Chapter 77: First Offer the Girl, Then Collect the Silver

As soon as the words fell, guards stepped forward to extinguish the extra candles; the hall suddenly grew dim, and the illusory figures behind the white cloth gradually became clear.

"Dong, dong, dong... clang!"

Following the brisk drumbeats came a strike of the gong; figures moved behind the white cloth, in various postures, much like a shadow play.

The actors were all hidden behind the cloth, never revealing their true forms, with only their shadows cast upon the white fabric; it was from this moment that tonight's grand play officially raised its curtain.

A moment later, a figure stepped to the sound of light, fragmented gong and drum beats, waving their sleeves and raising their voice to sing, the very first sentence stunning the three of Yang Xiao.

"On the sixth day of the ninth lunar month in the Gengyin year, meeting a thunderstorm at night, we twenty-seven people were invited by Old Master Han to his residence, where at the water pavilion, we presented a... beheading play!"

Beside them, a figure bowed like a servant, retreating repeatedly in terror, and said with a stylized tone: "Master Ban, that beheading play must absolutely not be performed!"

"Oh? And why can it not be performed?"

"Does Master Ban not know? That... that beheading play is also called a Ghost Opera, performed for those in the underworld to hear; if we guests of the living world perform it, I fear... I fear it will cost us our lives!"

"Bah! My Boxi Troupe has traveled north and south, how could we not know the stakes? But Old Master Han has graciously invited us; this is a blessing our lowly actors have cultivated over several lifetimes, how can we refuse? Moreover, Old Master Han brings prosperity to the region and has long held a reputation for chivalry, admired by everyone in town. For us lowly people to offer up a girl to help Old Master Han avert disaster is also our good fortune!"

"It is a blessing! It is a blessing!" several people behind the stage shouted in unison.

"Master Ban is truly righteous, I admire you, I admire you!" Another new character entered, head held high and chest out, pacing with a swaggering gait, clearly of noble status, "My master has been waiting for a long time."

"Steward Su, how could we dare trouble you to come and invite us?" The actor playing Master Ban was terrified, knees buckling, wishing he could kneel and kowtow.

"Heh heh, no matter. The master just gave orders: Master Ban has performed a meritorious service by offering the girl, and he intends to take the second daughter you brought as his foster daughter. This is a heavenly blessing!"

"It is a blessing! It is a blessing!" several people backstage shouted in unison.

"Heh heh, as for the reward money, Master Ban, you need not worry; the master said, name your price."

"Name your price! Name your price!"

"First offer the girl, then collect the silver; embrace wealth, gain a good name; Master Ban, truly chivalrous; Old Master Han, a name for the ages!"

Those people behind the stage seemed possessed, screaming in unison at the top of their lungs; the piercing voices paired with the exaggerated performance made the scene chilling.

Watching this play made the three of Yang Xiao feel a chill down their spines; it almost perfectly reconstructed the sequence of events of Master Bai coming to the Feng residence to perform a Ghost Opera, only the names had been changed.

Master Bai became Master Ban, the Feng family became the Han family, and that Steward Su who sang in harmony with Master Ban was naturally Liu Guanjia.

At this moment, the grand play was still continuing, but Liu Guanjia stood up with a smile and raised his cup to the three of Yang Xiao, "Three Lucky Guests, on behalf of my master, I toast you with a cup of wine to express our respects."

Liu Guanjia tilted his head back and finished the wine in his cup, then gestured with the empty cup toward the three, "Three Lucky Guests, please."

This wine absolutely could not be drunk; who knew if it contained some kind of stupefying drug? But under the gaze of Liu Guanjia and Master Feng, Su Tingting still bit the bullet and picked up the wine cup in front of her, until Yang Xiao stepped in to resolve the situation, "Master Feng, we still have to guard against the Resentful Soul of Xi Yao today; my brothers and I came here to work, not to freeload."

Master Feng narrowed his eyes and chuckled softly, his gaze shifting to the white cloth, "No matter. What does Lucky Guest Chu think of this new play?"

Su Tingting's nerves tightened instantly; this question was too direct. A single misstep and both sides might lay their cards on the table. Unexpectedly, Yang Xiao also tilted his head to look at the white cloth, without the slightest hesitation, and said bluntly, "This play is quite novel. Master Ban's willingness to sacrifice a daughter to save others from fire and water is a great righteousness. The Han family accumulates virtue and does good deeds, and receiving such help at a critical moment is a case of good deeds being rewarded. To be able to choreograph such a fine play, Master Feng has put in much effort."

"Hahaha..." Master Feng laughed heartily, his laughter full of vigor, no longer resembling the half-dead state from before, "Lucky Guest Chu overpraises me. This play was not choreographed by me; I admit I do not have that ability. It was performed by a noble person of my Feng family, Xuanli Shitai."

"Xuanli Shitai?" Yang Xiao had never heard of this person.

"Indeed. Inviting you Lucky Guests to our home was also Xuanli Shitai's idea. After seeing you, Xuanli Shitai was very satisfied with you." Master Feng's words carried a hidden meaning.

Kuang Hongyi could no longer sit still at this moment; he knew clearly that the Feng family no longer intended to keep up the act. Once this play finished, it would be time for the daggers to be revealed, "This Xuanli Shitai has met us?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"Heh heh, do not be impatient. Xuanli Shitai will arrive shortly; she still has one very important matter to instruct you on." Master Feng raised a hand and pointed at the white cloth, "Let us watch the play first; do not let down Xuanli Shitai's good intentions."

Earlier, Yang Xiao had noticed that there was still an empty seat to Master Feng's left; it seemed it was prepared for this Xuanli Shitai.

At this moment, the sky outside had turned completely dark, and soon after, it suddenly began to rain; the sound of rain mixed with the wind, adding an even more eerie tone to this grand play.

The actors' voices behind the stage rose and fell, their emotions agitated, their performance bordering on madness; piercing laughter and high-pitched, warbling tones rose one after another, and there were even shrill cries of grief.

Yang Xiao did not know what their purpose in doing this was; was it merely a simple show-off, or to torment them, these poor Lucky Guests?

The grand play soon progressed to the departure of the Boxi Boat; a red Lantern slowly rose behind the white cloth, swaying back and forth, clearly imitating the movement of a boat.

"Xuanli Shitai has arrived!"

A shout suddenly came from outside the door, and then the hall doors opened. The three of Yang Xiao looked over simultaneously, and a woman holding a green paper umbrella appeared outside the door.

After seeing the woman's face clearly, Su Tingting's pupils suddenly shrank; they really did recognize this person. It was the old woman who had first brought them into the residence, and who had even applied the Ghost Opera makeup for the three of them.

She still had that dead look, her face smeared with thick rouge, paired with a pair of slanted eyes, though her clothes had changed. She was now draped in a black monk's robe on her upper body, wearing a Miao-style skirt with colorful edges on her lower body, and stepping in embroidered shoes—one red and one green, as bizarre as could be.

Ignoring Liu Guanjia's enthusiastic invitation, Xuanli Shitai walked straight over and sat in the empty seat under everyone's gaze. Her cold eyes swept across the faces of the three of Yang Xiao one by one; Kuang Hongyi could not help but shiver—this gaze was far more terrifying than Shopkeeper Liu's.

"Master Feng, has your health improved?" Xuanli Shitai's tone was like a pool of stagnant water.

Master Feng laughed heartily: "Thanks to your pill, Xuanli Shitai, you are truly a living Bodhisattva who saves the world from suffering; you have both preserved my body and eased my worries."

"Are the preparations complete?"

Seeing Xuanli Shitai ask, Master Feng waved his hand. A guard standing to the side knocked hard on the closed wooden door of the side room to the right of the hall. A few seconds later, light shone from within the dark side room, followed by a sound of painful moaning, as if a woman were trying her best to endure, suffering intense agony.

The three of Yang Xiao immediately realized that this was the Second Young Mistress; these people had tied the Second Young Mistress up in the room next door and had even gagged her.

"Once the Xu hour passes tonight, we shall open the abdomen and take the child." Xuanli Shitai sat upright and dignified.