Chapter 34

Chapter 34: The Killing Trap

“Hm?” Mei Yinghan looked over in confusion.

Bai Zhengliu explained, “Mei, although we haven’t experienced a daily cycle, from the memories of Miss Liu, it seems that the ‘Chang Mansion’ has had countless people come to subdue her. If we think about it, things inside are actually getting more complicated. It’s just that the duration is longer, with one batch of people being replaced by the next after they’re gone.”

Mei Yinghan seemed to understand: “That makes sense.”

The others looked at them with a mix of confusion and hope. They didn’t quite understand what the two were talking about, but from the tone of their voices, it seemed like there was hope for escape?

Bai Zhengliu thought for a moment before continuing his analysis: “When we left the Chang Mansion, we were helped by the vengeful spirit of Miss Liu, who had been persecuted by the head of the Chang family. Once her seal was lifted, the first thing she did was go after the head of the Chang family for revenge. Once the old man died, there was nothing left to trap us.”

Mei Yinghan followed his lead: “So, now we need to find the real person who trapped us, and then see if any of the other vengeful spirits have the power to kill them.”

Bai Zhengliu added: “As for who that person is…”

Bai Zhengliu, Mei Yinghan, and the Jun brothers all turned to look at the three who had been staying at Tan’s house longer and had some experience.

Qian Gui struggled to keep up with their reasoning. Since arriving at Tan’s house, most of his time had been spent in panic. Even though he was under the protection of Nie Qing’e and Lu Qing, whenever he thought about how there were probably only these two living people around him, he couldn’t help but shiver in fear.

This state of mind meant he couldn’t be relied upon to observe much.

However, Nie Qing’e and Lu Qing had been there longer and had indeed made an effort to explore. After a moment of recollection, Nie Qing’e slowly said, “This area should be centered around the Tan family. The person you’re talking about is probably one of the Tan family.”

The others were silent.

Nie Qing’e continued to explain, “Lu Qing says this because, every night, the people drinking and eating at the banquet disappear. The only ones left are the eight members of the Tan family and the Meng family. But not all of them stay until the end.”

Bai Zhengliu asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Nie Qing’e replied, “Usually, when the screams of killing start, the Meng family members who are helping with the ceremony will run away. The ones left are usually Tan Yuanwai, Qiu Ge’er, Meng Niangzi, and the child who is supposed to have the full moon banquet.”

Jun Tao asked, “Brother Bai, does this mean that the ‘Old Master Chang’ you mentioned is one of those people?”

Before Bai Zhengliu could answer, his older brother retorted, “No! Things can’t be that simple. For one, Old Master Chang is a vengeful ghost who harms people, but the Tan family is just unlucky, being targeted by mountain bandits.”

Jun Tao seemed convinced: “That’s true.” He looked dejected. “So what should we do now?”

Bai Zhengliu thought for a moment and suggested, “Let’s wait until tonight and observe the situation together.”This statement was unanimously agreed upon by everyone. After all, they were newcomers, and although Nie Qing’e and Lu Qing had provided descriptions, some things were best seen with their own eyes.

With a preliminary plan in place, although everyone was still trapped in danger, their mental state relaxed a little.

Especially Qian Gui. Before, he had only Nie Qing’e and Lu Qing by his side. Although they had been diligent in protecting him, there were too few of them, and their strength was limited. The days were manageable, but once night fell and the sounds of killing echoed outside, Qian Gui wished he could just bury himself underground.

Now, with a few more people around, though he wasn’t familiar with them, the earlier polite phrase “I’ve long heard of your great names” was merely a formality. But from Nie Qing’e and Lu Qing’s attitudes, he could tell that both Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan, as well as the Jun brothers, were martial arts experts with many years of experience. With their protection, his life was finally safe.

Thinking of this, Qian Gui felt more at ease, and his stomach followed suit with a long, audible “gurgle.”

Everyone looked at him.

Qian Gui awkwardly patted his belly. “These past few days, I’ve been listening to Nie and Lu’s advice and haven’t touched any food from Tan’s family. Luckily, I still have two pieces of flatbread in my pocket, so I’ve been able to make do. But after a while, the hunger really sets in. I’m embarrassed. Please don’t laugh.”

Bai Zhengliu looked at Nie Qing’e and Lu Qing in surprise and admiration, earning a faint smile in return. “We also thought this place was strange, and it was best to avoid touching anything inside. Was my judgment correct, based on Bai’s performance?”

Bai Zhengliu explained, recalling how An Bo and Ping Ge had repeatedly asked whether they had eaten the food provided by the Chang Mansion. He said, “We can’t be sure of their intentions, but judging from the behaviors of those wandering spirits, it’s definitely not a good sign.”

“Junior Brothers Jun, the dry rations you bought earlier, do you still have them?”

Jun Yang and Jun Tao both replied, “Yes.”

They had prepared quite a lot of food. When not mentioned, it even seemed like a bit of a burden. But when Bai Zhengliu asked, the Jun brothers immediately opened their bundles. A stack of flatbreads, easy to fill the stomach, appeared in front of everyone, accompanied by small dishes wrapped in lotus leaves, their colors and scents quite tempting. What had once seemed like a “burden” now gleamed with freshness.

Finally, there were three filled water pouches. According to the brothers’ plan, one was for each of them, one for Nie Qing’e and Lu Qing, and the remaining one was for Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan.

But now with Qian Gui added to the group, Bai Zhengliu took the initiative to say, “We had already brought water. The extra water pouches should go to Brother Qian.”

Qian Gui was so moved by this gesture that he didn’t know what to say.

The others saw his expression and all smiled, saying, “Alright. Since you’re hungry, go ahead and eat those things.”

Qian Gui hesitated. “This... this really is...” He felt a bit guilty, but still, he couldn’t resist the temptation of food. He quickly grabbed a piece of flatbread and began to devour it.

Previously, he had thought such food was crude, but now, he was able to appreciate its goodness.The large flatbread had no particular taste, but it was enough to fill the stomach. Together with the water, after a few gulps, Qian Gui wiped his mouth in satisfaction, saying, "This life of mine was worth it!"

Bai Zhengliu couldn’t help but laugh, saying, "Brother Qian, don’t say it like that. When we all leave together, there will surely be things outside that are even more worth it."

Qian Gui laughed along with him, saying, "Exactly, what the hero Bai said is right!" After a pause, his voice wavered, uncertain, and he hesitated before adding, "Sigh... I shouldn’t be bringing this up at this moment, but... but, did any of you hear any rumors when you came to Tan’s Village?"

"I thought, since I was ‘lost,’ the merchant caravan should have had some reaction."

Bai Zhengliu thought for a moment and replied, "I haven’t heard any news about the caravan looking for people… Mei Brother, did you hear anything?"

Mei Yinghan said, "I don’t remember anything."

Jun Yang and Jun Tao chimed in, "We didn’t hear any news either."

Qian Gui’s face turned bitter.

Seeing this, Bai Zhengliu thought for a moment, then comforted him, "When we arrived at Tan’s Village, it was late, and we were all focused on inquiring about the two seniors. It was inevitable that we missed some things. Moreover, if the caravan really lost people, they should have gone to the county town to report to the authorities. That’s why we don’t know much about the situation."

Qian Gui sighed, "True."

The rest of the afternoon passed with everyone lingering in the backyard of Tan’s house.

This was still based on the experiences Nie Qing’e and Lu Qing had summarized. Although those in the main courtyard weren’t members of Tan’s family who had been slaughtered by bandits, they had long since lost all vitality and were equally dangerous.

Take the man with the horse-face, for example. Before Qian Gui arrived at Tan’s house, Nie Qing’e and Lu Qing had encountered another wanderer who had barged into Tan’s house with no head or reason. But unlike Qian Gui, this man wasn’t as timid, nor did he show any respect. When he saw that the couple was being cautious, he mocked them.

When the horse-faced man said, "Let’s have a bet. If you win, I’ll tell you the way out," the wanderer immediately agreed without hesitation. Nie Qing’e and Lu Qing couldn’t persuade him, and when they wanted to physically drag him away, the group of guests in the main courtyard suddenly changed their expressions, turning pale and showing a sinister look.

It was as though, if they made a move, the guests would swarm them and kill Nie Qing’e and Lu Qing on the spot.

Helpless, the couple could only watch as the game began.

The outcome wasn’t surprising. The wanderer was utterly defeated. He first lost money, and then began to "borrow" from them.

Nie Qing’e, helpless, said, "They said they wouldn’t accept collateral and casually lent him money. But there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Later, we found out that borrowing one or two silver meant exchanging a year of life. By the time tens of silver were lost cleanly, the man’s hair turned white... It was really terrifying."

Hearing Nie Qing’e’s description, the people present gasped in shock.Especially Qian Gui. He asked himself, if it weren’t for this couple always protecting him, would he have accepted the invitation of the man with the horse face out of fear?

Realizing that the answer was most likely "yes," Qian Gui’s face turned pale. He was once again relieved, thankful that he had encountered the kind-hearted Nie Qing’e and Lu Qing. Otherwise, he wouldn’t even know how he’d die.

After the wanderer lost the bet and died, the couple had more or less figured out the rules.

Before the game started, they could intervene and stop it. But once the game had begun, they had to wait until the outcome was decided. And in this strange mansion, deciding the outcome also meant deciding life or death.

After hearing all this, Bai Zhengliu quietly reflected on his earlier actions. Perhaps he had been too reckless. Without fully understanding the situation, he had already thought about probing for information from the man with the horse face.

Although he wasn’t as greedy as the wanderer, who knew what other tricks the man with the horse face had up his sleeve?… Thinking of this, Bai Zhengliu opened his mouth to speak.

Just then, a shout came from the main courtyard: "Our young master is going to be brought out to meet the guests, everyone please take your seats."