Inside the Ancestral Temple.
The Steward did not leave immediately.
Holding the white paper lantern, he looked at Xing Ge, who had remained in the temple, and under the other's wary gaze, slowly said:
"First Young Master, regarding the rules for keeping vigil, this old servant must remind you of a few more points."
Xing Ge stood before the Altar Table, his posture ramrod straight. Under the candlelight, the tense lines of his face betrayed a trace of gravity.
He grunted in acknowledgment.
"First," the Steward continued, seeing his response, "the incense in the Incense Burner must be constantly monitored. It must never be allowed to go out."
"Second, the candle flames and lanterns within the temple may dim, but they must not be completely extinguished, especially these two Eternal Lamps before the master's spirit."
"Third, you may hear some sounds, see some shadows. Do not pay them any mind, do not respond, and most certainly... do not go looking."
"Fourth, the fruit on the offering table must be replaced at the hour of Hai (9-11 PM). Please remember to go to the kitchen. The replaced fruit must be thrown into the stove hearth and burned."
"Fifth, if you feel hungry, there are pastries prepared on the incense table over there. If, while eating, you feel nauseous or queasy, please stop eating immediately."
"Sixth, the Seventh Concubine may come to bring you some soup. If you are thirsty, you may drink it. It is also a token of her regard."
"Finally, you may trust the servants wearing white flowers."
After saying all this, the Steward paused, his tone seeming both a reminder and a warning. "Keeping vigil is about maintaining inner peace and observing the rules. As long as the incense and candle flames remain unbroken and the lamps stay lit, you will be safe."
"Before the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), no matter what happens, First Young Master... you must remain inside the Ancestral Temple."
With that, the Steward said no more. Without waiting for Xing Ge to ask any questions, he gave a slight bow and, holding the lantern, slowly retreated from the temple.
The heavy black-lacquered wooden door did not close completely, still leaving a narrow gap through which the heavy darkness of the night outside could be seen.
Xing Ge stood alone in the center of the temple, thick with the scent of incense, his brow slightly furrowed.
He hadn't expected keeping vigil to have so many rules, rules that sounded even more bizarre than the seven from not long ago.
Glancing at the flickering candle flames on the altar table, he sat down cross-legged on the Cushion, prepared to respond to any change with unwavering composure.
Time crept by in the dead silence, broken only by the occasional crackle of a wick.
The light rain outside the door had stopped at some point.
"Drip..."
A distinct sound of dripping water abruptly rang out in the silent temple.
Not from outside the door, nor from the roof.
But from inside the coffin.
The muscles in Xing Ge's back instantly tensed. He forced himself to remain still, not to look, and made his breathing extremely light.
Then came another sound.
"Scrape... scrape..."
Like something very slowly dragging across paper.
Xing Ge suddenly froze.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed that among those Paper Effigies of the Boy and Girl Attendants, the position of one... seemed to have changed.
...
Xu Xi once again marveled at the sheer opulence of this manor.
He had spent quite some time winding east and west, nearly getting himself dizzy.
Seeing the particularly conspicuous well in the garden, he let out a breath.
Finally found it.
The live stream comments were currently following Xu Xi's perspective as he twisted and turned through the Shen Residence.
【What a huge courtyard house... damn, what would happen if there were just one more rich person like me in the world!】
【So he was looking for the Ancient Well all this time. Scared me, I thought Master Xu Xi was going to violate the rules and wander at night.】
【Aren't we not supposed to approach the Ancient Well? Why is Master Xu Xi heading straight for it?】
【Wk, quick, go check Xing Ge's live stream. Damn, how come even keeping vigil has so much weird shit happening?】
【Fuck, I'm already getting a bit dizzy and this instance hasn't even been going on that long.】
Xu Xi stood in the shadows beside the Moon Gate of the garden, observing the sealed Ancient Well not far away.
A thick bluestone slab covered the well mouth. Faint, blurred sigils seemed to be carved on the slab, and its edges were sealed with a circle of vermilion talisman paper that had already faded to white.
The surrounding flowers and trees were shadowy and indistinct in the night.
He didn't approach immediately. Instead, he first observed his surroundings, confirming there were no other anomalies for the moment, before slowly walking closer.
He stopped when he was still two or three steps away from the well mouth.
Because he sensed a certain chill.
This aura felt familiar.
The stone slab in the dungeon from the last instance felt like this.
That one had a living corpse man hidden inside.
So this one... probably also contained something formidable.
Then, under the stunned gaze of the netizens in the live stream, Xu Xi strode forward, tore off the talisman paper, and lifted the stone slab.
Last time, the Blue Monsters had stopped him. This time, no one was going to stop him.
The talisman paper was very old, the vermilion characters on it severely faded, cold to the touch.
The sound of tearing was exceptionally clear in the empty garden.
Xu Xi applied force with his fingers, hooking them under the edge of the bluestone slab.
The slab was heavier than expected.
Gritting his teeth, he used the strength of his core. The thick bluestone slab was forcibly pried open at one corner, then fell with a loud "clang" onto the muddy ground beside it.
The well mouth was completely exposed.
Xu Xi clapped his hands and leaned over to look.
Let him just take a peek at what was inside.
——
Beside the Moon Gate.
Xu Xi rubbed his forehead, deep in thought.
He had even prepared himself for the possibility that something like the living corpse man boss might jump out from the well.
However, inside the well was just a pool of darkness.
He hadn't been staring into that darkness for long before he felt his consciousness gradually becoming hazy.
This feeling was also familiar.
It was like this in the third instance when his will was being twisted by that white humanoid thing.
"..." It seems the Ancient Well truly shouldn't be touched.
Leave it for now.
【All the other players have gone off to look for clues separately, and you, sir, are still standing here.】
【Don't question the master's business. The master has his own considerations.】
【248: Do clues even need to be looked for? Aren't they obvious at a glance? ()】
【I only believe in two things in this life: 248's authority and Hang Ze's reputation.】
As soon as this comment appeared, the screen was instantly flooded with copy-pasted versions.
【I can't handle this anymore. Well, I'll go see how that little unlucky fellow is doing.】
Inside the instance, Xu Xi lowered the hand pressing his forehead. The sinister nature of the well made him temporarily choose to give up.
Since no effective clues could be gathered at the well, he would just switch to another location.
He felt that the Seventh Concubine was a very good point of entry.
So he turned his steps and headed for the Rear Courtyard.
【Hey, where is Master Xu Xi going?】
【Judging by the direction... seems like the Rear Courtyard.】
The Rear Courtyard was indeed much easier to find than the garden.
But Xu Xi fell silent again as he stared at the maidservant with white flowers in her hair before him.
"Third Young Master, the Rear Courtyard is the residence of the female family members. The Seventh Concubine has already retired for the night. The night is deep and the dew is heavy. If Third Young Master has any matters, perhaps it would be better to ask the Steward to relay a message tomorrow."
The other person kept her head bowed and eyes lowered. Though respectful, her slender body stood firm, blocking the Moon Gate leading to the Rear Courtyard, not retreating half a step. Her voice, devoid of inflection, carried the weight of unbreachable rules.
"..." Great, hitting a wall ×2.
Xu Xi had considered trying to force his way in, but he abandoned the idea the very next second.
If all else fails, go back to the Ancestral Temple and take a look?
