Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne-Chapter 154 - 134: Exploring the Odd Mansion

Zhao Yao shifted the topic to another matter, "Besides the Pei Mansion, are there any other strange places in the capital?"

"Strange places?"

"Just like the Pei Mansion, places that people dare not approach, with many bizarre legends."

Chu Huan and the others thought carefully, and then all four of them exclaimed, "Yes!"

Zhao Yao quickly asked, "Where?"

Chu Huan said, "At the junction of the East Market and West Market, there’s a house. The place is not big, and there’s no one guarding the entrance, but all the doors are tightly shut, and no one dares to go close."

"That house has a chilling aura, and getting close feels like it’s eerily oppressive."

"Yes, yes, from a distance it looks terrifying and scary."

"We inquired about that house, but no one knows who owns it."

"The house looks quite grand from the outside, so it shouldn’t be abandoned. Someone should be living there, but we haven’t seen anyone."

"The house appears lifeless, and we don’t know who lives inside."

"I’ve never seen anyone come out from inside."

"If we hadn’t seen someone enter one day, we’d really think the house is inhabited by ghosts."

"Our families forbid us from approaching that house."

Zhao Yao had never heard there was such a house in the capital, especially at the junction of the East Market and West Market.

"Why aren’t you allowed to go near?"

"They didn’t say."

"Boss, that house is quite similar to the Pei Mansion."

"If we hadn’t accidentally lost our way and walked near that house, we really wouldn’t have discovered there was a house at the junction of the East Market and West Market."

"The place is really remote."

"It’s also surrounded by a bamboo grove."

"That bamboo grove is filled with crows, cawing day and night, making one’s heart jump."

"In short, it’s as frightening as the haunted Pei Mansion."

Hearing Chu Huan and the others, Zhao Yao was filled with curiosity about the house.

"Is there really no one who knows who lives in that house?"

"We’ve asked many people nearby, and they don’t know who lives in that house."

"Many people say they don’t know if anyone lives there."

"People nearby consider it a haunted house, thinking that approaching it brings bad luck."

"Boss, you don’t know how many days we staked out near that house. Really, except for the crows, not a single bird."

Zhang He got goosebumps just thinking about that house, "Even animals avoid it. Isn’t it terrifying?"

Zhao Yao was shocked, "Is it really that bizarre?"

Xiao Pang Song Jicai nodded eagerly, "Very bizarre."

"The way you describe it makes me even more curious. Later, you guys take me to have a look." It really piqued his curiosity that there was a place like Pei Mansion in the capital.

"Alright, we’ll take you to have a look later, but we can only look around from a distance."

After lunch, Chu Huan and the others took Zhao Yao to the place they mentioned.

Sure enough, as Chu Huan and the others said, just looking from afar, waves of chilly wind seem to blow, causing goosebumps to rise up one after another.

The weather was very warm today; they even broke a sweat on their way here. But once they got here, it felt like winter suddenly arrived. The wind was not only chilling but also somewhat piercing.

"Boss, isn’t it eerie?" Zhang He rubbed his arms without realizing it.

"Do you really think anyone lives here?" Song Jicai looked at the house surrounded by the bamboo grove not far away, "How could a human habitation feel so ghostly?"

Shen Sen said with a horrified face, "Isn’t it possible that the dead are living there?"

"Then it would be ghosts, wouldn’t it?"

Chu Huan said, "Impossible, we’ve seen someone go in before."

Zhao Yao was intrigued, "Is there really anyone living inside? What kind of people live there? Wouldn’t it be easy to find out by going in and taking a look?"

Zhang He grabbed Zhao Yao’s arm, "Boss, you can’t go."

"Boss, who knows who’s inside? It’s too dangerous."

"It’s broad daylight; what’s there to fear?" Zhao Yao said, "If you’re scared, just wait here for me. I’ll go take a look."

"Boss..."

Seeing Zhao Yao really running toward the house, without any hesitation or doubt, they quickly chased after him.

"Boss, wait for us."

"Weren’t you afraid? Why are you coming along?"

Shen Sen stiffened his neck and said, "When did we say we were scared?"

"Boss, if you’re not afraid, then what are we afraid of?" Zhang He said, trying to sound brave.

Song Jicai hurriedly echoed, "Exactly, we’re not afraid."

Chu Huan said, "Boss, we don’t feel comfortable with you going alone. Let us follow you."

"Then let’s go together."

When they entered the bamboo grove, the "ghostly aura" intensified. The goosebumps on Zhao Yao and the others’ arms stood up.

Though they talked bravely, Zhang He and the others were actually scared. They huddled together, following closely behind Zhao Yao.

Zhao Yao felt a bit cold but didn’t notice anything else peculiar.

Tong Xi walked beside Zhao Yao, eyes filled with fear and vigilance as he looked around.

"Master, this place is so eerie, could there really be ghosts?"

Zhao Yao glanced sideways at Tong Xi, whose face was written with fear, and said irritably, "How could there be ghosts in broad daylight? Moreover, there are no such things as ghosts in this world, don’t scare yourself."

"Master, how are you not afraid at all?" They were all scared to death, yet the master acted as if nothing was happening.

"Because I don’t believe in ghosts." Zhao Yao said as he walked and curiously looked around. He found the bamboo grove quite nice, with a tranquil ambiance. As a gust of wind blew, the bamboo leaves rustled. He thought the people who lived here must enjoy the quiet.

Seeing Zhao Yao not scared at all, the fear in Tong Xi and Chu Huan’s hearts eased a bit.

After about half an hour, they finally arrived at a house with dark tiles and white walls.

The entrance of this house had two large stone lions, and the main door was deep black. The signboard above the door was blank, without a single word.

The house seemed somewhat tall, with walls approximately one zhang high.

Though it was a large mansion, normally, the walls wouldn’t be this high.

Zhao Yao felt the house looked peculiar no matter how he looked at it. Rather than calling it a house, it seemed more like... a prison.

Yes, the place resembled a high-walled prison.

Just moments ago, Zhang He and the others were scared, but now they were curious as they examined the house before them.

Zhao Yao thought for a moment, then stepped forward, lifted the brass ring on the main door, and gently knocked.

Chu Huan and the others were startled by Zhao Yao’s action of knocking, "Boss, what are you doing?"

"Knocking," Zhao Yao replied, "We’ll know if someone lives inside by knocking."

"Boss, you don’t know who lives there, yet you’re knocking?" Zhang He thought their boss might be small in stature, but had an impressively large courage.

"Boss, we don’t know who lives inside. What if it’s dangerous?" Chu Huan thought Zhao Yao was too reckless.

"That’s true." Zhao Yao considered, "When the door opens, I’ll go in with Tong Xi, you guys wait at the door for me."

"Boss, if you go, we go together. We can’t leave you to go alone."

"I’ll go scout first. If there’s no danger, then you can come in." Zhao Yao smiled reassuringly at Chu Huan and the others, "Tong Xi’s martial arts are good. If there’s danger inside, Tong Xi can protect me."

Tong Xi said, "I can protect the young master."

"Alright, we’ll wait outside first."

Zhao Yao knocked a few more times, but there was still no response.

"Could it be that there’s no one in the house right now?"

"Boss, since there’s no one, why don’t we head back?" He felt like it was getting colder, not sure if it was just his imagination.

Zhao Yao’s curiosity had been thoroughly piqued, unwilling to return without uncovering something.

"Tong Xi, carry me over the wall."

"Young master, you’re going to climb over the wall?" Tong Xi said, "Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?"

"I’m not stealing anything, just taking a look." Zhao Yao urged, "Hurry up and carry me over."

"Boss, do we have to go over the wall?"

"I’ll check first, you wait under the wall for me."

With no choice, Tong Xi carried Zhao Yao, leapt onto the wall, and was greeted by an empty courtyard.

The courtyard was barren, without even any weeds, indicating it was regularly cleaned and tidied.

Tong Xi then carried Zhao Yao down from the wall.

The noise of their landing was loud, yet it didn’t stir anyone inside the house.

"Young master, it seems there really is no one in this house." If there were people, they wouldn’t not have been noticed upon entering. "The house seems too vacant to be inhabited."

"We’ll know if there are any by looking some more."

Zhao Yao, along with Tong Xi, crossed the courtyard and reached a door. Pushing it open, they found a tidy and spacious main hall with a few chairs inside. He stepped in and touched the armrest of a chair. There wasn’t a speck of dust on his finger, meaning it was wiped daily.

Someone must be cleaning; someone must live here.

Zhao Yao, with Tong Xi, searched room by room but didn’t find anyone. However, when they reached the backyard, they saw someone sitting in a wheelchair.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l