She looked around, her sharp eyes scanning every corner, hoping to find some clues.

With doubts growing in his mind, he immediately took his spirit servant and inquired about Fang Yun's whereabouts throughout the village.

She first found the villager who lived next door to Fang Yun. As soon as he heard the name "Fang Yun", the villager frowned and waved his hand, saying, "I haven't seen her for several days! After Li Laoshi's incident that day, we haven't seen her leave the house. We don't dare to knock on her door. Who knows where she ran off to?"

Shen Qingtang then asked several other villagers she knew, and the answers were all similar: no one knew where Fang Yun had gone.

Some people even said that when they saw Fang Yun carrying a small bundle and running hurriedly out of the village that day, they thought she was hiding because she was afraid of being implicated.

Left with no other choice, Shen Qingtang had to seek help from Fang Yun's relatives in the same clan.

But as soon as those people saw her, their faces showed disgust, and their tone was impatient: "We don't know her at all! A widow who killed her husband, she's always flirting around in the village. We've long since cut ties with her, who knows where she is!"

His words were full of disdain, clearly indicating that he thought Fang Yun was unlucky and didn't want to mention her at all.

Shen Qingtang searched for most of the day, asking from one end of the village to the other, but still couldn't find a single useful clue about Fang Yun.

Not to mention the person, even the keepsakes she left behind are pitifully few.

The house was so clean, both inside and out, that it looked like no one had ever lived there.

It was as if she had never appeared in this village.

"Was she already planning to leave?"

Shen Qingtang stood at the village entrance, her brows furrowed.

Fang Yun's disappearance was too suspicious, as if she had anticipated that things would be exposed and had made preparations to run away in advance.

She turned to the spirit servants behind her and instructed them, "You all split up and search the surrounding villages. If you find any trace of Fang Yun, report back immediately."

The spirit servant responded and left. Pei Wuwang also came over and said in a deep voice, "I have already sent my assassins to investigate. We should have news soon."

Shen Qingtang nodded, but looking at Pei Wuwang's face, she felt that his expression was somewhat unnatural.

His eyes flickered, as if he wanted to say something but swallowed it back.

Shen Qingtang had some doubts, but she didn't ask her if she knew Pei Wuwang's personality.

If she's willing to talk about it, I'll tell her.

If they are unwilling, pressing them for an answer will be useless.

The two walked silently toward the manor, having only gone halfway there.

Pei Wuwang suddenly stopped and said to Shen Qingtang, "You go back first. I have something to take care of and will be back soon."

Without waiting for Shen Qingtang's response, he turned and left quickly, his back view looking somewhat hurried.

Shen Qingtang stood there, watching his figure disappear into the alley, her doubts growing stronger.

Meanwhile, Pei Wuwang strode to the dilapidated temple outside the village, where a woman dressed in coarse cloth and with a haggard face was already waiting.

Upon seeing Pei Wuwang, the woman immediately stepped forward, her eyes reddening: "I've finally met you!"

This woman was Wang Xiulian, the wife of Lu Ershu and Lu Sanshu.

She looked at Pei Wuwang, her voice choked with emotion: "Your mother's side of the family has been looking for you, and your two uncles are thinking about you day and night. They asked me to find you and tell you the truth."

Pei Wuwang's eyes darkened, and his tone was cold: "My mother is long gone, so where would I get any relatives?"