Chapter 96: The Only Fear

The funeral procession stretched farther and farther ahead, twenty or more people moving under the oppressive dark clouds.

At the center, a group of strong men in mourning attire carried a black coffin, swaying as they advanced.

Tongguan held the mourning banner in silence, white silk tied around his head, eyes fixed on Chen Fu’s back.

South Mountain was an important off-site location—arguably the most crucial part of this mission outside the Li Mansion.

Going there might reveal the full process of the sacrifice, though Tongguan still hadn’t figured out the relationship between the two key figures in the Li household.

It was hard to believe that Chen Fu was wholeheartedly helping the elderly woman. Even if he concealed his motives cleverly, could the elderly woman truly be unaware in such a self-serving environment?

At this point, Tongguan couldn’t help but recall the words the elderly woman had spoken in the hall: she claimed the staff would survive…

Was it true, or a lie?

Meanwhile, Fang Shenyan frowned continuously. His mental state was fragile, worsened by the severe injuries from the previous night.

His steps were unsteady at the rear of the procession, hands empty. Compared to the others, he felt like a participant without presence.

The procession gradually left the alley, and Fang Shenyan glanced back, sensing something.

There stood the Li Mansion’s rear door, the elderly woman and Xiao Zhu lingering in the wind.

The breeze lifted the elderly woman’s black hair, her figure graceful yet imposing, giving Fang Shenyan the fleeting impression of something unusual hidden within her…

But it was just a feeling. As the procession turned onto the main street, the scene shifted, and he suppressed the unease.

All the houses along the street were tightly shut, as if foreseeing the Li family’s procession.

Tongguan gripped his backpack and whispered to Chang Nian, “This trip will likely bring great danger, but also opportunity. If the mission is one procession per day over two days, today is a chance to gather clues.”

Chang Nian nodded subtly, glancing at Chen Fu ahead. “We’re almost certainly just pawns for his sacrifice. Are you sure this plan will work?”

“I’ve observed the Li Mansion. They rarely eat or drink in ways others would expect; water seems significant here. We’re only six against so many—perhaps we can leverage the supernatural to achieve our goal.”

This was Tongguan’s plan. In truth, all the staff had already come into contact with the Li Mansion’s water. If Xiao Lan wasn’t lying and they hadn’t misunderstood, that water could trigger the ghost’s attacks.

Anyone who touched it would likely become the ghost’s first target.

Yet questions remained: Fang Shenyan hadn’t touched anything the previous night, yet was attacked; today, four coffin-bearers died instantly upon contact with the coffin.

Tongguan had no answers for these inconsistencies—his goal on this procession was simply to understand the sacrifice process, and Chen Fu could not be allowed to manipulate them freely.

If they could use the water to put Chen Fu on the same footing as the staff, the group’s repeated experience with the ghost might give them a better chance of survival.

The procession moved silently. The temporary workers were only motivated by money and obeyed Li Mansion’s orders without hesitation. Even after four had died, others took up the dangerous task of carrying the coffin.

The staff whispered cautiously, while Chen Fu remained unusually quiet.

The elderly woman’s demeanor today was unlike before; her presence inspired an unfathomable sense of fear. Her vague words were particularly unsettling.

Chen Fu’s mind was in turmoil. The real purpose of this procession was unknown to anyone but him and the middle-aged man.

Perhaps when he and the man first acquired the painting, they realized its supernatural power.

First, the middle-aged man was gravely injured, then revived; then Chen Fu used the paint on the artwork to gain control over others.

Finally, he recommended the painting to the elderly woman…

The elderly woman, now in her seventies or eighties, gradually regained vitality, appearing almost youthful again.

His motives weren’t simply greed for her estate.

More importantly, he had discovered a major secret within the painting.

The figure in the painting could come to life.

Chen Fu had already witnessed its supernatural power. If the book’s accounts were true, once the sacrifice was complete, he could become the master of the figure in the painting, able to wield its power at will.

That was why he had come to the Li Mansion half a month ago: it offered the conditions to complete the sacrifice.

But…

Every time he saw the elderly woman’s face, a deep, inexplicable fear flared within him.

As the sacrifice progressed faster and faster, that feeling of unease only intensified.

“Only the last five remain. I have no way out…”

Chen Fu rode on horseback, gripping the reins tightly, teeth clenched as he muttered to himself.

But just as the thought crossed his mind, a sudden chill ran down his spine, as if some unseen force had glimpsed his innermost thoughts.

A surge of panic gripped him.

He whipped his head around to look at the long funeral procession behind him—there was nothing there.

Only a single red leaf drifted slowly from the towering trees overhead.

Chen Fu pressed his lips together, eyes flickering. He feared something—or someone…

Inside and outside the Li Mansion, there was only one being he truly feared.

He slammed his palm in determination and silently vowed that the sacrifice must be completed today.

The rhythmic chants of the procession echoed as the group left the town behind, entering the South Mountain territory.

The forest grew denser; stepping on the thick carpet of fallen leaves felt strange and uneven beneath their feet.

Fang Shenyan passed the enormous tree that Chen Fu had just glimpsed. It seemed largely unaffected by autumn, still lush and full, with only a few leaves drifting down in the growing wind.

He stared briefly at the thick trunk, eyes lowered, saying nothing as he hurried past.

From the top of the tree, the densest canopy rustled softly.

A long-haired man, expressionless, extended his remaining right hand to part the leaves, silently watching Fang Shenyan walk by.

His gray-black eyes then fixed on a narrow path leading deeper into South Mountain…