C3 Desolate Tower at the City Side

I was skeptical: "What method? If it's the same one as last time, I'd rather walk away backwards..."

"Relax, nephew. This method is actually about breaking the curse of the haunted house, and it's a win-win. The place is filled with resentment because someone died there violently. If that resentment lingers, even the spirits can't handle it. So, the haunted house is like a separate world of Yin and Yang. Once you're inside, the negative energy clinging to you will be overwhelmed by the house's own vengeful spirits. The stronger their resentment, the weaker your negative energy becomes. Over time, your bad luck will naturally fade away," Third Uncle explained.

"Damn. So, if I don't shake off this negative energy, am I stuck with you selling this place forever?"

"I can't say for sure. The negative energy you're carrying is no small matter, and you're more aware of that than anyone. But this house isn't as perilous as you imagine. You still don't trust in Third Uncle's abilities? Just be my assistant, and together, we'll make sure you're living the high life."

I nearly burst out laughing in frustration and pointed inside the room: "Third Uncle, I'm not blind. You've been barely scraping by yourself, and now you're promising me the good life?"

Third Uncle gestured dismissively: "You don't get it. I've finally figured out that our fates need to be combined to thrive. Apart, we're just attracting bad luck. I may not have been hit as hard, but I'm not doing much better than you."

I fixed my gaze on Third Uncle: "So this time... should I trust you once more?"

Truth be told, I had no other options left. My money had been taken, and I didn't even have enough for a bus ticket home.

Third Uncle slapped his thigh enthusiastically: "Exactly, nephew. I'm telling you, I've got my eye on a property. If we pull this off, we can clear that 300,000 yuan debt in just half a month. Stop eating and come with me to check out the house."

With that, Third Uncle grabbed the chopsticks out of my hand, slung a bag over his shoulder, and dragged me out of the basement.

We hopped into a cab, and I whispered, "Third Uncle, we're out of cash. Do you have enough for the fare?"

Third Uncle gave me a reassuring wink. "Don't worry about it."

With that, he slipped off his shoe and pulled out 200 yuan from beneath the insole.

Holding my nose, I teased, "Third Uncle, you hardly resemble a Taoist priest."

He chuckled. "Who would know if you kept it to yourself?"

The taxi made its way out of the suburbs and toward the city center, stopping at a transition area between the urban and rural zones. A series of houses lined up before us. We must have passed this way earlier, but I hadn't really noticed.

"Do you see that?" Third Uncle gestured toward the houses. "This is a village. As the city has expanded over the years, the value of land here has soared, and so have the house prices. The property we're after is right in there."

Chatting away, Third Uncle led me straight to a two-story building.

By the time we arrived, dusk was settling in. The waning sun cast its glow on the gray structure, its rooftop overgrown with wild grass, giving it a particularly forlorn and desolate appearance.

I shared my impressions with Third Uncle, who nodded in agreement, noting that the house had indeed been uninhabited for quite some time. The lack of human presence only added to its desolation.

With Third Uncle's explanation, I came to understand the history of this so-called haunted house.

The two-story building had been standing for a few years, owned by a man named Chen Dafa. In his twenties, Chen Dafa had been among the first to venture out as a migrant worker. Spending most of his time away, his household consisted of just his wife, Lee Ximei, and his mother, Old Lady Chen. Thanks to Chen Dafa's shrewdness and dedication, he quickly amassed a fortune and built this two-story edifice upon returning home, much to the envy of the villagers.

Once the house was completed, Chen Dafa set off to work again. That's when the troubles for this house began.

Lee Ximei was quite attractive, with a look that suggested foreign ancestry. In the village, she was known for her assertive presence—a formidable woman, and to be frank, she was considered a shrew. She consistently mistreated her mother-in-law, Old Lady Chen, ordering her around and occasionally resorting to physical violence. The entire village was aware of her behavior, yet Chen Dafa remained oblivious. Even before their two-story home was constructed, Lee Ximei would often deprive Old Lady Chen of enough food. After moving into the new house, her treatment of the elderly woman only intensified. Lee Ximei had a small, crude shelter built from leftover construction materials next to the house. She forced Old Lady Chen to clean the new house daily and then relegated her to live in the drafty and leaky shelter, where Old Lady Chen endured a harsh existence.

Chen Dafa had been away for two years, working with a construction crew in another province and had not been home during that time. Yet, Lee Ximei had become pregnant.

It was clear to anyone that Lee Ximei led a promiscuous life; the child could not be Chen Dafa’s. The village was abuzz with gossip, claiming that Lee Ximei had secretly met with numerous men, discussing the matter with vivid detail.

Unexpectedly, the usually meek Old Lady Chen reached her breaking point. She confronted Lee Ximei, demanding to know why she had not borne a legitimate heir for the Chen family but instead had been unfaithful to Chen Dafa and was now carrying an illegitimate child. Accustomed to being in control, Lee Ximei dismissed Old Lady Chen's accusations, insisting that the fault lay with Chen Dafa's inadequacies and that her actions were to secure an heir for the Chen family. Their argument escalated into the night, ending with an enraged Lee Ximei expelling Old Lady Chen from the house.

That evening, as a thunderstorm raged, villagers witnessed Old Lady Chen, drenched and disheveled, her white hair matted by the rain, her eyes blazing with rage. Despite days of hunger, she found an inexplicable strength, retrieved a shovel from the village, and stormed back to her home.

Old Lady Chen forced her way into the house, and with a swing of the shovel, she cleaved off half of Lee Ximei's head. The following day, the villagers discovered Old Lady Chen had also taken her own life in the new building. In one tragic night, including the unborn child, three lives were lost. The house, now the site of such violent deaths, became known as a haunted place, and naturally, no one dared to go near it.

Some say that in the dead of night, you can hear Lee Ximei and Old Lady Chen's voices clashing in heated argument from inside the house. Others claim to have seen Old Lady Chen hanging at the doorway, her white hair in disarray, grinning and laughing incessantly.

Those who witnessed this scene or heard the noises fell seriously ill upon returning home. Since then, the desolate tower has been shunned, its very name unspoken in hushed tones.

A homeless man, unaware of the house's grim history, took shelter there. But mere days later, a foul stench led to the discovery of his corpse. His eyes were reportedly wide with terror, mouth agape, tongue lolling out as if he had been frightened to death by some ghastly sight.

Chen Dafa, the property owner, had hoped to offload the house amidst relocation developments. But after multiple deaths within its walls, no price drop could entice a buyer. The house remained forsaken.

As Third Uncle recounted the house's eerie past, a shiver ran down my spine, and my skin crawled with unease.

Gazing at the two-story building before us, with its windows shrouded by thick curtains, I couldn't shake the feeling that malevolent eyes were watching us from behind them. A chill coursed through me.

Third Uncle, unfazed, carried on, "Nephew, I've already spoken with Chen Dafa. Land prices here are skyrocketing, and he's eager to sell at a bargain. I'm confident I can negotiate it down another 20%. Once we handle the necessary affairs, we can flip the house for a hefty profit—well over 300,000 yuan."

I couldn't help but scoff, "Third Uncle, you make it sound so easy. I'm worried we might earn the money but not live to spend it... Besides, you barely have two hundred yuan to your name. Even with the house's price at rock bottom, it's hardly going to sell for a mere two hundred yuan, is it?"

Third Uncle shot me a knowing look, "Exactly, do you get it? Chen Dafa practically threw the keys at me when he heard of my interest. We'll sort everything out and then find a buyer. Leave the details to me. Now, let's focus on the plan. Tonight, we need to inspect the house and pinpoint the exact issue."

"Ah? You're suggesting we enter the house tonight?" I was taken aback and countered, "Isn't it possible to come during the day? Why must it be at night?"

Third Uncle gestured dismissively, "During the day? No, that won't do. The Yang energy is too strong then, and it can obscure many things. Dealing with this house is like diagnosing an illness; you have to understand the symptoms before you can treat it. We need to pinpoint the problem before we can figure out how to break this perilous setup."

My heart was in turmoil as I heard this. Tentatively, I asked, "Could I possibly stay outside instead of going in?"

Third Uncle gave me a stern look. "This isn't a heist. What are you planning to guard against? Besides, if anyone's going to stand watch, it should be me while you go inside."

"Why?" I was bewildered.

"Ever heard of the Gold Stealing Officer? The tomb robbers..."

"What does that have to do with tomb robbing?" I was genuinely confused.

"The way we're investigating this house is not unlike tomb raiding. Tomb raiders emphasize teamwork, often operating in father-son pairs. If it's not a father and son, once the raider inside the tomb finds something of immense value, the lookout might be tempted to kill him to keep the treasure for themselves. The ancestral rules of tomb raiding dictate that if a father and son go together, the father should keep watch while the son enters the tomb, because a father, regardless of the temptation, won't harm his son. We need that same level of cooperation to tackle this house. Since I can't do it alone, I brought you, my nephew. Though we're not father and son, we're as close as can be, and I saved your life. With our cooperation, we're already halfway to success. I'm your Third Uncle; I wouldn't betray you. What's there to fear?"

I looked at Third Uncle and replied, "How many times have you tricked me already? After all that, are you saying I should go into the house by myself?"

While speaking, I cast another glance at the desolate tower. I noticed that on the second-floor window, an almost imperceptible shadow had appeared, fixated on us...