Hu Family Ancestral Hall

Anyone who could afford to hire performers to sing opera for ghosts was no ordinary household. The Hu family was considered a major clan in Wu Li Gang; nearly a third of the entire village bore the surname Hu.

Li Huowang had already learned from Lu Zhuangyuan that the one paying for the performance was Hu Qinghe, the richest landlord in all of Wu Li Gang and also the highest-ranking elder by generation.

At that moment, he was accompanying Lu Zhuangyuan and the others toward the Hu Family Ancestral Hall.

"Lord Hu said there was nothing serious to worry about. He'd hired other troupes to perform Ghost Opera before, and nothing ever happened."

Li Huowang glanced at him, unsure who he was trying to reassure with those words.

He pressed a hand against the Ling at his waist, and his heart settled somewhat. Even if something did happen, it would be fine. Having this thing with him gave him much greater peace of mind.

Of course, it would be best if nothing happened. After all, inviting Lord You cost three months of one's lifespan.

Walking along the village paths, they soon reached the Hu Family Ancestral Hall, where countless red lanterns had been lit.

The place was packed. Li Huowang and the others could not even squeeze their way inside. Over layer upon layer of heads, he saw many people offering incense and kowtowing before black ancestral tablets.

"That's Lord Hu. He also said that after the performance, we shouldn't leave right away. He's inviting us to a meal."

Lu Zhuangyuan pointed at the old man in silk robes standing at the front of those kneeling in worship.

As he spoke, the people who had been kowtowing rose and respectfully brought down their ancestors' black tablets, placing them atop the already prepared tables.

There were many tablets and many tables, enough to fill the spacious three-courtyard ancestral hall.

The tables before the tablets were not empty. They too were laden with delicacies of every kind.

Red candles, incense, gold ingots, and yellow paper were neatly arranged on serving trays for the ancestors to enjoy.

As if afraid they might fail to attend to every detail, more than a dozen paper servants stood along the walls of the ancestral hall, likely to be placed beside the tables later to pour tea and serve water.

"Heh, Lord Hu really is generous. He's personally spending money to hire a troupe to sing opera for his ancestors."

"Exactly. No wonder the various branches of Lord Hu's family have had no illnesses or disasters. Their ancestors are truly blessing them."

"Ah, I wonder whether I'll have such good fortune after I die."

"Then wait until your descendants can earn as much money as Lord Hu. Hiring people to sing opera for ghosts costs a whole mountain of silver."

Listening to the Hu family members and looking at the solemn scene before him, Li Huowang's heart settled a little more. No matter how he looked at it, this did not seem like a situation where anything would go wrong.

He leaned slightly toward Lu Zhuangyuan beside him. "Master Lu Ban, after traveling north and south for so many years, have you encountered more ghosts, or more of those things that seek titles?"

"Huh?! What, aren't they the same thing?" Lu Zhuangyuan's eyes widened in utter surprise.

"How could they be the same? One is what people become after they die, while the other is..." Li Huowang trailed off, not knowing how to explain it.

But Li Huowang was certain that Grand Maternal Grandmother, whom Danyangzi used for alchemy, Lord You, and even Small Feet Woman from that night were absolutely not ghosts—at least, not the kind of ghosts he had imagined.

Just then, the Hu family's ancestral tablets had all been set in place. Hu Qinghe led a large group of Hu family members toward Lu Zhuangyuan.

"Master Lu Ban, I'll have to trouble you greatly tonight. Gualiang, take the others and help Master Lu Ban set up the stage."

"Oh, oh, how could we accept that? Lord Hu is truly too polite."

"Master Lu Ban, you know the rules of opera. Once the ancestors come out to watch the show, the descendants who invited them must leave and remain behind closed doors at home. I'll have to ask you to take good care of things here at the ancestral hall." Lord Hu gave his instructions with a kindly smile.

"As we should, as we should. Rest assured, Lord Hu. With me here, nothing will happen to the ancestral hall." Lu Zhuangyuan patted his chest and spoke with ironclad certainty.

Though no one was watching him, Lu Zhuangyuan truly did not dare make a mistake. If anything happened at the ancestral hall, the Hu family would bury the entire Lu Family Troupe alive.

"One more thing: once the opera begins, the living must not speak to the performers, lest the ancestors find it unpleasant to listen to."

"As for the play, pick something cheerful. The ancestors sent a dream saying that The Underworld was too cold and desolate, and they wanted to see something festive."

"You needn't perform all night either. Once the fifth watch has passed, my son will come collect the ancestral tablets and bring them home. Then you may rest."

Lu Zhuangyuan nodded like a chick pecking grain. "Yes, yes, yes. Rest assured, Lord Hu. We absolutely won't break the rules."

With the Hu family's help, the stage was quickly set up in the ancestral hall. Only five people would perform onstage tonight. Luo Juanhua had not come, because women were not allowed into the ancestral hall.

Then, at Hu Qinghe's call, the dense crowd that had gathered to watch scattered one after another and went home.

"Clang clang~ clang clang, lift~!" As the Lu family members began performing onstage, Li Huowang stayed backstage on watch.

Time passed bit by bit. All of Wu Li Gang fell silent. The rather large village sank into darkness, with only the ancestral hall still lit.

This was Li Huowang's first time watching the living sing opera for the dead. He pulled aside the backstage curtain and looked outside.

It had to be said, the sight was quite chilling. The stage was lively and bustling, while below it lay dead silence. There was no applause, only row upon row of black ancestral tablets carved with names, along with Treasure Candles and yellow paper between them.

After his journey through Qingfeng Temple, scenes like this could no longer frighten him. But the Lu Family Troupe was another matter. Before long, Lu Juren, who was singing, forgot his lines several times, leaving Lu Zhuangyuan, who was beating the gong, frantic with worry.

But as time slowly passed, they began to find their rhythm, and things became smoother.

In the silent depths of night, the sound of the opera carried far into the distance. With his sword on his back and that singing for company, Li Huowang sat backstage with his eyes closed, resting his mind.

The more he listened, the more he found that, despite himself, the somewhat bored Li Huowang began to hear a hint of charm in it. His head started swaying along with the yi-yi-ah-ah opera tune.

In such an atmosphere, the second watch passed without him noticing, and the third watch arrived.

Li Huowang had also figured out by then that the third watch was from eleven at night to one in the morning, the fourth watch from one to three, and the fifth watch from three to five. Usually, after five, the village roosters would begin to crow.

He yawned. For some reason, he always became sleepier here than anyone else.

Since he had taken the money, he could not actually fall asleep on the job. Li Huowang simply took the Heavenly Book into his hands and studied it to drive away his drowsiness.

Lately, whenever he stood night watch, he would take it out to study. But aside from becoming more certain that it was a scripture urging people to do good, he had gained nothing else from it.

As he read, the second watch passed, and the third watch arrived. Everything in the ancestral hall remained normal. Nothing happened.

Li Huowang raised his head and looked at Lu Zhuangyuan, who was changing his makeup before a bronze mirror, thinking to himself, Master Lu Ban's heart is probably bleeding right now. He's lost six taels of silver for nothing.

Thinking about it, that made sense. By all rights, nothing should happen. This was the Hu Family Ancestral Hall. The younger generation had invited their elders to watch an opera; the elders could hardly smash the stage.

Just as Li Huowang thought the night would pass like this, an accident occurred. The yi-yi-ah-ah opera singing outside stopped abruptly without any warning.