Chapter 44: Collecting Ghosts

In the afternoon, the number of people coming to pay their respects decreased; the wives and concubines, having exhausted themselves crying and putting on a show before outsiders in the morning, now grew lazy. When no one was around, they huddled by the brazier to warm themselves, only letting out a fake wail when someone approached.

Suddenly, a person wearing a ye-sa robe and cloud-toe shoes stood before the spirit hall.

"More work," the wives and concubines thought helplessly, having just wailed half a cry. That person raised his palm, and a dull, soybean-sized pill rolled from his palm into the brazier.

Hiss—

From the brazier containing only embers, a pillar of fire suddenly shot up, a zhang in height.

Although fierce, that pillar of fire was an eerie dark green.

Countless insects, seeming both real and illusory, small yet strange, rose from the fire pillar, filling the entire courtyard.

Whether the wives and concubines in the spirit hall or the servants openly and secretly scavenging for wealth in the front and back courtyards, all were chased by a swarm of insects.

Chaos erupted within the courtyard! They swatted and fled, but to no avail; soon the insects pounced upon their bodies.

Some insects burrowed in through their nostrils, ears, mouths, and other openings. Others simply melted directly into their skin.

In a short time, everything fell silent again.

Everyone trembled with fear; although those insects seemed to have no effect after burrowing into their bodies.

Yet no one believed those insects were truly "harmless" given the terrifying scene just witnessed.

"Come here, all of you."

At that person's command, everyone obediently gathered before the spirit hall.

"Where is Qiao Zi'ang's study?" the visitor asked in a cold voice.

The wives and concubines scrambled to lead the way.

Moments later, the visitor turned Qiao Zi'ang's study upside down and roared in anger: "Where is it?!"

The wives and concubines looked bewildered: "My lord, what are you looking for?"

The visitor rushed out of the study and began searching house by house.

"Hey... my lord..." The wives and concubines frantically tried to stop him; each of their rooms hid gold, silver, and fine goods, along with land deeds and house deeds.

Now was the time to choose money over life.

The visitor shouted angrily: "Get out of the way!"

A rolling wall of fire rose up, causing the wives and concubines to scream and hastily retreat.

Yet the various valuable objects the visitor found were glanced at not once before being tossed aside. Those pearls and jade ornaments were swept to the ground and shattered, causing the wives and concubines heartbreak so deep it felt like dying.

For more than an hour, the visitor searched the entire Qiao residence, top to bottom.

Every servant, maid, wife, and concubine was searched several times over.

When the visitor searched Qiao Zi'ang's principal wife, a strong servant, filled with rage and indignation, resisted on the spot, only to be burned into a piece of charcoal right then and there!

Yet the item the visitor sought was never found.

He suddenly remembered something, returned to the study, and examined it carefully: on the side table in the outer hall of the study, one vase was missing.

"Someone got here first!" He gritted his teeth, turned, and flew away at great speed.

The ornaments of scholars and literati follow strict regulations and refined standards; Qiao Zi'ang was the most meticulous in his pretentious cultivation of elegance, so there would be no error in this regard.

"My lord, spare our lives..."

The wives and concubines screamed, begging for the antidote, but where could they see the shadow of that my lord?

That person did not leave Wangjing Ward; winding seven or eight turns within the ward, he confirmed no one was following before slipping into the backyard of a solemn large mansion in the northeast corner.

This was a secluded back garden.

Compared to the Qiao residence, this place was several times grander.

Several exquisite houses hid among the trees in the garden; he pushed the door open directly and got straight to the point: "The item is gone!"

Inside the room, an old master sat slanted on a concubine couch, holding a scroll and reading.

"Did Qiao Zi'ang really die? Or does he intend to use that item as a stepping stone to defect to someone else?" the old master asked.

"He dares not."

The old master put down the book and thought for a moment: "The Purification Bureau went to Henggong Lane today. There is a young man inside who seems to be involved in the Qiao Zi'ang case."

"The Purification Bureau has come? Then we can wait no longer. I will go capture that young man." Acting decisively, he turned to leave.

"Return!" the old master barked: "You are an outsider and do not understand the situation in Shanhe County. Henggong Lane is somewhat strange."

He tapped the table lightly with his finger: "Let Old Qian go. Test the depths of Henggong Lane; if there is an opportunity, bring that young man back."

"Old master, if that young man Xu Yuan truly has problems, under no circumstances must he fall into the hands of the Purification Bureau!"

The old master frowned: "I have my own judgment! Continue to keep an eye on the Qiao family; that item might have been stolen by an internal thief within the Qiao family."

"Rest assured, all those people in the Qiao family have been infected with my Gu pill; everything they do is under my control."

He went out and summoned "Old Qian" to enter, and the old master gave a series of instructions.

Old Qian's face was covered in wrinkles, his figure thin, his back hunched, looking as if a gust of wind would blow him over.

Having received the old master's orders, he said nothing, nodded, and returned to make preparations.

The old master did not know at this moment that two capable Captains of the Purification Bureau had suffered a great defeat at the entrance of Henggong Lane; otherwise, he would have been even more cautious and would not have easily sent Old Qian to test the waters.

After arranging these matters, the old master picked up his book to continue reading. A young boy walked along the path outside the door and bowed outside, saying: "Old master, the Magistrate of Shanhe County, Wang Mingqian, requests an audience."

The old master did not even lift his eyelids: "I will not receive him."

"As you command."

In the gatehouse of the mansion, Wang Mingqian, who had arrived in plain clothes with a simple retinue, dared not show the slightest dissatisfaction; he left his gifts and slunk away.

Old Qian lived in a row of cold, gloomy rooms beneath the west wall of the back garden.

This group of people were all brought back from Nandu by the old master.

Old Qian received the task from the Master, then returned to his room to begin preparations.

Several hanging ghosts were suspended from the roof beams—Old Qian took them down and stuffed them one by one into his pocket.

He then hoisted a hoe and dug out some bottles and jars from beneath the wall.

After a moment's thought, he went outside to summon a carriage, left the city for Qili Pu beyond the walls, and retrieved the "net cages" he had set in the small river outside the village several months ago.

Inside were seven or eight drowned ghosts, half-human and half-fish.

Old Qian collected them all as well.

Upon returning to the city, dusk was about to fall.

"Have a meal, then get the business done."

Xu Yuan was also having dinner.

Tonight there were meat-filled sesame cakes, which Xu Yuan also loved.

Pork belly was diced, mixed with chopped scallion whites, beaten with eggs, and stirred together to make the filling.

The outer skin was kneaded by the stepmother herself, rolled out to only two layers of hemp paper thickness, wrapped, and then pan-fried until golden on both sides.

Xu Yuan ate one every three or five bites; after eating just enough to be full, he realized a problem: today was already his second day back, and at most by tomorrow, this period of delicious meals at every turn would come to an end.

He was about to start being despised.

Lin Wanmo was actually very lazy—no matter how virtuous and diligent she appeared before the elders in the alley, she could not fool Xu Yuan, with whom she had lived for over ten years!

Of course, the stepmother had no intention of hiding it.

She was very good at cooking, but absolutely did not like to cook.

To maintain this standard of living, Xu Yuan felt he must do something to make her feel guilty.

So Xu Yuan felt around in his chest, then tossed a bundle onto the table.

Clang!

Clang!

Coincidentally, Lin Wanmo had just tossed out a bundle as well!

Requesting monthly tickets.

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(End of this chapter)