After Being Forced into Marriage with My Paranoid Dead Husband - Chapter 10

At the mouth of a small alley not far from the Qing residence, Miaoyuan gazed at the Qing family’s ancestral estate, which was shrouded in yin energy and looked just like a haunted house, frowning tightly.

“Little master, consider yourself smart for not meddling in other people’s business.”

A young girl with her hands clasped behind her back skipped out from the darkness. With curved eyebrows and a smiling expression, she reached out and tapped the whip coiled around her waist, speaking in a clear voice: “All spirits of the four directions obey my command, three cracks of the whip startle ghosts and deities alike, the seventy-two mountains each have their names. Little master, passing a hurdle, which side’s banner and decree do you carry?”

Miaoyuan’s expression tightened slightly, as he clearly understood the jargon. He pressed his palms together and chanted a Buddhist greeting: “So it is a benefactor from the Zhu family of Tongzhou. I am Miaoyuan, a disciple of Wunian Temple on Songyun Mountain.”

After stating his affiliation, Miaoyuan asked, “Judging by what Benefactor Zhu said just now, you must have some understanding of this estate?”

“Consider that I do,” Zhu Zhilei answered ambiguously, before gently warning him, “For the sake of us both walking the righteous path, little master, I’ll give you a word of advice: don’t get involved in the affairs of the Qing residence. Those who are meant to live won’t die, and those who are meant to die cannot escape either. This is destiny.”

Miaoyuan frowned, shaking his head in deep disapproval. “Knowing that an evil spirit is wreaking havoc and has already taken human lives, how can fellow practitioners of our generation stand by with folded arms and watch?”

A low, mocking laugh suddenly rang out, sounding particularly eerie and ominous in the chilling night.

A ghostly figure suddenly appeared outside the small alley. The two of them looked over simultaneously, their expressions changing slightly.

The evil spirit kept its yin energy tightly contained, not shoving it aggressively into the faces of these two people, which could be considered very polite. However, the moment it spoke, its murderous intent was fully revealed.

Zhang Heng was succinct and direct: “Interfere, and die.”

With that, the fierce ghost’s figure quietly dissipated once more, as silent and unnoticeable as when it had arrived.

The two people remained frozen in place for a long time. Finally, Zhu Zhilei spread her hands and looked at Miaoyuan with a “See, I told you so” expression. “People have their own karma; meddling blindly will cost you your life. Well, everyone has their own destiny. Meeting each other is a matter of fate, and since I’ve said my piece, I’ve done my utmost as a benevolent person. Little master, take care of yourself, and farewell for now.”

Miaoyuan’s expression was complex. The scriptures he listened to and the Buddhism he practiced were both completely at odds with standing by and watching someone die. He had initially thought of temporarily retreating and plotting a better course of action, but looking at it now.

Putting aside the internal details, he simply couldn’t beat the entity—no matter what plan he concocted, it was useless!

Qing Ling, who had just witnessed a fierce ghost murder someone, still lingering in lingering terror. Those targeted by evil spirits died in a way that defied all reason.

And that female ghost who had killed three people in two nights was exceptionally wary of Zhang Heng, which showed that Zhang Heng was an even more terrifying existence than her. With his own life on the line, Qing Ling didn’t want to just leave things to fate. Therefore, after returning to the courtyard, he called Fuer into his room.

An’er had always been filled with dread and fear toward him, but Fuer had stood up to protect her master during the day in front of First Madam.

“How long have you been in the estate?” Qing Ling asked.

Fuer lowered her head and replied, “Replying to Young Master Qing Ling, this servant has been in the estate for three years.”

“Mhm, then do you know whether any women have passed away in the Qing residence?” Qing Ling couldn’t manage a gentle expression, so he just sat there coldly and flatly.

Fuer hesitated for a brief moment, as if making up some kind of resolution, before saying softly, “To not keep it from you, Young Master, this servant hasn’t been in the estate very long, but in this deep, secluded courtyard, let alone women, even servants and pageboys occasionally falling ill and dying of a few things is quite common. Except for Dongyue, who entered the estate with me around the same time previously. Steward Liu had taken a fancy to Dongyue for a long time, but Dongyue was unwilling. Later on, Dongyue inexplicably hanged herself. Just the day before, she was even talking about how much savings she had managed to stash away, so how could she have ever thought of ending her life? Besides, for people of our status, even if we hang ourselves, there are no white silk fabrics available; having a hemp rope would already be considered lucky! In the end, her body was rolled up in a straw mat and thrown away to goodness knows where. Until the day Young Master Qing Ling returned, this servant heard that Steward Liu was found hanged with a white silk ribbon outside the city. The night he died happened to be Dongyue’s touqi (the seventh day after death, when the soul returns home).”

Qing Ling frowned as he listened. “Doesn’t the yamen care?”

Fuer shook her head, a bitter smile on her face. “People like us, where we die, and how we die, no one cares. Who would ever go report it to the yamen? Moreover, our small town is remote, and the magistrate’s word is law. It’s useless.”

Qing Ling remained silent.

Fuer’s implication was that Dongyue’s death was related to Steward Liu, and Steward Liu had died on Dongyue’s touqi. However, Dongyue had been hanged with a rope, making it even more likely that she was harmed by Steward Liu. In other words, the haunting truly only began to appear right after he returned.

“What about before?” Qing Ling asked. “Before this, has the Qing residence never experienced any strange occurrences?”

“No, there weren’t any.” Just as Fuer finished speaking, she paused, then continued: “If I have to mention something strange, it would be tomorrow’s ancestor-worship ceremony. The date for the Qing residence’s ancestor-worship ceremony was changed after the Old Master passed away, it’s been about about eighteen years. Preparations for the worship usually start around the Dragon Boat Festival, and the servants bustle about with many tasks, but the sacrificial offerings are entirely prepared by the First Branch, and no one else is ever allowed to meddle. Moreover, no outsiders are permitted to be present during the ancestor-worship ceremony. This year is the First Young Master’s very first time preparing the offerings himself, which is why everyone up and down the estate is guessing that the First Young Master is probably going to be the future head of the household.”

Qing Ling nodded.

It seemed Fuer truly didn’t know anything. However, after tomorrow’s ancestor-worship ceremony, he should be able to uncover more details. Both the timing of the ancestor-worship and the mysterious offerings were inextricably linked to that Old Master.

“You may leave.”

Qing Ling sat deep in thought, staring at the flickering candlelight.

Fuer didn’t know about the female ghost killing people in the Qing residence, but that horrifying appearance forced Qing Ling to generate some very unpleasant guesses, for instance, what those unknown sacrificial offerings actually were.

What Qing Ling cared about even more was that eighteen years ago, the Old Master passed away, and the date for the ancestor-worship ceremony was changed starting that very year, which happened to be the year he was born.

The grand Qing residence felt like a spider’s web hiding countless plots and calculations; the intricate, complex web left Qing Ling unable to untangle any clues, yet he was already trapped inside. His life was just like the weak flame before him, seemingly capable of being easily snuffed out by a sudden gust of wind.

The temperature in the room plummeted sharply, and Qing Ling knew that evil spirit had come again.

Zhang Heng was standing right at the doorway, his complexion looking rather poor. As he returned to the world of the living, his memories were gradually recovering like spring vegetation after the rain. Just moments ago, he had remembered some extremely fragmented, chaotic pieces, blood flowing everywhere, corpses strewn across fields.

A fierce ghost would not retain too many mortal emotions; a fierce ghost that survived to the present day relying on resentment and fierce baleful energy would remember even fewer pleasant memories.

However, Zhang Heng had already recovered a modicum of sanity, and he had to fight desperately against the corrosion of his resentment to remain clear-headed. Right before him, precisely possessed a vessel that made evil spirits covetous beyond measure.

Possess him, swallow his soul, and perhaps he could shake off this wretched state.

Zhang Heng unblinkingly licked the tip of his canine tooth and stepped forward.

Qing Ling immediately stood up and retreated backward, his face full of vigilance. He only felt that Zhang Heng’s gaze was like that of a hunting wolf, while he was the prey being targeted.

Zhang Heng sneered, “What are you running for?”

Qing Ling averted his face, knowing the other party was mocking his own overestimation of his strength, and lightly clenched his fingertips. Qing Ling, who had grown up in the mountains, looked thin and frail, but he was definitely not a young master lacking the strength to truss a chicken. However, the one standing across from him was a ghost, leaving him with completely zero chance of winning.

“Afraid I’ll eat you?” Zhang Heng’s tone was very calm, not even sounding like a question.

He walked forward, and Qing Ling stepped back, until he had nowhere left to retreat and was trapped by Zhang Heng right in front of the folding screen. He lowered his eyes and said indifferently, “Shouldn’t I be afraid after all the things you’ve done to me?”

Zhang Heng let out a low laugh. He found it immensely amusing, though there was absolute zero delight in his laughter.

Qing Ling didn’t quite understand, only hearing a suppression and restraint of a certain emotion, vast and turbulent like a surging wave.

Zhang Heng pressed a kiss onto Qing Ling’s neck, lightly nibbling and brushing against his flesh.

If they were lovers, this would be a tender, lingering caress. But Qing Ling was already terrified, feeling only like a venomous snake climbing up his neck, ready to deliver a fatal bite at any moment.

Yet Zhang Heng didn’t do anything further. He simply pressed his brow against Qing Ling’s hollow of the neck. Clearly, he had no need to breathe, yet he was panting heavily, his whole body trembling violently.

Once memories buried in the passage of time broke through their shackles, they were unstoppable. Zhang Heng was almost overwhelmed by the recovering emotions and memories. Memories filled with despair and pain were entirely painted in shades of scarlet; the disjointed memories could not be strung into a thread, playing out scene by scene in alternative alternation, extremely chaotic in both sequence and arrangement.

“What else can be done.” Zhang Heng didn’t know who he was talking to.

The towering pain and reluctance lacked any clear reason, yet felt so real within those blurred memories.

Leaning against Qing Ling’s body, he said with difficulty, “I remember.”

Qing Ling stood blankly in place, unable to make sense of the situation, and followed up somewhat cluelessly, “What?”

“My name- ” Zhang Heng closed his eyes, as if merely murmuring to himself, “Shang.”

Qing Ling pressed his lips together.

He now knew the full name of this fierce ghost.

Shang Zhangheng.