Chapter 969 935 Rice

The second day of the sleepless vigil ended in chaos, but by the third day of funeral announcements, the erroneous timeline finally corrected itself.

Yang Jian carried the pale white lantern as he wandered around the ancient mansion. Behind him followed Fan Xing, Li Yang, and Old Lin, among others. The journey was silent and uneventful, yet up to this point, everyone remained safe without encountering any supernatural phenomena.

The mansion was currently devoid of people.

As for what might happen inside, Yang Jian no longer had the energy to care.

He couldn’t afford to waste time guarding the old man’s corpse. Surviving until the seventh day was the priority.

“Let’s not forget, the Ghost Cabinet’s task is still waiting for me to complete,” Yang Jian muttered, touching the old, worn key he carried with him.

He decided that after today, he would open that mysterious door.

To find out exactly what lay inside that room.

Though it might pose a risk, if he waited any longer, the opportunity would likely vanish entirely—the danger here intensified with each passing day. Yang Jian preferred not to face the room during the peak of peril.

Because dangers undoubtedly lurked within that room as well.

Yang Jian couldn’t bear the weight of two simultaneous threats.

“The route for funeral announcements on the third day is indeed safe. It appears ominous, but the ghost hasn’t attacked us at all.” Fan Xing glanced around, his eyebrows furrowed as he caught glimpses of eerie and unsettling supernatural manifestations around them.

Yet, so far, no real danger had descended.

“It seems we should start peeling back the layers on what to expect for the fourth day. The third is dedicated to funeral announcements; personally, I suspect the fourth will involve a formal visitation.”

“After funeral announcements, tradition dictates that those notified attend the ceremony, and the first part of the ritual is visitation of the departed.”

“A visitation, huh?”

Old Lin’s expression shifted slightly. “That does seem likely. But if the fourth day revolves around visitation, how can we evade danger? In other words, what should we do on visitation day to ensure survival?”

Da Qiang offered, “While visiting, don’t forget the family’s duty to mourn. Perhaps mourning loudly might be the key to survival.”

“But doesn’t that strange crying already occur on the first day?” Fan Xing countered.

“Perhaps we’re required to don mourning garments. Traditionally, the family wears sackcloth and filial bands during visitation, and this might be the way to survive,” another unfamiliar ghost-handler chimed in.

Old Lin interjected, “Not realistic. The mansion hasn’t provided mourning attire for us, and there’s no way we could’ve anticipated the elderly resident’s death before arriving here. Thus, wearing mourning clothes to survive doesn’t seem plausible, though I won’t entirely dismiss the idea.”

“If it’s neither the mourning cries nor the mourning wardrobe, then surviving the fourth day becomes tricky,” Fan Xing murmured, deep in thought.

The others also contemplated.

Desperately seeking a method to survive the fourth day.

The clues to survival were all related to the funeral, revolving entirely around the deceased elder in the ominous red coffin.

Guess correctly, and you may live.

Guess incorrectly—

The mansion’s delicate balance would crumble, unleashing the vengeful ghosts to kill.

The previous day’s mistake was already costly.

No one wished to endure such horrors again. Thus, discovering the correct method for the fourth day became crucial to avoiding another ghostly attack.

On the path of funeral announcements,

The group continued their discussion, sharing their individual thoughts and opinions.

Though their numbers were small, the prior successes offered a clearer sense of direction, bypassing aimless tangents and narrowing their focus.

The third day ticked by, moment by moment.

1 AM.

The group circled the mansion several times, encountering no danger.

2 AM.

The group decided to rest in place, yet still no threats emerged.

It became evident that as long as they held the white lantern, whether stationary or walking, they remained safe under the ritual of funeral announcements.

3 AM.

Yang Jian proposed expanding the funeral announcement’s range, reasoning that exploring the mansion’s vicinity now might reveal crucial details before their window of opportunity closed.

The group offered no objections and embarked on their first intentional trek beyond the mansion’s surroundings, venturing further into uncharted terrain.

They started by inspecting the yellow dirt road behind the mansion.

Previously, Zhou Deng had ventured there and returned without incident. Still, driven by curiosity, Yang Jian chose to investigate.

Yang Jian and the group traversed the yellow dirt path, reaching its end where a cluster of old graves stood.

One grave had collapsed.

“The photograph on the headstone has disappeared. Judging by the state of this grave, it seems to have just recently fallen into ruin… Something’s off.” Yang Jian scoured the area, eventually noticing a peculiar shoe print faintly imprinted on the yellow dirt.

It was the mark of a high-heeled shoe—a small depression, a partial print.

The distinct footprint was easy to recognize, as it differed from everything else.

“A woman in high heels traveled from here and followed this yellow dirt path towards the mansion. Moreover, it seems she was trailing Zhou Deng,” Yang Jian voiced his startling conjecture.

Old Lin exclaimed, “But we never saw any woman in high heels… Wait, hang on. There is someone who loves walking around in high heels.”

“Leuk Qingqing?”

Yang Xiaohua and Li Yang echoed in unison.

Indeed.

Leuk Qingqing had once worn a red cheongsam with matching red high heels, a combination both sultry and alluring—but beneath that exterior lay an inexplicable aura of unease.

“Could Leuk Qingqing have lost her way, wandering through the old forest before ending up here?”

Li Yang pondered aloud, “Though this forest connects to the area, it’s highly unlikely. Leuk Qingqing wouldn’t have the ability to survive and reach this place. Besides, the forest isn’t as vast or disorienting as to lead her astray for long.”

“Supposing the high-heels belong to a ghost—then where was this ghost when we encountered Zhou Deng earlier? And where might it have gone now?” Yang Jian stared at the collapsed grave in silence.

A flash of insight flickered through Li Yang’s mind: “Jigsaw theory. The ghost is after Leuk Qingqing, much like how Leuk Qingqing unexpectedly merged memories during the Room 301 incident. Based on those peculiar recollections, she harnessed two ghosts and managed to stay alive.”

“Exactly. That’s my thought as well. Leuk Qingqing harbors secrets even she isn’t aware of. Her role as a messenger likely wasn’t incidental but predetermined. After receiving her red cheongsam during the mail mission, then the Puppet People during the Room 301 incident, now this mansion introduces high heels… The pieces seem almost to be part of a preordained puzzle—waiting for their moment of resurrection.” Yang Jian elaborated.

“Still, now isn’t the time to delve into this. Leuk Qingqing’s fate remains uncertain, and her situation should be addressed later. For now, I’ve had a flash of inspiration about the tasks for the fifth day,” Old Lin abruptly shifted the topic, locking his gaze upon the white rice bowls before the gravestones.

The others followed his line of sight.

“What’s on your mind?” Fan Xing asked.

Old Lin responded, “If the fourth day involves visitation, then the fifth day undoubtedly entails setting up a banquet. Banquets require offerings for attendees. But no living beings will join this feast—the guests will surely be ghosts. We lack food tailored for the dead, but here it is.”

Each grave bore a bowl of white rice.

It seemed these could be items needed for the fifth day.

“The fifth day is the Ghost Banquet?” Yang Jian muttered, weighing the possibility carefully.

“Regardless, we should take them back. They might prove useful,” Da Qiang suggested immediately.

Fan Xing objected, “Are you mad? If you take the rice bowls their corresponding ghosts rely on during the third day, what will happen? Those spirits may emerge to kill us.”

Da Qiang’s expression turned grim.

True.

Premature actions might disrupt the mansion’s fragile balance.

“Then let’s claim the bowl from the collapsed grave—the ghost there might have already emerged,” Yang Jian proposed after a brief pause.

“Captain, if the fifth day really revolves around the Ghost Banquet, a single bowl might not suffice,” Li Yang voiced his concern.

Yang Jian replied, “I realize that, but taking the others poses risks as well.”

“Should we take just one bowl to gauge the situation later? If the fifth day truly involves hosting a Ghost Banquet, we could grab more at that point.” Fan Xing suggested tentatively.

Old Lin swiftly interjected, “Absolutely not! From my past mail delivery encounters, choices must be made precisely once. This time, we exploited the safety afforded by funeral announcement rituals to reach this point. Once these announcements cease, that lantern may no longer offer protection. Venturing far out again to retrieve the rice will likely become unbearably dangerous.”

“A level of danger certain to plunge us into despair.”

“I feel the same,” Li Yang concurred. “Judging by prior events, everything in this mansion seems orchestrated. Today, the third day, securing the rice for the fifth day’s Ghost Banquet may be the actual purpose behind permitting us to roam freely. Were we to remain timid, sticking near the mansion or failing to arrive here at all, the fifth day would mark a dead end.”

“No food for the ghosts, and the ghosts turn to feast on us instead.”

“Still, claiming several bowls is in itself a gamble.”

“Taking all of them might pose no issues—or it might unleash a vengeful ghost upon us. Conversely, being cautious and claiming just one bowl might not suffice during the Ghost Banquet, leading to another disaster. The quantity we decide upon requires careful calculation.”

Yang Jian’s eyes narrowed. “Earlier challenges tested our courage; now, our intellect is being pushed to the limit.”

He revisited the mansion’s layout in his mind.

Hoping to uncover some crucial hints or warnings.

“What a headache this is.” Old Lin rubbed his temple, visibly conflicted.

The decision would determine survival or death on the fifth day.

No margin for error.

Though the fourth day’s tasks remained unclear, the fifth day’s preparations might truly hinge on Li Yang’s observation: the rice seemed obtainable only under the third day’s funeral announcement rituals. Miss this chance, and the next would vanish entirely.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com

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