SEHE Chapter 42

“Big brother, what’s wrong? Do you want it even cheaper?” Wuli saw him pondering silently without speaking, and nudged him with his elbow joint.

“It is a bit expensive. If this were a criminal official’s residence with rumors of being haunted, the price could at least be negotiated down by thirty percent more.” Pei Yanci suppressed his suspicions and said, “This mansion couldn’t possibly be this expensive.”

Cui Nan and Gu Xing hadn’t noticed anything yet, but Xin Hai immediately stepped forward, anxiously explaining, “We several are all honestly relaying the property agent’s words, without deliberately inflating the price.”

Only then did Jiang Yi realize that Pei Yanci suspected these few people of deliberately inflating the price to earn the difference.

Thinking about it carefully, it made sense. For this kind of haunted mansion, even in the expensive capital of Anjing where every inch of land is worth gold, the price would be much cheaper than ordinary mansions.

“Making money off our heads?” Jiang Yi’s gaze became stern.

He was the recently prominent Great Yu killing general, whose military achievements were built upon corpses and blood. When he got angry now, his face was filled with bloody killing intent that came rushing forth—something these few small-time wanderers of the martial world couldn’t compare to.

Cui Nan and Gu Xing hurriedly said in panic, “Misunderstanding, it’s all a misunderstanding. We really didn’t randomly quote prices to deceive young general and Chief Steward Pei. This mansion is exactly this price—we didn’t dare earn even a penny more.”

Pei Yanci said gently, “That’s not what I meant, don’t be nervous. People who are friends with Wuli, I’ve always trusted their character.”

With these words, all four of Wuli’s companions felt relieved.

“Even if this mansion has a good location, the property agent couldn’t possibly not understand market prices and randomly quote prices.” Pei Yanci said while walking back from the alley entrance beside the tavern. “Unless this agent really doesn’t want to sell this mansion.”

“Where would there be an agent who doesn’t want to close a deal?” Wuli laughed.

“Already decided on a buyer, doesn’t want to offend both sides, hoping we’ll back away after hearing the price.”

Wuli suddenly realized. “Right, normally when viewing mansions, doesn’t the agent accompany you? How did you open the doors at those previous places we visited?”

“Out of habit,” Thief Sage Xin Hai’s gaze flickered, and he chuckled, “Isn’t this more convenient?”

“Over thirty places scattered throughout Anjing city would require finding more than ten different agents, and those people love to surround you chattering non-stop—it’s really annoying.” Gu Xing was accustomed to using a staff and had an impatient temperament.

“Brother Xin, we’ll wait here while you go call the agent over.” Pei Yanci said, “Long nights bring many dreams—I’m afraid others have also taken a fancy to this place. We want to find a way to buy this mansion today.”

If he didn’t truly like this mansion, he wouldn’t want to waste time and energy on it.

Actually, the mansion plus the tavern was only 2.8 million wen. Converting to silver taels, that was only 2,800 taels. Even if both places were completely renovated, the silver that Song Qi’an had given him would be more than sufficient.

He was more interested in the story behind this mansion.

Xin Hai’s qinggong was excellent, so he didn’t decline and clasped his fists before heading out.

The remaining few returned to the mansion and wandered around. Pei Yanci and Jiang Yi discussed how to renovate while having Cui Nan and Gu Xing take notes. If they reached an agreement later, both this place and the tavern would need renovation.

As the group wandered to the main courtyard, they suddenly glimpsed a black shadow flash by. Wuli’s entire fat body jumped in place, hugging the thin Cui Nan and refusing to let go.

“A ghost!”

“It’s not even past the hour of Shen yet, the sun just set—where would a ghost come from?” Jiang Yi said disdainfully. “You’re all attendants of the Crown Prince’s mansion—how can the difference between you two be so great?”

A faint smell of smoke drifted out.

Cui Nan and Gu Xing respectively drew their swords and long staff, standing on the left and right. Pei Yanci beckoned to them and headed toward the small kitchen beside the main courtyard.

The small kitchen was empty. He looked at the stove—no fire had been lit, but there was a pile of ashes nearby that looked like something had just been burned.

“Second floor!” Jiang Yi’s ears were sharp. With a few agile steps, he flipped up to the second floor.

When Pei Yanci and Wuli climbed the stairs, they saw over twenty people in tattered clothes being forced by Jiang Yi’s sword into a corner.

“These are the legendary ‘ghosts.'” Pei Yanci said.

These people, who appeared to be either beggars or refugees, had probably discovered this long-uninhabited place and claimed it as their own, thus avoiding the hardship of sleeping on the streets.

Earlier they had only wandered around the corridors without carefully examining each room, and these people had also hidden well. From their appearance, they only stayed on the second floor. If they hadn’t returned, they wouldn’t have discovered anyone here.

“These people are truly pitiful.” Wuli’s expression softened as he said, “Don’t be afraid, we’re not bad people.”

“Even if they’re pitiful, they still can’t trespass on private property and claim it as their own.” Jiang Yi said. “You’d better leave quickly, or if others find out, they won’t be so easy to talk to. Every one of you would end up in prison.”

Those people were so frightened they couldn’t speak, and hurriedly bent and bowed their heads, fleeing from under his sword.

Pei Yanci watched them leave and happened to meet Jiang Yi’s gaze, who was also seeing them off.

He gestured with his eyes toward Cui Nan and Gu Xing, then tugged at Wuli’s sleeve.

“Why are you tugging my sleeve?”

“Ah!”

A piercing female scream came from the end of the second-floor corridor.

“Princess!”

“Why are these refugees having internal conflicts?” Wuli said dissatisfiedly. “They’re already poor as ghosts.”

“What refugees—those were all assassins!” Pei Yanci said urgently, raising his hand to slap the back of Wuli’s head. “Stop standing there dumbfounded—run!”

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the round meatball bounce more than a zhang away in place. “Murder!”

Pei Yanci: “……”

This guy would definitely abandon him and run when trouble came.

Cui Nan and Gu Xing were also startled. “What’s happening? Where did these people come from? How are they suddenly assassins?”

“When was the last time you came here?” Pei Yanci asked urgently as he ran upstairs, but saw Jiang Yi running toward where the scream had come from.

“Just the day before yesterday.”

“The day before yesterday we just wandered around outside. The agent said it was haunted and refused to bring us inside.”

“So you didn’t come in to look?”

“Mansions in Anjing all look about the same—coming in, you’d just see dust and cobwebs.”

Can you guys be a bit more reliable in your work?

Those people disguised as refugees had already returned with knives and swords, apparently intending to silence them all.

Jiang Yi flipped down from upstairs to rejoin them, carrying a woman in his arms.

The woman appeared to be in her twenties, wearing thin silk fabric in elegant colors. Her style and dress were simple without excess ornamentation, suggesting she was either from a minor noble family or worked in a wealthy household.

“You watch over her—I’ll deal with them.” Jiang Yi’s expression was grave as he raised his sword and charged forward with an arrow-like step.

Wuli’s screams came from the front courtyard on the first floor.

Pei Yanci had Gu Xing go protect him, while he exchanged a glance with the delicate woman. Having no choice, he had Cui Nan protect them as they headed for the back gate to escape first.

A firecracker sound echoed in the courtyard, and soon rustling sounds came from outside the main gate as well—a group of people poured in through the back gate.

Seeing the situation was dire, Pei Yanci turned into a spacious room on the first floor of the main courtyard.

The woman followed closely behind, with Cui Nan bringing up the rear, blocking these people.

After entering the room, Pei Yanci looked around and, seeing that only the woman had followed and there were temporarily no assassins outside, beckoned for her to come over. The two of them hid together in the wardrobe.

The original owner of this mansion seemed to have been arrested suddenly—some clothes hadn’t been taken away. As soon as his nose touched them, there was thick dust mixed with insect droppings and damp moldy smell.

This was the master’s wardrobe, wide enough for an adult’s outstretched arms. Besides the clothes, it wasn’t too cramped for two people to hide inside. The cabinet doors were woven from intersecting horizontal and vertical rattan strips, with four rows of thirty-two square holes left in the door. Normally these were for the clothes to air out and remove odors, but now they gave Pei Yanci a perfect view of the outside.

“Thank you, benefactor.” The woman said timidly in a small voice.

“Don’t thank me—you should thank the one who saved you.” Pei Yanci said.

“Who was that person just now?”

“Who are you? And who are those people?”

The woman’s voice was sweet and soft, so gentle it could drip water, sounding rather petite and delicate.

“This servant is an attendant who serves beside the Second Princess.”

“Second Princess?” Pei Yanci was slightly stunned.

He seemed to have heard others mention before that this current Second Princess had married into Great Xi over ten years ago in a political alliance and bore a son. Later, when the old emperor died, the powerful Great Xi Empress wanted to eliminate the mother and son. Somehow, this Second Princess managed to escape back to Great Yu. The new Great Xi Emperor used this as an excuse to send troops against Great Yu, which led to Jiang Yi’s later brilliant military achievements.

The current Sacred One felt this matter brought shame to the imperial face and sent the Second Princess and her son to the Chuanxi Palace. Although he spared their lives, the Anjing royal family all acted as if this person didn’t exist.

It had been less than two years, yet the Second Princess had actually returned to the capital and was even captured by bandits.

“Yes, this servant was originally serving the Princess and young Prince in Chuanxi. Unexpectedly, one day I was kidnapped by a group of people. When I woke up, I was on the road to Anjing.” The woman said softly.

“Where is the Princess now?” Pei Yanci asked, having an ominous premonition.

He had just heard a scream earlier.

Just then, the room door was silently pushed open, and a raggedly dressed figure quietly walked in.

The two people in the wardrobe immediately held their breath.

Through the fingernail-sized holes in the rattan weaving, their eyes stared fixedly at the figure outside.

Pei Yanci once again cursed his lack of martial arts skills.

Recalling the martial arts manual Tang Xizhui had left for him that night, he couldn’t help feeling somewhat troubled.

Without anyone to teach him, he didn’t even know the most basic qi circulation.

His hand slowly moved toward his left arm—as long as he bent his elbow, the sleeve arrow would break through his sleeve and fly out.

As the person’s footsteps grew closer, his heart also rose to his throat.

A chill came from the back of his neck, stirring his body hair.

His back was soaked in cold sweat.

Finally, the assassin’s gaze noticed this spacious large wardrobe and came over with sword in hand.

Pei Yanci stared at the person outside, the chill at the back of his neck growing more intense.

Something was wrong—this was moving air.

Someone was blowing air at the back of his neck.

Besides himself and this attendant beside him, there was a third person in the wardrobe.

Or a ghost.

His mind immediately tensed up.

Humans could still fight each other, but what if it was a ghost?

He swallowed silently.

Just then, a pale, slender finger emerged from below his earlobe, its ice-cold fingertip gently tapping his cheek twice.