When the basement door opened, every light in the Xu residence flickered.
The living room briefly dimmed.
Lu Wenchuan glanced up, then quickly looked away. At some point, a short blade had appeared in his hand. It was pitch-black and reflected no light.
Xu Zhihan noticed it and asked, "You carry a knife around?"
"Work requires it," Lu Wenchuan said quietly.
"Your line of work sounds like an easy way to die."
"That's why I haven't got long to live."
Xu Zhihan glanced at him.
Lu Wenchuan could still smile.
The man truly wasn't afraid of death. Or perhaps fear was useless, so he couldn't be bothered to show it.
The basement stairs were narrow, and the damp chill grew heavier as they descended. Talisman Paper lined the walls, already blackened, some rotted down to half their original length.
After a few steps, Xu Zhihan's breathing grew unsteady.
Lu Wenchuan slowed down without urging him on.
Noticing what he was doing, Xu Zhihan frowned. "Don't wait for me."
Lu Wenchuan's voice was gentle. "I'm worried you'll faint and I'll have to carry you."
"You're welcome to try," Xu Zhihan said coldly.
"Forget it," Lu Wenchuan said. "I'd like to live a few more days."
Xu Zhihan said nothing more.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, the entire basement finally came into view.
It was much larger than it appeared from outside, as though someone had secretly expanded it. Old furniture and sealed boxes stood piled around the edges, but an area in the center had been cleared. A dried Talisman Array was drawn on the floor.
A black ceramic jar sat at the center of the Talisman Array.
Red cloth sealed its mouth, covered in Talisman Paper.
The crying came from inside the jar.
Brother.
Save me.
The voice was faint, yet perfectly clear.
Xu Zhihan stared at the ceramic jar, his expression turning cold.
This wasn't an ordinary vessel for a ghost.
This was Soul-Sealing.
Someone had imprisoned a child's soul in the jar, using his resentment to nourish something else.
Lu Wenchuan understood some of it too and cursed under his breath. "The Xu Family really isn't afraid of retribution."
"Retribution is already here," Xu Zhihan said.
No sooner had he spoken than the surrounding Talisman Paper spontaneously caught fire.
The ceramic jar began shaking violently.
Lu Wenchuan raised an arm in front of Xu Zhihan and drew his short blade. Thunderlight flashed along its edge.
"Get back."
Xu Zhihan stared at his back without moving.
Lu Wenchuan looked over his shoulder. "Young Master Xu, could you be a little more cooperative at a time like this?"
Xu Zhihan countered, "Can you deal with it?"
Lu Wenchuan paused.
"I can hold it off."
"Then shut up."
Xu Zhihan stepped past him.
Lu Wenchuan's expression changed. He was just reaching out to stop him when the ceramic jar exploded.
Red cloth and shards scattered through the air.
A black shadow crawled out of the jar.
It looked like a child, but its limbs were long, its skin bluish-black, and dense black threads wound around its body. Half its face was a child's; the other half had rotted beyond recognition.
After landing, it gave a low chuckle.
Then it raised its head and saw Xu Zhihan.
The laughter stopped.
A terrifying silence filled the basement.
Lu Wenchuan tightened his grip on the blade, ready to strike, only to see the shadow suddenly begin trembling.
It wasn't gathering strength before an attack.
It was afraid.
The shadow stared fixedly at Xu Zhihan, the black threads around its body pulling taut one by one. The next moment, it dropped to its knees.
Its knees struck the floor with a dull thud.
Lu Wenchuan stopped moving.
He turned toward Xu Zhihan, unmistakable surprise finally showing in his eyes.
Xu Zhihan didn't look at him.
His gaze rested on the kneeling shadow, his tone cold. "Who raised you?"
The shadow prostrated itself on the floor, not daring to lift its head.
Broken sounds came from its mouth, as though it were begging for mercy-or something was blocking its throat.
Xu Zhihan frowned.
"Speak clearly."
The shadow trembled even harder.
The black threads around its body suddenly moved, as though trying to drag it underground. The shadow clawed painfully at the floor, its nails leaving bloody streaks across the concrete.
Lu Wenchuan's expression darkened. "Someone's silencing it."
He raised his blade and swung, Thunderlight severing several black threads.
The shadow screamed.
At the same time, Xu Zhihan lifted his hand and touched a fingertip to the space between its brows.
His movement was light, but his face grew even paler.
He drew a wisp of black energy out of the shadow's body.
The shadow's rotting face began to change.
A child's features gradually became distinct.
He was around seven or eight, terribly thin, with large eyes.
Kneeling on the floor, he looked at Xu Zhihan, his lips trembling.
"Brother..."
Xu Zhihan looked at him. "I'm not your brother."
The child froze.
Xu Zhihan paused, then added, "But I'll investigate."
Lu Wenchuan glanced at him.
The words sounded cold, but this was already a rare concession from Xu Zhihan.
The child lowered his head, tears falling.
"Underground... there are more people..."
Before he could finish, a black fissure suddenly split open behind him.
A hand reached out of it toward the child's neck.
Lu Wenchuan reacted instantly, slashing his short blade across. Thunderlight burst forth, forcing the hand back half an inch.
But the black fissure didn't disappear.
Shrill laughter came from within.
"Who dares touch what belongs to the Xu Family?"
Lu Wenchuan sneered. "Your Xu Family certainly owns a lot."
As soon as he spoke, a larger shadow crawled out of the fissure.
The thing looked human, yet not quite. It wore a tattered black robe and had no facial features, but there was a mouth on its chest.
That mouth opened and closed, speaking in Xu Chengyuan's voice.
"Zhihan, stop making trouble."
Xu Zhihan's gaze turned utterly cold.
It imitated the voice remarkably well.
It had even copied Xu Chengyuan's habitually commanding tone.
The black-robed shadow continued, "Go back to your room. The basement is no place for you."
Xu Zhihan looked at it. "Did Xu Chengyuan have you guard this place?"
The black-robed shadow didn't answer.
The mouth on its chest suddenly split wider, releasing many faint cries.
They all belonged to children.
Lu Wenchuan's expression was grim.
"There's more than one soul here."
Of course, Xu Zhihan had seen it too.
Countless fragments of souls were buried in the basement walls. Too much time had passed, and most were incomplete, with nothing left but faint crying.
More than one life lay buried beneath the Xu Family's house.
Xu Zhihan rarely grew angry.
He was accustomed to passing judgment, to watching the guilty face justice, and to coldly observing the backlash of cause and effect.
But now, an icy emotion slowly rose in his chest.
It wasn't the lingering hurt of the body's original owner.
It was his own anger.
Sensing danger, the black-robed shadow lunged at Xu Zhihan.
Lu Wenchuan raised his blade to block it and was forced back half a step. Thunderlight exploded, and blood immediately seeped from the old injury on his wrist.
Xu Zhihan saw the blood and frowned.
"Move."
Lu Wenchuan gritted his teeth. "Can you handle it?"
"Better than you," Xu Zhihan said coldly.
Lu Wenchuan laughed in exasperation. "Fine. Your turn."
As he spoke, he stepped half a pace aside, but didn't move completely out from in front of Xu Zhihan, ready to strike again at any moment.
Xu Zhihan raised his hand.
The crying in the basement stopped at once.
Every black thread seemed pinned in place by an invisible force.
The black-robed shadow froze.
Xu Zhihan's face was pale, but his voice remained steady.
"Kneel."
The command fell.
The black-robed shadow's body began twisting violently.
It tried to resist, the mouth on its chest giving piercing shrieks. But a moment later, its knees still slammed heavily into the floor.
Watching this, Lu Wenchuan tightened his grip on the blade slightly.
This was no ordinary ability.
Commanding an evil spirit to kneel.
Just what was Xu Zhihan?
The black-robed shadow lay prostrate on the floor, black energy pouring wildly from its body.
Xu Zhihan walked up to it and looked down.
"Who raised you?"
The mouth on the black-robed shadow's chest struggled to open and close, its voice turning hoarse.
"Xu... Zhou..."
Xu Zhihan's gaze shifted.
Xu Chengyuan.
Zhou Man.
Just as expected.
The next instant, the black-robed shadow suddenly lifted its head. A black nail shot from the mouth on its chest, hurtling straight toward the space between Xu Zhihan's brows.
Lu Wenchuan's expression changed. "Watch out!"
Xu Zhihan didn't dodge.
He merely raised his eyes and glanced at it.
The black nail stopped half an inch from his brow, as though it had struck something, and shattered bit by bit.
The black-robed shadow let out a scream.
Xu Zhihan's fingertip touched its forehead.
"Noisy."
As the word fell, the black-robed shadow shattered on the spot, turning into a layer of black ash on the floor.
The basement fell silent again.
The child's soul knelt on the floor, staring blankly at Xu Zhihan.
A moment later, he bowed his head to Xu Zhihan too.
It wasn't fear.
It was more as though he were begging Xu Zhihan to set things right.
Xu Zhihan didn't speak immediately.
His face was deathly pale, and his fingers were growing cold.
He had overexerted himself with that last strike.
Lu Wenchuan put away his blade and walked over to him, reaching out to steady him, only to stop before making contact.
"Can you still stand?"
Xu Zhihan glanced at him. "No. Will you carry me on your back?"
Lu Wenchuan gave it serious thought. "I could."
Xu Zhihan's face was cold. "Get lost."
Lu Wenchuan laughed.
"You still have the energy to snap at me. Looks like you're not too bad off."
Xu Zhihan ignored him and turned to the child.
"What's your name?"
The child raised his head, his voice very soft.
"Xu An."
Xu Zhihan's gaze stilled for a moment.
His surname was Xu.
Lu Wenchuan had heard it too, and his smile faded.
A child surnamed Xu, held captive in the Xu Family's basement.
This was even more sordid than they had thought.