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The next day, I woke up to a gloomy sky, as if covered by a massive dark cloud. The air had suddenly turned cold, and there were noticeably fewer pedestrians on the street.
Xing Ruyi wrapped herself in a cloak, holding a bowl of red bean porridge, sitting at the door and watching the attendant Li Mao clean the street. She had heard that last night, Luoyang City experienced its first snowfall of the year, but unfortunately, the snow had fallen too lightly and had already disappeared by morning. The street was damp, with some dried leaves scattered in the muddy ground.
"The shopkeeper is afraid of the cold; why not go inside the shop instead of standing here in the chilly air?" Li Mao cleaned up the dirt in front of the door and picked up a cloth to wipe down the outside pillars.
Xing Ruyi sighed softly and glanced at the street, saying, "I'm feeling restless. Standing here allows me to get some fresh air."
"If our master hears you say that, he might overthink things," Li Mao shook his head and laughed. "You should hurry inside; if you catch a cold, it won't just be Lord Yin but also that cold knife of a young master that we will have to deal with."
"I know that cold face of the fox well. He rarely smiles at anyone other than me. If he does smile, it surely isn't for anything good. Yin Yuan—who knew he could be so fierce?" She flicked her finger around the edge of her bowl. "By the way, I haven't seen him this early in the morning. Is there some commotion in town?"
"Well, you were right about that. Something happened over at Baishi Alley; they found a dead man. In this cold weather, not only did our young master go to join in on the excitement, but everyone on the street without anything to do went to check it out too. Oh, Lord Chang and Shengzi also came by, but at that time you were still asleep and got driven away by our master's cold glare. It seems this case is unusual; otherwise, Lord Chang wouldn't have come looking for you."
"Brother Chang and Shengzi came? Why didn't I hear the fox mention it?" Xing Ruyi said as she set her bowl aside. "By the way, where is Baishi Alley? I've been in Luoyang City for quite some time; how come I've never heard of this name? Is it on the outskirts?"
"Baishi Alley is right in town; it's just that it's an alley that locals named themselves and isn't marked on any government maps. You're someone who deals with important matters; it's normal not to know about such an alley."
"I find that quite unusual. Why is it that you know about this alley while I don't?" Xing Ruyi propped her chin on her hand and wrinkled her nose. "I know you're well-informed; what's going on?"
"You're teasing me again," Li Mao said as he scratched his head and placed his cloth into a basin of water to wash it. "Actually, before you took me in, I lived in Baishi Alley myself. Although it's called Baishi Alley, there aren't really any alleys there. It used to be different back in the previous dynasty; the ground was unlike other places, with white pebbles everywhere. Speaking of which, it seems like you returned from Baishi Alley last night."
"I returned from Baishi Alley?" Xing Ruyi tapped her head thoughtfully. "I don't remember; all I know is that I fell asleep and must have been carried back by the fox."
"You should know about Gu's Coffin Shop, right? Over twenty years ago, it was one of the most famous places in Luoyang City. The reason Gu's Coffin Shop became famous was twofold: first, because Master Gu's craftsmanship was excellent and his prices were fair—he treated both rich and poor equally; second, because Master Gu dabbled in some peculiar arts—people said he could hear ghostly voices and discern their words, but whether that's true or not remains unknown. As for what has survived through time, there's only one thing left."
"What is it?"
"It's related to his only daughter, Gu Anniang." Li Mao stood up again to wipe down the windows while continuing his story: "Actually, I heard this from others; its authenticity still needs verification. This incident happened when Gu Anniang was about seven or eight years old. At that time, Master Gu received an order for a coffin from Mr. Li from Li Family Manor located fifteen miles outside of town; it was for his deceased mother.
As they say, it's rare for someone to live to seventy these days; Mrs. Li was seventy-eight when she passed away and was considered a joyful funeral by local standards. Therefore, they used a red coffin instead of the usual black one."
"Are you the red coffin?" A flash of the red wooden coffin from Gu Anniang's family coffin shop suddenly crossed Xing Ruyi's mind.
"The rumors say so!" Li Mao paused his actions, nodded, and continued, "This coffin, according to the shopkeeper Gu, was made with great care, taking a full seventy-seven nights. On the eighth day at dawn, he personally sought out several assistants to carry the coffin out of the city gate towards the Li Family estate. It is said that when Shopkeeper Gu left the city, everything was fine, but halfway there, it started to rain. Although the newly painted coffin could withstand some rain, it couldn't hold up against such a downpour, and some of the gold paint began to peel off. When they arrived at the Li Family estate, Mr. Li didn't make things difficult for him; he only asked Shopkeeper Gu to stay at home and repair the peeling gold paint.
Back at Shopkeeper Gu's home, Mrs. Gu noticed her husband had been gone for a long time and sent their daughter Gu Anniang, who was only seven or eight years old at the time, to inquire at the Li Family estate. Despite her young age, Gu Anniang grew up in the coffin shop and was no less brave than common people; common folks wouldn't dare provoke her because they feared being tainted by the misfortune associated with the coffin shop."
Xing Ruyi recalled what Gu Anniang looked like and her demeanor while speaking. She felt that it wouldn't be difficult for a seven or eight-year-old to venture out alone to find her father, so she nodded in agreement.
"Gu Anniang had a smooth journey all the way and reached the Li Family estate in no time. However, just as she entered the village, she encountered a fool. This fool would just stand there laughing whenever he saw someone. But upon closer inspection, one could see a shadow reflected in his pupils—a dark figure resembling a ghost with disheveled hair."
"This story is starting to get interesting," Xing Ruyi remarked as she switched hands and continued to support her chin.
"I knew you would be interested in these ghostly tales," Li Mao said enthusiastically, tossing his rag into the water and squatting down in front of Xing Ruyi to narrate with even more vivid detail.
"Go on, go on!" Xing Ruyi urged, pointing towards the shop interior. "Bring out some of those candied fruits too. And don't squat right in front of me; it makes me want to reach out and pat your head."
Li Mao chuckled as he fetched some candied fruits, holding them with both hands and presenting them to Xing Ruyi. He continued, "Although Gu Anniang was bold, she wasn't very meticulous. While she found that fool strange, she didn't dwell on it. She found someone in the village to ask for directions to Mr. Li's house and went on her way.
Upon learning that Shopkeeper Gu would be delayed at the Li Family estate for a while longer, Gu Anniang decided to stay. As for what happened next, it's not very clear from the rumors. It was just that out of curiosity, Gu Anniang wandered into Madam Li's mourning hall and startled Madam Li's corpse; she fainted right there. By the time Shopkeeper Gu heard about it and rushed over, he found Gu Anniang cold all over; it took a long time in hot water before she finally woke up. However, although she regained consciousness, she became just like that fool in the village—only able to laugh foolishly—and in her eyes reflected a person's shadow.
This time, people could see clearly because what was reflected in Gu Anniang's pupils was none other than that old lady from the Li Family mourning hall."
"And then?" Xing Ruyi urged while holding onto a candied fruit.
"And then? Then Shopkeeper Gu somehow used some method to bring Gu Anniang back to life. It is said that because of this incident, he offended Mr. Li. After that, business at the Gu family's coffin shop became much colder; however, more people came seeking Shopkeeper Gu for exorcisms."
Xing Ruyi had been enjoying the story but waited for a while without hearing any further developments. So she asked Li Mao, "Is that it?"
"That's it!" Li Mao chuckled as he got up and continued wiping the windows.
"What kind of story is this? It has a weak beginning and an abrupt ending. You didn't even tell me how Gu Anniang was saved by the shopkeeper. And what's going on with Madam Li in her pupils?"
"Do you really need to ask Li Zi about this? The shopkeeper can guess that Gu Anniang must have offended Madam Li at that time, which led to her spirit being taken away by a ghost, one of the Three Souls and Seven Spirits. That's why she became so foolish. As for how she was saved, I heard that Madam Gu was very skilled at making paper figures, so it probably has something to do with that. After all, ever since that incident, Madam Gu never made paper figures again, and her health deteriorated quickly; she passed away within two years."
"You know about this too?"
Li Mao scratched his head. "I just mentioned it to the shopkeeper. Before I came to you, I lived in Baishi Alley for a while. I used my real body there, and the place was not far from the Gu family's coffin shop. So, I know a bit more than the common people. Oh, I just remembered something: the Gu family's coffin shop has a barrier. Before Gu Anniang left, low-level practitioners like us were not allowed near it. At first, I thought it was because the coffin shop had too much negative energy, but later I realized that the shopkeeper seems to understand some kind of magic."
"I’m not sure if the shopkeeper knows any magic, but that Gu Anniang is definitely not as simple as she appears." Xing Ruyi narrowed his eyes. "By the way, did something happen in Baishi Alley related to the coffin shop?"
"Are you asking about the Gu family's coffin shop?"
"Yes!" Xing Ruyi nodded. "Last night, Gu Anniang returned. This morning, something happened in Baishi Alley, and I was wondering if there might be some connection."
"This is not good because the person who died had previously helped out at the Gu family's coffin shop; he was the last assistant hired by the shopkeeper before his death."
"Then how did this person die?"
"I heard he died from madness, but considering that Lord Chang specifically came to find the shopkeeper, it seems that this person's cause of death is not simple."
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