Hidden Shadow – CH 015

Chapter Fifteen: Ghosts and Gods

The man brushed aside his hair, his gaze landing on Mei Jiu. “You are the Fourteenth Young Lady?”

Wen-Cui and Wen-Bi bowed respectfully. “Greetings, Sixth Master.”

“Rise,” he said.

Wen-Cui softly reminded them, “Sixth Master is the son of the Second Old Madam, the one she mentioned. You two young ladies should call him Uncle.”

Mei Zhengjing?

Mei Jiu and Mei Ruyan immediately bowed. “Greetings, Uncle.” Apricot leaves swirled in the breeze. Mei Jiu did not see his movements clearly, but he stood steadily on the ground, striding with his long legs to stand before her.

“You are the Fourteenth Young Lady who made my mother faint and prevented my nephew from being included in the family genealogy?” Mei Zhengjing’s peach blossom eyes seemed to always carry a smile, giving a very gentle impression.

Upon hearing that they had come to settle scores, Mei Jiu immediately shrank behind Wen-Cui, inwardly calling out, “An Jiu, An Jiu!”

An Jiu, disturbed by Mei Jiu’s pounding heart, had already woken up. She clicked her tongue. “No wonder the Mei family is cursed; everyone looks so improper.”

Mei Ruyan stepped forward, blocking Mei Jiu’s path. “Uncle, these two things really cannot be blamed on my sister. We sisters are new here and do not know the rules, but the Second Old Madam asked us to apologize to a servant. Although we sisters are filial, we would never dare to humiliate the Mei family.”

Seeing that Mei Zhengjing’s expression remained unchanged, she boldly continued, “Besides, as for Cousin, what right does my sister have to exclude him from the family register?”

“I thought our family finally had some fun; how boring!” Mei Zhengjing turned and left listlessly.

Mei Ruyan looked utterly bewildered.

Wen-Cui explained, “Our young man’s nature is just like his name; do not worry about it.” Mei Jiu breathed a sigh of relief and gave Mei Ruyan a grateful look.

The group calmed themselves and headed towards the ancestral hall.

The ancestral hall’s doors were wide open, but there was not a soul inside or out.

Wen-Cui and Wen-Bi had to stay outside, while Mei Jiu and Mei Ruyan walked into the ancestral hall side by side.

A chilling aura greeted them. They saw hundreds of memorial tablets laid out directly opposite them!

Ten figures dressed in black with wide sleeves stood in the large main hall. The five on the west side wore masks depicting human faces: snow-white faces, long, narrow, upturned eyes, curved willow-leaf eyebrows, cheeks as red as peach blossoms, and a blood-red plum blossom painted between their brows—clearly, meticulously dressed beauties of the Tang Dynasty.

However, these figures, with their ambiguous smiles, stood silently in the eerie ancestral hall, looking utterly unsettling. These people wore masks, but judging from their curvaceous figures, they were likely women.

The five on the right wore demon masks and were tall and slender, clearly men.

“They are Gandharvas and Yakshas,” Mei Jiu said, her voice trembling.

Gandharvas were music gods serving Indra, responsible for playing music. They were gods who did not consume alcohol but only sought nourishment from fragrance; hence, they were also called “fragrance gods.”

Yakshas were evil spirits that could devour ghosts and harm humans.

Mei Jiu was on the verge of tears, her whole body trembling uncontrollably. Was it not supposed to be just burning incense and kowtowing? Why was there a ghostly aura everywhere?

The patriarch and five elders entered through a side door.

The ten black-clad people immediately retreated to the sides.

Elder Qi’s gaze shifted slightly to the east, landing on the “Yakshas,” as if searching for something. Tears welled in his eyes, and the knuckles of his cane turned white.

The patriarch remained silent, taking two incense sticks from the altar and lighting them.

Holding one stick in each hand, he said, “You two swear before our ancestors that you will be loyal to the Mei family for life and will not do anything to harm their interests! If you break this oath, may Heaven and Earth condemn you!”

Mei Ruyan stepped forward first, taking the incense and kneeling on the prayer mat.

“An Jiu, this is terrifying! What if it’s a trap?” Mei Jiu asked nervously.

An Jiu said, “It’s just an oath. If you betray the Mei family and die, I will avenge you.”

“We are in the same boat!” Mei Jiu emphasized anxiously.

“What does this have to do with me? Besides, I am a Christian and do not believe in ancestors,” An Jiu urged. “Do not dawdle. Do you have any other options now? Or do you want me to swear the oath for you?”

Mei Jiu moved her lips, hesitating for a long time before finally taking a difficult step.

“Master Mei.” The “Yaksha,” who had been standing like a statue to the side, suddenly spoke, his deep voice questioning, “Is this lady truly qualified to be included in the family register?”

The patriarch looked at Elder Zhi.

Elder Zhi took a slight step forward. “Although she lacks foundational skills, her innate talent in archery is exceptional.”

The “Yaksha” nodded slightly and remained silent.

“Fourteenth Young Lady!” Elder Zhi frowned, looking at Mei Jiu with displeasure.

A powerful pressure emanated from her, even causing the “Gandharvas” to shift their feet almost imperceptibly.

Under Elder Zhi’s pressure, Mei Jiu’s face turned deathly pale, barely able to stand upright. She only wanted to find a safe place to hide.

Elder Zhi’s beard bristled with anger. Seeing Mei Jiu’s disheveled state, he could not help but wonder if he had misjudged her that day. But now, the die was cast, and he had no choice but to take in Mei Jiu.

Elder Zhi flashed in front of Mei Jiu, grabbed her by the back of her collar, pulled her onto the prayer mat, and took the incense from the patriarch’s hand, shoving it into hers. “Speak.”

Mei Ruyan had intended to swear an oath after Mei Jiu, but seeing her trembling and unable to utter a single word, she spoke first: “I, Mei Ruyan, hereby swear that I will be loyal to the Mei family for life, and will not do anything to harm the interests of the Mei family. If I break this oath, may heaven and earth condemn me!”

Mei Jiu’s mind was in turmoil. With someone taking the lead, she followed suit, her voice trembling. “I…I, Mei Jiu…no, Mei Ruxue, hereby swear that I will be loyal to the Mei family for life…for life, and will not do anything to harm the interests of the Mei family. If I do, if I do…” She swallowed hard, gritting her teeth. “If I break this oath, may heaven and earth condemn me!”

Although stammering, she finally finished.

The patriarch and Elder Zhi breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Next came the kowtow and tea ceremony for her master. Mei Jiu had overcome the hurdle from before, and the tension had eased somewhat; everything proceeded smoothly.

As Mei Jiu stepped out of the ancestral hall, the warm sunlight bathed her, and she realized she was drenched in cold sweat.

“Fourteenth Young Lady,” Elder Zhi said, emerging from the main hall.

Mei Jiu quickly turned and bowed. Elder Zhi scrutinized her. “Why are you afraid?”

“I sensed blood,” Mei Jiu said, head bowed. “Those black-clad men.”

Elder Zhi paused, then burst into laughter. “Haha, good, excellent!”

An ordinary person would not be so frightened by a few ghostly figures in broad daylight. Mei Ruyan was fearless because she could not sense the bloodlust emanating from the black-clad men, but Mei Jiu, having gained An Jiu’s abilities, possessed an extreme sensitivity to such things; however, her mental fortitude was not strong enough.

Mei Jiu thought to herself, “Should they not be calling me a coward?”

“I heard you shot and killed the men who were chasing you?” Elder Zhi suddenly asked.

Hearing someone accuse her of killing someone, Mei Jiu instinctively denied it. “I did not.”