I become a god in another world

Chapter 761 Strange Things Are Happening
Chapter 761

"According to you, Hozuki never misses." Zhao Fusheng looked at the crowd:

"So, when the man with the lantern came to lure the ghost, was the coffin lifted up afterward?"

Hao Dingzhu nodded:
“After our family’s lantern bearer arrived, he lit the sacred lamp,” he said. At this point, Qin Yongchun and Zhang Xiansheng both looked uncomfortable. Hao Dingzhu, however, remained unperturbed and continued:

"At that moment, it felt like the coffin had been firmly planted on the ground and immediately became lighter."

The coffin, which eight strong young men couldn't budge even a moment before, vanished the moment the lantern bearer arrived and lit the ghost lantern.

"There was no need for eight people to carry the coffin. The coffin was so light that it was like a paper frame. When the eight people exerted force at the same time, they all seemed to fall head over heels."

After Hao Dingzhu finished speaking, the old men all showed a look of 'bad luck' on their faces.

"..." Zhao Fusheng's lips twitched.

"My lord, this is such an ominous matter." Even though Hao Dingzhu was shrewd and calculating, he couldn't help but pinch his cuffs and slap his face a few times, as if just mentioning this matter made him feel extremely unlucky.

“Not only did this perfectly healthy person die, but they also became possessed by evil spirits. In the end, they even invited a lantern bearer, and the coffin was overturned.” Hao Dingzhu said, shaking his head.

Cao Gu did not witness the scene firsthand, but he had heard about it, though not as vividly as Hao Dingzhu and the others described it now.

Although it involves a ghost case, the capital city attaches great importance to it and should treat it seriously.

But given the Hao clan patriarch's gritted teeth and regretful attitude, Cao Gu found it inexplicably comical.

"Ahem." He cleared his throat twice, glaring at Hao Dingzhu:
"In front of the magistrate, you should only talk about the case. What nonsense are you spouting? Do you want the magistrate to bring bad luck to your family?"

Upon hearing this, Hao Dingzhu's eyes lit up, and a thought struck her:
"Of course I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare trouble you, sir—"

Despite saying that, he was actually tempted.

"What happened after the coffin was overturned? The body inside spilled out?" Zhao Fusheng was too lazy to waste time with him and focused his attention back on the case itself.

Hao Dingzhu said:

"It fell out, it was terrifying."

Having received Cao Gu's warning, he dared not say more and could only vaguely reply:

"It was limp and lifeless, as if its bones had been removed, so they had to carry it back into the coffin and then hastily bury it."

He emphasized:
"We deliberately dug the pit an extra ten feet deeper, just in case something strange happened."

But the strange phenomenon still occurred.

Speaking of this matter, Hao Dingzhu also felt wronged:

"Sir, this matter has become a huge fuss—"

He said:
“I admit there were strange things that happened that day, but my family also went to great lengths. At that time, there were still about half a year before the Lantern Festival, and I reluctantly called the lantern bearer from my family.”

Hao Dingzhu said aggrievedly:

"The sacred lamp was lit, evil was attracted, and even a ghostly figure appeared within the lamp—"

"A ghostly appearance?" Zhao Fusheng asked, and Cao Gu immediately explained:

"My lord, as soon as the ghost lantern is lit, the shadow of the lured ghost will immediately appear inside the lantern."

He looked at Zhang Xiansheng and Qin Yongchun:

“Last night, the master borrowed a lamp to guide the spirits, and the ghost—” He realized he had misspoke and immediately changed the name:
"After the deity that the master invited to draw the ghost away with the lamp was painted on the statue, the deity's reflection was also reflected in the lamp, suppressing the ghost lamp."

Zhao Fusheng nodded:
"This means that the Hao family succeeded in using the lamp to lure out the ghost that day."

Hao Dingzhu hurriedly said:
"It's a success, it's a success, the problem is solved."

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Pang couldn't help but say:

"If you succeeded, why would you sue the capital?"

His words left the Hao family members speechless and looking at each other in bewilderment.

Seeing this, Cao Gu broke the silence:

"Sir, why don't we go inside and make some tea before we talk?"

"Yes Yes Yes."

Hao Dingzhu breathed a sigh of relief:
"Jin Yi is also imprisoned in the North Courtyard, which is quite remote and far from here. The person who went to fetch him is probably still on the way. Please wait a moment, sir."

Now that he was here, Zhao Fusheng was in no hurry to find out the truth.

She nodded in agreement with Hao Dingzhu and the other person, and the four of them entered the inner courtyard. Surrounded by a large group of people, they entered the main room of the Hao clan to welcome distinguished guests.

The room was spotless, and most of the furniture was painted black with gold patterns in the middle, creating a solemn yet somewhat oppressive atmosphere.

Everyone took their seats in turn, and Zhao Fusheng, without hesitation, sat in the head seat.

Cao Gu noticed that the two children, Xu Yu and Kuai Manzhou, were standing beside her, while Magistrate Pang was standing further away from her.

Although Zhao Fusheng's words and actions after arriving at the Demon Suppression Division last night already showed her leadership status, her seating arrangements at this moment further confirmed it.

Cao Gu was someone who had personally witnessed Kuai Manzhou's strength.

This child is terrifying, possessing the power to suppress evil spirits with a mere gesture, yet she is so devoted to Zhao Fusheng, which further proves Zhao Fusheng's special qualities.

Hao Dingzhu's eyes flashed, and his expression became even more respectful.

After Zhao Fusheng sat down, she looked around and everyone lowered their heads under her gaze.

"Hao Dingzhu." Upon hearing her name, Hao Dingzhu jolted and quickly responded.

"grown ups."

"Strange things happened in the Hao family. The woman Hao Jin brought back died mysteriously. After her death, her coffin showed strange signs. Later, the Hao family asked a lantern bearer to lure the ghost away. Eventually, a ghost image appeared in the lantern, and the coffin was able to be lifted smoothly. The body inside was also successfully buried. All these behaviors do prove that the Hao family is haunted, but the ghost has already been lured away?"

Hao Dingzhu listened intently to what she said and immediately nodded vigorously.
"Yes, yes, yes, what you said is absolutely right."

"So, according to you, the Hao family ghost case has been solved? But then comes the question that Lord Pang just asked: why did this matter still cause such a stir in the capital?"

Zhao Fusheng's question startled Hao Dingzhu.

"Is the lantern bearer of the Hao family dead?"

Her question made Hao Dingzhu suddenly raise her head, her gaze unexpectedly meeting Zhao Fusheng's. She was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly lowered her head again.

Zhao Fusheng's gaze seemed to penetrate his very soul, revealing the hidden fear within him.

He thought that this Lord Zhao should already know the answer.

Thinking this through, he dared not hide it and quickly said:
"Reporting to you, sir, the lantern bearer is not dead."

This is the strange thing about the ghost case at the Hao Clan Ancestral Hall.

"This person was invited into our Hao family as a worshipper after last year's Mid-Autumn Festival. His family background is clear, and we would never dare to fabricate anything," Hao Dingzhu said.
"On the day of the incident, many people witnessed him lighting a lamp, and afterwards he was summoned by gods and ghosts."

In Hao Dingzhu's view, the matter was already resolved after the ghost was summoned that day.

As for the lantern bearer's miraculous survival, it was a stroke of good fortune amidst misfortune for Hao Dingzhu, an unexpected joy.

"After it happened, I even rewarded him with some things." Hao Dingzhu recalled the incident with lingering fear:
"Who knew that in the night, we would encounter a ghost knocking on the door."

The mere mention of the ghost knocking at the door sent fear through the faces of all the Hao family members.

Because of their own interests, everyone was reluctant to involve the county and town demon bureau in this matter. However, since their homes were haunted, they were still afraid. In their hearts, they hoped that the matter could be resolved without harming their existing family interests.

Zhao Fusheng's mind raced:
"Logically speaking, matters in the local county should be handled locally. How did you manage to escalate this matter to a higher level? Was the complainant Hao Jinyi?"

She asked these two questions, and everyone looked at each other, unsure how to answer. Their expressions proved that there was more to the story.

Zhao Fusheng's question hit the nail on the head, and before Hao Dingzhu could speak, she made up her mind:

“In addition to summoning Hao Jinyi, you should also summon the lantern bearer who is worshipped by the Hao family to see me.”

"Yes."

Hao Dingzhu replied ingratiatingly:
"To be honest, sir, when I learned that you wanted to investigate this case, I had already sent someone to have the lantern bearer wait in the side hall, awaiting your summons."

Zhao Fusheng immediately clapped his hands:
“In that case, summon the lamplighter.”

Hao Dingzhu immediately turned her head and said:

"Seventh brother, go and summon the lantern bearer."

Hao Laoqi immediately clasped his hands and stood up, leaving through a side door behind the curtain. About a quarter of an hour later, he returned with a man.

This man was in his mid-twenties. As the lantern bearer, he should have been full of vigor and ambition, but at this moment, he looked haggard, his eyes were unfocused, and he seemed like a frightened bird.

He hunched his shoulders, holding a lantern in one hand, several inches above his thigh—his body language suggested he had a particular fear of the lantern in his hand.

"Hao Mingshan, this is Lord Zhao from the capital. He's here to investigate the Jin Yi case. He has some questions for you," said Hao Laoqi.

Upon hearing this, a complex look flashed in the lamplighter's eyes.

He couldn't tell whether he felt relieved or nervous. He walked into the hall and knelt down about five steps away from Zhao Fusheng.

"This humble man, Hao Mingshan, pays his respects to Lord Zhao."

The lantern bearer knelt down.

"Take a few steps forward."

As soon as Zhao Fusheng finished speaking, Hao Mingshan crawled forward on his knees until he was only half an inch away from her toes.

Once you get closer, his terrible complexion becomes obvious.

His eyes were dark and slightly swollen, forming eye bags, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Hozuki was held aloft by his arm, neither off the ground nor close to his side.

Before the lamp was lit, when Zhao Fusheng looked over, he saw black smoke, like a living thing, slowly moving inside the human skin of the lampshade.

"Tell me about lighting the lamp that day," Zhao Fusheng said, his gaze fixed on the lamp, but he instructed Hao Mingshan to mention the matter of carrying the lamp and leading the coffin.

Hao Mingshan recounted the events of that day in detail.

His perspective differed from that of Hao Dingzhu and others, but the general events were similar: strange things happened at the Hao family ancestral hall; the woman Hao Jinyi brought back died; and the coffin used for funerals became rooted to the ground, making it impossible for anyone to lift it.

Entrusted by Hao Dingzhu, he came with a lantern to lure out the ghost.

The ghost was lured away, the coffin was overturned on the ground, and the limp corpse looked like fermented dough.

……

"I thought I would surely die after summoning the ghost, but I was lucky enough to escape with my life. Just as I was feeling fortunate, who would have thought—"

At this point, his face showed fear, and he could no longer continue.

What happened next?

Zhao Fusheng asked.

Hao Mingshan said:

"Behind, behind—" He instinctively looked at Hao Dingzhu, whose face was flushed and pale, and she was gritting her teeth and stamping her feet:

"Why are you looking at me when the magistrate is asking you a question? Just speak."

"Yes." Hao Mingshan breathed a sigh of relief.

“My lord, since Master Hao asked me to speak, I will start from the night of the incident.”

He looked at Zhao Fusheng:

"After the incident that day, because I had survived such a calamity, I felt that good fortune was about to come. I was very happy that night, so I had a table of food and wine prepared, and a pot of good wine was heated on the stove. Just as we were happily drinking—"

When he spoke of what happened that day, a look of lingering fear crossed his face.

On the day of the incident, he was very drunk. The people serving him helped him take off his clothes, wash his face and feet, and helped him to bed.

Around midnight, Hao Mingshan was awakened by a loud knocking on the door.

The person who knocked on the door said he was ordered by Hao Dingzhu to go and lure out the "evil".

An evil spirit has appeared in our house again!
Even though he was half-drunk, Hao Mingshan was still startled and broke out in a cold sweat, instantly sobering up.

Logically speaking, even if there were ghosts in a county, it wouldn't be possible for all the bad luck to be concentrated in the Hao family's location throughout the year.

Furthermore, according to the rules, he has already completed his task for this year, so if there is any more ghostly trouble, Hao Dingzhu should find a way to resolve it himself.

Just as Hao Mingshan was feeling displeased and about to refuse, he heard the servant say:

"It's a ghost that lives during the day."

These words immediately terrified Hao Mingshan.

"A ghost in the daytime?" Zhao Fusheng asked.

"Is this the same case as the coffin-sticking-to-the-ground incident?"

"Yes."

This time, it was Hao Dingzhu who responded:
"Sir, someone died mysteriously at our Hao Family Ancestral Hall that night. It was a servant who died behind the north wing."

Hao Dingzhu said:

"This man is a servant of the Hao family, and his usual job is sweeping and cleaning."

The Hao family occupies a large area, and there are quite a few servants like this who clean up. This man is fifty-six years old and is not particularly noticeable among the Hao family's servants.

At first, no one noticed his disappearance. It wasn't until nearly midnight that the steward on patrol discovered that the north wing courtyard was unswept, with a pile of fallen leaves and an indescribable stench.

The household had strict rules, and the steward who was in charge of patrolling the courtyard would also be punished if he failed to discipline the servants. Therefore, in a fit of anger, he believed that some servants were being lazy and summoned all the people in charge of the courtyard.

After a roll call, it was finally discovered that a man named Hao Laoyao was supposed to be on duty tonight.

"Two hours before the incident, Hao Laoyao was supposed to be sweeping, but he did not show up to take over the work."

Hao Dingzhu said:

"The person on duty at the time was named Hao Laicai. He was in a hurry to go home after he finished his work." The Hao family had been haunted that day, and everyone was afraid after nightfall. Hao Laicai waited for more than 15 minutes, but Hao Laoyao did not come to take over. He assumed that the man had gone somewhere to drink and messed up his work again, so he did not take it seriously and left on his own.

He thought to himself: The Hao family has strict rules, and Hao Laoyao is at most a quarter of an hour late, so he would never dare not go to work.

To everyone's surprise, Hao Laoyao didn't show up that night, until the steward discovered the problem during his inspection.

After finding out the truth of the matter, Hao Laicai was arrested and imprisoned, and the manager sent people to arrest the cunning and deceitful Hao Laoyao.

To everyone's surprise, they searched the entire North Campus but couldn't find anyone.

I asked the old man who was guarding the gate that night, but he didn't see anyone go in or out.

"The steward pushed open the door and entered. Hao Laoyao was in the room, already dead, and his death was consistent with that of the woman."

As Hao Dingzhu spoke, she couldn't help but wipe the sweat from her forehead repeatedly:
"It's just weird."

(End of this chapter)