Chapter 77: Chapter 77: Offer the Daughter First, Receive the Silver Later
As soon as the words were spoken, guards stepped forward to snuff out the surplus candles, and the hall instantly turned dim, making the ethereal shadows behind the white cloth progressively clearer.
"Dong dong dong... clang!"
A lively beat of drums followed by a resounding gong, the shadows behind the white cloth bustled with various poses, resembling a shadow play.
The actors were all hidden behind the cloth, never showing their true forms; their silhouettes were projected onto the white fabric. From this moment on, the grand play of the night officially began.
Shortly afterward, a shadow stepped out to the rhythm of the gong and drum, waving its sleeves and raising its voice. Its first words immediately captivated Yang Xiao and his two companions.
"On the sixth day of the ninth month of the Gengyin Year, amidst a thunderous storm at night, the twenty-seven of us were invited by Lord Han to his residence, to present at the waterside pavilion... a beheading play!"
Another shadow bowed low as if a servant, retreating in terror and exclaimed in a sing-song voice, "Master Bai, that beheading play must not be performed!"
"Oh? What is the harm in performing it?"
"Hasn’t Master heard? That... that beheading play, also known as the Ghost Play, is meant for the ears of the underworld, and us, the living, if we sing it... I’m afraid... I’m afraid it would bring harm to our households!"
"Aye! My Hebo Xi Ship troupe has traveled far and wide; how could we be ignorant of the dangers? But Lord Han has extended his warm invitation; it’s a blessing that lowly actors like us have cultivated over several lifetimes, how can we refuse? Besides, Lord Han is known for his good deeds and chivalry. The townsfolk all admire him. If we lowly ones can offer a girl to help Lord Han turn calamity into fortune, it too is our blessing!"
"It’s a blessing! It’s a blessing!" Several people behind the stage shouted in unison.
"Master Bai commands respect from all, awe-inspiring indeed!" A new character strutted onto the stage, chest puffed out, walking in an eight-character step, clearly of high status, "My master has been waiting for a long time."
"Steward Su, how dare we trouble you to fetch us?" The actor playing Master Bai acted utterly awe-struck, bending his knees, almost wishing he could kneel and kowtow.
"Ha-ha, no bother at all. The master has just ordered that since Master Bai has contributed by offering the girl, he intends to adopt Master Bai’s second daughter as his god-daughter, a blessing of the highest order!"
"It’s a blessing! It’s a blessing!" A chorus of voices roared from behind the stage.
"Ha-ha, and as for the festive silver, Master Bai need not worry, the master said, you may name your price."
"Name your price! Name your price!"
"First offer the girl, then receive the silver, embrace wealth and honor, Master Bai, truly noble, Lord Han, an eternal fame!"
The crowd behind the stage seemed possessed as they screamed at the top of their lungs, their piercing voices combined with the exaggerated performance sent shivers down the spine.
Watching this performance, Yang Xiao and his companions felt a chill run down their spines. The play almost perfectly replicated the events when Master Bai was invited to the Feng Family to perform a ghost play, only the names had been changed.
Master Bai had become Master He, the Feng Family was now the Han Family, and that Steward Su, naturally, was Steward Liu.
And as the grand play continued, Steward Liu rose with a smile, toasting Yang Xiao and the others, "On behalf of the master, I offer you three gentlemen a cup of wine as a token of respect."
Steward Liu tilted his head back and downed his drink, then showed the empty cup to the trio, "Gentlemen, if you please."
That was a drink they could not afford to take; who knew if there was some kind of drug in it? However, under the watchful eyes of Steward Liu and Master Feng, Su Tingting, bracing herself, picked up the cup in front of her, until Yang Xiao intervened, "Master Feng, we must be on guard against the vengeful spirit of Xi Yao today; my brothers and I are here to work, not to eat and drink without purpose."
Master Feng’s eyes crinkled with a smirk, his gaze shifting toward the white cloth, "No matter, Chu Fukke, what do you think of this new play?"
Su Tingting’s mind suddenly tightened. The question was too direct; any carelessness could lead to both parties laying their cards on the table. Unexpectedly, Yang Xiao also turned his head towards the white cloth, without a trace of avoidance, and bluntly said, "This play is quite original. Master Bai is willing to forsake a daughter to save someone from dire straits, demonstrating great righteousness. Lord Han’s family has been accumulating virtue and doing good deeds. Receiving such help at a critical moment is also an example of good karma. To come up with such an excellent play, Master Feng has taken great pains."
"Hahaha..." Master Feng laughed heartily, his laughter robust, showing no sign of his previously half-dead state, "Chu Fukke flatters me too much. This play was not my arrangement; I honestly don’t possess such talent. It was staged by the benefactor of our Feng Family, Taoist Priestess Xuan Li."
"Taoist Priestess Xuan Li?" Yang Xiao had never heard of this person before.
"Indeed, inviting you, the Blessing Guests, was also the idea of Taoist Priestess Xuan Li. After meeting you, Taoist Priestess Xuan Li was quite pleased with you," Master Feng said with an underlying message.
Kuang Hongyi was also becoming restless at this moment. He knew very well that the Feng Family was not intending to stage a performance; once the play was over, they would reveal their true intentions, "This Taoist Priestess Xuan Li, has she seen us?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"Hehe, don’t be impatient. Later, Taoist Priestess Xuan Li will also arrive. She has a very important matter to entrust to you all," Master Feng lifted his hand and pointed to the white cloth. "Let us watch the play first. Do not let Taoist Priestess Xuan Li’s kindness go to waste."
Yang Xiao had previously noticed an empty seat on Master Feng’s left side, which seemed to be reserved for Taoist Priestess Xuan Li.
At this moment, the sky outside had completely darkened, and soon after, the rain suddenly began to fall. The sound of the rain mixed with the wind, adding an eerie hue to this grand performance.
The actors behind the stage were alternately high and low in tone, their emotions excited, and their performance verging on the frenzied, with harsh laughter and the peculiar intonation of squawks and cries interrupting each other, even including the piercing sound of weeping.
Yang Xiao didn’t know the purpose behind their actions; was it merely to show off, or to torment them, the wretched Blessing Guests?
The grand play quickly progressed to the point where the Hebo Xi Ship set sail; behind the white cloth, a red lantern was gradually raised, swaying back and forth, simulating the forward motion of a ship.
"Taoist Priestess Xuan Li has arrived!"
A shout suddenly came from outside the door, and immediately after, the hall’s main door opened. Yang Xiao and the other two looked simultaneously as a woman holding a green paper umbrella appeared outside the door.
Upon seeing the woman’s face clearly, Su Tingting’s pupils shrank sharply; they indeed knew this person—it was the old maid who first ushered them into the residence and had once drawn ghost makeup for the three of them.
It was still that same dead expression, her face slathered with heavy rouge, matching a pair of drooping eyes, only her clothes had changed. Now she was draped in a black monk’s robe on her upper body and wore a colorful skirt with Miao border styles on the lower body, her feet in a pair of embroidered shoes, one red and one green, as bizarre as ever.
Ignoring Steward Liu’s warm invitation, Taoist Priestess Xuan Li walked straight in, and under everyone’s gaze, sat in the empty seat. Those cold eyes swept over the faces of Yang Xiao and the other two, causing Kuang Hongyi to involuntarily shiver—this gaze was far more dreadful than Manager Liu’s.
"Master Feng, has there been any improvement in your health?" Taoist Priestess Xuan Li’s voice sounded like stagnant water.
Master Feng laughed heartily: "Thanks to your Elixir, Taoist Priestess Xuan Li, you truly are a living Bodhisattva who relieves suffering; you have preserved both my health and eased my worries."
"Is everything ready?"
Seeing Taoist Priestess Xuan Li inquiring, Master Feng waved his hand. The guard standing on the side struck the tightly shut wooden door of the side room to the right of the hall forcefully. After a few seconds, light shone from the dark side room, followed by painful groans that sounded like a woman enduring severe pain in an effort to suppress her cries.
Yang Xiao and the others immediately realized it was the Young Lady; these people had tied up the Young Lady in the next room and gagged her mouth.
"After the hour of Xu tonight, we will proceed to cut open the abdomen and remove the child," Taoist Priestess Xuan Li sat upright solemnly.
