Chapter 127: The Mystery Begins to Unravel

"This used to be our courtyard. Now, between the fire and the heavy rains these past two days, it’s completely unrecognizable." The schoolteacher was overly sentimental, unlike her younger sister, who felt nothing about the house being reduced to this state; she had too little attachment to this home.

"So this is where you used to live. I just don't know where your father kept your mother's spirit tablet," Song Nianqiang asked, seemingly offhandedly. The teacher readily pointed out a direction. Song Nianqiang followed her gesture and discovered that although the room had been scorched by fire and soaked by rain, it remained virtually intact.

This was strange. Did the fire have eyes, deliberately bypassing this room? One had to realize that everything surrounding this room had been burned to a crisp; only this structure stood firm.

"Well, well. It seems this room has divine protection. To survive a fire without changing a bit—I must go in and pay my respects." From the moment he saw the room, Song Nianqiang had an inkling of what was happening. Extraordinary events always have a cause; if he hadn't sensed something peculiar about this room, he would be unworthy of the title of a ghost hunter.

Song Nianqiang did not rush inside. Instead, he stood outside the door for a while. Amidst the misty drizzle, he didn't bother with an umbrella. Though the rain was light, it soon soaked his clothes again, but he seemed not to notice. The teacher, seeing that Song Nianqiang was quite young and working so hard for her sake, worried he might catch a cold. Out of kindness, she stepped over to his side and shared her umbrella.

"Thank you." Song Nianqiang turned and offered her a grateful smile before turning back to stare at the door, his eyes unblinking. The teacher stood quietly by his side, not disturbing him, but her younger sister grew impatient. Why was he just standing there like a fool instead of going inside?

She wanted to step forward and ask him, but a stern look from her sister stopped her. She had feared her sister since childhood, and even now as an adult, that remained unchanged. Under that glare, she retracted the foot she had already stepped forward.

"Shall we make a bet? Guess whether the furnishings inside have changed!" After about five or six minutes, a smile finally returned to Song Nianqiang's face as he turned to the teacher. "How could that be possible? Even if the house wasn't destroyed, the furniture inside must have been ruined by the fire. I saw it with my own eyes when the flames first died down!"

The teacher seemed angry, feeling as though Song Nianqiang was mocking her. But Song Nianqiang just chuckled. "Since you're so confident, let's bet. Whoever loses must fulfill a condition for the other, how about that?" His tone had shifted slightly, as if forcing the teacher to agree.

"Fine! Why not? Don't regret it later!" The teacher seemed to be struggling internally, but in the end, she gritted her teeth and accepted the bet, relying on her own conviction and the fact that she had seen the furniture reduced to ashes with her own eyes.

"Very well. If either party reneges, they shall sink into hell forever, endure the eighteen levels of infernal punishment, and never be reincarnated!" Without giving her time to react, Song Nianqiang stepped to the door and shoved it open.

*Crrrk—*

The door wasn't sturdy to begin with, and under his forceful push, it threatened to fall off its hinges. But that was irrelevant. What mattered was the scene before them: tidy furniture, not a speck of dust in sight, sitting exactly where it had always been. Though old, the pieces were polished until they shone; some parts were even still damp.

The teacher’s eyes widened, her face contorted in disbelief. Her sister behind her let out a cry, "How is this possible?!" She rarely came home, but her childhood memories were clear—the layout had been arranged by their father himself, who never allowed anyone to touch it. She was certain that before the fire turned everything to ash, this was exactly how the room had looked.

*Tap, tap...*

A rhythmic tapping echoed as Song Nianqiang sat in a chair, drumming his fingers on the armrest, watching the teacher with a smirk. "Well? You’ve lost." His tone was laced with mockery.

"This is impossible. I saw everything in here burn to ash with my own eyes! Even..." The teacher realized she had said too much and clamped her mouth shut, but Song Nianqiang’s eyes lit up. "Even what, my dear teacher?" His tone remained teasing.

"Nothing. This simply shouldn't be possible! How did you do this? Could it be..." The teacher’s eyes also brightened as she recalled his actions at the door, seemingly realizing something. "You already knew?" Her tone was filled with astonishment and a hint of disbelief.

"What’s so surprising about that? This is my line of work. If I couldn't spot your trickery, I wouldn't be able to make a living." Song Nianqiang looked at the spirit tablet placed directly across from the door. " 'Tablet of the Hou Family'? Why only four characters? A couple's spirit tablet wouldn't be like that, would it?" He stood up, approached the tablet, grabbed the black piece, and smashed it onto the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?!" The younger sister lunged at him, but Song Nianqiang pushed her aside with ease. It would be a joke if he, with his skills, allowed himself to be tackled by a frail, weak woman.

"Village Chief, please close the door. I’m going to tell you the whole story." Song Nianqiang sat back down and addressed the village chief. The chief had been spinning in confusion from their exchange, and now, finally seeing a chance for clarity, he quickly ordered a few young men to shut the door and stand guard.

The room was small, and Song Nianqiang was less than two meters from the door, so the young men could hear everything. With the door closed, he looked up at the teacher and smiled. "Respected teacher, I think you should start."

The teacher seemed to let go of her facade and chuckled, but her laughter held a sinister edge that made the village chief and the others shudder. While the others didn't know her well, the chief did; he had always treated her like family, and she visited him every holiday. They were closer than she was with her own sister.

"Don't call me 'teacher'; it sounds awkward. Call me Lady Hou; that name pleases me." She pulled up a stool and sat opposite Song Nianqiang.

"Wait! What did you say?!" The chief was stunned, dropping the honorifics entirely.

"Oh, Village Chief, thank you for all the support and care you've given my daughter over the years, which allowed her to maintain this perfect body." The teacher turned and smiled at the chief, but to him, that smile looked profoundly wrong.

"Oh! Almost forgot. Let’s fulfill our bet. I want you to get on your knees and bark like a dog. Would you say that’s too much to ask?" Song Nianqiang’s smile was radiant, yet his words were cutting. A cold glint appeared in the teacher's eyes. "Young man, don't push your luck. I wasn't even this overbearing in my day!"

She seemed deeply displeased by his words. Song Nianqiang, however, feigned shock. "Are you trying to welsh on the bet? Remember, we agreed that if anyone reneges, they will suffer the eighteen levels of hell and never be reincarnated."