From a distance, the old mansion gives off an eerie air. Its gate is weathered, the copper lock rusted, and the stone lions on either side are missing pieces, as if telling of the strange and tumultuous passage of time. The moment Fan Xiaodao approaches, a chill washes over him. He coughs twice, pretending to be calm as he steels himself: “Hmph, demons and monsters? They’re the ones who’ve had rotten luck running into me!”
