"Strange occurrences shouldn't just be a modern thing; they must have existed in ancient times as well..."

"Facing the supernatural, those Divine Women and Divine Men from the past were probably the most likely to come into contact with such events... similar to our detectives today... all more prone to encountering strange occurrences!"

Chu He pushed up his glasses. "If possible, I'd like to borrow some books from your family's collection..."

"No problem."

Yue Shan led them around to the front door at last, took out his keys and opened the lock of the Iron General.

The door creaked open—dusk casting shadows inside like a monstrous creature baring its fangs.

It seemed ready to swallow up every newcomer whole!

Everyone felt a chill run down their spine, except for Su Nuan, who let out a cold laugh.

Yue Shan led the group to the main hall, introducing along the way: "This is the main hall of our old mansion; behind it, there's a garden, a book tower, the main bedroom, guest rooms... The sides are where the servants live, plus there's the kitchen, the storeroom..."

As he mentioned the book tower, he shivered unconsciously, recalling the dark shadow descending from the heights...

"Let's not split up. We'll all stay overnight in the main hall tonight."

Chu He looked around the old mansion. "There's no electricity here; it'll be dangerous at night. We should prepare plenty of firewood, candles..."

The main hall, long uninhabited, was covered in a thick layer of dust, but it could just about accommodate people after a clean-up.

They weren't truly there for a holiday, of course—they came prepared, and nobody was bold enough to truly consider sleeping in this ancient house for the night.

"Ah, I forgot to ask Uncle Gouzi to bring some extra candles earlier..."

Yue Qin said with some regret: "After delivering dinner, we should have him leave quickly so as not to endanger the innocent..."

"It's getting dark soon; it's a bit dangerous."

Han Bingjie said gloomily, "But I do want to eat a warm meal. Even before an execution in ancient times, they'd have a final meal..."

"If you can't talk nicely, you might as well be mute!"

Wu Qi retorted, then pointed at the package in Chu He's hand: "Where should we put this thing?"

"The task address is the old mansion... so it should be fine to put it anywhere."

Chu He said, "Based on previous experience with tasks, the package usually contains a crucial item... it might be the key to triggering the strange attacks!"

"But it could also hide vital clues."

Yue Shan coughed, "I have an idea. Since the item was delivered here, as the master of the mansion, I should have the right to open it..."

"Absolutely not! Do you want to get us all killed?"

Murong Hong reacted sharply, strongly opposed: "Not to mention the curse of breaking workflow... opening the package rashly could immediately provoke the strange forces to start killing!"

As a veteran employee who survived the mission from Cao Liuyu, she had her own concerns.

"Brother, I know you want to uncover the truth quickly, but don't take risks with your own life."

Yue Qin also expressed her opposition.

"We have five paranormal items on hand; we can make an effort with those, but since everyone is against it, then let's forget it..."

Yue Shan abandoned his previous idea.

"But the person holding it is also very likely to become a target for the strange..."

Chu He said, "So... I plan to put it in a room and set up surveillance."

"Many strange forces have the ability to disrupt signals, why not have someone guard it?"

Yue Shan questioned.

"Someone who's alone is easy to attack and in danger, while if we all guard it together, it becomes a collective effort against the strange..."

Chu He said, "Though we have insurance, there are still people who've died on the job despite using paranormal items... this decision might end up getting us all killed!"

"In that case... let's put the package in the back house. We need to eat quickly and keep our strength up."

After reaching a consensus, the group made their way to the back garden.

Gazing at the overgrown weeds and the decayed wooden tower, Yue Shan couldn't help feeling very sentimental.

His and his sister's eyes involuntarily drifted towards the main bedroom, the site of... that tragic incident years ago!

"Let's not put it there, let's go to the library instead."

Chu He said, "Your Yue family has a lot of books, huh? There's even a two-story library..."

"It was passed down from my great-grandfather's generation; there really aren't that many books in there anymore..."

Yue Shan replied.

"What a pity..."

Chu He, carrying the express delivery, walked in and soon came out with several thread-bound books: "Entertainment for the night... The surveillance is also set up; now, we'll head back to the hall and wait for the meal delivery and nightfall... Anyone with physiological needs, hurry up and take care of them."

The moment these words were uttered, everyone's expressions inevitably became a bit strange.

Yue Shan thought of horror novels where, despite knowing there were ghosts, people were still allowed to go to bathrooms—narrow and shut-in places with mirrors, doors, and other ghostly instruments of crime—and felt somewhat amused.

What's more important, life or face?

Besides, it's only for one night; the women have already prepared diapers, and the men at worst could walk out a bit, turn their backs to everyone, and just relieve themselves in a corner.

Well, it's somewhat embarrassing for the Yue siblings, but this old house had been abandoned long ago...

After several people took care of their physiological needs, the group returned to the main hall.

Chu He lit a candle and began to flip through the thread-bound books found in the library.

The books were in poor condition, the text on the cover was blurred and there were traces of insect damage.

Upon opening one, he found a handwritten diary inside.

He wasn't disappointed, instead turning the pages one by one, taking great interest in the notes made on certain dates.

Time passed by the minute.

The sky... gradually darkened.

The flickering candlelight cast the shadows of several people on the wall, like monsters.

Han Bingjie stretched and patted his stomach, beginning to count the shadows on the wall—one, two, three...

In the next moment, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he shouted: "Su Nuan! Where's Su Nuan?!"

The others were startled and alarmed, realizing that at some point, the cold-faced girl had disappeared!

"Su Nuan was always unwelcoming and liked to stay on the fringe; we didn't even notice until now..."

Wu Qi's voice trembled.

"It's possible she left on her own, or possibly... the ghost has begun its assault, pulling her into some alternate dimension... This ability is commonly referred to as... 'ghost hitting the wall'!"

Chu He put down the book, his expression slightly solemn.

...

Meanwhile, in Black Water Town.

Uncle Gouzi rode a small tricycle and arrived outside the Yue family's old mansion.

"Xiao Shan, Xiao Qin... I've brought you takeout!"

He called out several times, but no one responded.

Uncle Gouzi walked closer with a puzzled face, and then he saw... the mansion's door was still locked, with the Iron General chain in place!

"Strange... they didn't come."

Uncle Gouzi left bewildered, not noticing that behind him, the ancient mansion in the darkness seemed faintly blurred, like... an illusion!

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