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墨書 Inktalez
The rain in Spring City finally stopped, but the eaves of Wu Mansion continued to drip water. A black sedan slowly drove into the old courtyard, and two people got out of the car—one was a slender young man who looked somewhat haggard, with dark circles under his eyes; the other was older, dressed in an elegant wool suit.
"The second young master has returned!" Butler Feng hurried forward to greet him.
"Uncle Feng." Wu Hongwen nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the main hall. "Where is my sister-in-law?"
The door curtain of the inner room rustled, and the Yu emerged, holding her one-year-old son. Upon seeing him, her expression suddenly changed. "What are you doing here?"
"Sister-in-law, please accept my condolences. My elder brother has passed away, but I am still here to look after you and the child," he said.
The Yu looked at him coldly and remained silent.
"This is my friend, a senior lawyer," Wu Hongwen broke the silence. "I’ve invited him to help deal with some... estate matters."
"What estate matters?" The Yu asked suspiciously.
Wu Hongwen adjusted his suit collar. "Since my brother is no longer with us, as the only male heir of the Wu Family, I have a responsibility to take over all family businesses and assets. To manage this household..."
The Yu interrupted him with a scream, "Enough! Wu Hongwen, your brother's coffin hasn't even been buried yet! And you're already thinking about seizing assets? Do you have no conscience?"
"I am not seizing anything!" Wu Hongwen replied in a deep voice. "What I’m doing is for the future of the Wu Family. Now that my brother is gone, everything is in disarray; someone must step up to take charge. What can you do in this situation as a woman..."
"The future of the Wu Family is my child in my arms!" The Yu retorted angrily. "He is the heir of Wu Hongzhi! You scoundrel, I’ve known all along that you have ill intentions! You suddenly returned from Shanghai; your brother was killed because of you!"
"You shameless woman, spouting nonsense..."
The Yu stepped forward two paces, causing the child to start crying. Butler Feng anxiously moved between them. "Young Mistress, be careful not to drop the child..."
At that moment, Lin Mingchang entered the courtyard with two police officers. "Stop arguing!"
"Mr. Wu," Lin Mingchang said as he looked at Wu Hongwen, "we have some questions regarding your brother's death that require your assistance in our investigation. Please come with us."
It wasn't until they had walked far away that the Yu sank into a chair holding her child. "Oh my God, I knew it was that beast..."
As soon as Lin Mingchang left, Shen Tong arrived. She had promised the Yu yesterday that she would come to check the feng shui for the Wu Family and perform a house blessing ceremony.
The Yu led Shen Tong around the old mansion. "Master Shen, you just missed it. The police just took my little brother-in-law Wu Hongwen away! He must have caused my husband’s death! He’s simply inhuman!"
Butler Feng quickly stepped forward to advise her, "Madam, please don’t say such things; perhaps the police will clear things up and he will return."
Shen Tong did not respond; the police investigation was none of her concern, and she only needed to focus on her own duties.
As she turned to the backyard, Shen Tong sensed a shift in the "energy" of the entire old residence. The "Yuan Qi" here was thick and vibrant, and in the hazy view, a dense black mist loomed over the backyard, resembling a clump of ink that refused to dissolve.
Following the Yu, Shen Tong walked through the ancient corridor adorned with traditional charm. Before her lay a vast lotus pond and flower beds, while the black mist spread toward a corner on the north side, pointing directly at a single-story building in the northeast direction.
"What is that place?" Shen Tong asked the Yu beside her.
"Oh, that's where the servants live. The large room at the end belongs to Butler Feng," the Yu replied. "Butler Feng has been with our family for three generations; he’s practically one of the family. I’ve always urged him to move into the main house since there are empty rooms available. But Uncle Feng is stubborn; he insists on living in this rundown place, saying there should be a distinction between master and servant..."
Shen Tong nodded. As they approached the row of servant quarters, the air thickened with "Yuan Qi," and the black mist swirled before her eyes, causing a slight pain in her right eye.
This was indeed the source of the old residence's "Yuan Qi."
"Master Shen, do you want me to call Uncle Feng?" the Yu asked.
"No need," Shen Tong shook her head and pushed open Old Butler's door.
The room was tidy and simply furnished—a narrow bed, a wardrobe, and a small desk. However, within this small space lingered an indescribable heaviness of "Yuan Qi," making it difficult for Shen Tong to breathe.
Steeling herself, she walked straight to a small wooden cabinet in the corner, where she found an altar with a spirit tablet adorned with incense. The tablet read "Spirit Tablet of Deceased Brother Feng Mosheng."
The Yu gasped sharply upon seeing it.
"What... how could there be a spirit tablet here?" she exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock. "This is bad luck! Too ominous!"
She grabbed Shen Tong's arm urgently. "Master Shen, we should leave quickly."
Shen Tong allowed herself to be pulled away from Old Butler's room; she already had her suspicions—this old residence's murder case was likely connected to Old Butler, but now was not the time to speak of it.
"Mrs. Wu need not worry," Shen Tong reassured her. "I will perform a ritual to dispel any negative energy from the house."
Just as Shen Tong set up her ritual in the courtyard and sat cross-legged, Butler Feng rushed over, panting heavily.
"Young Mistress! The young master is crying hard inside and has thrown up some milk; he might be getting sick..."
"What? What happened? Master Shen, please continue your ritual; I’ll go check on the child." With that, the Yu hurried toward the main house.
As Shen Tong watched the Yu’s retreating figure and was about to continue her work, she suddenly sensed a chilling aura of malice.
Slowly turning around, she saw Butler Feng standing not far away. His demeanor had shifted from his usual gentle self to one filled with dark intensity as he fixed his piercing gaze upon her.
"Master Shen," Butler Feng spoke slowly, "you shouldn't be wandering around like this, and you definitely shouldn't meddle in affairs that don't concern you..."
Shen Tong felt a chill run down her spine and subtly stepped back. Almost simultaneously, Butler Feng suddenly drew a sharp knife from behind and lunged at her.
Shen Tong had anticipated the move; she swiftly rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the blade as it grazed her long robe, leaving a cut on the hem.
Butler Feng pivoted and struck again with another slash.
Shen Tong retreated repeatedly, astonished. Butler Feng appeared to be over fifty, yet his strikes were fierce and showed no signs of someone his age.
As she dodged the tip of the knife once more, Shen Tong's right foot collided with a protruding tree root, causing her to stumble and crash against the trunk of the Hibiscus Tree in the center of the yard.
She looked up to see Butler Feng charging towards her, a dark mist swirling from his chest. In that moment of distraction, the blade was already upon her.
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