Deadly Game: Almighty Boss’s Guide to Making Money

Chapter 1362. Exploring the Old House (9)

Hahaha, I suddenly find Wen Yang so cute.

—That's so sad, but I can't help but laugh, hahaha.

—I crawled under the bed and got covered in dust, hahaha.

Where exactly is the jade pendant hidden?
—The east wing is so big, we won't have to search for ages again, will we?

—They haven't been inside for very long, and they're not hungry.

—Yeah, not many hours.

—But I'm so hungry, I'll eat while I watch.

Bai walked over to the bronze mirror and reached out to touch the back of the mirror.

Aside from the patina, there was nothing unusual behind the mirror. He then examined the wooden base, which was hollow. He tapped it gently, and it made a hollow "thump-thump" sound.

"This place is empty!"

Everyone immediately gathered around.

Lu Kexing carefully pried open the base plate.
After the bottom panel was opened, a small brocade box was indeed hidden inside.

The brocade box has faded, and a small plum blossom is embroidered on it.

“It’s a plum blossom, corresponding to the plum blossom in the Four Gentlemen,” Wen Yang said happily.

Lin Xi opened the brocade box, inside lay a small jade pendant. The pendant was carved with a clear plum blossom pattern, and its texture was warm and smooth, similar to the jade pendant with the character "辞" (cí, meaning "decline") she had found earlier.

The search continued in the east wing.

Lin Xi walked to a wall and noticed that one of the bricks was a different color from the others. She gestured for Lu Kexing to come over. Lu Kexing used a wooden stick to pry open the brick, revealing a small hidden compartment containing a brocade box embroidered with orchids.

Lin Xi opened the brocade box, and sure enough, the jade pendant inside was carved with an orchid pattern.

Finding two jade pendants in succession greatly boosted the confidence of the five people.

Su Xiaoqing found a bamboo jade pendant carved with bamboo under a broken porcelain bowl, while Wen Yang found a chrysanthemum jade pendant carved with chrysanthemums in a pile of fabric.

"Great! All four have been found!" Wen Yang jumped up excitedly, holding up the chrysanthemum jade pendant.

—The Wen Yang in this instance is a bit like a child.

—He was just a child.

—He doesn't act like that when he's in a relationship; he's more like a jerk.

—Even a child can be a scumbag.

"Now we can go to the back garden. Once the seal is completed, we'll know the truth about Shi Yueci's disappearance," the white crocodile said.

The group packed up the jade pendants and prepared to leave the east wing.

Just as she reached the door, Su Xiaoqing suddenly exclaimed "Oh dear!" and pointed to a piece of wood in the corner of the room.

"Look, something seems to be moving inside that box!"

The others immediately stopped and looked in the direction he was pointing.

The wooden box was half-open, and it was dark inside, with only some tattered fabric visible.

A few seconds later, a slight rustling sound came from inside the wooden box, as if something was wriggling inside.

--I go!
—What's moving? Could it be a vengeful spirit?
—Don't open it, or it might be some kind of monster!
"We've found the jade pendant, let's hurry up and leave, don't cause any more trouble."

Lin Xi gestured for everyone to be quiet. She picked up a wooden stick and slowly walked to the wooden box.

She took a deep breath and gently lifted the lid of the wooden box with a stick. The moment the lid opened, several black rats darted out and ran away along the wall.

"It was just a rat. You scared me half to death." Wen Yang patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief. "Let's go, don't waste any more time," Lin Xi said, and took the lead out of the east wing.

Everyone returned to the main hall along the corridor. The two kerosene lamps in the main hall were still lit, and the dim light made Shi Yueci's eyes in the portrait appear even more profound.

As Lin Xi passed through the main hall, he made a point of checking to make sure he didn't touch any of the wooden drawers or light a third kerosene lamp.

The back garden is located behind the main hall. It is an arched stone gate with intricate patterns carved on it, which are now somewhat blurred.

Lu Kexing pushed the stone door. The stone door was very heavy, and it took several people working together to push it open a crack, just enough for one person to pass through.

Stepping into the back garden, a damp, earthy smell mixed with the stench of decaying vegetation hits you.

The back garden was very large, and the ground was covered with waist-high weeds.

In the distance, there was a small pond, the water of which was murky and covered with withered branches and leaves.

"Where is the bluestone platform? This back garden is so big, how am I supposed to find it?" Wen Yang looked around, his brows furrowed.

"The letter said it was deep inside, so we went in."

After Lin Xi finished speaking, she led the way into the depths of the back garden.

The weeds were very tall, making it difficult to walk. The group could only use sticks to push the weeds aside and move forward slowly.

After walking for about ten minutes, the weeds in front of us suddenly became sparse, and a platform paved with bluestone slabs appeared in front of us.

The platform is about two meters square. The surface of the bluestone slab is worn and the cracks are covered with moss. In the center of the platform is a square recess, just the right size to hold four jade pendants.

Lin Xi walked to the bluestone platform and placed the four jade pendants into the grooves in the order of plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum.

As soon as the jade pendants were placed in, a soft sound was heard, and all four jade pendants simultaneously lit up with a faint white light. The white light converged into a beam of light that shot straight into the sky.

The beam of light lasted for about a minute before gradually dissipating.

Suddenly, a crack appeared in the center of the bluestone platform, and a small stone box rose out from the crack.

The stone box is made of bluestone, and its surface is engraved with the same Four Gentlemen pattern as the jade pendant.

Lin Xi opened the stone box, inside which was a letter sealed with wax and a yellowed diary.

She picked up the letter, removed the wax seal, and unfolded the letter paper.

The handwriting on the letter was the same as in the previous suicide note, and it was Shi Yueci's own handwriting.

"I am Shi Yueci. By the time you see this letter, I will have already sacrificed myself to seal away the resentment in the house."

According to the ancient scrolls, the resentment of those who are buried alive can only be completely sealed by channeling the bloodline of the Shi family. As the last head of the Shi family, I have an inescapable responsibility.

Beneath the bluestone platform in the back garden lies the sealing array's core, with the Four Gentlemen Jade Pendant serving as its key. I have merged my own soul into the array to eternally suppress resentment; may future generations not disturb it.

The secrets of the Moon-Hidden Residence end here. May such tragedies never again grace the world. — Shi Yueci, farewell.

After reading the letter, everyone fell silent.

It turns out that Shi Yueci did not disappear. Instead, in order to seal the resentment in the mansion, she chose to sacrifice herself and leave her soul behind in the Yueyin Manor forever.

Lin Xi picked up the diary again, turned to the first page, which recorded the entire process of Shi Yueci's discovery of the ancient scroll and his decision to sacrifice himself in battle.

The diary details his failed attempt to exorcise the vengeful spirit, the opposition from the clan elders, and how he finally made up his mind to prepare for the sealing ceremony.

On the last page of the diary, there was a line of crooked handwriting: "I have no regrets, I only wish for peace for all people."

Just as I finished reading the diary, a ticking sound came.

"Mission complete. Congratulations on clearing the dungeon. As this dungeon was cleared by all players, it will be closed in this area and no other players will be able to enter."

Lin Xi silently complained: "It's okay not to close a dungeon that's not dangerous."

(End of this chapter)