Chapter 042: I Usually Ask the Person Directly
The Bai family's old mansion.
As the sun was about to set, many people bustled in and out, preparing to perform rituals using items from the old mansion.
Despite the dangers of the old mansion, many of the items brought in by Bai Hengqing were valuable antiques from the Bai family and had to be removed.
The reason for the delay was a prolonged meeting to decide who would retrieve the items. After seeing Bai Hengqing and Bai Ran fleeing in disarray, along with the fleeing He Lao, no one wanted to venture into the mansion.
In the end, Bai Hengqing personally selected a few individuals, concluding the meeting that many saw as deciding who would face certain doom.
The one responsible for reclaiming the ritual items was from Bai Ximing's generation – the same generation as Chi Shen's uncle. Although he too was a Bai, he was a distant relative, without much influence, who depended on the main family for his livelihood.
To him, reclaiming the ritual items was a thankless task with risks from the haunted mansion's specters. He instructed his men to hurry and ensure everything was moved before sunset.
Others shared his sentiment. Most of them were disciples from other families, tasked with hard labor. They worked efficiently, fearing prolonged exposure might trigger a curse, sealing their fate in the mansion.
The person in charge stood at the entrance giving directions. As most items were almost evacuated, he suddenly stepped on something and almost slipped.
He looked down to find a white powdery substance, crushed under his foot.
It was unusual for such a thing to be here. He knelt and rubbed the powder between his fingers, quickly realizing it was wax powder. Inside the powder was something else - a small white bone fragment.
At that moment, inside the main building of the mansion – which none of them had entered – chains laden with talismans moved slightly, clinking softly against each other. The red-robed female ghost hiding under the bed slowly woke up, turning her gaze to the main entrance. In the Bai Wan side building, candlelights flickered, revealing pale hands with golden rings holding memorial tablets.
It wasn't just them. The mansion seemed to come alive. As the sun was about to set, countless eyes from the shadows stared intently in their direction, eager to move.
Examining the bone shard, the man's expression turned grave. Even as a fringe member of the Bai family, he recognized its significance.
A foul odor mixed with a medicinal fragrance emanated from the bone. He quickly deduced that it was a powerful ghost's remains soaked in a potion. The aroma could lure spirits, especially when sealed in a wax bead to contain the scent. Once the bead melted, it could attract ghosts, particularly the one from which the bone originated.
The bead had melted, activating the bone shard's allure!
Realizing this, he hastily threw the bone fragment into the mansion. It bounced on the floor, rolling into a crack. He couldn't shake off the feeling that a tile shifted, as if opening its mouth, swallowing the bone shard.
The man immediately stepped back. Feeling another object underfoot, he quickly lifted his foot to avoid crushing it.
He searched near the doorway and found a few wax beads. Gazing at the pale pink wax beads encasing bones in his hand, a sudden laugh escaped his lips.
The incident at the old mansion, along with the deaths of He Chao and Lu Xiangyang, now seemed to have an explanation.
Both were devoured by a malevolent spirit. Combined with the fact that Bai Ran was also harassed by this spirit, perhaps it was due to this very object he discovered. Surely, it belonged to someone surnamed Chi who lived here. If he could capture this Chi person and present him to the main family, he would surely be rewarded handsomely.
The person in charge didn't report this matter to Bai Ximing immediately. A mere report wouldn't earn as much reward as capturing the mastermind, so he decided to wait outside. The younger generation staying in the old mansion had been unharmed these past days, so he felt he could take the risk, waiting for Chi Shen to return and then bringing him to the Bai family for questioning.
Within Bai Hengqing's grand residence, several elderly individuals discussed the matter.
Previously, they had sent people to investigate the deaths of He Chao and Lu Xiangyang, as well as the haunting of Bai Ran.
As He Chao was the grandson of Elder He, who had some influence within the Bai family, they felt obliged to investigate. Their inquiry into Lu Xiangyang's death was because it seemed related to He Chao's demise. However, with Lu Xiangyang's death, their leads went cold. Questioning Bai Ran yielded nothing; he claimed ignorance, having merely glimpsed Lu Xiangyang on the day of the incident.
Bai Ran seemed unrelated to the entire affair, appearing more like a victim. He survived perhaps due to his stronger abilities.
Bai Ran presented himself as a victim, not revealing to others that He Chao and Lu Xiangyang had entered the old mansion at his behest. With both now dead, any suspicions could never be proven.
With Elder He now gone, whether to continue the investigation of Lu Xiangyang's death was once again up for discussion.
Lu Xiangyang's parents held no sway within the Bai family. To them, a death was a death. The pressing concern for the Bai family was the old mansion. The demise of an unrelated apprentice seemed trivial in comparison.
There was almost unanimous agreement to temporarily set the matter aside.
Only Bai Ran insisted on continuing the investigation. Most interpreted his persistence as fear, having narrowly escaped death himself. However, he was no longer considered part of the Bai family, so his pleas for investigation were met with mere token consolation before the gathering dispersed.
Watching everyone leave, Bai Ran gritted his teeth. As darkness fell outside, anxiety was evident on his face. Had nobody discovered the item he had placed in the old mansion? Why hadn't it been brought forward for everyone to see? Who had caused Lu Xiangyang's death?
If they found those beads, he could prove that it was Chi Shen who murdered those two.
Seeing the almost twisted expression on Bai Ran's face, Bai Hengqing frowned. Bai Ximing, noticing, quickly escorted Bai Ran out, reassuring him, "Don't take it to heart. We do care. Once the old mansion issue is settled, I'll help you get to the bottom of it."
Gazing at Bai Ximing's concerned face, Bai Ran slowly relaxed his clenched fists, responding numbly, "Thank you, Father."
Bai Ximing smiled, "That's better. Now go rest."
As Bai Ran departed, outside Bai Hengqing's grand residence, a grotesque creature covered in tumors and pustules perched on a tree, silently observing Bai Ran's bedroom. Confusion and resentment seemed to mix in its human-like eyes.
It attempted to move forward, but an overwhelming invisible force pushed it back.
Elsewhere, outside a public restroom, Chi Shen had just finished questioning a shadowy figure with severed hands. Xu Jiayuan stood there, utterly shocked. He was still holding onto his bicycle handle, but had completely forgotten his intent to flee.
"Why... Bai Ran?"
The shadow with the severed hand never directly mentioned Bai Ran's name. Although Bai Ran summoned him without introducing himself, the way people accompanying the man addressed him as "Young Master Ran" and mentioned his surname "Bai", it left little room for speculation about who was behind it all.
"Is it because you're the true heir of the Bai family?" Xu Jiayuan murmured.
Chi Shen nodded, his face unreadable. "Perhaps so."
Xu Jiayuan still couldn't believe it. "Young Master Bai... He always seemed like such a good person. Why would he do something like this?"
"I'm curious too," Chi Shen replied. "Now, lend me your bike. I'll return it tomorrow."
"What are you going to do?" Still in shock, Xu Jiayuan looked at him with lost eyes.
Holding his phone, Chi Shen activated the GPS. "I'm going to ask him."
*
Author's Note:
There's a second update coming.
Chapter 042: I Usually Ask the Person Directly
The Bai family's old mansion.
As the sun was about to set, many people bustled in and out, preparing to perform rituals using items from the old mansion.
Despite the dangers of the old mansion, many of the items brought in by Bai Hengqing were valuable antiques from the Bai family and had to be removed.
The reason for the delay was a prolonged meeting to decide who would retrieve the items. After seeing Bai Hengqing and Bai Ran fleeing in disarray, along with the fleeing He Lao, no one wanted to venture into the mansion.
In the end, Bai Hengqing personally selected a few individuals, concluding the meeting that many saw as deciding who would face certain doom.
The one responsible for reclaiming the ritual items was from Bai Ximing's generation – the same generation as Chi Shen's uncle. Although he too was a Bai, he was a distant relative, without much influence, who depended on the main family for his livelihood.
To him, reclaiming the ritual items was a thankless task with risks from the haunted mansion's specters. He instructed his men to hurry and ensure everything was moved before sunset.
Others shared his sentiment. Most of them were disciples from other families, tasked with hard labor. They worked efficiently, fearing prolonged exposure might trigger a curse, sealing their fate in the mansion.
The person in charge stood at the entrance giving directions. As most items were almost evacuated, he suddenly stepped on something and almost slipped.
He looked down to find a white powdery substance, crushed under his foot.
It was unusual for such a thing to be here. He knelt and rubbed the powder between his fingers, quickly realizing it was wax powder. Inside the powder was something else - a small white bone fragment.
At that moment, inside the main building of the mansion – which none of them had entered – chains laden with talismans moved slightly, clinking softly against each other. The red-robed female ghost hiding under the bed slowly woke up, turning her gaze to the main entrance. In the Bai Wan side building, candlelights flickered, revealing pale hands with golden rings holding memorial tablets.
It wasn't just them. The mansion seemed to come alive. As the sun was about to set, countless eyes from the shadows stared intently in their direction, eager to move.
Examining the bone shard, the man's expression turned grave. Even as a fringe member of the Bai family, he recognized its significance.
A foul odor mixed with a medicinal fragrance emanated from the bone. He quickly deduced that it was a powerful ghost's remains soaked in a potion. The aroma could lure spirits, especially when sealed in a wax bead to contain the scent. Once the bead melted, it could attract ghosts, particularly the one from which the bone originated.
The bead had melted, activating the bone shard's allure!
Realizing this, he hastily threw the bone fragment into the mansion. It bounced on the floor, rolling into a crack. He couldn't shake off the feeling that a tile shifted, as if opening its mouth, swallowing the bone shard.
The man immediately stepped back. Feeling another object underfoot, he quickly lifted his foot to avoid crushing it.
He searched near the doorway and found a few wax beads. Gazing at the pale pink wax beads encasing bones in his hand, a sudden laugh escaped his lips.
The incident at the old mansion, along with the deaths of He Chao and Lu Xiangyang, now seemed to have an explanation.
Both were devoured by a malevolent spirit. Combined with the fact that Bai Ran was also harassed by this spirit, perhaps it was due to this very object he discovered. Surely, it belonged to someone surnamed Chi who lived here. If he could capture this Chi person and present him to the main family, he would surely be rewarded handsomely.
The person in charge didn't report this matter to Bai Ximing immediately. A mere report wouldn't earn as much reward as capturing the mastermind, so he decided to wait outside. The younger generation staying in the old mansion had been unharmed these past days, so he felt he could take the risk, waiting for Chi Shen to return and then bringing him to the Bai family for questioning.
Within Bai Hengqing's grand residence, several elderly individuals discussed the matter.
Previously, they had sent people to investigate the deaths of He Chao and Lu Xiangyang, as well as the haunting of Bai Ran.
As He Chao was the grandson of Elder He, who had some influence within the Bai family, they felt obliged to investigate. Their inquiry into Lu Xiangyang's death was because it seemed related to He Chao's demise. However, with Lu Xiangyang's death, their leads went cold. Questioning Bai Ran yielded nothing; he claimed ignorance, having merely glimpsed Lu Xiangyang on the day of the incident.
Bai Ran seemed unrelated to the entire affair, appearing more like a victim. He survived perhaps due to his stronger abilities.
Bai Ran presented himself as a victim, not revealing to others that He Chao and Lu Xiangyang had entered the old mansion at his behest. With both now dead, any suspicions could never be proven.
With Elder He now gone, whether to continue the investigation of Lu Xiangyang's death was once again up for discussion.
Lu Xiangyang's parents held no sway within the Bai family. To them, a death was a death. The pressing concern for the Bai family was the old mansion. The demise of an unrelated apprentice seemed trivial in comparison.
There was almost unanimous agreement to temporarily set the matter aside.
Only Bai Ran insisted on continuing the investigation. Most interpreted his persistence as fear, having narrowly escaped death himself. However, he was no longer considered part of the Bai family, so his pleas for investigation were met with mere token consolation before the gathering dispersed.
Watching everyone leave, Bai Ran gritted his teeth. As darkness fell outside, anxiety was evident on his face. Had nobody discovered the item he had placed in the old mansion? Why hadn't it been brought forward for everyone to see? Who had caused Lu Xiangyang's death?
If they found those beads, he could prove that it was Chi Shen who murdered those two.
Seeing the almost twisted expression on Bai Ran's face, Bai Hengqing frowned. Bai Ximing, noticing, quickly escorted Bai Ran out, reassuring him, "Don't take it to heart. We do care. Once the old mansion issue is settled, I'll help you get to the bottom of it."
Gazing at Bai Ximing's concerned face, Bai Ran slowly relaxed his clenched fists, responding numbly, "Thank you, Father."
Bai Ximing smiled, "That's better. Now go rest."
As Bai Ran departed, outside Bai Hengqing's grand residence, a grotesque creature covered in tumors and pustules perched on a tree, silently observing Bai Ran's bedroom. Confusion and resentment seemed to mix in its human-like eyes.
It attempted to move forward, but an overwhelming invisible force pushed it back.
Elsewhere, outside a public restroom, Chi Shen had just finished questioning a shadowy figure with severed hands. Xu Jiayuan stood there, utterly shocked. He was still holding onto his bicycle handle, but had completely forgotten his intent to flee.
"Why... Bai Ran?"
The shadow with the severed hand never directly mentioned Bai Ran's name. Although Bai Ran summoned him without introducing himself, the way people accompanying the man addressed him as "Young Master Ran" and mentioned his surname "Bai", it left little room for speculation about who was behind it all.
"Is it because you're the true heir of the Bai family?" Xu Jiayuan murmured.
Chi Shen nodded, his face unreadable. "Perhaps so."
Xu Jiayuan still couldn't believe it. "Young Master Bai... He always seemed like such a good person. Why would he do something like this?"
"I'm curious too," Chi Shen replied. "Now, lend me your bike. I'll return it tomorrow."
"What are you going to do?" Still in shock, Xu Jiayuan looked at him with lost eyes.
Holding his phone, Chi Shen activated the GPS. "I'm going to ask him."
*
Author's Note:
There's a second update coming.
