At daybreak, Nurse Zhao outside the memorial hall heaved a long sigh. “Such bad luck that they chose us to keep vigil.”

Nurse Yang yawned, her face full of impatience. “Indeed. The younger they are, the more inauspicious. Ninth Young Lady was only sixteen. I heard when they pulled her from the lake, her eyes were still open. Just thinking about it gives me chills.”

“You didn’t see it, but when the Old Madam heard about this, her face turned white with anger. She didn’t even want to hold the funeral. If not for fears of her restless spirit, they probably would have buried her right when they discovered her yesterday morning.”

Under the eaves, a white funeral lamp cast a pale light. The two nurses sat on low stools by the door, with the basin for burning spirit money beside their feet having long since gone cold.

Inside the room, a lonely funeral bed stood. The young lady lying upon it wore plain white burial clothes, her eyes closed and hair loose, her complexion ashen gray, having been dead for some time. Yet looking at her features, one could see they were exceptionally refined and elegant.

“When the First Branch sent her over years ago, Old Madam said she was an unlucky person. Why else do you think she’s been so unfavored all these years? Now that she’s dead, Old Madam can finally rest easy.”

Nurse Zhao rubbed her sore back and continued, “She brought death to both her parents. If it were me, I wouldn’t want to raise her either. Isn’t that exactly what the First Branch was wary of? Now that she’s dead, the Second Branch of the Qin family is without an heir. I wonder what the First Branch will say about this.”

Nurse Yang shook her head. “What else can they say? She jumped into the lake herself. They can’t blame the Third Branch, can they?” She let out a cold laugh. “It’s truly laughable. Just because Magistrate Huo’s son rejected her, she went and jumped into the lake. Once this news spreads, who knows how the people of Jin Zhou City will gossip about our Loyal and Brave Marquis Manor.”

“Exactly,” Nurse Zhao quickly added. “That’s why Old Madam is angry too. It’s both inauspicious and brings shame to our reputation.”

It was the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. Nurse Yang, unable to bear the night chill, pulled her collar closer and glanced toward the courtyard gate, snorting, “Where is that dead girl Fu Ling? She must have been faking when she fainted earlier! She just doesn’t want to keep vigil!”

Nurse Zhao said with schadenfreude, “Fu Ling has been loyal, I’ll give her that. After all, she’s served by her side since childhood. But now that her young lady is dead, she’ll need to find another path.”

“What path could she possibly find? After serving the Ninth Young Lady for so many years, which master in the household would want her? She’ll most likely be sold off.” As Nurse Yang spoke, she glanced toward the funeral bed, and her eyes suddenly trembled.

“Did you see that?!”

Grabbing Nurse Zhao, Nurse Yang asked in terror.

The question startled Nurse Zhao to her feet. “See what? Don’t frighten me—”

“Her hand… I thought I saw her hand move…”

Rubbing her eyes, Nurse Zhao stared hard at the funeral bed, then glared at Nurse Yang in annoyance. “What movement? You must be seeing things!”

Nurse Yang looked again several times, then let out a long breath.

“I must have been mistaken. We’ve been keeping vigil for so long, I’m exhausted.”

Nurse Yang furrowed her brow, looking westward. “This won’t do. We can’t let Fu Ling slack off. I’m going to drag her here. Didn’t she say earlier today she wanted to follow her young lady? Hmph, since she’s so loyal, she should properly keep vigil and mourn her young lady! We can’t let her off easy—”

As Nurse Yang finished speaking, she walked toward the courtyard gate. Nurse Zhao, afraid to be left alone, wanted to call her back but then thought about having Fu Ling come so she could rest. During this moment of hesitation, Nurse Yang had already left.

Though daylight was beginning to show, with a dead person lying in the room, even Nurse Zhao, who had lived half her life, couldn’t help but feel chills down her spine. She glanced once more at the funeral bed, then quickly turned away.

Just as Nurse Zhao turned her head, Qin Wan’s eyes opened.

The deathly pallor hadn’t left her face, and her eyes held the darkness of an abyss as she stared straight at the ceiling, with a flash of sharp light briefly gleaming in their depths…

But quickly, her eyes darkened completely.

She had regained consciousness several hours ago, initially thinking this was a strange dream in her final moments. But as time passed, she slowly realized this was no dream at all.

If not a dream, then what?

Loyal and Brave Marquis Manor, the Qin family, Second Branch, Third Branch, orphaned daughter, Ninth Young Lady, jumping into the lake…

She didn’t understand about the Second Branch, Third Branch, or Ninth Young Lady, but she knew of the Loyal and Brave Marquis Manor and the Qin family.

The Great Zhou Dynasty had been established for over two hundred years, with countless noble houses, but there was only one Loyal and Brave Marquis Manor in all of Great Zhou, and its surname was indeed Qin. They were considered a prestigious family in the capital – could this really be that same Loyal and Brave Marquis Manor?

While she couldn’t be certain of this, the fact that she, who should be dead, had come back to life was as solid as iron.

Memories of her formerly loving parents flashed through her mind, bringing tears to her eyes.

Her father had spent his entire life administering justice and clearing others of false charges, yet in the end, their whole family died unjustly!

Just as tears were about to spill, she gritted her teeth and forced them back.

In their place came a cold gleam that would make one’s spine chill.

It seemed Heaven knew she couldn’t rest in peace!

Just then, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded in the courtyard. Nurse Zhao sharply raised her head, only to see Nurse Yang’s terror-stricken face as she returned!

“Old Zhao, that… that dead girl… she followed…”

Nurse Zhao stood up. “What? What do you mean followed?”

Nurse Yang was nearly crying. “Fu Ling! She hanged herself! She’s dead in the west rear courtyard!”

“What?!” Nurse Zhao’s eyes widened. “She… how could she… how…”

The image of Fu Ling hanging from the beam still floated before Nurse Yang’s eyes, her voice trembling as she spoke, “I… I went to call her for the vigil, but when I pushed open the door, I saw her hanging from the beam. She was devoted to her master, surely she lost her will to live after her young lady’s death. I could see her body was already stiff… Old Zhao, quickly goes to the front courtyard and reports this. Two deaths in one…”

With all the elderly family members present, the death of a young member was already inauspicious. Now even her maid had died. Nurse Yang was unwilling to report such unlucky news – if the masters heard this upon waking, they would surely be upset.

The death of a maid wasn’t a major matter, and Nurse Zhao had her own shrewdness. After the initial shock, she quickly regained composure.

Stepping forward, she said, “She’s just a servant. Dead is dead, and she wouldn’t have had a good future anyway. Just pretend you never went to the west rear courtyard and don’t know about this. Everyone will be waking up soon, won’t it be better if someone else discovers it?”

Nurse Yang was panic-stricken and trembling. Hearing this, she said, “Alright, we’ll do as you say… you don’t know how terrifying it was. Seeing this ill-fated young lady was bad enough, but then to encounter a hanging corpse… do you think Fu Ling’s ghost will come after me…”

After saying this, Nurse Yang paced anxiously in the courtyard. She had heard many stories about hanged ghosts seeking revenge, and she couldn’t shake the image of Fu Ling hanging there in her hemp clothing.

“Where is Fu Ling?”

Suddenly, a hoarse voice spoke from within the room.

When Nurse Yang first heard this, she thought it was Nurse Zhao asking, but quickly her heart froze – how could Nurse Zhao not know where Fu Ling was?

With this thought, Nurse Yang’s feet stopped as she turned toward the source of the voice.

As she looked, Nurse Yang let out a piercing scream!