Volume Two: An Eventful Autumn, A Series of Twists and Turns. Chapter 116: Two Lives Lost, Colluding in Wickedness

Two years passed in the blink of an eye. Liu Qinghuai failed to become a renowned star, and the audience for her performances dwindled with each passing day. Growing increasingly desperate, she cast aside her pride and sought counsel from Qin Liujia, the head of the troupe.

Qin Liujia told her that becoming a star required more than just vocal talent. He pointed out that every successful performer had, at some point, entertained wealthy patrons with wine and company. If she refused to play that game, someone else would gladly take her place, and she could forget about ever being elevated to stardom.

His words were logical enough. Looking at the other performers in the garden, many received lavish tips and invitations for meals and drinks every few days. Liu Qinghuai had received such offers too, but she had always been aloof and dismissive, rejecting them all. Over time, her audience naturally faded, and her dreams of fame drifted further out of reach.

The realization hit her like a wake-up call. To succeed, she had to lower her guard. Some invitations could not be ignored. Thinking that it would just be a matter of dining and drinking, she resolved to go along with it, telling herself that she would simply drink less to protect her voice. Once she became familiar with the patrons, they would surely understand.

After a few times, accompanying guests for meals became a routine. Though it consumed her time, the benefits were obvious. The audience that had once abandoned her returned, and they were far from stingy with their tips.

Yet, one who walks by the river often enough is bound to get their shoes wet. While some patrons truly admired her singing, others harbored darker intentions. Once they realized she was willing to leave the garden for company, their malice grew. One night, after a cup of spiked wine and a few empty pleasantries, Liu Qinghuai lost consciousness, and the inevitable happened.

Upon returning to the garden, she was consumed by the urge to end her life. Qin Liujia discovered her and urged her to let the matter rest, comforting her by saying that every young woman has a first time, and she should simply be more careful in the future. Thinking of her elderly mother at home, Liu Qinghuai suppressed her suicidal thoughts.

Qin Liujia was a cunning and patient man. As the head of the troupe, he had never harassed her, waiting years for this very opportunity. By feigning anger at those who had taken advantage of her and offering daily displays of concern mixed with empty, sweet promises, he soon convinced Liu Qinghuai to surrender herself to him willingly.

Liu Qinghuai knew that Qin Liujia had a wife—the pampered daughter of a wealthy family who had no interest in living in a troupe’s quarters. However, Qin had seized the moment perfectly, and the naive girl believed his hollow vows of divorcing his wife to marry her properly. She dragged herself along in this arrangement, blaming only her own willingness to give herself to him.

Time passed, and when she began to feel unwell and suffered from persistent nausea, a physician confirmed she was pregnant. Overjoyed, Liu Qinghuai believed this child would finally force him to make a commitment. Qin Liujia, having remained childless with his wife for years, appeared delighted and showered her with care. He personally served her chicken soup and bird's nest every day, giving her hope that she would finally secure her position as the mistress of the Qin household.

But fate is cruel, and one never truly knows the nature of the person they are with. Three months into the pregnancy, after finishing a bowl of chicken soup, she was struck by agonizing pain. Before she could even cry out, blood streamed from her seven orifices, and she perished.

Even two years after her death, Liu Qinghuai could not understand why Qin Liujia, who had no other heirs, would poison her and his own flesh and blood. A girl in the troupe who was close to her often visited her room to chat. One day, before sunset, she went to find Liu Qinghuai, only to find her lying on the bed with her eyes wide open and blood dripping from her seven orifices. The girl was frightened into madness on the spot. At the time, there were few performers in the garden, and those who heard of the death were too terrified to leave their rooms.

Qin Liujia warned them not to spread the news and sent Old Uncle Pan to report it to the authorities. But by the time the bailiffs arrived at the theater, Liu Qinghuai’s body had vanished, leaving only bloodstains on the bed—no proof remained. They searched the entire garden but found nothing.

Qin Liujia, ever the smooth operator, slipped two ingots of silver into the head bailiff’s hand. "Don't make a scene, brothers. The garden needs to open tomorrow. Have a drink on me; since no body was found, let's just leave it at that."

The bailiffs had no interest in seeking justice; they were merely civil servants doing a job, preferring the path of least resistance. With the silver in hand and the request for silence, the matter was dropped. The magistrate’s office eventually closed the case, citing a "missing person." The current magistrate, who presided over the case, had also received his fair share of silver from Master Qin.

Wen Liangsheng and Yang Chengzi sighed after hearing Liu Qinghuai’s recollection—another poor soul with a tragic fate.

"You have been dead for two years, and two lives were lost at once. You must have been filled with immense resentment. Why wait until now?"

"It is not that I wanted to wait. I wanted to tear that heartless man into pieces every single day. But he sank my body to the bottom of a well and tied his own sandalwood Buddhist amulet to me. My resentment was suppressed by the relic. Over time, it didn't just dissipate my rage; it trapped my soul, preventing me from escaping or even reincarnating."

"Then how did you get out?"

"After two years, the amulet became covered in moss, and just recently, it completely lost its power. That is how I escaped. But my resentment has faded, and I can do nothing to him. I can only come out at night to sing, hoping that one day I might frighten him to death."

Yang Chengzi shook his head. "If you do that, you won't scare him to death. If you hadn't run into me, your soul would have been scattered to the winds."

"Scattered? What does it matter? I am dead, I cannot see my mother, and I have no attachments left. All I wanted was to kill him with my own hands, but I am powerless, while he continues to harm others, living in comfort..." As she spoke, Liu Qinghuai’s face instantly transformed into the terrifying, bleeding mask she wore in death.

"He continues to harm others? Who else has he harmed?"

"There are only so many performers in our troupe. Count them yourself and you will know. They aren't idle right now. If you don't believe me, go see for yourself."

When Liu Qinghuai said this, a bad premonition washed over Wen Liangsheng. He didn't believe Ruan Yuzhu would ever get involved with Qin Liujia, as the two had barely spoken.

With heavy footsteps, Wen Liangsheng hesitated to move, but hadn't he come here to tell Ruan Yuzhu to stop grieving, to get her away from this den of iniquity, and to find a good man to marry? If he didn't check, how would he know if she was the one?

When the moment of choice arrived, Wen Liangsheng lost his nerve. Liu Qinghuai had already drifted toward the south, and Yang Chengzi had no patience for indecision.

"Are you coming or not?"

Without waiting for an answer, Yang Chengzi followed closely. True to her word, Liu Qinghuai stopped in front of Qin Liujia’s room. The lamp was still lit inside. The flame flickered, then steadied. Faint voices drifted out, and Yang Chengzi crouched by the wall to listen.

"...I don't know if that Taoist is truly capable. This singing in the middle of the night is a nuisance. If he can't solve it, I suppose I'll have to find some monks from a nearby temple to perform a ritual."

Qin Liujia’s voice was audible, though muffled. A woman responded, "I heard that Taoist is very powerful; he even slew the great demon at the Tianxiang Pavilion, and the authorities followed his lead to shut the place down. If he can't handle it, I doubt the monks will fare any better."

"Regardless of whether he can solve it, we must have the monks come and chant. It’s better to do it than not."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"This garden is unsettled, and two people have already died. If we don't hold a ritual, more trouble might arise."

"Are you talking about that Wen Liangsheng? What trouble could he possibly cause? Didn't you say he didn't even see who did it? Who could he go to for help?"

"That may be so, but I still feel uneasy. If he hadn't defied Magistrate Ma, I wouldn't have had to take such drastic measures to protect myself. He has only himself to blame for being so self-righteous."

"Set your mind at ease. There are plenty who want him dead. With his attitude—performing for this one today and that one tomorrow—he’s made it impossible for the girls to ask for more money. Isn't he just asking for death?"

"Heh, enough about him. It’s bad luck to talk about such things in the dead of night. I have a great beauty here to enjoy; why waste time on them?"

"Oh, you... you're annoying. You’re crushing my hair."

"Tonight, I’ll show you true ecstasy and let you know just how capable I am."

"Be gentle... oh, it hurts..."