All the way to the north of the city.

After leaving the city gate, the road began to get rough. After traveling for about half a quarter-hour, the sky had darkened before they finally arrived at the entrance of that estate.

This estate had been haunted for over twenty years. Apart from the nearby farmers and those specifically managing the estate, other people actually didn’t know much about this matter.

For instance, the sturdy men and older servants Yun Chu brought along—each one curiously gazed at the desolate estate before them, not understanding why no crops were planted.

“Madam, the entrance is full of weeds. You shouldn’t go in.” Chen Defu spoke. “This old servant will bring a few people to scout the situation.”

Yun Chu carefully observed the estate entrance, then suddenly a smile appeared on her lips: “At first glance, it indeed looks overgrown with weeds. But Uncle Chen, have you noticed—the grass on the left and right sides is parted, creating an extremely hard-to-detect small path? The people in the estate should be entering and exiting through this path.”

Cheng Defu stared in astonishment: “There are still people who dare live here?”

Yun Chu only smiled without speaking.

People fear ghosts three parts, ghosts fear people seven parts. Even if there really were ghosts, there was actually no need to be afraid.

She took the lead walking through the parted pathway. Her dress was caught by the weeds—as she walked forward, quite a few threads were pulled out. One dress was ruined.

Chen Defu hurriedly stepped on the weeds and walked to the front to clear the way for her.

Tingshuang held the lantern in front. Tingfeng and Tingxue, one on each side, helped Yun Chu lift her skirt hem.

The older servants and men behind followed in a rush. Only at this moment did they realize something was wrong—the sky was completely dark, yet why wasn’t there a single lamp lit in the estate?

Entering the estate, the weeds inside were all as tall as a person. Moonlight shone down, tree shadows swayed. The timid Tingxue was so frightened her face turned white.

Chen Defu led people to clear a path and brought Yun Chu into the main hall. He used his own clothes to wipe clean the chairs in the main hall and respectfully invited Yun Chu to sit.

Tingshuang even retrieved tea water from the carriage and began brewing tea here.

The tea water was brewed, tea fragrance filled the air, and the night grew even deeper.

Chen Defu, Tingshuang, and the others’ courage gradually grew. With so many of them, even if there were fierce ghosts, they probably wouldn’t dare show themselves.

“This tea water was brewed in excess. Everyone drink a few mouthfuls to moisten your throats. Soon you’ll need to get to work.”

Yun Chu smiled as she distributed the tea water.

The older servants had only ever drunk coarse tea. This was the first time drinking such refined and mellow tea water—they all couldn’t help but drink several cups.

Before long, an older servant covered her stomach: “Madam, can this old servant go relieve herself? I’ll be right back.”

Yun Chu nodded: “It’s dark outside. Have two people accompany you.”

Just so happened two other older servants also urgently needed to relieve themselves, so the three went out of the main hall together. Outside was full of weeds as tall as people—they couldn’t distinguish directions at all, had no idea where the latrine was. So the three discussed and found a place with abundant vegetation. They loosened their belts and squatted down…

Suddenly, rustling sounds came.

One older servant called out loudly: “We’re over here. If you need to relieve yourself, go elsewhere.”

But those footsteps grew closer and closer…

Yun Chu and the others sat in the main hall. Soon they heard the older servants’ miserable screams one after another.

Tingxue was so frightened her whole face trembled: “Could there really be ghosts…”

“Don’t talk nonsense.” Tingshuang’s voice also trembled slightly. “Madam has already arranged for Uncle Chen to go. Nothing will happen.”

Just as her words fell, Chen Defu had people carry those three older servants back. Two of them had already fainted from fright. The remaining one was speaking incoherently: “It’s a ghost, such a terrifying ghost, with such long fangs. That ghost was going to eat us…”

As the older servant spoke, her eyes rolled back and she also fainted.

Chen Defu reported: “Madam, when this old servant brought people over, that thing had already run away. It ran far too fast—it drilled into the forest and disappeared.”

The trees in the forest were tall, the vegetation dense. Plus it was dark—when they newly arrived, if they went in they’d get disoriented.

The older servants and men in the main hall were all quite frightened. No one had expected there would actually be ghosts here. Everyone developed thoughts of retreat.

Yun Chu stood up: “Let’s go. We’ll go take a look.”

Those men and older servants looked at each other.

They didn’t understand—wasn’t Madam afraid? How could Madam be so composed, showing not the slightest trace of panic?

One could only say, masters were masters—not something these servants could compare to.

With Yun Chu taking the lead, these people found their anchor. The thoughts of retreat in their hearts slowly dissipated. They surrounded Yun Chu and walked outside.

Chen Defu and four men cleared the path ahead. Soon they arrived at where those three older servants had relieved themselves earlier. In one direction the weeds were trampled down. Everyone followed that direction and walked. After about ten-some steps, they arrived before the estate’s small grove.

Inside the small grove it was even darker, the trees even more abundant. After entering, forget about encountering ghosts—if one got lost, that would be trouble enough.

Yun Chu closed her eyes and sniffed.

Earlier she had put a certain nameless fragrance in the tea water. It was an incense her mother had developed when she had nothing to do when she was young. She liked it very much and would light some when she had time.

Later she discovered this fragrance lingered long without dissipating. Even if drunk into the stomach and then excreted from the body, it would still carry this scent, and the smell would be even deeper.

Those several older servants drank the tea and relieved themselves. That “ghost” passed through here, so it would definitely be stained with the scent.

Yun Chu sniffed for a while, opened her eyes, and pointed due south: “Uncle Chen, go this way.”

Chen Defu nodded and went forward with four men to clear the path.

There were no traces at all of anyone having been here, but looking carefully one would discover that those weeds all very regularly fell in one direction. People accustomed to walking here could smoothly pass through on this basis without disturbing the weeds.

Yun Chu led people to walk deep into the forest and saw a thatched cottage. Although the dwelling sat in the dense forest, it looked very clean with traces of habitation.

Chen Defu couldn’t believe it: “So there really are people living here.”

Tingfeng frowned: “What kind of person would actually pretend to be a ghost here? Uncle Chen, quickly capture the person and interrogate them properly.”

Yun Chu made a gesture to stop.

She walked to the thatched cottage entrance and spoke flatly: “Madam Wu, Young Master Wu, let’s meet.”

Before preparing to buy this estate, she had already investigated the situation of the Wu family, the very first owners of this estate.

After the Wu family members contracted the strange illness, they died one by one and were buried in the Wu family ancestral tomb. She specifically sent people to make a trip—in that vast ancestral tomb, two tombstones were still missing.

Those were the Wu family’s last madam and the young master who was only about one year old at the time.

The great fire ten years later in her previous life should have burned this mother and son to death, which was why the haunting matter ended.

After Yun Chu’s words fell, there was no response from inside the thatched cottage.

She wasn’t anxious either and continued: “Recently a divine physician came to the capital. Doesn’t Madam Wu want to have the divine physician examine Young Master Wu’s pulse and treat his illness?”

As soon as these words came out, sounds came from inside the house. Before long, a woman bent at the waist, supporting herself with a cane, walked out.

Yun Chu couldn’t help but be greatly shocked.

Back then, Madam Wu had just given birth and was only about twenty years old. Twenty years had passed—now she should be around forty-some years old. Yet she looked as if she were sixty. What on earth had she experienced to make a woman age like this?

She hadn’t finished being shocked.

Another person wearing a black cloak walked out from the house.

That person’s face was covered with blisters the size of an infant’s fist. Some of those blisters had broken and festered. The entire face looked extremely frightening. He extended his hand to support his mother—his hands were also full of blisters. His body was probably also completely covered…

Yun Chu knew this was Young Master Wu, suffering from a hereditary strange illness of the Wu family.