Chapter 41

"Really, don't you want to say something?" Gui Bu Gui said with a smile, "What do you think the people outside would think if they knew you were hiding a life-saving talisman and watched them go to their deaths? I heard that most of them were originally prisoners. You can try to reason with them, but whether they listen is another matter."

At this point, Wu Zhen seemed to already see himself being torn apart by those prisoners in a fit of rage. For months, he had been threatened by immense fear, and now he was on the verge of breaking down. Under the threat of Gui Bu Gui, he had no choice. After taking a deep breath, he said, "The talisman chain was given to me by the Prefect, and it was he who ordered me to stay here and watch over this mansion for him."

The Prefect's name was Ji Qi, originally a member of the Yan royal family. Since the establishment of Liaoxi Prefecture, Ji Qi's ancestors had always guarded this place. According to legend, when the Yan capital fell, King Xi of Yan fled to the deep mountains of Liaodong. It was Ji Qi who informed the Qin general Wang Jian, allowing Wang Jian to capture the last ruler of Yan. After Qin unified the seven states, Ji Qi spent a large sum of money to bribe Zhao Gao, enabling him to continue guarding this place as a member of the enemy royal family.

About half a year ago, people in the Prefect's mansion started dying. Unlike the rumors in the streets, before the incident, Ji Qi had already fled the mansion with his family overnight. Due to the haste, they didn't even have time to take valuables or even a change of clothes. It was too late to find a suitable place to stay, so they ended up in the military camp. That night, after Ji Qi entered the camp, he immediately ordered 500 troops to surround his former mansion. Soon after, people in the Prefect's mansion began to die violently.

At that time, Wu Zhen was still in the Prefect's mansion. He was one of Ji Qi's trusted subordinates, known for his smoothness and ability to handle situations, and had always been favored by Ji Qi. However, when Ji Qi fled the mansion, he didn't take Wu Zhen with him. In Ji Qi's eyes, loyal and perceptive servants like Wu Zhen, though not many, were not hard to find.

Although Ji Qi didn't take him, Wu Zhen saw some signs. Ji Qi's hurried departure with his family seemed to hint at some hidden circumstances. Initially, Wu Zhen didn't think about the impending disaster; he just assumed that some feudal lord from Central China was planning to attack, and the Prefect was preparing to abandon the city. The Prefect's mansion had become a dangerous place, and as soon as Ji Qi left, Wu Zhen also fled the mansion before the troops arrived.

Wu Zhen's fate was both good and bad. Just as he was running back to his residence in Liaodong Prefecture, fetching his savings and heading towards the city gate, he ran into the troops Ji Qi had dispatched. The officer in charge recognized Wu Zhen and, under normal circumstances, would have dismounted to greet him. However, this time, he had received orders from Ji Qi to surround the Prefect's mansion and shoot anyone who tried to escape. This was enough to seal Wu Zhen's fate.

Fortunately, the officer had a good relationship with Wu Zhen and only arrested him, handing him over to the Prefect for judgment. When Ji Qi saw Wu Zhen again, he didn't punish him but instead comforted him and kept him close by his side.

The next morning, news of violent deaths in the Prefect's mansion spread. People in the mansion panicked and rushed out the gates, but the troops surrounding the gates shot the first few, forcing the rest back.

Stunned, Wu Zhen was taken to a temporary military tent by Ji Qi. The Prefect took out two bracelets made of unknown animal bones and had Wu Zhen put them on. Wu Zhen didn't know what was happening but dared not disobey the Prefect's order. After putting on the bracelets, Ji Qi said, "You've been with us for a long time. Today, I need your help."

The Prefect rarely spoke so politely to Wu Zhen, but at that moment, Wu Zhen's heart was pounding. The mansion was surrounded, and several people had been shot. When those people rushed out, they were shouting about ghosts. What was happening inside? The Prefect's politeness suggested that the situation was dire.

Ji Qi continued, "There's something strange happening in the Prefect's mansion. I need someone to report what happens inside every day. I was just worrying about how to handle this when I met you. This must be the will of heaven, and you are the only one for the job."

Wu Zhen wasn't a fool. The people who rushed out of the mansion were desperate. He didn't know how many had already died, and going back was like entering a tiger's den. He immediately knelt before Ji Qi, begging for mercy. But all he got in return were these two sentences: "If you go in now, you might be fine. But if you don't go in, your fate is not in your hands."

Wu Zhen had served Ji Qi for many years and knew his temper well. Now, Ji Qi was truly intent on killing. With no other choice, Wu Zhen decided to take one step at a time and see what was happening inside the mansion. Fortunately, Ji Qi assured him that the bracelets were treasures from the Yan Kingdom and could protect him from evil spirits.

Wu Zhen pretended to be caught by the guards after trying to escape the mansion and was thrown back inside. From then on, he sent out a bamboo slip every day, reporting the events in the mansion. Outside, Ji Qi used the information to decide when to send more people into the mansion. As the original residents died one by one, the new arrivals gradually made Wu Zhen the current position.

After hearing Wu Zhen's story, Gui Bu Gui chuckled and said, "Now that it's come to this, don't hold back. Tell us everything. What's the deal with the lottery and the offerings to the gods? This wasn't something your Prefect came up with, was it?"

In front of Gui Bu Gui, Wu Zhen couldn't hide anything. He sighed deeply, looked at Gui Bu Gui, and said, "At first, I was terrified every day. But over time, as most people in the mansion died, I remained unharmed. When new people came in, I noticed a pattern: incidents usually happened after the hour of You (3-5 PM). I set this rule to prevent the new arrivals from rebelling."

"Most of the dead were in pieces, and incidents happened to people who were alone after the hour of You..." Gui Bu Gui squinted and repeated Wu Zhen's words, then turned to Wu Mian and asked, "What do you think?"

Gui Bu Gui's question made Wu Mian frown. He lifted his chin and looked at the old man through his nose, saying, "Just say what you have to say. Don't show off if you have nothing to say."

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Gui Bu Gui said, "The troublemakers are not ghosts but demons..."

Gui Bu Gui continued, "The bodies being in pieces is not surprising. Ghosts usually appear around midnight, but demons come out as soon as it gets dark. As for being alone, it's just easier to attack. It would be foolish not to take advantage of that."

After the old man finished, Wu Mian seemed to remember something. He looked at Wu Zhen and asked, "In the entire mansion, which place is the most dangerous?"

Wu Zhen was taken aback. He had never thought about this. After a long pause, he said, "At first, incidents happened almost everywhere. But after the lottery and offerings to the gods started, the locations became less scattered. The Prefect's bedroom, the front hall, the incense room, the storeroom, and the front gate have all had incidents. But the most incidents happened in the incense room."