Chapter 76: New Play

On the way back, amidst the jolting of the carriage, Su Tingting was still thinking about this "Yang" character. Her godfather said the person who would harm her had the surname Yang, which ruled out Master Feng and Liu Guanjia. After a moment of thought, Su Tingting suddenly asked, "Mr. Chu, what is the name of the leader in the carriage behind us?"

"His surname is Zhao. I hear those people call him 'Head Zhao,' but I don't know his specific name," Yang Xiao answered concisely, his gaze toward Su Tingting carrying an extra hint of scrutiny.

Ever since leaving the coffin shop, Su Tingting had been wearing a worried expression. This could not escape the eyes of Kuang Hongyi, who asked with a chuckle, "Miss Su, why do you suddenly ask this? Could it be that Shopkeeper Liu entrusted you with some words?"

"Heh, to put it bluntly, we are merely fleeting guests in this world; nothing can be taken as real. You, me, and Brother Chu—the three of us are the ones who are truly in this together."

Facing Kuang Hongyi's questioning, Su Tingting had already prepared a countermeasure. She feigned difficulty and said, "Actually... actually, it is nothing major. My godfather instructed me to work in unison with you, Brother Kuang, and Mr. Chu. Our fates are bound together; united we live, divided we die. We must not harbor suspicions or scheme against one another."

After dealing with Kuang Hongyi, Su Tingting remained troubled by the "Yang" character. Among the important figures she had encountered so far, she had never heard of anyone with the surname Yang.

Suddenly, Su Tingting frowned as a guess surfaced in her mind. Shi Dali had a precedent of attacking his own companions. Could it be that the person about to harm her was not from Master Feng's group, but a companion?

Mr. Chu certainly wouldn't, but it was hard to say about Kuang Hongyi. Although Su Tingting was not particularly clever, she had seen clearly over this period that if Mr. Chu weren't knowledgeable and Kuang Hongyi couldn't make use of him, he wouldn't be so enthusiastic toward two newcomers.

Thinking of this, Su Tingting grew more vigilant toward Kuang Hongyi. This person was unreliable, and what he said was not entirely trustworthy. He claimed his surname was Kuang, but who could prove if it was true or false? Perhaps his real name was Yang!

It is easy to dodge an open spear, but hard to guard against a hidden arrow. Since arriving in this world, she had come to understand the four words "the human heart is sinister." Shi Dali was a bloody example.

Noticing Yang Xiao still in deep thought, Su Tingting couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency. She desperately needed to find an opportunity to warn him to be careful of Kuang Hongyi.

At this moment, Yang Xiao was not paying attention to this; he was recalling what the young assistant at the coffin shop had said to him not long ago. He had originally intended to return the axe, but the assistant shook his head and refused directly. The reason was that his master had calculated that this axe had a predestined connection with the three of them, so he gifted it to them. Moreover, the coffin shop had a rule: items in the shop were never lent out. Since it wasn't borrowed, how could there be talk of returning it?

This Shopkeeper Liu was definitely a senior in the Yin Hang. Yang Xiao pondered that there might be a hidden mystery in these words. Could it be that this axe could help them in a big way?

But why didn't Shopkeeper Liu say it clearly? Whether he didn't know for sure, or it was a case of "heavenly secrets must not be leaked," Yang Xiao was not clear.

But one thing was certain: Yang Xiao was a person who listened to advice, and he would keep this axe by his side at all times.

"Tou Nu Bu Wai Jia, second son stays at the knees, thin fortune and shallow affinity, do not cross the threshold of a deep courtyard." Thinking back now, these three ancient sayings that had circulated in Fengmen Zhen for a long time had all been fulfilled.

However, Yang Xiao had not expected that the first line did not just refer to the girls from poor families bought by the Feng family; most crucially, it referred to Chun Jie.

Chun Jie first "married" Feng Laotaiye, and her daughter married the Feng Second Young Master. Truly, "Tou Nu Bu Wai Jia," they ended up as one family.

After a whole day of tossing and turning, by the time the carriage returned to the Feng Mansion, the sky outside was already dim. But the three of them, having just stepped off the carriage, couldn't help but be stunned. The Feng Mansion looked very festive tonight. The two white lanterns hanging outside the main gate had been removed at some point and replaced with two red lanterns.

Turning a corner and entering the alley leading to the side gate, the originally bare sides of the alley had also been decorated anew. Under the high walls hung a row of red lanterns, some big, some small, some round, and some cylindrical. It was clear that the Feng Mansion had spent quite a bit of effort to gather these lanterns.

Four Martial Masters were following closely behind the three of them, seemingly protecting them, but in reality, they had blocked their only path of retreat.

"Three Lucky Guests, congratulations! Look at this grand display; my master is surely going to reward the three of you well!" The Zhao-surnamed Martial Master's attitude became increasingly respectful.

But Kuang Hongyi poured a bucket of cold water on him, chuckling, "Brother Zhao, it is not that I intend to spoil Master Feng's mood, but the matter at hand has not been completely resolved yet. Isn't it a bit too early to celebrate so grandly now?"

"Hahaha, not early, not early. I just received news that a high-level expert has calculated that as long as we survive past the Xu hour tonight, the master's great worry will be resolved. This all relies on the hard work and effort of you Lucky Guests. The master originally intended to celebrate for the three Lucky Guests at a restaurant, but he was worried about the many people and loose tongues, so after much thought, he decided it was more appropriate to host it within the mansion. Liu Guanjia specifically invited a chef from the restaurant to ensure the three Lucky Guests eat and drink well, in gratitude for your help!"

The Zhao-surnamed Martial Master's rhetoric was polite, but it caused the hearts of Yang Xiao and the others to sink to the bottom. Hosting the banquet inside the mansion clearly meant they were going to "slaughter the donkey after the millstone is used"—killing them to silence them.

Looking up at the dim sky, Yang Xiao judged it was just a little past 6 o'clock, and the Xu hour was from 7 to 9 at night. This meant they were still safe before 9 o'clock, but once 9 o'clock passed, Master Feng would strike them down.

These two-plus hours were their final opportunity. They had to find every way to get close to the Second Young Mistress and stain her blood onto that piece of Chun Jie's clothing.

Entering the mansion from the side gate, the interior was decorated with lanterns and streamers, very lively. But this liveliness only referred to the decorations. Yang Xiao keenly sensed that the number of maids and servants in the mansion had suddenly decreased significantly. Conversely, Martial Masters were stationed at every courtyard gate, corridor entrance, and other key passages, the heavy staves tightly gripped in their hands exuding a powerful deterrent.

The group walked further and further into a remote area, being led to a side courtyard. This location was quite secluded, the black lacquer on the courtyard gate already mottled. It was obvious that almost no one had lived here before; it had been tidied up in a rush. Of course, it was the burial ground prepared for the three of them.

As soon as they entered the courtyard gate, Master Feng and Liu Guanjia had already been waiting for a long time. Inside the hall were two sumptuous banquet tables. The current Master Feng had completely changed from his previous sickly appearance; he was dressed in formal attire, glowing with health, as if he had suddenly become a dozen years younger.

"Three Lucky Guests, please take your seats." Liu Guanjia cupped his hands with a smile, then looked at the four Martial Masters including Zhao, saying in a neither cold nor warm tone, "And you all, you have also worked hard. The master said to reward you by letting you drink a few cups with the three Lucky Guests."

After everyone had taken their seats, before Yang Xiao could speak, he saw Master Feng wave his hand. Two people dressed as guards moved together to push aside the large landscape screen standing on the other side of the banquet. In the next second, the scene behind the screen was clearly reflected in the eyes of the three.

It was a whole piece of white cloth hung up, with a red and a white lantern hanging on either side. Behind the white cloth, human shadows flickered vaguely, looking quite similar to the Ghost Opera of the previous few nights.

"Heh heh, three Lucky Guests, tonight the master would like to invite you to watch a new play."