The whole story, from cause to effect, was now clear, and Zhao Fusheng fell into contemplation.
After a long while, she finally seemed to understand something and raised her head:
"A coffin that has lost its parts cannot trap a malevolent ghost. And when the malevolent ghost revives in the Liu Residence, and its ghost domain envelops this place, it will first kill the Liu family members."
Based on her rough understanding of ghosts at this time: "After the Liu family's bloodline is annihilated, according to what you previously mentioned about the Beggar Ghost, presumably, this malevolent ghost will first search for its own head to piece together its ghost body, right?"
"Yes," Liu Yizhen affirmed again.
"And the key point of the ghostly disaster occurred on your grandfather's sixtieth birthday."
According to the dossier, Liu Huacheng was immensely wealthy, and his grand birthday celebration had been meticulously planned by his descendants for a long time. The Liu family arranged a continuous feast, inviting people from all four corners of Wan'an County; anyone interested could go to the Liu Residence and enjoy a drink.
Zhao Fusheng pursed her lips, murmuring: "To host such a banquet, preparations must have begun in advance, right?"
Liu Yizhen was exceptionally intelligent. Hearing her words, he seemed to understand her intention. He couldn't help but glance at her, nodding in response: "Indeed, a year ago, the Liu clan began preparing for my grandfather's grand birthday."
This meant that the news of Liu Huacheng's sixtieth birthday celebration being a grand event had already spread throughout Wan'an County. Given the Liu family's reputation at the time, it wasn't an open secret, but at least most people within the county town should have heard about it—meaning it was no longer a secret.
"Is it possible that someone knew about your grandfather's birthday celebrations beforehand and deliberately stole the coffin nails at this crucial moment?" Zhao Fusheng speculated: "Firstly, the Liu family was busy with your grandfather's grand birthday at the time, neglecting the ghost coffin's guardianship; secondly, the person who stole the coffin nails from behind deliberately chose the right time, wanting the malevolent ghost to revive on your grandfather's birthday itself."
"The person who stole the coffin nails wanted to cause a great disaster," Liu Yizhen calmly stated. From his tone and demeanor, Zhao Fusheng's guess was also within his (or rather, Liu Huacheng's) conjectures. This grandfather and grandson might have guessed something.
After the headless ghost revived, its ghost domain immediately enveloped the Liu Residence at that time. It's important to note that the Liu Residence at that time contained not only the Liu clan and their servants but also most of the well-wishers from Wan'an County who had come to the banquet. Once this ghostly disaster erupted, it could potentially affect thousands upon thousands of people.
Therefore, as soon as the incident occurred, everyone became anxious. Liu Huacheng, unable to bear the complete annihilation of his Liu clan's bloodline, later collaborated with Su Long and Zhang Xiongwu.
Inviting Su Long was easy to talk about. Although he was a ghost subjugator and would sooner or later die tragically, he was still human, and as long as he was human, he couldn't escape the allure of profit. Su Long didn't have much time left, but he had family and descendants. Half of the Liu family's wealth was enough to allow his future descendants to live a rich and extravagant life. Most importantly, he was stationed in Wan'an County's Demon Suppressing Division. With such a major ghost case emerging from the Liu clan's ancestral shrine, he couldn't possibly avoid it.
However, persuading Zhang Xiongwu was difficult. The Zhang family was skilled at crafting ghost lanterns. The function of these ghost lanterns was mysterious; they could save a life at a critical moment. Such items were sought after by those who regularly dealt with ghosts in the Demon Suppressing Division, even if it meant sacrificing all their family's wealth. The people of the Demon Suppressing Division, stationed in various regions, often exploited the populace for their own enjoyment and extravagance. If they could exchange money for ghost lanterns, these people would naturally not be stingy. Therefore, although the Zhang family outwardly seemed unremarkable, worldly wealth might be insignificant to them. What they desired was probably something more unique.
Liu Huacheng acted decisively. He immediately thought of that ghost coffin. This coffin had already lost its coffin nails and could no longer trap the malevolent ghost. Therefore, he further disassembled this ominous object, using the coffin lid as leverage, and proposed to Zhang Xiongwu that he collaborate with Su Long.
Liu Yizhen might not have known the detailed process in between; Liu Huacheng, who knew everything, had already passed away. However, the smooth cooperation between the two sides indicated that this transaction must have been satisfactory to both.
The ghost coffin first lost its coffin nails, then its coffin lid, making it even harder to trap the headless ghost's corpse. Therefore, Su Long and Zhang Xiongwu found another way, 'venerating' the Beggar Ghost, which indirectly replaced the function of the coffin nails and coffin lid, sealing the headless ghost once again.
Su Long's method was bloody and cruel. But at the time, his approach was successful. At the cost of the lives of thousands of innocent people in the future, he saved the bloodline of the Liu clan from forty years ago, as well as the ordinary people who attended Liu Huacheng's birthday banquet at that time.
Zhao Fusheng could not evaluate Su Long's actions. Perhaps in this era, where human lives were as cheap as grass, Su Long's method might even be hailed as a 'superior strategy.' However, Su Long ultimately retained some 'humanity,' or perhaps other factors influenced him, so he did not record this process.
This ghost case revealed some brutal truths. The lives of common people were cheap as dirt, while the wealthy could exchange their fortune for life. Humans were not born equal.
"Hmph."
She let out a scoff, all her emotions expressed through that single 'hmph.'
However, Zhao Fusheng was no saint. She was powerless to reverse past events, and there was no way to save the innocent people who had been killed by ghosts.
She refocused her attention on the ghost coffin. After clarifying all the causes and effects, Zhao Fusheng already had a plan in mind. She smiled and asked Liu Yizhen: "Yizhen, who do you think stole these coffin nails?"
"I don't know." Liu Yizhen shook his head with a blank expression.
She raised an eyebrow, smiling as she asked again: "Are you truly ignorant, or unwilling to speculate?"
Liu Huacheng had experienced a tumultuous life. This man was no pushover; he possessed both foresight and courage. He had dominated Wan'an County for many years, and his connections and experience were extraordinary. He dared to use the ghost coffin's lid as a bargaining chip with Zhang Xiongwu, which showed there must have been inside information. The Zhang family held a high status in Wan'an County, feared by all like tigers. Zhao Fusheng, however, was not afraid of Zhang the Paper Figure maker.
Seeing Liu Yizhen's cautious words, she directly asked: "Did Zhang Xiongwu steal these coffin nails?"
"I dare not speculate, as there is no evidence," Liu Yizhen replied earnestly again. But he was no fool; such words could reveal much information. He just "dared not speculate" and had "no evidence," but he likely harbored some suspicion in his heart. This meant there was a high possibility that Zhang Xiongwu stole the coffin nails.
Upon closer thought, Zhang Xiongwu coveted the ghost coffin, but he knew that the Liu family's defenses were extremely tight, and the Demon Suppressing Division had probably received an imperial order to guard the coffin strictly. If he wanted to obtain the coffin, ordinary methods wouldn't work. If he stole the coffin lid, the target would be too large, easily exposing him, and the malevolent ghost sealed inside the ghost coffin would immediately awaken upon its loss.
However, if he merely stole a coffin nail from the ghost coffin, it would be relatively easier. Coffin nails were small targets, and the ghost coffin sealed a malevolent ghost. As long as there were no abnormal movements, the people Liu Huacheng sent to guard it probably wouldn't dare to approach it constantly. Once lost, it would be difficult to discover. And once the ghost coffin was no longer complete, its power would decrease. Over time, the headless ghost would revive and cause trouble. At this point, once the Liu clan members began to die, Liu Huacheng would surely be as anxious as an ant on a hot skillet.
The Liu family, back then, was prominent in Wan'an County, not just an ordinary household. The dossier recorded that the Liu clan, including their servants, numbered 592 people. If Liu Huacheng wanted to preserve his entire clan, he could only seek help from capable individuals to clean up this mess. Once at someone's mercy, he would be at their whim.
At that time, the only ones in Wan'an County capable of resolving the aftermath were Su Long and Zhang Xiongwu. These two, one a ghost subjugator and the other capable of crafting ghost-averting lanterns, were both potential thieves of the ghost coffin lid. The reason Zhao Fusheng did not suspect Su Long was because, aside from Su Long's inherent obligations, Liu Yizhen personally admitted that Liu Huacheng had moved Su Long with money back then. Zhang Xiongwu, who did not take money, obtained the ghost coffin lid, which could not be measured by money. —Such an item, its invisible value was far more important than mere currency.
Without such a ghostly disaster, it would not have been easy for Zhang Xiongwu to obtain this ghost coffin lid. Therefore, Zhao Fusheng suspected him of being the thief who cried thief.
Her thoughts became clearer, and she even outlined the general sequence of events in her mind: With Zhang Xiongwu's identity, he might have known from early on that a headless ghost's corpse was sealed beneath the Liu clan's ancestral shrine in a ghost coffin. (This was not Zhao Fusheng's baseless speculation, but rather her conclusion based on an innocent remark made by the Fan brothers and Zhang Chuanshi earlier: that the Zhang family had always maintained a good relationship with the Wan'an County Demon Suppressing Division Commander.)
But Zhao Fusheng was not a naive person, naturally not to be fooled by a simple phrase like 'good relationship.' Beneath such an understated term, the cooperation between Zhang Xiongwu and the Demon Suppressing Division must have been intricately complex, with many secrets shared.
Zhang Xiongwu learned of the headless ghost's past and set his sights on the ghost coffin. He had endured patiently, waiting for the opportune moment, and Liu Huacheng's grand birthday was his catalyst. Therefore, taking advantage of the Liu family's birthday celebration, he found a way to steal the coffin nails. The malevolent ghost then revived, and a ghost domain subsequently appeared in the Liu Residence.
With the ghostly disaster in full swing, Liu Huacheng would surely appeal to someone capable of resolving the situation. At that time, Zhang Xiongwu only needed to rest easy at home, and Liu Huacheng would proactively come to him with the item he desired.
…
From Liu Yizhen's reaction, it seemed Liu Huacheng might have also suspected Zhang Xiongwu of orchestrating this ghost case during his lifetime. But from his perspective, if he wanted to preserve the Liu family, he could only grimly jump into the trap, even if he knew it was one.
Zhao Fusheng thought of this point, and suddenly remembered something, her expression subtly changing. She involuntarily pulled out the Emerald Jade Scroll from her embrace. Then Liu Yizhen saw her fingertips rub a person's name a few times, until the black and red resentful little figure began to emit bloody light—only then did she continue rubbing and smilingly curse: "Bastard."
"..." He somewhat doubted Zhao Fusheng's sanity.
The next moment, she nonchalantly tucked the Emerald Jade Scroll back into her embrace, acting as if nothing had happened: "I have understood the situation here. The ghostly disaster at Fuzi Temple has been temporarily resolved. It's good that you stay here—" Now that the two had spoken frankly, Zhao Fusheng had a clear understanding of the Fuzi Temple situation.
Liu Yizhen absolutely could not leave Fuzi Temple. He was essentially burdened with the heavy responsibility of guarding the headless ghost and Liu Huacheng. The former was still lying in the coffin, and the latter was temporarily restrained by the headless ghost, not having fully revived. Although the ghost coffin was no longer complete, it was still extremely important now. Wan'an County could not withstand further upheaval. Before Zhao Fusheng thoroughly activated the Investiture of the Gods and possessed absolute power, these two major ghosts absolutely could not awaken.
"Don't leave. Keep a close watch on them. I will try my best to resolve the matters of the Demon Suppressing Division. I won't trouble you unless absolutely necessary." She expressed her intentions. The mutual exchange of names with Liu Yizhen was originally meant for mutual restraint. Knowing the inside story, she naturally couldn't truly treat Liu Yizhen as an ordinary envoy.
"Good." Liu Yizhen's gaze softened considerably, a faint smile appearing on his face. He had not misjudged her. Zhao Fusheng was intelligent and astute, not a foolish person who acted recklessly.
"You must also be careful," he said with considerable restraint, then added, "Strive to live for more days." The Chief Envoys of the Demon Suppressing Division changed frequently; Su Long back then didn't stay in Wan'an County for long before a malevolent ghost revived, and he ultimately died by Shao Wenxun's hand. It must be said that those who subjugated ghosts in the Demon Suppressing Division almost always had tragic yet short lives. His hope for Zhao Fusheng to live longer was not a curse, but came from sincerity.
"Troublemakers live for a thousand years. It's not easy to kill me," Zhao Fusheng smiled faintly.
Liu Yizhen also let out a light chuckle.
The previous suspicions and vigilance between them were temporarily set aside. Perhaps at this moment, neither side could fully trust the other, but through verbal communication, they still gained a bit more appreciation for each other.
The two remained silent for a moment, enjoying the rare tranquility.
After a long while, Zhao Fusheng composed herself and said: "Before I leave, I need to ask you for a favor."
"Speak," Liu Yizhen nodded.
Zhao Fusheng then said: "The ghostly disaster here has been resolved, but I see that the survivors have been scared witless by the malevolent ghost and refuse to believe my words." The survivors, under the deterrence of the malevolent ghost, had their minds stiffened, their bodies maintaining mechanical actions of hiding and eating. Facing the malevolent ghost, they dared not go out, dared not attempt to escape.
"Good," Liu Yizhen replied, turning back into the main hall. He found a bronze gong behind a corner of the door panel and brought it out. Then, he took the gong and struck it several times, 'clang-clang.'
The sound was a signal.
The previously dead silent street suddenly echoed with the continuous sound of opening doors. The survivors, holed up in their houses, emerged one by one, surging towards Fuzi Temple like walking dead.
"..." The smile on Zhao Fusheng's face slowly vanished. Her upturned lips pressed together tightly, and her expression gradually became stern.
Liu Yizhen secretly watched her out of the corner of his eye. Since she entered Beggar's Alley and they began interacting, she had been playful, angry, and mocking, her personality somewhat rogue and elusive, her emotions rarely showing on her face. The origin of the Beggar Ghost of Fuzi Temple hadn't angered her, Liu Huacheng's identity hadn't surprised her, and she had taken the fact that Fuzi Temple housed three ghosts well...
But only now, upon seeing the stumbling common people in the distance, did her face show a momentary ugliness. At this moment, her fists were clenched, as if she was restraining her inner emotions. But quickly, she soon returned to her previous cynical demeanor, as if that fleeting moment of sternness was just an illusion in Liu Yizhen's eyes.
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