The rain was pouring down in torrents. Lightning like huge serpents shuttled through the clouds. The howling wind, mingled with raindrops, lashed against the gate of the Marquis of Ningyuan's Mansion.
There came a knock on the door. The gatekeeper rubbed his cold arms and grumbled as he opened the side door. "Who the hell is it at this ungodly hour!"
By the light of the lantern at the door, the gatekeeper could barely make out a figure.
A slender woman in a black cloak stood upright in the downpour.
The black hood covered most of her face, revealing only her small and delicate chin.
The gatekeeper eyed this unexpected visitor suspiciously. The more he looked, the more creeped out he felt. The all - black outfit made her look like the soul - reaping black emissary.
"Who... who are you?" The gatekeeper stammered, looking up at the sky.
The woman took out a token from her bosom and said in a flat voice, "Jiang Zhao."
The gatekeeper was stunned for a moment and then it dawned on him. "My lady!"
"I'm blind and failed to recognize you, my lady. Please don't blame me!"
"It's all right." Jiang Zhao waved her hand. Without waiting for the gatekeeper to fetch an umbrella, she stepped onto the steps.
When she reached the door, Jiang Zhao first stepped aside, as if making way for someone invisible. "After you."
The gatekeeper felt a chill run down his spine. All the hairs on his body stood on end. He looked around in panic.
Apart from the sound of the rain and the thunder and lightning, there was only him and the lady around. Who was the lady talking to?
Only then did the gatekeeper notice that not a single drop of rain had stained Jiang Zhao's black cloak.
It was as if the rain had deliberately avoided her.
It was eerie, truly eerie!
Jiang Zhao stepped into the mansion without changing her expression and said to the gatekeeper, "Take me to see grandmother."
"This..." The gatekeeper hesitated. "My lady, it's late at night. The old madam hasn't been well recently and she's probably already gone to bed."
The gatekeeper thought Jiang Zhao was being unreasonable. Who would return home in the middle of the night and not show concern for the old lady's health? This would only make people dislike her.
"How about informing the madam first?"
Jiang Zhao glanced at the empty space beside her and compromised. "Then take me to see the madam."
Relieved that she had agreed, the gatekeeper led the way in front.
On the way, since they didn't carry an umbrella, the gatekeeper's clothes were soaked through. In contrast, Jiang Zhao remained completely dry.
Jiang Zhao lowered her eyes and calculated how much she should charge for this trip.
Although she was the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Ningyuan's Mansion, she had been away from home for many years and had grown up in a morgue.
When she was born, she could see unusual things, which made her cry every night.
As she grew older, she always said things that sounded superstitious to others. Later, when she became more sensible, she understood that others disliked her, so she became silent.
She wasn't close to her birth mother, He Shi, who also thought she was unlucky and didn't like her.
When she was six years old, she was possessed by something and fell seriously ill. Many doctors had been consulted, but her condition didn't improve.
He Shi was convinced that she couldn't be cured. As if bewitched, she even wanted to strangle her secretly.
Coincidentally, Old Zhang, who worked in the morgue, passed by the Marquis's Mansion asking for water. He saw that she was different from ordinary people.
He told the Marquis of Ningyuan's family that her illness was not a real one but caused by ghosts.
At first, the Marquis and others didn't believe it. But when they saw Old Zhang cure her, they had no choice but to believe.
Since then, Old Zhang said that her constitution was not suitable for living in the Marquis's Mansion. He Shi couldn't wait to send her away, so she had been living in the morgue ever since.
However, after all, these were her family members, so she could give them a discount.
...
After winding through the long corridors, they finally reached the residence of the mistress, He Shi.
The gatekeeper first explained their purpose to Yicui, the night - watching maid.
The night rain was annoying. Moreover, He Shi didn't like Jiang Zhao, and the servants didn't like her either.
Yicui cast an impatient glance at Jiang Zhao and then went in to report.
Not long after, Yicui came back, her face cold. "My lady, please wait a moment."
Jiang Zhao wasn't annoyed. She obediently waited under the corridor, while the gatekeeper quickly slipped away.
Yicui was sizing up Jiang Zhao, who had her head down.
Suddenly, Jiang Zhao tilted her head slightly. Yicui happened to meet her dark, black eyes.
Yicui shivered involuntarily. Those eyes were calm and gloomy, sending a chill down one's spine.
Fortunately, there was a noise from inside the room. Yicui quickly stepped aside.
...
He Shi was sitting in the main seat, wearing simple clothes. Her face was well - maintained.
However, since she had been woken up from a sound sleep, there was anger on her face, which somewhat marred her dignity.
Seeing her eldest daughter, whom she hadn't seen for a long time, dressed in such an unlucky way, He Shi frowned even more, and her dislike grew.
When she was pregnant and knew that Jiang Zhao was a girl, the whole family was overjoyed, and even her husband often accompanied her.
She always thought that after her daughter was born, she would hold her in the palm of her hand. But who would have thought...
Jiang Zhao gently raised her hand and slowly took off her hood.
She had an extremely beautiful face, with skin as white as jade, lips like red beads, and her long hair casually coiled up. She looked like a beautiful jade Avalokitesvara.
However, her eyes were lowered, looking lifeless, not like a living person at all.
He Shi was stunned for a moment.
Before He Shi could say anything, Jiang Zhao sat down on her own, leaving a space between her and He Shi.
Looking at her daughter who seemed like a monster, He Shi felt a sudden unease in her heart. She forced herself to be calm and said, "There's no one else in the room. Why are you sitting so far away?"
"If others see this, they'll think I'm being difficult on you, your mother."
Jiang Zhao showed a smile, revealing her white teeth. "Mother, you're overthinking. Uncle Second is here with me."
"With an elder present, I naturally can't sit in the front seat."
As soon as she finished speaking, a cold wind suddenly blew. The wick of the lamp flickered twice, and the light instantly dimmed.
It added an extra touch of eeriness.
He Shi's hand trembled, and her face turned deathly pale. She looked at the empty seat beside Jiang Zhao in disbelief.
"What nonsense are you talking about, girl?!" Thinking of Jiang Zhao's superstitious talk when she was a child, He Shi was even more frightened. "Joking about dead elders in the middle of the night. Where are your manners!"
Jiang Zhao pouted innocently. "Didn't grandmother and Old Zhang say that I should bring Uncle Second home?"
"I've already brought him back." As she said this, she pointed at the empty seat beside her.
Half of He Shi's blood turned cold. She wondered if it was just her imagination, but the temperature in the room seemed to be a few degrees colder than usual.
The Uncle Second Jiang Zhao mentioned was the second son of the old madam Jiang, named Jiang Changlin.
Many years ago, he betrayed the country by colluding with the enemy. He abandoned the city and the soldiers and fled alone. Everyone only knew that he was dead, but his body had never been found.
Before he died, Old Zhang promised the old madam Jiang that he would find Jiang Changlin's body.
Old Zhang took on this task because he wanted to find someone who could protect Jiang Zhao in this man - eating mansion in the future.
However, Old Zhang passed away just a few days after he made the promise. So this task fell on her.
She had gone through a lot of trouble to find Uncle Second's soul. Let the people in the Marquis's Mansion find the body by themselves.
"Nonsense!" He Shi raised her voice, as if trying to boost her courage. "A girl spouting nonsense. Instead of staying in that shabby morgue, why did you come back!"
"I think you're just a...!"
Before He Shi could finish her sentence, Jiang Zhao interrupted her. "Just a what?"
"A freak? A bad - luck thing?"
He Shi snorted. "Since you understand, you should be more self - aware. Go back to the morgue and don't stir up trouble in the family!"
"Originally, we sent you to the morgue so that you could stay there quietly. But look at you! You've learned to be neither human nor ghost from Old Zhang!" The disgust in He Shi's eyes grew stronger. Seeing that Jiang Zhao was silent, she became even more energetic.
"Ah!" Just as He Shi finished speaking, the candle flame beside her hand suddenly flickered as if blown by a gust of wind.
For some reason, the fire suddenly touched He Shi's hand, scalding her and making her scream.