Chapter 771: Chapter 582: Popularity Fades, Ghost Possession
Half an hour ago, after Yang Xiao and his party had left the courtyard, several masked strangers who followed them closed the door from behind with a "bang," and simultaneously, there were sounds of "clattering" from behind the door as it was being chained shut.
Lou Huixiang, not giving up, waited until the footsteps behind the door receded and glanced around; seeing no one and sensing the eerie silence, he quietly stepped back to the courtyard gate, trying to peek through the crevice but was immediately halted by a low warning from Nalan Shuo, "Don’t linger, keep moving."
Considering Nalan Shuo, whom even Xiang Fengchen respected, Lou Huixiang did not dare to offend him. He hesitated before turning around, only to see a figure emerging from behind a barren tree nearby, dressed lavishly and corpulent—it was Steward Wu.
This scene sent chills down Lou Huixiang’s spine. Steward Wu still wore his ambiguous smile, standing alone without carrying a lantern, lurking in the shadows behind the tree like a specter.
Xiang Fengchen approached him firstly, bowing to Steward Wu, "Steward Wu, the matter you ordered has been taken care of. May I ask if the master has any further arrangements?"
Steward Wu didn’t respond immediately; instead, he fluttered his heavy eyelids, glanced at Lou Huixiang, and that single look accelerated the already guilty Lou Huixiang’s heartbeat, causing him to avoid eye contact subconsciously, "Someone among you... isn’t quite following the rules."
Breaking rules is a major taboo for the guests, especially since the deaths of the two people on this mission were likely due to this reason; Lou Huixiang’s face turned pale instantly, and even Xiang Fengchen knew that acknowledging this issue would spell trouble for them, "Steward Wu must be joking; it was I who sent him back. There was something that needed to be returned to the family."
After speaking, he took out a yellow paper depicting the positions of the Longevity Hall from his bosom, handing it respectfully with both hands, "Steward Wu, the family’s Ancestor has such a long life, surely that is a tremendous blessing. We dare not hold onto such an item for ourselves, fearing it might cut short our lesser lives."
His words were courteous, and "lesser lives" referred to their lifespans—a term used in the world of martial arts, which was a respectful acknowledgment of Steward Wu’s status.
Steward Wu took the yellow paper and slid it into his sleeve, looking somewhat appreciative, "You are a man of etiquette. When free, teach these brothers of yours more. There are three unfilial acts, of which having no descendants is the worst. Those who do not cherish their own bodies, these transgender people, if they don’t learn some manners, they deserve to die."
This backhanded denunciation left Lou Huixiang quivering, but he could not dare to refute as one must bow their head under another’s roof.
Yet, this scenario made Yang Xiao draw conclusions about Lou Huixiang; when they first met, he had noticed Lou’s pale, beardless face and effeminate appearance, with a weak voice, but did not expect him to be transgender.
Thinking of this, he immediately linked it to the Black Buddha Mother Sect; this person could potentially be related to the Black Buddha Mother’s lineage.
However, the important thing was not who he was, but what role he could play in the mission, and whether he could help himself and the team survive.
Fortunately, with the old-timer Xiang Fengchen handling the situation, Steward Wu then let Lou Huixiang off and led them to their accommodations for the night, crossing multiple courtyards to reach a secluded mansion that clearly had not been inhabited for a long time, with corners filled with fallen leaves and a well under the courtyard wall.
"You may stay here for the night," Steward Wu stated standing outside the courtyard gate, pointing towards several rooms inside and saying in a muffled voice, "There are three rooms, enough for all of you. Spread out; each room should be occupied to generate some human presence."
"What do we need human presence for?" Gong Banlan asked softly.
Unexpectedly the next second, Steward Wu abruptly turned and glared straight at Gong Banlan’s face. The sudden action terrified her, and his ensuing words were even more ominous, "A strong human presence wards off evil spirits; a weak human presence invites ghosts."
With those words, a chilling wind swept through the scene, yet Steward Wu seemed indifferent, leaving behind a cold statement before turning away.
"It’s been a tough night for all of you, rest early."
Xiang Fengchen hurriedly followed him, calling out, "Steward Wu, please wait."
Once Steward Wu turned around, Xiang Fengchen offered a smile, "The interior courtyard of your mansion is spacious and surrounded by corridors; we people of the martial arts world find it quite unique. We hope that Steward Wu can arrange someone to guide us so that we do not get lost."
"Tomorrow morning, the servants will call for you; no need for you to worry," Steward Wu said dismissively with a single sentence.
"That’s the best then, but I still hope it’s the maid we met when we first entered your mansion," said Xiang Fengchen, seemingly offhand.
Steward Wu raised an eyebrow and countered, "Why her?"
"Fate, perhaps," Xiang Fengchen replied vaguely with a smile, "In our line of work, every encounter is predestined. If you meet someone you can talk to, it’s even more fortuitous."
After Steward Wu left, the group arrived at the center of the courtyard, where there were three rooms in the front, left, and right directions. These were not simple wooden structures, but solid brick-and-tile houses. Although they looked a bit old, they were absolutely livable.
Having been busy for so long, everyone was tired. Next up was room allocation; the three women volunteered together and were assigned one room. The remaining six men found Xiang Fengchen stating that he needed to discuss matters with Nalan Shuo. These two were the most influential men in the team, and when they spoke, naturally no one dared to object. According to the arrangement of three people per room, there was still one spot left in their room.
Having two experienced players around should have made this spot desirable, yet curiously, none of the remaining people spoke up to join them.
The reason was simple; the mission was too perilous. They had lost two experienced teammates within just a few hours of starting the mission. At this rate, incidents could arise tonight. Sharing a room with these two cunning foxes meant that one should pray for a peaceful night. If something went wrong, and one of three died, it was predictable who that would be.
Meeting a ghost wasn’t the scariest thing; what was terrifying was having two teammates, more ghost-like than actual ghosts. Xiang Fengchen’s notorious reputation was well-known, clearly not an easy character to deal with.
Xiang Fengchen had also revealed Nalan Shuo’s identity as the Director of the Patrol Defense Office. People in such positions juggled both underworld and legitimate dealings, their means and strategies indispensable, making them difficult to handle.
Comparatively, everyone preferred being with teammates of similar capabilities. In a dire situation, they could at least attempt to use a teammate as a shield.
But no one wanted to offend these two until Xiang Fengchen looked towards Yang Xiao and said with a smile, "Little brother, if you don’t mind, come join us."
That invitation was exactly what Yang Xiao wanted, but he couldn’t appear too eager. He had to follow the crowd and showed an awkward smile before bravely responding, "Senior Xiang thinks highly of me; I naturally agree, and please teach me more."
After the room allocation was settled, everyone dispersed. Yang Xiao’s trio went to the far-left room; Zhang Songde, Fang Zhou, and their third went to the far-right room; while the largest house in the middle, facing the courtyard entrance, was graciously left for the three ladies.
Nalan Shuo pushed open the door. Directly in front was a small hall-like room, featuring an eight-immortal table and four chairs facing the door, as if welcoming them.
A candlestick on the table was covered with a square paper shade, painted with mandarin ducks playing in water. As the door opened, the flame flickered violently, but curiously, Yang Xiao felt no wind inside.
To the right of the hall was another door, leading to a bedroom. Three wooden beds were placed against the walls, each equipped with curtains that could be drawn down.
"Senior fellows, I’ll take the first watch tonight so you can rest earlier," Yang Xiao said cautiously to Xiang Fengchen and Nalan Shuo.
Unexpectedly, Xiang Fengchen looked at him with a smile that seemed to see through him, making Yang Xiao nervous.
"No rush, let’s sit and talk first." Without waiting for Yang Xiao’s consent, Xiang Fengchen walked to the bed, sat down with a plop, and patted the spot next to him.
Yang Xiao obediently went over and sat down. He wasn’t scared, being a worldly man himself; he was more curious about Xiang Fengchen’s treatment of him, and with Director Nalan also present, in case of a conflict, it would still be two against one.
"Do you know why I asked you to join?" asked Xiang Fengchen.
"It’s because senior is looking out for me," Yang Xiao replied politely.
"Bullshit, it’s because of Director Nalan’s face," Xiang Fengchen turned to look at Nalan Shuo, "Tell me, is he your subordinate, or a junior from old acquaintance?"
"Was I exposed?" Yang Xiao was alarmed.
Seeing Yang Xiao still playing along, Xiang Fengchen waved his hand, indicating that it was all unnecessary, "Stop with these pretenses in front of me. I know very well what kind of person Director Nalan is; he’s not some virtuous monk. If it weren’t for you two knowing each other, when there was shouting from the attic, would he have rushed up there almost without his pants?"
"I knew then, that among those upstairs, there was someone he recognized. Later, when we were leaving downstairs, the lock from the innermost door was missing, you noticed it but before you could take a closer look, Nalan Shuo reminded you."
"He’s the captain under me, and also my brother," Director Nalan calmly took over the dialogue, looking at Xiang Fengchen, "Just like Xingye, a brother."
"Huh—" Xiang Fengchen exhaled heavily, "So that kid’s name is Xingye, huh? Honestly, he’s quite tough to kill."
"Of course, he’s much stronger than those three useless disciples of yours combined."
Yang Xiao, sitting between the two, listening to their conversation in the calmest tones yet with the iciest words, felt enormous pressure. He was genuinely worried that they might start fighting any second, but he was ready; it’s better to strike first than suffer later. At just a glance from the Director, he would land a heavy punch on that old man’s face.
