439: Tragedy! Mother and daughter jump into well!

Chapter 431: An Unexpected Turn! Mother and Daughter Jump into a Well!

"Marshal, something bad has happened!"

The adjutant stumbled into the main hall, followed by a pale Feng Shui Advisor and a middle-aged man trembling like a sieve.

"The... the Seventeenth Concubine and Young Miss Xiaoqing... they... they are both dead!"

Lu Xuan's eyes narrowed; it was truly a case of 'speak of the devil and he shall appear.'

These so-called Seventeenth Concubine and Young Miss Xiaoqing, weren't they precisely the wife and daughter of Boss Chen, whom the original body had forcibly taken?

The adjutant stammered, "They... they jumped into a well... While we were at General Mountain, they dismissed the guarding old woman and together... together, they jumped into the well."

Housekeeper Wu, standing nearby, was already trembling too much to speak, so the Feng Shui Advisor quickly took over:

"Just now, Housekeeper Wu, thinking the Marshal was tired from his return from General Mountain, specifically went to invite the Seventeenth Concubine and Young Miss Xiaoqing to serve him, but the room was empty... Finally, by the ancient well in the backyard, this was found..."

The Feng Shui Advisor tremblingly presented a torn piece of cloth, on which several lines of characters were written in blood.

Housekeeper Wu finally found his voice, wailing as he kowtowed to the ground, "Marshal, spare my life! This humble one truly knew nothing; they took their own lives..."

Lu Xuan took the blood-stained cloth, looking at the dripping characters on it.

"Beast, even as a ghost, I won't let you go!"

The handwriting on the blood letter was messy and mournful, as if one could still hear the curse of the writer before her death.

Lu Xuan calmly put away the blood letter, his gaze sweeping over Housekeeper Wu, who was still kowtowing on the ground.

This man was about forty years old, looking quite capable.

"Lead the way, let's go see."

Lu Xuan was not the useless warlord of the original body, who only thought with a gun; he absolutely did not believe anyone's one-sided story.

Both mother and daughter jumping into a well at the same time? It was truly suspicious.

Parents' hearts are universal; even if a mother chose to commit suicide due to unbearable humiliation, why would she drag her young daughter with her to the Yellow Springs?

Even if she missed her deceased husband, she should wish for her daughter to live well.

Stepping into the East Courtyard, the servants and maids along the way were all pale, and upon seeing Lu Xuan's figure from afar, they didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

"Greetings, Marshal!" greetings rose and fell.

The tragic sight of Old Master Chen and the three young masters being shot to death a few days ago was still vivid in their minds.

Now that such a disaster had occurred in the mansion, no one knew if this killing god would vent his anger on them, the servants.

In this chaotic world, it was simpler for a warlord to kill a few people than to crush ants.

Lu Xuan ignored the kowtows along the way and walked straight to the backyard.

The courtyard gate was wide open, and as soon as he stepped in, he heard a suppressed sobbing sound.

Several maidservants knelt by the well, trembling and crying; upon seeing Lu Xuan enter, they were so scared they didn't even dare to make a sound while crying.

Lu Xuan ignored all of this and walked directly to the ancient well, his military boots unhesitatingly stepping onto the well's edge as he leaned down to look in—

In the deep well water, two female corpses dressed in skirts were floating with the waves.

They were face down in the water, their long hair spread out like water grass, and their exposed necks and arms were frighteningly white, a lifeless, deathly white.

"Fish them out."

As soon as these three words fell, the adjutant and the Feng Shui Advisor, as if by prior agreement, simultaneously stepped back half a pace, leaving Housekeeper Wu prominently at the front.

They, these "respectable people," naturally avoided such an unlucky task as retrieving corpses whenever possible.

Even the soldiers standing guard nearby, holding their guns, all turned their faces away.

Housekeeper Wu stood alone, cold sweat beading on his forehead; he looked at the adjutant for help, but only received a warning glance.

"What's wrong?" Lu Xuan's voice was devoid of emotion, "Do you want this Marshal to go down and retrieve them himself?"

"You go down."

After Lu Xuan casually pointed at Housekeeper Wu, the adjutant immediately understood—this was a good opportunity to show loyalty.

"Housekeeper Wu, what are you still doing standing there!" The adjutant stepped forward and kicked the other's leg, "Didn't you hear the Marshal's order? Hurry up and go down to retrieve the Seventeenth Concubine and Young Miss Qing!"

He naturally had no good expression for this disgraced housekeeper.

This old fellow was originally the housekeeper of the Chen Mansion; when his former master fell, he eagerly surrendered, selling out all the Chen family's secrets.

Such a person who betrayed his master for glory was worse than a dog in the adjutant's eyes.

Housekeeper Wu stumbled from the kick, his face ashen; he looked at the deep well opening, his legs trembling so much he could barely stand.

"If you procrastinate any longer, I'll throw you directly down!" the adjutant sternly shouted, and several soldiers immediately closed in with their guns.

Seeing Housekeeper Wu, that unlucky fellow, being assigned this inauspicious task, the adjutant and the soldiers immediately perked up, each one performing with extra vigor.

"Quick! Tie the rope securely!"

"You, go get a wooden plank!"

"Move quickly, everyone!"

Shouts rose and fell, everyone busy, yet all tacitly maintaining a safe distance from the ancient well.

Sacrifice a Fellow Daoist, not me, a poor Daoist—this principle was most practical in chaotic times.

Since someone else was taking on this arduous task, they were naturally happy to cheer from the sidelines.

Several soldiers even voluntarily stepped forward to hold down Housekeeper Wu, tying ropes around his waist with many hands.

Finally, Housekeeper Wu tremblingly stepped into the wooden bucket used for drawing water, gripping the rough hemp rope tightly with both hands, and slowly descended into the well under everyone's gaze.

The well walls were damp and cold, and the light grew dimmer the further down he went.

As his eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, the two floating female corpses clearly came into view.

Their water-soaked clothes clung tightly to their bodies, outlining their still graceful curves.

A complex emotion suddenly flashed in Housekeeper Wu's eyes, which had been filled with fear.

The process was unexpectedly smooth.

Before long, the two female corpses retrieved from the well were laid flat on the bluestone slab by the well.

If not for their excessively pale skin, at first glance, they looked as peaceful as if they were sleeping.

The older woman was about thirty, dressed in a plain white skirt, with a beautiful, lifelike face, her hair styled in a married woman's bun, and a hint of dignified bearing still lingering in her brows and eyes.

The one next to her was even shockingly young—looking no more than sixteen, in a blue and white skirt, her wet bangs clinging to her forehead, her still-childish face bearing the soft, beautiful contours unique to a young girl.

The onlookers averted their gazes and covered their faces, and several young maidservants could no longer hold back their quiet sobs.

Lu Xuan expressionlessly looked down at the two female corpses on the ground, his gaze repeatedly sweeping over their soaked clothes and pale skin.

Too clean.

On the surface, there was nothing unusual—their clothes were intact, their faces calm, and there were no signs of struggle to be found. But this was precisely the greatest abnormality.

For someone who commits suicide by jumping into a well, no matter how firm their resolve, when the icy well water fills their lungs, the instinct for survival will make their body struggle wildly.

Fingernails would scratch the well wall, leaving bloodstains, wrists would be injured in unconscious clawing; it was impossible for them to be like this now... as if they had merely fallen asleep and quietly submerged.

Just as Lu Xuan was lost in thought, a chilling aura, undetectable by Mortals, subtly brushed against his perception.

Lu Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly—no one understood this aura better than he did.

Immediately, Lu Xuan casually pointed at Housekeeper Wu, who was trembling like a sieve: "You, guard them for me tonight; tomorrow, arrange for their burial."

Housekeeper Wu was first stunned, then upon hearing the words "burial," he felt as if he had received a great pardon, immediately kowtowing repeatedly.

"Thank you, Marshal! Thank you, Marshal, for your mercy! This humble one will definitely do his best to guard the Seventeenth Concubine and Young Miss Qing!"

He was overjoyed—since the Marshal allowed the burial, it meant he didn't intend to investigate further, and his life was temporarily saved!

As for the fear of keeping vigil, it was nothing compared to being shot immediately.

Lu Xuan said no more, turning and leaving.

Late at night, in the quiet of the night, the main room, originally belonging to the Seventeenth Concubine, was temporarily converted into a mourning hall.

Candlelight flickered, casting the room in a mix of light and shadow.

Outside the door, several servants assigned to keep vigil huddled together, even their breathing deliberately softened.

Inside the room, two thin coffins, still uncovered, lay side by side in the center of the room.

Inside the coffins, the Seventeenth Concubine and Young Miss Qing had peaceful expressions, as if merely sleeping.

Housekeeper Wu sat alone on a chair directly in front of the coffins, an angle that forced him to face those two lifeless faces.

The blue smoke from burning incense curled and lingered in the main room, mixing with the lingering scent of cosmetics and a faint corpse Qi, forming a nauseating sweetness.

Housekeeper Wu stared intently at the flickering candlelight, mechanically mumbling an indistinct reincarnation mantra.

Every slight flicker of the candlelight made him shiver, always feeling that the two in the coffins... would sit up the next moment.

"Three more hours until dawn, it should... it should be fine."

Housekeeper Wu had just lowered his head to comfort himself when an inexplicable cold wind suddenly swept past his back.

He abruptly sprang from the chair, turning his head in panic to look at the door.

"Housekeeper Wu, what's wrong?"

Outside the door were still the same few servants keeping vigil; they were startled by Housekeeper Wu's sudden movement and all peered inside, their faces filled with confusion, clearly having noticed nothing.

"No... nothing..." Housekeeper Wu waved his hand, feigning calmness, but his heart pounded uncontrollably.

"Alright, guard your door well!"

Housekeeper Wu waved his hand irritably, wanting to dismiss the prying servants at the door.

But this time, there was a dead silence outside the door.

He subconsciously looked up, only to see the three servants frozen in place, their eyes wide open, staring intently at the interior of the main hall behind him.

Their faces were distorted in the dim light, filled with extreme fear, and they began to tremble all over.

"You... you all..." Housekeeper Wu's words caught in his throat.

"Puff—"

With a soft sound, all the candles in the hall extinguished at the same instant!

Immediately after, the open door seemed to be violently pushed by an invisible giant hand, slamming shut with a "bang," completely cutting off the last bit of moonlight.

Outside the door, a series of shrill, inhuman wails erupted: "Ghost!—!!"

The sound quickly receded, clearly indicating that the three had fled for their lives, scrambling away.

Housekeeper Wu was trapped alone in the completely dark mourning hall, his body chilling; he could feel something behind him... slowly approaching.

Just as a cold hand was about to touch the back of Housekeeper Wu's neck.

"Buzz!"

A warm and dazzling golden light suddenly burst forth from his embrace, instantly dispelling the thick darkness around him!

Almost simultaneously, a shrill, inhuman female shriek exploded in the room, making Housekeeper Wu's eardrums ache.

Using this brief golden light, he turned around and clearly saw the scene before him.

The Seventeenth Concubine was standing right in front of him, less than three feet away!

Her face was pale, her eyes pitch black, her originally beautiful face distorted by malevolence, her fingers curled like hooks, maintaining a pouncing posture.

However, at this moment, her entire body sizzled, constantly emitting wisps of white smoke, as if being scorched by invisible flames.

The Seventeenth Concubine stared intently at Housekeeper Wu, the hatred in her eyes almost solidifying, yet also carrying a hint of apprehension towards the golden light, not daring to advance another half-step.

"You... you... you!"

Housekeeper Wu was so scared that his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering by the terrifying sight before him, collapsing to the ground; he scrambled backward with hands and feet until his back hit the cold door.

However, after the extreme fear, a desperate ferocity suddenly erupted.

In a few breaths, Housekeeper Wu suddenly scrambled up from the ground, his previous timidity replaced by a desperate madness.

"You slut! You dare to come back and find me after you died! If I could kill you once, I can kill you again!"

"What, your daughter, that little beauty Chen Qing, didn't come back with you?" Housekeeper Wu said, a lewd and insane smile twisting his face.

"Let me tell you, your daughter was truly moist... she made this housekeeper feel good several times! If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for not watching her properly!"

He stared at the Seventeenth Concubine's increasingly twisted and malevolent face, the fear and perverted pleasure intertwined in his heart, making him even more frenzied.

"But this little slut didn't know how to appreciate favors! After only playing a few times, she wanted to go complain to the Marshal? Hmph, I had no choice but to kill both of you, mother and daughter."

While speaking, Housekeeper Wu suddenly pulled out a crimson triangular Talisman from his embrace, gripping it tightly in his hand.

This was an "Exorcism Talisman" he had obtained at a high price from Fu Yuan Temple, said to be able to dispel evil spirits; he hadn't expected it to actually come in handy tonight.

The Talisman felt slightly warm in his hand, seemingly giving Housekeeper Wu a false sense of courage.

"Hehehe..." He looked at the Seventeenth Concubine, whose figure seemed to be forced back half a step by the faint red light emanating from the Talisman, letting out a triumphant and hoarse sinister laugh.

However, Housekeeper Wu's sinister laugh didn't last long, as the Seventeenth Concubine's vengeful spirit suddenly flicked her sleeve!

A heavy coffin flew up out of nowhere, carrying a whistling wind, and crashed down towards him!

The crimson Talisman in Housekeeper Wu's hand, while able to dispel evil, had no effect against this physical attack.

The next second, the triumph on Housekeeper Wu's face instantly turned to horror; he shrieked, scrambling out of the room and desperately fleeing towards the courtyard plaza.

Housekeeper Wu had just stumbled to the center of the plaza when he heard a whooshing sound from behind him.

The coffin, like a shadow, followed suit, also flying out and threatening to crush him into a pulp!

"Audacious beast!"

A clear shout pierced the night sky, and a nimble gray figure swept past like a gust of wind, pushing Housekeeper Wu away at the last moment.

"Boom!"

The coffin crashed heavily onto the bluestone slab, instantly shattering into pieces, with wood splinters flying everywhere.

Housekeeper Wu, still shaken, looked up to see two people standing in the moonlight.

One was none other than the Junior Brother of the Old Daoist Priest, whom Lu Xuan had pointed a gun at earlier in Fu Yuan Temple!

And the other was the pale-faced adjutant.