The name Xu An left the basement silent for a long time.
Lu Wenchuan crouched down, bringing his eyes level with the child's spectral form. His tone was unusually serious. "Do you remember how you died?"
Xu An looked at him, seeming a little frightened, and quietly edged closer to Xu Zhihan.
Lu Wenchuan raised an eyebrow. "What, do I look scary?"
Xu Zhihan looked down at Xu An. "Answer whatever he asks you."
Only then did Xu An speak softly. "I don't remember. When I woke up, I was in the jar. It was dark and cold, and someone kept making me cry."
Lu Wenchuan's expression darkened a little. "Making you cry?"
Xu An nodded. "The longer I cried, the happier the thing underground got."
As he spoke, he pointed toward the center of the talisman formation.
The clay jar had already shattered, but a dark red mark remained beneath the formation. Lu Wenchuan walked over and crouched to examine it, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.
"A Resentment-Nurturing Formation."
Xu Zhihan looked at him. "You know quite a lot."
Lu Wenchuan didn't look up. "The job forces me to. You'd know too if you dealt with things like this every day."
Xu Zhihan said flatly, "When I deal with them, they're all on their knees."
Lu Wenchuan's movements paused.
He looked up at Xu Zhihan, held it in for two seconds, then couldn't help laughing.
"Young Master Xu, that's pretty arrogant."
Xu Zhihan remained expressionless. "It's a fact."
Lu Wenchuan looked at his pale face, then at the pile of black ash on the floor.
Fair enough.
It really was a fact.
Lu Wenchuan stood, dropped his joking manner, and began inspecting their surroundings. Plenty of traces remained in the basement. Talismans were pasted on some old boxes, and several small jars sealed shut sat in a corner.
He didn't touch anything rashly.
"We can't just tear this place apart. If the Xu Family dared put a formation beneath their own house, they must have other safeguards."
Xu Zhihan gave a quiet acknowledgment.
He looked toward the corner.
A wooden cabinet blocked a section of wall there.
Xu An looked that way too.
Xu Zhihan asked, "What's over there?"
Xu An shook his head. "I don't know. But someone over there keeps calling me."
Lu Wenchuan walked over and moved the cabinet.
The cabinet was heavy and made a dull scraping sound as he dragged it. Xu Zhihan frowned slightly.
Lu Wenchuan looked back. "Too loud?"
Xu Zhihan said coldly, "Why ask if you already know?"
Lu Wenchuan chuckled under his breath, but moved a little more gently.
Once the cabinet was moved aside, the wall was exposed.
An old photograph was stuck to it.
The photograph had yellowed, its corners darkened. Four people were in it.
A younger Xu Chengyuan, Zhou Man, and an unfamiliar woman. The unfamiliar woman held a child in her arms. The child was very young, but his features bore some resemblance to Xu An's.
At the very bottom of the photograph, two names had been written in red ink.
Xu An.
Xu Zhihan.
Lu Wenchuan's expression darkened when he saw them.
"Why is your name here?"
Xu Zhihan didn't answer.
He took two steps closer and looked at the photograph.
The body's original owner had no memories of Xu An.
Nor of this unfamiliar woman.
But the instant he saw the photograph, a tightness rose in this body's chest again. It wasn't illness or pain, but some forgotten emotion briefly stirring awake.
Xu Zhihan grew irritated.
He hated this feeling of being out of control.
Lu Wenchuan noticed the change in his expression. "Feeling unwell?"
"No."
"You usually look worse when you're being stubborn."
Xu Zhihan looked at him.
Lu Wenchuan raised a hand. "Fine, I'll shut up."
Less than a second later, he added, "I need to take this photograph."
Xu Zhihan didn't stop him.
As Lu Wenchuan removed the photograph, a faint sound suddenly came from behind the wall.
Both men looked up at once.
Lu Wenchuan moved fast. A short blade was already in his hand.
Xu Zhihan raised a hand and pressed it against the wall.
There was something inside.
Not large.
But hidden deep.
He pressed lightly with his fingertips. The talisman markings on the wall flashed once, then quickly faded. A crack opened in the plaster, revealing an iron box.
Lu Wenchuan took the iron box out.
There was a lock on it.
Xu Zhihan glanced at it, and the lock snapped open on its own.
Lu Wenchuan raised an eyebrow. "That ability of yours is pretty useful for picking locks."
Xu Zhihan's tone was flat. "It's also useful for shutting people up."
Lu Wenchuan knew when to back down. "Forget I said anything."
The box opened. Inside were several old medical records, a Peace Amulet a child had worn, and a half-burned sheet of paper.
Only a few lines remained on the paper.
[Xu An's soul has formed; suitable for safeguarding the home.]
[Xu Zhihan's soul is weak; suitable for use as a vessel.]
After reading them, the smile vanished completely from Lu Wenchuan's face.
A vessel.
The Xu Family's eldest young master had been targeted long ago.
Xu An had also spotted the Peace Amulet.
He reached out in a daze, but couldn't touch it.
"This is mine," he said softly. "Mom gave it to me."
Xu Zhihan glanced at him.
Xu An lowered his head. "I miss Mom."
Xu Zhihan was silent for a moment, then picked up the Peace Amulet.
The Peace Amulet was very old, its edges worn smooth and shiny. The character for "An" was engraved on it.
Xu An watched it, tears falling, but didn't dare make a sound.
He remembered Xu Zhihan saying he was noisy.
Xu Zhihan noticed, and his brow shifted slightly.
"Cry if you want to."
Xu An froze.
Xu Zhihan added, "Keep it quiet."
Lu Wenchuan turned to look at him, a hint of amusement in his eyes that he quickly suppressed.
Xu Zhihan looked cold and had a bad temper, but he wasn't heartless.
Lu Wenchuan was becoming increasingly certain of that.
The temperature in the basement began to drop.
Lu Wenchuan glanced at his instrument. "We can't stay here long. You shattered that black-robed thing just now. The Xu Family upstairs will react soon."
Xu Zhihan said flatly, "They're already here."
Lu Wenchuan looked up.
Footsteps came from upstairs.
Hurried ones.
Zhou Man's voice rang out first. "Why is the basement door open?"
Xu Chengyuan immediately followed with an angry shout. "Who went down there?"
Lu Wenchuan looked at Xu Zhihan. "How do you want to handle this?"
Xu Zhihan's face was pale, but his gaze was cold.
"Aren't you the one who handles trouble?"
Lu Wenchuan laughed. "All right, putting me to work."
He put away the photograph and iron box, then took a black identification card from his pocket.
Xu Zhihan looked at him. "You want to reveal yourself?"
Lu Wenchuan's tone was casual. "They're raising evil spirits in their basement, and they still expect me to pretend I don't see them?"
With that, he headed toward the stairs.
After only two steps, he stopped and turned back.
"Young Master Xu."
Xu Zhihan looked at him.
Lu Wenchuan asked, "Who are you, really?"
It was the second time he had asked that question.
Last time, at the hospital, Xu Zhihan had said he was a patient.
This time, Lu Wenchuan clearly wouldn't believe that again.
A patient couldn't make evil spirits kneel.
An ordinary person couldn't shatter an evil entity nurtured on resentment with a single sentence, either.
Much less look at those filthy things without a trace of fear in his eyes, only annoyance.
Xu Zhihan stood beneath the cold, gloomy light in the basement, his face pale but his gaze calm.
He looked at Lu Wenchuan for a while, then asked in return, "You want the truth?"
Lu Wenchuan smiled. "Depends on whether you're willing to tell me."
Xu Zhihan lowered his eyes, his tone indifferent.
"I'm not."
Lu Wenchuan paused, then burst out laughing.
"All right. Straight to the point."
The footsteps upstairs drew closer.
Xu Chengyuan had already reached the basement doorway and shouted angrily, "Who's down there?"
Lu Wenchuan turned and sauntered up the stairs.
"Special Investigation Bureau."
The voices upstairs fell silent for a moment.
Lu Wenchuan continued, "Mr. Xu, sorry to disturb you in the middle of the night."
His voice carried a smile, but there wasn't the slightest courtesy in his words.
"We need to investigate what's in your basement."
In the basement, Xu Zhihan looked down at Xu An.
Xu An hid beside him and asked softly, "Big brother, will I get locked up again?"
Xu Zhihan glanced toward the stairs. His voice was quiet, but steady.
"No."
Xu An looked up.
Xu Zhihan lowered his eyes to the Peace Amulet, his gaze turning cold.
"They're the ones who should be locked up."