Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Older Brother?

It was clearly a visit to someone else's house, yet they had been there half the night and half the day without meeting the host, which was truly an extremely impolite thing to do.

The group quickly reached a consensus. When the sun was high in the sky, and An Bo came to call them for lunch, they headed to the main hall while casually bringing it up.

They thought it would be a matter of course, but unexpectedly, An Bo refused their request.

He and the young servant, Ping Ge, gave the same answer: "Our master is ill and not convenient to meet guests."

Fu Ming immediately furrowed his brows. "No matter how ill, surely he can say a few words?"

The Ninth Prince was not used to being refused, and even though he knew something strange was going on here, there was still a hint of displeasure on his face.

It was Gu Miao who pinched him, subtly telling Fu Ming that this wasn’t the Liang County Magistrate's residence. The steward didn’t seem to know your "Prince" identity, so it was better not to stir up trouble.

Fu Ming reluctantly endured it.

Not far off, Bai Zhengliu’s eyes flickered, sharply sensing that something was wrong.

Could it be that Liu Shi mentioned the handkerchief to warn them because of Old Master Chang’s illness?

Was there something unusual about the state of the illness? Or had Old Master Chang simply already…

In that brief instant, Bai Zhengliu’s thoughts ran wild.

But he didn’t show it on his face and continued trying to convince An Bo: "Now that things have reached this point, we’ve already faced Liu Shi directly and understand just how dangerous this place is. With everything as it is, neither you nor I should hold back any more."

An Bo remained silent.Bai Zhengliu watched his expression, at one moment feeling that he was pondering, and at another moment, feeling that he wasn’t thinking at all, but merely waiting for him to finish speaking so he could rebut.

The young swordsman habitually stroked the hilt of his knife, Twenty-Eight Generals, and continued: "Besides, in any case, the strange events at the Chang residence still stem from the actions of Old Master Chang, Liu Shi, and Huang Shi. Now that Liu Shi is in that state and Huang Shi is already deceased, if we want to find someone to inquire, it seems Old Master Chang is the only one left to question."

An Bo: "…"

An Bo’s attitude was firm: "If the hero has any questions, asking me or Ping Ge is the same."

The group fell silent.

At this point, not only Bai Zhengliu but even the others began to wonder if there was something wrong with Old Master Chang’s illness.

Perhaps their looks were too obvious, and An Bo had no choice but to add, "Our master’s condition is truly very poor. Most of the day, he is unconscious. We previously called a doctor, who said the master could no longer be exposed to wind, could not be overworked, and could not think of sorrowful matters."

If Bai Zhengliu and the others were to go over there, Old Master Chang would definitely break the last rule.

Having reached this point, Bai Zhengliu and the others were left with no choice.

He had to confirm with An Bo, "So, asking you is the same? You are fully aware of your master’s situation?"

An Bo replied, "Exactly."

Bai Zhengliu asked, "Good. How did your master and Liu Shi get married? How was their relationship before?"

An Bo answered, "Their marriage was arranged by their parents. After marriage, the master studied diligently, and Liu Shi took care of the household. Liu Shi was considerate of the master’s hard work, and the master also cherished Liu Shi’s efforts."Wang Shi secretly curled her lips in disdain.

Mei Yinghan then asked, "How did he catch the eye of Old Master Huang? When Old Master Huang wanted Old Master Chang to marry his daughter, did Old Master Chang refuse?"

An Bo: "…" His face twitched, "Old Master—meaning Old Master Chang—came to Guang'an Prefecture to take the imperial examination. While waiting for the exam, he spent time at a teahouse with other scholars, composing poetry and discussing current events. Old Master Huang was seated at another table, and as he listened, he felt that Old Master Chang spoke very well, leading to the idea of establishing a connection. Eventually, the two did become acquainted, and Old Master Huang invited Old Master Chang to stay at his home for a short while."

The group: "I see."

An Bo’s tone was dry as he continued, "During his stay, Old Master Chang met the lady of the house. She was somewhat spoiled, but had been reading poetry and books since childhood. The two of them talked about poetry and essays together, and gradually became closer."

"Did he refuse…?" An Bo sighed. "Naturally, there was a refusal at first. But by then, the lady and Old Master Chang had already developed feelings for each other. After some struggle, Old Master Chang ultimately decided to stay."

"Old Master Huang originally suggested that Old Master Chang should write a letter to his family. But Old Master Chang felt guilty towards his first wife and found it hard to inform Liu Shi about this matter. So, the issue was delayed until Liu Shi came looking."

The group listened, their expressions varying.

Fu Ming, for some reason, felt a sense of understanding towards Old Master Huang. He thought about the relationships between himself, Bai Zhengliu, and Gu Miao, which were both a matter of fate’s twisted tricks and mutual affinity.

Wang Shi, on the other hand, suppressed her anger and cursed in her heart: Old Master Chang sounds so noble, saying he "feels guilty towards his first wife"? But looking at his actions, it's clear he was simply greedy for Liu Shi’s capabilities and filial piety, wanting her to continue serving the elderly in the household!

Bai Zhengliu, as usual, remained expressionless, his face calm as he watched An Bo.

After An Bo scanned everyone’s expressions and turned his gaze, he just happened to meet Bai Zhengliu’s eyes.

An Bo froze, about to analyze the look, when the swordsman suddenly said, "You’ve been saying all along that Liu Shi took care of the elderly in the Chang family. But what about Old Master Chang’s older brother?"

An Bo was stunned. "Brother… older brother?"Bai Zhengliu said, "That's right. Don't you know everything? What about Old Master Chang's older brother? How is he now? Is he at home, and does he fulfill his filial duties to his parents? Do you know?"

An Bo rarely faltered.

A clear expression of confusion appeared on his face. After a while, he finally said, "Hero, where did you hear that Old Master Chang has an older brother?"

An Bo returned the question, which was essentially a refusal to answer.

Bai Zhengliu looked at him for a moment, then smiled, "It’s just a guess. They are farmers, yet they can afford to send their sons to study. It seems they must be a prominent family in the village. I’ve encountered similar situations while traveling with a few friends in the martial world. There’s always one son who excels in learning, and another who supports the family’s household."

An Bo remained silent for a while, then said, "…So that’s how it is. But Hero, you’ve really caught me off guard. I truly don’t know if our master has an older brother."

After speaking, he didn’t give Bai Zhengliu a chance to reply and quickly proposed a plan.

"How about this? You gentlemen eat first, and I’ll ask the master about this matter. If there’s any news, I’ll inform you all at the earliest opportunity."

By the time the housekeeper finished speaking, the group had already arrived at the main hall.

As with the morning, the hall was prepared with an exceptionally lavish spread. Chicken, duck, fish, and meat were all served, and a bowl of bird’s nest soup was placed in front of each chair.

Once everyone was seated, An Bo remained standing at the side, as though he was going to closely observe them while they ate.

Fu Ming and Gu Miao were the first to pick up their chopsticks, with Gu Miao even sighing, "Being here, the only time I feel relaxed is during meals."

It gave him a sense of returning home.

An Bo smiled and said, "Then, my lord, you must eat more."As they were speaking, Mei Yinghan said, "I hope An Bo will go ask Old Master Chang as soon as possible, so we can get an answer quickly."

An Bo slowly turned his head to look at him.

Mei Yinghan locked eyes with the middle-aged man and said, "How much time do we have? How many servants are left in the manor? Even with the few of us, how many days can we help Lady Liu get her revenge?"

An Bo’s eyelids twitched, and the smile in his voice turned into a dry, almost bitter tone, "Hero Mei is right. I’ll go ask right away."

The housekeeper left, and only the five people who had been "invited" remained in the main hall.

Wang Shi was restless and impatient. She immediately reminded the Ninth Prince and Young Master Gu, "Don’t eat anything here! It’s all food made by the Fox Immortal to deceive us."

Fu Ming and Gu Miao were momentarily stunned upon hearing this, but then they both laughed.

Gu Miao smiled and spoke, "Fox Immortal? Where did this Fox Immortal come from?" It was clearly a water ghost.

Wang Shi sighed, "Well, well—"

Fu Ming interrupted her, "There’s no need to be so paranoid. With the strangeness of this place, if those people wanted to harm us, would they go through so much trouble? They could just throw us straight to Lady Liu, or at worst, toss us out into the mist."

Of course, the most important reason was that he was hungry.

The breakfast earlier had already made Fu Ming realize that although the food here couldn't compare to the imperial kitchens, it was still far better than the meals prepared by the cook at Liang County Magistrate's residence in Guang'an.

The Ninth Prince picked up his chopsticks and was about to put a piece of fish into his mouth.

Saliva was already flowing. Just then, a deep voice interrupted again, "Since you know this place is strange, you should understand that it’s better to avoid eating things from here, especially food that will go into your stomach."It was Bai Zhengliu.

At the same time, Mei Yinghan said, "Gu Miao."

He only called out two words.

Gu Miao instinctively put down his chopsticks.

Fu Ming was momentarily stunned, then couldn't help but laugh.

In his view, the actions of the group were entirely provoked by Wang Shi. Bai Zhengliu followed up, and Mei Yinghan completed the final stroke.

Was he showing off his influence over Miao Miao? But no matter what Fu Ming and Bai Zhengliu did, Gu Miao and Mei Yinghan were impossible!

The dignity of the Ninth Prince didn’t allow his people to be entangled with other men. He could tolerate Bai Zhengliu sharing Gu Miao with him—because he genuinely loved the swordsman. But Bai Zhengliu wasn’t even grateful and treated him like this.

Fu Ming curled the corners of his lips into a cold arc. "It’s just a meal. How could you all be so scared?" With that, he directly put the piece of fish into his mouth.

The fish was tender and smooth, bursting with fresh flavor as soon as it touched his tongue.

"Good fish, good chef!" Fu Ming smiled, "Too bad there's no wine to go with it—Miao Miao, you should eat too."

He turned to Gu Miao.

Just then, Gu Miao also snapped out of his instinctive reaction to "listen to the person who called his name," after being addressed by Mei Yinghan.He secretly felt frustrated. The biggest grievance he had regarding his relationship with his senior brother was that although they were already lovers, the way they interacted was hardly any different from when they were just fellow disciples. Initially, he would feel excited about the change in their relationship, but over time, he only grew more and more indifferent.

Now, he had actually gotten used to being restricted by his eldest senior brother? Was this not exactly what Mei Yinghan had meant when he said that from now on, he would just be his junior brother!?

Gu Miao felt a lump in his chest and purposely raised his voice to complain, "Yeah, it's just a meal. What's the problem? They really don't recognize good things." With that, he happily picked up the bird's nest soup and ate it.

The other three at the table frowned when they saw this.

But Fu Ming and Gu Miao were firm in their stance, and if they said anything, it might cause trouble. Moreover, those two had also eaten things from the Chang residence in the morning without any issues.

It was very possible they were just overthinking it.

In the end, the three didn't stop them, but they still didn't touch their own chopsticks. Instead, they ate the dry rations they had brought with them. Only after Fu Ming and Gu Miao had finished did they casually stir their bowls and dishes, as if they had used the utensils provided by the Chang residence.

Not long after, An Bo returned with news: "My master does have an older brother, but he left the house when the master was young, and there has been no news of him since. It seems that this matter has nothing to do with today's events."

Author's note:

Let’s sort things out a bit.

Category A Clues (Things witnessed by the protagonists):

There is a female ghost in the Chang residence, and based on her appearance, she doesn't seem to be from a wealthy family (Inference: The female ghost is not the new wife, Miss Huang, but rather the previous wife of Master Chang, Liu Shi).

The female ghost left the protagonists a handkerchief (Inference: A man named "Zhong De" is involved with the Chang residence, and he has an older brother).

Category B Clues (Things heard from others):Master Chang is seriously ill and cannot get out of bed.

Miss Huang, the wife, passed away earlier.

Many monks and Taoists were invited to perform rituals in the Chang residence, but they ended up dying as well.

Miss Huang was jealous of Liu Shi and tortured her to death, bringing about Liu Shi’s revenge.

Master Chang has an older brother, but he left home a long time ago, likely unrelated to the current events.

Other Clues:

Entering the outer fog is dangerous.

The butcher Hu’s fate is unknown.

Short-term goal: Convince Liu Shi to spare their group.

Long-term goal: Survive and leave this strange place.

(:з」∠) It seems like more and more problems are being presented to Xiao Bai and Xiao Mei... See you tomorrow!