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墨書 Inktalez
"Everything has to start from the departure of this Master Chang's ancestor." The female ghost floated closer to Chang Tai, her delicate and cold fingers slowly tracing over Chang Tai's brow. "Your features resemble his, but even with my eyes covered by Rice Paper, I know you are not him."
"Of course not!" Chang Tai took a step back.
The female ghost lowered her hand with a sigh and turned to look at Xing Ruyi. "I heard you call this Master Chang Brother Chang. In fact, I used to call that person the same way. He learned about my background and offered to send me home. I don't know what he discussed with my parents, but after he left, they stopped urging me to marry. I thought he must have asked for my hand in marriage. So, I would go to the riverbank every day, hoping to wait for his return. I waited for over half a year without any news from him, only to receive a marriage proposal from the Lu Family.
The Lu Family is a well-known wealthy family in the area. I once met Master Lu. Although he wasn't particularly accomplished at a young age, he was a gentleman. Unable to resist my parents' insistence and not being able to wait for that person any longer, I had no choice but to agree. After all, I was already 18 that year, and if I continued to wait, my parents might marry me off to someone else without my consent. As the Fisherman's Daughter, I knew well that being able to connect with the Lu Family was already a stroke of luck; how could I refuse?
On the day of the wedding, everything went as usual, but halfway there, a strong wind suddenly blew, causing my sedan chair to sway violently. At that moment, I felt dizzy, and when I woke up, I found myself in an unfamiliar room. I had no idea where it was but felt it must be the Lu Family."
"How can you be so sure?" Xing Ruyi asked.
"Because the furnishings in that room were quite unusual; only someone from a wealthy family could afford such things." The female ghost thought for a moment. "I waited until midnight. Around the hour of the rat, the door opened, and an elderly man dressed in black walked in."
"The dream of the Niu Family!" Xing Ruyi recalled the scene from before involving the Niu Family. It turned out that everything she experienced was related to what Yuer had gone through in life. It seemed that the events at the Xie Family Ancestral Home were likely connected to Yuer.
The female ghost continued recounting her experience without paying attention to what Xing Ruyi was thinking: "At first, I thought that elderly man was a servant of the Lu Family, but his behavior and appearance were very strange. He carefully examined me and then looked outside; yes, it was indeed Nine Yin Fate."
Hearing this, the fox couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and muttered, "No wonder!"
"No wonder what? And what is this Nine Yin Fate?" Xing Ruyi poked the fox.
"People born during yin times and months have pure yin destinies; those with nine yin are those whose nine lives of reincarnation are all pure yin."
"Ninth lives? But didn't you say before that people only have seven lives of reincarnation?"
"That's mostly true, but there are exceptions. For example, those who have made significant contributions or have been kind to living beings may reincarnate nine times. I just roughly calculated; this Yuer's first two lives were not as humans. In her first life, she was a cat—a pure yin Black Cat. In her second life, she was a fish that had cultivated for a hundred years and leaped over the Dragon Gate. Unfortunately, she ultimately became entangled in love and lost her dragon form, transforming into a human."
"So she has nine lives!" Xing Ruyi understood and turned to the female ghost saying, "You're impressive; instead of being a dragon, you chose to be human."
The female ghost smiled lightly. "Perhaps so, but those events happened long ago; Yuer no longer remembers."
"What happened after that? I think those people must have deliberately imprisoned you. Pure Yin women are already hard to find in this world, and you are the Nine Yin Fate; those people probably had ill intentions."
"Indeed, they did!" The female ghost laughed again, but this time her smile was a bit more bitter. "I suffocated to death when that old man covered my face with layers of Rice Paper."
"How much do you remember about what happened after your death?" Usually, ghosts have a clear memory of their lives but are vague about what happens after death. Firstly, because ghosts only have a form and no substance, their minds are naturally not as sharp as when they were alive. Secondly, having become a ghost, they tend not to care much about things.
The female ghost thought for a moment and replied, "I remember some things, but not many!"
"Can you share them with us?"
"I don't want to. Can you let me go?" The female ghost countered, her Ghost Eyes looking at Xing Ruyi. "However, it doesn't matter; these things are no longer important to me."
After saying this, the female ghost floated to the window and looked at the scenery outside. "It's almost dawn. Once it gets bright, I will also dissipate with the sunlight. So, there are some things I need to tell you quickly. Actually, after my death, I wandered around like an ordinary wandering spirit, but I couldn't leave the Lu Family's courtyard. By the way, I even went to the new house that originally belonged to me and Master Lu. I was just curious about how he would react after my disappearance as his new Wife. But the house was tightly shut. As a ghost, I could pass through doors, but strangely enough, I saw a man dressed in Wedding Garment inside the room. It was then that I realized that the interest Master Lu had in me was all part of a conspiracy."
"A conspiracy? From the Lu Family?"
"That's right! During those days drifting around Lu Mansion, I gradually learned the truth. It turned out that Master Lu was fond of men; the young gentleman in the new house was his true love. That gentleman was an actor who looked exceptionally beautiful despite being male. But no matter how handsome he was, he was still a man. Master Lu was the only heir of the Lu Family; he naturally knew that his father, Mr. Lu, would never allow such a thing to happen. So he kept this matter hidden."
Perhaps it was fate playing tricks; that young gentleman fell ill with an incurable disease. Master Lu searched everywhere and found a way to extend that young gentleman's life. Not only could it help him live longer, but it would also allow Master Lu to fulfill his Wish and be together with that young gentleman.
"To find a Nine Yin Fate girl?" Xing Ruyi looked at the female ghost and seemed to have guessed the truth.
In Xing Ruyi's time, many strange events had occurred. For example, there was the infamous Chongqing Red Cloak Boy incident where the perpetrator's motive was to extend someone's life. It is said that if one wanted to refine a pure Yin essence, they needed to choose a girl with a pure Yin fate. Yuer's Nine Yin body is clearly even rarer.
"Yes, Master Lu married me for the purpose of extending that young gentleman's life. Specifically, I'm not very clear on the details; it probably involved extracting my soul and then drawing that gentleman's soul into my body while using my soul as nourishment for the Officials of Yin Si. If this succeeded, on the surface it would appear that Master Lu's wife was still me. However, things ultimately went awry; despite all his calculations, Master Lu never anticipated that Mr. Lu would discover his secret. Not only did he send people to disrupt the Ritual, but he also captured that young gentleman. Since the Ritual was halfway through when Mr. Lu arrived, my soul had already been extracted by then. Fearing exposure of his plans, he had my remains buried in the courtyard and dressed that young gentleman in my Wedding Garment, locking him in the new house as if he were me. However, at that time I had just become a ghost and only learned about these events later."
As for what happened afterward, you already know. Mr. Lu used the excuse that I was a white tiger descended from heaven who would bring disaster to the Lu Family while actually having someone take that young gentleman out of town and bury him alive. My remains were buried in the Lu Family grounds; thus my soul could not wander far and remained haunting the residence day after day. After another six months or so, when the Lu Family arranged another marriage for Master Lu, I was curious and followed along to see what would happen next. To my surprise, I witnessed Master Lu being harmed by someone. In my panic at that moment, I hid inside one of the paintings and later took refuge within it; most of my time has been spent within that painting."
"We understand your plight now; don't worry! Once dawn breaks, I'll help you find your remains so you can finally rest in peace."
"Thank you! By the way, there is not just one ghost in the Xie Family Ancestral Home." The female ghost bowed in gratitude but revealed another secret. "I know a bit about what you discussed earlier. The reason the Xie Family was able to purchase this house at a low price from Mr. Lu is that this house is Mr. Lu's place of sorrow, and also because I often wander around the house, which inevitably makes me visible. As for the third reason, it is because the Lu and Xie families are originally related by marriage. Master Lu's mother is the daughter of the Xie Family."
"So, the other ghost in this house must be Master Lu's mother?"
"No! She is a poor woman just like me!" The female ghost said, raising her eyes towards the direction of the Xie Family Ancestral Home. "As they say, when the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked. Mr. Lu is not a good person either; the character of those who can become relatives with him, like the Xie Family, is also questionable.
That woman was originally an entertainer at Flower Pavilion, and due to her exceptional beauty and talent, she caught Mr. Lu's eye and was forcibly taken as his concubine. However, Master Lu's mother, Madam Lu, was extremely jealous; she not only made things difficult for her but also hired street beggars to insult her and secretly arranged for Mr. Lu to catch her in an affair. The woman, humiliated and angry, hanged herself in the house. Having suffered humiliation in life, she naturally became a Vengeful Spirit after death and took Madam Lu's life in revenge. Because of this, the side courtyard of the Lu Family has always been sealed off. The Lu Family even hired someone to perform a Ritual to suppress that courtyard.
I sympathized with her; we were both harmed by the Lu Family, so I wanted to help her. I confused one of the servants of the Lu Family and had him secretly inform the Xie Family that Madam Lu's death was suspicious and that she had hidden a large amount of jewelry in the mansion after her death. Such lies would not be believed by others, but not by the Lu Family because it was actually Madam Lu who was skilled in managing affairs, not Mr. Lu. Therefore, when the Xie Family heard this rumor, they believed it wholeheartedly and decided to invest in purchasing this house after learning that Mr. Lu intended to move.
After the Xie Family moved in, they began extensive renovations under the pretext of repairs, which naturally lifted the seal on the side courtyard. Although we are ghosts, we are not unreasonable; we merely frightened the members of the Xie Family without intending to take any lives. Later on, when the Xie Family could not find their valuables and were disturbed by us, they moved away."
"And those who died in the Xie Family Ancestral Home?"
"Aside from that couple with the surname Niu, the other two were her enemies—enemies from their past lives. Although they had changed their appearances and even their genders, she recognized them at first glance."
"So that concubine is still in the Xie Family Ancestral Home?"
"Not anymore!" The female ghost shook her head. "She died; her soul has scattered."
"Who did it?"
"Niu Fugui!"
"Ah?" Xing Ruyi was stunned.
"Actually, there's nothing strange about it. A person's fate is like a circle; people met in past lives may meet again in this life. A glance back at a past life may lead to companionship in this life; unwavering loyalty from a past life may result in mere encounters in this life. Niu Fugui was her beloved in a past life but one who betrayed her. In his previous life, Niu Fugui also had the surname Niu and was a down-and-out wandering doctor.
One day she fell ill, but Madam Yan was reluctant to spend money and only sent someone from Flower Pavilion to fetch Niu Fugui. Niu Fugui examined her closely throughout the process while caring for her condition without paying excessive attention to her appearance. After she recovered from her illness, they originally had no further interactions; however, Niu Fugui came back again. He spent all his savings to buy an opportunity to be alone with her just to bring her some snacks. Those snacks were called Pearl Fruit, which helps regulate qi and nourish the stomach while combating weakness and aging—exactly what she needed for her previous ailment of spleen and stomach deficiency."
It was just a plate of snacks, yet she developed feelings for Niu Fugui, even going so far as to secretly meet with him behind the brothel owner's back. However, it was this very Niu Fugui who recommended her to Master Lu.
On that day, the Niu couple entered the Xie family’s old residence, and she recognized him at first glance. Initially, she had intended to kill him, but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to do it. Later on, when Niu Fugui discovered she was a ghost and not a human, he went to the City God’s temple to obtain a talisman and stabbed her to death. Her soul scattered, leaving nothing behind. I had known her for a hundred years, so naturally, I had to avenge her. Niu Fugui was the first person I harmed and also the last. As for his wife and children, I did not touch them.
As he finished speaking, dawn began to break in the east. The shadow of the female ghost floated hazily, yet her lips curled into a serene smile. Xing Ruyi noticed this and quickly turned around, wanting to find a container to gather her spirit, only to see that the fox had already crafted a paper figure.
While searching for the female ghost's corpse in the Xie family’s old residence, Chang Tai couldn't help but ask, “Is that Pearl Fruit made of pearls?”
“No,” Xing Ruyi replied, glancing at Chang Tai. “It's just an ordinary health snack made primarily from flour and lard, with some fruit filling inside. It’s suitable for those who are weak and frail.” She added, “Brother Chang has been entangled with the fish for so long; it seems he would also benefit from eating this Pearl Fruit. I’ll make some for Brother Chang later; I guarantee it will taste better than what that Niu Fugui made in his past life.”
“In that case, thank you, Fox Demon. By the way, according to the fish's method, you and I, along with Young Master Yin, must have also brushed past each other in our past lives?”
Xing Ruyi glanced at the fox leisurely enjoying the scenery and said, “The Fox Demon and Brother Chang may indeed share a connection from our past lives; however, I definitely do not know this fox.”
“Why not?” Chang Tai asked in confusion.
Xing Ruyi smiled mysteriously and replied, “Because he is a fox!”
As soon as she finished speaking, they heard Yin Yuan calling out, “Mother, I found the bones!”
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