Huai Shi took a deep breath, picked up the Fan, and held it before his face, as if to cover it. With one hand, he pushed aside the curtain and stepped forward a few paces before stepping down from the carriage onto the footstool.

That Fan seemed to possess a peculiar magic power. As he held it before him, black smoke rose from it, enveloping Huai Shi's face and obscuring his features from everyone's sight. Yet, he could see clearly through the gaps in the Fan to the figures in front of him.

The hunched and deformed servant, dressed in white clothes, lifted his head to look at him. A fawning smile twisted his grotesque features as he held up a lantern, limping ahead.

"Honored, honored one, please follow me, follow me…"

He looked around obsequiously as he eagerly gestured for Huai Shi to follow. Huai Shi swallowed, said nothing, raised his Fan, and followed.

A few meters in front of him was an old and hunchbacked Court Official, holding a strangely shaped ritual implement. However, the head that popped out of his collar was snake-like, his face covered in bumps and scars. One disproportionately large eye bulged, gleaming with an oily green light. His beard was like that of some type of fish, and on his forehead, a twisted antler had broken off, now covered with mold and moss. As he glanced about, an inhuman hunger emanated from his massive eyes.

Huai Shi deliberately slowed his pace to lengthen the distance between them, but a dark presence followed closely, sending continuous chills down his spine.

Inside the corridor under the city gate, the massive doors were not fully open but were firmly guarded instead.

Muffled inquiries came from ahead, and a skeleton draped in tattered finery staggered out, its bones creaking and clacking with every movement.

"Lately, too many outsiders who don't know the rules have been coming. Just yesterday, an assassin infiltrated the forbidden area, inciting the Former Emperor's fury. Therefore, we're conducting checks. We hope all the nobles will understand."

Huai Shi's heart sank. Just then, he heard movement behind him. Within the group, a figure wearing a mask suddenly turned and fled at a sprint.

The peculiar old man before Huai Shi turned. His snake-like pupils glinted as his neck shot out, the grotesque maw snapping shut in mid-air. A sickening crunch echoed as his head slowly retracted. Then, turning to look at Huai Shi behind him, suspicion flickered through the malicious snake eyes.

"Why does this noble conceal his face with a Fan?"

Without any sign of irregularity, Huai Shi replied as Raven had instructed him, "It's due to a cold. My appearance is unsightly, and I fear my demeanor may be unbecoming."

"..."

The Snake-faced Doctor stared at him for a long while before slowly withdrawing his gaze.

Huai Shi finally let out a silent sigh of relief, sweat pouring profusely.

The queue of Court Officials moved forward slowly. Soon, Huai Shi saw the notice posted on the gate, and the Skeleton up front spoke again, "A poetry gathering is a refined assembly. Naturally, there will be no discourteous acts like frisking. As long as all the nobles compose a song based on the given prompt, it will suffice as proof of identity."

Huai Shi lifted his face, squinted, and through the cracks in the Fan, he saw the notice on the gate.

There were just two bold characters.

—Reminiscence.

His heart sank once again, a cold dread engulfing him.

It wasn't that he was completely unprepared. Since he was going to attend the poetry gathering, he had, of course, prepared in advance—although it was called a poetry gathering, the events in Yingzhou featured Yingzhou songs rather than Han poetry. There was plenty of reference material available in the Current Circumstances. With Raven's help to cheat, he had already prepared poems for various themes, ready for the gathering.

But he hadn't expected that entry would require a recital of poetry!

To prevent any prying eyes from glimpsing his Soul's Book of Fate, he didn't dare open it now. He could only stealthily consult his notes hidden in his sleeve while the Snake-faced Doctor ahead recited his poem.

He hadn't expected, however, that the old ghoul before him, who seemed so unrefined, would compose a song so quickly. He just pondered the topic "Reminiscence" for a few moments, then raised his head and sang:

"Spring haze envelops all, as if mountain cherries come into view."

"Without seeing her face, one pines for true love."

Before the last note faded, not only the Skeleton but all the surrounding Court Officials burst into enthusiastic applause, their cheers echoing.

"What a great poem, a truly great poem!"

The Skeleton stepped aside, bowing. "I predict Your Excellency will be the undisputed champion of this poetry gathering."

His praise was not without reason. With "Reminiscence" as the topic, the Snake-faced Doctor was indeed quick-witted. His poem contained no literal words of longing, yet it was tightly woven around the core theme—truly ingenious.

The Snake-faced Doctor proudly threw back his head and laughed, demurred modestly, and then went straight in.

That left Huai Shi awkwardly standing on the spot, the hand holding the Fan trembling slightly. From all around him, from every direction, all eyes fell on Huai Shi.

Inside his sleeve, his fingers trembled frantically. He had finally found the relevant page, but in his haste, he hadn't read it all.

Damn that Old Turtle for being so fast! he cursed inwardly.

At that moment, under everyone's gaze, Huai Shi stiffened for a long time, his mouth opening and closing several times in embarrassment. As the suspicion in the Skeleton's cold, indifferent eyes intensified, Huai Shi finally braced himself. Before the Skeleton could speak, Huai Shi raised his voice and began to recite:

"To say I haven't seen her is to say I have, but seeing her is as though I never have!"

The Yingzhou song, though plain and direct, seemed to carry a subtle depth that stirred the heart. The Skeleton paused, listening intently.

But then Huai Shi stepped forward, Fan raised, his other hand gesturing theatrically as he declaimed, "For no reason, I've tasted the bitterness of yearning... uh, the bitterness of yearning... For no reason, I've tasted the bitterness of yearning..."

With all eyes upon him, sweat beaded on the face hidden behind Huai Shi's Fan. He muttered the line repeatedly, his panic growing.

He had forgotten the last line!

The more nervous he became, the less he could remember, until he had repeated the phrase "For no reason, I've tasted the bitterness of yearning" seven or eight times, and the green light in the Skeleton's eyes grew increasingly menacing.

Then, Huai Shi took another step forward and proclaimed solemnly.

"To say I haven't seen her is to say I have, but seeing her is as though I never have."

"For no reason, I've tasted the bitterness of yearning..."

At the brink of life and death, Huai Shi suddenly had a stroke of inspiration and completed the ending of the poem:

"—Welp, I'm screwed!"

Silence fell.

The Skeleton was speechless. The Court Officials were stunned. Raven, in the shadows, despaired.

The Evil Ghosts exchanged bewildered glances, dumbstruck and utterly confused—like chickens trying to converse with ducks. In short, their sudden rush of complex emotions was akin to someone in a game of idiom solitaire suddenly blurting out "a double whammy." Although it technically connected, it was so bizarrely out of place one felt an urge to smack him.

The Skeleton Palace Minister gaped, stunned for a long moment. "Uh, this... While the song's rhythm is acceptable, I've never encountered such a theme or format. What genre is this?"

"Hmph! A bunch of ignoramuses. This is one of the most popular forms of Han poetry."

Huai Shi lifted his head and answered with a booming voice, "Half-verse!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

The Raven in the shadows closed its eyes in despair. God damn Half-verse. Kid, you're done for...

In the prolonged silence, Huai Shi could feel the Skeleton's face turn uglier by the second. His "Half-verse" didn't seem to be as well-received as he'd hoped. Panicking, he quickly raised his hand. "Wait, I have another one!"

With that, he stepped forward and began to recite, "Before my bed..."

"That's TaiBai's poem!" The Skeleton cut him off sharply. "Are you deliberately trying to mock me? If so, don't blame me for carrying out my duty and verifying your identity!"

As the Skeleton gave the command, the Guards on either side of the gate—those two gigantic Evil Ghosts, one red and one green—stepped forward, Ghost Gold Sticks in hand, fangs bared, towering over the small, solitary, and helpless Huai Shi.

Just then, the curtain of a nearby ox cart was lifted. A figure, seemingly an Attendant, asked softly, "What is going on?"

"Ah, Lady Luo DingJi!" The Skeleton, noticing the ox cart that had appeared at some unknown point, trembled involuntarily. He prostrated himself, bowing respectfully. "It is my failing, I shall..."

The female Attendant cut him off, her tone sharp with displeasure. Her vacant gaze seemed to sweep over Huai Shi before she said coldly, "This gentleman is a guest of Lady Luo DingJi. See that you do not offend him."

Cold sweat seemed to bead on the Skeleton's pallid face. "But, just now..."

"Just now, the honored guest was joking with you, haven't you realized?" the female Attendant retorted. "Are you suggesting that someone capable of composing the first part of the verse couldn't complete the ending?"

"Exactly! I was joking with you." Although he had no idea what was happening, Huai Shi sensed he was saved for now. He immediately declared with conviction, "Couldn't you tell?"

As he spoke, he glanced at his cheat sheet and finally recalled the original last line. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"Oh, yes, of course! It is I who lack refinement. I nearly offended an honored guest..."

The Skeleton, seizing the excuse, hastily made way, flinging open the palace gates. Huai Shi and the adjacent ox cart proceeded directly into the Palace City.

Once inside the city, when he thought no one was looking, Huai Shi bowed deeply in gratitude toward the figure in the ox cart.

She truly saved my life.

In the candlelight, the silhouette of the woman—a stranger to him—remained perfectly still.

She merely gestured with her pipa, and a dreamlike, ethereal whisper reached his ears.

"Pay it no mind. It was merely a fortunate coincidence."

She paused, then added, "There may be unrest in the Palace City tonight. Please be careful."

Before Huai Shi could respond, the ox cart moved on.

Huai Shi remained, dumbfounded, with no idea what had just transpired.

Soon, an Attendant approached respectfully and led him through multiple palace gates. They navigated the darkness, finally arriving at a hall so vast it was breathtaking.

The banquet seemed to have already started.

Numerous bizarrely attired Court Officials were carousing, while grotesque ghouls feasted on human flesh and guzzled wine. The scene was both terrifying and cacophonous.

Huai Shi discreetly found an inconspicuous spot, sat down, and shrank into himself, keeping his face covered by the Fan as he surveyed his surroundings.

His Death Perception was intensifying. So strong that his vision periodically blackened.

"I'm in, but what am I supposed to do now?"

From the shadows, the Raven's voice came through.

"Wait."

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