Xie Yushu suddenly remembered that such a thing actually existed!

But I still couldn't help asking

"Is this thing really made of human skin?"

"That's right!"

I was idly reading ancient books when I came across records of such things. However, very few people could actually make them. It's said that you need fresh human skin, and it takes countless disgusting processes to make just one. I never imagined that someone could still make one nowadays.

It seems the North is truly a land of hidden talents!

However, this requires fresh human skin to make, and it has a limited shelf life. It will deform and shrink in about a month. Judging from this picture, it must have been some unlucky person whose face was peeled off within a month.

"Take this to Eryu for examination; who knows, it might even solve a murder case!"

This involves a murder case, and it seems it really needs to be handed over to Eryu.

How cruel must one be to make human skin masks? There's an old saying that killing someone is just a matter of beheading them, but what they're doing is purely harming people. Xie Yushu was shocked. Such cruel methods had truly crossed the line in her heart.

Xuan Yuanche was somewhat indignant about Xie Yushu's behavior of keeping things from him, but knowing that someone had died in the manor, Xie Yushu was also upset. So he didn't cause any trouble, but simply told Xie Yushu that she must tell him if anything happened. He also specifically gave the Divine Eagle Guards an order that the manor's affairs were his affairs, and that if it happened again, they wouldn't need to wait for his orders.

When Zhou Ping realized that someone had stuck a human skin mask on his face, he got goosebumps all over his body. He rushed to the pond in the garden and washed his face vigorously, wishing he could scrub off a layer of skin.

At noon, Zhao Hu returned with the men who had gone to pursue the enemy, bringing back three survivors; the rest were dead.

Xie Yushu asked

Can you tell what kind of people they are?

"It's hard to say. They don't have anything to prove their identity, but these people are generally tall and don't look like people from the Great Qi. Some of them look like people from the grasslands, such as the Xiongnu, Tatars, or Rouran."

These areas are beyond her sphere of influence, which also proves that the repeating crossbow has indeed been targeted. It must be that the imperial court had no other options, so they turned their attention to her manor.

Xie Yushu pinched her brow and said

"Send all the people to Han Zhongyu; he'll know what to do."

Zhao Hu responded and took the corpses from the back mountain, along with the bodies of A Da and Sahadan, and the human skin mask, to Han Zhongyu via a side path.

Because they deliberately concealed themselves from the crowd, people outside only vaguely knew that thieves seemed to have entered the villa, but it did not cause panic.

Nanxing acted quickly, and within an hour, he had brought back the land deed and the stone tablet.

There are two small stone tablets, one large and one small. The large one is as tall as three people and is inscribed with the five characters "Yuquanshanzhuang Cemetery". The small ones are the tombstones of the two deceased people.

Since it was the height of summer, it was not advisable to keep the bodies in the coffin for too long. After Wang Wu and his men erected the stone tablet, Zhao Hu and his men carried the two coffins over so that the two could be laid to rest.

After burying the two, Xie Yushu immediately summoned everyone to a meeting in the courtyard.

Firstly, this is to give everyone an explanation for this incident; secondly, it is also to remind everyone to be more vigilant and strengthen training.

Once everyone who could move had arrived, Xie Yushu adjusted herself, focused her energy in her dantian, and spoke seriously.

"It's clear that all of you are feeling very down."

This is the last thing I wanted to see happen, but no matter how upset, sad, regretful, or self-blaming I am, it won't change anything!

The lost loved ones will not come back.

We must learn from our mistakes, summarize our experiences and lessons from each failure, and strive for a brilliant counterattack next time.

I think this is what they want to see.

Some say that a person dies three times in their life: once when their bodily functions are lost, once when all those connected to them are forgotten, and once when all traces of them disappear from this world.

Although we couldn't save their lives, I think everyone here will remember them, and I will too.

They will live on in our hearts as long as we don't forget them.

Everyone dies eventually, but some deaths are heavier than Mount Tai, while others are lighter than a feather. These two men died for the safety of all of us. If Chen Da, who escaped, was a spy from another country, then these two brothers died for the people of Qi. They are heroes and deserve to be remembered.

Everyone will face death; they are the first, but not the last.

It was for this reason that I bought another barren mountain, which you can see as the stone tablet stands there—the Yuquan Mountain Villa Mausoleum.

This mausoleum will also be the final resting place for everyone who served Yuquan Mountain Villa a hundred years from now.

Starting tomorrow, renovations will begin there until it becomes one of the most beautiful and solemn cemeteries. This is my promise to everyone, so that those who follow me will have dignity, whether in life or in death.

Furthermore, I will build three walls of honor at the very front of the mausoleum to record the glory and brilliance of all the brothers who have rendered meritorious service.

At the same time, we've added another rule to Yuquan Mountain Villa: from now on, each department must send one person to sweep the tombs for every festival, and everyone in the villa must go during the Mid-Autumn Festival and Spring Festival.

As long as Yuquan Villa still exists, even if only one person remains, the tomb sweeping will continue. As long as one person is still alive, they will be remembered.

Among those of us present, those who have rendered meritorious service will be honored both in life and after death, while those who have committed wrongdoings will be expelled from the manor.

Did everyone remember that?

"I've got it! I've got it! I've got it!"

The shouts of the entire group were deafening, not only to remember the hatred and suffering, but also to vent their grief.

Xie Yushu then shouted loudly

"The second thing I want to tell you is that this event was a disaster for us, but also a lesson!"

What we can do is turn grief into strength, train, fight, reflect on our failures, imagine facing the enemy again, and not be soft-hearted. When paths cross, the brave will prevail. Show all your courage to defeat your opponents and make yourselves invincible!

Only in this way can you become true strongmen and survive on the battlefield.

Got it?

"I've got it! I've got it! I've got it!"

Zhao Hu!

Take your people back to the furnace for a fresh start!

"yes!"

"The rest of you, be on high alert. If you see anyone suspicious, do not talk to them. Drive them away immediately or report them to your superiors. Do not reveal any information about the resort to anyone. All people entering the resort must undergo strict screening."

As the resort develops, it's inevitable that there will be a mix of people. Besides fulfilling our own duties, everyone should also supervise each other and work together to protect our home.

"We will obey the princess's orders!"

"Alright, that's all for today. Everyone, you may leave now!"

"Qu Xiaodie, Master Zheng, Master Sun, Master Zhou, and Sun Chongren, you all come to the conference room."

After Xie Yushu finished speaking, she turned and left first.