Chapter 63

Deriving conclusions from conditions may be inaccurate, but reversing the conclusion to trace the cause? That’s entirely up to you to say.

Even if the reversed conditions are insufficient, it only proves your own moral integrity.

Gu Zhao gave himself a mental nod of approval.

The woman’s expression softened slightly, but she still gave them no friendly look. “Doing evil… demons and monsters… does evil only come from demons and monsters?”

Before Gu Zhao could reply, the woman swept her sleeve. “If you wish to uphold justice, go do it yourselves. Don’t disturb me—I know nothing.”

He Xiuniang couldn’t help asking, “Can you really bear to watch ordinary people be harmed by demons and monsters?”

The woman glanced at He Xiuniang and said coolly, “Heaven and earth have no mercy; human hearts are no longer pure. Do ordinary people only suffer at the hands of demons and monsters?”

“Huh?” He Xiuniang was puzzled.

“Life is full of suffering. Many things even the imperial court ignores—why should I meddle in others’ affairs?” The woman waved her sleeve again and turned to leave. “Please take your leave. My home is not fit for guests. If you insist on staying, don’t blame me for driving you out.”

As she spoke, she vanished into the back hall.

At the very moment she disappeared, the yin energy within the courtyard grew denser—clearly, she had not been joking; she truly did not welcome them.

“Young Master?” He Xiuniang looked at Gu Zhao.

“Let’s leave for now,” Gu Zhao nodded.

Since the woman’s soul was pure, they could not attack her. They exited the hall one by one and soon left the courtyard.

As they stepped out of the mansion, there was a loud “bang”—the two large doors slammed shut automatically, followed by a soft click as the bolt slid into place on its own.

Standing at the mansion’s gate, He Xiuniang was utterly confused. “If this ghost isn’t evil, why won’t she tell us anything?”

Gu Zhao and Daoist Yan Song exchanged glances. Daoist Yan Song stroked his beard. “It seems this ghost has a story.”

“What story?” He Xiuniang asked curiously.

Gu Zhao spread his hands. “She already explained clearly enough—she was wronged and died unjustly, so she refuses to meddle in others’ affairs.”

Bai Ke wagged her tail, equally curious. “I really want to know her story!”

At that moment, footsteps came from behind them. The group turned to see an old woman peering out from the gate of the house two doors across. Seeing them standing before the haunted mansion, she jumped back in fright.

“That mansion is forbidden!” The old woman waved them frantically, took a few hurried steps forward, then stopped, clearly wanting to approach but too afraid to.

“Hmm?” Daoist Yan Song’s eyes flashed. “May I ask, madam, why is that mansion forbidden?”

Seeing the group turn to ask, the old woman sighed in relief and sized them up. “Who are you?”

Daoist Yan Song replied smoothly. “We’re travelers from afar. We were robbed by bandits on the road and lost all our money. With no funds for an inn, we saw this abandoned mansion and thought to spend the night here.”

“If you have nowhere to go, you can stay in my house for the night. I’ve got some cold leftovers, but you absolutely must not enter that mansion—it’s haunted!” The old woman took a few steps back as she spoke the last few words.

Gu Zhao glanced back at the deep mansion still radiating coldness, then at the courtyard the old woman had come from, and stepped forward with a smile. “If this place is haunted, how dare you live so close?”

With Gu Zhao leading, Daoist Yan Song continued. “Is there a story behind it?”

The old woman’s face darkened. She said nothing, sighed, and turned to walk back.

But as she walked, she called over her shoulder, “If you have nowhere to go, come to my house tonight—but absolutely do not enter that mansion. If you’re frightened in the night, don’t blame me for not warning you.”

Watching the old woman return, Bai Ke said eagerly, “She must know the ghost’s secrets.”

He Xiuniang felt hopeful yet hesitant. “But this old lady doesn’t seem willing to speak.”

“Hmm…” The group exchanged knowing smiles.

Though the old woman clearly didn’t want to talk, extracting information from a sixty- or seventy-year-old woman was hardly difficult.

So the three entered the old woman’s small courtyard.

The courtyard was sizable, but only one family lived there. The old woman’s son and daughter-in-law had just returned from work and were lighting the stove to cook.

“You’ve come!” The old woman called to her son to bring out more flatbreads. “Traveling is hard enough—food is plain, don’t mind it.”

“Thank you, Granny!” He Xiuniang stepped forward, took the bread, and sweetly thanked her before turning to share it with Gu Zhao and Daoist Yan Song.

Seeing the children’s toys scattered around the courtyard and noticing no sorrow on the faces of the old woman, her son, or daughter-in-law, Daoist Yan Song casually asked about their grandchildren and learned they were apprenticing at a restaurant in the county and had earned much praise.

From the children, they moved to the restaurant; from the restaurant, to the patrons; from the patrons, to the surroundings; and finally, from the surroundings, back to the mansion across the way.

“If everyone knows the mansion across the way is haunted, why hasn’t anyone reported it to the authorities?” He Xiuniang asked.

“The authorities don’t care about this,” the old woman’s son complained. “Even if demons don’t harm people, when the Mo Family Village outside town was raided by bandits, they still didn’t lift a finger!”

The old woman’s daughter-in-law shook her head. “We’re lucky here. I heard there’s another abandoned mansion in the west suburbs—every night, lights and music come from it. Lost travelers often wander in, but by morning, only a pile of bones remains.”

Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow and exchanged a glance with Daoist Yan Song—another hunting ground found.

“That’s terrifying!” He Xiuniang feigned fear, then asked the old woman, “If that’s true, how dare you live here?”

“Where else would we live?” the woman replied, chewing her bread. “Because the mansion across the way is haunted, all the neighboring courtyards are empty—so we’re the ones who got to live here.”

The man added, “Mother knows that ghost. She doesn’t harm us.”

He Xiuniang’s eyes lit up. “Granny, tell us the ghost’s story!”

The woman smiled at He Xiuniang’s cuteness. “Little girl, why do you like ghost stories?”

He Xiuniang laughed. “I’ve been listening to storytellers in teahouses with the Young Master. Over time, I grew fond of tales.”

The woman shook her head. “Teahouse stories are pleasant. This one isn’t.”

“Why not?” He Xiuniang asked.

The man replied, “Because in this story, the good people get no good end.”

The old woman’s son and daughter-in-law already knew the tale. Gu Zhao asked, “Is this about the ghost in the mansion across the way?”

“Yes, her,” the woman said. “If you want to hear it, I’ll tell you.”

The old woman opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated. She sighed and made no effort to stop them.