27: Chapter 27 Adopted Son of the Mortuary

Mr. Xiangli walked in the lead. "The wanted posters have been posted."

Wu Xi spoke up suddenly, his voice kept extremely low. He had just come from a roadside tea shack where several men in short tunics were sitting, their voices very loud, speaking as fast as spilling beans.

"It was issued by the Master of Yinsui Cave. All the local factions—the Undertakers Manor, the agencies—are looking for us."

Mr. Xiangli did not stop, though his shoulders tensed for a moment.

"Those miners..." Wu Xi's throat felt dry; he swallowed before continuing, "They were betrayed by the mine owner in the cave and killed by evil ghosts."

Wu Xi pulled the nether pact from his robes.

Mr. Xiangli took it, but as soon as his fingers touched the surface of the paper, he jerked them back.

"A nether pact."

He looked up, staring into Wu Xi's eyes, and said, word by word, "The appearance of a nether pact means that humanity has already been betrayed."

His voice trembled as he said this.

"Also, in the room of a human trafficker, I found records of human trafficking related to the Cave Master," Wu Xi said.

"Three months ago, we also started receiving secret reports of missing persons," Mr. Xiangli's voice was low, but every word was enunciated clearly. "In the three nearby villages, seventeen households, a total of forty-three people have gone missing."

He frowned deeply, "Someone discovered tools for human sacrifice at the scene. Bronze bu vessels, arranged in seven holes, are the specifications for ancient blood sacrifices. We tracked them to the vicinity of Yin Sui Cave, but the trail went cold."

Wu Xi's pupils constricted.

Human sacrifice. Mr. Xiangli looked down at the nether pact again, his fingers crumpling the paper.

"I believe you." Mr. Xiangli folded the nether pact and tucked it into his robes.

"Signing a nether pact with a ghost is not signing it with the dead," Mr. Xiangli looked up, his eyes cold, "It must be to resurrect someone. This is a taboo."

"Can it really successfully resurrect someone?" Wu Xi asked.

"No," Mr. Xiangli's voice sounded as if it were squeezed through his teeth. "The Mohist school has already reached a conclusion. What is resurrected is not the original person, but an evil ghost possessing their memories. Yet, humans continue to do it, driven by the obsession to resurrect their loved ones."

A chill crept up Wu Xi's back.

"We are going to the Undertakers Manor," Mr. Xiangli resumed walking, his pace faster than before. "The Manor Master is an old acquaintance of mine. Yin Sui Cave and the Undertakers Manor are both under the jurisdiction of the Luo Prince Mansion; having him step in is better than us doing it."

"Will he help us?" Wu Xi caught up.

"As long as the evidence is solid enough," Mr. Xiangli looked back at him. "The nether pact is ironclad proof. No matter what, the Luo Prince Mansion will not tolerate someone who signs a nether pact."

Wu Xi pulled his collar tight and followed quickly. The sound of the three people's footsteps echoed on the empty mountain road, as if someone were chasing behind them.

When the gray-black brick walls of the Undertakers Manor appeared at the end of his vision, the moon happened to be obscured by clouds. Two white paper lanterns on the wall swung in the wind, their candle flames flickering, casting the entrance in a half-shadowy light.

Mr. Xiangli was walking in the lead; as soon as he stepped onto the stone steps, his feet froze.

A person was standing at the entrance.

A tall, thin figure, dressed in black martial attire, with an identity token of Yin Sui Cave hanging at his waist. He was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed.

"Yo." The man straightened up and brushed the dust off his sleeves. "I didn't expect you to still be alive."

Wu Xi's pupils constricted sharply.

Yuwen Shou.

Niu Fei took a step forward, the muscles on his shoulders bulging, his fists clenching with a cracking sound. "Don't." Wu Xi reached out to stop him.

Yuwen Shou's gaze swept over the three of them and finally stopped on Wu Xi, his smile deepening. "You're tough. However..."

He deliberately dragged out his tone and walked forward two steps, blocking the center of the threshold. "Are you throwing yourselves into the net, or are you here to deliver gifts?"

"Yuwen Shou," Mr. Xiangli spoke, his voice devoid of emotion. "Move aside."

"Mr. Xiangli, what a display of authority." Yuwen Shou stepped forward instead of back, leaning in closer, almost touching Mr. Xiangli's nose. "Too bad, this is the Undertakers Manor, not your Mohist Mechanism City. If you want to enter, you have to see if the Manor Master allows it." He spoke with hidden meaning.

The wooden door was suddenly pulled open from the inside.

With a creak, the dry friction of the door hinge was particularly harsh in the night.

A middle-aged man in a gray robe stepped over the threshold. His face was gaunt and refined, with thick, long eyebrows.

"Insolent." The gray-robed man's voice was not loud, but Yuwen Shou's smile immediately stiffened, as if someone had grabbed his throat.

"Foster father, I was just..."

"Step back."

The gray-robed man waved his hand, no longer looking at him. When he turned to Mr. Xiangli, his face had changed to an apologetic expression. "Brother Xiangli, my sincere apologies. This child is my newly adopted son; he doesn't understand the rules and has offended you all."

"Manor Master, you are too kind." Mr. Xiangli cupped his hands in a salute, his tone softening slightly, but his eyes remained vigilant.

The sleeve of the Undertakers Manor Master was embroidered with the cloud pattern mark of the Luo Prince Mansion, and the waist token was a green wooden tablet specially made for the Undertakers Manor. He stepped aside to clear the entrance. "Please, everyone, come in and let's talk inside."

Yuwen Shou retreated to the side, expressionless.

The courtyard of the Undertakers Manor looked even gloomier than it did from the outside.

On both sides were parked several thin-walled coffins, unpainted, the original color of the wood swollen from the damp night air. The smell of pine, the smell of lime.

To the north was the assembly hall, with heavy wooden doors. The Manor Master pushed the door open, the hinges emitting a dry creaking sound, as if something behind the door had sighed.

Two oil lamps were lit in the hall, their flames small, the light dim and yellow, stretching everyone's shadows long and flickering against the walls.

The five people sat down according to their status as guests and host.

The Manor Master sat in the main seat, Mr. Xiangli sat on the left, Wu Xi next to him, and Niu Fei sat at the very end. Yuwen Shou had no seat and stood behind the Manor Master, like a nail driven into the shadows.

The Manor Master picked up his teacup and blew away the foam. The tea was old, the astringent taste rising up, so he put it down and got straight to the point. "Brother Xiangli, your visit must be for an important matter."

Mr. Xiangli did not beat around the bush either.

He pulled the nether pact from his robes and slapped it on the table. The black paper contract glowed with a dark red light under the oil lamp, like a scab of congealed blood.

"We suspect the Master of Yinsui Cave is colluding with monsters," Mr. Xiangli's voice was not loud, but every word was firm. "We have some evidence and would like to ask the Manor Master to find a way to invite the Cave Master here alone for a confrontation. If it is true, we will join forces to subdue him; if it is not, the Mohist school will bear all consequences."

The Manor Master's gaze fell on the nether pact.

His expression did not change; his face still wore that gaunt, detached look.

Silence. The wick of the oil lamp popped with a spark, a crackling sound that was exceptionally loud in the dead-silent hall.

Three breaths.

"A nether pact." The Manor Master finally spoke, his voice lowered, as if squeezed from his lungs. "It's been a while since I've seen one."

The Manor Master rubbed his temples and sighed.

"To tell you the truth," he looked at Mr. Xiangli, his tone carrying a bit more difficulty, "I also heard the same situation from Shou'er."

"This matter... is trickier than you think." The Manor Master tapped his fingers on the table three times and stopped. "The Third Young Master of the Luo Prince Mansion has been gone for over a year. He didn't grant any authorization before leaving, and now everyone in the mansion is acting on their own. If the Third Young Master had given instructions before he left, things would be much easier to handle."

A power vacuum.

Wu Xi understood. Without a decision from a superior, the Undertakers Manor and Yin Sui Cave nominally belonged to the Luo Prince Mansion, but in reality, they were each running their own show. Even if the Manor Master wanted to act, he had no legitimate banner to do so.

"What does the Manor Master mean?" Mr. Xiangli asked.

The Manor Master was silent for a while.

His thumb rubbed the edge of the teacup, his knuckles tensed. He glanced back at Yuwen Shou, then shifted his gaze away. His fingertips stopped at the rim of the cup, tightening until his knuckles turned white. He looked up at the swaying white paper lanterns outside the window, then back at the dark red nether pact on the table.

"I agree with this proposal." The Manor Master withdrew his gaze, his voice steadying. "If he really is colluding with monsters, we will subdue him on the spot. It is also to prevent the situation from spreading."

Mr. Xiangli cupped his hands. "Thank you, Manor Master."

"No need to thank me." The Manor Master waved his hand, but there was no relaxed expression on his face. "If this matter is accomplished, it will be your merit. If it fails..."

He paused.

His gaze swept over everyone present, finally stopping on Yuwen Shou for a moment, then shifted away.

"Everyone, please go to the West Wing to rest first. Tomorrow morning, I will send someone to deliver a letter to the Cave Master, inviting him to the Undertakers Manor to discuss matters."

"Manor Master." Wu Xi spoke up suddenly, his voice not loud but very clear in the quiet hall. "Yuwen Shou—"

"He is my adopted son." The Manor Master interrupted him, his tone still gentle but with an added, undefinable layer. "He will not spread the word about tonight's events."

Wu Xi swallowed the second half of his sentence. Yuwen Shou stood in the shadows, curling the corner of his mouth at him. The meaning of that smile was clear—what can you do to me?

When the door to the West Wing was pushed open, a musty smell rushed out to meet them.

The room was not large, with a clay kang, a square table, and four chairs. In the corner were several empty wine jars, their mouths covered in cobwebs.

Niu Fei inserted the door bolt, pushed it to confirm it was tight, and then turned around. "Yuwen Shou is suspicious."

"No kidding." Wu Xi sat on the edge of the kang; the clay kang was ice-cold.

"The Manor Master knows," Mr. Xiangli said suddenly. Wu Xi looked at him.

"The Manor Master knows that Yuwen Shou has issues," Mr. Xiangli withdrew his gaze, turned around, and leaned his back against the window frame. "Yet he still uses him. Why?"