A layer of soot and ash

There were unlit torches that lined the walls of the staircase. They burned brightly when lit and managed to stave off some of the eeriness that permeated the place. And though it was dark, it did not bore the signature staleness that was common with creepy abandoned sites. 

The floor crunched beneath their feet. There was a layer of soot and ash. A fresh scent of char and smoke still lingered in the air. There was a fire not long ago, one that was different than the fire that ate away at the residence upstairs. 

But Zhang Wang's mind was wandering and he couldn't help be frown as the mulled things over. "This place…do you think it might have existed from when the old couple used to live here?" He couldn't help but wonder if they were also part of the elaborate organization known as the Golden Crane. It was a possibility.

"The foundations of this underground structure isn't recent," Yu Yanlin said.