Chapter 30 My cultivation is mediocre. My cultivation is mediocre, unlike that of Cultivator Han...

"That's because we've already promised to do our best to eradicate Young Master Wu," Li Chen said casually. "If you don't wear these clothes, and don't carry Young Master Wu's hair and birth date, how can that evil spirit mistake you for Young Master Wu?"

Han Shannan was dumbfounded. "You're using me as bait?!"

Li Chen looked at him very seriously and said sincerely, "If you don't take the bait, am I supposed to be the one? I don't have the ability to deal with evil spirits, and besides, I haven't lived enough yet. What if I die at the hands of those evil spirits?"

“My cultivation is mediocre, unlike Cultivator Han, who possesses such profound cultivation at such a young age. Moreover, Cultivator Han, you are an ambitious person who is determined to learn from the Sword God, and you must be full of righteousness, enough to suppress the resentment on that evil spirit.”

"Therefore, this bait can only be taken by you, Cultivator Han. I imagine that if the Sword God knew that his swordsmanship, after his fall, could be learned and passed down by a promising person like Cultivator Han, he would be very proud and gratified."

Han Shannan paused, the anger that had just risen in his heart gradually subsided. Looking at Li Chenjin, he pondered for a moment and said, "Alright, what you said makes sense. Not just anyone can be the bait. Besides, apart from this cultivator, no one else here can take on this responsibility."

"Don't worry, if that evil spirit dares to come tonight, I will make sure it doesn't leave alive! Just stay in your room and wait. Remember, no matter what noise you hear, don't go out, or I might not be able to take care of you."

"Then thank you very much for your help, Cultivator Han." Li Chen smiled and said, "While it's not dark yet, let's take a stroll around this mansion. If we happen to encounter that evil spirit, or find out where its resentment is, we can deal with it directly. Then Cultivator Han won't have to wear other people's clothes tonight."

Han Shannan thought for a moment, "That makes sense, let's go then!"

The Wu family mansion is very large. The main house is located in the very center of the entire Wu family mansion. In front of it is the front yard, which is usually used to entertain guests. It is filled with pavilions, towers, artificial hills and forests. Although some parts are treated somewhat deliberately and lack a bit of beauty, the environment is quiet and secluded. Taking a stroll in the front yard during the day is quite charming.

Behind the main house is a sizable garden with a pond in the center containing lotus flowers and many fish.

However, this backyard is where the female members of the Wu family live, and most visitors stop at the front yard, with very few outsiders allowed to enter.

Young Master Wu's residence was located near the backyard, so after they came out, they went to the backyard first, hoping to find out something unusual.

Since the backyard was mainly inhabited by female members of the samurai family, the servants serving there were also mostly women.

Last night, the news about the Wu family being haunted by evil spirits, and that Young Master Wu was so frightened by the evil spirits that he lost his mind, spread like wildfire. Everyone in both the front and back yards knew about it.

Therefore, as soon as Li Chenjin and Han Shannan entered the backyard, they saw several maids carrying food, looking worried and absent-minded, walking towards them.

The maid walking in front almost tripped over a pebble. After letting out a cry of pain, she came to her senses and realized there were two people in front of her. She immediately panicked and asked, "Who are you? How did you get in?!"

Li Chen said, “Miss, there’s no need to be afraid. We were invited by Master Wu to subdue the evil spirits. We came here with Master Wu’s permission. If you don’t believe me, you can go to the front yard and ask the steward to see if what I’m saying is true.”

Seeing Li Chen's sincere expression, which suggested he wasn't a liar, and considering what had happened the previous night, the group relaxed somewhat. "So you're distinguished guests invited by the master... Please don't be offended, it's just that the master had previously ordered that outsiders not be allowed in the backyard, so we..."

"It's alright," Li Chen said with a smile. "We came here to ask if you two have encountered anything unusual."

Upon hearing this, the people opposite looked bewildered. After exchanging glances, one of them shook his head and said, "No. We only heard about the evil spirits in the manor this morning and the news of the young master's accident. Luckily, we're not the ones serving the young master, otherwise we would be the ones who got beaten to death..."

As soon as she finished speaking, the person behind her gave her a subtle push. Only then did the person realize that she had said something she shouldn't have, and she quickly shut her mouth, not daring to look at Li Chenjin and Han Shannan.

Upon hearing this, Han Shannan's eyes widened immediately. Just as he was about to ask further questions, he felt Li Chen pat his arm, which made him close his mouth again.

"I came here to ask if Young Master Wu knew the person who died a few days ago?" Li Chen asked. "When that person died, there were your family's belongings with him. I wondered if that person couldn't tell who had killed him after his death, and therefore thought it was Young Master Wu who had killed him, so he came to your family and pestered you."

As soon as Li Chen finished speaking, someone said, "Impossible! Anyone who has been in the manor for a long time knows that the person who died in the east of the city was a close friend of our young master since childhood. Even if that person wanted revenge, he would never have come after our young master."

Li Chen was greatly surprised. "Wasn't it said that the family was poor? Even the constables in the yamen said that he didn't know the Wu family. How could he be friends with Young Master Wu?"

The other person said, "Those are all what outsiders saw. The one you mentioned who lives in the east of the city, is he surnamed Jiang, and the one that everyone in town calls Lazy Jiang?"

Li Chen nodded, and the man continued, "That man used to be a young master. His family was in business and was very wealthy. One day, that young master Jiang went out to play and encountered some stray dogs. He happened to run into our young master. Our young master took a stick and chased away the stray dogs to save him, and was bitten and covered in blood!"

"That young master Jiang is also a kind-hearted person, and his family is very grateful. When they saw that our master had just arrived in this place and was not well-fed or clothed, they hired a doctor for our young master and gave him a shop so that he could do some small business and the family could have enough to eat. After that, our young master and that young master Jiang got to know each other better and became good friends."

"Sigh... It's a pity about that young master Jiang. He was born to be a young master, upright and intelligent, a natural businessman. Everyone in the family was waiting for him to grow up and inherit the family business. But unexpectedly, the Jiang family's once thriving business declined after only a few years. It's truly a cruel twist of fate..."

"Yes, back then, the Jiang family not only had many shops go bankrupt, but also owed a huge debt. Young Master Jiang's parents were driven to their deaths by debt collectors. Young Master Jiang was just too young at the time, so no one bothered with him and he escaped a calamity. However, although he was spared his life, he had nowhere to live. The land deed of his previous house was stolen and used to pay off the debt, and Young Master Jiang became a beggar from then on."

At this point, the men all looked somewhat wistful. Then another man said, "Fortunately, although the Jiang family was declining, our master's business grew bigger and bigger. In just a few years, he became a well-known wealthy merchant in this area. When the young master had some money, he wanted to invite Young Master Jiang to live in the mansion, but Young Master Jiang refused no matter what. The young master had no choice but to take out all his savings and buy a place for Young Master Jiang to live in the east of the city."

"After that, when the young master had more money, he wanted to get a better place for Young Master Jiang and give him some more money so he could do some small business. But Young Master Jiang refused. I don't know if it was because he was frightened when he saw his parents being forced to their deaths in front of him during the family's decline. Now he has no spirit left. He doesn't want to do anything, doesn't want to move anything, doesn't talk to anyone other than our young master, and has no interest in marriage. That's why people have always called him a lazy bum."

"Therefore, Young Master Jiang would never harm our young master. Our young master is his benefactor! No matter what, a person cannot repay kindness with enmity, right? Even as a ghost, a ghost must still uphold morality and righteousness, right? How can one not harm the enemy but harm the benefactor?"

Li Chen nodded. "So it seems it really wasn't that Young Master Jiang. Has anyone in your household died a violent death? I see a lot of resentment in the backyard. Don't you all feel anything?"

Li Chenjin's eerie voice sent chills down the spines of the group, and fear involuntarily flickered in their eyes. In the end, they shook their heads, and seeing that Li Chenjin wanted to ask something more, they hurriedly said that they had to deliver food to the lady of the mansion and left in a hurry.

Li Chen stared thoughtfully at the departing figures of those people.

Seeing that everyone had left, Han Shannan, still lost in thought, asked, "What are you thinking about? Everyone's gone."

Li Chen sighed, "I was just wondering, who in this mansion died such a tragic death that they dared not tell the truth?"

Han Shannan said nonchalantly, "With so many people here, we're bound to run into someone who dares to tell the truth. Why not just ask a few more?"

Li Chen smiled and said, "That makes sense. Then let's continue asking."

But when I asked around, everyone seemed hesitant to speak, and in the end, they all made excuses to leave.

They wandered around the backyard for over an hour, until lunchtime, but still couldn't get any useful information out of them.

Han Shannan wanted to ask a few more people, but Li Chenjin said it was time to have lunch. Han Shannan couldn't refuse her, so he had to go back with her.

As they walked back, they happened to see an old woman squatting in a pavilion by the lake, quietly burning paper money.

The two exchanged a glance and walked into the pavilion one after the other, intending to inquire about the affairs of the mansion.

The old woman looked quite old, with gray hair, a face full of wrinkles, and somewhat cloudy eyes. After burning the last piece of paper money, she was about to get up when she noticed two strangers suddenly beside her, startling her. "You, you..."

A note from the author:

Xiao Han, you've been completely fooled, you know that? [doge emoji]