Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Who exactly were the "they" that Aunt Li referred to remained unspoken.

However, the answer is already evident.

After the discovery of Xue Sheng's corpse, the villagers' indifference and continued preparations for the Xue family's wedding ceremony struck everyone as odd.

Now, witnessing Aunt Li expertly bring out a spare candle to fend off the darkness, and recalling the fleeting glimpse of the ghostly bride, it became clear to everyone: the nuptial union between the Xue and Yang families wasn't the first ghostly marriage in Fengnian Village.

This ancient, remote village must have witnessed countless spectral weddings over the years, with numerous deceased brides. It's no wonder Aunt Li was so adept at lighting the candles, and not only were the villagers indifferent to Xue Sheng's corpse, but they also firmly believed it was haunted.

Indeed, Fengnian Village was truly haunted.

Everyone watched as Aunt Li rekindled the candles backstage, the warm glow growing steadily, soothing their frantic heartbeats.

Duan Ying, finally coming to terms with Xu Chen's death, wobbled slightly and murmured, "...I want to go check on Xu Chen."

As she turned to leave, both Li Lumeng and Yu Qinwen hastily followed, fearing something might happen to Duan Ying on her way back to the village house.

Surprisingly, Aunt Li, who seemed paralyzed with fear just moments before, raised her voice sharply, shouting, "Don't go!"

"The performance is about to begin tonight, where do you think you're going?!" She blocked their path, her usually gentle face now sinister in the candlelight, "Sit in front of the mirror. I need to do your makeup, we can't miss the performance."

Aunt Li might not have brandished any weapons, but the veiled threats in her words matched the vibes from the villagers watching their performances daily. Everyone firmly believed that if they dared step out of the backstage, they would surely be killed by the villagers waiting outside.

Duan Ying, Li Lumeng, and Yu Qinwen had no choice but to return to Aunt Li's side, where she dragged them by the hair in front of the makeup mirror.

Others received gentler treatment, likely because they hadn't shown any intention of leaving. Aunt Li was much rougher with Duan Ying, Li Lumeng, and Yu Qinwen.

The villagers seemed to anticipate escape attempts. Even after the performers were ready, they weren't allowed to leave the backstage. All of them were confined to this cramped space, with food brought in by designated individuals.

By the time everyone's makeup was done, the already dim daylight had turned to deep, impenetrable darkness.

Aunt Li had everyone line up in front of her, scrutinizing each one to ensure their makeup and costumes were impeccable. Finally, she said coldly, "We're one monk short."

According to their script, excluding Fa Hai, there were six monks from Jinshan Temple.

One of the monks was played by Xu Chen. But now that he was dead, they were one monk short.

Lu Ling interjected, "The monks mostly have action scenes, and as I recall, the monk played by Xu Chen didn't have any lines. His absence shouldn't be a big issue, right?"

"No," Aunt Li's eyes widened, emphasizing, "We must have the full number. We cannot be one short!"

Li Hong snapped, "But Xu Chen is dead! You won't let us go back to check on him. Where are we supposed to find someone on such short notice?"

"It's early yet, plenty of time before midnight when the performance begins," Aunt Li laughed darkly, "If you haven't figured something out by then and can't perform well due to the missing person, we might as well all die together."

After speaking, Aunt Li sauntered over to the chair in front of the dressing mirror, casually crossing her legs, looking ready to take everyone down with her.

"Aunt Li, why are you so upset with these kids?" Min Yuandan quickly stepped forward with a placating smile, patting his chest in assurance, "Just a monk, right? I'll get you another one right away!"

Aunt Li let out a cold laugh, her gaze chillingly fixed on Min Yuandan, waiting to see how he'd produce another monk talented in opera.

Min Yuandan walked over to a storage cabinet, grabbed a small leather case, and confidently gestured for everyone to follow him.

Everyone did as instructed, only to quickly realize that Min Yuan Dan was leading them outside the theater tent.

Ying Yi Shui quickly cautioned Min Yuan Dan, "Master, Aunt Li forbade us from leaving."

As the tent's entrance was lifted, they saw villagers holding axes standing outside. These villagers glared at them with sinister intentions, evidently sharing Aunt Li's sentiments.

Min Yuan Dan, however, reassured them, "I know. Just let me have a word with them. They'll let us out."

Everyone watched with a mix of doubt and hope as Min Yuan Dan approached one of the ax-wielding villagers and whispered to him.

Incredibly, the next moment, the villagers stepped aside, clearing a path for them to exit.

Yet, their "freedom" was limited. The axe-wielding villagers followed closely behind, never straying too far, always vigilant, ensuring no one tried to flee.

Soon after, Min Yuan Dan led them to a crossroads near the alley of the red and white ritual banners.

They looked around, seeing only the watchful villagers. Liao Xin Yang questioned, "Master, why have you brought us here?"

Instead of answering immediately, Min Yuan Dan opened the small suitcase he'd been carrying, distributing white porcelain bowls to each person, followed by a pair of chopsticks.

Upon seeing the set of bowls and chopsticks, Xie Yin Xue's eyebrows twitched in recognition. Liu Bu Hua also expressed surprise, wondering aloud, "Are we about to..."

Min Yuan Dan chuckled, finishing Liu Bu Hua's thought, "We're going to summon ghosts."

Xie Yin Xue wasn't at all surprised by the revelation.

The combination of the bowls, chopsticks, and the crossroads could mean only one thing: the "Offering Rice to Ghosts" ritual. She couldn't think of another reason for their presence there.

"Offering Rice to Ghosts" is a long-standing method of summoning spirits, so ingrained in folk culture that it spawned a taboo: don't tap bowls while eating.

Because doing so during meals could attract vengeful spirits.

However, Min Yuan Dan's intention wasn't just to summon ghosts; he aimed to command them.

After distributing the bowls and chopsticks, he produced an ancient, weathered bowl. Filling it halfway with rice, he placed it in the middle of the crossroads, then cut his palm, allowing the blood to drip onto the rice until it reached the bowl's rim.

Completing these preparations, he looked up with a smile, "Let's begin."

Holding her bowl and chopsticks, Xu Lu hesitantly asked, "...Begin what?"

"Offering Rice to Ghosts," Min Yuan Dan replied with a hint of impatience. "Form a circle around the bowl of rice, walk around it while tapping your bowls, and chant: 'Wandering spirits, come feast on this offering. Accept our rice and alleviate our plight.'"

Li Lu Ming, Yu Qin Wen, and Duan Ying, familiar with various ghostly games, had heard of this method but had never tried it themselves—because this ritual was rumored to inevitably result in a death.

No one wishes to face death, so they hesitated.

Given the ritual required ten participants, and they couldn't find enough willing players, they'd shelved the idea—never anticipating an opportunity like this.

"Death doesn't matter," Min Yuan Dan's smile deepened. Looking at Duan Ying, he teased, "You wanted to see Xu Chen, right? Perhaps you'll meet him very soon."

Duan Ying, at a loss for words, couldn't even muster a reply.

Yu Qinwen's voice trembled as she asked Min Yuandan, "Can we... not play?"

"If we don't play, we all die!"

Min Yuandan's expression changed suddenly, shouting desperately, "Play now! You all love these games, don't you? Play now!"

Upon hearing this, tears instantly welled up in the eyes of Li Lumeng, Yu Qinwen, and Duan Ying. They could only silently cry, regretting their past decisions. They had sought fleeting thrills, and now when faced with actual supernatural events, they yearned for their mundane, repetitive lives.

But there's no pill for regret, nor a road back in time.

The only path they could tread was the one before them, a cycle of invoking spirits through the bowl of blood.

"Past spirits, come feast on this offering..."

"If you accept my offering, please ease my troubles..."

Everyone chanted these lines in unison, accompanied by the crisp sound of chopsticks striking porcelain bowls. Time seemed to stretch indefinitely until suddenly, the candle flames within the villagers' lanterns snuffed out. The ambient temperature dropped sharply, and a cold, eerie wind made their hair stand on end.

The group's footsteps slowed, but in the deafening silence of the night, other footsteps began to echo.

Those footsteps approached from every direction, and one of the villagers managed to relight his lantern.

As the candlelight flickered to life, shadowy figures came into view. Numerous apparitions in various attires loomed, but leading them was a figure in red bridal attire—it was Xue Sheng.

Xue Sheng, as he appeared now, resembled the corpse the group had seen in the alley that day. Under the dim light of the night, his pale face appeared even more ghastly, distorting his expressions so much so that it was hard to tell if he was anxious or filled with hatred as he lunged towards the blood bowl.

In a blink of an eye, the lantern went out again.

Darkness once again enveloped the surroundings.

Xu Lu's tense voice pierced the silence, exclaiming with a shiver, "Something brushed against my shoulder!"

No sooner had she spoken than the sound of chewing and swallowing echoed from the center of the circle where they stood, near the bowl filled with blood.

At the noise, Min Yuandan swiftly lit a candle, holding it aloft.

This time the candle didn't extinguish, allowing everyone to see the "person" greedily eating beside the bowl, face smeared with blood.

Duan Ying, in disbelief, whispered his name, "...Xu Chen?"

Indeed, the individual squatting beside the bowl, scooping the blood-soaked rice and eating with evident relish, wasn't Xue Sheng who had been at the forefront earlier, but the genuine Xu Chen – already dead and not just another apparition dressed as a red bride.

"Ah Ying."

Xu Chen's complexion was off, a sickly green-gray with purplish patches of decay. He swallowed the last bite of the bloodied rice and grinned eerily at Duan Ying, declaring in a chilling tone, "I'm back."

Duan Ying quivered and remained silent.

"Alright, alright, everyone's here," Min Yuandan, gathering the bowls and chopsticks distributed earlier and stowing them back into the small suitcase, said, "Let's get going. We still need to get Xu Chen's makeup done with Aunt Li."

Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but wonder: Would Aunt Li really dare to apply makeup to Xu Chen, looking as he did?

However, when everyone returned to the backstage tent, they found that Aunt Li didn't bat an eye at Xu Chen, who looked like a corpse. With a stern face, she handed him the monk's costume. After Xu Chen changed, she emotionlessly helped him wear a bald cap in front of the makeup mirror.

Grinning and chuckling, Min Yuandan explained to the crowd, "Aunt Li is the most experienced mortician makeup artist in Qingfeng Village. Look at her skill, truly deserving of the title."

A mortician makeup artist?!

Isn’t that someone who applies makeup to the deceased?

After hearing Min Yuandan's words, Liao Xinyang and Li Hong instinctively touched their own cheeks.

Perhaps they had been exposed to the cold wind outside for too long, as their faces felt icy cold, resembling the touch of a corpse.

Duan Ying, Li Lumeng, and Yu Qinwen, on the other hand, were too engrossed in the reflection of Xu Chen in the mirror to pay close attention to Min Yuandan's words. The man in the mirror had bloodshot eyes, full of terror, nearly bulging out of their sockets. His mouth was wide open, his horrified expression frozen in time.

Without a doubt, this was the true appearance of Xu Chen's corpse.

Judging by his appearance... it seemed he had died of fright. No one could guess what he might have seen in his final moments that was terrifying enough to stop his heart.

Yet, no one wanted to know the answer.

Once Xu Chen's makeup was done, Aunt Li packed her tools and said, "It's almost midnight. Prepare to go on stage."

Min Yuandan, with hands on his hips and that cheeky grin, instructed, "Perform well! If you don't, I'll dock your pay, leaving you without any money even in the afterlife!"

Standing at the stairs, waiting for the midnight cue to perform, Liu Buhua muttered, "So malicious, isn't she?"

"Kind words warm the winter; cruel words chill the summer." Xie Yinxue slowly lifted his eyes and gazed towards the red-carpeted stage, murmuring, "But can even the coldest words be as chilling as some people's hearts?"

Liu Buhua, puzzled, asked him, "Godfather, what are you talking about?"

Changing the subject seemingly, Xie Yinxue said, "Buhua, before we get on stage, there's a question I can't find an answer to."

"Huh?" Liu Buhua was even more confused. "What question?"

"Earlier, Aunt Li mentioned if we couldn't gather everyone and perform well, we'd all face death."

As he spoke, Xie Yinxue turned his head, looking to his right—towards the audience seats.

The audience section was obstructed by the stage from this angle, only when they climbed onto the stage could they see the full view of the audience.

Xie Yinxue began, "It's understandable if our poor performance leads to our demise, but why would they die?"

On the first day of the dress rehearsal, Li Lumeng made a mistake in a fight scene. The village head of Qingfeng and other villagers were so infuriated they appeared murderous. The next time they came to watch, they brought weapons, putting everyone on edge. Even Min Yuandan, playing the role of an NPC guide, had to grovel and appease the villagers.

From any perspective, the villagers of Fengnian Village seemed to stand at the top of the food chain.

This brings us back to the question: If the performance was subpar, why would these villagers die?

The answer was revealed the moment they took the stage.

On the day of the actual performance, the audience seats were filled not with villagers but with ghost brides wearing blood-red wedding dresses, their faces hidden beneath red veils.

They sat on the benches, their red veils fluttering in the night breeze, appearing as a turbulent sea of crimson.

The blinding redness stunned everyone, causing some to nearly forget their lines.

Yet the villagers, armed with weapons and standing on either side of the audience, kept a watchful eye, ensuring the performance continued. Any mistake, any misstep in lines or choreography, would surely lead to death.

Ying Yishui and Duan Ying, after painstakingly completing their segment titled "Rescuing Xu Xian, Bai Su Zhen's Dangerous Quest for Immortality Herbs," were drenched in sweat and trembling. They slowly exited the stage, leaving it to Xie Yinxue and Bu Jiuzhao.

In the 'Legend of the White Snake', characters like Bai Su Zhen, Xiao Qing, and Xu Xian had the most lines. Ying Yishui and Duan Ying, playing the heavenly soldiers guarding the immortality herbs, found their brief scene exhausting. Yet, Xie Yinxue and Bu Jiuzhao had to perform four entire acts. Especially Xie Yinxue, who had the most lines and fighting scenes. Even after performing three acts, he seemed unfazed, maintaining a steady breath.

Most importantly, while others could barely finish their lines amidst the intimidating audience, how could Xie Yinxue and Liu Buhua stay so engrossed in their roles?

During their "Encounter at the Broken Bridge" segment, Xie Yinxue shyly smiled as Liu Buhua handed him an umbrella; during "Xu Xian's Terrifying Encounter with the Yellow Wine," Liu Buhua looked genuinely horrified. Now, in the segment where Xu Xian is taken away by Fa Hai and Bai Su Zhen returns to the broken bridge, Xie Yinxue feigned sadness, singing, "Returning to familiar grounds, my soul is torn, where is home?"

The only one with a consistently cold demeanor was Bu Jiuzhao, playing Xiao Qing. His face matched the character's name, which means "little green." He seemed even more detached in his performance than the others.

Ying Yishui and Duan Ying watched them with complex emotions. As Liu Buhua began singing "In this life, our love remains unyielding; in the next, we'll vow as mandarin ducks again," they suddenly heard suppressed sobbing.

The stifled cries, filled with grief and choked sobs, came from the audience.

Moving to the side, Duan Ying spotted an unveiled bride in the audience – it was Gao Wan, who had drowned herself.

Perhaps her refusal of a ghostly marriage led to her death before the ceremony could be completed, hence no red veil.

The absence of a veil revealed her sorrowful face. She repeatedly wiped her cheeks as if wiping away tears, but her face was dry. Ghosts don't shed tears, so she couldn't even cry genuinely.

What about the other veiled ghost brides? Perhaps they too felt the same...

The two stared at them until on stage, Yu Qinwen, Li Lumeng, and the resurrected Xu Chen began the fourth act. Only then did Duan Ying shift her focus, watching her friends and Xu Chen anxiously.

The fourth act is the iconic "The Flood at Jinshan Temple," primarily focusing on the combat scenes between Bai Su Zhen, Fa Hai, and the monks at the temple.

During previous rehearsals, everyone acted out their fight scenes, merely going through the motions without any real aggression. But tonight was different—for amongst the monks of Jinshan Temple, one was a ghost.

Duan Ying doubted whether Xu Chen was merely focused on performing, or had other intentions.

He was already dead, and the living had no power over the spirits. Even if he messed up his performance or went off-script, none could truly hold him accountable.

Sure enough, once Xu Chen took the stage, just as Duan Ying had feared, during Bai Su Zhen's intrusion into Jinshan Temple, he swung his staff unexpectedly at Xie Yinxue, a move not practiced during rehearsals. Xie Yinxue, committed to the scene, did not dodge, taking the blow on his right shoulder with a muffled thud.

Upon impact, Xie Yinxue merely blinked, continuing his choreography smoothly without any hesitation.

Seeing this, Xu Chen smirked and raised his staff again. But this time, not aiming at Xie Yinxue, but at others.

Yu Qinwen and Li Lumeng were also struck by Xu Chen, and with the first blow, their eyes reddened. The pain was so intense their hands trembled, barely able to hold their staffs, yet they suppressed their cries.

"What's happening?!" The village head of Qingfeng and the other villagers were enraged. They tore at their hair, then grabbed Min Yuandan by the collar, shouting, "Tell him to perform properly!"

"Xu Chen, what are you doing? You're getting the choreography wrong, correct it now!"

Min Yuandan called out a couple of times towards the stage, but seeing Xu Chen's relentless aggression towards Li Hong, who portrayed Fa Hai, Xie Yinxue's Bai Su Zhen, and others portraying the monks, he shrugged helplessly, "I can't help it, Village Chief Qingfeng. He's dead now, he doesn't listen to me."

"You—!"

The village chief was rendered speechless by Min Yuandan's response. But at this juncture, they couldn't rush the stage to intervene and were forced to watch as the participants continued their performance.

But was this still "The Flood at Jinshan Temple?"

Xu Chen indiscriminately attacked those on stage. Everyone had to continue their scripted choreography without retaliating. Chao Qinghe bore the brunt of Xu Chen's aggression, receiving numerous blows—more than anyone else.

Seeing another impending strike aimed at him, Chao Qinghe gritted his teeth and shot a glance towards a dim corner of the stage, signaling his pet spirit to intervene and perhaps push someone else for a change.

Author's note:

Xie (Xie Yinxue): Xu Lang~

Liu Buhua: My Lady~

NPC: I sing for what again?