Chapter 688

Eight strong men carrying the redwood coffin, which was somewhat burdensome for them, found that after it sank into the water, it did not sink to the bottom……

Not only did it not sink, but it continued to move forward in the water……

This situation likely occurred because of the yellow weasel on the coffin.

The coffin kept drifting to the river's center, and at the moment the yellow weasel leapt up, it sank to the riverbed.

But that yellow weasel did not swim back to shore.

After falling back onto the water surface, it actually sat cross-legged, placing its hands on its legs with fingers pinched, lifting its neck toward the hazy moonlight above, as if inhaling and exhaling something.

Meanwhile, the funeral procession had already left the riverbank.

Zhao Zixun also pulled me away.

I felt completely numb, with many questions I wanted to ask but couldn't get out.

As we neared home, Zhao Zixun finally cautioned: "Fu Wan, this matter exceeds our imagination; I will investigate, you must not interfere—it's very dangerous."

I dismounted, stared into his eyes, and said: "That yellow weasel is not ordinary; you also need to be careful—if… if it's too dangerous, then don't continue the investigation."

No matter what, the Second Young Lady has already been buried; despite any doubts, we must let it go.

The living must still go on.

We are just ordinary people; if we have a grievance, we can try to seek redress, but contending with supernatural forces is likely a suicide mission.

I don't want Zhao Zixun to die.

Zhao Zixun solemnly agreed, watching me enter the gate.

Later, I never dreamed of the Second Young Lady again; I naively thought she had found peace in the earth.

I recuperated for a while, then found another job as a tutor for a wealthy household; this time the girl I taught was only six, her lessons simple, and it was easy for me.

On the third day of the third month, the Shangsi Festival, the mistress wanted to take the young lady to the temple to offer incense, and she let me come along.

I never expected to encounter the Elder Madam again in the temple.

The Elder Madam believes in Buddhism, so it's normal for her to appear at the temple during the Shangsi Festival.

But her condition was very poor.

She is only forty this year, looks good, well-maintained, and her whole person exudes a dignified, imposing aura.

Although the Marshal's Mansion has many concubines, the Elder Madam's position remains unshakable, showing her charm never fades.

But seeing her today, the Elder Madam seemed to have collapsed from inside out.

This collapse was not just the outward decadence and exhaustion, but more like her inner self had been crushed…… a walking corpse.

The Second Young Lady's passing would naturally grieve the Elder Madam; that is to be expected.

But the Elder Madam does not have only the Second Young Lady as a child; she also has two sons—the Eldest Young Master, already grown and highly valued by the Marshal, and the Youngest Young Master, who is clever and bright, sweet‑talked at a young age, always able to make everyone delighted.

With these two young masters around, the Elder Madam should not be like this.

After all, she is my former employer; upon meeting her, I ought to go over and say hello.

While the mistress and the young lady were away offering incense, I went to the Elder Madam's side.

The Elder Madam had just finished offering incense and came out; seeing me face‑to‑face, her red‑swollen eye sockets instantly reddened again.

Surely it's just seeing the object and thinking of the person?

Seeing me, she inevitably thought of the Second Young Lady.

We found a quiet spot to sit; the Elder Madam asked about my recent situation, and I answered truthfully.

Several times I almost couldn't hold back, wanting to ask about the Second Young Lady's water burial, but that was a secret between me and Zhao Zixun, not to be blabbed about, so I finally restrained myself.

I merely urged the Elder Madam to mourn and move on, and I unintentionally mentioned that the Second Young Lady had appeared in my dream seeking help.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, the Elder Madam's face turned deathly pale; she grabbed my hand and asked, "She sought help from you? What did she say to you?"

"No, in the dream she couldn't speak; it was my inference, and I don't know if it's accurate." I keenly sensed something was off, so I quickly added, "At that time the Second Young Lady had already passed the seventh day; such a kind person would surely have reincarnated quickly in the afterlife—it was just my wild imagination, haunted by a nightmare, not real; after the seventh day I never dreamed of her again."

The Elder Madam nodded repeatedly, yet her mind began to wander.

After sitting a short while, I rose to take my leave.

But I hadn't gone far when I took a detour and came back from the other side.

I always felt the Elder Madam was somewhat off.

The Elder Madam there sat dazedly for a while, then said something to her attendant maid, and the two hurried off.

However, they did not leave the temple; instead they walked all the way to the rear of the temple.

Behind the temple's main hall, on the western side, stood a huge pine tree that five or six people could encircle; its branches hung with all kinds of votive tablets, and near its roots stood many memorial tablets, each before which a small incense burner and a small wine cup were placed, etc.

The Elder Madam crouched beneath the tree; I saw her light incense in the small burner and pour some wine into the small cup.

When the Second Young Lady was alive, she loved peach blossom wine.

Seeing this scene, my heart was moved, and I angrily scolded myself for being suspicious all day.

I shouldn't suspect anyone but the Madam.

That is the Second Young Lady's birth mother!

I didn't leave right away; knowing that the Second Young Lady's spirit tablet stands here, both emotionally and rationally, I should come to pay respects often.

Thinking this, I decided to buy some incense, then after the Madam leaves, I'll come back to pay my respects to the Second Young Lady alone.

But just then, I saw the Madam's maid look around, make sure no one was near, whisper something to the Madam, and the Madam actually reached out and pulled out the spirit tablet!

I was so shocked my eyes widened, I hid in the corner of the wall, not daring to breathe.

I watched from afar as the Madam pulled out the spirit tablet, dug up the soil beneath with her hands, took something out, but from my angle I couldn't see clearly.

Soon she buried that thing again, put the spirit tablet back, and then she and her maid hurried away.

After confirming they had left, I immediately went over and saw that the spirit tablet the Madam had pulled out and replanted bore no inscription.

How could this be?

Perhaps because she was too flustered, that blank spirit tablet was even inserted crooked!

I put my palms together, bowed to the blank character rebirth tablet, then lifted my hand and pulled the tablet out, reached into the dirt beneath and felt around, and actually felt a wooden rectangular box.

That box was only palm-sized; I took it out, opened it, and when I saw what was inside, I was so frightened I almost cried out.

It was a doll, female, with a cinnabar-drawn talisman on the front chest and a cinnabar-written birth-character eight characters on the back.

This birth-character eight characters was none other than the Second Young Lady's!

What's more terrifying, the doll's point between the eyebrows, throat, both hands, both feet, and three inches below the navel each had a red dot marked in cinnabar.

As for the point between the eyebrows and the throat, at this moment each was pierced deep by a long silver needle.

The needle's entry point was exactly at the center of the red dot……