Chapter 1752: Stage

Zu'an couldn't help but glance at Jing Teng, feeling a bit suspicious. However, seeing her usual expression, he figured it must just be a coincidence.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Jing Teng couldn't help but ask.

"Why do you have that name? Is it your real name?" Zu'an still couldn't resist asking, wondering if this was a play where he'd meet an old acquaintance far from home.

"When I was with that person and we were close, he called me 'Little Sweetie'. But after he learned my true identity, he started calling me 'Vine Demon'," Jing Teng replied, her voice tinged with coldness.

Qiu Honglei couldn't help but say, "Since you're using a name full of memories, do you still have feelings for that person?"

Jing Teng's expression was icy. "I'm merely reminding myself not to forget the pain of that betrayal."

Everyone: "..."

Zu'an also breathed a sigh of relief. It really was just a coincidence.

He then asked why she didn't reveal her real name. Jing Teng replied, "In this world, many ghosts and monsters can use abilities through names, so it's best not to reveal your true name if you don't know someone's background."

"Fortunately, you warned us," Zu'an exclaimed. He mused that without a 'native' from this world, they would have taken many detours.

"You flatter me," Jing Teng said, nodding slightly. Her expression was no longer as cold as before.

Wei Su, standing nearby, glanced between the two, then secretly peeked at Qiu Honglei. Seeing her composed expression, he couldn't help but secretly admire Zu'an. 'Boss is truly boss,' he thought, 'flirting with other women even with his girlfriend present, and what's more, his girlfriend seems to approve...'

'Why is it that someone as loyal and pure-hearted as me is unliked? What kind of world is this!'

"I still have to patrol around, so I won't accompany you. Someone from the manor will lead you in," the dark-faced man named Zhang Yong said, cupping his hands.

"You're too kind, thank you, Brother Zhang!" Zu'an returned the gesture and watched them disappear into the distance.

These people had some cultivation, but it wasn't very high; even Wei Su could easily overpower them. It seemed indeed to be an ordinary manor.

Next, Uncle Wang personally led them inside, which surprised Zu'an. "You don't need to trouble yourself, do you?"

Judging by his status, he seemed to be the butler here, and personally leading the way felt a bit too eager. Could it be because of the gifts they had just given?

"No trouble at all, no trouble. Most of the guests have arrived, and I don't expect many more, so I don't have much to do," the old man said with a smile, already leading the way.

The group no longer declined and followed behind.

The courtyard was decorated everywhere with lanterns and festive hangings. Large red lanterns hung under the eaves, adorned with prominent '囍' (double happiness) characters.

Zu'an noticed Qiu Honglei staring intently at the lanterns and quietly asked, "What's wrong?"

"I just find these lanterns a bit strange," Qiu Honglei pointed out. "They're so big, they should theoretically be very bright, but it's as if the entire lantern is sealed by something. The light inside can't shine out at all, unable to illuminate the surroundings."

The group paused, then noticed that the lanterns were indeed a lurid red, yet the surroundings remained dark, clearly unlit.

Their cultivation levels were high, and they could all see clearly at night, so they hadn't initially noticed this. Qiu Honglei, however, was a light-element practitioner, making her especially sensitive to such things.

Wei Su dismissed it. "Perhaps it's just for show in this poor rural area. They want many lanterns for grandeur but are worried about wasting expensive candles, so they use small ones, which creates this effect."

He was still a bit sore about the old man asking for a gift earlier.

Zu'an said in a low voice, "Everyone, stay alert and be careful."

At that moment, Qiu Honglei sweetly smiled at the butler in front. "Uncle Wang, what is your young lady's name?"

She was already exceptionally beautiful, and having mastered charm techniques, every frown and smile exuded endless allure. Even Jing Teng couldn't help but give her an extra glance.

Old Man Wang was momentarily stunned, then said with a kindly expression, "Our young lady's surname is Zhang, and this is Zhang Family Manor. As for her given name, only the master and madam, and some of the female relatives in the inner quarters know it. It's only because it's you asking, young lady; if anyone else came asking for her given name, Old Wang here would definitely kick them out."

Zu'an mused that the customs in this world seemed quite conservative, with a lady's given name generally known only to her parents and future husband.

"I'm so sorry, I was too presumptuous," Qiu Honglei said with an apologetic expression, truly appearing pitiful.

Old Man Wang, on the contrary, became embarrassed and reassured her not to worry. Qiu Honglei then took the opportunity to inquire about various details of the manor.

From the butler, they learned that this Miss Zhang was a renowned beauty within a ten-mile radius, with suitors coming one after another, and even the City Lord's son was infatuated and wanted to marry her.

However, she had a childhood sweetheart. Their families were old acquaintances, but a misfortune had befallen the young man's family, leaving him barely able to make a living alone. Yet, Miss Zhang showed no disdain and was instead deeply devoted to him.

The master and madam were initially reluctant, but seeing their daughter's affection and considering that the young man was also the son of an old friend, they eventually agreed, on the condition that he would be a live-in son-in-law.

With the vast difference between the two families now, and the beautiful childhood sweetheart, the young man naturally wouldn't refuse.

Today was the happy day for both parties.

Even Qiu Honglei was infected by the joyous atmosphere, instinctively linking her arm with Zu'an's, fantasizing about their own wedding.

Perhaps due to Qiu Honglei's charm, Zu'an and his group of strangers, who were initially seated in the outermost corner, were now led to a table closer to the front.

"Please take a seat here, everyone. The wedding hasn't started yet, so you can watch the play to pass the time. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll leave you now," Uncle Wang said with a smile, cupped his hands, and departed.

Only then did Zu'an and his companions notice a wide stage in front, where a group of actors were performing a play with their wailing singing. The guests at other tables cheered enthusiastically, creating a lively atmosphere.

Zu'an and the others had traveled all day, and sitting down now, they felt much more relaxed. Wei Su, in particular, grabbed the fruits and pastries prepared on the table and began stuffing them into his mouth.

"Are you that hungry?" Jing Teng couldn't help but glance at him, seeing his ravenous eating.

"I just paid the gift money, so I'm eating more to get my money's worth," Wei Su mumbled. "Besides, I threw up too much earlier, so I'm starving now."

Jing Teng and Qiu Honglei discreetly withdrew their hands, which had been reaching for melon seeds, clearly disgusted by him.

As one play ended, a new one began, captivating the previously inattentive audience.

It was a story about a young lady and her beloved, spending romantic moments together. Jing Teng and Qiu Honglei watched with 'auntie smiles' on their faces; clearly, this kind of love story resonated with them.

However, the scene quickly shifted: a wealthy young master appeared, smitten by the lady, and pursued her with various elaborate schemes.

But the young lady was utterly devoted to her lover and showed no polite pretense to the wealthy young master, who could only leave in disappointment.

Next, the lovers finally united, marrying and holding a wedding ceremony.

Qiu Honglei couldn't help but sigh in relief. "I knew it would be a happy ending. After all, it's a wedding banquet!"

Jing Teng nodded in agreement.

However, the two women's expressions suddenly froze as the plot began to take a strange turn.

The wealthy young master also appeared at the wedding. After getting the groom drunk, he helped him to the bridal chamber and took the opportunity to assault the bride.

Not just the two women, but even Zu'an watched, dumbfounded. 'Isn't this something out of a Japanese adult film?' he thought.

Just then, the bride's parents rushed over upon hearing the commotion, only to be beaten to death by the infuriated wealthy young master, who then fled in fear.

The bride cried profusely, planning to report it to the authorities the next day to avenge her parents. But to her shock, the officials arrived that very night, claiming the groom, after getting drunk, had taken a fancy to his sister-in-law and suddenly climbed into her bed.

Seeing this scene, Zu'an felt a sense of déjà vu. When he first arrived in this world, he seemed to have been framed and ended up in Little Zhao's bed too.

The play continued on stage. The officials stated that when the groom was committing the act, his in-laws rushed over, cursing him as a beast. The groom accidentally killed them, and the bride, whose husband had died suddenly, was also imprisoned. Finally, both were sentenced and drowned together in a pig cage.

Qiu Honglei watched with a furious expression. "This is outrageous! That dog official has no conscience!"

Jing Teng was relatively calmer. "Officials in this world are always like this. You get used to it after seeing it so often."

Zu'an, however, scanned his surroundings. The nearby audience members were all watching with rapt attention, completely absorbed as if in a trance.

He wondered, 'Is it appropriate to perform such a play on a joyous wedding day?'

This situation seemed rather off.

He stood up and tried to strike up a conversation with guests at a nearby table, hoping to gather some information from them. To his surprise, all of them had strange smiles on their faces and didn't respond to him at all, merely staring intently at the stage.

A chill ran down Zu'an's spine. He returned to their table and quietly warned everyone, "Something's not right!"

Qiu Honglei and Jing Teng both nodded, having also sensed that something was amiss.

At that moment, Wei Su, while shelling peanuts and popping them into his mouth, pointed at the stage. "Look, everyone!"

Just then, a turn of events occurred on stage: an imperial envoy from the palace happened to pass by, reviewed the case, cleared the couple's names, and sentenced the wealthy young master and the officials he had bribed to extreme punishments.

Some officials were cut in half at the waist, some were beheaded, and some were even subjected to death by a thousand cuts.

This wasn't the crucial point, as it was just a play after all.

However, in the eyes of Zu'an and his group, the actors portraying those characters were directly pressed onto execution tools, and with a swift blade, blood flowed freely. It was far too realistic.

A human head rolled right in front of them, its eyes bulging, blood and tears seeping from the sockets. It was absolutely not a prop; it was a real human head!

"Stop!" Zu'an roared. What on earth was this manor doing? Or was someone using the play as an excuse for murder?

Just then, Qiu Honglei suddenly shrieked. Zu'an quickly turned his head and saw that the tea in their cups had all turned crimson like blood, and the plates full of fruits and pastries had transformed entirely into maggots and rats.

Wei Su, who had been eating heartily, instantly froze at the sight!