She Holds the World After Being Reborn
Chapter 69: A Major Incident Has Occurred, The Backyard Well is Full of Dead Bodies

Chapter 69: Chapter 69: A Major Incident Has Occurred, The Backyard Well is Full of Dead Bodies

Yan Hongzhao’s eyes were red when she came looking for Yan Wanqing; it was already noon on the second day.

She hugged Yan Wanqing tightly, "Sister, Aunt is missing."

Aunt Song is missing?

Yan Wanqing was stunned, "When did you discover this? How could she be missing, did the gatekeepers see her leave?"

She asked Cong Ge by her side, who shook his head.

Aunt Song always kept a low profile and hardly had any acquaintances outside. Except for checking the shop’s accounts at the beginning of the month, she seldom left the house.

Yan Hongzhao had returned very late the previous day, and when she went to Aunt’s room this morning, she found the whole place spotless, and when she touched the bed, there was no residual warmth.

"Ruan Tao is also missing." Realizing that something was amiss, Yan Hongzhao immediately chose to consult with Yan Wanqing, who was without her mainstay.

Yan Wanqing patted her head to comfort her, then had Cong Ge quickly send people to search the courtyard.

"Don’t worry."

She said not to worry, but Yan Wanqing felt that the incident was sudden and terrifying.

The servants of Township Manor were questioned over and over before they pieced together Aunt Song’s whereabouts from the previous day.

Before dawn, she first visited the kitchen to check the ingredients bought for the day, instructed the cooks to prepare special dishes tailored to the tastes of each courtyard, and after the morning meal, she went to the accounting room to settle the accounts, distributing the monthly Silver Coin to the gatekeepers, maids, and young male servants. Following that, she took the dowry she prepared for Yan Wanqing to Ms. Sun’s place, and after parting with Ms. Sun, Aunt Song had planned to rest. That’s where the trail went cold.

It meant that Aunt Song vanished into thin air from Township Manor.

This was simply inconceivable.

After questioning for a day and with evening approaching, Yan Wanqing still hadn’t figured out where exactly Aunt Song had disappeared.

Yan Hongzhao’s eyes were red from crying; she was now somewhat dazed, sitting on a chair, leaning on the table, completely at a loss.

The sight truly distressed Yan Wanqing.

In her previous life, nothing like this had ever happened to Aunt, so she had no way to predict or anticipate anything.

"A perfectly healthy person has simply disappeared!" Yan Wanqing violently smashed the teacup in her hand to the floor, startling all the servants in the manor.

Huai Yu hurried over to console her, "Don’t worry, there must be some clues."

"I’ve asked the servants several times already," Yan Wanqing said with a cold face.

Just then, a family retainer came tumbling in.

"Bad news, Miss, terrible news! There are dead bodies in the abandoned well in the back courtyard!"

Yan Wanqing felt a darkness before her eyes, and she had to grip her palm hard to avoid fainting.

The servants, commanded by Yan Wanqing, searched the entire Township Manor. At first, they only searched places where people lived, but then they began a comprehensive search. By nightfall, a retainer noticed bloodstains on top of the dried well, and that’s how the bodies were discovered.

"What did you say?!" Yan Wanqing asked, forcefully suppressing the taste of blood at the tip of her tongue.

...

Under the candlelight, in the weed-infested courtyard, seven white cloths lay neatly over the bodies on the ground.

Yan Hongzhao knelt before Aunt Song’s body, quickly covered it back up after lifting the white cloth, then threw herself on it, almost crying herself unconscious.

Yan Wanqing’s face was ashen as she looked at the seven corpses, a sea of blood before her eyes.

Then she quickened her pace back, Huai Yu worried for her and followed. He only saw her return to her room and, without a word, take up the longsword that was offered on the table and stride out the door, lifting her dress.

Seeing her like this, Huai Yu shouted in alarm.

Township Manor experienced such a major incident, and at this moment, Madam Sun was not within the manor. She hurriedly ordered someone to invite Madam Sun back from the General Residence.

Yan Wanqing, holding a sword, directly kicked open the gate of the second room’s courtyard.

At this time, Yan An was having dinner with Madam Liu Yan.

Madam Liu Yan was stuffing peeled shrimp into Yan An’s mouth, and when Yan Wanqing entered, she was so startled that she even stuffed her fingers in along with the shrimp.

Yan An came to his senses and quickly spat out Madam Liu Yan’s fingers.

Seeing Yan Wanqing holding a sword, he frowned, "What are you doing?! Wielding a sword in the middle of the night to find your uncle? Do you think this is proper? Did you not vent your anger enough last time and want to hack me to pieces today?!"

Yan Wanqing saw him bristling with rage, her eyes bloodshot, "Aunt Song is missing; she has been gone for an entire day. Have you seen her?"

Yan An was completely confused, "Aunt Song? Who is that?" Is there such a person in the manor?

Madam Liu Yan quickly whispered in Yan An’s ear, "That’s your elder brother’s concubine."

Yan An was even more puzzled, "When did my elder brother take a concubine?"

Seeing that her explanation wasn’t getting through, Madam Liu Yan could only shake her head at Yan Wanqing and said, "We haven’t seen her. Today your uncle and I were out the whole day and only just came back. We have no idea about Aunt Song’s whereabouts."

"Is that so?" Yan Wanqing looked at Madam Liu Yan and pressed, "In the past, Aunt Song had a conflict with you, my aunt. Are you truly unaware of where Aunt Song has gone?"

Upon hearing these words, Madam Liu Yan became instantly enraged, "What do you mean by that? Are you suspecting your aunt?"

"You disrespectful thing! A mere concubine, yet you dare to come and interrogate your aunt!" Yan An felt Yan Wanqing was being ridiculous, causing trouble for no apparent reason in the dead of night.

Yan Wanqing observed Madam Liu Yan’s expressions carefully, drew her long sword from the scabbard, and pointed the tip at Madam Liu Yan’s throat with a chilling tone.

"I’ll ask you one last time, where is Aunt Song?"

Aunt Song had no known grievances with anyone in her life; if she did, that person would be Madam Liu Yan, and this was precisely why Yan Wanqing had come straight here with her long sword.

Madam Liu Yan had long been dissatisfied with Aunt Song managing the affairs of Township Manor, so she had the motive to harm Aunt Song.

Seeing the sword drawn, Madam Liu Yan was terrified, her complexion pale and her corpulent body shaking ceaselessly.

At that moment, Yan An hurriedly stepped forward, smashing a wine cup from the table onto the ground, "Yan Wanqing, have you gone mad! How dare you point a sword at your elder, this is utterly outrageous. I will lodge a complaint with the Emperor and let His Majesty judge this affair!"

Seeing this, Madam Liu Yan immediately sat down on the floor and began to wail loudly.

"This is simply too outrageous. Why is my life so miserable..."

Her voice was thunderous, akin to a pig squealing, making Yan Wanqing, already boiling with anger, almost lose grip on her sword, staggering backward a step, as a trickle of fresh blood leaked from her lips.

"Wanqing!" In a critical moment, Huai Yu immediately appeared, steadying Yan Wanqing.

Looking at the scene inside the room and seeing Yan Wanqing’s condition, she became extremely worried.

"I’m fine." Yan Wanqing forcefully swallowed the blood in her throat, her gaze shifting towards Madam Liu Yan, who was wailing on the ground, evidently guilty of some misdeed.

Unable to extract a confession, but knowing Madam Liu Yan had her weaknesses, Yan Wanqing’s lips curled into a sinister smile, "I gave you a chance." With that, she left with her sword in hand.

Anxiously uneasy, Madam Liu Yan hurriedly followed and heard a man’s dreadful scream from a courtyard not far away.

Madam Liu Yan’s vision darkened, almost collapsing, she crawled and stumbled into the courtyard.

She saw Yan Minsheng kneeling on the ground, his hands covering his groin, blood forming a river on the floor.

Madam Liu Yan screamed and fainted on the spot.

Yan An never imagined Yan Wanqing capable of such an act. His hand trembled uncontrollably in mid-air, and his eyes turned bloodshot. He lunged forward violently, "I will kill you!"