The center of Xia City was home to the Xia Sect, where the Xia Family, along with its elders and disciples, resided. Surrounding the sect's training grounds were the vassal families, who lived nearby to offer their support and assistance to the Xia Family.
With his shaky memory, Si Shen believes the Ye family lives to the south of the Xia perimeter, though he could be mistaken. After leaving the two drunkards at the inn, he set out alone into the empty streets. Despite it nearing midnight, not a single soul was in sight.
Probably because the rumors of the Ye family being haunted have spread, leaving no one brave enough to venture within a ten-kilometer radius of the Ye mansion's front gates.
Si Shen walked down the deserted streets, tapping his umbrella against the ground as he approached the mansion. The air was eerily still as Si Shen scouted the perimeter of the Ye Mansion. There were no guards but Si Shen noticed the intricate wards placed by various cultivation sects.
Tapping the shimmering blue wards of the Xue Clan, Si Shen nodded in approval. It is strong and would ward off most spirits.
But the one breaking into the Ye Mansion was not a spirit but a person. There were no wards that prevented him from entering and so, Si Shen walked in from the front entrance with no resistance.
With his umbrella in his hand tapping the gravel underneath his feet, he made his way to the rear wing of the mansion instead of Madam Ye's bedroom. Although the rumors claimed the haunting occurred in the Madam's bedroom, Si Shen could feel a hidden, heavier energy emanating from the rear wing.
Servants typically resided in the rear wings, away from the main residence, the main halls, and the private residence of the family. The Ye Family's rear wing was reasonably well-decorated to show the family's wealth. Despite the mansion being empty, the gold plating in the wall carvings still glimmered beneath the dust and grime that had accumulated over the weeks.
The Xia family had offered one of their guest houses to the Ye family as goodwill while they tried to resolve this haunting so there was no one staying in the mansion currently. This arrangement is convenient for the guest cultivators to do their work and for Si Shen who wanted to be a busybody.
As Si Shen stepped through the gate into the rear wing, his attention was immediately drawn to a young servant girl sweeping the garden. Dressed in plain, ragged clothing, her hair was tied back simply. Her skin bore cuts and bruises, and her legs were chained together, limiting her to small steps. Despite this, she hummed to herself peacefully as she swept the fallen leaves.
It was not the apparent abuse that Si Shen's eyes were drawn to, it was the hollow sockets where her eyes should have been that made him clenched his umbrella tightly. The blood trickled down her malnourished cheeks and onto her clothes but she paid no mind as she continued humming while sweeping.
She did not acknowledge his presence. The young maid continued sweeping along the path with practiced hands as though she had done this every day for years. Si Shen observed the young maid curiously.
It was clear that the maid was not human. She seems to have passed quite recently, maybe only half a year ago. The amount of resentment leaking out from this spirit was close to none. Rather than the spirit, Si Shen's eyes were drawn to the bracelet dangling from her thin wrist.
It looked like something a commoner would get off from the market, a simple trinket. A red string looped looped several times, adorned with obsidian beads, nothing luxurious. It would look harmless but every item a spirit carries on its being has deep significance.
This is because when humans die, they take none of their worldly possessions with them. Their souls leave their physical bodies and they would be guided by the servants of the Death God to be judged before the eighteen levels of hell for their sins.
The only way the dead can receive anything from the living is through hell notes and paper possessions burned in their honor. A whole section of workers manages this, and the paperwork is overwhelming. Si Shen shudders at the memory of the yearly inspection; he had always insisted that the department be scheduled last due to his deep dread of the mountain of paperwork that awaits him there.
As he combed through his memories, he couldn't recall any instances of humans burning jewelry for the dead. Even if they did, the stone ornaments wouldn't even ignite in the first place. If the offering isn't completely burned, the dead cannot receive it. There would be no meaning in burning jewelry.
Si Shen shook his head, clearing his thoughts. There was no point in speculating; the bracelet could hold various meanings—or none at all. For now, he needed to focus on convincing the spirit to trust him and follow him back.
Since the bracelet contained minimal resentment energy, it should not be too difficult. However, Si Shen would have to be extra careful if it is an artifact. This is supposed to be a stealthy mission, would not be good to gather an audience of cultivators.
Tapping the ground with the tip of his umbrella, Si Shen captured the spirit's attention. Her head snapped towards his direction, cocking to one side.
"Hello miss, why are you still here? Everyone's gone already," Si Shen casually asked her as though he was asking about the weather.
"I still need to wait for Mother," the young maid softly replied.
"Your mother isn't here, everyone in this mansion has left."
Si Shen's words seem to have triggered something emotional in the young maid. The maid gripped her broomstick tightly as her small frame trembled.
"Mother isn't here? But Mother promised me she would come back for me, why isn't she back yet?" Her tiny voice broke off at the end of the sentence, making her look fragile. Si Shen's heart softened at the poor sight and sighed.
"Come with me, I'll find your mother for you." Si Shen approached her, ready to open his umbrella when suddenly, resentment energy exploded.
She howled as though she was in pain as she clutched her head with her hands, dropping her broomstick. Si Shen opened his umbrella to shield himself from the impact but was still thrown back several feet. Gritting his teeth, he closed the umbrella and swung it like a spear, slicing through the swirling resentment energy.
His eyes narrowed at the bracelet that was vibrating softly on her wrist as she writhed on the ground. The amount of resentment spilling forth from within was too much for the spirit to contain, corrupting her. Once a spirit evolves into a vengeful one, there is nothing Si Shen can do anymore.
Unless…
Si Shen narrowed his eyes in concentration before tapping the ground twice with his umbrella, activating an array that reinforced the wards he specifically laid around the servant's quarters when he came in. He has to settle this fast before the resentment energy leaks out of the wards and attracts the attention of those cultivators investigating in Madam Ye's bedroom.
He had just finished when the maid attacked him again.
Si Shen deftly dodged her before tapping her neck twice, immobilizing her. He reached for her bracelet and wanted to snap it off her wrist but the bracelet unleashed a sharp blade of resentment energy aimed directly at him.
Si Shen clicked his tongue in annoyance as he leaped back, narrowly avoiding the attack. His hands hesitated on the hilt of his umbrella as he landed near the walls that separated the wings. If he were to draw his sword now, there is no guarantee the spirit would survive it. He would prefer not to damage the spirit much since that was his main goal of trying to take her away.
The resentment energy surged within the spirit, breaking the immobilization spell he placed on her. She dropped into a low crouch, snarling as she readied herself to attack again.
Si Shen grimanced. He thought this would be an easy task and yet look at this situation.
The spirit lunged again but before Si Shen could react, the spirit's momentum faltered. It collapsed onto the ground, hands frantically clawing at the ice that had formed around its knees, chaining it to the earth.
Ice techniques.
Si Shen widened his eyes and cursed inwardly. Glancing up the walls behind him, he saw the same lady from the teahouse that afternoon, her left hand forming a seal while her right held a talisman.