Chapter 24: The Secret Cellar
Deep into the night, only a few faint lights flickered.
The Cheng mansion had fallen silent as everyone went to sleep.
“Mr. Lin, this is where the servants live.”
Cheng Yishi, leading the way, explained softly, “All twenty-one servants live in these six courtyards. They have comfortable accommodations and everything they need.”
“It seems like a decent place.”
Lin Tianlu casually asked, “Have any of them been acting strangely lately?”
“Everyone in the household has been behaving normally.” Cheng Yishi shook her head.
Hua Shuya, who had been following them closely, frowned slightly and whispered into Lin Tianlu’s ear, “Senior, should I go and search?”
“Don’t be reckless.”
Lin Tianlu took a deep breath and warned her, “If we truly encounter a ghost or demon, the worst thing we can do is split up… No matter what, it’s never a good idea to act alone in a dangerous situation.”
It was like a death flag in horror movies.
Those who ventured off alone always met a gruesome end.
“I’ll keep that in mind, Senior.” Hua Shuya nodded seriously.
Cheng Yishi, who hadn’t heard their whispered conversation, continued, “Gentlemen, if we go through this corridor, we’ll reach the main residence where my father and his concubines live.”
Lin Tianlu looked ahead and saw a spacious and well-maintained courtyard, the gardens and ponds meticulously cared for.
The Cheng family’s mansion was quite large. But most of the rooms were dark, their occupants asleep.
Lin Tianlu observed carefully but didn’t sense any strong Yin energy. Compared to the mansion itself, Cheng Yishi’s aura seemed to carry a heavier trace of Yin energy.
“Hmm?”
Hua Shuya’s sharp eyes noticed something. She said in a low voice, “Miss Cheng, who lives in that thatched hut over there?”
Cheng Yishi’s expression froze.
The gentle smile on her face vanished, and she said nonchalantly, “That’s just a storage shed for firewood. Only the servants go there.”
Her unusual reaction surprised Lin Tianlu.
But before he could ask, Cheng Yishi quickly moved on. “Let’s go to the backyard, gentlemen. If we find nothing unusual after inspecting the entire mansion, then it’s clear that my family is not haunted. I hope you can tell everyone tomorrow, Mr. Lin, and clear our name.”
“Of course.”
“—Hee hee hee~”
Suddenly, a soft, chilling laughter drifted through the night air, like a girl’s playful giggle.
Both Lin Tianlu and Hua Shuya froze.
Then, Hua Shuya gripped the hilt of her sword. “Senior, is that… a demon?!”
Lin Tianlu traced the sound to the backyard, not far ahead.
“Wait, did you two notice something?”
Cheng Yishi asked quickly, her face filled with surprise.
Lin Tianlu looked at her, puzzled. “Didn’t you hear it, Miss Cheng?”
“Hear what?”
“That woman’s laughter.” Lin Tianlu’s voice was low. “Just like the rumors, hearing such laughter in the dead of night is quite unsettling.”
Although the voice sounded pleasant, it still sent shivers down his spine.
“I-is that so?” A look of fear appeared on Cheng Yishi’s face.
Hua Shuya pressed her, her voice sharp. “Miss Cheng, are you hiding something from us?”
“This…” Cheng Yishi’s face paled, and she hesitated.
Seeing her wavering, Lin Tianlu knew something was wrong. He softened his tone and said, “Don’t worry, Miss Cheng. If there’s truly a ghost haunting your house, we can deal with it. But if you continue to hide it, things might get worse. You wouldn’t want to see your family harmed, would you?”
Cheng Yishi’s hands clenched tightly, her expression conflicted.
But she finally took a deep breath and said in a small voice, “I haven’t heard of any ghosts in our house. But… there is someone strange in our family.”
Lin Tianlu’s eyes widened in surprise. “You know something, Miss Cheng?”
“Sir, you know that my father has five daughters and one son. Three daughters and the son were born to his concubines.” Cheng Yishi hesitated. “The remaining two daughters, my younger sister and I, were born to his first wife…”
“You mean—”
“My younger sister, she’s a bit strange.”
Cheng Yishi frowned, her voice filled with anxiety. “She’s always been quiet and withdrawn, rarely interacting with others. She spends all her time alone in her room. If she were just shy, it wouldn’t be a problem. But she barely leaves her room… Sometimes, when I pass by her corridor, I can see her standing there, through the window, her face expressionless, not saying a word. It’s very strange!”
Lin Tianlu felt a chill down his spine.
Was this a scene from a horror movie?
“Why haven’t you told your father about this?”
“He knows.”
Lin Tianlu was surprised. “Your father knows?”
“He’s known about my sister’s strange behavior for a long time.” Cheng Yishi lowered her voice. “It’s just that she looks very similar to our mother, and she’s the youngest, so she’s very spoiled. He doesn’t take it seriously… Or perhaps he just doesn’t want to make it public and attract gossip.”
“But these past few days, the laughter I’ve heard at night… it’s almost always coming from my sister’s room.”
Cheng Yishi bit her lip and pointed to a room across the corridor. “My sister and I live in adjacent rooms, so I can hear it very clearly.”
Lin Tianlu frowned. “Why didn’t you tell us before?”
Cheng Yishi’s expression was troubled. “My father instructed me not to reveal any family secrets to outsiders. I was hoping to just send you two away and pretend nothing was wrong.”
Lin Tianlu’s brow furrowed even deeper.
“Please forgive me, Mr. Lin. I didn’t mean to deceive you. But the laughter always comes from my sister’s room. It’s not a ghost. And my father repeatedly warned me not to—”
“Let’s not waste time talking.”
Lin Tianlu’s gaze hardened, his voice low. “Please lead the way, Miss Cheng.”
“O-okay.”
Cheng Yishi quickly led them to a room in the backyard.
As they entered the room, Hua Shuya drew her sword and looked around cautiously.
But she couldn’t find anyone.
“What’s going on? Why is the room empty…”
“Ah?!”
A startled cry suddenly rang out.
Lin Tianlu turned to see Cheng Yishi falling through a trapdoor in the corner of the room.
He and Hua Shuya quickly followed, jumping into the hole. Fortunately, it wasn’t deep, and they landed safely.
“Are you alright, Miss Cheng?”
Lin Tianlu quickly helped her up.
But Cheng Yishi shook her head, her face pale. “My ankle hurts. I can’t stand.”
“You might have sprained it. Please don’t move.”
Lin Tianlu looked around and was surprised to see a tunnel lit by candles, their flames flickering faintly.
There was a secret cellar beneath the Cheng mansion?
“Miss Cheng, is there a tunnel under your house… Did you know about this?”
“N-no!”
“Alright, stay here, Miss Cheng. Don’t wander off.”
His expression turned serious.
At that moment, he finally sensed a faint, chilling aura.
Although someone was trying to conceal it, they were so close now that it was as clear as day to Lin Tianlu.
He and Hua Shuya walked deeper into the tunnel.
The air was damp and cold, but there were no traps. They soon reached a stone door blocking their path.
Lin Tianlu narrowed his eyes, seeing a faint gray mist swirling around the door.
“Let’s see if I can break through this door… Eh?”
But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, his hand effortlessly pierced through the stone, leaving him speechless.
This door… was as soft as a soap bubble.
He didn’t bother to examine the material. He simply pushed the remaining fragments aside and entered the room with Hua Shuya. The space opened up, revealing a hidden cellar.
—And as expected, two figures stood in the distance.
Hearing the commotion, the two figures turned around.
Their eyes met, and one of them was Cheng Yanghua!
“This… how is this possible?!”
Cheng Yanghua’s face was filled with shock, as if he hadn’t expected them to find this place.
Beside him stood a young woman in a ruqun, her face bearing a resemblance to Cheng Yishi’s, but her expression was cold and menacing, her eyes bloodshot.
Lin Tianlu’s gaze hardened. “Mr. Cheng, perhaps you could explain this situation?”
“…”
Cheng Yanghua was speechless.
But after a moment of silence, he shook his head with a wry smile.
“It seems the rumors are true, Master Lin. You truly possess extraordinary abilities.
We deliberately concealed our Yin energy and remained silent, yet you still managed to track us down. You even broke through that magically sealed stone door. Truly impressive.”
Lin Tianlu’s eyes flickered, and a shimmering light danced before his eyes, forming a mystical scene.
Dark gray mist swirled around the young woman, tinged with blood red, faint cries echoing within it.
Although Cheng Yanghua wasn’t surrounded by the mist, as the Yin energy brushed against him, a brighter blood-red light erupted from within his body… his fingers seemed to be dripping with blood!
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