The next morning, as the six hunters entered the main dining room, the twelve bandits were already there, yawning and looking disheveled, their eyes heavy with lack of sleep. The two groups sat at separate tables, an unspoken tension between them. Lee Nianzu and Gen went into the kitchen, their movements purposeful. Mu Yin, ever persistent, walked over to Guozhao Zhiqiang and sat down beside him, her gaze possessive.
"How did you sleep, gentlemen?" Yu Lei asked, a hint of amusement in his voice, directed at the bandits, a mocking glint in his eye.
Miao Jing yawned, stretching his arms, his face pale. "We only slept for a few hours. The sound of the guzheng continued all night until this morning. It was relentless. I'm still so sleepy."
Yu Lei looked at Mu Yin, his expression unreadable, a challenge in his eyes. "What about you, Lady Mu? Did you sleep well?"
Mu Yin scoffed, attempting a casual air, though her eyes were bloodshot. "I slept well, and I even had a dream of getting married."
"Oh," Tian Xiang said with a wide smile, a mischievous glint in his eye, "your red eyes are saying something different, Lady Mu. They tell a tale of sleeplessness."
Yu Lei and Tian Xiang both burst into laughter, a loud, mocking sound.
Then, Lee Nianzu and Gen returned from the kitchen, carrying three teapots and several cups. Guozhao Zhiqiang picked up a teapot and poured tea for Deming and himself, his movements calm and precise.
Mu Yin frowned, annoyed, her voice sharp. "Husband, why don't you pour tea for your wife? Am I not worthy?"
"Do you have a hand, Lady Mu?" Tian Xiang retorted from behind her, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Mu Yin whirled around, her face contorted with fury. "I didn't talk to you, you insolent boy! Shut up!"
Lee Nianzu, sitting opposite Mu Yin, smiled faintly at the bickering pair, a quiet amusement in his eyes. Suddenly, a weak male voice whispered in his left ear, faint yet clear: "Jingsheng, I miss you so much. Why did you leave me?"
Lee Nianzu calmly looked around the room, his gaze searching. "I am not him," he stated, his voice clear and steady, addressing the unseen presence.
As soon as the twelve bandits heard Lee Nianzu speak, they fell silent, their expressions turning to stark fear, their eyes wide. Mu Yin tightly gripped Guozhao Zhiqiang's left arm, her voice trembling. "Who are you talking to? What was that voice?"
Tian Xiang immediately threw a talisman towards the front door, and a male voice shrieked in pain, a ghostly cry. The eleven bandits rushed over, huddling behind Lee Nianzu, Tian Xiang, and Yu Lei, trembling with terror. There was a knock on the door, a soft, insistent rap, and the bandits screamed in terror, convinced it was the ghost.
"Don't be afraid," Lee Nianzu said calmly, his voice reassuring, "it's just those maids who bring us breakfast." Lee Nianzu stood up, walked to the door, and opened it. He then led Lady Jiang and the ten maids into the main dining hall, their faces surprised to see the commotion.
Lady Jiang was visibly taken aback to find the six hunters still in the inn, and the bandits huddled together. She sat down, her brow furrowed. "Honestly, hunters, I thought this was going to be an empty inn when I arrived this morning. I'm surprised you stayed."
Guozhao Zhiqiang looked at Lady Jiang, his gaze direct. "Lady Jiang, does the name Jingsheng sound familiar to you? Have you heard it before?"
"Jingsheng..." Lady Jiang pondered for a moment, her brow furrowed in thought, then shook her head. "Never heard of it, honored hunter. It doesn't ring a bell."
"Has any guest said they have heard of the name Jingsheng?" Lee Nianzu pressed, his voice calm.
"No," Lady Jiang confirmed, "you are the first to mention that name. It's quite unusual."
"Since this land has been passed down from generation to generation," Tian Xiang inquired, "is there any record of this name, or any history of the land in your family's archives?"
"I'm not sure," Lady Jiang replied, a thoughtful expression on her face. "If there is, it must be in the family vault."
"If we know who Jingsheng is," Tian Xiang explained, "we may be able to understand why the unwanted guest is not willing to leave. There must be a reason for its lingering."
"Then go back to my house with me, hunters," Lady Jiang offered, her voice firm. She looked at the twelve bandits, her gaze cold. "I only welcome hunters. If the twelve of you want to stay here, you are welcome to stay, but you are not welcome in my home."
"I am his wife, which means I can go with him!" Mu Yin declared, looking pointedly at Guozhao Zhiqiang, her voice defiant.
"She is not my wife," Guozhao Zhiqiang stated coldly, his voice firm and unwavering, his gaze fixed on Mu Yin.
Mu Yin's jaw dropped in shock, her face paling.
The six hunters followed Lady Jiang out the front door, leaving behind the stunned twelve bandits, their faces a mixture of fear and embarrassment.
Miao Jing looked at Mu Yin, his voice uncertain. "Boss, what should we do now? Stay here?"
"Let's go," Mu Yin grumbled, her face still red from embarrassment, her pride wounded. "I'd rather stay at the gate of Jiang's house than stay here with these haunting noises." She looked at Miao Jing, a challenge in her eyes. "Unless the eleven of you want to stay here and face the ghosts."
The Jiang family residence was vast and exquisitely decorated, a sprawling estate of traditional architecture and lush gardens. Madam Jiang led them into a large guest hall, its furnishings opulent. She then turned to a maid and spoke a few quiet words, and the servant immediately departed. Moments later, an older man pushed an older woman in a wheelchair into the main guest hall, followed by two other elderly women, their faces etched with age.
Lady Jiang stood up and introduced them, her voice respectful. "This is my grandfather, these are my two grandmothers, and this is my great-grandmother."
The Great-Grandmother Jiang looked at the hunters, her gaze sharp, her eyes surprisingly clear for her age. "What do you want to know, young men?"
"Great-Grandmother," Lady Jiang began, her voice gentle, "do we have anyone by the name Jingsheng in our family history? We encountered a spirit by that name."
"Jingsheng, of course," Great-Grandmother Jiang affirmed, a faint smile touching her lips, a distant memory. "He died when he was young, many, many years ago."
"His name is not in our family record, Great-Grandmother," Lady Jiang pointed out, a hint of confusion.
"My great-grandfather removed his name from our family record," Great-Grandmother Jiang explained, her voice growing somber. "It was a painful decision."
"Why, Grandmother Jiang?" Tian Xiang asked, intrigued, sensing a deeper story.
"According to my grandmother, he was a disgrace, and people didn't talk about it," Great-Grandmother Jiang sighed, a profound sadness in her voice. "When his name was mentioned... they just told us that he brought shame to our family. It was a taboo." She raised her head, her eyes falling on Lee Nianzu, a knowing look. "My grandfather once told me a story about his youngest brother, Jingsheng."
"Great-Grandmother, please tell us," Lady Jiang urged, leaning forward, her curiosity piqued.
Great-Grandmother Jiang sighed, her voice growing distant as she recalled the past, her gaze fixed on something unseen. "It happened generations ago... They met when great-uncle Jingsheng came back from the city. He was a bright, promising young man. From that day on, great-uncle Jingsheng changed from a business scholar to a musician and was no longer interested in the family business. He spent all his time with music. Great-uncle Jingsheng spent every day with a young man named Yang Yusheng. The two young people spent countless days and nights together, their bond deepening, and the friendship between the two young people blossomed into love, a forbidden love."
"And then?" Lady Jiang prompted, leaning forward, her voice hushed, captivated by the tale.
"My great-grandfather asked Lao Xin, his trusted servant, to follow great-uncle Jingsheng," Great-Grandmother Jiang continued, her voice heavy with the weight of the past. "On the faithless day, old Xin saw great-uncle Jingsheng and Yusheng kiss by a stream, a moment of intimacy that sealed their fate. Lao Xin reported it to my great-grandfather."
"What happened later, Great-Grandmother?" Lady Jiang asked, her voice hushed, sensing the tragedy.
"My grandmother didn't say," Great-Grandmother Jiang recounted, her voice filled with sorrow. "She just said that the next morning, my great-grandfather and the ten guards, and Lao Xin went to the bamboo house and found great-uncle Jingsheng and Yang Yusheng in the bamboo house. My great-grandfather dragged great-uncle Jingsheng back home and locked him away. My great-grandfather forbade my great-uncle Jingsheng from meeting Yang Yusheng. Great-uncle Jingsheng's health deteriorated, and he refused to speak to anyone, his spirit broken. Lao Xin felt sorry for the young master he had served since childhood. He secretly became their messenger, carrying letters between them, and their plan was to escape together, but Yang Yusheng never showed up. Great-uncle Jingsheng waited for three days, heartbroken. Later, great-uncle Jingsheng purchased the land that was once Yang Yusheng's home. After buying the land, he locked himself inside his courtyard for six months, playing his guzheng, never leaving. The only person who visited him was Lao Xin. One day, Lao Xin went to visit him, but he was already dead, his life taken by sorrow. After the funeral, his name was later removed from the family records, and the great-grandfather sealed Uncle Jingsheng's courtyard, not allowing anyone to open it, burying the shame."
"It doesn't make sense," Yu Lei murmured, confused, his brow furrowed. "If Yang Yusheng didn't show up, why is his spirit still there?"
"Why does this hunter think so?" Lady Jiang asked, turning to Yu Lei, intrigued by his question.
Tian Xiang articulated the hunters' doubt, his voice clear. "If Yang Yusheng didn't fulfill his promise to your great-uncle Jiang Jingsheng, why is Yang Yusheng's spirit still here, haunting the inn? It contradicts the story."
Lee Nianzu, piecing together the information, asked a crucial question, his gaze fixed on Great-Grandmother Jiang. "Great-Grandmother Jiang, is Master Jiang Jingsheng's purchased land the land where the Morning Glory Inn was built?"
Great-Grandmother Jiang nodded slowly, her eyes filled with a profound sadness, confirming their suspicions.