Translator: CinderTL
The Western-style mansion was lit by lamps in front. After observing for a long time, they finally confirmed that no one was nearby.
However, out of caution, everyone instinctively avoided entering through the main gate. After all, their mission was reconnaissance.
Reconnaissance in secret.
If possible, they wouldn't even touch the edges of the lamplight. The lamps burned steadily, giving everyone an ominous feeling.
Finally, Luo He led the way. They took a long detour to avoid the light and reached a secluded spot behind the mansion.
This area was a blind spot, unlikely to be noticed.
Along the way, Chen Qiang stared at Luo He's back, his expression growing increasingly strange.
This man seemed intimately familiar with the Feng Manor's layout. Otherwise, how could he have navigated through the darkness to reach this place?
Unless his eyes could see through the dark.
But that was too far-fetched.
"Look over there," Pi Ruan suddenly said, interrupting Chen Qiang's thoughts. He turned to look in the direction Pi Ruan indicated.
There was a slightly ajar window, still the old-fashioned wooden type.
Part of the window frame had rotted away, perhaps because it was inconspicuous and unimportant, so no one had bothered to repair it.
But what truly caught everyone's attention was the faint glow seeping through the cracks in the window.
It was red.
Something inside the window seemed to be emitting a dim crimson light.
"Red light," Huai Yi frowned, his voice barely a whisper. "What could it be?"
"Whatever it is, it can't be good," Chen Qiang added, his gaze fixed on the window, never wavering.
A figure flashed past them. To their surprise, a slender form moved ahead and reached the window first. Then, extending a hand, it slowly began to open the window.
It was Fu Fu. The girl before them was utterly unrecognizable from the little girl they had known.
As the window creaked open, the red light gradually intensified.
Strangely, the light wasn't intense at all. In fact, it seemed to grow fainter as the window opened wider.
The group exchanged glances and then approached the window with cautious steps.
Through the opening, they saw the red light emanating from above the staircase not far away. By the time it reached them, it was barely a flicker. If the night hadn't been so dark, it would have been completely overlooked.
Luo He gestured for everyone to gather around. "The thing emitting the red light is upstairs. But when we go in, we'll search the first floor first, then go up together."
Everyone understood Luo He's meaning. They suspected the red light was a lure, with the real danger lurking on the first floor, waiting to cut off their escape route once they reached the second floor.
Clearing all potential threats before ascending was the correct strategy.
Fu Fu was the first to climb into the Western-style mansion, entering through the window they had previously opened.
To everyone's surprise, Luo He didn't stop Fu Fu's reckless action. Instead, he seemed to encourage it.
Were they not allies? Or was their relationship less harmonious than they had imagined? The others speculated in secret.
About half a minute later, Fu Fu's face reappeared at the window. "All clear," she nodded, her delicate features etched with seriousness, a hint of forced maturity in her expression.
Following her lead, everyone else climbed into the Feng Family Mansion one by one.
The moment their feet touched the ground, they were hit by a sudden chill, as if they had plunged into an icy abyss.
A single window separated two worlds.
Luo He was the last to enter. And after he landed, he did something that shocked everyone.
He closed the window.
That was their escape route!
The moment their gazes met, Luo He understood everyone's discontent. In a voice that was soft yet firm, he said, "The atmosphere in this Western-style mansion feels wrong. If we leave the windows open for too long, we might disturb whatever resides within."
Without realizing it, they had already accepted the premise that something was amiss in the mansion—perhaps even that it was haunted. After all, the Feng Manor's eerie atmosphere was plain for anyone with eyes to see.
Their gazes swept across the surroundings, settling on a storage room. Roughly 20 square meters in size, it was piled high with firewood for cooking and several large black pots. The firewood was neatly stacked, and Chen Qiang walked over, squatting down to touch it. His fingertips felt damp.
As expected.
Chen Qiang's eyes narrowed as he slowly stood up, his gaze lifting from the firewood. "The wood is already damp. It'll be a hassle to use this for cooking."
"What do you mean?"
"This should be where the Feng family cooked their meals," Chen Qiang replied. "But it looks like they haven't eaten here in a long time."
They had previously visited the servants' dining hall in the Feng Manor, making the contrast between the two spaces starkly obvious.
To the right of the warehouse was a fully open Gate, through which they could see the scene outside.
It was a vast living room furnished with a complete sofa set and a long dining table large enough to seat over a dozen people.
Faintly visible on the table were several objects that emitted a cold, silvery light.
Upon closer inspection, they realized these were several sets of silver tableware, including silver chopsticks, silver plates, knives, forks, and two silver candlesticks.
There were no candles in sight, but the candlesticks were covered in dark red candle wax that had solidified, resembling droplets of blood-soaked tears.
Again, they saw no one.
After a moment's thought, Luo He took the lead and stepped out of the wood storage warehouse.
The first floor was even larger than they had imagined, but it consisted entirely of functional rooms: a living room, warehouses, a kitchen, and even a dedicated playroom for children.
What unsettled them most was the presence of mysterious talismans and stickers in every room.
Most were yellow paper adorned with red and black ink drawings.
The walls were covered in incomprehensible characters and diagrams, but when pieced together with the events that had transpired, it was easy to deduce that they were obtained from a high-ranking expert by the Feng Family.
The purpose: to pray for blessings and ward off evil spirits.
Finally, after searching the entire first floor, they reached the staircase leading to the second floor.
A faint red glow spilled down the stairs.
The luxurious, aged wooden staircase looked as if someone had splashed a ladle of blood over it.
The blood had darkened, but the unease that had been brewing in everyone's hearts began to ferment.
"Let's go up and take a look," Luo He said, then added, "Be careful. Don't touch anything you shouldn't. If you find anything unusual, notify the others immediately."
"Especially... don't scream or speak loudly!" Chen Qiang added the last sentence.
Luo He glanced at him but said nothing.
Fortunately, the situation was slightly better than anticipated. Their shoes didn't produce the unbearable creaking sound as they stepped on the aged wooden steps.
Halfway up, everyone suddenly stopped. The scene before them left them momentarily stunned, followed by a wave of chilling dread.
(End of the Chapter)
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