Chapter Forty-Six: The Eerie Painting!

When the three arrived, the village chief and a few others were struggling to restrain an old woman who fought wildly against them.

“It’s coming out! It’s coming out! We’re doomed, we’re doomed!” she shouted in a manic frenzy, spewing incoherent words that left Bai Zhanshuang and her companions utterly baffled. Han Hua, standing nearby, couldn’t shake the sense that something was off inside the house. Yet everything within appeared ordinary, furnished with the usual household items.

Only a painting on the wall struck them as strange.

Upon the canvas was a dark, indistinct mass, its features impossible to discern. In the center of this shadowy form, two round, lantern-like objects seemed to flicker in and out of sight.

Han Hua found this deeply unsettling.

The village chief and his son could barely hold her down. Suddenly, the crazed old woman fell silent. She fixed her gaze upon Bai Zhanshuang and the others, a sly and sinister smile curling at her lips.

Her eyes, cold and sharp as knives, swept slowly over the three of them.

But when her gaze met Old Meng’s, she froze.

Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed in a faint.

With a sigh of relief, the village chief and his son carried the old mother to her bed, the ordeal having lasted quite some time.

Later, back at the inn, Han Hua still puzzled over the strange painting on the wall and decided to ask her uncle, a local, about it.

Bai Zhanshuang too had noticed the oddity in the house; she was certain she’d seen that painting somewhere before.

Old Meng listened to his niece’s husband’s questions, furrowing his brow as he glanced at the two of them. At last, he began to speak.

“Since ancient times, the Dabie Mountains have always been shrouded in mystery. Even the Cang River, which flows from deep within these mountains, is bound up in legend. They say the mountains are ruled by a koi with twin wings, and deep in the heart of the range lies the Jade Pool, its lair. The tales say that place is blessed with eternal spring, cloaked in immortal mists, and teeming with spirits and monsters beyond counting. According to the Annals of Mountains and Rivers, the Cang River was not always there.”

“So the Cang River just appeared out of nowhere?” Han Hua exclaimed in surprise.

“No, the river existed, but it was not as it is now. The Cang River was once a mere stream, a narrow trickle. Then, for reasons unknown, it swelled—its waters growing faster and greater until, in a single night, it became a mighty river.”

Old Meng stroked his beard as he recounted everything he knew from the Annals of Mountains and Rivers.

Bai Zhanshuang, listening intently, added, “Indeed, there’s a record in the Annals about the Cang River swelling overnight from a stream into a river, but the truth behind it remains a mystery. Among the local folk, there’s a saying that it was done to seal away an evil thing.”

“To seal away something evil?” Han Hua echoed in shock.

“That’s right, to suppress evil—though of course, that’s only a legend. Hardly credible,” Bai Zhanshuang replied calmly, shaking her head and sipping her tea.

“But what if there’s some truth to these legends? The people here seem to rely on the Dabie Mountains, and their belief in ghosts and spirits is almost a tradition,” Han Hua mused, recalling how the village chief had reacted at the mention of the mountains.

Bai Zhanshuang shook her head. “Let’s see what tomorrow brings. We’ll look around elsewhere; perhaps we’ll find something more,” Old Meng suggested after a moment’s thought.

The three exchanged glances and nodded in silent agreement.

In the Meng household, in a pavilion within the rear garden, Meng Yun was examining a batch of rouge sent by Madam Meng.

After Madam Meng’s improvements, the quality and color were indeed a cut above the rest. Meng Yun was quite pleased as she studied the product in her hand.

Zhang, watching her sister-in-law examine the rouge for so long, couldn’t help but laugh. “Meng Yun, you’ve been staring at it all morning—have you discovered anything special?”

She picked up her embroidery as she spoke, continuing her needlework.

“Sister-in-law, come and have a look—what do you think of this batch of rouge?” Meng Yun beckoned her over.

“I’ve already looked it over. It’s excellent, you can rest assured. With Madam’s refinements and the finest ingredients, there’s no way it could be anything less,” Zhang replied with a gentle smile.

“Sister-in-law, what do you say we open a shop together?” Meng Yun suggested on a whim. “This stuff could really make us some money.”