Chapter 7: The Devouring House (Part Three)

That night, Haichao lay in bed, unable to fall asleep for a long time. The soft cough of Liang Ye lingered persistently in her ears.

Outside, the wind had risen, rustling through the locust trees in the courtyard. The breeze slipped through the cracks of the window frame, swirling around the beams as if whispering a mournful sigh.

Lu Wanying tossed and turned on the nearby bed, clearly awake as well.

“Lu Sister, can’t sleep?” Haichao asked.

Lu Wanying replied apologetically, “Have I disturbed you, Haichao?”

“No, no,” Haichao hastened to say, “I’m just not used to sleeping in strange beds. How about you, Sister?”

Lu Wanying hesitated, “I don’t know why, but I feel restless. Like something bad is going to happen…”

“Were you scared by what the steward said?”

Lu Wanying murmured, “I’m just too timid…”

“Who wouldn’t be scared hearing that? Not just you, a noble lady, even I feel uneasy,” Haichao said. “If Sister doesn’t mind, why don’t we share a bed?”

Lu Wanying hesitated, “Is that really alright?”

“Of course.” Haichao sat up, lit an oil lamp, then took the quilt and moved over to Lu Wanying’s bed.

Lu Wanying made space, and the two lay side by side.

The warm lamplight illuminated a corner of the room, and Lu Wanying’s breathing gradually steadied.

“Haichao…” she began but stopped herself.

Haichao asked, “Sister, are you wondering how I know Liang Ye?”

Lu Wanying quickly said, “I’m not prying into your privacy. It’s just that I noticed Master Liang’s leg injury was serious, and he had medicine in his cloth pouch. Since you two are old acquaintances…”

Haichao understood. Lu Wanying, as a refined lady, was careful; she’d heard that some daughters of noble families could get into trouble even for speaking a word to outsiders. Haichao felt some pity for her.

But she wasn’t so kind-hearted as to send medicine to Liang Ye herself.

“Don’t worry, he’s got great fortune and long life,” Haichao said. “At worst, he’ll limp, but he won’t die.”

She thought with a hint of schadenfreude about whether the daughters of high officials in the capital would still fancy him once he was limping.

Seeing Lu Wanying silent, she added, “If Sister can’t bear it, I can give the medicine to Cheng Hanlin tomorrow.”

Lu Wanying sighed with relief, then pulled a small porcelain bottle from her bundle beside the pillow and handed it to Haichao. “Then I’ll trouble you.”

Haichao took it and tucked it into her clothes.

Looking up, she saw Lu Wanying gazing at her. Youthful curiosity shone clearly in her eyes.

Haichao felt slightly uncomfortable under that gaze but thought, I haven’t done anything wrong, so why hide it? She said candidly, “Don’t laugh, Sister, but I was once betrothed to him.”

Lu Wanying’s eyes widened.

“It wasn’t a formal betrothal. We were neighbors. His mother raised him alone, and my mother would occasionally help out. He and I were about the same age and often played together as children. The grown-ups joked about arranging a match, but it was never serious.”

Lu Wanying looked at her uncertainly.

Haichao chuckled, “You think we’re not a good match, don’t you?”

Lu Wanying hurriedly shook her head, “No…”

“He looks like a young master from a wealthy family, right?”

Lu Wanying’s embarrassment deepened.

“It’s alright. He’s a fallen phoenix, not like us,” Haichao buried half her face in the quilt. “His mother came here on a big ship. It was caught in a storm and capsized at sea, but my father, a fisherman, rescued her. She was several months pregnant by then. They say she fled here during a military disaster.”

“You haven’t seen his mother, Sister. You might not believe me, but she’s incredibly beautiful. My mother said when she landed, the whole village came to see her, thinking a sea goddess had appeared.”

“Beauty is one thing, but there’s a certain aura about her… I can’t quite describe it. The villagers say she could become an empress in the palace.”

Lu Wanying nodded. “Judging by Mr. Liang’s character, one can imagine the elegance of Lady Liang.”

Haichao curled her lips. “He doesn’t much resemble his mother, probably looks more like his father. Oh, and his mother is well-educated—she read many books, wrote poetry, and even spoke elegantly.”

“Master Liang’s success in the imperial examination must come from such a scholarly lineage,” Lu Wanying said.

“His mother never taught him to read or write, only helped teach the other village children.”

“Why is that?”

“It’s hard to say…” Haichao said vaguely. “His mother… well, after some time, he was helped by a benefactor, went to the capital, passed the imperial exams, and won the favor of the prime minister’s daughter. He’s set to become a high official, and now he has nothing to do with me.”

Her words carried a faint sting, so she quickly added, “I’m not jealous of him. I only wish him wealth and success—I’m not that petty.”

Lu Wanying pondered, “It’s truly hard to imagine that Master Liang is such a person.”

Haichao grunted, “You wouldn’t guess his true nature by his looks, right? My father saved his mother, and my mother helped them out, but we never expected anything in return.”

“Your parents’ noble kindness has nurtured a daughter like you,” Lu Wanying said.

“Lu Sister flatters me,” Haichao smiled, then her expression darkened. “My parents were good people, but good people don’t live long.”

Seeing Lu Wanying at a loss, she hurried to comfort her, “Don’t feel sad for me, Sister. For folk like us by the sea, seven or eight out of ten die at sea. Those who survive rarely see old age. We’ve long grown used to it.”

She might have been fine before, but now even Haichao felt a pang of sorrow. She sniffed and said, “Let’s not talk about this anymore. It’s in the past, and I’m still here, aren’t I? Let’s sleep.”

Lu Wanying nodded, cautiously reaching out to pat Haichao across the quilt. Softly she said, “If you don’t mind, Haichao, please consider me your elder sister.”

“What kind of talk is this?” Haichao replied. “I’m the one afraid you’d find me uncultured. You have many siblings at home, don’t you?”

Lu Wanying’s voice lowered, “…After my mother passed, my father remarried. My younger siblings are all from my stepmother. I’ve been bedridden with illness and haven’t been close to them… so I’m usually alone.”

She spoke obliquely, but Haichao understood and nodded sympathetically. “Living under a stepmother’s thumb can’t be easy.”

Lu Wanying hesitated then bit her lip and nodded.

The two fell into a moment of silence, both growing sleepy.

Haichao yawned, her eyelids heavy, and she drifted into a dim dream.

How long she slept, she did not know, but suddenly a piercing scream of a woman shattered the quiet night outside the window.

Haichao bolted upright, groggy, grabbing the weapon by her bedside. For a moment, she didn’t know where she was.

The feel of the peachwood sword, different from her pearl-harvesting knife, brought her fully alert.

At that moment, Lu Wanying also awoke, rubbing her eyes in confusion. “What was that sound just now?”

Haichao realized it wasn’t a dream. “Sister, you heard it too? It sounded like someone screaming in agony.”

Lu Wanying clutched the quilt tightly, moonlight revealing her frightened face.

“Don’t be afraid,” Haichao comforted her. “There’s no other courtyard nearby. It sounded like it came from the Su family’s main house.”

The guesthouse they stayed in was separated from the main residence by a small bamboo grove. The scream was not loud here, but to Haichao it was like a sharp blade cutting through her eardrums.

As she pondered this, a noise came from the east wing.

Clearly, Liang Ye and the others had heard it too.

Sleep was now out of the question.

“Let’s go check it out,” Haichao said, getting up and donning her Taoist robe, neatly tying her hair in a Taoist style.

Lu Wanying gave her pause—taking her along might frighten her, but leaving her alone was unsafe.

Just as Haichao hesitated, Lu Wanying sat up. “I’ll go with you.”

“Aren’t you afraid, Sister?”

Lu Wanying took a deep breath. “Since we’re here, we should face it. We can’t keep hiding and be a burden to you all.”

“All right,” Haichao agreed. “You know medicine; if someone’s hurt, we’ll need you.”

The two quickly prepared and stepped outside. Liang Ye and Cheng Hanlin just came out as well.

Seeing him, Haichao remembered the medicine Lu Wanying entrusted her with. Her gaze fell involuntarily on Liang Ye’s injured leg. Perhaps it was her imagination, but his gait seemed a bit steadier than before, and his face had regained some color, not as pale as when they first met.

He’s recovering so quickly, maybe he doesn’t need the medicine after all, Haichao thought silently.

“You and Lady Lu heard it too?” Cheng Hanlin yawned repeatedly.

Haichao noticed his puffy face and dark circles under the dim corridor light. “You haven’t slept?”

Cheng Hanlin rubbed his eyes. “Ziming and I were drawing talismans all night. Just as I closed my eyes, I dreamed a monster with a brush growing from its head caught me. It forced me to compose a twenty-line seven-character regulated verse on ‘Drum Tower Child’ within the time of one incense stick burning, and all the rhymes had to be ‘xian’! Can you believe such a ridiculous monster exists?”

Haichao interrupted quickly, “We’ll talk about your dream later. There’s a real monster waiting for us.”

Cheng Hanlin shivered. “Well, that’s even better. I can’t wait to see it. But Haichao, you’re just a young lady—aren’t you afraid?”

Haichao patted the peachwood sword at her waist. “Whether I stick my neck out or pull it back, a blade finds me either way. What’s the use of fear?”

Cheng Hanlin said, “Haichao, you’re truly courageous.”

Liang Ye furrowed his brow and glanced at him. “Let’s go.”

Cheng Hanlin eagerly followed.

Passing the west wing, Haichao peered through a window; inside was still pitch dark and silent.

Cheng Hanlin pointed to the firmly shut door. “Should we call on the master? One more person means more strength. This Taoist is highly respected by the household; maybe he has real skills.”

They were all fake Taoists, inexperienced in exorcism. Having a real one would bolster their courage.

Liang Ye thought for a moment and nodded. “Good.”

Cheng Hanlin called out at the door, “Master Taoist, pardon the intrusion.”

No response came, and the room remained dark.

Cheng Hanlin knocked, still no reply. He muttered, “Strange, with such a commotion, even the deepest sleeper should be awake.”

Haichao pushed the door but found it tightly bolted. She shook her head. “Forget it. Maybe they don’t want to answer. We’ll rely on ourselves.”

Cheng Hanlin sighed, “Very well…”

The group carried their lamps through the courtyard and opened a small west gate. Before them lay a bamboo grove, the ground carpeted with fallen leaves. A narrow path wound like a gray serpent, disappearing into the depths of the grove. At the path’s end was the Su family’s main residence.

Near midnight, the dew had settled, moistening the leaves and earth. Each step felt soft and slippery, like treading on a serpent’s body.

Snakes were common in Haichao’s hometown, but still, a sticky, cold unease clung to her heart.

Just as she thought this, the path seemed to shift beneath her feet.

She must be half-asleep and imagining things. Trying to reassure herself, the ground moved again—this time unmistakably real. The path writhed like a living snake.

The muddy ground was slick, and she slipped, nearly falling.

A hand grasped her wrist just in time.

Having practiced martial arts, Haichao used the momentum to grab a nearby bamboo stalk and steady herself.

She thanked the helper without thinking, then noticed the hand was slender and cold, with long, delicate knuckles like slender bamboo shoots—uncannily familiar.

Without looking up, she knew it was Liang Ye’s hand.

“Careful,” he said softly.

Haichao felt as if burned and immediately shook off his hand.

Turning her head, their eyes met. Though the night masked his gaze, she sensed he was watching her.

She looked away, inwardly annoyed.

She was used to climbing mountains and wading seas, moving swiftly over slippery rocky shores. How could she stumble on flat ground? It felt as if fate was pulling her into some tangled affair…

At that moment, a chill ran through her. “Did you all just feel it? This path—did it move?”