Chapter 49: Human Face and Peach Blossom Reflecting Red Light

  "It's reasonable to have such doubts..." I glanced at Longjing, and Longjing nodded with interest: "Tell her that you're willing to go back and check today."

  The fifth aunt listened to me and was overjoyed, repeatedly kowtowing and thanking me profusely before leaving. She told me that she would go buy some things on Purple Jade Hairpin Street and would come back to pick me up after I finished delivering the pastries.

  "I hastily asked: 'Dragon God, is it really the fourth aunt who was scared to death by the human-faced fish and died unjustly, coming out to stir up trouble?'"

  Longjing smiled slightly: "This, of course, can only be known by seeing it with one's own eyes."

  If Ma Ershao was possessed by a demon, he could do anything and would naturally protect himself. It seems that the Ma family's mansion is indeed unstable.

  I greeted my parents and after delivering the pastries in the evening, Fifth Aunt personally came with a horse-drawn carriage. Longjing and Guapian also got on the carriage, but unfortunately, Fifth Aunt couldn't see them.

  In the distance, a pair of large red lanterns swayed in front of the vermilion gate, like the eyes of a rolling monster, exuding an air of mystery.

  I followed Fifth Aunt into the Ma family's mansion, and before I could even step inside, a 15- or 16-year-old maid in a blue dress rushed out of the corridor, looking like she had lost her soul, and ran straight towards Fifth Aunt. Caught off guard, she collided with my shoulder, and I almost fell to the ground.

  The fifth aunt, although very gentle with me, was also annoyed by the maid's rashness and scolded: "I thought it was who, it turned out to be you! Cuiwei! You don't even have eyes when you're reborn? With a straight brow and glaring eyes, what are you doing here? This is my invited guest, but you're good, not even a bit of etiquette. Be careful, I'll tell the second young master, and he'll skin you alive!" The abandoned dog is hard to get rid of

  By my side, smiling and saying: "The maid in my house has always been careless and rude to you, but don't take her seriously."

  I heard this and hastily said I didn't dare.

  That maid didn't even bother to beg for mercy, but instead knelt in front of the fifth aunt and cried out: "Fifth Aunt, you...you've finally come back! The whole family is worried sick, Second Young Master, Second Young Master was sitting safely in his room, but he's gone!"

  I was stunned, and saw that Fifth Aunt had widened her eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly let out an "ah?" sound. Cui Wei shouted: "Fifth Aunt, quickly return to the main hall! The whole family is gathered together, only you are missing. If you're late again, I'm afraid Madame and several other aunties will find fault with you!"

  The fifth aunt only heard it then, stumbled and staggered, her face as white as paper, walked in, passed the corridor, just like waking up from a dream, hurriedly pulled me tightly, ran out, that Cui Wei was left behind shouting: "Fifth Aunt, wait for me..."

  They chased after us. "This is strange, I wonder what's going on?" Longjing saw this situation and although he was still leisurely following behind, he couldn't help but make some noise as he watched the commotion. Guapian quickly flew to my shoulder and chirped loudly: "When things go against the norm, it must be a monster! It must be a monster!"

  I was pulled by Fifth Aunt to the entrance of the hall, and saw that inside the hall it was bustling with activity, the maidservants and concubines coming and going, exchanging messages: "What's going on, didn't even have a chance to visit Cui Xian Ju? What about Yan Yu Lou?"

  The little servant reported back and said that nothing was found.

  Several lavishly dressed women sat in the main hall, their faces also filled with anxiety.

  A woman stood up: "No way, I have to go find Second Master myself!"

  Another woman snorted, "Second sister, if you want to pretend to be loyal, you should do it when Second Young Master is around. He's the sky of this house, and every sister is anxious, but they're all enduring and waiting. Why are you trying to be the first to stick your head out?"

  The woman who stood up was probably the second wife, and she said angrily: "You're the one who's pretending to be so proper! Was Second Young Master driven out by himself or... or was he harmed by ghosts and monsters? You have a heart of stone and didn't even bat an eyelid. It's likely that you already had a lover outside and were hoping for Second Young Master's death!"

  "What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"

  The woman with a cold hum also frowned: "Madam's order is to tell us not to panic, but you're acting like you're in a hurry to die. Don't you have some evidence that would harm the second young master and want to take advantage of the opportunity to get rid of it?"

  The second wife was about to speak up, but the lady in the main seat also opened her mouth: "Second Brother! Third Brother, what are you two talking nonsense about in front of me!"

  The two concubines, Er Ya and San Ya, saw the lady and quickly lowered their heads. The lady stood up from her Huang Huali wooden chair, grasping the armrests, and the maidservants wanted to support her, but she just waved her hand and scolded: "Don't you have any sense of propriety? Er Shao is gone, whoever knows what happened, whose heart isn't burning like hot oil being poured on it? And yet you still have the nerve to quarrel with each other, it's clear that you don't care about Er Shao!"

  The lady said, raising her eyes and seeing the fifth aunt who had just dragged me in, coldly snorted: "Where did you die today? Such a big thing happened at home, only you have the leisure to go out and play!"

  The fifth aunt hastily said: "Madam, please calm down. I went to the Dragon God Temple today to offer sacrifices for the prosperity of our home, and when I left, I didn't know that something had happened at home. Do you have any news about the second young master's disappearance? Has he gone out to play somewhere or...?"

  "Play, play, you just know how to play!" The lady looked like she had a deep grudge against the fifth concubine and angrily said: "If it weren't for your flirtatious ways, Second Young Master wouldn't have gone to the Rouge River to catch fish for you! And the Ma family's grand mansion wouldn't be in this state!"

  "Our home is in turmoil, and I'm afraid it's related to me. However, madam, what exactly happened to the second young master this time?" The fifth aunt said calmly: "It's because of the strange occurrence at home that I went to the Dragon God Temple to ask for the Dragon God's protection. As it turns out, the Dragon God really granted my wish and had me bring the Dragon God's messenger along to bless the Ma family with peace." She nodded slightly in my direction.

  The second wife frowned: "A little yellow-haired girl, can she really be so capable? I don't believe it." The lady seemed to have heard of me and hurriedly said: "Are you Mei Cai, the Dragon God's messenger from the Smoke Rain Pavilion?"

  I heard that you are under the command of Longshenye and have helped the people on Ziyu Street to subdue many monsters, with a hundred percent success rate. Is it true?

  "I hastily said: 'Madam, you're overpraising me. Mei Cai is just a errand boy for Lord Longshen, and now that Lord Longshen has given the order, Mei Cai will bring the edict to help. If we can really solve the troubles of the Ma family, it would be a meritorious deed. Lord Longshen is compassionate and will surely lend a hand.'"

  "Excellent!" The lady hurried over to warmly grasp my hand: "Then, please take a seat, and I'll tell you everything. I only ask that the Dragon God bless our family's piety and protect our family's safety!"

  I nodded hastily and asked: "How did Ma Ershao disappear after all? Maybe he went out by himself, it's not certain why the family is so anxious?"