Chapter 10: Entering the Mansion

Approaching the carriage, a few individuals who looked like servants almost simultaneously turned around as if a switch had been flipped, and gazed at Yang Xiao and his companions.

The one leading them sized up the group with a strange look in his eyes, and then, with a dull tone, said methodically, "Please get on the carriage, honored guests. The master has been waiting for quite some time."

Two carriages: Yang Xiao, Kuang Hongyi, Xu Su, and Su Tingting got into the first one, while Shi Dali and two others naturally boarded the second.

The space inside the carriage was quite ample for four people, but what made them uncomfortable was that behind the curtains on both sides of the compartment, a gourd the size of a palm hung on the left, while a rusty pair of scissors dangled from a red string on the right.

As the coachman called out, the carriage started moving with a wobble, and the gourd and scissors on either side began swinging as well. That's when everyone noticed that the bottom of the gourd had been sawed off and replaced with a Bagua Bronze Mirror.

Noticing Su Tingting moving closer to the gourd's base, Kuang Hongyi reminded her with a displeased expression, "Don't touch anything; these items are for warding off evil."

Hearing this, Su Tingting immediately shrank away, snuggling close to Yang Xiao.

Lifting a corner of the curtain covering the window, one could see the streets lined with businesses: restaurants, hostels, tea houses, antique shops, cosmetics stores, a variety of places, and of course, many small rice shops, cloth sellers, and general stores—indispensable places for the common people.

Besides those, there were vendors carrying baskets hawking their wares or peddlers with shoulder poles walking through the streets shouting to sell their goods.

The people on the streets were rarely well-dressed, most of them looked emaciated as if they hadn't had a full meal in a long time, and their clothes were patched upon patches, sometimes even worse than their own ragged attire.

At the street corners, a group of beggars, both young and old, wearing tattered clothes, were either sitting or lying down. When they saw people coming, a swarm of little beggars would surround them with broken bowls in hand, while passersby quickly stepped aside, covering their mouths and noses.

If Yang Xiao were to define the whole town, it would be a façade of prosperity covering a pervasive sense of gloomy, heavy death.

After about 20 minutes, the sound of horse hooves slowed down, and Xu Su, who was looking out the window, turned around and whispered in a low voice, "We've arrived."

At that moment, the streets outside abruptly opened up, and they arrived in front of a very large estate. The front doors, painted a dark red, were tightly closed, and the stone steps leading to the door were made of whole, large slabs of bluestone, arranged tidily and cleanly, exuding a sense of authority.

What was key was that Yang Xiao and the others recognized it—this was the mansion depicted on the invitation cover in the script box, Fengmen Town, Feng Family Mansion!

On either side of the mansion gate hung a very large white lantern that swayed slightly in the wind. Written on it with a thick brush was a bold character for "Settle."

The mansion gates would only open for important days or to welcome distinguished guests, and it was clear Yang Xiao and his companions didn't have such treatment—the gates remained closed, and the carriage didn't stop.

Following the tall walls, the carriage moved forward for several dozen meters more and then turned a corner, entering an alley that was likely a side path leading into the mansion.

The walls hugging the alley were surprisingly high, compressing the sky into a mere slit. Yang Xiao estimated the current time in this world to be just past 4 PM, yet almost no sunlight could be seen in this narrow pathway.

Apart from the sound of the horse hooves and the wheels pressing on the cobblestones, the surroundings were eerily quiet. Both Kuang Hongyi and Xu Su remained silent, creating a somewhat oppressive atmosphere.

Before long, the carriage finally stopped, and someone outside lifted the curtain. One by one, they got out, and in front of them, there was a black double-door made of wood, with someone already awaiting their arrival.

It was an old maid, clutching an embroidered handkerchief in her hand.

The old nanny stared at them coldly, saying nothing. Her thick rouge and droopy eyes were as peculiar as they could be.

Her gaze swept over each person, as if confirming something. After a long while, the old nanny finally spoke, "All you Blessing Guests, our master has gotten out on an important errand. Please follow me to the side hall to wait."

After she finished speaking, the old nanny didn't dally; she turned and pushed the wooden door open.

Blessing Guest...

The servants earlier had referred to them the same way. It seemed that this was their current identity.

Yang Xiao recalled the invitation from the original script. Nowhere on the invitation was the title Blessing Guest mentioned. It merely stated that the Feng Family was hosting a ritual and invited those who received the invitation to attend. It didn't specify the details but promised a handsome reward upon successful completion of the event.

Following the woman, the group finally entered the Feng Family Mansion. It had to be said that the interior was indeed majestic, with changing views, pavilions, terraces, water pavilions, and flower gardens, which were all quite eye-opening.

After about a 10-minute walk, everyone arrived at a quiet, large room. The old nanny pointed to a rack full of compartments instructing, "Our master is kind-hearted and can't bear to see people in distress. Go inside and take some clothes, and change out of those old ones."

Just as everyone was about to do as told, the old nanny's eyes slanted and she changed her mind, "Wait a moment."

"You, take the one on the very top," the old nanny raised her hand, pointing rudely at Shi Dali, who was the oldest among them.

Caught off guard, Shi Dali asked instinctively, "Why me? Is there... any reason behind this?"

"Blessing Guest, upon entering the Feng Mansion, you must follow the rules here. The master likes those who follow rules," the old nanny still had the same indifferent demeanor, her voice void of any emotion, as if everyone owed her something.

Shi Dali didn't speak further and obediently went over. He took out a set of neatly folded clothes from the top shelf. There was no need to choose, as the top space was the only one with clothes, the rest were empty.

Next was Kuang Hongyi. He took from the second shelf, and likewise, there was only one set of clothes in that compartment.

The old woman then pointed out Yang Xiao, Ke Long, and Shi Guanming, one after another. They were to take from the third shelf, which had exactly three sets of clothes. From the old woman's demeanor, it seemed it didn't matter which set each of them took.

Finally, it was Xu Su and Su Tingting's turn; they took from the bottom shelf, which had just two sets of clothes.

Once she saw that everyone had clothes in hand, the old nanny's expression eased slightly, "Now change into these clothes. The master has gone to prepare the paper offerings to send down for the second young master. He probably won't be able to meet you tonight. Wait another incense stick's time, and if the master has not returned, then you can go to the entrance and find the night patrolling servants. They will take you to your quarters."

After finishing, the old nanny turned and left. Yang Xiao and the others stared at the clothes in their hands. The clothes were made of silk, very soft to the touch, with exquisite stitching, clearly items worn by the rich and noble, much better than what the old nanny herself was wearing.

"Hm?" Shi Dali shook out the clothes, and his expression suddenly became strange, "Why are the sleeves of this garment different lengths?"

"A piece of this skirt has been cut off," Xu Su picked up the hem of her skirt to show more clearly to everyone.

Yang Xiao was silent for a long time, as he saw that the hem of his garment had been sewn with someone's birthdate in crooked red stitching.