The next morning at nine o'clock, I was standing at the entrance of Huayuan Community. Just as the person at the restaurant had said, this community did look quite upscale; at least I hadn’t seen any better ones along the way.

　　Looking inside, there were very few people moving around the community; I could only catch occasional glimpses of a few figures. I wondered if it had anything to do with a recent incident.

　　I first glanced at the location of the community to assess its feng shui. The area was relatively elevated, with a branch of Qiyun Mountain visible behind it. Not far in front, there was a patch of lush green grass that hadn’t been developed yet. The entire community faced south, which, while not outstanding in terms of feng shui, was still decent.

　　However, just because the community was fine didn’t mean the houses inside were without issues. As the Huangdi's Classic of Residential says, “Great matters should be discussed grandly, and small matters should be addressed modestly. Those who offend may face disasters, while those who take precautions can avoid misfortune, much like using medicine to treat an illness.”

　　Feng shui can reflect the rise and fall of a dynasty on a grand scale, or the fortune of a bedroom on a smaller scale. Different problems require different solutions.

　　Just as I was about to step inside, an elderly man at the door called out to me, “Hey there, young man. Who are you? You look unfamiliar. You’re not from around here, are you?”

　　“Yeah, you got me, sir. I’m not from this community. I just moved to the city for work and was hoping to rent a place here,” I replied with a smile.

　　The old man immediately perked up at the mention of renting. “Renting a place, huh? Here?”

　　“Yeah, what’s up with that?” I asked.

　　“Don’t take it the wrong way, but this community’s had some trouble. The folks living here want to move out and can’t fast enough, yet you’re looking to move in,” he said, stepping closer to me.I found the old man’s words amusing, so I smiled and asked, “What’s up, sir? What kind of trouble could happen in this community?”

　　“Let me tell you, two months ago, some creepy stuff went down here. Two people died in the same room, and it happened less than a month apart! Haven’t you noticed how quiet it is around here?” He leaned in closer and whispered, “They say that room is haunted!”

　　“Seriously?” I played along, raising my eyebrows in exaggerated surprise.

　　“Yeah! So, young man, my advice is to look for a place somewhere else. This community isn’t safe!”

　　“It’s all good, sir. Ghosts don’t scare me!” I said with a grin, and then I confidently stepped inside.

　　“Hey, young man!” The old man called after me a couple of times, but I didn’t look back as I continued on my way.Building 17, Unit 4, Apartment 404—that’s the address Zhou Quan had given me, so I made my way there. As I walked, I took in my surroundings, half-expecting to spot something unusual.

　　But after a good look around, everything seemed pretty normal. The landscaping in this community was impressive, with vibrant flowers and lush greenery everywhere. There was a charming, irregularly shaped pond, a small plaza, and even a couple of ping-pong tables. All in all, it was a pleasant environment.

　　The only thing that really stood out to me was a stone carving set at an angle by the lake. It was a circular disc etched with a Bagua pattern, with the lines of the eight trigrams converging at the center, creating what appeared to be an *Eight Gates Talisman for Evil Suppression*.

　　I frowned at the sight of the talisman. The Eight Gates Evil Subduing Talisman is one of the most powerful of its kind—most people haven’t even seen one, let alone know what it’s for. The fact that someone had set up this formation here meant that they really knew what they were doing.

　　"Weird... Why would this be here? Could there really be an evil spirit at work?" I stared at the freshly carved Bagua symbol. The lines were sharp and the runes were crystal clear. It hadn’t been here long, that much was obvious.

　　Still, I didn’t spend too much time thinking about it. I turned and kept walking—no point in overthinking things when I had no real clues to go on.

　　In just a few steps, I reached the entrance of Unit 4 in Building 17. I glanced up. Every single window was tightly shut. Some were filthy, like they hadn’t been cleaned in ages, probably because the old tenants had moved out already.

　　I stared at the fourth floor for a moment. If there was something unholy up there, I should be able to sense it by now. But… nothing. Not even the slightest hint of anything out of the ordinary.

　　"Looks like it’s not a ghost that did the killing," I muttered to myself.

　　As I glanced around, I carefully made my way inside, step by step, until I reached the fourth floor and stood in front of Unit 404. I gripped the doorknob and shook it forcefully. Just as Zhou Sheng had said, there was a seal on the door, but it looked brand new—like it had just been slapped on.

　　"Could the police have just come through here?" I pondered, feeling puzzled. Didn’t they already close the case? What could they possibly need to do here now?

　　I pressed my ear against the door, listening intently, and as expected, there was complete silence inside.

　　"Strange," I whispered under my breath.

　　From standing at the entrance of the complex to now, the only thing that felt off was that Bagua stone carving. If that symbol was supposed to suppress something evil, I should have sensed it by now. But after looking around, nothing seemed amiss.

　　"What’s going on here?"Just then, the door across from me suddenly swung open, and a little girl peeked out, her big, sparkling eyes fixed on me. She was absolutely adorable.

　　"Who are you?" she asked softly, a hint of fear in her voice.

　　"Hey there, I—"

　　"Come back, Xiao Tong!" a woman’s voice cut me off, and the little girl was yanked back inside.

　　"I'm sorry! She’s just a child and doesn’t understand!" the woman called out as she slammed the door shut, the sound echoing so loudly that I didn’t even get a chance to reply.

　　I had thought about knocking on their door to ask the girl a few questions, but as I considered it more, I realized that could only make things worse. Plus, who knew if she’d even open the door again?

　　With that, I had no choice but to give up for now. I headed downstairs, mulling over what to do next. I had to get into Unit 404; there was definitely something there that I needed. But given the current circumstances, barging in wasn’t an option.

　　The only lead left in the Huayuan Community was that Bagua stone carving. I needed to uncover its origins. Beyond that, I could either check out the police station or track down Zhou Yong's girlfriend, Xu Xiaoli. However, she lived nearly a hundred miles away in He Village, so my best bet was to head to the police station.

　　So, off I went. Less than half an hour later, I found myself standing outside the police station.

　　It was easy to spot, right on a main road. It looked like it had just moved in; both the entrance and the sign were brand new, gleaming in the sunlight.I was trying to figure out how to bring this up. I couldn’t exactly walk in and say I wanted to ask about the murder case in Huayuan Community—they wouldn’t tell me anything. Worse, they might even lock me up.

　　Just then, I heard a voice behind me. "Hey, what are you standing around here for? This is a police station. If you’ve got something to say, come inside."

　　I turned around to see a cop. He looked like he was in his thirties, well-built, with sharp, alert eyes brimming with energy.

　　But something was off. His forehead was shadowed, and a faint, grayish aura clung to him—like he’d been dealing with some serious bad luck for a while now.