Within the ancestral residence of the Liu family.
As Yan Shouyi stepped into the compound, he saw the old yet dignified courtyard. It was a standard three-entry, three-hall mansion, testifying to the Liu family's former glory.
Though Liu Mingzhi frequently brought people to clean and pay respects, the Liu family ancestral home still exuded an air of decay and desolation.
He strode further in, passing through the ornamental gate and arriving at the central courtyard. The courtyard had a cruciform path leading to the east and west wing rooms and the main hall. Small pools flanked the path; the water was crystal clear, with not a single fish swimming within.
He first went to the east wing room. Before entering, he knocked on the door and, after a moment, pushed it open.
The scene inside made even Yan Shouyi's scalp tingle.
Inside were more than a dozen coffins, large and small, with paper effigies placed upon them. Each paper effigy was lifelike, their hollow eyes staring at Yan Shouyi!
Taking a few deep breaths, Yan Shouyi calmed his fear and quietly said he would not disturb them before preparing to leave.
Unexpectedly, children's laughter then echoed from within the room!
Yan Shouyi looked down. A ball rolled from a corner, spinning merrily, and stopped at his feet.
He understood in his heart that some mischievous little ghosts wished to play with him.
Among spirits, little ghosts were the most playful and capricious, much like living children. Little ghosts knew nothing of hell; their actions were unrestrained, driven solely by whim. Fortunately, most little ghosts had elders to look after them. It was only when one was unlucky enough to encounter an uncared-for feral little ghost that trouble arose.
Once a little ghost set its sights on you, you could only play with it, entertain it, and hope it would leave on its own. If you ignored the little ghost or angered it in any way, its revenge would be boundless, potentially leading to death at any moment!
This was the very meaning of "little ghosts are hard to deal with."
Previously, when he encountered the Bai family's little ghost, it had unceremoniously attacked people's souls with a slingshot and human bones, even injuring Lin Zitong. This had enraged Yan Shouyi, and he had directly annihilated the little ghost.
The current situation was different. Since he was on Liu family territory, Yan Shouyi dared not harm their little ghosts. Playing with them was no issue.
Thus, Yan Shouyi bent down, picked up the ball, and tossed it towards the base of the coffins.
In a moment, the ball rolled back the way it came.
"Mischievous."
Yan Shouyi smiled, then sat down on the doorstep and played with the little ghost for a while.
A few minutes later, he took a candy from his pocket and said, "Esteemed little lords, I've played with you for quite some time. Shouldn't you help me? I wish to see your clan elders. If you lead the way, these candies are yours."
Candy was always a child's favorite, even for departed children.
After Yan Shouyi tossed the ball, it stopped in mid-air before it could reach the base of the coffins and then, maintaining its height, bounced back to him.
Yan Shouyi smiled, tore open the candy wrapper, and placed the candy on a few of the smaller coffins in the room.
The ball stopped bouncing. After a moment, it suddenly rolled towards the outside of the room.
Yan Shouyi intended to follow the ball, but he hesitated. He looked around the room, then quietly moved the paper effigy on one of the coffins, shifting it from the head to the foot, changing its orientation from west to north.
Afterward, Yan Shouyi followed the ball, circumventing the main hall and arriving at the back courtyard.
Finally, the ball stopped beside an ancient well.
"Thank you all. I have more candies here; they are all for you."
Yan Shouyi sat by the ancient well, took out a few more candies, said thank you, and tossed them out. The ball then followed them away.
He looked down into the ancient well. There was still water inside, but it was dark and reflected nothing. Sitting at the well's edge, Yan Shouyi could not see his own face.
"Water belongs to Yin, and the earth to Yang. As the saying goes, the well connects Yin and Yang. It seems that to see the Liu family's ancestors, I must pass through this well."
Having made up his mind, Yan Shouyi adjusted his clothes, covered his mouth and nose with his hand, and jumped straight into the ancient well!
*Plop!*
The splash was small. After falling into the well, Yan Shouyi sank instantly, not even surfacing with a few bubbles.
The silent Liu family ancestral home returned to its usual quietude, with only a small ball merrily rolling in the courtyard.
...
*Splash!*
Yan Shouyi burst through the water's surface, taking a deep breath.
He had held his breath for a long time in the ancient well, only surfacing when he could no longer bear it, unsure if he had succeeded.
Looking up, Yan Shouyi's scalp tingled once more.
Above him, at the well's opening, several pale faces filled the small aperture. Their eyes held a mixture of vigilance and curiosity as they all stared at Yan Shouyi.
He found one or two of the faces somewhat familiar. Upon closer thought, these individuals bore a resemblance to the paper effigies in the coffin room.
He knew he had come to the right place.
"Who is down there!"
A man with a queue, dressed in Qing Dynasty attire, asked from the well's opening.
Yan Shouyi quickly replied, "I was introduced by Liu Mingzhi. I am Yan Shouyi, here specifically to pay respects to the Liu family's ancestors!"
The people at the well discussed for a moment before lowering a rope and pulling Yan Shouyi up.
Following the rope, Yan Shouyi finally climbed to the well's opening. Before he could even catch his breath, he was suddenly ensnared by ropes by several men and bound tightly!
"What is the meaning of this?" Yan Shouyi asked, his face darkening.
He had anticipated that meeting the Liu family ancestors would not be easy, but he had not expected them to bind him upon his arrival.
It seemed this entire affair was indeed a trap, and figuring out how to break free was the most pressing issue Yan Shouyi needed to consider.
After binding Yan Shouyi, the Liu family members circled him, even leaning in to vigorously sniff the scent of the living on him.
They said with intoxicated expressions, "We haven't smelled the scent of a living person for so long; I'm practically salivating!"
Yan Shouyi observed them. He noticed that these Liu family members appeared incredibly famished, almost as if they were ravenous for live humans.
However, they exuded no killing intent, indicating they had never taken a life.
What was going on?
Didn't Old Master Liu bring offerings to these ancestors every month? Could those offerings and incense not sustain these ancestors?
For ghosts to remain in the mortal realm, they must maintain the integrity of their spirit. There were two ways to achieve this: first, by consuming incense and offerings; second, like the Bai family, by consuming the souls of living people.
Just as several Liu family members surrounded Yan Shouyi and began to drool, a man dressed in Republic of China era clothing rushed over.
"Do not harm him in the slightest. He is a guest of the ancestors. Quickly, escort him to the ancestors!"