Chapter 118: Looking Familiar (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Zheng He heard Zhao Fusheng muttering to herself and couldn't help but ask with a smile, "My Lady, what were you saying about ten years, five years..."

He seemed not to have heard clearly, but as Zhao Fusheng’s gaze fell upon him, under the light of the large red lanterns, more ghostly spots emerged on his face, and his hands, crossed over his chest, trembled as if cramping.

Zhao Fusheng curled her lips into a smile. "Who are you pretending for?"

"..."

The smile on Zheng He’s face gradually faded, and his expression turned serious. "My Lady, do you mean the lead performer of the Red Spring Opera Troupe wasn't poached by someone else?"

"Who said she was poached?" Zhao Fusheng asked curiously.

Zheng He replied, "Liu Chunquan said so." He gritted his teeth slightly. "Liu Chunquan said that ten years ago, he saw with his own eyes someone drive a horse carriage and take his daughter away."

Good heavens!

Zhao Fusheng was startled. She glanced at Zheng He, thinking to herself: I initially thought that by mentioning Zheng He's name, I caused him to be recorded by the Ghost Carriage. Now it seems that even if I hadn't mentioned it, once Zheng He heard of the Ghost Carriage's existence, he had already been marked by it and would eventually be taken away.

"Why is My Lady looking at me like that?" Zheng He wiped his face, feeling somewhat uneasy. "Is something wrong?"

Zhao Fusheng asked him, "Are you afraid of death?"

"Who isn't afraid of death?" Zheng He frowned. Zhao Fusheng sighed. "Never mind then." She was afraid that if she told him, it would scare him to death.

"..." Seeing her stop mid-sentence, Zheng He felt as if his heart were being clawed at, but he dared not lose his temper with her.

Ignoring his inner turmoil, Zhao Fusheng refocused her attention on the Red Spring Opera Troupe. What exactly was wrong with this troupe for trouble to arise twice in a row? She had seen the name "Liu Honghong" in the Ghost Register, and what Zheng He said confirmed that the "Sai Bailin" of that year had indeed been taken by the Ghost Carriage.

If the Ghost Carriage took Liu Honghong ten years ago, what happened to the Bailin five years ago? Was this troupe losing a lead performer every five years a recurring ghost disaster as she suspected, or was it just a bizarre coincidence?

"Red Spring Opera Troupe..."

"Liu Honghong..."

Zhao Fusheng recited these two names and suddenly asked Zheng He, "The reason Liu Chunshe changed its name back then was because Sai Bailin's real name was Liu Honghong, combined with the 'Quan' from Liu Chunquan's name, right?"

For some reason, after she asked him if he was "afraid of death," every time Zheng He brought up matters related to the Red Spring Troupe, he felt a chill down his spine. It was as if something in the dark was threatening him, making him anxious.

"...Yes." He didn't want to answer, but Zhao Fusheng's gaze was like lightning, forcing him to nod against his own will.

"What was the name of the Bailin that Liu Chunquan found to replace Liu Honghong later?" Zhao Fusheng asked again.

"I don't remember her original name, but once they joined the troupe, they usually took the troupe leader's surname. She changed her surname to Liu; Bailin was called Liu Hongru." Zheng He was indeed a fan of the theater, knowing even the old stories from five years ago.

"Hmm." Zhao Fusheng acknowledged, then mused, "Since the first-generation Bailin was called Liu Honghong and the second-generation was Liu Hongru, why is the third-generation, Little Bailin, called Liu Huangyu?"

Zheng He said, "Liu Chunquan lost two lead performers in a row. He thought the character 'Red' (Hong) was unlucky, so he changed it to 'Yellow' (Huang)."

"Following that logic, wouldn't the troupe have to change its name too?" Zhao Fusheng said with a smile. "Red Spring Opera Troupe? Yellow Spring Opera Troupe?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she froze. Zheng He had initially forced a smile, but upon hearing "Yellow Spring Opera Troupe," for some reason, he felt a chill go through him. He stood stiffly in place, not daring to respond.

"..."

"..."

Both remained silent for a long time. Zheng He was the first to break the silence. "I suspect the stage for the troupe is already being set up. Would My Lady like to go take a look?"

After tonight's conversation, he vaguely felt that this troupe was ominous. He had originally intended to keep this popular troupe in Baozhi County to accompany him on the final journey of his life. But after what Zhao Fusheng said, Zheng He felt that he might get dragged into trouble by this troupe before his own ghostly possession even fully manifested. He needed to find a chance to send them away as soon as possible.

"Going to take a look would be fine." Zhao Fusheng replied.

The two entered the cabin, and the troupe was indeed busy with preparations. When they saw Zheng He enter, someone hurriedly called out for the troupe leader. Before long, a man of about fifty walked over quickly. He was dressed in a cyan robe, wearing black cloth shoes, and white socks that wrapped around his trouser legs, making him look quite neat.

"Master Zheng is here." As soon as he appeared and saw Zheng He, he put his palms together and greeted him.

Zheng He tilted his head toward Zhao Fusheng and whispered, "This is the leader of the Red Spring Opera Troupe, Liu Chunquan." After saying this, he added, "He was the one who told me about Sai Bailin being taken away."

Mentioning the disappearance of "Sai Bailin" again made him feel uneasy.

Zhao Fusheng nodded, her gaze falling on Liu Chunquan. Zheng He instructed, "This is Lady Zhao from Wan'an County. She wants to see Little Bailin. Go and call her."

"Yes, yes, yes." Seeing that Zheng He seemed to defer to Zhao Fusheng in everything and was watching her expression, Liu Chunquan recalled the distinguished guests from Wan'an County he had entertained the previous night. He realized that a high-ranking official had arrived from Wan'an County, someone even the renowned Deputy Magistrate Zheng had to treat with respect. He immediately guessed that Zhao Fusheng must be that important figure.

Thinking of this, he dared not delay and waved his hand. "Hey, you—"

Tonight, everyone was busy preparing costumes and jewelry to celebrate Zhao Fusheng's success. The troupe had arrived in a rush, and the backstage area inside the cabin was filled with their belongings, looking quite chaotic. Members of the troupe hurried about in their costumes. It was evident that although this troupe was famous, their division of labor was not well-defined.

Liu Chunquan caught a passerby. The person was about seventeen or eighteen years old, fair-skinned, and wearing a small cyan cap. Perhaps because he had been pulled back by Liu Chunquan in a hurry, his hat tilted when he turned, and he reached up to steady it.

The dim light from the lanterns hanging in the cabin cast a hazy glow. For some reason, Zhao Fusheng felt this scene was somewhat familiar, but she couldn't recall where she had seen it before.

"You..."

She hadn't been reborn for long, and apart from handling ghost cases, she rarely left the Wan'an County Demon Suppression Division. Logically speaking, she had only heard the name of the Red Spring Opera Troupe from Zheng He after arriving in Baozhi County, let alone seen its members. Zhao Fusheng was certain she had never seen this youth before, but she was cautious and careful. Since she felt a sense of familiarity, she asked, "Have we met somewhere before?"

As soon as she said this, Zheng He turned his head abruptly, staring at Zhao Fusheng in shock, wearing an expression that was hard to describe.

"..."

The youth who had been stopped was stunned to see the "important figure." He was confused by Zhao Fusheng's question and turned to look at Liu Chunquan, not knowing what to do. Liu Chunquan was grinning broadly, and seeing the boy standing there blankly, he couldn't help but give him a hard tug. "The Lady is asking you a question, why are you standing there like a fool?"

"My Lady..." the youth instinctively called out. Zhao Fusheng stared at him, thinking hard in her mind, reviewing her past encounters to ensure she didn't miss any details. The Beggar Ghost, Dog-Head Village, the Ghost Carriage, and even what she had seen and heard since coming to Baozhi County—

"I feel you look familiar—" Zhao Fusheng said. "The small cyan cap, this outfit..." After saying this, she looked the youth up and down.

Liu Chunquan had a good eye for people. The youth had a slender build, and although his shoulders and waist were still slightly delicate due to his young age, his frame was well-proportioned, unlike many malnourished men. He wore a cyan short-sleeved jacket, dark blue trousers, white socks tucked into his trousers, and black cloth shoes. This attire made him look like a servant.

"This outfit of yours—"

"It's the outfit he's to wear later on stage. This boy—" Seeing that Zhao Fusheng was interested in the youth, Liu Chunquan quickly corrected himself. "He's playing a servant who delivers a message."

"A servant—" Zhao Fusheng nodded, understanding the source of her familiarity. This youth in his servant attire must have reminded her of a specific scene at some point.

"Answering My Lady, I don't think I have met you before." He was somewhat nervous.

After realizing that the sense of familiarity might be related to his attire, Zhao Fusheng nodded and didn't make things difficult for him, instead asking, "What is your name?"

Zheng He’s body shook, a flash of realization crossing his eyes.

"My name is Liu Changsheng," the youth replied respectfully.

Zheng He quickly said, "My Lady, I think this little—Liu Changsheng—is fated to be with you."

"The name is also well-chosen. My Lady is 'Fusheng' (Prosperous Life), and he is 'Changsheng' (Long Life)."

"Alright, enough of that." Zhao Fusheng waved her hand. Liu Chunquan glanced secretly at her and Zheng He, then turned back to instruct Liu Changsheng: "Changsheng, go call Huangyu and tell her the Lady wants to see her."

"Yes." He bowed and secretly glanced at Zhao Fusheng again.

He saw that this official was frowning in deep thought, as if pondering something, and wasn't looking at him. He steadied himself, hurried out of the cabin, lifted the curtain at the corner to enter the back room, and before long, a young girl with half-applied makeup and a wig came out with small steps.

The Red Spring Troupe still had some substance. The girl's head was adorned with pearls and emeralds; even if Zhao Fusheng didn't understand theater costumes, she could tell that the outfit the girl was wearing was quite valuable. She walked gracefully, bowed to everyone, and called out, "Master Zheng, Lady Zhao, Father."

The girl's voice was clear and melodious, with a graceful lilt when she spoke. Liu Chunquan looked proud, but he didn't dare to be careless in front of Zheng He. He quickly composed himself and said respectfully to Zhao Fusheng, "My Lady, this is my daughter, Liu Huangyu."

"Hmm." Zhao Fusheng looked deeply at Liu Huangyu. She was just an ordinary person with no aura of yin or evil about her. The girl's face was covered in thick powder, making it hard to see her complexion, but her eyes were clear and bright, not at all like someone who was traumatized or anxious from being marked by a ghost.

Was the mysterious disappearance of the lead performer from the Red Spring Opera Troupe every five years just a coincidence?

Zhao Fusheng's gaze made Liu Huangyu somewhat uneasy. She glanced at Liu Chunquan frequently but didn't dare to interrupt in such a setting. Seeing that she was quite afraid, Zhao Fusheng said, "Indeed, she is very good. You go ahead and get busy; I have something to ask your father."

"Yes." The girl had been called over for no reason, showed her face, and was then sent back. However, she had traveled north and south with the troupe for many years and had seen some strange guests and various eccentricities, so she nodded and retreated to the inner room.

"Ask me?" A look of confusion appeared on Liu Chunquan's face. But he quickly adjusted his mood and smiled. "My Lady, please go ahead."

Zhao Fusheng glanced into the cabin. There were many people about, all rushing back and forth with items, but they couldn't help but glance over here out of the corner of their eyes when passing by. She wanted to ask Liu Chunquan about the Ghost Carriage, and anyone who heard or discussed this case might get drawn into the Ghost Carriage case and be marked by the ghost.

Thinking of this, she beckoned. "There are too many eyes here, it's not convenient to talk. Come out with me."

Hearing this, Liu Chunquan felt uneasy and instinctively looked at Zheng He.

Zheng He’s internal alarm bells were ringing loudly. In fact, he was not only experienced in handling ghost cases, but because of his fear of death, his perception of danger was astonishing. Hearing that Zhao Fusheng wanted to talk to Liu Chunquan, his mind raced.

He thought about Zhao Fusheng's background. From what he had pried out of the Fan brothers, Zhao Fusheng had indeed been a girl born and raised in a poor, remote village under the jurisdiction of Wan'an County. By some twist of fate, she entered the Wan'an County Demon Suppression Division and eventually succeeded in controlling a ghost to become a Magistrate. A Magistrate with such an unorthodox background, who wasn't even appointed by the imperial court, shouldn't have survived ghost cases. Yet, unexpectedly, she had handled ghost cases and quickly gained control of the Demon Suppression Division.

Even by the implication of the Fan brothers' words, apart from the ghost fog, the safety level of Wan'an County now matched that of Baozhi County. Zheng He had initially thought the two junior officials were blowing smoke, but after witnessing Zhao Fusheng handle a ghost case tonight, he believed eighty percent of what they said.

With her background, she shouldn't have a broad outlook or much experience. But through his interactions with her over the past two days, Zheng He felt that this Lady Zhao was very different from ordinary people. She was gentle in her speech, knew when to advance and retreat, and was very methodical in her actions.

Tonight's ghost case was extremely dangerous. Dealing with ghosts, one careless move could lead to a sudden death. But Zheng He suspected she had been prepared all along. From the Fan brothers digging up the door panel to the two ghosts appearing, and the vicious ghost reclaiming the panel to complete it—it was as if every step had been in her calculations. Although Zheng He didn't understand how she had solved the case, the final result was as she had predicted, showing that this Lady Zhao was unfathomable.

Most importantly, given her background, she shouldn't have known about the Red Spring Opera Troupe—she had clearly acted like she didn't know them when Zheng He mentioned them last night. Yet tonight, when they discussed the past, she had named the lead performer who had suddenly disappeared ten years ago!