Free Web NovelChapter 58: Chapter 58: Manager Liu
The courtyard was not small, and taking advantage of the good sunlight, it was filled with wood being dried in the sun. Seeing guests arrive, a young apprentice busy with woodworking put down his saw and stood up to greet them, "Gentlemen, is there anything you need?"
"Young man, we have come to see Manager Liu," said Yang Xiao, cutting to the chase.
Soon, under the guidance of the apprentice, the two visitors came to a low house in the back courtyard. The apprentice respectfully approached and knocked on the door, "Master, there are guests looking for you."
It wasn’t long before with a creak, the black, worn wooden door was pulled open, revealing an elderly man with white streaks in his hair.
The old man wore a black, knee-length robe, with a white cloth belt wrapped around his waist, and the edges of his black cloth shoes displayed a white lining. His skin was pale, and unsightly brown patches densely covered his face, neck, and other exposed areas of skin. Most strikingly, both of his eye sockets were deeply sunken in, devoid of eyeballs.
Just looking at the old man gave Su Tingting goosebumps, making her feel as if she were not looking at a person but rather a corpse lying in a coffin.
The old man stared at Su Tingting and Yang Xiao with his empty eye sockets, and Su Tingting actually had the eerie illusion that he was watching her.
Several seconds later, the old man finally spoke up in a hoarse voice, "Xiao Fuzi, you can leave now."
The apprentice called Xiao Fuzi said "all right" and went back to what he was doing. Once he left, the old man gestured with his hand, signaling for the two to follow him. They came to a spot in the back courtyard and took a seat. There was a simple set of stone table and chairs, cold to the touch.
"Manager Liu, our visit today is to inquire about a matter," Yang Xiao got straight to the point.
Manager Liu’s body became rigid, his skin as white as if he hadn’t left his room for a long time, and the entire person emitted an odor of decay. Being stared at by those empty sockets made both visitors feel uncomfortable.
"Both of you carry the scent of death on your clothes, the original owners of those clothes have met with violent ends. You two are Settle Guests standing in for others," he said.
Having their identity called out, Yang Xiao was not surprised, and replied with a cupped fist gesture, "Manager Liu is skilled indeed. We indeed do this line of work, and seeing as we all seek passage through the shadows, I hope you can enlighten us with the truth."
"Very well, ask your questions," Manager Liu nodded.
"10 years ago, a woman named Ms. Chun died at Crouching Tiger Manor, and not long after the woman and her child died, her husband also died. Are you aware of this incident, Manager Liu?"
No sooner had this been said than Manager Liu, who had until then held an air of authority, suddenly turned pale, and veins surfaced on the back of his hand, "Did you two come because of this matter?"
Before Yang Xiao could reply, Manager Liu shook his head, "That thing is too fierce. The two of you are no match for it. Take an old man’s advice and retreat from this job. Even if you lose your livelihood, it’s better than losing your life. You don’t want to end up like me, a useless person, do you?"
"Did you acquire these injuries from that thing?" Yang Xiao had not expected this.
"Hmm, if it weren’t for the fact that I still had some Daoist skills with me, I’m afraid I would have ended up like those coffin bearers, dead without explanation," even after so long, Manager Liu mentioned the incident with lingering fear.
After a pause, waiting for Manager Liu to calm down, Yang Xiao considered his words before slowly speaking, "Manager Liu, was that thing Ms. Chun?"
"If not her, who else could it be? I was duped by that damned Wang Laizi. I have no idea what he did with Ms. Chun and her child. That thing was filled with resentment!" Breathing rapidly, Manager Liu’s face took on a fierce look, "Wang Laizi not only caused his own death but also dragged so many innocent people down with him, hmph! I specifically chose a thin poplar wood coffin for him, to ensure he suffers the torment of bugs and ants below, never finding peace in death!" freewebnøvel.com
Yang Xiao knew the saying: "Don’t shelter under a mulberry or step on a locust; don’t lie in life on a willow, nor rest in death in a poplar." Poplar wood is soft, lacking sufficient hardness and density. Buried in the ground, it easily succumbs to dampness and decay and attracts insects, which is unfavorable for preserving the body. In other words, using poplar wood for a coffin is highly disrespectful to the deceased, and could even affect their reincarnation.
"How did this Wang Laizi die?" Yang Xiao needed to confirm this point.
"He went to gamble and drink in the next village. While walking at night, he stumbled and, just by chance, fell headfirst into a mud pit by the roadside and drowned," Manager Liu gestured the height with his thumb and index finger, "Heh, I went to see the scene. That mud pit was only this deep, less than 5 inches. It actually drowned a grown man."
A weight lifted from Yang Xiao’s heart; it seemed there was no mistake, "It was done by that thing. She’s come back for revenge."
"Right, there were signs of struggle near the mud pit. At that time, Wang Laizi desperately clawed at the earth, trying to lift his head out, but he couldn’t. It was as if someone was pulling his hair, dragging him into the mud pit until he was drowned in the sludge,"
"Also, I found out that after the deaths of Ms. Chun and her child, the gamblers said that Wang Laizi suddenly came into some money. He lived it up for a few days, truly carousing," Manager Liu added.
The story from 10 years ago was becoming clearer. Yang Xiao thought it must have gone like this: Master Bai had secretly found Wang Laizi, and the two made an agreement. Wang Laizi took the silver and secretly sold Ms. Chun and her daughter to Master Bai. Master Bai used Ms. Chun to switch out the real bride, Xi Yao, who was supposed to be married to Old Master Feng. This incorrect union led to the failure of the Feng Family’s sorcery; instead, they were haunted by Ms. Chun’s vengeful spirit, resulting in their current downfall.
Ms. Chun spared no one involved in the affair. Wang Laizi was dead, the Bai Family Stage was completely destroyed, the Feng Family was also nearly wiped out, and even those who helped carry the coffin and those who traveled with Bai Family Stage had perished. freeweɓnovel.cøm
Ms. Chun was blinded by her rage, or rather, her heart was only left with hatred.
After thinking for a moment, Yang Xiao asked again, "Where was Ms. Chun’s coffin buried?"
"There’s no use worrying about it; it was an empty coffin," Manager Liu sighed, "Although the coffin bearers said it was heavy, I guess it must have been filled with stones. The whereabouts of the body, sold off by that scoundrel Wang Laizi, remain unknown."
"Alright, listen to an old man’s advice. You youngsters shouldn’t covet involvement in this affair. It’s best to return from whence you came," Manager Liu stood up, clearly not wanting to dwell on this matter any further, or perhaps just reluctant to reminisce on the past.
Yang Xiao stood to stop him, smiling wryly, "Thank you for your kind intentions, elder, but... but we’re already entangled in this. I hope the elder can point us in the right direction."
With his silver nearly spent, Yang Xiao signaled to Su Tingting, who immediately understood. She took out the last ingot of silver from her bosom and respectfully offered it with both hands, "Elder, please accept this small token of our appreciation."
To their surprise, Manager Liu paid it no heed. Instead, his face showed a hint of displeasure. He thumped his walking stick heavily on the ground, "Our ancestors have teachings that we, the weaker and lower-ranked denizens of the underworld, must rely on the brotherhood within our kin for sustenance. We value righteousness over wealth in our industry. Are you two trying to dismiss me with silver, looking down on an old man like me?"
