Chapter 77

"Nothing much, I'm taking Ninglang home to meet my father and Uncle, the lord. We've been traveling and sightseeing along the way, and we just happened to reach your place. We heard that the Terror Manor has a wondrous architecture, so we came to take a look," Ningning said. This was their plan: to first request a detailed tour of the Terror Manor under the identity of Qin Hongmian, using Ningning's talent as a beast speaker to confirm if there was a night owl, and if so, where it was sealed.

According to legend, a thousand-year-old night owl should be sealed deep in the dungeon, just like the enchanting creature in Cloud Peak City. Therefore, they needed to find a way to let Ningning enter the dungeon of the Terror Manor tomorrow without arousing Zhao Mu's suspicion.

"No problem, I'll personally take the two of you on a tour of the entire manor tomorrow," Zhao Mu said. "However, my manor is quite simple and can't compare to Qin City. I hope you won't be disappointed."

"I'm just taking a casual look," Ningning said. "Well, we've been traveling all day, and I'm a bit tired. Could you prepare a room for us to rest?"

"Yes!" Zhao Mu quickly stood up. "I'll immediately have my wife prepare the best rooms for you. However, our manor is quite simple, and any shortcomings, please bear with us!"

Then, Zhao Mu said, "Wanru, please take Miss Qin and Young Master Ning to the best guest rooms to rest."

"Yes!" A gentle female voice replied, and then a plump and beautiful woman walked in.

"Please follow me, honored guests," the woman said to Yang Dingtian and Ningning.

Zhao Mu said, "Rest well, and I'll come to greet you early tomorrow morning."

"Thank you," Yang Dingtian said, and then he and Ningning followed the woman to the Phoenix Nest Pavilion to rest.

They passed through a garden, a long corridor, and a deep alleyway.

"Little Hongmian, don't you recognize this big sister anymore?" the woman suddenly said, her tone slightly strange.

Yang Dingtian was startled. If Zhao Mu's wife knew Qin Hongmian, that would be troublesome.

"It's you who doesn't recognize me," Ningning evaded the question.

"Are you still angry that I took the third young master?" the woman said. "That heartless man got what he wanted from me and then discarded me like a used rag after half a month. He then sent me to the Terror Manor to marry the cripple Zhao Mu."

"Don't mention Qin Shaobai to me," Qin Hongmian said coldly.

The woman laughed. "What's wrong? You used to be quite infatuated with that heartless man."

Yang Dingtian remained on high alert, but fortunately, the woman didn't say anything more.

The Phoenix Nest Pavilion was a separate small courtyard with a pavilion, surrounded by flowers. It was indeed the best place in the entire Terror Manor.

"This was originally the bedroom of Zhao Wujie's daughter, Zhao Xiu'er, the best place in the Terror Manor. I've tried several times to stay here but was never allowed," the woman said. "It's very quiet here, and you can do whatever you want at night."

"However, I've heard that this pavilion is haunted. Little Hongmian, be careful that the female ghost doesn't seduce your handsome young master," the plump woman said coyly.

"Alright, you can go now," Ningning said impatiently.

"Are you that eager?" the woman laughed, glancing at Yang Dingtian with a flirtatious look. "You have such good taste, where did you find such a handsome young man? It makes my heart itch."

"Qin Wanru, don't act so wanton here," Ningning said.

"Hehe..." The woman giggled and walked out. "Don't worry, I won't compete with you for men anymore."

As she reached the door, the woman suddenly turned around. "Little Hongmian, why do your teeth look so beautiful now, like pearls? They weren't this beautiful before."

After saying that, the woman left.

"What did she mean?" Yang Dingtian asked, careful not to speak too directly in case someone was eavesdropping.

It seemed that Zhao Mu's wife, Qin Wanru, knew Qin Hongmian, but it was unclear what their relationship was. If they were very close, she might see through Ningning's disguise.

"I don't know," Ningning said. "But even if she has suspicions, she can't confirm them."

Seeing Yang Dingtian still looking wary, Ningning said, "Don't worry, no one is eavesdropping outside."

Ningning's spiritual senses were very sharp. In Cloud Peak City, she would immediately know if someone entered her small valley.

"Do you know this Qin Wanru?" Yang Dingtian asked.

"I know of her, but I've never met her," Ningning said. "She is a close relative of the Qin family from the northwest, closer in blood to the Qin family than Qin Hongmian, but I didn't know she married into the Terror Manor."

Yang Dingtian asked, "Is Qin Wanru familiar with Qin Hongmian?"

"I don't know," Ningning said. "They definitely know each other, but how close they are is uncertain. Qin Wanru's parents held middle-ranking positions in Qin City, while Qin Hongmian was in Redstone Fort, a thousand miles away."

Yang Dingtian took a deep breath. "Since we're here, we'll make the best of it. Regardless, we'll follow the original plan tomorrow and confirm if there is a night owl."

Ningning said, "We'll stick to the plan and adapt if necessary. Tonight, take a bath and have a good sleep."

...

After bathing, Ningning got into bed and said, "Sleep, we have to outsmart Zhao Mu tomorrow."

"I'll sleep on the floor," Yang Dingtian said.

"Qin Hongmian isn't a chaste woman. Would she sleep separately from her lover?" Ningning said.

Yang Dingtian climbed into bed, noticing that Ningning was only wearing a belly band and underpants, and the bed was filled with a sweet fragrance.

"Let's sleep with our clothes on," Yang Dingtian said. "If anything happens at night, we can act quickly. Qin Wanru said this pavilion is haunted, and there are no maids around, which is unusual."

"Being overly cautious will make us look suspicious," Ningning said. Seeing that Yang Dingtian was still on high alert, she said softly, "Xiaotian, rest easy. I'll know if anything happens."

Yang Dingtian trusted her, but he still couldn't fall asleep.

"Are you restless and can't sleep?" Ningning asked in the darkness.

"Yes," Yang Dingtian said.

Ningning sat up, lifted Yang Dingtian's head, and let it rest on her soft, firm chest. She gently massaged his temples and the top of his head.

As she massaged, she hummed a soothing tune.

Her hands seemed to have a magical power, and soon Yang Dingtian fell into a deep sleep, without even dreaming.

...

"I died so tragically..."

"I died so tragically..."

Yang Dingtian was enjoying the sweetest sleep in two years when he was suddenly awakened by a piercing cry. He opened his eyes to see a woman's face floating in front of him, pale and lifeless, with green eyes and blood streaming from her seven orifices.

It was just a face with long hair, no body, floating above Yang Dingtian's bed. The cries were eerie and chilling, making Yang Dingtian's hair stand on end.

"Ningning," Yang Dingtian reached out to grab Ningning, but her hand was cold and lifeless.

Yang Dingtian was startled and stared at the ghost. "Who are you? What have you done to Ningning?"

"I am Zhao Xiu'er, I died so tragically," the ghost wailed. "Tell me your name, are you my enemy? Tell me your name..."

"My name is Ning Que," Yang Dingtian said.

"No, you're lying, you're not Ning Que..." the ghost screamed. "You're lying, you must be the one who killed me. I'll kill you, I'll kill you..."

Suddenly, two black smoke ropes emerged from the darkness, wrapping around Yang Dingtian's neck, causing him to suffocate.

"I died so tragically, I'll kill you, you're my enemy..."

The suffocation grew stronger, and he tried to grab the ropes around his neck but couldn't. They were intangible.

"Dead, dead, you're lying, I'll kill you..." the woman cackled, her voice chilling.

"Seal!" Suddenly, Ningning's clear voice rang in his ear, and the suffocation vanished.

"A mere mental trick, trying to show off in front of an expert, you're asking for death!" Ningning said coldly, then focused her gaze on a point a foot from the bed and grabbed the air with her hand.

"Ahh..." The ghost suddenly screamed, and the scene changed. The faceless ghost transformed into a strange little beast, now held in Ningning's hand, struggling and screaming.

This beast was very peculiar, with bat wings, a snake-like body, and a face very similar to a human.

"This is a mental beast, a human-faced enchantress," Ningning said. "Very rare, one of the rarest beasts in the world. I didn't expect the Terror Manor to have one."

Yang Dingtian looked at the human-faced enchantress. "This little thing is so powerful."

"Mental attacks, creating illusions, completely unpredictable, especially when one is asleep and most vulnerable," Ningning said. "It seems the ghost stories are all due to this little beast. It was definitely sent to test our identities."

"Do you want to live?" Ningning asked the human-faced enchantress.

The little beast nodded frantically but couldn't speak. The ghost's words were just illusions created in the human mind; the beast itself couldn't speak.

"I've added three mental seals in your mind. If you want to live, do you know how to report back?" Ningning asked. "Say that we were scared unconscious by you."

The human-faced enchantress nodded quickly, then looked at Ningning with pleading eyes.

"Also, I have a question. Is there a thousand-year-old night owl in the Terror Manor?" Ningning asked.

The human-faced enchantress widened its eyes, hesitated for a moment, and then shook its head.

Ningning's eyes narrowed, and a mental force surged out, causing the human-faced enchantress to twist and scream in pain.

"Is there a thousand-year-old night owl?" Ningning asked again.

The human-faced enchantress nodded frantically. There was indeed a thousand-year-old night owl!

"Is it sealed deep in the dungeon?" Ningning asked.

The human-faced enchantress nodded.

"Where is the entrance to the dungeon?" Ningning asked.

The human-faced enchantress flailed its arms and legs, making strange noises.

"Got it, go report," Ningning released her hand.

The human-faced enchantress flapped its wings and fled.

"It said the entrance to the dungeon is in the central tower of the Terror Manor," Ningning said.