Chapters One, Two, and Three: Acquiring a Residence

Zhou Danjiang had returned to his normal state and was now staring wide-eyed at Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi offered a faint smile, placed him back into the cradle, and turned to head out.

Seeing Zhou Yi exit, Zhao Xiaomei was too preoccupied to greet him; she went straight into the room to check on the child, only relaxing once she saw he was unharmed.

Outside, the monk’s corpse had already been disposed of by the servants. In these times, a dead man was no different from a dead beast; no one cared, let alone the ruling warlords who would never bother to track down a murderer or seek justice for the deceased.

Guided by the butler, Zhou Yi arrived at the front hall, where tea had already been prepared and everyone took their seats.

"Master Zhou, my son is quite sharp, but I couldn't see anything wrong with him!" Zhou Jianwei remarked as soon as Zhou Yi sat down, still burdened by what Zhou Yi had said during his first visit.

"He is fine now, no need to worry. I have come for two main reasons. The first was to see the child, and having done so, I am at ease. The second is that I wish to purchase a property in Dunhua. Does Mr. Zhou have any ready-to-sell listings to recommend?" Zhou Yi took a sip of tea and spoke.

Zhou Jianwei stroked his chin, pondering suitable properties. Zhou Yi did not rush him. After a moment, Zhou Jianwei looked up and asked, "What kind of residence are you looking for, Master Zhou?"

Zhou Yi thought to himself that once Zhou Dajiang’s memories were fully restored, he would be living here permanently. Furthermore, Princess Fu and Xiao Cui could not keep trailing him on his travels, so he needed a place to settle them. Since money was no object, he might as well acquire a fine home.

"A quiet place would be best. If there are no existing ones, I wouldn't mind buying a plot of land and building something new."

Zhou Jianwei thought for a moment before replying, "There are two suitable estates. One is in the center of Dunhua, but if you want peace and quiet, that might not be ideal!"

Zhou Yi nodded; the bustling city center was indeed too chaotic for a comfortable residence.

"There is another quiet one, but it is said to be haunted."

"Haunted? In what way?" Zhou Yi asked immediately.

"Rumor has it the place is haunted, so it has been vacant for some time, and no one dares to live there. The deed is held by a friend of mine. If you are interested, I can go get it for you."

In Zhou Jianwei’s eyes, Zhou Yi was a master of the supernatural who would surely look down on mere money. He was already trying to think of ways to repay the debt of gratitude when Zhou Yi brought up buying a house, providing the perfect opportunity for him to return the favor.

"I don't fear ghosts. Let’s go take a look first. If it's a good place, the price won't be an issue." Without further ado, Zhou Yi stood up, intent on seeing the property.

He was anxious because that flying corpse was still soaking in the blood pool. Every day of delay was another day of risk, and he feared that any further time would invite trouble.

Seeing Zhou Yi's urgency, Zhou Jianwei did not hesitate. He called his assistant, gave a few instructions, and led Zhou Yi straight to the haunted mansion in the south of the city.

The house sat outside the Dunhua city walls, with no other neighbors to the south. It occupied a vast area, built with green bricks and red tiles. It featured four main rooms, three rooms in each of the east and west wings, and was surrounded by a two-meter-high brick wall, with a black-lacquered gate made of red pine.

Inside, the beds, sofas, and other furniture had been imported from abroad and were crafted from fine pear wood. Seeing all this, there was no reason not to be impressed, though Princess Fu and Xiao Cui were still too frightened to live there alone.

"I'll take it. Who is the owner, and what is the price?" Zhou Yi decided on the spot.

"The place is haunted, Master Zhou. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?" Zhou Jianwei asked again.

Baozi stepped forward, patted Zhou Jianwei on the shoulder, and grinned. "We told you, we don't fear ghosts. Stop with the chatter and tell us where the owner is. We’re taking the house!"

Zhou Jianwei laughed heartily and slapped his own forehead. "I forgot; a master like you wouldn't be afraid of those shameful things. The house belonged to a wealthy merchant from the south who moved away after the hauntings started. My friend bought it, but it’s just been sitting idle. I’ll go get the deed; no need to pay."

Zhou Yi shook his head. "That won't do. It’s better to pay for it for peace of mind. Just call your friend over; we shouldn't let him lose money."

Seeing that Zhou Yi insisted on paying, Zhou Jianwei had no choice but to summon his friend. After some negotiation, they secured the property for three thousand silver dollars—a bargain—and once it was cleaned up, they officially moved in.

That night, they watched the house from the outside. With three of the five of them possessing spiritual energy, if there were any ghosts, they wouldn't dare show themselves in front of such a formation.

The moon hung high, but the house remained silent. "Brother Yi, there isn't a shred of yin energy in this place. What ghosts? I think that merchant was just a coward who scared himself," Baozi muttered, swatting at mosquitoes. He just wanted to curl up on one of those leather sofas.

"Quiet. The lack of yin energy doesn't mean there are no ghosts; it could be a monster that has gained true power," Zhou Yi replied.

He noticed the mosquitoes were only biting Baozi and not the others, and frowned. "Drink less. Look, the mosquitoes only go for you!"

"You drink and eat meat too, why don't they bite you?" Baozi grumbled, swatting another mosquito.

"Brother Yi’s blood isn't as fragrant as yours!" Mucheng teased, causing the others to snicker.

Just then, a cold wind blew. The group, dressed in thin clothing, shivered involuntarily. As the chill passed, sounds began to emerge from within the house.

"Quiet, it's here," Zhou Yi whispered. Princess Fu instinctively shrank behind him.

The sounds in the courtyard grew louder, a rustling noise like a snake slithering across the ground.

"What's there to be quiet about? Let's just go in and kill it." Before the others could respond, Baozi charged into the courtyard with his single mace. Moments later, a loud "Ah!" erupted from him.

He turned and bolted out of the yard, gasping for air and clutching his chest to calm his nerves. It was clear he had been terrified.

"What's in there that scared you like that?" Zhou Yi asked, frowning. Baozi wasn't the bravest, but he wasn't usually one to panic.

"There's a giant, man-faced snake in the yard!" Baozi gestured, indicating a creature as thick as a human waist.

The others, having never seen Baozi so rattled, rushed into the courtyard, but the man-faced snake was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is this thing you mentioned?" Mucheng asked.

"It must have been scared off by my shout..." Before Baozi could finish, the words died in his throat. His eyes went round with terror as he tremblingly pointed behind Mucheng.

"Mother of God, Zuo Zhi has come back to life!"