Chapter 98: Bizarre Game Plan; Doors Open to the Fetus Ghost Thief (Part 1)
Xie Lian blinked. A fargone memory was like a dust-covered picture, and when he tried to wipe it clean, it was still blurry. He loosened his hand and picked up that flower, solemn and wordless. Hua Cheng put down the brush too, and quietly grinded the ink, "What is it?"
"..." Xie Lian smiled, "Nothing. Just, this flower is refreshing, I've always liked it."
It wasn't rare to see offerings of flowers in temples and palaces. Only, most would use bright reds or purples, large bouquets of fresh flowers or handmade fake ones that would never wilt. After a pause, Xie Lian said, "Could it be that 'Crimson Rain Sought Flower' sought for this kind of flower?"
Hua Cheng smiled, "Gege has the premonition of gods."
In between laughter, the two finally completed a set of composition together, and the subject was still those four verses. Hua Cheng picked it up to admire it, looking very pleased, "En. Pretty good. Frame it."
Hearing him say "pretty good" Xie Lian "eh"-ed. When he heard "frame it", Xie Lian "eh"-ed again. "You're not thinking of hanging it on the wall, are you?" If his deceased teachers were to see Xie Lian's involvement in such a set of composition, they'd probably rise from the dead to haunt him as a zombie. However, Hua Cheng only laughed, "No. I'm keeping it for myself. I'm not showing this to anyone."
Just then, the two suddenly heard faint series of screaming from the outside:
"FIRE!"
"FIRE!"
"PARADISE MANOR IS ON FIRE!"
It was exceedingly quiet inside the main hall of Qiandeng temple, and since the two both possessed stronger than normal senses, the moment they heard they instantly looked at each other, and Xie Lian blurted, "Paradise Manor again?"
The words already left his lips before he realized it was silly to say "again". Hua Cheng didn't seem worried, and unhurriedly put away the compositions, "No need to worry. Gege just sit here and relax. I'll be back shortly."
As if Xie Lian could sit back and relax. "I'll come with you!" He said, and hastily followed, feeling a little bummed, 'How come every time I come, Paradise Manor gets set on fire?' His title of God of Misfortune was about to be ratified again. Although this time it had nothing to do with him, but being sorry was practically a habit by now.
The two of them rushed back to Paradise Manor, and on the way the entire main street was heavy with smoke, little ghosts and monsters screaming and howling as they ran back and forth with buckets of water. When they saw Hua Cheng and Xie Lian arriving, they all called out, "MY LORD! DON'CHA WORRY YER OL' LORDSHIP, THE FIRE AIN'T BIG, IT'S ALREADY PUT OUT!"
Hua Cheng didn't show any response, but Xie Lian however, let out a breath of relief and said gently, "Thank goodness! Thanks for everyone's hard work."
The little ghosts hadn't expected any kind of gratitude, and the "thanks for your hard work" came from the lord's friend no less, so they all became excited with delight, "NOT HARD! IT'S NOTHIN' MAJOR!" "IT'S OUR DUTY!"
Only then did Xie Lian realize, for him to show gratitude was rather inappropriate because he wasn't the master of this establishment. However, since Hua Cheng himself hadn't said anything, if Xie Lian said something it shouldn't be too horrible. He reprimanded himself mentally and stopped worrying.
The two entered Paradise Manor and looked at where the arson started, and sure enough it was only a small area, nothing more than the corner of an insignificant small house. No wonder the fire was extinguished so fast.
Yet, after this was confirmed, Xie Lian became alarmed. He turned to Hua Cheng, "The arsonist wasn't trying to play an ignorant, gutsy prank, and this wasn't for torching anything either, more like a red herring, attracting everyone's attention away."
But, if that was the case, what was the distraction for?
In a flash, Xie Lian figured it out, "THAT FETUS SPIRIT!"
Before when they left Paradise Manor, even having walked a long way that fetus spirit continued to wail and cry, the sound of its sobbing sharp to the ears, even calling for mom at times. Yet now, that voice was gone!
The two then rushed to a side chamber outside the main hall of Paradise Manor to check. When the two had left, Hua Cheng had casually placed the clay pot that contained the fetus spirit on a desk, and before them, that clay pot was still there, but when Xie Lian reached out and grabbed it, he immediately felt the weight was different; it was too light. When he opened it, sure enough, there was nothing inside.
There was no way whatever was locked up within the clay pot could break that seal. Xie Lian immediately said, "Someone let the fetus spirit loose."
Hua Cheng however, didn't look fussed at all, "It was stolen. That thing was injured in the troop of butterflies and badly wounded. it couldn't get far on its own."
"Then that's easy to take care of." Xie Lian said, "San Lang, does your Paradise Manor have guards that patrol the premises? See if they saw anyone suspicious."
"There are none." Hua Cheng said.
"..." Xie Lian blinked, "None?"
"Yea. There's never been any." Hua Cheng replied.
No wonder when he snuck around Paradise Manor last time there were no guards to be seen. Xie Lian had once thought it was because they were hidden too well so he didn't notice, but he didn't realize there actually weren't any. Slightly stunned, he said, "You're that lax about Paradise Manor?"
"Gege, have you ever paid attention to the doors in Paradise Manor?" Hua Cheng asked.
Xie Lian thought about it and replied, "No, I haven't. Could it be there's something extraordinary about them?"
"Correct." Hua Cheng said.
He pointed at the set of the doors to the side chamber and said, "If one is not the master of this establishment, then those who take without permission what was originally inside that didn't belong to them, even just one item, they won't be able to open the doors, and they would be trapped inside the room."
Xie Lian recalled the last time he came to Paradise Manor, and at the time he had always opened doors with dice, and when he finally left, it was through the whirlwind created by the Wind Master, raising the roof, and avoided leaving through the 'doors'. Those were all images of violence, and the more Xie Lian remembered the more he thought he should stop thinking, feeling slightly ashamed.
After a pause, he then asked, "Then say if San Lang were to steal a spiritual device from me and kept it within Paradise Manor, since I was the original owner of the device, can I not take it away?"
Hua Cheng raised his brows, "Of course not. Once it's in my hands it's mine. But, don't wrong me, gege, I would never steal any of your spiritual devices."
Xie Lian cleared his throat, "Of course. I knew that. That's why I said 'if'. Besides... I don't really have any spiritual devices worth stealing anyway..."
Hua Cheng's jokes ended there. He smiled then continued, "So, to steal something from me without notice is impossible. Naturally, there's no need for guards."
Xie Lian's first reaction was, the one who stole the fetus spirit didn't leave through the doors and employed a different method. But looking around, this side chamber's roof showed no damage, the floors looked pristine, and the walls were fine too, not a trace of any break-ins. He couldn't help but come with a more skin-crawling thought:
Could it be the one who stole the fetus spirit hadn't left, and was still in this side chamber?
Although there was nowhere in the side chamber to hide, still there were plenty of ways in the world to go invisible. Maybe that thief was near them this very moment, watching their every action quietly. Xie Lian looked around intently, vigilant of any odd movement in the air. Yet whether if it was his eyes or his instincts, both told him that there was no third person or ghosts.
He might have to pursue a different train of thought. Just then, Hua Cheng chuckled, "There's no need for gege to be concerned. I have my own way of finding the fetus spirit thief."
He actually looked mighty confident. Xie Lian turned to him, and after musing for a moment, Xie Lian became pleasantly optimistic too.
The two waited in silence. After a while, the sound of commotion came closer, and a large group of ghosts, demons, and monsters all came pouring in, gathering outside the side chamber like a flock of flappy birds, "My lord! What does your ol' lordship desire, calling us over?"
At minimum this crowd was close to a thousand in number, and had it not been for the large courtyard and chambers of Paradise Manor, they might have not all fit. The one who brought them was that masked man, and he reported to Hua Cheng, "My lord, everyone who appeared on the streets today should all be here. The Ghost City is also locked down, no one can leave."
It was the same voice of that young man from the last time, and Xie Lian couldn't help but steal a glance at him. The ghosts cried, "My lord! Did ya catch the one who set the fire?"
"They sayin' somethin' was stolen, even! They tired o' livin' or wanna die again or what!"
"SO INSOLENT! SETTIN' FIRES AN' STEALIN' SHIT, THEY'D DARE MESS WIT' THE GREAT ANCESTOR! THERE'S NO WAY MY LORD WILL LET 'EM GO?!"
"..."
Although that crowd of ghosts weren't talking about him, but as the one who set the building on fire the last time, kidnapped someone, and was let go by Hua Cheng, Xie Lian felt like he was pierced by countless arrows, and softly cleared his throat, feeling more and more guilty. He peeked a look at Hua Cheng but coincidentally met eyes with Hua Cheng who also swept an unreadable look over, and Xie Lian immediately dropped his eyes. Then, he could hear Hua Cheng say flatly, "The one who stole the fetus spirit can come forward yourself, don't waste my time."
The crowd was shaken. "Among us?"
"I thought it was something from the outside..."
"Who the hell is it, just go forward already!"
A moment later, the wave had calmed but no one came forward. Hua Cheng said, "Very good. Brave as expected. Men on the left, women on the right, divide and line up."
Although the demons and ghosts were puzzled, they didn't dare to disobey Hua Cheng's word, and immediately did as told, forming two large groups. The male ghosts squished on the left, their voices rough; the female ghosts were thus on the right, each seductive and flirtatious.
Hua Cheng and Xie Lian shared a look, then went directly to the right side, walking through the female ghosts, tossing them looks, going through ten with each sweep of their eyes. After many steps, when Xie Lian walked past a female ghost, he paused slightly. This female ghost wore a long dress, her face heavy with layers of white powder, terrifyingly pale, her real face indiscernible. However, that exaggerated pretty face was somewhat familiar, and Xie Lian called out, "My lady Lan Chang?"
That female ghost was taken aback, as if she was the one who just saw a ghost. Sure enough, it was that female ghost Lan Chang who clung onto him on the streets of Ghost City, fought with the boar butcher, laughed at his "can't get erect" and spread that around.
After shaking off her shock, she put her hands on her hips and raised her head, "What? Yer the one who said ya can't get it up! I didn't wrong you! Ya gonna seek revenge an' tell on me to my lord?"
Although the female ghosts were all a little nervous, but hearing her, they still giggled softly. Hua Cheng walked over too, and even though his expression wasn't readable, that female ghost Lan Chang was still a little afraid, becoming demure and no longer stirring anything up. Xie Lian said gently, "My lady can talk however she wants about a joke like that. However, that fetus spirit has harmed many, its blood heavy, and it shouldn't be let loose, so please return it."
Even with the heavy foundation on Lan Chang's face it was still obvious her face became paler. She backed up in a hurry, but since she was in a crowd of other female ghosts, she didn't get very far before she was caught, sealing her chance of escape, and so she could only cry, "I DUNNO WHAT YER SAYIN'! WHAT FETUS SPIRIT?"
"Please return it." Xie Lian beckoned.
"RETURN WHAT? I DUN HAVE IT! You accusin' me of stealin' from my lord's house, but everyone knows there's no way anythin' can be taken from my lord's house. Whatever we take we can't take it out!"
The crowd of ghosts all agreed, yea, that's right, they all knew, and even the boar butcher was grumbling. Lan Chang added, "Paradise Manor on fire only jus' happened. I've been on the street and I never left. If I stole anything, I wouldn't have the time to hide it?" As she spoke she opened her arms, showing off her empty hands, and even lifted her dress to prove she wasn't hiding anything.
However, Xie Lian pointed out, "My lady, the last time I met you, it was freezing cold but you still dressed so lightly. Today, the day is beautiful and yet you're wearing a long dress? Why the sudden change? Or are you hiding something?"
It was only after he brought it up did the ghosts realize, Lan Chang usually dressed revealingly, and to have Xie Lian say 'lightly' was already very polite. On the streets she'd almost be exposing her cleavage. However, today she was wearing a long dress, covering her legs and waist completely, exceedingly strange.
Besides, earlier when Hua Cheng was taking Xie Lian around to stroll the Ghost City streets and the crowd of ghosts were hollering, stuffing them with dishes, they didn't see Lan Chang who loved to show off and cuss the streets, passionately proclaiming "IT'S NOT ME, HE'S THE ONE WHO CAN'T GET IT UP!", and so they became agitated.
Xie Lian explained slowly, "You didn't take what didn't belong to you; you only took away what was part of you. That fetus spirit is in your belly right this moment!"
If the fetus spirit thief had no other ways to leave and didn't stick around in the side chamber, then there could only be one explanation: that thief left the front doors openly.
If that fetus spirit was already born, then it would be a child, an independent person. However, that fetus spirit was forcibly removed from its mother's womb before it reached term, therefore, if its mother stuffed it back into her belly, then naturally it'd count as something that belonged to her.
No, it should be said, that that fetus spirit was no different than a piece of her flesh, a part of her body. After all, blood bond between a mother and child was thick, and under the circumstances, they were but one body, so that female ghost could naturally leave without harm, and exit Paradise Manor openly.
Therefore, the one who stole the fetus spirit must be a female ghost, as well as the mother to that child. Locking down the Ghost City then bringing forth all the female ghosts who appeared on the street before and after the fire to investigate would surely lead them to the culprit. Thinking back, Hua Cheng must've thought of all this the moment they entered the side chamber.
Suddenly, Lan Chang let out a loud scream, and grabbed her own belly in a mad fit.