Seventh Master and I walked into the villa, flashlights in hand.
There were actually three buildings on the Mountain Villa estate.
One was this villa, and another was a smaller villa, less than half its size.
The remaining building had only one floor, and its ceiling had already collapsed.
Without a doubt, this largest villa was where the Tan family had lived.
Although it was a large villa, it was not outrageously huge. The interior had deteriorated almost as badly as the exterior. The plaster had peeled off completely, exposing the walls beneath, but the walls were still solid, without any cracks.
A house built by wealthy people for themselves was bound to be several times sturdier than one built by a developer.
After the family massacre here all those years ago, Mr. Tan's parents had only come to collect some important belongings left behind. They had left all the other furniture and appliances, then emigrated.
Because of unresolved issues from the past, the Mountain Villa estate could not be sold. Anything valuable inside, along with the appliances, had been carried off, leaving some furniture behind.
Naturally, the furniture had also deteriorated badly and was almost completely wrapped in cobwebs.
The vast space felt exceptionally empty.
A ghost appearing now would not have frightened me, but this empty, dark environment made me feel deeply unsafe, as though I were inside a gigantic cave.
Seventh Master and I stayed close together, not daring to separate at all.
Besides taking an initial look around, we lit candles as we went, hoping to dispel as much of the darkness as possible.
After we lit a dozen or so candles, the abandoned villa was finally no longer pitch-black.
Only then did I notice some commanding banners and items used in rituals laid out on