Three days later. Afternoon at Huang Village beside the iron mine.

"Bye bye! I'm off!" A lass with braided hair waved towards her seated classmate carrying a cloth satchel on her back.

Song Yunjuan smiled back while sitting at her desk. "Head home quicker or your parents would scold again."

"Got it!" That girl nimbly dashed off disappearing into the sunset's distance before long.

Only after losing all sight of her friend did Song Yunjuan retract her gaze looking over the emptied classroom. Everyone already left with just her remaining in the end.

"Should get going too..." She carefully packed the stationery and papers on her desk into the personal satchel before getting up and dusting herself. Then headed out the teaching chamber.

The entire Huang Village seemed especially bleak and quiet under the sunset.

Several village women chatting by a wall spotted Song Yunjuan and hastily rushed off unwilling to even glimpse at her.

In the distance, a few seven to eight year old boys were busily playing mudballs with snot dripping from their noses. Spotting Song Yunjuan, they instantly fled in fright.

"Quick, run! Little calamity star's here!"

"This way!"

Song Yunjuan didn't mind. Just lowered her head tidying up the little satchel and walked towards home.

Huang Village wasn't far. Just a few li(*). Still a considerable distance for a ten year old nevertheless.

Actually everything was fine several years ago. Grandfather, grandma, parents and siblings all hale and healthy.

But ever since elder brother's infatuation with alchemy two years prior, imperial exams held no more meaning. Just nonstop obsession over arcane arts and pill forging spending loads purchasing all kinds of manuals.

Misfortunes began from then on. First grandfather and grandma mysteriously vanished on an outing never returning. Then her parents passed during filial mourning from a carriage accident.

With no one left to restrain elder brother, his pill forging and cultivation mania intensified as if possessed.

Most siblings gave up leaving just herself and elder brother still at the manor. To fund alchemy experiments, everything valuable got sold off. Now the place was hollow and barren without even thieves willing targeting them. Only herself remaining after all servants got dismissed.

Song Yunjuan's fair little face revealed hints of dejection recalling grandfather and father... Plus mother's osmanthus cakes...

She lowered her head gently wiping the renewed dampness from eyes and quickened her pace homewards.

Fortunately instructor Chen pitied her plight not expelling her from the private school lacking tuition fees. Still permitted attendance and lessons.

One foot after another, Song Yunjuan used some grass strings tying up shoulder length hair. Quick steps finally allowed her reaching the manor gates at first nightfall.

The gates were left ajar without locks. Pitch black and desolate lacking any signs of humans.

Long accustomed, Song Yunjuan forcefully pushed them open and locked up after entering. Dropping the hefty gate bars too.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Bang. Secured tight, she dusted her hands off and faced the courtyard.

Littered with leaves and branches everywhere. All structures shrouded in darkness without lamps.

Borrowing moonlight, she walked towards the side hall.

Just the sounds of lone footsteps constantly echoed within the empty square grounds. Worn kidskin boots rhythmically clacked over stone slabs.

Song Yunjuan long grew familiar to such circumstances. Hurrying to the side hall revealed the dinner table bathed under moonlight. Yet nothing on it.

She sighed. Only walking over to elder brother's bedroom.

Crossing the small stone bridge led to the largest wing room by the left. Gently pushing the door open.

Creak... The grating squeaks exceptionally jarring across the entire manor.

Pitch blackness inside. Song Yunjuan barely made out the interior's layout under moonlight.

Impenetrable darkness to the left nothing visible within that gloomy corner. Faint outlines of an enormous object rested there she knew as elder brother's pill furnace.

Peering right, several bowls were discernible on a square table beneath the moon.

"Still pill forging elder brother?"

A period of silence. "Mm. Just finished brewing some." A male voice responded from the shadows.

Song Yunjuan entered sitting by the table and fumbled for chopsticks preparing dinner through touch.

But the chilled dish greeted her after the first bite. No warm meals without night illumination now too? What cold forging method existed sans flames for alchemy?

"No hot dishes again elder brother?"

"Yeah. Just made in the morning without reheating yet." Repeated from the darkness.

Song Yunjuan sighed but continued eating silently nonetheless.

Utterly oblivious towards the looming figure behind her noiselessly emerging from a corner. That pale expressionless face belonged to some man.

He stared down at Song Yunjuan. A hand clutching scissors slowly stretched forth. Fresh blood dripped off its edges...

Bang bang bang!

The outer gates suddenly shook under fierce knocking sounds.

Song Yunjuan promptly stood up and ran out. "Who is it?"

"Anyone home?"

"We're just passerby's temporarily stranded by a mountain rock slide blocking the path back. Hoping to stay for the night after seeing manor walls safely blocking beasts." A bright male voice traveled in carrying hints of warmth.

Song Yunjuan hesitated. Currently just elder brother was home. Meeting sinister characters could spell trouble...

"Little miss, are the elders present? We can pay advance silver for just an overnight stay." That man continued, "We're not scoundrels. Rental fees here."

Clink. Metallic clinks preceded something vaulting over the enclosing walls.

Song Yunjuan ran over discovering a strung cluster of large coins after picking them up.

Eight coins almost twice the size of normal ones faintly exuding copper and black. Even bound together by black threads.

Careful counting revealed eight. Ten large coins made one tael of silver. This person easily handed over eight. Clearly no lack of money.

Song Yunjuan wavered. Recalling elder brother still being present, she lifted the gate bars with effort and forced the gates open after hesitation.

Creak... Beyond the opened passage stood three brawny men whose sturdy frames clearlyhinted martial practice.

The one in scholar robes had ash grey attire. Even the loose bookish garments failed obscuring powerful physique and bulging muscles.

Song Yunjuan's sight landed on the blade sheaths they wore. Heartbeat intensifying in trepidation. These three lacked benevolent bearings... Involuntarily backing away she spoke up, "Elder brother's home too but he's pill forging. Best avoid disturbing him if nothing's the matter. Also, feel free resting but please no illumination. Elder brother loathes lights."

"How to rest sans light?" Duan Meng'an grumbled from behind Lusheng.

Song Yunjuan bit her lips feeling afraid. These people spelled trouble yet home necessities were already pawned clean by elder brother. Remaining stuff was tattered beyond salvation and too cumbersome for buyers.

"F... Fine. Just keep it confined inside your quarters. Don't take it out or elder brother would be furious. He's very scary aggravated..."

Lusheng narrowed his eyes towards the jet interior despite lamps everywhere lacking hints of brightness. "Alright. We'll illuminate our rooms. No problems now?" His tone remained gently warm.

Song Yunjuan death-gripped those large coins. Direly lacking money at home, this could support half a year's tuition.

"Please enter." She made way letting them inside.

Bang. After reapplying the gate bars, Song Yunjuan led the trio towards the guest wing.

She blushed from embarrassment at the dilapidated sights. Such impoverished settings allowed anyone discerning this household's destitution.

After separately sending them to three vacant rooms, she wanted leaving to rest.

Yet sudden knocks came from the gates again. "I'll go see." Song Yunjuan promptly ran off. Whether Lusheng's group were thieves mattered not since everything valuable already sold away. The remaining stuff even buyers shunned for difficulties moving.

Watching the little girl's fading figure, Lusheng observed the decrepit courtyard and eerie environment. "Poor child..."

"Can't believe actual occupants." Duan Meng'an felt somewhat tense.

"Strange with residents?" The other called Ning San specialized in such tasks picked by Lusheng for this trip.

Disguised as passersby, their goal involved close inspections of the manor's interior conditions.