A crowd had gathered outside the manor, pointing and gesturing at the courtyard. They fell silent at the sudden appearance of Yinzhen and his entourage, all looking at them with curiosity.

Nan Yi leaped off his horse and stood before the manor ravaged by fire. Facing the ruins before him, he frowned and asked, "Where is this? What happened?"

Quan Fu buried his head in his chest, not daring to respond.

Yinzhen pulled her inside, past the screen wall, where a mother and daughter dressed in mourning clothes were busy in the courtyard.

A little girl of seven or eight years old was sweeping the yard with a broom, while her young mother was sobbing uncontrollably, wiping away tears as she picked up the burned items in the yard.

Upon Yinzhen's arrival, the woman looked up and suddenly saw Nan Yi beside him. She burst into tears, ran to Nan Yi, and hugged her tightly, crying, "Little sister, the Tong family is gone, our parents are gone, our brothers, sisters-in-law, and nephews are all gone."

"What? You're kidding me, right? The Tong family is doing just fine," Nan Yi heard herself say.

Tong Tinglan shook her head, crying her heart out, "It's all gone, all gone. Those heartless thieves, they even burned down the courtyard. They wanted to destroy the evidence, they didn't even leave behind the ashes of my parents, brother and sister-in-law, they burned them all."

The South First Ring Road is surrounded by brick walls and screen walls, and houses made of wood; there's really nothing left.

Nan Yi's vision went black, his body trembled uncontrollably, and his gaze was unfocused as he stared at the black, charred remains on the ground.

The Tong family is gone, truly gone.

Impossible, something must still be left behind. Where is the body?

Nan Yi shoved Tong Tinglan aside and rushed into the charred ruins like a madman.