Chapter 86: Estate Discovery II

Han Lin leaned closer over the open opening, peering down into the dark opening. Expecting a small crawlspace or a simple floor safe, she was startled to see stone steps descending into a vast underground passageway. Cold, dry air drifted upward, carrying the distinct scent of old masonry and faint incense.

Reaching back to grab a small oil lantern from the study desk, she struck a match, lit the wick, and carefully lowered herself down the steps. To her amazement, the cavity expanded into a cavernous compartment. It was tall enough for her to stand at full height with plenty of headspace to spare, and the stone walls were spaced widely apart, giving her ample room to walk comfortably without feeling constrained.

Holding the lantern high, Han Lin began to navigate the dark corridor. The stone flooring was remarkably smooth and free of cobwebs, suggesting this was no ordinary cellar. As she followed the passage further, the corridor curved to the right, opening into a larger hallway lined with reinforced wooden doors.

She paused in front of one door near the middle of the hall. The intricate ironwork and the distinctive lock pattern seemed strangely familiar, echoing the design of a private vault she had once seen in another high-ranking official’s property.

She stared at it for a moment, her pulse quickening with a sudden urge to try opening it. However, deciding it was wiser not to pry into locked doors without Lu Feng present, she turned away from the familiar door and continued venturing deeper down the main corridor.

The passage eventually ended at a set of double doors made of polished dark walnut. Han Lin pushed them open gently, stepping into a secret underground living quarters.

Contrary to what she expected from a hidden underground hideout, the room was remarkably clean and impeccably arranged. The interior design was strictly minimal—a sleek, functional writing desk against the back wall, a single high-backed chair, a simple low bed, and a few plain wooden cabinets along the side.

There were no decorative tapestries or lavish ornaments, only functional, high-quality furniture that gave the impression of someone who valued efficiency above all else.

Han Lin began to search the quarters systematically, opening the empty cabinets and checking behind the plain wall hangings. Nothing immediately stood out until she approached the main writing desk in the corner.

As she raised her lantern over the wooden desk, her eyes caught on a small set of drawers stacked along the right side. While most of the wood was covered in a thin, undisturbed layer of dust, the metal handle of the bottom drawer was noticeably bright and smooth. The metallic shine indicated that it had been handled frequently and repeatedly until very recently.

Grasping the worn handle, Han Lin pulled the bottom drawer open.

Inside sat a thick, leather-bound book, its edges blackened and charred from a fire that had failed to destroy it completely. Han Lin carefully lifted the partially burnt ledger from the drawer and laid it open on the desk surface under the warm glow of her lantern.

She turned the brittle pages with delicate care. The entries were written in a dense, precise code, filled with columns of numbers, dates, and encrypted alias names. As she flipped near the middle of the book where the fire had spared the inner margins, her eyes widened in realization.

Stamped neatly beside a series of encoded payments was a prominent wax seal—the official crest of the City Guard Captain who had personally taken charge of Agent Zhou’s body.

Hoping against hope that her eyes were deceiving her, Han Lin held her breath as she carefully lifted the charred ledger from the bottom drawer. She closed the desk drawer softly, picked up her oil lantern, and turned around to make her way back down the quiet stone hallway.

Her heart beat with a steady, nervous rhythm, the heavy silence of the underground space pressing against her ears as she retraced her steps through the cavernous stone passage.

She reached the base of the staircase and ascended the smooth stone steps one by one, stepping back up into the quiet warmth of the estate’s main study. The bright afternoon light filtering through the paper-screen windows felt strangely blinding after the dim corridors below.

Setting the lantern down on the floor, she carefully slid the loose timber board back into its slot, ensuring the hidden latch clicked securely into place. To make absolutely certain no one would suspect a single thing, she looked around the room and spotted a heavy, intricately carved wooden statue resting on a nearby display table.

"Ugh!" Grunting slightly under the weight, she dragged the statue across the floor and positioned it squarely over the secret plank, completely concealing the hidden entrance beneath its thick, solid base.

Holding the partially burnt ledger tightly against her chest, Han Lin exited the study and hurried down the long, silent corridor toward the main building. Her first instinct was to seek out Ye Chenxue. She hurried toward the side pavilion where Ye Chenxue’s private chamber was located, her fingers tightening around the brittle leather cover of the book, eager to show her the discovery immediately.

However, as she stepped onto the wooden porch outside Ye Chenxue’s room, a sudden, piercing chill filled the air. The temperature around the doorway had dropped dramatically, turning her warm breath into a cloud of faint white mist. Han Lin froze mid-step, her hand hovering just inches from the wooden door frame.

She immediately remembered that Ye Chenxue was deep in meditation, absorbing the potent, frigid energy of the Ice-Blooded Blossom Pills. Disturbing a cultivator while they were actively refining high-grade medicinal pills was extremely dangerous; a sudden shock could disrupt the internal flow of Qi, cause a violent backlash against their meridians, and inflict severe harm on their cultivation progress.

Han Lin slowly pulled her hand back, shaking her head softly to herself. "It would be foolish to disturb Sister Chenxue right now. Her safety comes first."

Instead, she turned her attention toward the main master bedroom. Lu Feng had been sleeping since noon to make up for his lost rest, but waking him up was far less risky than interrupting a delicate cultivation session. It was already late in the afternoon, with the sun dipping low toward the horizon and painting the sky in deep, sweeping shades of orange and gold.

As she walked across the quiet courtyard toward Lu Feng’s quarters, another thought crossed her mind, making her stop in her tracks right in the center of the yard.

"Why wake Young Master Lu up early when both of them will be naturally available in just a short while?" she reasoned with herself.

It made far more sense to present her finding over the dinner table when everyone was awake, refreshed, and gathered in one place. She did not know if Lu Feng or Ye Chenxue had paid close attention to the specific crest stamped on the City Guard Captain’s uniform when he took charge of Agent Zhou’s body, or if they would recognize it as vividly as she did.

Revealing the ledger to both of them simultaneously would save time and allow them to discuss their next steps together without repeating information.

Having given up on showing it to either of them for the time being, Han Lin altered her course and headed back to her own private servant quarters. She opened her wardrobe, carefully tucked the charred ledger deep beneath a neat stack of folded clothes, and closed the wooden doors tightly.

With her discovery safely hidden away, she tied her apron around her waist and headed straight toward the estate’s spacious kitchen to begin preparing the evening meal.

Standing before the counter lined with the fresh provisions Lu Feng had brought back from the merchant earlier that day, a playful, mischievous sparkle entered Han Lin’s eyes. She had a very specific delicacy in mind for tonight—a rare, incredibly rich savory stew cooked with aromatic herbs, aged spices, and slow-roasted meat that produced an aroma so intoxicating it could make anyone’s mouth water from a mile away. It was the kind of exquisite meal that left a lasting impression, making whoever ate it crave another serving immediately.

However, a wicked, playful smile slowly crossed Han Lin’s face as she weighed the raw ingredients on the counter.

’There will be no second helpings tonight,’ she thought, chuckling softly to herself as she deliberately set aside only a small portion of the prime meat.

She decided she would make just enough of the delicacy to give them a taste of absolute perfection, leaving both Lu Feng and Ye Chenxue thoroughly enchanted and begging for more.

And when they inevitably asked if there was any left in the pot, she would simply smile innocently and point to the large basket of freshly baked bread resting on the counter. If they wanted to fill the remaining empty space in their stomachs, they would just have to make do with plain bread.

With a light, cheerful hum, Han Lin chopped the fresh herbs, lit the stove fire, and got to work, letting the rich, mouth-watering aroma slowly drift across the peaceful estate as evening fully set in.