Chapter 85: Estate Discovery

The quiet calm of the afternoon settled over the estate, broken only by the gentle rustle of leaves in the courtyard breeze. With the two intruders in the training hall thoroughly subdued and terrified into complete silence, the atmosphere within the main courtyard returned to its usual peaceful rhythm.

Ye Chenxue walked back toward her private chamber, her expression returning to its usual serene, quiet state. In her inner robe pocket, a small porcelain jade vial rested against her palm. Inside were the remaining four Ice-Blooded Blossom Pills that Lu Feng had given her.

These pills were exceptionally potent, each one containing refined spiritual energy tailored specifically to her frigid ice-attribute cultivation. Over the past few days, absorbing even a single pill had significantly smoothed her internal meridians, cleared her blocked pathways, and strengthened her foundation far faster than normal meditation ever could.

She paused at her doorway, pulling the small jade vial from her pocket and looking at it carefully. The cool stone felt smooth against her fingers.

’I should absorb the remaining four before nightfall,’ Ye Chenxue thought to herself as she pushed open the door to her chamber. ’Once these are exhausted, I will inform Lu Feng. I am not sure if he has any more in his possession, but at the very least, he should know that my current supply has run out so he can plan accordingly.’

She stepped inside, pulling the heavy wooden door shut behind her to block out the light chatter of the wind outside. Moving smoothly across the polished floorboards, she sat cross-legged upon the raised wooden meditation platform in the center of the room. She uncorked the vial and tipped one of the translucent, frost-covered pills into her palm. A faint mist immediately rose from the small tablet, cooling the air around her hand.

Closing her eyes, she placed the pill on her tongue and swallowed it, immediately circulating her internal Qi. A wave of soothing, pure cold energy spread rapidly through her chest, flowing like liquid ice through her veins and sinking deep into her core.

Meanwhile, out in the central courtyard, Han Lin stretched her arms high above her head and let out a small, satisfied breath as she looked around the vast, quiet estate. Lu Feng was fast asleep in his private bedroom, catching up on the rest he desperately needed after his long morning out in the city, and Ye Chenxue was deep in her meditation.

"Since everyone is busy, I might as well give this whole place a proper cleaning," Han Lin said softly to herself, a cheerful look settling over her face. "A clean estate makes for a clean mind."

She rolled up her long sleeves past her elbows, tied her apron securely around her waist, and gathered a wooden bucket filled with fresh water, a clean wiping cloth, and a soft broom from the side pantry. Beginning with the main reception hall, she swept away the dust, wiped down the dark hardwood tables, and carefully straightened the decorative wall scrolls that hung along the walls.

She moved methodically from room to room, enjoying the quiet stillness of the afternoon. After finishing the main hall and the wide corridors, her eyes fell upon a heavy set of carved wooden doors at the far end of the east wing—the estate’s main study room.

This particular room had barely been touched since they moved into the property. The previous owner had abandoned the place in a hurry, leaving behind tall, empty bookshelves, heavy oak desks, and a faint lingering scent of old parchment and dried ink.

Han Lin pushed the heavy doors open, the hinges giving off a faint creak as she stepped across the threshold. Warm afternoon sunlight streamed through the high paper-screen windows, illuminating tiny dust motes dancing in the air before they settled over the dark timber floorboards.

"This room hasn’t been swept in a long time," Han Lin murmured, setting her bucket down by the door with broom in hand.

She started along the far perimeter of the room, carefully sweeping away the thin layers of dust and clearing away faint cobwebs from the high wooden shelving units. As she worked her way toward the center of the study, she reached a heavy, dark wood desk that sat slightly offset from the main wall. Wanting to make sure no dirt was left behind, she set her broom against the desk and placed both hands against the sturdy frame, pushing it aside with a low scraping sound to clean the floor beneath it.

With the heavy desk moved out of the way, Han Lin picked up her broom once more and began sweeping the freshly exposed timber. As the wooden bristles swept across the grain, the handle bumped firmly against one of the thick floorboards.

Thump!

Han Lin paused, her sweeping motion freezing mid-stroke. She tilted her head slightly, her ears picking up on the strange resonance of the strike.

When wood sat flush against solid stone foundation, it produced a dull, heavy thud. But this particular sound carried a faint, hollow ring to it—a clear sign that there was empty space directly beneath the wood.

Curious, Han Lin set her broom aside against the wall and knelt down on the cold floor. She ran her fingers across the seams of the timber boards, feeling along the narrow gaps between the wood. The surface looked completely ordinary at first glance, aged and weathered just like the rest of the room. However, near the exact corner where the heavy leg of the desk had rested, her fingertips caught on a subtle, raised notch along the very edge of a plank.

She applied pressure with her thumb, pressing down firmly on one side of the plank.

Click!

With a soft, mechanical click, the wooden board tilted upward slightly, rising half an inch above the rest of the floor. Han Lin blinked in surprise, carefully gripping the raised edge and pulling the loose plank completely aside.

Hidden directly beneath the main floor of the study was a dark, square floor cavity—a secret compartment left behind by the estate’s previous owner, completely undisturbed and hidden away from plain sight.