HTCYH Ch 4

Chapter 4: Even More Craving

After washing his hands, Tu Si casually poured the basin of clean water onto the peace lilies, then spoke, “Officer Wuming—no, Wuming—uh, Brother Wuming? Senior…”

Tu Si really wanted to get closer to Wuming, to facilitate easier access. He saw Wuming as prey—strong and dangerous prey. Before fully ensnaring his target, the dodder could only extend its tendrils and test the waters quietly. Similarly, Wuming exuded a powerful sense of oppression. Fang Xia had warned him not to address him as ‘Officer,’ but calling him by name alone felt too distant. ‘Brother’ or other terms of endearment might easily tread on the nerves of someone unfamiliar. So he was left awkwardly stammering out his attempt.

Seeing Tu Si stumbling over what to call him, Wuming let out a light laugh and said, “If you don’t want to call me Wuming, then just call me Captain.”

Tu Si’s eyes lit up, catching a bit of information—Captain. That was how members of his team would address him, right? Being permitted to call him ‘Captain’ was surely a good start. So he smiled and said, “Okay! Captain Wuming, what are you doing here?”

Wuming, momentarily dazed by Tu Si’s stunning smile, subconsciously raised a hand to brush aside the loose strands on Tu Si’s cheek. His fingers slid gently through the silky golden hair—tender and affectionate, yet gentlemanly. Then, without a trace, he tucked away a strand of golden hair.

After hiding the hair, Wuming said, “I was just passing by. You can check out the main house. There are quite a few clues inside. Then, once you leave this Chen family compound, follow the stone path—you’ll come upon a Yue Lao Temple. There are clues you need in there as well.”

After giving Tu Si these hints, Wuming bid a simple farewell and turned to leave.

Tu Si didn’t follow. After flipping his golden hair, he obediently turned toward the main house.

Upon arriving, a brief search quickly revealed a rough outline of the Chen family’s members and some basic information.

The family head was named Chen Hongbo, patriarch of a locally prominent family. He was quite the playboy—surrounded by wives and concubines—but had very few children. His only legitimate heir was a son named Chen Mingzhe.

Chen Mingzhe was even more well-known in the area. His fame stemmed from his paintings—he specialized in painting ghosts and monsters. When niche interests are pushed to the extreme, they become art. His works were vivid, lifelike, and terrifying. Admirers treasured them like rare gems; detractors berated them, accusing him of harboring a morbid fascination with death and corpses and predicting karmic retribution.

As it turned out, Chen Mingzhe did indeed die unexpectedly—and died horribly. He was killed by the venom of a poisonous snake he had raised himself. But because he had claimed to be in seclusion working on a painting, by the time he was discovered, crows had already pecked one of his eyes into an empty socket.

It’s hard not to see that as karmic justice. Such a tragedy—how could the family head accept it?

In his grief, Master Chen came across the last painting his son had completed. It depicted an elaborately crafted bridal sedan, the curtain blown aside to reveal a beautiful young woman bound by iron chains and red silk inside. The maiden was being burned by flames—her long hair flowing wildly, her snow-white neck twisted unnaturally, her expression filled with intense agony. Yet amidst that pain, there lingered a strange, indescribable blush—instantly transforming her from a despairing victim into the seductive specter of a virgin man’s fantasy.

And the lustful father immediately understood the deeper meaning of the painting. He ordered a search. Heaven rewards the determined—for he truly did find the real-life inspiration for the maiden in the painting. Just as depicted, the lavish bridal sedan, with a bound beauty inside, was carried into the Chen compound. The doting parents of a tragically lost son fulfilled his final wish.

[Mission Three: Free Exploration – Find Map Clues (1/3)

Chen Family Compound (Completed)

Recorded in Southern Song scholar Kang Yuzhi’s “Zuo Meng Lu”: ‘When an unmarried man or woman dies before marriage, the families may arrange a posthumous union by mutual consent, called ghost marriage. After exchanging detailed household documents and offering prayers in the name of the parents, if divination approves, burial clothes are prepared. The male wears female attire and vice versa. The matchmaker brings wine and fruit to the grave and conducts the wedding rites.’]

Staring at Chen Mingzhe’s final painting, Tu Si couldn’t help but gag.

Fire, chains, sex—all of it instantly brought back countless dark memories. Beauty was an asset, a kind of capital. But when beauty wasn’t matched by status or power, it brought disaster. It was no different from “a child carrying gold through the marketplace.” The innocent are guilty simply for possessing treasure.

When Tu Si first took human form and entered society, the first lesson he learned was to destroy his own face and learn how to survive by lying low. He had no power back then—he didn’t deserve to be beautiful. So once he gained power, the first thing he did was ruin the faces of those who had once harmed him.

Now that he had power, he became obsessed with beauty—proud of his own face. His appearance had become a symbol of his strength, a badge proving he was finally worthy of the beauty he once had to give up.

As he stared at the painting, Tu Si was flooded with empathy, sorrow, and fury. He picked up a brush from the desk and painted over the maiden’s flushed cheeks, turning them black. Then, with the same brush, he transformed the flames into clusters of red spider lilies—turning the seductive ghost engulfed in fire into a faceless girl sleeping peacefully in hell. By the time he finished, the sun was already beginning to set.

When Tu Si finally looked up from his intense revision of the painting, he saw a boy standing at the doorway—his cheeks blushed in peach pink, a red dot between his brows. Seeing the boy jolted Tu Si back to his senses. He realized he’d gotten off track again, but he didn’t regret it. Hanging the painting back in place, he stepped in front of the boy and took the red invitation from the tray in his hands:

“A grand performance is prepared. Fine wine, exquisite dishes, and beautiful companions await.

You are cordially invited to come and enjoy.

Chen Family Compound, Sixteenth of the Seventh Month, Year of the Jiazi.”

Tu Si closed the invitation and followed the boy back to the main hall.

Sure enough, the hall had been completely rearranged—lavish dishes and refined floral arrangements showed off its opulence. But despite the feast laid before him, Tu Si’s gaze dimmed. None of it smelled as good as Wuming. And Wuming—he could see him, but not taste him. What a torment for a hungry dodder!

Still, because of their brief interaction earlier that afternoon, Tu Si shamelessly took a seat right beside Wuming. As he pretended to savor the food, he leaned in subtly to inhale Wuming’s scent, then stuffed his mouth with food to keep from drooling.

Wuming watched the person beside him devouring food and chuckled more deeply. Seeing a few strokes of black ink on that stunning face, he even felt a twinge of tenderness. Once Tu Si finally slowed his frenzied eating to delicate bites, Wuming asked, “Did you gain anything from your exploration this afternoon?”

Tu Si froze for a moment, then uncertainly nodded. He quickly changed the subject: “Captain, aren’t you hungry? Why aren’t you eating more?”

The word “Captain” made Fang Xia, seated not far away, immediately raise her head. She glanced over at Tu Si and Wuming, then narrowed her eyes like a fox discovering something precious. Her face remained impassive so as not to startle them, and she lowered her gaze to sip her tea. But her ears stood tall, eavesdropping on their every word.

Wuming said, “Mm. I’m not really used to banquets.”

Tu Si: “Oh, is it because it’s too noisy?”

Wuming: “Not quite. The dishes are abundant, but most of them are cold now. The texture’s not great.”

Tu Si: “Oh! Then Captain, you’re actually kind of picky.”

Wuming: chuckling “Picky, am I?”

Tu Si: “Definitely picky.”

Wuming: “Alright, maybe I am a bit. You’ve got ink on your face.”

Tu Si: “Ah! Oh! Eh! Why are you only telling me now?”

Wuming: “You looked busy just now. I didn’t want to interrupt your meal.”

Tu Si: “I was just hungry!”

Wuming: “Mm. A good appetite is a blessing.”