Chapter 281: Chapter 245: Impersonation

Modern times, New Year’s Eve.

Sang Wan replaced the living room with a set of red covers, filled the coffee table with dried fruits, and turned on the TV to play a special program before the Spring Festival Gala began.

“Come over, General, today mom also gave you a new red collar, tomorrow morning I’ll give you a big red envelope, okay?”

Sang Wan squatted in front of General to replace his collar, deliberately choosing a name tag with a gold ’Fu’ character, rich with New Year’s atmosphere.

Woof! Woof woof!

General liked it very much, leaned over to lick Sang Wan.

After some laughter, Sang Wan looked toward Sang Que’s room, said he’d be back in the afternoon, it’s almost eight at night, was something delaying him?

“You play by yourself, mom’s going to help Aunt Xu prepare dinner.”

Sang Wan patted General’s head and went to the kitchen to help.

Xu Shufen, wearing an apron, was cooking fish. Originally, they had ordered food from a restaurant, but the elders were not accustomed to that, insisting that at least two dishes should be cooked at home to create the New Year’s atmosphere.

With all the dishes prepared and laid out, Xu Shufen sat down to rest, glancing at the clock on the wall.

“Why isn’t Little Que back yet?”

Sang Wan smiled, “Maybe the flight was delayed, the phone’s off, probably hasn’t landed yet.”

Xu Shufen nodded, “Being a star is tiring, no holiday even during New Year’s, still rushing to fulfill contracts.”

“It might be even busier in the future,” Sang Wan said wryly. “Let’s not wait for her, it’s good the child is busy with her career, as a mother, I shouldn’t worry her, need to start adapting to her work pace now, Aunt Xu, let’s have a drink.”

Sang Wan opened a beverage, clinking glasses with Xu Shufen to celebrate the New Year.

Sang Wan took two slices of beef from the table to feed General, trying to act relaxed.

As the Spring Festival Gala passed halfway, Xu Shufen, not being able to keep up due to her age, decided to rest earlier, Sang Wan asked General to escort Xu Shufen back.

General was very smart and could return on his own, it was in the same neighborhood, not far.

After General sent Xu Shufen out, Sang Wan couldn’t contain her anxious demeanor, going to Sang Que’s room to check the large trunk she used before leaving.

This was also her suggestion, not to use the house’s door but a movable trunk.

That way, if anything was inconvenient around the house, the trunk could be placed elsewhere, minimizing Sang Que’s exposure risks.

“What exactly happened!”

Sang Wan was anxious, pacing around, running to the study to take out those papers Sang Que brought her, placing the one she previously imprinted with the Mountain Ghost Token on top, sincerely praying for Witch Lady to give her a hint.

Just after praying, there was a noise outside, Sang Wan immediately stood up and rushed to the living room. Upon seeing the person who suddenly appeared there, her heart palpitated.

“Mom…”

“Little Que!”

Sang Wan strode over, looking at Sang Que with concern. Her clothes were dirty and torn, her hair covered with dust, her face marked by traces of blood tears, her skin pale, lips chapped, looking pitiful.

Sang Que’s hand was icy, cold like not from a living person, making Sang Wan shiver.

Upon seeing Sang Wan, Sang Que began to cry, “Mom, they are all dead, all of them are dead, Yu Da is dead, Kou Yushan is dead, Cui Cheng and Fifth Brother are dead, I couldn’t save them, I could only watch them die, I’m so sad…”

“And Liu Tianyou, it was me who called him to Wangshan City, he’s also dead, I caused his death, mom I’m so sad, what exactly should I do to prevent all this from happening, mom I hurt so much, it hurts so much…”

Sang Wan embraced Sang Que tightly, “It’s okay, it’ll be okay, don’t be like this, where does it hurt, are you injured, tell mom, mom will take you to the hospital.”

Sang Wan released Sang Que, surveying her whole body.

Blood tears flowed from Sang Que’s eyes, she slowly raised her hand to open her collar.

Sang Wan sharply inhaled, suddenly sitting up from the sofa, ears ringing, feeling dizzy, her heart pounding furiously.

“…Here we gather in joy, bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new year together…”

Sang Wan couldn’t hear the sounds from the TV, couldn’t see the hosts’ enthusiastic appearances, her mind filled with the last moment before waking, the bloodied hollow at Sang Que’s chest, devoid of a heart.

Sang Wan covered her mouth, tears streaming uncontrollably.

Little Que must have gotten into trouble!

Sang Wan’s legs grew weak, she stood only to collapse to the ground, knocking over the dried fruits on the table.

Enduring the pain, Sang Wan crawled back up, rushed to the study, trembling as she took out the paper Sang Que brought back from the Deceit Dynasty.

Thinking about how to write down her thoughts, she hesitated again.

She knew nothing about what had happened, where it happened, even if she used references, the scope was too vague, it would encompass many people, not necessarily focusing the story on Sang Que.

She couldn’t directly write Sang Que’s real name on the paper, even the storyteller himself dared not write it, it must have terrifying consequences.

But she couldn’t write about the modern events either.

Holding her trembling numb hand, Sang Wan realized that during Sang Que’s absence, she had tried several times but finally discovered that this paper and its power had no effect whatsoever on the modern situation.

Despite finding it unreasonable, considering her storyteller role was recognized by modern times, yet unable to influence modern events, it seemed illogical.

The deeper reason, Sang Wan didn’t know either, she only wished Sang Que would return, intact and safe.

Ding dong~

The phone rang, Sang Wan glanced at it, her body trembled.

[’The Pen Cultivator’ invites you to join the ’Story Relay’ group]

*

Deceit Dynasty, the first day of the Lunar New Year.

The frail Mo Yan Shu, draped in a thick cloak, sat by the window on the second floor of the tavern, holding a small hand warmer, watching the street below festively illuminated, yet devoid of New Year’s cheer.

Even the skies were shrouded in overcast.

The chilly wind made Mo Yan Shu cough, the noise below gradually heightened with discussions about the ghost disaster in Wangshan City caused by Yin Child last night, and about the Evil Suppression Bureau’s only Female Night Wanderer.

Mentioning this affair, who didn’t praise that Female Night Wanderer, comparing to others on the proclamation, the ’Female Night Wanderer’ was more talked about, especially she was listed first, clearly deserving the most credit.

“Young disciple, to protect her, you’ve even learned to violate the iron rule of the Evil Suppression Bureau, making such a scene, once you realize she’s the sister you’re supposed to kill, what will you think? How interesting, cough cough, cough cough!”

Unable to bear the cold wind, Mo Yan Shu closed the window, turning around to find a wooden puppet in the room, standing by the table, facing him with a face painted full of oil paint, speaking in a strange hoarse voice.

“Wan Xiangtou is dead, the Corpse Nest is nowhere to be found, everything we’ve done has made a bridal gown for Yin Child, you better offer an explanation to the Opera God.”

The Ghost Opera Troupe, for the Wangshan City battle, even sacrificed their leader in Qinzhou, Wan Hongtu, not to mention the human and material resources exhausted in preparation, literally suffering a heavy loss.

As a result? Yin Child took all the benefits, originally this Power of Fear could have enhanced the Ghost Opera Troupe’s overall strength.

Like how the Evil Bureau’s incense burners could collectively absorb people’s incense, then distributed through masks to each person.

The Power of Fear is negative incense, the more fear people feel towards the Ghost Opera Troupe, the stronger the power gained through opera masks.

But now, even if the Ghost Opera Troupe claimed responsibility for Wangshan City’s ghost disaster, no one believed them, those ignorant villagers only believed the notice posted by the Evil Suppression Bureau!

This morning, people under them tried to claim this was the Ghost Opera Troupe’s doing in front of the notice board, but were mocked by the crowd.

They said the Ghost Opera Troupe were a bunch of lower-class performers, unruly mob, far inferior to high-ranking Evil Ghosts like Yin Child, who can destroy two cities with a wave, claiming the Ghost Opera Troupe wanted to piggyback on Yin Child to gain fame, utterly shameless.

Who’s really shameless?!

That person was even reported by enthusiastic villagers to the Evil Suppression Bureau, now the Day Traveling Envoy is searching the whole county to arrest people.

Hearing the Puppet Master’s words, Mo Yan Shu shrugged and chuckled, “I can only facilitate the occurrence of the whole event, as for the course it follows after happening, I cannot control it. Blessed are those who receive aid, let’s say your luck just wasn’t favorable.”

The puppet remained silent.

Mo Yan Shu coughed twice and said, “Now the plan has failed, you’d better remain quiet for a while, wait for the situation to calm down, and then plan the uprising, by then, I will aid you.”

After a moment of eye contact with the puppet, Mo Yan Shu coughed again, looked up, the puppet had disappeared.

Ding-dang-dang… ding-dang-dang…

“Knives, scissors, rouge, jewelry sundries~~”

Outside came the sound of a peddler shaking a rattle, hawking goods, Mo Yan Shu chuckled lightly, took his folding fan, and left the tavern.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep