The Liu Family Old House

The group exited the county office, and the sky had already gone completely dark.

Four yamen runners carried lanterns, two in front and two behind, leading the party eastward through the streets.

The shops along the road had gradually put up their shutters, leaving only a few food stalls still lit with dim oil lamps, flickering unsteadily in the night breeze.

Shen Hui's stomach growled.

He only then remembered that since morning, he'd had nothing but a bowl of congee and two eggs his Fourth Senior Sister had stuffed into his hands.

Chen Shou turned back to glance at him and said quietly, "Is the Daoist priest hungry? Once this matter is settled, I'll have some food prepared."

Shen Hui waved a hand, showing no embarrassment. "No need. Handling the business at hand is what matters."

Chen Shou nodded, lowered his head, and fell back into the procession, his expression somewhat strained.

This county magistrate's aide was truly pitiable.

Shen Hui watched him, a trace of sympathy stirring in his heart.

The man had walked with them all day, and now, at night, he still had to accompany them to investigate the haunted house.

Even those two tall and short "gate gods" had knocked off and gone home, yet he had to keep pushing through.

To be an official like this—there was really no one else quite like him...

The lanterns swayed in the wind, stretching and shortening the group's shadows erratically.

The alley grew narrower, the walls on either side rising higher, with withered grass on the wall tops rustling and trembling in the cold wind.

Somewhere, a dog caught the scent of strangers and barked a few times from afar, then, as if startled by something, whimpered and fell silent.

Shen Hui looked up. At the end of the alley, a pitch-black house squatted there, several tiles missing from its roof, revealing dark, hollow rafters.

From a distance, it looked like a crouching beast, its mouth open, waiting for prey to walk right in.

"This is the place."

Chen Shou stopped, took a lantern from one of the runners, raised it high, and shone it forward.

The two large doors stood ajar, most of their vermilion lacquer peeled away, revealing layer upon layer of old paint beneath.

The plaque above the lintel was still there, but the characters were illegible, only a faint "Liu" discernible.

The Old Taoist stood at the entrance, hands behind his back, peering inside for a moment, then stepped right in.

Chen Shou, however, lingered at the door, hesitating. His Adam's apple bobbed twice, but in the end, no sound came out.

Shen Hui glanced at him.

This aide had walked with a brisk stride earlier, speaking and handling matters crisply, but now he seemed as if someone had grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, his feet nailed to the bluestone slabs, unable to take that step forward.

"Chen-daren."

"Ah?"

Chen Shou snapped back to attention, as if yanked from some train of thought. "Dao... Daoist priest, what instructions do you have?"

"It would be fine for you to wait outside."

Chen Shou froze for a moment, then shook his head, forcing a show of toughness onto his face.

"How can that be? Though I am unworthy, I am still an imperial official. How could I flee the field or shrink back at a time like this..."

"If you're here to receive us outside, I'll actually feel more at ease." Shen Hui cut him off with a smile, smoothly offering him an out.

Chen Shou's lips moved, his voice fading, his face shifting between pale and flushed in the lantern light.

He truly wanted to say he would enter too, but the words caught in his throat.

Though he was ostracized by the yamen staff, he was no green scholar ignorant of the world.

He had pored over the records of this house in the case files, reading them again and again.

Two years ago, a bold constable, confident in his martial skills, charged in alone to investigate.

The next day, he was found unconscious on the doorstep. When he woke, he was raving mad, and within half a year, he quit his post, his whereabouts unknown to this day.

Scholar Li fanned himself nearby and, hearing this, gave a light cough. "The Daoist priest speaks sense. Chen-daren need not force himself."

Shen Hui glanced at Scholar Li at that.

This scholar talked lightly enough, but his fan was shaking so fast it was about to fall apart, and his complexion was hardly better than Chen Shou's.

Still, the county aide finally relented. His shoulders sagged, and he handed over the lantern.

"Then... please be careful, all of you. I'll wait here. If anything happens, just call out."

Shen Hui took the lantern and nodded with a smile.

Of course, if he actually did call out, whether this aide would charge in or run away was anyone's guess.

Chen Shou then turned to the two runners leading the way and instructed, "Old Xu, you and Xiao Wu follow the Daoist priest into the house."

The runner called Old Xu immediately let his face fall.

The younger one, earnest and eager, responded with enthusiasm, only to shrink back after a glare from his master, Old Xu.

Shen Hui turned and walked toward the two half-open doors.

"Hey, Daoist, hold on..."

Scholar Li folded his fan, lifted the hem of his robe, and hurried after him. "Let's go together, together!"

Shen Hui raised an eyebrow at this, sizing the other up, then stepped aside with a gesture of invitation.

Scholar Li's face stiffened. He stopped in his tracks, reopened his fan, and waved it. "I'll take the rear, to cover you."

Shen Hui let out a soft laugh, didn't refuse, and stepped through the door.

The monk pressed his palms together, eyelids lowered, and recited a Buddhist invocation before following behind the two.

The Old Runner sighed, shoved his lantern into the Young Runner's hands, pulled a short club from his belt, weighed it in his hand, and muttered, "Let's go."

The five of them entered the door one after another.

No sooner had they stepped inside than a damp, musty stench hit them—like years of rainwater rotting in wood, mixed with the reek of soil.

"Whoosh—"

A chill wind rose from the ground, sweeping across their faces like a cold, wet hand.

Their faces all went pale at once.

At the same time, the flames in their lanterns tilted sharply to one side, the halos shrinking to a single point.

"Hey, hey, hey!"

The Young Runner yelped, fumbling to shield the lamp wick, nearly throwing the lantern away.

But even as he protected it, the flame quickly shifted from bright yellow to a dull red, flickering unsteadily, on the verge of going out.

Jingle!

The Soul-Alarm Bell at Shen Hui's waist rang out abruptly, snapping the dazed group back to their senses.

Fortunately, the wind came and went quickly, as if only meant to give them a warning.

But though the wind had stopped, the lantern light didn't return.

A few dim yellow flames trembled weakly inside the shades, so faint they could barely light the path ahead.

"M-Master..."

The Young Runner's voice cracked, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, as if he finally realized this was no easy task.

The Old Runner had seen a bit of the world. Though his expression was grim, he steadied his voice. "Don't panic. Don't lose your nerve..."

But even as he said it, he couldn't help swallowing.

The lantern light grew dimmer.

In the darkness, something seemed to be greedily sucking away the faint glow.

The distant barking of dogs at the alley's mouth had faded too. The entire residence felt cut off from the outside world.

"Uh... where's Daoist Ji Chen?" the Old Runner asked, his voice trembling.

"No need to worry." Shen Hui spoke calmly.

He raised his lantern, glancing at the flame that was nearly dead.

With just that one look, the faltering lantern blazed back to life.

The flame shot up as if doused in oil, bursting forth with a roar. The halo of light exploded outward.

A warm golden glow spilled out, illuminating the area ten feet around as bright as day.

At the same time, the other lanterns seemed to be spurred by something, all flaring up together.

The flames no longer shrank but stood tall and straight, their light even stronger than it had been outside.

"Let's go."

Shen Hui withdrew his gaze, lifted his lantern, and led the way into the courtyard.

The others exchanged glances, their lips twitching, but no one spoke. They quickly lifted their feet and followed.