horrified, and there was also what Shi Guanming had said to corroborate the story, "The other end of the rope underwater was tied to the third young master’s foot; that corpse was definitely Xi Yao, no mistake!"
Then, Shi Dali quickly explained the events that had occurred on the lake to the two men, of course, omitting the part where he had plotted against Shi Guanming.
In the new story, Shi Dali was the first to dive in, leading Shi Guanming in the search, but unfortunately, the visibility was extremely poor underwater. Shi Dali got lost himself and eventually had no choice but to surface for air. Naturally, Shi Guanming found the boat and also found Xi Yao, which led to his death.
This also perfectly explained the later narration of what Shi Dali saw from above the water.
Moreover, Shi Dali did not hide the fact that Shi Guanming’s vengeful spirit had come to find him after his death, and he conveyed Shi Guanming’s words and expressions exactly as they were delivered.
After pondering for a moment, Yang Xiao concluded that Shi Dali would not deceive him on such a crucial issue. There was definitely a problem underwater, and the killer was indeed Xi Yao.
So, the key question arose: if Xi Yao was in the lake, then who was the one singing on the theater stage tonight? Or more precisely, what kind of ghost was it?
Seeing Shi Dali soaked and shivering non-stop, Kuang Hongyi suggested he come to their room and stay the night, so they could all be together and sort out the event’s sequence. However, Shi Dali shook his head and refused, reasoning that he was worried Xi Yao had her gaze on him and might end up involving them all.
When they returned to their room and made sure Su Tingting, who had fainted, was settled, Yang Xiao and Kuang Hongyi sat together. Tonight’s experiences had been too perilous, and both men had yet to completely calm down.
"Kuang, what do you make of what Shi Dali said?" Yang Xiao spoke up.
Kuang Hongyi sneered coldly, "At most, only half of what he said can be believed. The death of Shi Guanming definitely has something to do with him. I don’t believe that Shi Dali, an old player who couldn’t find the Hebo Xi Ship, would simply let a newbie like Shi Guanming find it so easily."
"But I think he didn’t lie to us about Xi Yao. After all, Shi Guanming is truly dead, which can’t be faked, and all the wronged spirits in the mansion were attracted to the ghost play. The only thing I can think of that is capable of committing murder, apart from Xi Yao, is nothing else."
Kuang Hongyi’s line of thought matched Yang Xiao’s. Now the problem was becoming clearer; the most likely issue was that something went wrong with the spirit-calling ritual, and the vengeful ghost they summoned was not Xi Yao.
"Is the Feng Family trying to harm us?" Kuang Hongyi’s face was suspicious, "They gave us fake birthdates, that person is not Xi Yao at all!"
Before Yang Xiao could reply, Kuang Hongyi overturned his own hypothesis, "But... But that doesn’t make sense. What good does killing us do for them? As Blessing Guests, if we can’t even protect the Feng Family, wouldn’t they be headed for a dead end?"
There were indeed many clues, but they were very chaotic, like a tangled ball of yarn, leaving them momentarily unable to figure things out. Yang Xiao looked at Su Tingting and sighed, "It seems we have no choice but to wait until she wakes up. She must know something."
During the play, Yang Xiao realized that Su Tingting, while possessed on stage, had her own consciousness and could see many things that he could not.
Yang Xiao’s nature allowed him to wait, but Kuang Hongyi couldn’t. The next second, he stood up abruptly, "No need to wait, I’ll wake her."
As he walked over, he casually grabbed a candlestick from the table. Moments later, Su Tingting jerked upright as if electrified, resembling almost exactly a corpse coming back to life.
"Ghost! There’s a ghost!" Su Tingting shrieked, "A ghost is poking me!"
This scene even gave Kuang Hongyi a startle, and he quickly covered Su Tingting’s mouth, "Keep it down! There’s no ghost, it’s just us coming back."
It was only when Yang Xiao walked over did Su Tingting gradually calm down, her face covered in cold sweat. But the next second, as if suddenly remembering something, she grabbed Yang Xiao’s hand, her voice trembling, "Those... those ghost children, did they follow us here?"
Yang Xiao and Kuang Hongyi were completely taken aback by this statement. Yang Xiao was stunned for a moment before he realized, "Ghost children?"
"Yes, those... those ghost children that were gathered around the offerings, eating," Su Tingting turned deathly pale at the mere thought of the scene.
Yang Xiao suddenly remembered, "You mean the No. 4 Offering Table?" The No. 4 Offering Table was filled with candies and preserved fruits, all things that children love to eat. At the time, the incense burner at No. 4 suddenly burned fiercely, and he had his suspicions.
Su Tingting nodded repeatedly, her pupils filled with fear, "Yes, that’s the place. Suddenly, a bunch of children appeared below the table, dressed in brightly colored clothes, lined up in a row, each bowing their heads, the one behind holding the hem of the one in front, all of them walking over, stiff as boards."
"These children gathered around the No. 4 Offering, and the incense smoke drifted straight into their nostrils, and nearby... the colors of the candles changed, the flames turned a ghastly green."
"With their heads bowed, I couldn’t see their faces. But I could see them reaching into the offering plate one by one, as if licking the candies."
