Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 165 Investigation of Old Cases
When Tan Huaike looked over again, he found that the figures there had vanished in an instant.

She was trembling with fear: "Is...is there really a ghost?"

Shentu Zhuo led her a few steps forward: "That's hard to say. It certainly wasn't here when I lived here, but I don't know about later. Perhaps the merchant's family, who died unjustly, are still resentful and wander around here all day?"

Tan Huaike covered his mouth: "Stop talking!"

Feeling her icy palm, Shen Tu Zhuo'an smiled triumphantly and then pushed open the study door.

Because the house had been unoccupied for a long time, a cloud of dust rose when the door was opened, swirling haphazardly in the lantern light. Shen Tu Zhuo brushed aside the drooping cobwebs and tattered cloth with his sleeve and went inside first.

A breeze blew in from outside, causing the lanterns to sway precariously, and occasionally, insects would flit by. As the two walked by, they left a jumble of footprints on the ground, which was covered in a thick layer of dust.

Shen Tu Zhuo raised the lantern and examined the furnishings in the study, saying, "This place is quite different from when we left. The desks and cabinets have all been replaced and their positions have been changed. It must have been done by the merchant who came later."

He walked around the crooked screen and into the inner room, his tone nostalgic. "There used to be a curio cabinet here. My grandfather liked to collect trinkets and put them on it, such as oddly shaped lacquerware, incense burners, wood carvings he made himself, and animal bones he brought back from foreign lands."

As he spoke, Tan Huaike was no longer so afraid. He loosened his belt and picked up a lantern to help look around: "According to what you said, the Shentu Mansion was searched many times back then, and at least on the surface, the missing five volumes of bamboo slips were not found."

“We don’t yet know whether those documents were used to prove your grandfather’s innocence or to convict him, but they were most likely intentionally hidden… Do you have any secret rooms or hidden compartments in your house? Aren’t important items usually hidden in such places?”

The floor here was in disrepair for many years. Tan Huaike accidentally stepped on a rotten spot. With a crack, the wooden board broke, creating a dent. She lost her balance and her ankle got stuck.

Tan Huaike was startled, but not panicked. Finding that he couldn't pull his foot out for a moment, he squatted down to clear away the wood shavings.

Hearing the commotion, Shentu Zhuo rushed over to check: "Are you alright..."

He suddenly fell silent.

Tan Huaike was still breaking apart the wood splinters when he replied, "I'm fine, you go ahead and look for it."

Not hearing his response, Tan Huaike looked up and saw Shen Tu Zhuo staring blankly into the outer room of the study—

There stood a dark figure, just like the one she had seen earlier.

Clang.

The study door closed behind the figure.

Tan Huaike felt a chill run down his spine. His hands trembled as he fumbled with the wood shavings, but the more anxious he became, the less he could pull his foot out. His voice was trembling with tears as he said, "You...you saw it now!"

Shen Tu Zhuo calmly said, "What did I see? I only saw the wind blow the door shut."

Tan Huaike: “…”

At this moment, the dark figure said, "Don't scare him. He's such a grown man, yet he still doesn't behave properly."

Shen Tu Zhuo sneered: "Didn't you scare her first?"

Tan Huaike: "??"
-
When Shen Tu Zhuo shone the lantern over, Tan Huai Ke was able to see clearly that the dark figure was not a vengeful ghost at all, but just an acquaintance.

"The masked man?" Tan Huaike asked, "What are you doing here?"

"My name is Yan Sha, and I work for the Crown Prince." Shen Tu Heng, with most of his face covered, came over and explained, "I was the one who told Lord Shen Tu about the missing five volumes of bamboo slips. He was coming here to investigate, so he just let me know."

"So you two have been in contact in private all along. I thought you two didn't get along, since you used to ignore my uncle and wouldn't say a word to him."

Shen Tu Heng: "..."

Shen Tu Zhuo touched his nose: "My relationship with him... isn't that bad."

Tan Huaike turned to him: "No wonder you insisted on coming to investigate at night. You made an appointment but didn't tell me earlier. The mask... Lord Yansha is not an outsider. Why did you hide it from me?"

Shen Tu Zhuo had no words to express his suffering: "I...he..."

Approaching Tan Huaike, Shen Tuheng easily pried open a whole piece of wood, then carefully pulled out her foot, gently rotated her ankle, and asked, "Does it hurt like this?" Tan Huaike shook her head: "It's okay."

"Hmm, no bones or tendons were injured."

"Sorry, when I saw you just now, I thought it was... a ghost." Tan Huai Ke pulled his feet back, stood up by the table next to him, and pretended to be busy dusting off his hands.

"It's not your fault, I always wanted to be like that," Shen Tu Heng joked to himself.

Watching the two of them talking back and forth, Shen Tu Zhuo felt a surge of jealousy. He angrily lifted the rotten silk cloth on the cabinet, coughing several times in a row: "Cough cough cough cough! Do you still remember that we came here to do serious business?"

Tan Huaike glanced at him: "Did you choke? Don't go and shake off those cloths."

After exchanging greetings, the three went off to search for clues on their own.

Shen Tu Zhuo touched the wooden cabinet next to the small couch, gently tapping each of the wooden boards inside, and said, "In my memory, there are no secret rooms in the house. There are two locked hidden compartments, one in the study and one in the main room."

Shen Tu Heng continued, "I've checked the main house. The wooden niche was locked and there's nothing there."

Tan Huaike was somewhat surprised. It seemed that Yan Sha knew this house very well? But then she thought about it and realized it wasn't so strange. Perhaps she had arrived earlier than them and had already checked it beforehand. Since the wooden niche in the main house had been broken off, it had obviously been discovered beforehand and wasn't that well hidden.

dong dong.

“Here, there’s a flap here.” Shen Tu Zhuo pulled out the flap, shone the lantern inside, and pulled out a dried-out rat and a tattered bamboo slip.

"Found it?" Tan Huaike asked excitedly.

Shen Tu Heng remained calm: "It doesn't seem like it."

Sure enough, Shentu Zhuo casually flipped through it and scoffed, "It's a family tree, it's useless."

As he spoke, he tossed it to Shen Tu Heng.

Shen Tu Heng unfolded the document to the end, his gaze lingering briefly on his own name, and said casually, "Logically, I should also remember your sister-in-law."

Shen Tu Zhuo gritted his teeth and sneered: "Write down a 'Tan Shi'? Make her...make my brother a widow?"

Shen Tu Heng lowered his eyes and tossed the rotten family tree aside: "Never mind."

Tan Huai Ke found it strange: "Your Da Xuan is really particular, you even have something like a family tree. I can't carry on your brother's lineage, so according to the rules I shouldn't be included in the family tree, right?"

The other two didn't respond, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

After searching for another half hour, they found nothing.

Shen Tu Zhuo sighed, "That's it then. So many years have passed, I never expected to find anything more."

Shen Tu Heng said, "Let's think of another way."

Tan Huaike suddenly remembered something: "Lord Yansha, you arrived before us? How did you get in?"

Shen Tuheng frankly admitted: "I used a VPN."

"Climbing over the wall, huh? That's quite like someone else's habit; neither of them likes to use the front door." Tan Huai Ke glanced at Shen Tu Zhuo and complained, "If I had known I could sneak in, why would I have spent money renting a house?"

"Didn't you say you'd help me buy the old house back? Now you're worried about the money?" Shen Tu Zhuo retorted. "Besides, renting is always safer. What if there are still some hidden corners? Do you expect me to be a thief every time? I'm not some kind of shady, clandestine ghost!"

"..." Sensing his sarcasm, Shen Tu Heng remained silent.

“That makes sense.” Tan Huai Ke thought it over. “Since we’ve already rented it, it’s more worthwhile to move in. The lease on the courtyard is about to expire anyway, so I’ll have someone tidy it up and we can move back in. It’ll be more convenient for you to go to the government office, and Lord Yan Sha can come openly and legitimately.”

"Thank you," Shen Tu Heng said, looking at her.

"Don't mention it. You're my savior," Tan Huaike said with a smile.
-
Next chapter: In this way, you will be the rightful queen here.