Chapter 12: Paper Persons Resting Shoulders

Yang Xiao recognized it at a glance; this well was the very same one he had seen in the ruins of the Flour Factory, the one that had a "Bodhisattva Head" pressing down on top of it at the time.

"Wait a moment." Kuang Hongyi called for the maid leading the way to stop; he clearly recognized the well as well. "Why is this wellhead sealed up when it was perfectly fine?"

The maid was startled, her entire person visibly terrified; she even turned her face away, not daring to look directly at the well. "Do not ask me. I am merely a servant; I know nothing."

Having said this, she did not wait for the group's reaction and hurriedly quickened her pace. The maid looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, with a thin, small frame and unremarkable features; she likely did not hold a high position in the manor and was probably a menial maid from one of the courtyards.

Not long after, they arrived at a quiet, secluded courtyard. As soon as they entered the gate, the view before them suddenly opened up; the west side of the courtyard actually shimmered with rippling light, and upon closer inspection, it was a large pond.

Though called a pond, its surface area was not much smaller than a modest lake. The afterglow of the setting sun spilled across the vast water, creating a scene of breathtaking beauty.

"This is natural, not built later; the Feng Family only tidied it up a bit." Shi Dali gazed toward the other end of the lake. "This water looks like a living spring."

The maid did not have the leisure to listen to their idle chatter. The sun was about to set, and she still had to walk back alone; she was nearly frantic. "Honored Lucky Guests, you have had a tiring journey, so please return quickly to rest. Your Elegant Residence is right there."

Looking in the direction the maid's finger pointed, one could see two large tiled houses, one big and one small, situated by the lakeside not far away. The houses were in a rather classical style, with white walls and grey tiles, their outlines vaguely visible amidst the shadows of the trees.

Yang Xiao immediately recalled the three cards from the Script; the first card showed the Feng Family Mansion located on the old street, and the second showed these two old houses.

"The head of the guards just gave instructions, saying the Elegant Residence is simple and small, so please, Lucky Guests, make do and split into two groups, one for each house." The maid spoke at a rapid pace. "Divide yourselves just as you did in the carriages; those with more people stay in the larger one, and those with fewer stay in the smaller one. The wine and food have already been prepared for you inside."

After saying this, the maid seemed finally relieved and hurried off in the direction they had come. After walking about a dozen steps, she suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at the group with a strange expression. After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke: "Honored Lucky Guests, this backyard is rarely visited, and it is dark at night. Do not wander about casually if you have no business, and be sure to lock your doors and windows at night. If you hear or see anything, do not be curious."

"You... what do you mean by that?" Shi Guanming asked, somewhat nervously. "Don't go, explain yourself, I say."

But the maid acted as if she hadn't heard him; her legs moved rapidly, and she slipped away like a puff of smoke, never looking back.

The sky was growing dark, and staying in this strange place was clearly not a good choice. Moreover, it was deep and secluded; if something were to happen, even if they screamed their lungs out, it was unlikely anyone would come.

More importantly, the place gave Yang Xiao a very strange feeling—indescribably strange.

A moment later, Yang Xiao finally realized what was strange: it was too quiet here.

It wasn't just that there were no people; there wasn't even the sound of birds. The vast surface of the lake was deathly silent; not a single water bird came to forage, and there were no ripples on the water near the shore from fish swimming, as if it were a pool of stagnant water.

"Let's go over first and survive this first night. If we are cautious, nothing will happen." Kuang Hongyi had effectively become the temporary leader of the group.

Treading on a gravel path, the four of them arrived at the so-called Elegant Residence. It was actually a slightly larger side chamber, with a grand rosewood square table placed in the center, surrounded by a few chairs.

On both sides of the chamber were carved wooden beds, each draped with plain curtains. Beside the window was a writing desk, fully equipped with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

The overall style of the room was simple and plain, and when paired with two human-height bookcases and some exquisite ornaments like strange stones and porcelain, it created an air of elegance.

Pushing open the window, one could see the golden-shimmering lake outside. One could imagine that when the owner of the house had leisure time, coming here to stay for a few days to read and paint would be a wonderful life experience.

On the wooden table in the middle were two large food boxes. Upon opening them, they found exquisite dishes. After all the trouble, everyone was a bit hungry, and seeing Kuang Hongyi and Xu Su pick up their chopsticks, Yang Xiao and Su Tingting soon joined in.

After eating and drinking their fill, the sky gradually turned dark. The group sat around the table and lit candles using a fire-starter found in the room.

Before they could even discuss what to do next, a rustling sound suddenly came from nearby, as if someone were approaching rapidly.

And judging by the footsteps, it was more than one person.

"Is it someone from the Second Branch coming to find us?" Su Tingting asked, somewhat suspicious.

Kuang Hongyi blew out the candle on the table directly, then extinguished the one standing behind the window. The group then tiptoed to the door, held their breath, and peered out through the cracks.

Under the faint night sky, they saw many people walking toward a spot diagonally across from the door not far away. These people were huddled together in groups of two or three, moving in a very strange manner.

When they got closer, Yang Xiao squinted and finally saw clearly: they weren't huddled together at all, but were instead individual, brightly colored Paper Persons.

Each Paper Person was held by a living person. With the night air filling the space and the speed at which they were walking, it looked as if the crowded Paper Persons were floating.

Besides the person in front leading the way with a Paper Lantern, there were two other men, clearly servants of the manor. The two men in the back each held a Paper Person in their left and right hands and carried one on their backs. In total, there were 3 living people and 7 Paper Persons.

The Paper Persons were dressed in bright red—red hats, red jackets, and red boots. In the night, one could only vaguely see their pale, ghastly faces painted with exaggerated brows and eyes. Their hollow eyes had rough lines and exuded a thick aura of death.

These people hurried past the door with the Paper Persons, showing no intention of entering. They turned a corner and headed straight for the lakeside, then set the Paper Persons down and quickly arranged them in a line. The Paper Persons held their arms out straight, palms facing down, with each one resting their hands on the shoulders of the one in front, facing the lake in a single file.

"Paper Persons resting shoulders?" Kuang Hongyi frowned.

The three people by the lake did not say a word. The leader used the flame from the lantern to ignite a bundle of paper money and scattered it into the air. By the light of that momentary flare, Yang Xiao saw the face of the leader clearly.

This was an elderly man with a hooked nose, a handlebar mustache, thin lips, and deep-set pupils. He had the appearance of someone sinister and vicious, and his attire was clearly much better than the other servants in the manor.

After the paper money in the air burned out, the three men knelt simultaneously and kowtowed forcefully toward the lake. Then, the man with the hooked nose took something from a cloth pouch he carried, muttered something, and suddenly pressed it onto the face of the first Paper Person.