As the memory faded, Xiao Ling blinked, realizing she had been lost in thought. The sound of gravel crunching under her shoes pulled her back to the present.
The taxi's headlights were long gone now, swallowed by the mist that hung low over the deserted village road.
" Xiao Ling, let's go before it gets darker," he said, adjusting his backpack and glancing toward the shadowy outline ahead.
Xiao Ling followed his gaze — there it was. The mansion.
Even from a distance, it stood out among the ruins like a dark monument, its windows hollow and black, its roof partially caved in.
The faint wind whistled through the cracks of broken walls, carrying with it a faint, almost human sigh.
Ah Xu shivered. The memory of Jia Le's smirk unease echoed in his mind.
"Let's get this over with," Ah Xu said confidently, but his voice wavered just slightly — a tremor Xiao Ling almost didn't catch.
Together, they started walking toward the mansion, the last traces of daylight dying behind them.
The mansion was grand — far more imposing than any other building in the area. It was clear that a wealthy family had once lived here; even in its current state of decay, its size and ornate architecture made it stand out among the surrounding ruins.
But as they stepped closer, Xiao Ling noticed something chilling.
Faint streaks of dried blood and handprints were smeared across the front yard, as if the massacre had occurred just yesterday.
Along the way, Xiao Ling had done some research on the East side of Pujiang, trying to piece together its dark history.
The mansion was known as Feng Mansion, once home to one of the wealthiest families in Pujiang. It had been passed down through generations since ancient times, awarded by the Emperor himself for the family's contributions to the dynasty.
Yet, one fateful night, everything changed. The entire east side of Pujiang was destroyed.
Bodies were found everywhere, and no one survived to explain what had happened.
The police and government had investigated, but they uncovered nothing.
The case went cold, evidence vanished, and the east side of Pujiang was ultimately abandoned — left to rot, haunted by the unanswered questions of that horrific night.
Ah Xu paused for a moment, taking in the full scale of Feng Mansion.
It had roughly four floors, with an additional basement hidden beneath the building's shadow.
Without hesitation, he grabbed Xiao Ling's hand and dragged her toward the front door. He pressed against it, forcing it open.
A long, echoing creak filled the air as the heavy wooden door slowly swung ajar.
A stench hit them immediately — the pungent smell of corpses mixed with decades of dust.
Both Ah Xu and Xiao Ling recoiled, covering their noses instinctively.
Despite the decay, the interior of the mansion remained eerily intact.
The furniture, though draped in thick layers of dust, stood in its original places.
Moonlight from the broken windows highlighted the grandeur of the old house, casting long shadows across the floor.
They stood at the threshold, staring into the silent, empty expanse, feeling both awe and unease.
Ah Xu quickly pulled out his phone, switching on the flashlight, and shone it down the long, dark corridor.
As they stepped further into the mansion, a sudden gust of cold air swept past them, brushing against their ears.
The hair on their arms and neck stood on end. Fear flickered across their faces, unspoken but undeniable.
"Xiao Ling," Ah Xu said, trying to sound casual, though his voice carried a hint of tension, "if you're too scared, you can wait outside.
I'll scout the place for a bit before we start the livestream. We still have about two hours until midnight."
Xiao Ling hesitated.
A deep, instinctive unease rooted her to the spot. Something told her this wasn't right — that something would go horribly wrong if she followed him inside.
Sensing her hesitation, Ah Xu continued, "Look, just wait outside and help me get the livestream set up.
Give me an hour to look around. After that, I'll come back, and we can go inside together."
Xiao Ling nodded reluctantly. "Okay… but if anything happens, promise me I can call you or just shout your name."
"Of course," Ah Xu replied.
They found a small, relatively safe corner in the foyer.
While Xiao Ling fumbled with the phone and tried to figure out the livestream app — neither of them had any real experience with livestreaming — Ah Xu slipped quietly into the shadows of the mansion, his phone flashlight in hand, ready to explore.
The mansion loomed around them, silent except for the faint creak of old wood and the distant whisper of the wind through broken windows.
Ah Xu decided to start with the basement.
The air in the corridor grew heavier as he walked, his flashlight beam trembling slightly with each step.
When he reached the basement door, he hesitated.
The old wooden frame looked warped and rotten, as if it hadn't been opened in decades.
He pressed his palm against it and pushed.
The hinges groaned in protest — and at that very moment, a piercing scream shattered the silence. It was so close it felt like someone had screamed right next to his ear.
Ah Xu stumbled backward, his heart hammering in his chest. He covered his ears instinctively, breathing hard.
"There's no such thing as ghosts… or demons…" he muttered to himself.
"It's all in my head."
He slapped his own cheek lightly, trying to shake off the fear, then steadied the flashlight and stepped forward again.
The basement was cold and damp, the air thick with the scent of mold and rust.
The light from his phone barely pierced the darkness, revealing only scattered furniture and strange, old objects draped in cobwebs.
He swept the beam slowly across the room, searching for anything unusual.
Then, as he turned toward the far end of the basement, he froze.
In the distance, half-hidden by the shadows, a faint, ghostly figure stood watching him — motionless, silent, and impossibly pale.