Chapter 65: Midnight ghost hunt, the ghost is actually her?

Li Qingluo slammed her palm down heavily: "Bold! Do you know what you're saying?"

Lou Shi trembled all over, then, frightened, lowered her head and flung herself flat on the ground.

"Miss, I was just talking nonsense, I didn't say anything at all!"

She kowtowed once, then got up and ran away.

Deng Mama wanted to go after her, but Li Qingluo called her back.

"No need!"

She wore a grim face, her hands gripping the chair arms tightly.

"Just have someone keep an eye on her."

That night, beside Hongfenguan, which had been quiet for a long time, there was suddenly movement again.

Next door was merely an abandoned residence; Li Qingluo had already sent people to search there.

Yet no black cat, nor any other ghostly shadow, had ever been found.

But tonight, even Li Qingluo heard a woman's plaintive weeping, and something like an infant's wailing……

Li Qingluo couldn't sleep; just as she sat up and lifted the bed curtains, Que'er and Cui Er also came in with lamps lit.

"Miss, you, you heard it……?"

The two of them were so frightened their voices trembled.

Li Qingluo: "I heard it. Come on, let's go catch the ghost!"

She rose, put on her outer robe, drew the sword hanging at the head of the bed, took up a lamp herself, and walked out.

Cui Er clung to Que'er in terror, not daring to go.

But leaving her alone in the room, she dared not even more.

Deng Mama also came over, and even gave Cui Er a start.

"Miss, the two grannies guarding the gate outside heard it too. This sound is coming from next door; shall we go take a look together?"

Li Qingluo: "Deng Mama, please have the two gatekeepers watch the front and back doors for me. As long as this 'ghost' doesn't fly off tonight—even if it goes underground—we'll catch it. Let's go!"

The gate next door was all crooked, bearing the three characters "Mingyuan Garden," but it was already covered in spiderwebs and dust; unless you looked closely, you wouldn't know this place once had such a lovely name.

Cui Er whispered from behind: "This Mingyuan Garden used to be Aunt Zheng's residence. It's said that when she first entered the mansion, she was the old master's most beloved, enjoying exclusive favor for nearly a year—so much that even on the first and fifteenth, he wouldn't go to the lady's quarters."

Li Qingluo wondered: "You've heard? How many years ago did Aunt Zheng enter the mansion?"

In her previous life, her knowledge was limited, so she only had a rough idea about the two concubines.

Cui Er shook her head; she wasn't clear either.

Deng Mama, however, knew.

After all, she had followed Madame Pei for many years at the Green Pine Temple; being idle and bored, she could pick up any fresh news in the mansion, even some not‑too‑deeply‑hidden secrets.

The old lady didn't hide things from them either; she was willing to let them know about some minor family scandals in the mansion as a pastime.

Deng Mama said: "Miss, I know this. Aunt Zheng entered the mansion eighteen years ago; it's said that when she was young her beauty was unrivaled throughout Jinling, yet only the old master won her heart."

"After entering the mansion, she was indeed favored for several years, and she lived right here in Mingyuan Garden. At that time our Hongfenguan, though also empty and deserted, still had someone coming to clean it, so it wasn't as desolate as an abandoned residence."

"Mingyuan Garden was lively for several years; it's said the old master even made it his main residence, coming back each day to run here, sending all good things here, making the whole Jiangjun Fu such that the mistress didn't act like a mistress and the concubines didn't act like concubines."

"Even the whole city of Jinling was rumoring that the old master favored the concubine and discarded the wife, intending to elevate Aunt Zheng to principal wife."

"However, Aunt Zheng herself didn't really cause trouble."

Deng Mama swallowed, then went on: "It's said she gave birth to a daughter; if the girl had grown up normally, she'd be a year older than you, Miss."

Li Qingluo exclaimed in surprise: "I have an older sister? She died young?"

Li Qingluo recalled Lou Shi's words.

What she meant—could it be this daughter born of the Zheng family?

Deng Mama: "At age four, I heard she died of illness."

Li Qingluo shoved the shuddering door open with a palm, and a puff of dust and ash blew into her face.

Master and servant, a few of them, brushed away the ash and walked forward with lamps.

Once‑favored Mingyuan Garden, now overgrown with weeds, the ground teeming with rats.

But after Li Qingluo and the others entered, the weeping suddenly vanished.

Neither did the few of them intend to turn back for the mansion.

The front and back gates of Mingyuan Garden were already tightly guarded by the two grannies; Li Qingluo intended to get to the bottom of this tonight!

If there really are ghosts in this world, why did she, when she became a ghost, not lunge at Li Qingzhu and Li Kechuan and the others?

Otherwise, she would surely have become a vengeful ghost haunting this residence.

But if ghosts cannot appear in this world at all, then who is it that's faking spirits in this residence?

Li Qingluo and her three companions went to the center of the courtyard, backs to each other, and simultaneously raised their lamps high, turning to face the four directions.

Everywhere were mottled shadows, swaying to and fro in the wind.

Suddenly, that sound came again……

"Yī yī yī……"

"Wa‑ah—wa‑ah—"

A woman's lament, an infant's wail.

"Who?"

Que'er spotted a black shadow and dashed after it.

Deng Mama worried about Que'er, shouted a warning, and hurried after her.

Cui Er's legs shook with fright; Li Qingluo grabbed her and said, "Come on, let's go take a look too."

But around the corner, there was no sign of Que'er or Deng Mama anymore.

The whole month, Bright Garden seemed in an instant to have only Li Qingluo and Cui Er left.

"Miss, miss, why don't we, go out..."

The shadow on the ground grew longer and longer as it was pulled.

Cui Er faintly heard footsteps behind her; she panicked, feeling all her body hair stand on end.

Her heart nearly leapt from her throat; Cui Er, unable to suppress her terror, kept pushing the young lady forward.

Suddenly, she felt a pair of hands behind her; before Cui Er could scream, she instantly fainted.

Li Qingluo turned, raised her sword, and thrust at the person behind her——

The person wore a black mask; the sword tip swept past his eyes, yet he quickly bent back to dodge.

Then he quickly struck, exchanging moves with Li Qingluo.

Li Qingluo's skill wasn't deep; after all, she had only studied for a few months.

But she had some talent, so they traded blows, exchanging several moves, until her sword was kicked away.

The person reached out quickly to grab her; Li Qingluo remained calm, raised her hand, and continued to parry with the dagger in her hand, fiercely stabbing at the person's eyes.

"Heh..."

The person gave a low laugh, then continued to exchange blows with Li Qingluo.

However, Li Qingluo soon sensed something odd.

This person wasn't really trying to deal with me!

Or rather, this person was constantly probing, testing how far I could fight him—like teasing a cat or dog, not killing me, yet not giving me a chance to turn the tables completely!

This person's skill was extraordinary, and his footwork and moves made Li Qingluo feel increasingly familiar.

Li Qingluo exclaimed in surprise: "Master——!?"