Chapter 8: Moving into the Old Mansion

  Back in this eerie yet flawless mansion, I plopped myself down on the crimson sofa in the living room. Rubbing my calf, I looked up to scrutinize the opulent hall.

  "I really want to know what kind of person the master of the Tang family is." I furrowed my brow, suddenly standing up and saying, "No, Jiang Zhun, aren't you a computer expert? Why haven't I ever heard you mention anything about the owner of this mansion?"

  The master of the Tang family's old mansion, to this day I only learned from the old woman about the second generation Tang Mo Wen and his son whose name is unknown. Four generations, spanning a long period of Chinese history, it's impossible that there wouldn't be any clues left behind.

  Seemingly knowing what I was thinking, Jiang Zhen let out a wry smile: "Even the most skilled computer expert can't create something out of thin air."

  "Out of thin air?" I was stunned for a moment, and then I felt a chill run from my toes to the top of my head. "You're saying... there's no evidence at all?"

  Jiang nodded slightly, reaching out to stroke a white-based Qinghua vase beside him: "I've used every method, but I haven't been able to find any information about the family heads of several generations. Even Tang Mo-wen, this person, I'm hearing about for the first time."

  That would be terrible if it's really like that.

  Anyone who has ever lived in this world must leave some traces, even if they are covered up by the government or destroyed by others. As long as one is determined and capable, it is definitely possible to succeed. For someone like Jiang Zhen, finding something like this shouldn't be difficult at all. Yet, he claims that he can't find anything.

  What is called can't find?

  Was it originally non-existent, or was it destroyed completely afterwards?

  If it was originally non-existent, how could it be possible? Unless that person never existed. But with a family legacy and an ancient mansion in front of us, how could he not have existed?

  If it was destroyed, who had the ability to destroy it? Even if they had the ability, where would it be worth spending so much thought to destroy it?

  "Don't think too much." Jiang Zhun probably saw that my expression was too shocked, patted me on the shoulder and smiled, "Maybe it's just that the information wasn't well-developed at that time, and no one paid attention to this place."

  I smiled wryly, knowing it was impossible.

  The old mansion of the Tang family was obviously taken care of by the government, so it could only be done by the government.

  "What's next?" I asked.

  Jiang Zhundao said: "I plan to stay here for a night."

  "What?" I was stunned.

  "I think that if there's really something unclean here, it will definitely show its true colors at night. I've checked before, the bedrooms here are all very clean, and any one of them can be used for a night. I must find out who harmed my aunt." Jiang Zhen's eyes flashed with a hint of anger, but he quickly hid it.

  I don't know what I was thinking either, and before I knew it, I blurted out: "Then I'll accompany you."

  "Huh?" Jiang Zhun lowered his head to look at me, with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

  "Uh..." I stuttered, dryly laughing, "It's too dangerous for you to be alone, let's stick together and look out for each other."

  Jiang Zhen smiled softly, his laughter muffled in his throat, low and lingering. I turned my head away, feeling a slight burning sensation at the base of my ears, as if there were feathers lightly brushing against my heart.

  We decided to sleep here, so the two of us didn't worry about it anymore. Whatever was supposed to appear would come on its own. During this time, Jiang Zheng went out once and bought some food back. And I took advantage of this time to run around the main building again from top to bottom. As a result, nothing was found.

  After finishing dinner, the sky had already darkened, Jiang Zhun fumbled for the light switch and "click" turned on the daylight lamp in the hall.

  The hall was well-lit, with a dazzling white light that made one's eyes dazzle. The outer door hall was dark and gloomy, the screen in the corridor was carved with a picture of magpies making a joyful noise in spring, and the light passing through it cast circular spots on the ground. The sound of the grandfather clock "tick-tock" suddenly became exceptionally clear in the darkness of night.

  "Shu Ling, I found a chessboard here, let's play a game." Jiang Zhun poked his head out of the dining room and beckoned me over.

  The restaurant is also in the style of the Republic of China, and it seems that the residential style after the founding of the country has not affected this house. Except for the sofa in the living room, which looks relatively new and seems to be from the 1960s or 1970s, it's normal for a wealthy family like this to have some more Western-style furniture.

  As soon as I entered the dining hall, I saw an eight-immortal table emitting a cold glow, its light was clear and cold, like the cold eyes of a strange old man. The waist-high cabinet was also dark red, like blood clots that had accumulated over the years. On the dinner cabinet, there was a vase with a pattern of yuanqing flowers, the flower pattern was beautiful, but in the middle, there was a dark line, like a crack, and also like a crying face.

  Jiang Zhun had already set up the chessboard and was sitting with his arms folded on one side. I sat down, took a look, and immediately said, "I don't know how to play chess."

  "I won't either." Jiang Zhun said, leaving me speechless and in tears. He then continued, "I'm just fishing."

  I was stunned.

  His fingertips rested on the chessboard, lightly tapping, with a hint of a smile, as if waiting for me to figure out the reason behind it all.