Chapter 3
Rong Li lay on the bed, as thin and delicate as a sheet of paper. The wrist exposed beyond the brocade quilt was slender and bony, and the vermilion ribbon in her hair had yet to be untied, appearing and disappearing among her flowing black locks.
She was truly a beauty, fair-skinned and slender. Although there was hardly any vitality in her, a second glance at her was enough to make one’s heart tremble.
Indeed, it was a feeling of shock rather than tenderness. Her features were simply too striking. The paler her complexion became, the more vividly defined her brows and eyes appeared.
Rong Changting entered the room, followed by Meng Yuan, Fourth Madam Si Zhao, the steward, and two maids. The moment he stepped inside, his footsteps faltered. His eyes burned with anger and disbelief. Clearly, he could hardly believe that his own daughter was living in such a place.
He nearly lost his breath. He had intended to burst into a furious tirade, but when he saw Rong Li lying there quietly, he had no choice but to swallow his words, afraid of frightening his delicate, frail daughter.
The maid following behind them hurriedly shut the door. She shivered involuntarily. Even a maid like her found the room cold, let alone the Eldest Young Miss, who ought to have been cherished and protected.
Bamboo Courtyard was the only place in the entire Rong residence without an underground heating system. Once the depths of winter arrived, it became as cold as an ice cellar.
Hearing the commotion, Rong Li sat up. Her face was as white as mourning cloth, while the hair draped down her back was as black as spilled ink. Even her fluttering eyelashes were intensely dark. Her luminous eyes shifted toward Rong Changting, revealing a trace of grievance. Her pale lips trembled slightly as she said, “Father.”
How could Rong Changting not feel heartache? He pointed at the floor and demanded, “I’ve only been away from the residence for three months, and this is how you’ve treated her?”
Meng Yuan didn’t dare speak. Clutching her handkerchief, she glanced at Si Zhao, only to find the latter staring steadily at the Master with an expression suggesting that none of this had anything to do with her.
“Don’t blame Third Mother and Fourth Mother. Li’er was the one who wanted to move here,” Rong Li said softly. Her long hair fell over her chest, and the slender wrists supporting her body looked as though they might snap at the slightest pressure.
“If you’ve suffered any grievances, you should have sent someone to inform Father! Why put yourself through all this?” Rong Changting stepped forward, intending to stroke Rong Li’s hair. But just as he reached out, his hand stiffened, and he withdrew it.
Rong Li raised her eyes, but her gaze passed over Rong Changting and settled on the ghostly woman in the room.
Second Madam had already risen to her feet. She stood motionless before Meng Yuan, one hand resting on her shoulder.
Meng Yuan naturally couldn’t see the ghost. She merely felt a sudden weight settle on her left shoulder, accompanied by a faint ache, and couldn’t help rolling it.
Rong Li said weakly, “It was the Master from Shangliang Temple who said that Bamboo Courtyard is peaceful and quiet, good for nourishing the spirit, and capable of warding off evil. If Li’er moved here, perhaps I could prolong my life by a few more years.”
The moment she finished speaking, Meng Yuan shuddered all over.
“Utter nonsense!” Rong Changting shouted. “Who invited that Taoist priest from Shangliang Temple?”
Rong Li looked toward the two Madams. Her clear, bright eyes shifted briefly between them before settling on Meng Yuan, making the hairs on the latter’s back stand on end. Her eyes curved slightly as she said softly, “Third Mother meant well. She went to Shangliang Temple to draw a fortune stick for Li’er and even invited the Master to the residence.”
Hearing this, Meng Yuan felt the weight on her shoulder grow heavier and heavier. A bone-chilling cold seemed to burrow directly into her body. She hurriedly said, “I even tried to persuade Li’er the day before yesterday, but she stubbornly refused to listen and insisted on staying here.”
Rong Changting was furious beyond words.
“Who could have expected this winter to be so cold? It’s so cold that even my head feels frozen. My health has been deteriorating lately, and I thought I might not live long enough to see Father return. As for whether Third Mother tried to persuade me, I… don’t quite remember anymore.” Rong Li tilted her head up to look at Rong Changting, appearing utterly pitiful.
Meng Yuan looked as though she had seen a ghost. Since when had the Eldest Young Miss become so skilled with words? Every seemingly innocent remark concealed a barb aimed directly at her.
Si Zhao covered her mouth and chuckled. “It’s good that Master has returned. Now you can persuade Li’er to move back to Orchid Courtyard. It’s just that there aren’t many vacant rooms there, and her former room…”
Before Fourth Madam could finish, Rong Li said, “There was a spell of rain earlier, and the wind tore the roof tiles off Third Mother’s room. The servants said it couldn’t be repaired anytime soon, so Li’er persuaded Third Mother to move into my room temporarily.”
“I had no idea that during the three months I was away, the people in this residence had even forgotten how to repair roof tiles.” Rong Changting turned around and fixed Meng Yuan with a penetrating stare.
Meng Yuan abruptly lowered her head. She had no idea what was weighing on her shoulder, but her body suddenly tilted, and she collapsed to the floor with a thud, looking as though she had dropped to her knees to beg forgiveness.
“Why are you so frightened? Am I some kind of vicious beast? Or did you order the servants to leave the roof unrepaired so you could stay in Orchid Courtyard indefinitely?” Rong Changting looked down at her, so furious that he raised a hand to his forehead.
He had already been exhausted from his long, arduous journey and hadn’t rested properly. Yet the moment he returned, he encountered something like this. It truly made his… head spin.
Meng Yuan struggled to her feet, looking rather disheveled.
“Master!” Si Zhao hurried forward to support him and said, “The rain had barely stopped before the cold winds began blowing. Repairs really weren’t easy, so Third Madam can’t be blamed entirely. As they say, harmony brings prosperity. Master, please don’t be angry.”
“Father, please don’t be angry. Li’er will simply move back.” Rong Li coughed softly again. She tilted her head slightly and thought for a moment before saying, “There seems to be an empty room in Orchid Courtyard. Although it’s a little small, it’s still large enough for someone to live in. Why doesn’t Li’er move into that side room?”
“What about Plum Courtyard? I remember Plum Courtyard is still empty,” Rong Changting said with a frown.
“If I truly have to move, Li’er would still prefer to return to Orchid Courtyard.” Rong Li raised a hand and tucked the hair hanging beside her face behind her ear. “Besides, Li’er may not have much longer to stay in this residence anyway. Unfortunately, I was born frail. A fortune-teller once said I wouldn’t live past sixteen. Now, I’ve finally managed to make it beyond the age of fifteen.”
Her voice was soft, and speaking such a long passage left her sounding as though she might run out of breath at any moment. After panting lightly, she continued, “In other families, a camphor tree is planted in the courtyard when a daughter is born. By the time the tree grows taller than the courtyard wall, the daughter is old enough to marry. Li’er was born with a short life and little fortune. When I came into this world, they didn’t even bother planting a camphor tree.”
Rong Li paused and looked toward Meng Yuan. “Fortunately, Third Mother has been thinking about Li’er’s marriage. Perhaps she’s already chosen a suitable family for me.”
Wasn’t that exactly what had happened in her previous life? She had nearly been married off to a wastrel addicted to Five Minerals Powder. When that wastrel saw that she refused to submit to him, he found people to beat her to death.
At the time, something had happened at the branch headquarters in Pengzhou, and Rong Changting had rushed there. Meanwhile, Meng Yuan had dumped her corpse on the outskirts of the city and even claimed that she had been violated by beggars.
“Although I’m frequently away from home, I assume you all know who has the final say in the Rong residence.” Rong Changting pushed Si Zhao aside and turned angrily toward Meng Yuan. “I want her to live safely and happily at home. Yet you! Not only did you fail to persuade her to return to Orchid Courtyard, but you’re even trying to marry her off and send her away?”
“Master, I… I only thought that Li’er had already reached marriageable age.” Meng Yuan stood with one shoulder tilted, finding it difficult even to remain upright. “If the Eldest Young Miss of the Rong family remains unmarried, what will others think of our family?”
“They’ll merely gossip! If others disapprove, will your head fall off?” Rong Changting snorted angrily.
“Father, please don’t blame Third Mother. She’s only thinking of what’s best for Li’er. Besides, Third Mother is carrying a little brother in her belly now. Father mustn’t frighten him.” Rong Li slipped her fair feet into her embroidered shoes and continued unhurriedly, “Li’er will move back. Fourth Mother is right. Harmony brings prosperity. Why get so angry over such a trivial matter?”
Rong Changting gave the young servant behind him a meaningful glance. “Go clean out the vacant room in Orchid Courtyard and get the underground heating going.”
The servant acknowledged the order and withdrew with his head lowered respectfully.
Rong Li finished putting on her shoes and socks. As soon as she raised her hand, Xiao Fu came forward and supported her palm.
“Even setting aside what happened in Bamboo Courtyard before, this room is so cold. I don’t know how you’ve managed to live here.” Rong Changting sighed deeply, his head still buzzing. Only after calming down somewhat did he recall what Rong Li had said earlier.
He turned around in surprise, then immediately frowned again. Looking at Meng Yuan, he asked, “In your belly…”
“This is a blessing for our Rong family,” Meng Yuan hurriedly replied.
Rong Li laughed inwardly but said aloud, “Those Taoist priests previously said I would never have a fifth younger brother. What utter nonsense! Isn’t Fifth Brother already on his way?”
Meng Yuan didn’t dare look at her. She seemed preoccupied with something and couldn’t even bring herself to meet Rong Changting’s eyes.
“Good.” Rong Changting let out a long breath, then repeated, “Good.”
He glanced around and saw that several servants still hadn’t moved. Frowning, he ordered, “Why aren’t you hurrying to move Eldest Young Miss’s belongings over?”
Several young servants immediately began bustling about, swiftly packing up everything in the room to prepare for the Eldest Young Miss’s return to Orchid Courtyard.
Rong Li found standing exhausting, so she leaned nearly half her body against Xiao Fu. Xiao Fu was still young and rather short. With Rong Li leaning on her like that, she had to exert all her strength just to remain standing.
Someone knocked on the door outside, and a young servant asked softly, “Master, what about Eldest Young Miss’s… that…”
“Move my coffin over as well. It’s damp and chilly here all day long, and I haven’t been able to take it outside to air it out for several days.” Rong Li’s voice was light and airy. She was dressed rather thinly, and her shoulders shrank slightly.
Xiao Fu hurriedly pulled down the fox-fur cloak hanging over the folding screen and draped it around her young lady’s shoulders, all while cautiously observing Meng Yuan’s expression.
Meng Yuan looked as though she had swallowed a fly, her face turning a sickly shade of greenish-black.
Rong Li raised her hands and leisurely fastened the thin ties of her fox-fur cloak, burying her chin in the soft fur. She tilted her head toward Meng Yuan and saw that the woman’s complexion was indeed greenish-black. However, it wasn’t merely because she was angry. Rather, it was because…
She had been contaminated by ghostly energy.
The space between Meng Yuan’s eyebrows had darkened, and wisps of black smoke seemed to swirl around her, making her entire face look ashen. Meanwhile, Second Madam, now a departed spirit, was gripping Meng Yuan’s throat with a ferocious expression.
But in the next instant, Second Madam’s eyes suddenly widened. An unseen force flung her away from Meng Yuan. The hands she had wrapped around Meng Yuan’s throat were wrenched backward by an invisible power, and cracking sounds erupted throughout her body.
Although she was nothing more than a ghost, those cracking sounds resembled the breaking of bones in a living body.
Second Madam shrieked hoarsely as the force sent her flying into the roof tiles.
A clattering sound came from the roof. Since no one else could see the ghostly woman, they merely assumed that a stray cat had leaped across the tiles.
Rong Li’s gaze darkened slightly, a trace of confusion appearing in her eyes as she quietly studied Meng Yuan.
“There are still some matters in the residence that need my attention. Father will be going ahead,” Rong Changting said.
Rong Li nodded. “Xiao Fu, go pack the clothes. We’re returning to Orchid Courtyard.”
Xiao Fu acknowledged her and slowly released her young lady’s hand before neatly folding the clothes and placing them into a bamboo trunk.
Once Rong Changting left, Meng Yuan and Si Zhao naturally followed him. Even the large group of servants departed with them, leaving Bamboo Courtyard cold and deserted once more.
After crashing into the roof tiles, Second Madam’s entire body not only ached as though every bone had shattered, but also burned as though she had been thrown into a fire. She began shrieking hoarsely. Looking closely, her body really was burning. The flames were a ghostly blue, clearly not something belonging to the mortal world.
Rong Li raised her head and deliberately composed her expression, concealing the emotions in her eyes.
Second Madam fell back down, her limbs hanging as though all the bones had been removed from them. Her pitch-black hair spread across the floor. It took her a long while before she could speak. “She actually has something on her that wards off evil spirits. You… find a way to see what she’s carrying. I refuse to believe this.”
Rong Li remained silent. Xiao Fu was still in the room, so it wasn’t convenient for her to speak.
Second Madam lay sprawled on the floor, her entire body soaking wet. But it wasn’t sweat. She was bleeding. A vast pool of blood spread beneath her, winding outward in twisted, claw-like streams.
She clenched her teeth tightly, seeming to force every breath through the gaps between them. “If you encounter any lesser ghosts or spirits, bring them here for me to devour. That way, I can increase my cultivation. As long as it isn’t a Ghost King, there’s nothing much to fear.”
“All right,” Rong Li answered softly, thinking to herself that it was one thing for people to proclaim themselves emperors in the mortal world, but why did the underworld have such elaborate hierarchies too?
What would a Ghost King look like? Would it have a green face and sharp fangs, or three heads and six arms?
Comments 0
You must be logged in to comment.
No comments yet. Be the first!