"Rules of Mourning": Do Not Take a Single Step Outside Your Room
"Now that you've memorized the rules," the butler, who had waited a moment, continued, "Please, gentlemen and ladies, come inside and offer the first incense stick to the master..."
Inside the door, the glow of the ever-burning lamp seeped through the cracks, casting distorted streaks of light on the floor.
The steward reached out and pushed open the heavy doors of the Ancestral Hall.
"Squeak--Yay--"
The grating creaking of the door hinges was particularly jarring in the silence.
Even though the players had experienced many Dungeons and generally possessed mental fortitude far exceeding that of ordinary people, they couldn't help but feel a slight tightening in their hearts at this moment.
The interior of the Ancestral Hall was fully revealed to everyone as the main gate opened.
The light was dimmer than expected.
The hall is quite spacious, but only a few white paper lanterns hang sparsely under the high beams, the candlelight flickering inside, casting shadowy light on the large Ancestral Hall.
At the far end, directly opposite the main gate, are rows upon rows of memorial tablets, almost disappearing into the shadows. On the long offering table in front of the tablets, incense smoke curls and large white candles burn slowly.
Directly in front of the offering table was a pitch-black coffin.
On either side of the coffin stood several paper replicas of young boys and girls, their faces covered in thick white powder.
The air was filled with a mingled mix of scents from Incense, candles, and damp wood, lingering persistently and creating an extremely unpleasant atmosphere.
What caught their attention even more was that a smaller incense table was set up separately on one side of the offering table.
There weren't many things on the altar, just a few plates of pastries.
The butler, carrying a lantern, led the way into the Ancestral Hall, stopping at the inner side of the entrance. He lowered his voice even further. "Young masters and ladies, please come forward in turn to offer incense to the master."
"The incense is placed on the right side of the offering table. Each person should have three sticks. After lighting them, insert them into the incense burner, then kneel and worship."
"Remember, the incense... must not touch the ground, nor should it be interrupted."
After saying that, he looked at Xing Ge: "Young Master, let's start with you."
Upon hearing this, Xu Xi's gaze immediately fell on the crew-cut man who had maintained a somber expression throughout.
Without a doubt, the first person to offer incense will bear the greatest unknown risks.
Xing Ge's face, with its cold, hard lines, showed no change in expression. He simply gave a deep "hmm" and stepped inside, his footsteps echoing clearly in the empty Ancestral Hall.
He walked to the right side of the offering table, where there were indeed several bundles of unopened Incense and an oil lamp with a faint flame. He took out three incense sticks, lit them by the oil lamp, and did so swiftly and decisively, without the slightest hesitation.
Wisps of smoke rose.
The other players behind him were all watching his next move closely.
Xing Ge, holding Incense, turned to face the pitch-black coffin.
He paused briefly, seemingly examining the coffin, then stepped forward and steadily placed three incense sticks into the bronze incense burner in front of the coffin, which was almost full of incense ash.
Then, he lifted the hem of his Mourning Clothes, knelt on the prayer mat in front of the incense burner, and respectfully kowtowed three times towards the coffin. His movements were precise and showed a soldier-like rigidity.
He stood up, took two steps back, turned around and walked back, without saying a word the whole time.
Nothing happened.
Xu Xi noticed that when he returned, the fingertips of his hand hanging by his side seemed to curl slightly.
"Young Miss." The butler's gaze turned to Shi Weiwei.
Shi Weiwei remained calm, and her movements were equally unhurried. She lit incense, offered incense, knelt, and kowtowed, all in one smooth motion.
Next are Lin Zuo and Tang Shutong, thus revealing the players' ranking order.
Finally, it was Xu Xi's turn.
All eyes turned to the indifferent-looking young man.
Xu Xi took a breath and stepped into the Ancestral Hall.
He walked to the offering table, picked up three incense sticks, brought them close to the oil lamp, and then turned around to look closely at the coffin in front of him.
The coffin lid was tightly sealed, the heavy black lacquered wooden lid completely enclosing the interior, with only the coffin itself emanating a chilling aura.
Xu Xi looked away and inserted the incense stick into the incense burner.
Just as he was kneeling and bowing in imitation of the gesture, a very faint sound, like a child's laughter, suddenly entered his ears.
"Whee..."
The sound did not come from the direction of the coffin.
Xu Xi maintained her pose, glancing at the paper effigy beside her out of the corner of her eye.
... No change.
He stood up calmly and returned to the group.
As the fifth player to offer incense, the operation proceeded smoothly as before.
Next up was Yu Hao, who also successfully completed a series of ceremonies.
Just when they thought things would continue smoothly, the young man with the earring made their hearts leap into their throats.
The three incense sticks were stuck crookedly in the incense burner. Although they were not overturned, one of them was noticeably shorter than the other two, and some ash was falling out.
Hang Ze had obviously noticed it too.
He knew he was in trouble and quickly knelt on the prayer mat, kowtowing three times in quick succession, his movements so fast they almost left afterimages.
Fortunately, when he got up, the Incense that was inserted the shallowest and was about to fall was barely able to stay upright.
As the other players breathed a sigh of relief, the chat also seemed to be filled with relief, as if they had survived a disaster.
[That scared me to death! I almost thought something big was about to happen at the beginning!]
[Hang Ze, can't you be a little more steady?!]
Seeing that everyone had finished offering incense, the steward nodded slightly.
"Gentlemen and ladies, you have all worked hard. The first day of worship is over, and it is almost dusk. Please return to your rooms to rest and come again at this time tomorrow to offer incense."
He paused, then abruptly changed the subject, looking at Xing Ge again.
"However, according to the Shen Family's tradition, children are required to keep watch over their fathers at night. Young Master, tonight... please stay."
It's Xing Ge again.
His status as the "eldest son" became a disadvantage to some extent.
The man with the buzz cut remained silent, as if weighing something, before finally asking, "Am I alone?"
The butler bowed and replied, "Other young masters and ladies will be arranged to take turns on duty for the next few nights."
The expressions on everyone's faces shifted slightly.
Does this mean that each of them needs to keep vigil at the Ancestral Hall at least once a night?
Of course, Xing Ge was at the greatest risk, since he was the first to go, the most unpredictable, and possibly the most dangerous.
"Okay." Without any further words, Xing Ge agreed immediately.
Seeing that he agreed, the butler said no more and gestured for the others to leave.
"The manor is not peaceful at night. You all heard the rules just now: do not leave your rooms after midnight."
Hang Ze raised his hand. "Butler, what if I need to pee or cough in the middle of the night—I mean, I need to use the toilet?"
He asked sincerely.
The butler replied in a very formal tone, "Fifth Young Master, rest assured, Young Servants will prepare chamber pots in each young master and young lady's room. After midnight, all matters must be handled within your room; please do not step outside."
This is the second time the other party has emphasized this point.
Xu Xi was quite interested in this.
He was quite curious about what would happen if he stepped out of his room after midnight.