Chapter 768: Chapter 580: Ancestor
In the blink of an eye, when Yang Xiao focused his gaze again, the pair of legs had vanished, replaced by Tang Zerun standing there, one foot already raised, ready to step over the threshold.
At this moment, the leaders of the two rows, Nalan Shuo and Zhang Songde, had arrived at the positions marked on the yellow paper, located between the two thickest pillars. The two stood in succession, and Yang Xiao, following closely behind Nalan Shuo, immediately slowed his steps. However, Xiang Fengchen, who was normally two steps ahead of Yang Xiao, uncharacteristically picked up pace instead of slowing down.
Bowing slightly, the Longevity Hall was quite dim inside, and Yang Xiao faintly saw an irregular black mark on the ground about half a meter in front of him. It looked like the residue left by something burnt. Without hesitation, he stepped forward onto it; this was his place for the night.
And as Xiang Fengchen suddenly stopped, Tang Zerun, following behind him, was caught in a dilemma. He realized only at that moment that the inexplicable line drawn on the yellow paper was supposed to represent the second threshold.
According to the diagram, he should have been standing outside the threshold, but now he had already set foot inside the Longevity Hall. He had thought following Xiang Fengchen would ensure no issues, but he hadn’t expected the old man to be so cunning. Rushing ahead without a word of warning.
In contrast, Gong Banlan, who was behind Yang Xiao, slowed down upon noticing Yang Xiao’s decreased pace and stopped just outside the threshold in time.
Fortunately, the birthday celebration had not yet begun, and the Ancestor of Fushou Manor, the protagonist of the night, had not yet arrived. Tang Zerun bowed his head in a gesture of respect, carefully backing out and taking his rightful place just outside the threshold.
At this moment, the hall was shrouded in darkness, the only light being the red glow of the "longevity" lanterns in the courtyard, casting a dark red hue on the ground and their backs, as if it were stained with a layer of blood.
Once everyone was in place, the darkness in the center of the Longevity Hall some ten meters ahead suddenly tore open, exposing countless precious paintings, porcelain, jade items, and a vast amount of gold and silver treasures. Among these treasures, an ancient-looking bed rested at the center.
Thick, plain-colored curtains hung around the bed, with four stout longevity candles placed at each corner, set upon bronze candlesticks. They were not in the precise directions of east, south, west, and north, but in intermediate positions: southeast, southwest, northwest, and northeast.
Through the dense curtains, one could vaguely see something lying on the bed, appearing like a blurred figure.
The figure on the bed was grotesquely bloated, as if swollen with water. Behind the wooden bed on the wall hung a blood-red character for "longevity" as tall as a person, its strokes sharp and menacing, exuding a chilling malevolence, a sight that shocked the onlookers.
This sudden scene made Yang Xiao’s heart tremble. Without a doubt, this had to be the star of the night, the so-called Ancestor of Fushou Manor. It turned out the Ancestor had arrived early, and the darkness previously torn apart was merely a large black curtain hung up.
The existence of the black curtain had obscured the four longevity candles, the bed, and the Ancestor behind them, but as the curtain fell to the ground, all was revealed.
The four red longevity candles burned faintly, each as thick as an infant’s arm. The Ancestor lay motionless behind the white curtains, silent, prompting doubts from everyone whether the person was still alive.
This did not resemble a birthday banquet; the blood-red character for "longevity" would be more fitting if replaced with the pale white character for "memorial."
There was not the slightest sense of celebration in the Longevity Hall, the atmosphere was oppressively heavy, frighteningly so. Yang Xiao and the others dared not move or look up, worried about attracting the Ancestor’s gaze.
As time ticked by, it wasn’t long before the first longevity candle extinguished, the one in the northwest corner.
Everyone promptly knelt and performed the rites, bowing with hands clasped together, forehead touching the hands thrice before standing.
But as they stood up, the scene before them startled everyone. Behind the curtains on the bed, a silhouette suddenly sat upright.
This all happened silently, without any warning. Yang Xiao held his breath, speculating that the Ancestor might get off the bed, but after waiting for some time, there was no movement— just a quiet, seated figure, back turned to them.
The Longevity Hall was silent, but if one listened carefully, they could faintly hear someone’s suppressed panting.
Not making them wait too long, the second longevity candle went out next, the one in the northeast corner. Noticing something amiss, Yang Xiao paid extra attention to the surroundings of the bed. This time, he saw clearly that the candle’s snuffing was unusual—it was not the flame burning out, but rather it flickered unnaturally before being extinguished as if... it was blown out by something.
But there was no time to ponder, as he immediately knelt following the ritual, bowing thrice before standing again. Lifting his head, he saw the Ancestor still seated behind the curtains on the bed, but... Yang Xiao furrowed his brow, sensing something different from before.
After a brief observation, he identified the issue. The Ancestor was indeed seated, but this time, no longer with their back turned. Instead, the Ancestor was facing them, the head swollen and deformed. This scene seemed familiar, and Yang Xiao immediately thought of the Manor Master sitting in the sedan chair.
Like the Manor Master, the Ancestor’s face also appeared as if masked, but the Manor Master could not be the Ancestor. The Ancestor’s mask was more terrifying, distinct, with two malformed antlers protruding from the forehead.
