“The entire Lu household died out a year ago.”

“Died out?”

The old woman looked up and saw the woman who had been standing silently to the side suddenly speak.

The next moment, another string of copper coins was pressed into her hand. Yin Zheng smiled as she bought all the tuckahoe cakes from the top layer of the basket, paying even more than necessary. She said: “We’ve come from out of town and don’t know about the Lu family’s affairs. Please trouble yourself to tell us what happened to the Lu family.”

Fingering the string of coins in her hand, the old woman finally said: “It’s just that the Lu family had bad luck. Previously, this Lu family had gained a son-in-law from the capital, and the neighbors were all quite envious. Who would have known… alas!”

Two years ago, the Lu family’s eldest daughter Lu Rou got married. Her husband’s family was a wealthy merchant household from the capital with considerable wealth. The betrothal gifts they sent totaled fourteen palanquins, making all the surrounding neighbors green with envy. Old Master Lu was just an ordinary teacher in Changwu County, and his family was poor. By all accounts, this marriage was the Lu family marrying above their station. Moreover, the wealthy merchant family’s young master was also handsome and gentle. Standing together with the beautiful Lu family’s eldest daughter, they made a perfect couple.

After Lu Rou married, she followed her husband to the capital.

Originally thought to be an impeccable good marriage, who would have known that half a year after Lu Rou went to the capital, the Lu family received news of mourning from the capital—Lu Rou had died.

Along with this came some unpleasant rumors. The Lu family’s second son Lu Qian, who had deep feelings for his elder sister since childhood, took his traveling bag and went to the capital to find out what had really happened. The Lu family parents waited and waited at home, until they received an official document from the government.

After Lu Qian arrived in the capital, he broke into a private residence to steal property and assault women. He was caught by the household’s master and thrown into prison.

Changwu County was just so big—Lu Qian had been watched growing up by the neighbors. He had always been intelligent and kind, someone who loved to stand up for justice. Even the neighbors didn’t believe Lu Qian would commit theft, let alone the Lu family parents. In his anger, Old Master Lu wrote a petition to appeal to officials in the capital. Unexpectedly, before he could reach the capital, while traveling by water route, he encountered wind and rain. The boat capsized, and not even a complete corpse was left behind.

In just one short year—losing daughter, son, and husband—how could Madam Lu Wang Shi bear such suffering? In one night, she went mad.

“People saw she had gone insane. She didn’t cry or make a fuss, but spent her days holding the rattle drum Lu Rou had played with as a child, sitting by the lake singing songs with a silly smile…” The old woman sighed: “The neighbors were afraid something would happen to her and brought her back home. One night, the Lu house caught fire…”

For a mad woman to accidentally knock over an oil lamp on a wooden table at night was natural. Or perhaps she briefly regained her senses and, faced with the empty house with no one left, lacked the courage to live on and burned everything clean along with herself, seeking simple release.

“This Lu family was truly cursed. In one year, they all died.” The old woman was still chattering away to Yin Zheng: “I think you shouldn’t get too close to this door either, lest you catch the evil spirit and inevitably suffer some involvement.”

“Where is Madam Lu’s remains?” Lu Tong interrupted her words.

The old woman looked at Lu Tong and met her deep, dark eyes. For some reason, her heart felt somewhat panicked. Only after steadying herself did she say: “The Lu family fire was huge, and it was at night. By the time it was discovered, it was too late—it burned all night long. When people went in the next day, they only found a handful of ashes. They just swept them up casually. Since the house couldn’t be properly repaired, it was simply left here.”

Having finished speaking, seeing that Yin Zheng and Lu Tong were still standing at the Lu family door with no intention of leaving, she hoisted the carrying pole back onto her shoulder and muttered: “Anyway, the Lu family died in a cursed manner—they probably offended some unclean thing. Don’t get too close to this place. People have always been superstitious about houses where people died. Don’t regret it if something happens.” Having said this, she hurried away with her carrying pole.

Yin Zheng still held the tuckahoe cakes she had just bought from the old woman in her arms. Returning to Lu Tong’s side, she was about to speak when she saw Lu Tong had already stepped foot into the dwelling before them.

The Lu family fire had indeed come fiercely. The entire house no longer showed a trace of its past appearance—everywhere were blackened soot and wood chips.

Lu Tong walked slowly.

She had been away from home for a long time, and many past scenes were no longer very clear. She only remembered that the main hall used to be toward the back, connected to the small courtyard and kitchen. The tile eaves were very low, and when it rained, the courtyard often accumulated rainwater.

Now the fallen charred wood was mixed in with the ruins, making it impossible to tell where the small courtyard was and where the kitchen had been.

Her feet made small crushing sounds as she stepped through the ruins. Lu Tong looked down and saw a solid corner protruding from the broken tiles and debris.

She bent down and picked up the rubble.

It was a fragment of bluestone. Near the corridor by the kitchen, there had been a bluestone jar that was always filled with clear water. Seven years ago, before she left home, the last bucket of well water had been drawn by herself.

Behind her, Yin Zheng followed up. Looking at the blackened broken tiles on all sides, she couldn’t help but feel a chill down her spine and said in a low voice: “Miss, why don’t we go out first? That person just said if we accidentally violate some taboo, and moreover…”

“Moreover what?” Lu Tong spoke. “Moreover the Lu family was very cursed?”

Yin Zheng didn’t dare speak anymore.

Lu Tong lowered her eyes, gradually tightening her grip on the half piece of wind chime in her palm. Looking at the ruins before her, she said coldly: “Indeed very cursed.”

Death, imprisonment, water disaster, fire… these coincidences, one after another—she also wanted to know exactly which “unclean thing” the Lu family had offended to be so mercilessly exterminated.

“Just now she said that the family Lu Rou married into was the Ke family from the capital?”

Yin Zheng steadied herself and quickly said: “Yes, she said it was an old established family in the capital that dealt in ceramics business.”

“The Ke family…” Lu Tong stood up and said: “I’ll remember that.”