A Clash of Gods - Chapter 86

Chapter 86 Massage
Yang Ning thought Wei Dong was just playing mysterious and laughed. “What nonsense are you talking about? If there is a ghost in this house, do you dare to live here?”

Wei Dong explained, “The ghost is only in this courtyard. As long as we don’t get close to it, there is nothing wrong.”

“What happened to the two dead people you mentioned?” Yang Ning was curious. “Since you said there is a ghost in this courtyard, did somebody see it?”

Wei Dong glanced at that courtyard and replied in a low voice, “In fact, all people in the old house know it. They know that there is a ghost and often hear some sounds.”

“Sounds?” Yang Ning furrowed his brows. “What sounds?”

Wei Dong answered, “Sounds of the vertical bamboo flute. The sounds come from the courtyard once or twice every year and it would play half a night. What’s more, it would disappear after lasting two or three nights every time. The sounds of the vertical flute are creepy and people’s hair would stand up after they hear.”

“A ghost can play vertical flute?” Yang Ning was surprised. “Did anybody see it?”

Wei Dong replied, “I said earlier that two people died because of this courtyard with a ghost. The first one died more than ten years ago. At that time, he worked in the house with me. The old marquis was not in the old house then, so we were not under control so strictly. That night, we drank some liquor. When we were almost drunk, we happened to hear the sounds of the vertical flute from the courtyard, so we talked about that courtyard. All of us knew that there was a ghost inside the courtyard. That night, one guy drank a lot and got bolder, so he wanted to bet with us. He said if he dared to spend one night in the courtyard, each of us should give him one tael of silver.”

“Did he go there?”

“We had drunk and were unconscious then.” Wei Dong sighed and smiled bitterly. “All of us thought he bragged. Who knew that he really jumped over the wall and entered the courtyard at midnight when he was drunk?”

“What happened then?” Yang Ning asked in curiosity.

Wei Dong responded, “He died. Early in the morning, we found that he lay outside the wall of the courtyard, with no injury on his body. His eyes were open, and he was breathless. His eyes were so scary…”

Yang Ning frowned. “Was he scared to death?”

Wei Dong answered softly, “Somebody died in the old house, and the chief steward naturally didn’t allow us to spread the news, but he sent for a doctor in secret. After examining, the doctor said there was no wound on the body, and he didn’t die after overdrinking. Judging from his eyes, he might have been scared to death. But the chief steward didn’t allow us to investigate this matter anymore. And he told us to keep it a secret, so nobody knew it except the people in the house.”

“How did the second one die? Was he scared to death, too?”

Wei Dong replied, “The second one died last year, not long ago. The chief steward had gone to the city then and Steward Qi was in charge here. It was the busiest season, and a few new employees were hired. A young man was fearless and heard about the courtyard with a ghost from somebody, so he sneakily jumped over the wall and entered the courtyard at midnight.”

“He died outside the wall the next day, too?”

Wei Dong shook his head. “This man died more weirdly. He was hung on a big tree!” While speaking, he raised his head and pointed to the courtyard. “Your Excellency, can you see that big locust tree?”

Yang Ning looked in the direction and saw a big and tall flourishing locust tree seven or eight steps away from the courtyard’s door, on the left. Although the leaves were withered, the branches were luxuriant. It looked many years old and had experienced the vicissitudes as the old house did.

“He was hung upside down on that big tree.” While speaking, Wei Dong couldn’t help but tremble. “After Steward Qi knew it, he told the people in the old house not to get close to that courtyard.”

Yang Ning thought if what Wei Dong said was true, the two people really died weirdly.

How could such a courtyard exist in the old house of the Qi family?

“You said there are sounds of the vertical flute every year?” Yang Ning pondered for a while and then asked, “How long does it last?”

Wei Dong stated, “I have stayed in the old house for seventeen years. In the past seventeen years, I can hear once or twice every year. It would last two or three nights each time, and after that, there is no sound all the time.”

“Did somebody play mysterious?” Yang Ning asked in doubt.

Wei Dong expressed, “Your Excellency, as far as I know, before I came to the old house, there were sounds of the vertical flute. If somebody really plays mysterious, who would play tricks constantly for decades?”

Yang Ning also couldn’t understand. If somebody played tricks, he couldn’t insist for decades or kill people randomly. Was there really a ghost in this old house?

Wei Dong reminded, “Your Excellency, you’d better not stay here for long. The old marquis didn’t allow anybody in the house to approach this courtyard, and he must have his reason. The old ghost in this courtyard must have stayed here for many years and just doesn’t go away.”

“Do you know who lived in this courtyard in the beginning?” Yang Ning asked gently, “This courtyard is not small, quite a distance from the other courtyards. It is alone here and there must be some reason.”

Wei Dong shook his head. “I don’t know. All people seldom talk about here. After all, it is an ominous place, and they don’t want to be affected. Now the vines are so luxuriant, but nobody dares to clean it up.” Obviously he didn’t want to continue this subject. “Your Excellency, dinner is ready. Go to have something.”

Yang Ning followed Wei Dong to the dining hall, and Gu Qinghan was still in the accountant’s office. Wei Dong said he had told somebody to send food to the office. After dinner, Yang Ning came to the accountant’s office again, to see that Gu Qinghan was still checking the accounts with the abacus, all attention. The food was put aside and she hadn’t eaten it. Zhao Yuan and the young manservant were helping her.

“Go to have dinner first.” Yang Ning waved them away.

Zhao Yuan and the manservant saluted and then retreated gently. Yang Ning didn’t disturb Gu Qinghan and went slowly by the shelf with his hands behind his back. He picked up an account book conveniently and checked it, finding many accounts on it like an essay. He felt it strenuous to read. Then he checked a few more and all of them were the same, tedious. He frowned and read for a while, shaking his head involuntarily.

No wonder the account books almost occupied half of a room. He found that the accounts in the books were detailed, but it was too detailed and words were used to express the numbers, so it was too complicated and inconvenient to read.

After all, he was engaged in trade in the previous life. Although he was not a professional accountant, he was familiar with the basic statement of accounts. As he estimated, if the account book with dozens of pages was simplified and recorded with digital statements, it needed at most two pages.

“Ouch…” Yang Ning was pondering, but he suddenly heard Gu Qinghan’s voice from behind. He immediately threw the account book and looked back, to see her sitting in the chair and tilting her head. He hurriedly came to her. “Aunt, what’s wrong?”

“Don’t move!” Gu Qinghan tilted her head slightly and her body remained unmoved. “I… my neck can’t move. Ning, you… don’t come here…”

Yang Ning was stunned and then understood in an instant. Gu Qinghan must suffer the pain of cervical spondylosis. Because she bent over a table for too long and suddenly raised her head, it caused the severity of cervical spondylosis at once.

“Aunt, don’t move.” Yang Ning stood behind Gu Qinghan. He couldn’t treat this disease fundamentally, but it was easy for him to quickly help her reduce the pressure of the cervical vertebra and recover to move. He put one hand on Gu Qinghan’s shoulder. She asked instantly, “What are you doing? Don’t move. It hurts!”

Yang Ning responded, “I know it hurts. I’ll massage for you and you can recover soon. Don’t move.” He reached out his right hand and put his palm on Gu Qinghan’s fair-skinned neck but pressed her cervical vertebra with his thumb. She trembled slightly and seemed to be unaccustomed. Then she moved while feeling the pain on her neck, so she groaned.

“Don’t move. Listen to me, Aunt.” Yang Ning seemed to teach a naughty child and then pressed her shoulder with his left hand to stop her from moving. She didn’t know what he was going to do. Although she thought it was improper, he had pressed her cervical vertebra with his thumb and rubbed it gently. He exerted little strength in the beginning and then rubbed with more strength gradually. Gu Qinghan just felt her hindneck was stiff, but after he massaged, she felt it got softer.

In an instant, Yang Ning still caressed Gu Qinghan’s neck back and forth gently with his palm and felt her skin was smooth and flexible. She felt less pain on her neck, but when Yang Ning touched her neck back and forth, she had an unusual feeling physically and mentally.

Her husband sacrificed his life for the country, and she remained a widow for many years. She was still young and passionate. As the third lady in the marquis’ mansion, she certainly should preserve chastity after the death of her husband, but after all, she was a normal woman. It was beneath the human character if she didn’t have desire at ordinary times, so she often bathed with cold water, which made her skin tighter and more elastic.

This time, Yang Ning suddenly massaged her neck. Although it was not a sensitive part, she still had an unusual feeling.

She might not have special feelings in the past, but now she knew that the heir had grown up, so she felt different.

“Okay… Okay!” Gu Qinghan felt her face burning and stated gently, “I am fine. No need… No need to massage.”

Yang Ning stopped and saw that Gu Qinghan could turn her neck, so he laughed. “It seems that I have a good skill. Aunt, you suffer from cervical spondylosis. Have more massage and it can help you recover.”

Gu Qinghan thought this time she had no choice, so she let him touch her, but there would be no chance next time. Afraid that Yang Ning would notice her unusual expression, she coughed intentionally and then stated, “There are all account books here. If you don’t want to stay here, go out to have a walk around. This is our old house and we don’t know when we will come back next time.”

“I just walked around in the house.” Yang Ning sat down in a chair next to her and looked at the door. After confirming that there was nobody else around, he lowered his voice and asked, “Aunt, do you know the courtyard with a ghost in the old house?”