x
Almost every morning when he woke, Lu Sheng could feel his muscles growing stronger and his body becoming heavier.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOZWM0TJ84
The cost of this transformation was steep—his meals had doubled in size, consisting almost entirely of fish, meat, and a daily serving of costly medicinal soup.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMSlJe26C1c
The expense of this diet alone could easily bankrupt an ordinary family.
Without delay, Lu Sheng made his way into the city and arrived effortlessly at the gates of the Lu Mansion.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvY0e42Rkyl
The moment the gatekeeper spotted him, he hurried forward to greet him.
"The eldest master is back!"
"Yes," Lu Sheng replied casually, striding into the mansion.
Something about the atmosphere felt off—tense and uneasy.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5cxVzIQeHI
But as the servants saw him return, they quickly gathered, voices rising one after another.
"The eldest master is back!"6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZnaMqBnxw
"The eldest master! The eldest master is back!"6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtzRfHXgIU
"It’s the eldest master!"
Servants and maids rushed out in droves, surprise and relief lighting up their faces—like people grasping at a lifeline after drifting too long in uncertainty.
"Where's Father?" Lu Sheng asked.
A maid ran up and quickly answered, "The master of the house wants you to come over right away."
"Got it."
Lu Sheng unfastened his sword and slung it onto his back, then moved quickly toward the inner courtyard.
The courtyard was strangely quiet—eerily still, almost abandoned.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVMjl26ZTg
A few maids and servants looked drained and dispirited.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzk1UgfLfP
Those nearby greeted him softly, while those farther away, unaware of his return, continued murmuring to themselves.
A voice drifted in on the wind from a distance.
"Last night, that strange crying sound came from Sister Yu’s room again..."
"I heard it too. It sounded like it came from far away. A servant passed by but didn’t see anyone in the room—not even a shadow..."
"Ugh, stop it. That’s really creepy."
"Could it be... a female ghost?"
"Don’t gossip like that! You’ll get yourself beaten if someone hears you."
As Lu Sheng crossed the stone bridge with his sword on his back, he overheard the maids and servants whispering among themselves.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwtCFAdIfu
From their chatter, it was clear—the Lotus House in the backyard, where Sister Yu lived, had become the most feared place in the Lu Mansion.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi70tIGJC93
No one dared go near it anymore, even without being told.
Lu Sheng walked in silence for a moment, his mood growing heavier as the whispers echoed in his mind, aligning all too well with the contents of the letter he had received.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwooS77P40
What he had long feared was finally happening.
This world was filled with danger and strangeness, and ordinary people had no power to resist it.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DizRYmBXz
What had haunted him most was the possibility that everything which once fell upon the Xu family might one day come crashing down on the Lu Mansion too.
And when that day came—6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqQdSRkZ1X
What strength would he have to fight back?6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPfNIvh9MN
What could he rely on to survive?6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQytAl5crLL
What could he use to protect his family in this lifetime?
"Female ghost?" Lu Sheng’s eyes flashed coldly. "I want to see what kind of ghost can stand against my sword!"6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CvUFty7u5
Anger surged in his chest as he strode toward the inner courtyard hall.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPErBK9JMAA
Everything he had worked for, trained for—all of it had led to this moment.
When Lu Sheng entered the hall, he saw Lu Quanan seated at the head, his face pale and drawn.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINbOsXDTPO
Beside him sat the second and third mother, who had rushed over in a hurry.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eYgK2sweA
The rest of the family—his brothers, sisters, cousins—had also gathered.
It was the first time the entire household had assembled like this on a day that wasn’t a festival.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtw1wQUnW5n
Everyone turned to look as Lu Sheng stepped through the doorway, his tall, powerful figure framed by the sword on his back.
Lu Quanan’s face briefly brightened with a hint of joy, but the expression quickly gave way to worry.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3lFWYE3iE
"Little Sheng, you… alas, you shouldn’t have come back…"
"Dad, tell me—what happened? Sister Yu died?" Lu Sheng cut straight to the chase without wasting words.
He had been training with his sword every day lately, and the circulation of dark energy left a faint fierceness radiating from his body.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAG8MLQzHg8
Seeing this, everyone recalled how Brother Sheng had killed two ruthless wanted criminals before—an unforgiving man who could eliminate murderers.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjx9xdqbVPP
With that in mind, their panic eased just a little.
"Let me explain," the Second mother Liu Cuiyu sighed deeply.
Lu Sheng found a seat on the right and sat down.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmBq90gJw8
"Second mother, please go on."
Liu Cuiyu took a moment to gather her thoughts.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4smo1nmRYF
"This all began with Sister Yu’s sudden death some time ago."
She sighed again, her voice heavy with sorrow.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzm8zjjfLg
"That day, someone from Sister Yu’s family came looking, asking if she had returned. I told them she had come back long ago.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLoMkCQrGP
They said they couldn’t wait any longer and had come to the mansion to find her themselves."
"I was confused too. Just as I was about to send someone out to search, I received news from the government office—Sister Yu had been found dead in an alley for several days; her body had already stiffened."
"Later, I paid for Sister Yu’s funeral."
Her face darkened as she continued.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjgAENdLDJP
"But just two days after that, another person disappeared from the mansion. I sent people to search and found her body in a river outside the city."
Liu Cuiyu’s sorrow deepened.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYF3PL49AFP
"Since then, one person has gone missing from the mansion every day. No matter how hard we search, we can’t find a trace. Today marks the fifth day.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuckVkk8w5D
And every night, the Lotus Room where Sister Yu once lived echoes with the sound of a woman crying—sometimes loud, sometimes faint. We’ve searched inside, but never found anyone."
"Originally, five people lived in that room. Now three of them are gone..."
Lu Sheng’s face darkened as he heard this.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dl2e9gbBJ
"What did the people at the government office say?"
"What else could they say? They found nothing and just made up an excuse to leave," Lu Chenxin interrupted bitterly.
Lu Quanan shook his head.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5IbEeSvDC
"I asked your uncle to send soldiers to guard the place at night, but it was useless. When there were many people around, the crying didn’t happen—it only appeared when fewer people were present."
Suddenly noticing something, Lu Sheng asked,6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0tUIm9yzC
"Where’s Qingqing?"
"She went alone to the Zheng family. Something happened there too," Lu Quanan replied helplessly.
"Something happened to the Zheng family as well?" Lu Sheng’s heart tightened.
"It’s not related to us, but they encountered robbers who ambushed their caravan halfway through. Qingqing got some clues and suspects the robbers are connected to the Xu family tragedy. She went out to investigate yesterday and hasn’t returned yet," Second Lady Liu Cuiyu explained.
Lu Sheng snorted coldly.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzUogEhTly
"That girl is becoming more and more disobedient. Besides, even if it’s not a female ghost in the mansion, a skilled martial artist skilled in lightfoot techniques could easily cause this kind of trouble! What about Uncle Zhao? What did he say?"
"Your Uncle Zhao and several uncles were recruited by the government office to help with a matter outside the city. They haven’t come back yet," Lu Quanan replied.
"So that means whoever is playing tricks dared to do it while Uncle Zhao and the others were away?" Lu Sheng concluded firmly.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTyWgTJR21C
He refused to believe this was the work of demons or ghosts. Whether supernatural or not, it had to be human—otherwise the mighty Lu family would have been destroyed already.
Lu Quanan understood and nodded.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDujIr937y
"So it really does seem like a man-made scheme..."
"There’s a woman crying in Sister Yu’s Lotus Room at night, right? I’ll stay in that room tonight and see if anyone else disappears," Lu Sheng decided.
"But Little Sheng..." Lu Quanan tried to protest, but was cut off.
"Don’t worry, Dad. I know what I’m doing," Lu Sheng said calmly.
Whether the threat was a ghost or a person, since it feared crowds, there had to be a way to deal with it.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScBdjs68Ev
If you couldn’t even overcome such a small obstacle, then when faced with a ruthless force like the Xu family—who could destroy an entire clan overnight for crossing them—wouldn’t you be left completely helpless?
"Little Sheng… be careful…" Liu Cuiyu said with worry in her voice.
The others felt relieved.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWJ9RlgKCK
Since Brother Sheng—the one who had killed wanted criminals—had declared this was man-made, it seemed all the more likely.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpVKJtlxbn
With him here, they believed the culprit would soon be caught.
Lu Chenxin, Lu Tianyang, Lu Yingying, and the others spread the news quickly after the meeting.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3FnT1B0cW
By evening, everyone in the Lu Mansion knew the eldest son, Lu Sheng, had returned—and that this was indeed a human plot.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHK2jN99uz
They decided to keep watch in the Lotus Room that very night.
As the news spread, a wave of relief washed over the mansion.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqq3Is2H6j
The tension of the past days had stretched everyone like a taut string ready to snap.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9GTMZfnoR
Now, at last, a sense of safety returned.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUDYkBhqDV
Though the crisis was not yet resolved, the panic had eased considerably.
At least the eldest son, Lu Sheng, was here—standing guard in person inside the Lotus Room.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOv8nM7d4q
If anything happened, he would be the first to face it.
After getting all the details, Lu Sheng immediately ordered the Lotus Room to be tidied and prepared to move in that very night.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKymyLDQSdl
Despite their attempts to persuade him otherwise, when they saw his determination, they had no choice but to relent.
Lu Sheng told Xiaoqiao to return to her original bedroom, then took his sword and a can of medicinal tea and headed alone into the Lotus Room.
The Lotus Room, along with the Lotus Leaf Room and Lotus Root Room, was where the mansion’s maids and servants lived—close together, with the Lotus Room at the center.
As Lu Sheng approached with his sword, he noticed the yards on both sides were empty—no one dared to stay near the crying that haunted the middle of the night.
He pushed open the door. Inside, the room was clean, and the bed was neatly made.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrAQ4Y0uya3
A food box sat on the stone table in the small courtyard.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaELKmRZZC
Beyond that, no one else was there.
There were faint pink traces on the gray-white stone table—likely left by women's powder.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lpbpoLhqS
Lu Sheng glanced toward the bedroom.
The bedroom and small courtyard formed two connected square spaces. The bedroom was divided into five single rooms arranged side by side. A corridor ran along the doors, leading out to the small courtyard. In the courtyard stood a well, beside which sat a stone table and a stone bench.
Lu Sheng sat down by the well, opened the dark red food box, and took out the small dishes. He carefully arranged them on the stone table—three dishes and a soup, accompanied by steaming white rice.
He picked up his chopsticks and ate in hearty mouthfuls.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPcPOrnNLb
The meal lasted nearly half an hour. When he finished, he paused and burped quietly.
As darkness deepened, Lu Sheng lit candles and lanterns to brighten the courtyard and Sister Yu’s bedroom.
The five bedrooms were lined up side by side, with Sister Yu’s room at the innermost end. The light there was faint, and the sounds from outside grew almost silent once inside.
After eating, Lu Sheng strode through the corridor, sword in hand, and entered the room.
Inside, a black wooden bed stood against one wall, accompanied by a square table and three chairs. A wardrobe and a dressing table also filled the modest space.
Behind the dressing table was a half-open window, revealing the dark alley outside.
The candlelight, coming from a desk lamp on the right side of the door, illuminated most of the room—but made the half-open wooden window seem even darker.
Lu Sheng approached the window and looked out.
The alley outside led directly to a side door of the Lu Mansion.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡri7WeAsx48
From the window, he could clearly see the narrow alley stretching toward the somewhat desolate white side door.
