Chapter 779: Chapter 586: Earl Mansion
"How does this person’s skills compare to yours?" Nalan Shuo looked toward Xiang Fengchen; he needed to make a judgment about the current situation.
"Huuh—" Xiang Fengchen’s body leaned back into the chair, and he exhaled slowly, "like the bright moon compared to a firefly."
"Is the difference that significant?" Chang Chuchu couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows.
"I always considered myself as having few rivals in Fengshui Technique, but this person is truly extraordinary. I have never seen a Feng Shui Master who is still alive after severing three of their own fingers; with this ability alone, even if he is not the greatest of this era, he is at least the leader of his lineage."
After a pause, Xiang Fengchen looked somewhat disheartened, "If it is this person who has set up the situation, then our troubles are indeed great. However..."
"Based on what you said, this senior doesn’t seem like a malicious person; there’s no reason for him to set us, the juniors, up," Yang Xiao said after thinking it through.
"Indeed, I can’t figure this out either," Xiang Fengchen frowned tightly.
A Feng Shui Master who was confined to bed, a group of kin inside the estate wearing strange masks, and a Living Corpse of unknown origin... The estate was truly a gathering place for bizarre events. Up to now, they still couldn’t fathom what secrets lay hidden here.
"Fang Zhou, when you left the dilapidated temple last night, what did you see?" Nalan Shuo suddenly turned to ask Fang Zhou.
Faced with the question, Fang Zhou first glanced at Jiang Qingluan, noticing she had no particular reaction, he then recounted the terrifying scene he saw after leaving the dilapidated temple last night. According to him, at that time, those statues seemed to come "alive", and they looked quite frightening.
"Do you still remember what those resurrected statues were wearing?" Nalan Shuo pressed further, "Did it resemble the clothes we are wearing?"
"We?" Fang Zhou was startled, then as if suddenly recalling something, his face drained of color, turning deathly pale, "Yes, it really... it really does resemble!"
The next second, Fang Zhou’s gaze turned to Yang Xiao; he remembered that it wasn’t only him who looked back last night, but also Yang Xiao, and he too received a slap from Jiang Qingluan.
"Your memory isn’t wrong, I saw it too," Yang Xiao admitted calmly.
Now everyone looked toward Jiang Qingluan, but she just shook her head, her voice both even and cold, "I didn’t see anything; back then they seemed as if they were possessed."
This was where the clue ended, but everyone’s suspicion regarding that dilapidated temple found its reason. Nalan Shuo urged everyone to eat quickly, and after eating, to find the steward of the estate so they could leave and check out the place, finding that dilapidated temple.
To their surprise, the process went astonishingly smoothly. Steward Wu, after granting permission, ordered servants to bring several sets of plain clothes for them to change out of their ceremonial garb. However, there was a condition: they had to leave five people behind, specifically naming Xiang Fengchen and Nalan Shuo to stay. Additionally, they had to return before nightfall, in no way could they miss the midnight exorcism for the ancestor.
The four people going out had to consist of two men and two women; they could choose among themselves, but regardless of who went out, they must absolutely keep silent about the affairs of the estate.
Although they were without the two cornerstones, Xiang Fengchen and Nalan Shuo, the rest were also experienced veterans. Since they were heading for the dilapidated temple to investigate, both Yang Xiao and Fang Zhou were indispensable. Finally, Yang Xiao, Fang Zhou, Jiang Qingluan, and Chang Chuchu were chosen to undertake the task of finding the clues.
Upon parting, Steward Wu also gifted them many Silver Taels, further instructing them that if they encountered any trouble in the estate, they could mention the name of Earl Mansion.
"Earl Mansion?" Everyone was taken aback.
Only to see Steward Wu tuck his hands into his sleeves, showing an expression of pride, his voice lengthening ceremoniously, "Where do you think you are? Our ancestor’s father, the old ancestor, had made great contributions to the late Emperor and was titled Marquis Zhongyi, and in our house, we have the golden plaque bestowed by the late Emperor himself."
When descendants inherit their predecessor’s title, it is decreased by one rank: Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount. Below Marquis is Earl, "So, it’s Earl Mansion. With a titled ancestor, it’s no wonder there is such good fortune. In this case, it seems we have been disrespectful," Nalan Shuo reacted swiftly, clasping his hands together politely toward Steward Wu.
After taking the silver, Yang Xiao and the four, led by a young maid, walked through multiple courtyards and out of the gates of Earl Mansion.
As they stepped out of the gate, not sure if it was psychological, Fang Zhou felt that the sunlight overhead was a few degrees brighter, sprinkling over their faces and shoulders, slightly dispelling the chill in their hearts.
Walking on the roads inside the estate, starkly different from the night’s silence, the daytime was bustling. They reached a main street with restaurants, gambling houses, rice stores, and cloth shops on either side. It wasn’t yet noon, and the street was filled with the sounds of selling, noisy arguments, and street vendors yelling. All sorts of noises mixed together, booming as one.
The four found a street corner teahouse with outdoor seating, ordered a pot of tea, accompanied by four coarse porcelain bowls, and quietly began to observe the surroundings.
"Thank you for what happened last night," Yang Xiao turned to thank Jiang Qingluan at his side. If it hadn’t been for her slap last night, there was no telling what kind of trouble might have arisen.
"Yes, Yang is right, thank you, Sister Qingluan," Fang Zhou, seeing the opportunity, stood promptly, holding the blackened teapot, pouring tea for everyone, starting with Jiang Qingluan, then following clockwise; Yang Xiao, Chang Chuchu, and finally himself.
With both hands cupping the tea bowl, Jiang Qingluan’s icy countenance softened slightly, as if drawing warmth from the tea, "No need for thanks, it was a mere trifle."
However, Chang Chuchu wouldn’t pass up the chance to secure help, boldly lifting her tea bowl, "As they say, a drop of water in need shall be returned with a spring in deed. Since Miss Jiang saved you two, you must take extra care in dealing with whatever may come our way on this journey."
