The "Rules of Burial": Yo, Bro, You're Here Too!
As the wick of the oil lamp gradually shortened, time slowly passed.
Xu Xi didn't know how long she had been waiting.
Just as he was about to close his eyes, he suddenly heard some soft noises outside the door, like people whispering.
The sound was initially very low and indistinct, but it quickly became clearer.
"... Why did the master leave?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down!"
Have you prepared all the incense, candles, and paper money?
"How's the food preparation in the kitchen? It's almost time!"
The sounds were noisy and real, mixed with chaotic and hurried footsteps.
Xu Xi's eyes lit up.
It's finally here.
He immediately got up and went to the door, listened for a moment, and then quietly opened the door a crack.
However, looking out through the crack, all that could be seen was the endless night, with not a soul in sight, yet the sounds around me were undeniably real.
Without further hesitation, he opened the door completely.
The moment I stepped out the door, the scene before me shook and distorted violently, like water with a stone thrown in, before transforming into a completely different sight.
The dimly lit and quiet corridor has been replaced by a brightly lit front yard full of bustling activity.
White paper lanterns hung from the eaves and pillars, Young Servants dressed in plain clothes hurried about, as if preparing for a large-scale funeral.
Xu Xi looked around and found himself standing on the steps of a corridor. The servants passing by seemed not to see him and went about their business as if they didn't see him.
After thinking for a moment, he lifted his leg and walked towards the Ancestral Hall.
[As expected, Xu Xi isn't the kind of honest person who follows the rules.]
Xing Ge is still on night watch; Yu Hao and the others weren't prepared to take any risks on their first night.
[... Oh no, that unlucky guy Hang Ze got kicked out!]
What does it mean to be kicked out?
[The servant who wanted to avenge his brother sneaked into Hang Ze's room in the Young Servant the night, intending to kill him.]
[Then Hang Ze tripped over his own feet and fell out of the room.]
[...]
Brothers and sisters, I suddenly have a bad feeling.
[Premonition +1]
[Premonition + n]
--
Xu Xi walked along the path leading to the Ancestral Hall, and the servants passing by ignored him.
The passageway was clear and unobstructed, and this time he arrived at the entrance of the Ancestral Hall without any problems.
In stark contrast to the previous eerie silence, the ancestral Ancestral Hall was now brightly lit inside and out, bustling with people. Many well-dressed guests gathered outside the door, some with sorrowful expressions, others talking in hushed tones.
He stood outside the crowd, looking into the Ancestral Hall.
Incense and candles burned brightly on the offering table, and offerings were piled up like mountains. More importantly, the pitch-black coffin remained in the center, but the lid was open, and countless people were lining up to step forward, bowing and offering incense to the inside of the coffin.
The sounds of chanting, the tapping of wooden fish drums, and suppressed sobbing mingled together, amidst swirling smoke.
Xu Xi's position was quite far away, and with the constant movement of people blocking the view, he couldn't see the situation inside the coffin very clearly.
He walked through the crowd and entered the Ancestral Hall, where he saw a corpse lying inside, which was none other than the remains of Master Shen.
The old man was dressed in a dark purple burial robe, his skin had an unnatural bluish-gray tinge, his hands were folded in front of his chest, and his face exuded an unusual calm.
Xu Xi's gaze almost instantly fell on the other person's left palm.
It was a broken calligraphy brush, its tip stained with dark red ink.
"... My lord, why did you leave like this? What am I going to do with this whole family?"
A young woman's voice, thick with sobs, suddenly rang out from not far from Xu Xi, interrupting his observation.
Xu Xi glanced to the side and saw a slender woman dressed in plain white Mourning Clothes, kneeling with her back to him in an inconspicuous corner on the right side of the coffin.
She kept her head down, her shoulders trembling slightly, as if she were sobbing silently.
This is... that Seventh Concubine?
Before he could even get close, something unexpected happened.
"Holy crap!"
A figure dressed in Mourning Clothes, looking extremely disheveled, stumbled in from outside the door.
Hang Ze finally managed to steady himself, and when he looked up, he met Xu Xi's gaze, and immediately burst into laughter.
He raised his hand and waved. "Hey, buddy, you're here too!"
Xu Xi: "..."
He thought no players would go out to investigate tonight, but he didn't expect to run into them.
[I knew it! I knew it!! (gritting his teeth)]
Shut up, you brat!
[Xu Xi, run!]
The live chat was filled with terrified screams.
However, it was too late.
The moment Hang Ze uttered that carefree greeting, a sudden change occurred—
The candles that had been burning steadily inside the Ancestral Hall suddenly dipped sharply, dimming the light. The incense burner on the offering table exploded with a "bang," scattering incense ash everywhere.
Immediately afterwards, countless clear, malicious gazes focused on the two of them.
Those around them, who were either burning incense or chatting, all stopped what they were doing and turned to stare at them intently.
All sound vanished at that moment, and the Ancestral Hall became eerily silent.
Hang Ze's usual playful expression vanished instantly, and he began to slowly and subtly move closer to Xu Xi, maintaining a distance where they could look after each other without interfering with one another.
He leaned slightly forward, his arms hanging casually at his sides.
"This seems to be getting a bit bad..."
Xu Xi: "..."
He thought to himself speechlessly, "Is this what you call a little bit?"
For some reason, he feels like everything is going wrong so far.
Hang Ze scanned the approaching "figures" around him. Although his tone was relaxed, his eyes showed no sign of easing. "Dude, there are too many of them. Let's get ready and run."
Run? Where to run?
It's not necessarily safer outside than here.
Xu Xi didn't plan to run. He took out a fruit knife, ready to stab himself first.
He had just made a move when, at that moment, the coffin made a strange noise.
"Holy crap--!"
The exclamations abruptly ceased.
Xu Xi turned around abruptly and saw the young man with the earring being dragged into the coffin by an irresistible force.
The next second, the heavy coffin lid slammed down with a deafening roar, sealing the coffin tightly.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
He stared blankly at the coffin that had closed again, then turned to look at the "crowd" that had formed an impenetrable wall of people, blocking his way.
"..." Xu Xi looked down at the fruit knife in her hand.
--
The wick popped open with a "pop," creating a tiny spark, and the dim yellow light flickered violently for a moment.
"... Why did the master leave?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down!"
Have you prepared all the incense, candles, and paper money?
"How's the food preparation in the kitchen? It's almost time!"
Familiar noises came from outside the door.
"..." Xu Xi rested her forehead on her hand and fell silent.