A debt-ridden tycoon inherits a luxury mansion, but the tenants are not human.

At nine o'clock in the evening, Chen Mo returned to Qing Shi Lane. The streetlights in the lane were broken again, and it was pitch black. He groped his way to the door of the old house and was about to take out his key when the door creaked open from the inside.

The earth spirit stood at the doorway, its clay body almost invisible in the darkness, only its eyeless face facing him.

"You're back?"

The voice of the earth spirit echoed in Chen Mo's mind.

"Hmm," Chen Mo walked into the room and closed the door, "How much do you know about Shen Mo?"

"I know a little," Di Ling followed him into the main room. "He was a very talented array master in this city. He participated in several major projects in the 1980s. Later, he suddenly disappeared. The official reason was that he went abroad. People in the industry knew that he was dead, but no one knew where he died or why he died."

Chen Mo sat down in the armchair and told Di Ling everything Shen Mo had said.

After listening, Di Ling remained silent for a long time.

"The Seven Star Dragon Locking Formation, the Longevity Society, the Seven Tomb Guardians," the Earth Spirit's voice carried a somber, earthy tone. "These are all true. I've lived in this house for decades and can sense things underground. The old house is indeed one of the seven anchor points, and also the central anchor point."

"So Shen Mo's obsession is real," Chen Mo said. "He wants to complete the array and reveal this secret."

"But it's dangerous," said the Earth Spirit. "The Longevity Society has existed for hundreds of years, and its influence is deeply entrenched. If a newcomer like you gets involved, you might die."

Chen Mo gave a bitter smile. "Do I have a choice? Zhao Shouyi gave me three days. If the old house isn't upgraded, he can force his way in. At that point, I won't be able to protect the tenants, and I won't even be able to survive myself."

The spirit remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

The glow of the kerosene lamp flickered, casting swaying shadows on the wall.

In the corner of the main room, the ghostly shadows were still going about their business, reading newspapers, playing marbles, and picking vegetables. They seemed oblivious to the conversation that had just taken place, or perhaps they simply didn't care.

"Shen Mo said he would take me to the church's crypt at midnight tomorrow," Chen Mo said. "That's the second anchor point."

"The cemetery keeper at the church is an old priest," Di Ling said. "His surname is Wang, and he's over seventy years old. He might know something."

Will he let me in?

"Not necessarily," the Earth Spirit paused. "The seven tomb keepers have an agreement not to interfere with each other, but you are the new landlord and the heir to the old house. In principle, he has an obligation to help you."

Chen Mo rubbed his throbbing temples. "Let's talk about it tomorrow. I'm too tired today."

He got up and went upstairs. Halfway up, he remembered something and turned back to ask, "Earth Spirit, do you know how to extract willpower? Shen Mo said that the Longevity Society needs willpower for cultivation."

"I know," the spirit said, "but you can't do it now. Extracting the power of wishes requires upgrading the old house to the guesthouse level and unlocking the Yin-Yang bag ability. Only then can you convert the power of wishes into usable resources."

"How many more obsessions need to be fulfilled?"

"Four," said the spirit. "You've completed three—the one for the starving ghost is complete, Lin Xiulan's will be completely finished once Zhou Ming has placed the ring, and Su Wanqing's is also complete. Once you complete one more, the old house will be upgraded for the first time."

Chen Mo nodded and went upstairs.

Lying in bed, he was still thinking about Shen Mo's words: the Seven Star Dragon Locking Formation, the Longevity Society, and the Seven Tomb Guardians.

These words swirled in his mind.

He took out his phone and searched for "Seven Star Locking Dragon Formation Feng Shui". Most of the search results were posts from Feng Shui forums, some true and some false, with little useful information.

He searched for "Chang Sheng Hui" (a group for the longevity of life), but found even fewer results, only a few organizations with the same name, none of which seemed to fit the description.

It seems that these things cannot be found online.

He put down his phone and closed his eyes.

At one o'clock in the morning, he was awakened by a crying sound. It was real crying coming from downstairs. It was a woman's crying, very soft but very clear, and filled with grievance.

Chen Mo got out of bed, walked to the top of the stairs, and looked down.

Inside the main room, the kerosene lamp was still lit. The shadow of a woman in a white cheongsam sat by the eight-immortal table, her back to the stairs, her shoulders heaving as she cried.

Chen Mo activated his obsessive whispers and heard her innermost thoughts:

"Why...why don't you want me anymore..."

"What's wrong with me...?"

"You said you would marry me..."

"fraud……"

"They're all scammers..."

The voice was intermittent, filled with sorrow.

Chen Mo didn't go downstairs. He knew that this was another tenant in the old house, and it wasn't time to deal with his obsession yet.

He went back to bed, covered his ears with a pillow, and forced himself to sleep.

The next morning, Chen Mo was awakened by the sunlight.

He sat up and looked out the window. The weather was fine, and the locust leaves rustled in the wind.

When I went downstairs, the woman who had cried all night was gone. In her place was a boy in a school uniform, doing his homework at the octagonal table, but there was no paper or pen on the table.

Chen Mo went into the kitchen and lit a fire to boil water.

While cooking instant noodles, he received a WeChat message from Li Jing: "Mr. Zhou Ming has placed the ring in the grave where his parents are buried together. He said thank you."

Chen Mo replied, "Of course."

Just as I finished speaking, the Book of Obsession in the main room emitted a slight vibration.

He walked over and opened it; the ink on Lin Xiulan's page had completely disappeared, leaving it blank.

Landlord's Blog Update:

Obsessions resolved: 3 items

Energy reserves of the old house: Low (enough to maintain basic operations)

One more obsession needs to be completed before the next upgrade.

Current unresolved obsession: Array Master (Shen Mo)

There is another line of smaller text below:

Tip: After resolving Shen Mo's obsession, the old house will unlock the tenant resonance ability, allowing you to borrow the tenant's skills from their previous life.

Chen Mo closed the booklet.

Three obsessions have been fulfilled; there is still one left.

At 10 a.m., Granny Wang arrived.

She stood outside the courtyard gate, carrying a cloth bag, and called out, "Young man, open the gate."

Chen Mo opened the door and let her in.

Granny Wang entered the main room, looked around, and nodded. "Zhao Shouyi's men came yesterday, circled the alley entrance, and didn't dare to come in. Has your house been fortified?"

"Yes," Chen Mo said, "the Earth Spirit helped me set the rules."

"That's good," Granny Wang said, taking out several small paper packets from her cloth bag. "Take these: cinnabar, mugwort, and salt. You're going to the church cemetery tonight, right? Take these for protection."

Chen Mo took the paper package. "How did you know?"

“I know Shen Mo,” Granny Wang said, sitting down in the armchair. “He was only twenty-eight when he died. I was the one who collected his body. At the time, he was still clutching a piece of chalk in his hand, and the ground was covered with runes.”

Chen Mo's breath hitched for a moment. "You collected his body?"

"Yes," Wang the fortune teller sighed. "I was in my forties then, working as a temporary worker in a textile factory. After Shen Mo disappeared, his family asked me to tell their fortunes. I predicted that he would die in the factory, but I couldn't pinpoint the exact location. Later, the factory was abandoned, and I secretly went in to look for him. I found him in the basement. His body was covered in cement and had already decomposed, but I could still recognize him."

"You didn't call the police?"

"I reported it," said Granny Wang. "The police came and said it was an accidental death, that he fell to his death, but I know that's not true. Shen Mo had ligature marks on his neck and his abdomen was black, so he must have been given poison, but I have no evidence, and the police don't believe me."

Chen Mo fell silent.

"Shen Mo is a good kid," Granny Wang continued. "His grandfather was a feng shui master, and he learned from him from a young age. He was talented. Back in the 1980s, the government cracked down on feudal superstitions, so he didn't dare to do it openly. He secretly studied it. Later, he participated in the construction of a department store and discovered the underground formation, which caused trouble."

"Do you know about the Longevity Society?" Chen Mo asked.

The old woman's expression changed. "Where did you hear that from?"

"Shen Mo told me."

Wang the fortune teller was silent for a while, then lowered her voice and said, "I know a little. It's a very ancient organization. Its members are all important figures from the past. They pursue immortality. They control the city's formations and extract energy from the earth's veins to cultivate. The seven tomb guardians are the ones they selected to watch over the anchor points."

"Are you one of the tomb keepers?" Chen Mo asked.

Wang, the sorceress, nodded. "I am the sorceress of the urban village. My family has been so for generations, but my generation has declined. My son doesn't believe in these things and went to work in another place. I'm old and can't hold on much longer."

"What about the other grave keepers?"

"Master Liu from the funeral home, Zhao Shouyi from the antique shop, Father Wang from the church, Grandpa Zhang from the school, and Dr. Li from the hospital," Granny Wang rattled off several names in one breath.

"Including me, there are six."

"The keeper of the tomb at the central anchor point was originally your third great-uncle, Chen Banshan. After he died, the tomb was left vacant."

"Now that you've inherited the old house, you're the seventh one."

These names and identities swirled in his mind, sketching out a dark web of the city he had never seen before.

"Zhao Shouyi is also a tomb keeper, so why would he steal the power of wills?"

"There is also competition among the tomb keepers," said Granny Wang. "The power of vows can enhance one's cultivation and prolong life. Zhao Shouyi is sixty-five years old this year and wants to live a few more years, so he has his eye on you, this juicy piece of meat, and wants a share of the pie."

Will the other grave keepers come too?

"Not for now," said Granny Wang. "Master Liu is busy at the funeral home, Grandpa Zhang has retired, Dr. Li has gone abroad, and as for Father Wang... he may or may not help you, it depends on what you say."

"I'm going to the church cemetery tonight."

"I know," Granny Wang stood up. "Take the things I gave you. Also, when you see Father Wang, mention my name. He's my cousin, so he'll give you some face."

Chen Mo escorted Granny Wang to the door.

Before leaving, Granny Wang turned back and said.

"Young man, this road is not easy to walk. You could have sold the old house, left here, and lived an ordinary life."

Chen Mo shook his head and said softly, "When we inherited the property, my third great-uncle set a rule against selling or mortgaging it. Now there's no going back."

Looking at him, the old woman's cloudy eyes flashed with many emotions, which finally turned into a sigh.

"Then let's keep going."

After saying that, she turned and left.