Chapter Thirty-Four: The Bride’s Lament (Part Four)

"I know, I know, I know, she..." Huang Mei had just begun to speak when she was interrupted by Chang Gui’s irritable shout from downstairs, "Hurry up and come down! What are you dawdling for? We’re still missing two people—don’t waste everyone’s time!"

Pressed by his urging, Huang Mei hastily cut her words short, whispering, "I’m not entirely sure, but I heard the village chief mention something about the ancestral hall."

Already, Chang Gui’s footsteps were thundering up the stairs. Huang Mei, pale-faced, snapped her mouth shut and busied herself fussing with luggage that had long been packed.

"How much luggage can you possibly have? Why are you still up here? Don’t you realize how many people are waiting for you?" Chang Gui stood at the doorway, visibly annoyed.

Huang Mei opened her mouth, but her half-formed lie dried on her lips. Before she could respond, Su Man replied nonchalantly, "Sorry. We’ll be more mindful next time."

Seeing Huang Mei still rooted to the spot, Su Man beckoned lightly, "Let’s go."

Was she waiting to be scolded?

Huang Mei ducked her head and hurried to follow, not daring to meet Chang Gui’s gaze.

Chang Gui had a whole lecture ready, but Su Man left him no chance—she treated him as invisible and led the way downstairs, leaving his words unspoken. All he could do was swallow his frustration.

Fortunately, he had some sense of professionalism. Once the group was gathered, he refrained from revisiting past grievances. Raising his little flag, he began the tour, picking up the history lesson where he’d left off.

"Do you know why our village is called Celestial Master Village? Fifty years ago, a remarkable Celestial Master appeared here. Our village was built atop a mass grave, a place steeped in unrest—people died or fled in droves. Only when the Celestial Master intervened was order restored. The villagers revered him so much that after much discussion, they renamed the village Celestial Master Village..."

Chang Gui went on to recount the Celestial Master’s many great deeds.

Su Man listened absently. Such stories were easily gleaned by asking around—none of it was what she wanted to hear.

"Um... thank you for helping me. And for believing me," Huang Mei whispered, distracted by the stale tale, and leaned in to confide.

"This is a transaction," Su Man drew the lines clearly. "No need to thank me."

Besides, it was less belief in Huang Mei and more belief in herself.

She had long suspected Huang Mei’s hearing was extraordinary, but since Huang Mei never brought it up, she saw no reason to force the issue. After all, a reluctant partnership was more trouble than it was worth. Even now, had Huang Mei not mentioned her ears, Su Man would still have ignored her.

Huang Mei listened to her words with mounting unease, worried that what she’d shared was useless and that Su Man would eventually discard her for being of no value.

"Um... right, I mentioned earlier that the bride was crying." She wracked her brain for any useful tidbits, eager to empty all she’d heard to Su Man. "I really did hear it. She wasn’t marrying happily at all."

Suddenly, she remembered something more crucial. "Yes! The bride didn’t jump off the bridge by her own will!"

This was the important detail she’d meant to tell Su Man upstairs, but in the chaos of Chang Gui’s rushing, it had slipped her mind. Thank goodness she remembered now. Having found her value, she grew visibly excited, her cheeks flushed, and her voice a little louder than before, drawing curious glances from nearby tourists.

Coming to her senses, Huang Mei shrank into herself, nervously edging behind Su Man.

Su Man paid little mind to the tourists’ stares. What she did notice was Chang Gui at the front of the group, far ahead, yet seeming to watch them as well. She couldn’t be sure if he’d overheard their conversation, but there was something unnerving about his gaze—a dark, venomous intensity, like a brooding serpent.

Luckily, Chang Gui soon looked away, leaving Su Man unsure whether he’d truly been watching them.

Huang Mei opened her mouth, about to speak, but Su Man lifted a finger to her lips, and Huang Mei immediately fell silent.

Whether by chance or design, Chang Gui then interjected with a sardonic legend, "In this village, you’d best watch your tongues. Gossiping women with long tongues will attract unclean things. Once you’re entangled by such a thing, your face turns deathly pale, your body weakens, you cough helplessly, and before long, you’ll drop dead!"

Huang Mei tugged at Su Man’s sleeve, whispering, "Is he talking about us?"

Su Man shook her head, "He’s talking to the gossips—hardly us. We’re speaking openly, after all."

"But do you think those unclean things are real?" Huang Mei’s anxiety returned.

Others shared her curiosity. "Guide, is that true? Have you seen it with your own eyes?"

These mysterious tales held a certain allure for the group, and all eyes turned to Chang Gui.

He smiled slyly, "If you don’t believe me, you’re welcome to try."

As he spoke, his gaze seemed deliberately to slant toward Huang Mei and Su Man.

Terrified, Huang Mei pressed closer behind Su Man, her face nearly buried in her back, and muttered, "I think I really did hear something strange. Su Man, I think someone was calling your name."

Whether someone had indeed called her, Su Man did not know, but the atmosphere conjured by Chang Gui and Huang Mei’s exchange was so chilling it sent shivers down her spine.

Giving Huang Mei a sidelong look, she replied honestly, "If you keep talking, I might get scared myself."

"And don’t cling so closely to me. I don’t trust you that much yet. If you annoy me, I might just turn on you—maybe even stab you in the back."

After all, the back is a vulnerable place.

Her half-warning, half-teasing words made Huang Mei let go, lips pursed in fear.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted up ahead. Chang Gui glanced over and his expression changed in an instant. He called for everyone to move to the side.

Obediently, the group stepped aside, craning their necks to see what was happening. Though the crowd was tightly packed, they managed to catch a glimpse of a flash of red wedding attire at the center.

Everyone had the same thought: the bride must have been fished out at last, though it had taken some time. Most likely, she would not survive.

As the procession passed, the village chief at the rear called out to Chang Gui, "You come with me."

He shot a disparaging glance at the tourists, their mouths agape with curiosity, and scolded, "I told you not to mess with this nonsense!"