Free Web NovelChapter 783: Chapter 587: The Five Eccentrics of Bo Mansion - 3
"You are from the Earl’s Mansion." The man answered with utmost respect, a sycophantic smile hiding his unease.
"Good observation, how did you figure it out?" The commotion had already alerted others nearby, but everyone adhered to the principle of ’better less trouble than more,’ and they all evaded the area. Yang Xiao signaled for the man to follow him, and the three of them walked to a secluded spot at a fork in the road.
"I’m truly sorry, my lords, my poor eyesight failed to recognize you two." The man’s demeanor had taken a complete 180-degree turn from before, and the courteous Fang Zhou was not used to it. "It was dark in the alley earlier, I couldn’t see the embroidery on your robes clearly."
"Go on," Yang Xiao nodded without betraying any emotion.
"The embroidery on your robes is indigo, a precious color that no one but those from the Earl’s Mansion dares to use here."
The man bowed repeatedly, panic hidden deep in his eyes. Yang Xiao guessed it had something to do with the demon song mentioned earlier. Indeed, when he probed a bit more, the man became even more flustered. "You’re not aware of the demon song?"
"My lord must be jesting, I have no acquaintance with those demons, how would I know their song?" The man shook his head repeatedly.
"That’s odd, didn’t your daughter just sing it at home?" Yang Xiao suddenly smiled, fixing his gaze on him.
At that moment, the man’s face turned completely pale, his legs weakened, and he nearly fell to the ground as he staggered back two steps. "You... you..."
Soon, led by the ashen-faced man, they quickly found a group of happy little beggars with his daughter among them in another alley not too far. The moment he saw his daughter, the man’s hanging heart was crushed. freeweɓnøvel.com
Jiang Qingluan and Chang Chuchu were nearby as well. They called the girl over. Seeing her father, the girl’s face looked even worse than her father’s, probably anticipating a brutal beating. She held back her tears, but eventually, she burst into crying.
"Don’t cry, recite the poem for us, the one you recited at home. If you do, sister will persuade your father not to beat you, and she’ll even buy you a candied haw on a stick, okay?" Chang Chuchu bent down, gently pinching the girl’s rosy cheeks with a very kindly demeanor.
"Really?" The girl’s eyes widened.
"Of course, it’s true." Chang Chuchu’s smile was sweet, very affable.
The girl looked at her father, but the man, being restrained, could only force a smile uglier than crying.
"Each transaction must involve a sale, marry and bury only within, slave and thief bear the blame, debts muddled in the Land Temple, entering the Marquis Mansion is like the deep sea, not leaving through one gate, not stepping through the second, night sedan runs swiftly, would you say the Bo Mansion is strange?" The girl cautiously sang, not understanding why her father’s face was paler than a pigskin dead for days.
"Sing it once more, and get another stick of candied haw." Handing the girl a small silver piece, Chang Chuchu enjoyed the spectacle, also memorizing the lyrics in her heart.
"Each transaction must involve a sale, marry and bury only within, slave and thief bear the blame, debts muddled in the Land Temple, entering the Marquis Mansion is like the deep sea, not leaving through one gate, not stepping through the second, night sedan runs swiftly, would you say the Bo Mansion is strange?" This time the girl sang more smoothly, even keeping a rhythm.
Yang Xiao waved his hand, signaling for someone to take the girl away, then looked at the man, "Now you have two choices, either come back with us to the mansion to accept punishment, or explain the meaning behind each line of this demon song, assisting us in investigating the origins of those demons. Not only will you be cleared of charges, you’ll be considered meritorious."
The man looked up, distrustful. Yang Xiao, wasting no words, gestured to Fang Zhou, "Take him back."
"No, I’ll cooperate, I... I’m willing to cooperate!" Seeing this, the man panicked. Once taken into the Earl’s Mansion, few had come out alive.
Fang Zhou cooperated by pulling out an old book cover from his chest— a map he and Chang Chuchu had bought at a street stall— he then took out a brush tucked inside, moistened the tip with saliva, and made ready to record, "Okay, start talking."
"This... this demon poem is called ’The Five Oddities of Bo Mansion,’ which tell of five strange occurrences within the Earl Mansion." The man resignedly bowed his head. "The first oddity is called ’Each transaction must involve a sale,’ meaning any business on Fushou Manor has the Earl’s hand in it, taking a cut of the silver. Take, for example, when I bring my wife for this, they... they take a cut from it too, mine is actually one of the lesser instances, if it involves pawning or selling a wife, they take even more. Other businesses like inns, brothels, rice shops, and cloth stores not to mention, even the beggars on Fushou Manor must pay a fee or else they’re not allowed to beg in the streets."
"The second oddity, ’marry and bury only within,’ refers to the low-key weddings and funerals managed by the Earl’s Mansion. Over the years, no one knows the background of the brides married into or the sons-in-law brought into the mansion. Not even the neighboring villages or manors have heard or known about these people. The same goes for the funerals; they’re highly secretive."
"The third oddity, ’slave and thief bear the blame,’ is about the significant figures of the Earl’s Mansion having great disdain for those charlatans who speculate and predict fortunes. When discovered, at the very least, they are beaten and driven out of the manor, and at worst, beaten to death without mercy." He paused, then whispered, "It is said... it is said these demons belong to this category."
"The fourth oddity, ’debts muddled in the Land Temple,’ refers to the Land Temples. Every now and then, a new Land Temple is constructed, and a lavish collection is 止于此处
