Chapter 51: The Weeping Bride, Part 21

"It's really him. He truly is Guide Zhang Gui; that's him in the photo when he was young," Huang Mei said as she looked at the picture as well.

The photograph was actually a group portrait. Zhang Gui squatted in a corner, a small and inconspicuous figure, his face shadowed and withdrawn. He seemed unaware of the camera, and unless one looked closely, he was easily overlooked.

Su Man turned to the uncle.

The uncle was surprised as well. "It really is Guide Zhang Gui. But since it was a village wedding banquet, it's not strange for him to be there."

Normal, yet not quite. Judging by the photo, Zhang Gui must have been over ten at the time—no longer a child who didn't understand things. Yet, while everyone else was celebrating a wedding, his face showed not a trace of joy.

After leaving the uncle's house, Su Man decided to seek out Zhang Gui. The village chief was already watching them, and it was only a matter of time before he made his move. Moreover, the so-called cursed object seemed to matter greatly to the chief, so she needed to get to the bottom of it and prepare a backup plan.

There was something else that troubled her—whether Zhang Gui and the village chief were scheming together.

But first, she needed to find out where Zhang Gui was.

That wasn't hard to do.

Su Man handed in a quest and received ten Thrill Coins.

She wondered if she would be given another quest right away, but that didn't happen—not that it mattered.

Before the three of them set out, Lin Qi floated over to them, his face still clouded with worry. "Have those people left?"

If he hadn't come to find Su Man, she would have gone to look for him anyway. He seemed to be an important part of the village chief's plans as well.

She had originally wanted Lin Qi to come with them, but he resolutely refused. His death seemed to have snuffed out not just his life but also his tenacious reporter's spirit. He was now gripped by deep unease, and only this familiar place gave him some sense of security. He was terrified that if he stepped through that door, he would be truly gone.

His anxiety was written all over his face. Su Man didn't press him, only warned him to be careful. Everyone has their own fate; she couldn't carry all their burdens for them.

To her surprise, Huang Mei hesitated, then uncharacteristically offered to stay behind to look after Lin Qi.

Su Man glanced at her, and Huang Mei pulled her aside to whisper a confession.

"Ever since the accident, I've kept wondering if Lin Qi died in my place. If he hadn't gone out to deliver the message, maybe he wouldn't have died. And if he hadn't gone, it would have been me..."

The thought tormented her, gnawing at her guilt. The more she dwelled on it, the more convinced she became, and the more sorry she felt for Lin Qi.

Su Man, however, doubted that things were as Huang Mei imagined. The incident was likely targeting Lin Qi from the start, and the timing was just a coincidence. She didn't quite understand Huang Mei's tendency to shoulder all the blame herself.

Still, since Huang Mei had made her decision, Su Man respected it. If she wanted to stay, so be it.

In the end, Su Man set out with Sun Li.

Their method of finding Zhang Gui was straightforward and forceful.

Su Man knocked on villagers' doors. If someone was uncooperative, Sun Li would threaten them with his fists. For those who tried to fight back, their moves inexplicably failed against Sun Li; after taking a couple of iron-fisted blows, someone finally talked.

"He's in the village chief's dungeon! Zhang Gui was thrown into the dungeon by the chief!"

This result was somewhat unexpected for Su Man.

The village chief's house was easy to find—the most luxurious building at the heart of the village.

When Su Man and Sun Li arrived, they were surprised to find the house empty.

All the better. The two walked straight in and discovered the entrance to the dungeon in the village chief's bedroom.

The moment they descended, a heavy stench of blood assailed them. Who knew how many had died in that place?

Su Man thought calling it a dungeon was generous—it was little more than a small, private torture chamber.

Zhang Gui was tied to a wooden cross, his body bloodied. He hung his head, utterly unresponsive—he might well have been dead.

Su Man took out an injection Huang Mei had slipped her earlier and administered it to Zhang Gui. Within seconds, he sucked in a ragged breath, as if his life had been prolonged.

"You... Is it you?" He blinked through the haze, surprised to find Su Man there.

Su Man wasted no time on pleasantries. "Do you know Miao Sheng?"

Zhang Gui's eyes widened in shock.

That was answer enough. Su Man moved on. "About the wedding twenty years ago—the golden hairpin, the cursed object—how much do you know?"

She was as clear as she could be.

Clearly, Zhang Gui knew something. He hesitated for two seconds before saying, "If you save me, I'll tell you."

If he had value, he was worth saving.

Su Man immediately signaled Sun Li to carry him out.

"Not my place!" Zhang Gui protested as they headed toward his house. "Anywhere but there!"

Following his directions, they made their way to a small house on the village outskirts. It was a humble, single-story dwelling, its yard overgrown—clearly abandoned for some time.

"This place is absolutely safe. It belonged to my second uncle," Zhang Gui panted, still pale despite the injection alleviating some effects. "My second uncle was Miao Sheng."

"Your second uncle is Miao Sheng?" Su Man studied his face and remembered the one she'd seen before. "You look older than your uncle did."

Zhang Gui grimaced. "He died long ago."

After a brief silence, he asked, "Did you see him?"

Before Su Man could reply, he muttered, "Of course. With his abilities, if he didn't want to die, how could he?"

He was thoroughly dispirited, lapsing into a long silence after speaking.

Su Man hadn't rescued him for his melancholy, though—she was driven by a host of questions. She prompted him, "What about the wedding? Why were you arrested? What happened to your second uncle?"

Zhang Gui sighed. Now that things had come to this, there was nothing left to hide. In the time he'd been detained, his world had already been turned upside down.

"The wedding was my second uncle's—Miao Sheng's."

Ever since learning that Miao Sheng was Zhang Gui's second uncle, nothing he said surprised Su Man anymore.

"Why was I arrested? Ha." Zhang Gui let out a cold laugh. "When I went to ask about something missing in the village, I happened to overhear them discussing the loss of the cursed object. I had always known there was a cursed object—the village chief told everyone. But I never knew it was the golden hairpin! That was the token of love my second uncle gave my second aunt!"

"I've been kept in the dark and lied to for over twenty years!"

Having vented his anger, he continued with a bitter laugh, "I should have realized it long ago. From the moment my second uncle and second aunt died on their wedding night, I should have known. But I didn't want to believe it—that my village was so malicious, that they could never accept my second aunt."

"I'd warned my second uncle—she would bring him harm. They shouldn't have fallen in love, shouldn't have thought about marrying."