A "haunted house" generally refers to an unlucky or ghost-infested dwelling. Since Zhang Hu is in the real estate business, could it be that he also has such properties in his hands?
"Steward, did Uncle Zhang call me here specifically about the haunted house?" I asked.
The steward nodded. "You'll need to wait until you meet the master to get the full details. I'm just here to escort you there."
"What? Steward Li, you came to pick him up?" Zhang Xiaoman had thought Steward Li was there to pick her up from school. When she saw the steward prioritize me instead, she grew irritated, pouting so much that her lips almost touched her nose. Strangely enough, this was the first time I found her even slightly cute.
Noticing Zhang Xiaoman's anger, Steward Li quickly smiled and said, "Young miss, I'm here to pick up both of you."
"Hmph, I refuse to go back with this country bumpkin. Let him walk!" Zhang Xiaoman said aggressively, launching a personal attack against me.
Originally, I thought my skills weren't strong enough for the business of dealing with the supernatural—I might even lose my life if I wasn't careful—so I wanted to politely decline Steward Li's offer. But Zhang Xiaoman's condescension made me determined to oppose her.
"Steward Li, let's go. Where's the car? Lead the way," I said, turning up my nose at this scheming girl to show my contempt and strike back.
At this point, Steward Li bowed to Zhang Xiaoman and said, "I have a task at hand. If the young miss doesn't want to go back, I'll first return with this young man. Later, I can send another car to pick you up."
After speaking, Steward Li led me out of the classroom, leaving Zhang Xiaoman behind, fuming with anger as she gritted her teeth and stomped her feet. I couldn't help but snicker inwardly: You tried to set a trap for me? From now on, it's either me or you— I will take you on to the end!
The car Steward Li drove was an extra-long limousine, incredibly eye-catching parked at the school gate. Sitting in it made me feel extremely prestigious; people around cast envious glances, as if riding such a vehicle were the honor of a lifetime.
Indeed, many people spend a lifetime struggling without ever being able to afford such a super-luxurious car. But the moment I sat down, I silently vowed to buy an even more luxurious and dazzling vehicle in the future.
Ahem, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. After all, I still have much to do—at the very least, I need to develop the strength to deal with that old woman within a year.
Arriving at Zhang Xiaoman's home, Zhang Hu was already waiting for me in the main hall. After some polite pleasantries, I got straight to the point.
"Uncle Zhang, why did you call me here today? Is it about a haunted house?" I asked.
Zhang Hu took a sip of tea before nodding. "Little brother, the day you helped me drive away the ghost beside my daughter, I knew you had a trick up your sleeve. Recently, I bought a new batch of houses, but they've turned out to be quite a headache."
"Are those haunted houses?" I frowned.
Zhang Hu nodded again. "Exactly. That's why I haven't dared to sell them since purchasing them—doing business like that would be too unethical and damage my reputation. But if I don't sell them, I'll incur huge losses, so I'm asking for your help, little brother."
This time, my frown deepened until my brows almost knitted into a tight knot.
Haunted houses are no laughing matter. They generally fall into two categories: one with poor feng shui layout, and the other where people have died—specifically, through unnatural deaths. As a result, the house becomes saturated with Vengeful feeling, and restless spirits linger, causing the house to be haunted and even capable of claiming lives.
The first type is manageable, but with the second type—encountering a malevolent ghost with deeply rooted resentment—you could lose your life at any moment.
Zhang Hu is worth tens of millions. These are just a few houses. Why should I, a poor country boy, risk my life for him?
"Uncle Zhang, with your wealth, you can easily find an expert. I'm just an amateur still learning the ropes. As the saying goes, 'a smooth chin can't be trusted with important tasks.' You'd better seek someone more capable." I quickly stood up to refuse, ready to leave.
But I hadn't taken more than a few steps before Zhang Hu called me back. "Little brother, why refuse so quickly? You're Xiaoman's classmate—I won't treat you unfairly. Here's the deal: if you successfully help me resolve the haunted house issue, you'll get a quarter of the profits from the sales. How does that sound?"
"How much is a quarter?" I asked curiously.
Zhang Hu held up three fingers. "Around three million yuan!"
When he said that, I sucked in a sharp breath.
That was an incredibly tempting offer. I might never earn that much in my entire life. Although I don't have to pay tuition now, I still have to work part-time during my spare time to cover living expenses. My food and clothes are always inferior, and I often get mocked, which upsets me deeply.
After a moment of hesitation, I decided to take on this job. Since I had learned Maoshan Ghost Taoism, I should put what I had learned into practice—at least to make my life better. Otherwise, going out in rags in the future would bring shame to the Maoshan sect.
"Uncle Zhang, how many houses are there in that batch?" I asked.
"Three sets!" Zhang Hu replied.
"Three houses, that's not too many. Okay, I'll take it!" I nodded in agreement. "But there's one more thing I need you to do for me."
"Feel free to say, little brother," Zhang Hu said readily.
"There's a mass grave not far from the school. Can you help me check who is buried there? Specifically, a woman who should have died on her wedding day." I had always wanted to find out the background of the female ghost who killed He Wei, but after all, it was a mass grave that had been abandoned and ignored. With my strength, it was impossible to find out.
Zhang Hu frowned and looked awkward . "That mass grave seems to be from the Republic of China period. It's been a long time. I don't know if I can find it, but I'll try my best!"
I quickly clasped my hands in a bow and said, "Thank you, Uncle Zhang." After saying that, I took my leave from the Zhang family and planned to visit that haunted house tonight.
When I returned to the dormitory, Li Wen and Zhao Yi immediately surrounded me and kept touching my forehead. I quickly pushed them away, wondering if these two had also been possessed by evil spirits.
"Lin Yuan, are you out of your mind? You actually agreed to a one-on-one fight with Wu Ou? That's like smashing an egg against a rock—you're asking for death!" Li Wen said.
Zhao Yi quickly chimed in, "Exactly! Besides, look at yourself... you want to chase Zhang Xiaoman? Don't be stupid. Even if she really seems interested in you, she's just playing with you. Don't think saving her once gives you a chance—you're just a poor country boy after all." He let out a mocking chuckle after finishing.
After hearing them, I smacked my forehead. How could I have forgotten this? It's all that scheming Zhang Xiaoman's fault. If not for her, I wouldn't have gotten into this mess with Wu Ou. What should I do now? But damn, how did this news spread so fast? These two in the dorm already know about it.
What the hell do these two mean? Are they mocking me or jealous? They couldn't even warn me without stepping on me—seems like they still look down on country folks like me.
I picked my nose at them and said, "A scheming girl like Zhang Xiaoman? I wouldn't want her even if she threw herself at me. I have nothing to do with her. It's that idiot Wu Ou who forced me into this one-on-one fight. Who can deal with that bull? I only agreed temporarily to stay alive."
My outburst left Li Wen and Zhao Yi gaping in astonishment. Not only had I dissed the class's top beauty, but I'd also called Wu Ou a bull—a remark few would dare to make.
Seeing their expressions, I couldn't be bothered to engage further, letting them whisper among themselves. Because in that moment, I'd thought of a way to deal with Wu Ou.
That night, I sneaked out of school. Steward Li was already waiting for me not far from campus.
As soon as I got in the car, he drove me straight to the first haunted house and left immediately. The way he was drenched in cold sweat suggested the "thing" inside was extremely fierce, sending a shiver down my spine. But then I thought: since I've already stepped into this world of the supernatural, there's no use fearing. If I want to make a living, I have to risk my neck.
After getting out of the car, I stood before the house's door and felt a chill seeping through the crack, making me shiver involuntarily.
Holding the key, I hesitated for ages before daring to unlock the door. The moment I stepped in, the house was pitch-black, nothing visible—yet I heard the tap-tap-tap of high heels on the floor, sending shivers down my scalp.
When I fumbled for the light switch and turned it on, the sound vanished instantly.
This place was truly eerie— a fitting haunted house. Luckily, I'd brought the peachwood sword and yellow talismans my second uncle gave me. Even if I couldn't defeat whatever was here, I could at least defend myself.
In addition to the yellow talismans and peachwood sword, I also brought several pieces of black cloth, which I used to cover all the mirrors in the house.
According to the records of Maoshan Ghost Taoism, in any haunted house, mirrors must be removed or covered with black cloth. This is because mirrors are yin in nature, and placing them in a haunted house will make the house more eerie and uncanny.
After covering the mirrors, I began to observe the feng shui layout of the house. After a while, I found no major issues. Of course, I am not very familiar with feng shui and can only grasp the basics, as the explanations of feng shui in Maoshan Ghost Dao are rather limited, so I have only learned superficial knowledge.
If there is no problem with the feng shui, does that mean someone died in this house? Damn, I forgot to ask Steward Li for the house's information—who has lived here and who has died here.
Just then, the sudden "ring-ring-ring" of the telephone startled me.
Wasn't this house unoccupied? Why would someone call in the middle of the night? This seemed rather eerie.
I approached the telephone, nervously swallowed, wiped the sweat from my palms, and then picked up the receiver.
"Little brother, are you alright?" The voice of Steward Li came from the other end.
Damn, he scared me! I thought a ghost was calling.
"I'm fine, don't worry. By the way, do you have any information about this house?" I asked.
"Yes, it's in the drawer of the middle room on the second floor."
"Got it. Please don't call again—hearing a phone ring in this unoccupied haunted house is terrifying." After speaking, I hung up and even unplugged the phone line.
But just as I took a few steps, the phone rang again.