Jun You Ji Fou

Chapter 58

Chu Mingyun, with a slight squint, gazed at the softly dancing candle flame in the guest room and mused, "What's this supposed to be? Haunted, or perhaps someone's up to tricks?"

Shaking his head, Su Shiyu replied, "Tonight, I've not caught the sound of anyone stirring. These rooms seem to have been left vacant. Had it not been for the eerie silence a moment ago, it would've escaped my notice."

"You mean to say, not one of the patrons filling the downstairs earlier is staying the night?" Chu Mingyun probed further.

With a slight furrow in his brow, Su Shiyu turned to him, "From the innkeeper's words today, it seemed he was eager for us not to extend our stay."

"He doesn't get to decide that," Chu Mingyun retorted with a cold laugh, then slightly turned, clasping Su Shiyu's hand with a bend in his brows, "Shiyu, scared at all?"

"You could simply say if you're scared," Su Shiyu said, letting out a light laugh.

Chu Mingyun, eyebrows raised and lips curved, suggested, "If you get scared later, how about calling me 'husband'?"

After exchanging a glance and a chuckle with him, Su Shiyu led the way to the innermost guest room, "Perhaps you should take care, Brother Chu."

Entering the room, they were greeted by an odd, musty smell. Su Shiyu's fingers lightly traced over a desk, picking up a layer of fine dust. He frowned slightly, "Even if rarely used, one would expect regular upkeep in an inn. How could there be such a thick layer of dust?"

"It is indeed curious," Chu Mingyun remarked casually, "Claiming reluctance to leave Shouchun, yet evidently lacking any intention of running a proper business."

Suddenly, the lamp flickered with a soft pop, dimming for a moment. The unmistakable sound of the night wind sweeping through the empty downstairs reached their ears, reinforcing the sense of abandonment.

Chu Mingyun still leaned against the wall, surveying his surroundings. In the dim light and shadows, he noticed Su Shiyu staring intently at something and chuckled, "Feeling scared now?"

"Over there," Su Shiyu walked towards a wardrobe in the corner. As the candlelight stabilized, the room brightened again, revealing a dark stain behind the intricately carved wooden wardrobe in a narrow crack in the wall.

Chu Mingyun frowned slightly, pulling Su Shiyu closer with one hand while forcefully moving the large wardrobe a few feet away with the other. The bottom of the wardrobe grinding against the floor produced a dull sound, exposing the wall in its entirety without any cover. A large dark stain, like splashed ink, spread across the wall, and the pungent smell of decay mixed with dust was so strong it was nauseating.

After the smell had somewhat dissipated, Su Shiyu touched the stain with his fingertip, took a closer sniff, and then slightly changed his expression, looking up at Chu Mingyun, "It's human blood."

"You really can endure a lot," Chu Mingyun said as he took his hand to wipe it clean before turning to examine the wall, "The blood reached this height, and so much of it sprayed out, it could only be from someone being slashed in half."

Su Shiyu frowned deeply and after a moment of contemplation, said, "Let's check the other rooms."

In the neighboring guest room, they found no covered blood stains. After inspecting the area, Chu Mingyun suddenly stopped by the door, leaned in for a closer look, and touched it, "This door has been newly painted."

Su Shiyu had just taken out a sword from his sleeve when Chu Mingyun took it from him, casually scraping off a few strokes on the door. The vermilion paint peeled off, revealing the dark color underneath with a strong, pungent smell. Even after scraping off several layers of wood chips, the scent persisted, indicating that the door was almost soaked in blood.