Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 96 The Truth, Altered Memories! (Continuing with 10,000 words, please subscribe and vote!)
Upon returning to the Lu residence, the first thing Chen Ye did was wash off his makeup and change back into men's clothing.

As soon as he stepped out of the room, he saw Lu Da Hu anxiously waiting outside the door. When he saw him come out, hope immediately appeared on his face.

"Young Master Chen, you're finally back!"

It turns out that while Chen Ye was investigating the matter at the Tianhou Temple, the wealthy Lu family was also busy, seeking out experts to resolve the issue at home.

Unfortunately, he was born into a nouveau riche family and had no access to truly skilled people. Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked his friend Qi Shihao to help him find a master to handle this matter.

As for ordinary Taoist priests and Buddhist monks, upon hearing that it was a vengeful ghost capable of possessing actors at a theatrical performance and continuing to sing and talk, they didn't even bother to come; they simply refused.

A few brave souls who came over couldn't figure it out either, since Su Lan's vengeful spirit wasn't actually in the Lu family.

This led to Lu Dahu becoming increasingly desperate, and he could only place his hopes on Chen Ye.

Chen Ye could see Lu Da Hu's eagerness, so he didn't keep him in suspense and directly recounted his investigation results.

"That place was not a place of quiet cultivation at all, but a den of evil cults disguised as a Taoist temple."

"Under the guise of comforting women, they were actually selecting those women who harbored resentment towards men and the world, leading them underground, and amplifying and absorbing their resentment through a ritual."

"As for Su Lan, whom you mentioned, I'm afraid she was never just a vengeful ghost seeking revenge from the very beginning."

"Her obsession and her resentment were all exploited by this group. They constantly fed her with the resentment they collected, turning her into an unprecedentedly vengeful ghost."

"You and your family are nothing more than a whetstone they have chosen, a living sacrifice to sharpen your blade."

Lu, the wealthy man, trembled all over and his vision blurred. He slammed his fist on the table.

"Outrageous! These evil Taoists are going too far!"

"No, I'll go find Lao Qi right now and have him gather his men to raze this Tianhou Temple to the ground."

"Mr. Lu, please calm down." Chen Ye said calmly.

"The Tianhou Palace has existed in Zhenhaiwei for so many years, with flourishing incense offerings and deep roots. You have no concrete evidence now, and you can't get the government to send troops based solely on my one-sided words."

The anger on Lu Da Hu's face was instantly extinguished by a bucket of cold water, replaced by deep fear and helplessness.

Yes, if the other party dares to scheme against even the government, how could they be easily dealt with?

He slumped into the chair, looking as if he had aged ten years in an instant, and pleaded in a hoarse voice, "Then... what should we do? Brother Chen, you must save me, save my daughter! I'll do anything to save Jinghong's life!"

Seeing his desperate look, Chen Ye hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

"There is a way, though."

"What method?" Lu, the wealthy man, perked up and immediately asked.

“Let’s put on another show, a grand show based on your story with Su Lan.”

Lu, the wealthy man, was taken aback.

A glint of light flashed in Chen Ye's eyes: "But this time the goal is not to appease, but to guide. We want Su Lan to see the truth with her own eyes, to understand that she is just a tool being used, and to direct her resentment towards the real mastermind!"

"Will this... will this work?" Mr. Lu hesitated.

"Whether it will work or not, we'll have to try to find out."

“I will play the role of Su Lan.” Chen Ye glanced at Lu Da Hu. “As for the introduction… we will need your daughter, Miss Lu Jing Hong, to cooperate.”

"no!"

Before he could finish speaking, Lu the tycoon jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and resolutely refused.

"Absolutely not! I can't risk my daughter's life!" he exclaimed, his eyes bloodshot. "I'd rather give up all my wealth and run away with her than let her be in any danger!"

Chen Ye watched him quietly until his emotions calmed down slightly, then said coldly, "Master Lu, do you think you can leave? Since that female ghost can come to your door, even if you run to the ends of the earth, she can follow you. At that time, you and your daughter will be left with no one to turn to for help, and that will truly be a dead end!"

"So this is your only chance to live!"

Lu the wealthy man remained silent, because he knew that what Chen Ye said was true.

Just then, a clear and firm voice came from behind the screen.

"Father, I'm willing."

Lu Jinghong slowly walked out, her eyes red, clearly having heard everything.

At this moment, her face no longer showed the previous willfulness and capriciousness, but instead a resoluteness that was beyond her years.

“Father.” She walked to Lu’s side and took his cold hand. “I also want to fight for a way to survive for our family and for ourselves.”

After a long silence, Lu the wealthy man finally sighed, "What a tragedy! If I had known this would happen, I would have preferred to have died back then."

But it was too late to say anything now. Once the plan was set, Chen Ye immediately found Guan Sihai and told him the whole story.

Guan Sihai remained silent for a long time after listening, even forgetting to light his pipe.

He never imagined that a small gathering would uncover such a shocking secret.

He instinctively wanted to refuse, after all, this was far beyond the scope of what a theatrical troupe should get involved in.

Before he could even speak, the wealthy Mr. Lu offered an exorbitant price that he couldn't refuse.

Guan Sihai hesitated.

He pulled Chen Ye aside and asked in a low voice, "Kid, tell me the truth, how confident are you? If you're not, let's pack our bags and leave now. We're not getting involved in this mess."

Chen Ye looked at his nervous face and suddenly smiled.

"Don't worry, Master. Su Lan already had a good impression of me during our last performance together, so she won't hurt me easily."

Hearing this, Guan Sihai finally breathed a long sigh of relief, gritted his teeth, and nodded in agreement.

Everything is ready.

Chen Ye began to formulate a detailed emergency plan, and he asked Lu Dahu to provide a suitable "stage".

Lu, the wealthy man, dared not delay. He quickly selected a long-abandoned courtyard within his mansion, a place usually filled with eerie atmosphere, and immediately ordered his men to set it up overnight according to Chen Ye's requirements.

Apart from a few core members, the entire Lu family was completely unaware of what was about to happen, but the tense atmosphere of impending storm made it hard for everyone to breathe.

Night falls again.

In the abandoned courtyard, the candlelight flickered, casting long, thin shadows that added to the eeriness of the place.

In the center of the courtyard, a simple stage has been set up.

Chen Ye was already dressed as a female impersonator, wearing a plain white opera costume, and sat quietly in a chair in the center of the stage.

Lu Jinghong sat beside him, her face tense, her hands gripping the hem of her clothes tightly.

However, her eyes kept involuntarily glancing at Chen Ye beside her.

With each glance, her heart pounded wildly.

Because Chen Ye's appearance under the moonlight was absolutely stunning.

With eyebrows like distant mountains and eyes like autumn water, her face, outlined by theatrical makeup, was so beautiful that it was hard to tell whether she was male or female, and she possessed a captivating charm.

Lu Jinghong even felt that even the fairies in the paintings couldn't compare to his current splendor.

Beyond being amazed, she also felt a strange, inexplicable excitement.

She didn't understand why she was excited, but she was just excited.

Chen Ye was getting annoyed by her staring, so he turned his head away and whispered, "Stay put and stop staring."

Lu Jinghong's cheeks flushed slightly from his reprimand. She quickly looked away and sat up straight, but she couldn't help but steal glances at him out of the corner of her eye.

Not far from the courtyard, Lu the tycoon and Guan Sihai stood on guard, their faces filled with worry.

As night deepened, the chill in the air grew stronger.

Although Lu Jinghong was afraid, looking at Chen Ye's calm and composed profile beside her, her fear dissipated considerably.

Finally. Whew!
A sudden gust of cold wind swept across the courtyard, causing the candlelight to flicker wildly and nearly go out.

A bone-chilling coldness instantly spread, and in the air, there seemed to be a faint scent of perfume.

In the flickering candlelight, a blurry figure of a woman in red slowly materialized beneath the old locust tree in the courtyard.

She is coming.

A cold wind howled, stinging people's cheeks.

Under the old locust tree, the red-clad woman's figure solidified completely, revealing Su Lan's pale face.

She had no facial features, only two dark eye sockets, staring intently at Lu Jinghong on the stage.

"Give me back my life..."

The piercing scream, so sharp it was inhuman, seemed to pierce eardrums and reach the depths of the soul.

The next moment, Su Lan's figure transformed into a blood-red afterimage, carrying boundless resentment, and rushed straight towards Lu Jinghong!
The menacing aura caused both Lu the wealthy man and Guan Sihai outside the courtyard to change color simultaneously, their hearts nearly leaping out of their throats.

Lu Jinghong was so frightened that her whole body stiffened, her pupils reflecting the rapidly enlarging terrifying figure. She couldn't even scream; her mind was completely blank.

Finished!

In that split second, Chen Ye, who had been sitting still, suddenly raised his head.

He didn't use any weapons or perform any magic spells; he simply opened his mouth.

"Back then, under the peach blossom tree, we first met..."

A high-pitched and clear singing voice suddenly rang out in the deathly silent courtyard!
This sound was unlike any other in the mortal world; it seemed to transcend the boundaries of yin and yang, carrying an indescribable magic.

The alluring courtesan's supernatural talent is unleashed at full power!
Su Lan, who was frantically rushing towards Lu Jinghong, suddenly shuddered, and her momentum was abruptly stopped in mid-air.

Her empty eye sockets mechanically turned toward the source of the voice, Chen Ye.

Chen Ye ignored her gaze and remained immersed in his own performance.

With a flick of his sleeves, his graceful figure and captivating gaze transformed him into Su Lan, a young girl experiencing her first love.

"You say that the peach blossoms on a woman's face cannot compare to the vermilion mark between my brows."

"I laugh at your glib tongue, but deep down I'm overjoyed."

His singing style is poignant and moving; every word and every note seems to bring a scene to mind.

The childhood sweethearts and innocent feelings between them, as portrayed by Chen Ye, unfolded slowly in the depths of Su Lan's consciousness like a faded painting.

His voice, posture, and spirit, enhanced by his supernatural talent, resonated perfectly with Su Lan's remaining memories.

The overwhelming ferocity emanating from Su Lan visibly began to subside.

She stopped screaming and just hovered in mid-air, quietly watching Chen Ye's performance, two lines of bloody tears streaming from her empty eye sockets.

Hearing these familiar words, the wealthy Mr. Lu outside the courtyard recalled that long-faded figure, and tears streamed down his face as he sobbed uncontrollably.

On the stage, Chen Ye's performance continued.

He saw that Su Lan's resentment had been channeled, and a glint flashed in his eyes. His singing style suddenly changed, becoming mournful and indignant.

"Who would have thought that sudden wealth and honor would turn his heart to iron!"

"The vows we made to each other still echo in our ears, yet the newlyweds have already ascended the jade steps!"

The play reached a turning point.

Su Lan's ghostly body trembled violently again, and the resentment that had just subsided showed signs of boiling up again.

She hates!

I hate that man's heartlessness and ingratitude!

However, just as she was about to be consumed by hatred again, Chen Ye's lyrics changed once more.

"A three-foot-long white silk ribbon hangs from the beam, yet why are there no tears shed?"

"Is it love that kills, or... are there wolves lurking behind?"

Chen Ye's voice rose sharply at the end, like a heavy hammer blow striking Su Lan's soul.

hum!
Su Lan's ghostly figure trembled violently and let out a scream of extreme pain!
This roar was no longer simply filled with resentment and malice, but rather with confusion and struggle.

Yes!

Did I really want to die back then?

I gave him everything, but he wants to marry another woman. I hate him, I resent him, but... am I really willing to die like this?
Yes, I think I backed down. Back then, I didn't want to die!
Thoughts sprouted like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, bursting forth wildly from the depths of her memories, which had been buried by resentment and lies.

Everything that had been altered finally crumbled inch by inch under Chen Ye's powerful guidance!
"what--!"

Su Lan clutched her head and let out a piercing scream.

Countless chaotic images flashed through her mind, finally settling on the night she hanged herself.

In the room, she stood on a stool and put a white silk ribbon around her neck.

The cold touch sent a shiver down her spine, and the fear of death instantly overwhelmed all her resentment and unwillingness.

Do not!
not worth it!

It's not worth risking your life for a faithless man!
She reached out to untie the white ribbon around her neck, but just then...

It creaked.

The door was gently pushed open.

A Taoist nun, dressed in a gray robe and with a compassionate face, quietly walked in, carrying a lamp.

It is Master Jingxuan of the Tianhou Palace.

It was that kind person who listened to her complaints, stood up for her, and advised her to let go of everything.

"Master, I..."

Su Lan felt like she had seen a savior and was about to ask for help.

But what she saw was Master Jingxuan's face, which had become cold and unfamiliar, and a cold smile on his lips.

"Foolish child, men are all unreliable, so death is the best place for you to go."

"Your resentment and hatred are far from enough..."

As they were talking, Master Jingxuan suddenly kicked over the stool at her feet!

"Do not--!"

An intense feeling of suffocation washed over her instantly. Su Lan's body struggled wildly in mid-air, her hands gripping the white ribbon around her neck tightly, her legs kicking erratically and making hoarse sounds.

She doesn't want to die!

She really didn't want to die!

With her last ounce of strength, she looked pleadingly at the Taoist nun who had led her to her doom.

However, Jingxuan simply watched her indifferently, watching her life slip away little by little, watching her resentment grow wildly and stronger under the catalysis of death.

Only after she had completely fallen silent did Jingxuan nod in satisfaction, turn around and leave quietly, as if she had never been there.

boom!
All the memories suddenly came flooding back!
So I didn't commit suicide!
So... I was killed by her!

"Jing-Xuan-!"

　I had two beers at a craft brewery last night, and now I have diarrhea. I felt really groggy this afternoon, so I barely managed to write these three chapters. Hehe, I'm just saying this to get some sympathy. I hope you'll subscribe and vote!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)