Yun Chu Ling

Chapter 50: The Haunted Manor

They traveled all the way to the northern part of the city.

After passing through the city gates, the road became uneven. They journeyed for nearly an hour until the sky darkened completely before finally arriving at the manor's entrance.

This manor had been haunted for over twenty years. Aside from the surrounding farmers and those specifically assigned to maintain the property, few others knew much about the situation.

For instance, the sturdy men and matrons Yun Chu had brought along were all staring curiously at the desolate manor, unable to understand why no crops were planted here.

"Madam, the entrance is completely overgrown with weeds. You shouldn't go inside," Chen Defu spoke up. "This old servant will take a few people to investigate first."

Yun Chu carefully observed the manor entrance, a sudden smile appearing on her lips. "At first glance, it does appear overgrown with weeds. But Chen Bo, have you noticed? The weeds on the left and right sides part to reveal an extremely hard-to-spot path. The people in the manor must use this path to come and go."

Chen Defu stared in astonishment. "Someone dares to live here?"

Yun Chu merely smiled without responding.

Humans fear ghosts by three parts, but ghosts fear humans by seven. Even if there were truly ghosts, there was actually no need to be afraid.

She took the lead walking along the parted path, her dress getting caught by the weeds. With each step forward, numerous threads were pulled loose, essentially ruining the dress.

Chen Defu quickly stepped on the weeds to walk ahead of her and clear the way.

Ting Shuang led the way holding a lantern, while Ting Feng and Ting Xue walked on either side of Yun Chu, holding up her dress hem.

The matrons and men followed noisily behind. Only then did they realize something was amiss - the sky had completely darkened, yet why weren't there any lights lit in the manor?

Inside the manor, the weeds reached shoulder height. Moonlight shone down, tree shadows swayed, and the timid Ting Xue was so frightened her face turned pale.

Chen Defu led people in clearing a path, bringing Yun Chu into the main hall. He used his own clothes to wipe clean a chair in the hall, then respectfully invited Yun Chu to sit.

Ting Shuang even brought tea from the carriage and began brewing it there.

As the tea finished brewing, its fragrance filled the air while the night grew deeper.

Chen Defu, Ting Shuang and the others gradually grew bolder. With so many of them present, even if there were vengeful ghosts, they probably wouldn't dare show themselves.

"There's too much tea brewed. Everyone have a few sips to moisten your throats. We'll be starting work soon."

Yun Chu smiled as she distributed the tea.

The matrons had only ever drunk coarse tea before. This refined, aromatic tea was their first time tasting it, and they couldn't help drinking several cups.

Soon, one matron clutched her stomach and said, "Madam, may this old servant go relieve herself? I'll return immediately."

Yun Chu nodded. "It's dark outside. Take two people with you."

Coincidentally, two other matrons also needed to relieve themselves, so the three of them left the main hall together. Outside was completely overgrown with shoulder-high weeds, making it impossible to distinguish directions or locate the outhouse. After discussing briefly, they found a spot with dense vegetation, untied their belts and squatted down...

Suddenly, rustling sounds emerged.

One matron called out loudly, "We're over here! If you need to relieve yourselves, go somewhere else."

But the footsteps grew closer and closer...

Back in the main hall, Yun Chu and the others soon heard the matrons' screams coming one after another.

Ting Xue's entire face trembled with fear. "Could there really be ghosts..."

"Don't speak nonsense," Ting Shuang's voice also carried a tremble. "Madam has already sent Chen Bo over. Nothing will happen."As soon as the words fell, Chen Defu had people carry the three maidservants back. Two of them had already fainted from fright, while the remaining one was babbling incoherently: "It's a ghost, a terrifying ghost! Such long fangs... it wanted to eat us..."

As the maidservant spoke, her eyes rolled back and she too fainted.

Chen Defu reported: "Madam, when this old servant brought people over, the thing had already fled. It ran extremely fast—disappeared into the woods without a trace."

The trees in the forest were tall, the vegetation dense, and coupled with the darkness and their unfamiliarity with the area, they would have gotten lost immediately upon entering.

The maidservants and laborers in the main hall were thoroughly frightened. None had expected there to be ghosts here, and everyone began considering retreat.

Yun Chu stood up: "Let's go, we'll go take a look."

The laborers and maidservants exchanged uneasy glances.

They couldn't understand—wasn't Madam afraid? How could she remain so calm and composed without showing any panic?

One could only say that the master was indeed the master, not something their servant status could compare to.

With Yun Chu taking the lead, these people found their anchor. Their thoughts of retreat gradually dissipated as they gathered around Yun Chu and moved outward.

Chen Defu and four laborers cleared the path ahead, soon arriving at the spot where the three maidservants had earlier relieved themselves. In one direction, the weeds were flattened. Everyone followed that direction and after about a dozen steps reached the small grove of the estate.

The grove was even darker with denser trees. Entering would be troublesome enough if one got lost, let alone encountered ghosts.

Yun Chu closed her eyes and sniffed the air.

Earlier she had put a nameless incense in the tea—a fragrance her mother had developed in her spare time during Yun Chu's childhood. She had always loved it and would burn some occasionally.

Later she discovered this fragrance was remarkably persistent. Even after being consumed and subsequently expelled from the body, it would carry the scent, and the odor would become even stronger.

Those maidservants had drunk the tea and relieved themselves. Whatever "ghost" had passed through here would inevitably carry the scent.

After smelling for a while, Yun Chu opened her eyes and pointed due south: "Chen Bo, this way."

Chen Defu nodded and advanced with the four laborers to clear the path.

There were no visible traces of anyone having come this way, but upon closer inspection, one could see the weeds were all flattened in a uniform direction. Someone familiar with the path could traverse it without disturbing the grass.

Yun Chu led everyone deep into the woods where they found a thatched cottage. Though situated deep in the dense forest, it appeared clean and showed signs of habitation.

Chen Defu said in disbelief: "So someone really does live here."

Ting Feng frowned: "Who would play such ghostly tricks here? Chen Bo, quickly arrest them for proper interrogation."

Yun Chu made a restraining gesture.

She walked to the cottage door and spoke calmly: "Wu Furen, Young Master Wu, let's meet."

Before deciding to purchase this estate, she had already investigated its original owners—the Wu family's circumstances.

After the Wu family members contracted strange illnesses, they died one by one and were buried in the family ancestral graves. She had specifically sent people to check—the massive ancestral cemetery was missing two gravestones.

Those would belong to the last lady of the Wu family, and the young master who had been about one year old at the time.

In her previous life, the fire ten years later must have burned these mother and child to death, which was why the ghost incidents had ended then.

After Yun Chu finished speaking, there was no response from within the thatched cottage.She remained unhurried and continued, "A divine healer has recently arrived in the capital. Wouldn't Wu Furen wish to have this healer examine Young Master Wu and treat his illness?"

At these words, movement stirred within the house. Soon after, a hunched woman leaning on a cane emerged.

Yun Chu was greatly astonished.

Back when Wu Furen had just given birth, she was only around twenty years old. Twenty years had passed, so she should be in her forties now—yet she appeared to be nearly sixty. What could have happened to age a woman so drastically?

Before her surprise could subside, another figure clad in a black cloak stepped out of the house.

The person’s face was covered in blisters the size of a baby’s fist, some of which had burst and festered, making the entire visage horrifying to behold. He reached out to support his mother, revealing that his hands were also covered in blisters—likely his entire body was the same...

Yun Chu knew this must be Young Master Wu, afflicted with the strange hereditary illness of the Wu family.