620. The Haunted Estate (2)
I tilted my head and asked the Supreme Patriarch.
"What sort of problem is it?"
"It's not something to explain here... Come with me and see for yourself."
"Understood."
We rose from our seats and followed him.
On the way, we passed through Luoyang's bustling markets, where the estates and streets were neatly separated, much like in Beijing.
"Here it is."
I couldn't help blinking at the place he pointed out.
Huh? This is...
It was an ideal spot for a merchant guild branch.
Not too close to the Murim Alliance, nor too far; not too isolated from the markets either.
Moreover, roads ran in all directions, and there was even a fairly large manor.
It wasn't too dilapidated— a little fixing up would make it usable right away, saving both money and time.
But the "problem" the Supreme Patriarch mentioned erased all those advantages.
This was the infamous haunted manor.
Even in my previous life, it had a notorious reputation and fell into ruin, remaining unused until the day I died.
The manor's first owner had been fabulously wealthy.
He'd bought up all the surrounding homes, razed them, and built this manor.
But the manor lord and his family were wiped out overnight in a mysterious incident.
The sole heir, who had been away on business and thus survived, sold the property.
It happened to coincide with the market's expansion, and the location was perfect— the Supreme Patriarch himself said it matched my criteria exactly.
It sold smoothly at first, but afterward, bizarre phenomena began occurring here.
Strange noises from empty spaces.
Objects moving on their own.
Something grabbing your ankle or tapping your back when you were clearly alone— phenomena that could only be explained as hauntings.
After changing hands several times, it became a place no one would live in.
Some said it was the vengeful spirits of the murdered manor lord and his family; others claimed pranks by intruders.
Even the Murim Alliance stepped in to resolve it but failed.
Thus, it lingered as a failure and embarrassment for the Alliance, like a piece of meat caught between teeth— irritatingly persistent.
"You seem to know what this place is. Then you can guess why I called it a problem."
"Yes."
I nodded.
"You're probably wondering why I showed you this place."
I was curious. Why recommend such a spot?
"First off, it meets every condition you wanted. Nothing lacking."
The Supreme Patriarch was right.
"And there's something very important."
He grinned mischievously.
"The entire plot— manor included— costs a hundred silver nyang."
"...Pardon?"
I doubted my ears for a moment.
A hundred silver nyang?
A decent tiled house cost well over that, yet this place was a hundred?
Even haunted, considering the land size and manor... it didn't make sense.
"A hundred silver nyang? Did I hear that wrong?"
"You heard correctly. It is a hundred silver nyang."
"How is that possible?"
"They kept dropping the price to sell it quickly— over and over— until it hit a hundred."
His explanation made sense.
Of course, prices ultimately depend on the seller's urgency and the buyer's patience.
The sellers were desperate; buyers weren't. So the price plummeted.
Recalling the funds spent expanding the Eunhae Merchant Group's Luoyang branch in my previous life... a hundred silver nyang was practically free.
But without solving the Supreme Patriarch's "problem," it'd just be a white elephant.
As I pondered, he spoke cautiously.
"And actually, the current owner is one of our Jegal clan members."
"Pardon?"
He turned away awkwardly.
"He bought it to study the place, but he fled pale-faced and hasn't touched it since. Won't say a word about what happened."
Was the Supreme Patriarch recommending it to help a clan member?
But it felt like there was more to it.
He continued.
"If you want to look inside, just say so. I'll give you the key."
"You have the key?"
"He left it with the estate office."
Ah...
"It's the perfect location at a great price, but the problem bothers me. Wouldn't a trouble-free place be better?"
"You're right. But I thought you could handle it safely here."
"What do you mean...?"
"One person looked around and came out fine."
The Supreme Patriarch went on.
"He inspected it and said he'd buy it for a sub-branch or similar. But that was his last visit to Luoyang."
Who could it be?
My question was answered by his sound transmission.
— The former Seolpung Palace Lord, a close friend of mine.
Ah!
"So keep it in mind. Shall we see some other places?"
He showed me a few more sites.
But in my eyes, that haunted manor kept shimmering alluringly.
The price was unbeatable, conditions perfect.
Plus, the former Seolpung Palace Lord had chosen it— there had to be a reason.
.
.
.
That evening.
I ended up at the haunted manor's plot.
I needed to check it myself.
Especially to understand why the former Seolpung Palace Lord had wanted to buy it.
"Here's the key."
"Good. Let's go in."
"Yes."
Weeds had grown tall, unmanaged for ages.
Lucky it was winter; summer would've been swarming with bugs.
Pushing through waist-high grass, the manor buildings came into view.
Whew, it really looks great.
There were other plots this size nearby, but acquiring them was tough.
They belonged to major guilds or local powers' estates.
I could seize them by force, but that would mean bathing in their bloody tears.
Absolutely not. I'd be no different from the foes I'd dealt with so far.
"Haa..."
"Why the sigh, young master?"
I gave Palgap a hollow laugh.
"Seeing it like this, I really want it."
"If you want it, just buy it, right?"
Jin Yu Warrior chimed in.
"Palgap, it's not that simple. The infamy here is beyond imagination. Even Mosan Sect and Wudang experts couldn't resolve it."
His face full of wariness, he added,
"Truth be told, I followed because it's you, but just entering makes me uneasy."
I spoke calmly to him.
"Don't worry too much. We're not that fragile."
"Of course. But your safety concerns me."
"It's fine. Let's go inside."
We entered.
Kiiiiiik.
Rusty hinges creaked as the gate opened.
A wide courtyard greeted us first.
Behind it, buildings stood in tidy rows.
Heavy furniture remained, but valuables were gone.
Figures they'd taken those.
My guards walked warily, alert for surprises.
It looked like an abandoned manor, but no room for complacency.
Jin Yu Warrior wouldn't exaggerate without reason.
I scanned the ambient qi as I walked— no trace of dark path energy.
So not black path tricks or schemes.
Experts would've handled that already.
Which made it all the more puzzling.
We searched every corner, but nothing happened.
We just reconfirmed how attractive the manor and plot were.
Of course nothing occurred while scouting.
If incidents happened on tours, it never would've been listed.
After some thought, I decided.
"I'll borrow this manor for a bit."
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"I need to observe it over time."
The next morning.
I visited the Jegal estate and informed the Supreme Patriarch of my intent.
"I'll watch it for a few days."
"My friend said the same."
"Pardon?"
He smiled.
"I didn't mention yesterday, but he stayed a few days too, then offered to buy it."
"I see. How much for the rental?"
"No need. Stay as long as you like for a few days. You're busy; you won't linger a month."
"True. I'll report back after observing."
I left the Jegal estate and returned to the manor.
No previous owners had stayed over a month in my memory.
Something would happen within that time.
We reentered; Palgap cleaned a building with connected bedroom and study.
No need to clean elsewhere for a short stay.
I said I could stay alone, but they refused outright, so we bunked together.
By the time we finished cleaning and settling, dusk fell.
Tired.
I lay on the bed.
Strange place with mysterious incidents, but with rotating guards and exhaustion, I fell asleep quickly.
Nothing happened overnight.
If anything, I slept more soundly than usual.
I got up and began my routine meditation and breathing exercise.
Hm?
Soon, I sensed something odd.
Pure spiritual energy flowed through the earth, veins gathering and emanating it upward in spots.
Those veins attracted pure qi, where orthodox sects and clans built.
Wittingly or instinctively.
I hadn't noticed at first, but reaching peak Super First-rate with the Taiyin Ice Sea Divine Art let me feel it.
And the strongest concentration in the empire was right here in Luoyang.
The Murim Alliance was built here not just for traffic, but for this potent pure qi— ideal for inner power cultivation.
A huge boon for orthodox murim.
Now I understood why the former Seolpung Palace Lord eyed it for a sub-branch.
Multiple Alliance visits had shown it sat on Luoyang's strongest pure qi vein.
This place had nearly as much.
Seolpung Palace arts like Taiyin Ice Sea Divine Art favored yin-rich areas.
Hence their Yangyang Martial Hall in Zhejiang's Hangzhou.
Pure qi spots aided practice too, but rare.
So they settled for yin abundance.
How thrilled must the former lord have been discovering this?
But it was his last visit— he fell to the Blood Cult's raid.
Whew, calm down.
Unsettled mind during meditation spelled trouble.
Finishing, I felt nearly double the usual efficiency.
And I wasn't the only one.
"Meditating here feels lighter somehow."
"Fatigue's much less too."
I nodded to my guards.
"I felt it as well."
Glancing around, I added,
"What is this place, really?"
Then Palgap brought breakfast.
Cooking here was impractical, so we bought from an inn.
We ate and started work.
Sitting at the desk, reviewing documents for a while.
Tok tok.
Something tapped my shoulder.
"Yes, Captain Gwak."
But then it hit me.
I was working alone.
I'd left Seo-hyang miss at the inn just in case.
And she called out, never tapped shoulders.
Cold sweat poured in an instant.
It had finally appeared.