Before the other two could react, Amo darted out of Xiao Jinxiu's sleeve like lightning, growing larger as it went, and instantly transformed into a giant python as thick as a bucket with dark scales!
Its cold, vertical pupils locked onto the offering table, and its python mouth opened wide, unleashing a torrent of inky black breath carrying a sweet, pungent stench of poison!
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!
The eerie green candlelight was instantly extinguished by the poisonous breath. The trembling memorial tablets, upon contact with the poison, reacted as if splashed with strong acid, emitting a piercing "sizzling" sound. The dust and blurred writing on the surface of the tablets quickly dissolved and corroded.
The piercing murmurs abruptly ceased, leaving only the sound of poisonous gas corroding the wood and the nauseating smell inside the ancestral hall.
"It's alright, let's go!" Xiao Jin said calmly as she strode away.
Having done his job, Amo staggered back, and Bai Yang, who was behind him, caught a glimpse of Amo's vertical pupils and was immediately startled.
Depend on!
Are all the big shots these days keeping such unique pets?!
Without further thought, now that it was safe inside, the three of them began to search separately.
The ancestral hall is not large; you can see the whole thing at a glance. However, it has several attached side rooms.
In a dusty study, Zhan Wenzhen found several tattered pages of a family genealogy and fragments of letters.
He quickly pieced together the information, his brow furrowed: "The letter says that the Qin family has sought a son-in-law more than once... but the 'groom' disappeared after the ceremony each time..."
According to the family genealogy, the Qin family only had one son who died young. Moreover, his name seems to have been deliberately obscured, and there was never any mention of a daughter.
The letter contained no information about the 'bride,' so…” He suddenly looked up, his gaze behind his glasses sharp as an eagle, “Who is the bride?!”
This matter was too important, so Zhan Wenchen quickly told Bai Yang and Xiao Jin about his discovery.
"That's unlikely. The wedding was clearly held at the Qin family's residence, so how could there be no young lady?" Bai Yang didn't quite agree with Zhan Wenzhen's guess.
"Perhaps due to some unforeseen circumstances, this Miss Qin has always been kept hidden, and her name may not have been on the family genealogy at all."
“Well, it’s not impossible.” Zhan Wenzhen didn’t deny Bai Yang’s point of view.
Xiao Jin stared thoughtfully at the memorial tablet in the ancestral hall: "Then our next focus is obvious, which is to find out the true identity of this 'bride'."
Soon, all the players learned of Xiao Jin and the others' discovery.
They gathered together in the ancestral hall, and questions, like cold, venomous snakes, instantly coiled around the hearts of all the players.
"Could it be that there was never such a bride?" At this moment, Lu Jing slowly spoke, giving everyone a new idea.
He waved his hand: "Look, we've never actually met this Miss Qin. The butler only said we were the grooms. Perhaps the 'bride' doesn't even exist?"
No bride? Then who will they marry?
Bai Yang, Lu Jing, and the others didn't quite understand, and then paused in surprise.
It was Zhan Wenzhen who was the first to understand the meaning behind Lu Jing's words.
"You mean, the 'bride' could be some other kind of entity, such as a symbol, a belief, or something more hidden?"
"Oh, right!" Lu Jing snapped his fingers, but didn't forget to give Chu Yuan a disdainful look at the end.
"Look, someone as simple-minded as you can't understand the thoughts of us smart people."
"Bastard..." Chu Yuan's forehead veins throbbed, and sparks were faintly rising from his palms.
Bai Yang, Lü Yiming, Liu Man, and the others, who also didn't understand Lu Jing's words, were speechless. It seemed like they had been mistakenly injured!
Just as everyone was stunned by this discovery and trying to find more clues—
"Distinguished guest..." The dry, rigid butler's voice suddenly rang out in everyone's ears, carrying a chilling coldness that sent shivers down their spines.
"This is a restricted area of the mansion... You must not... trespass..."
Everyone's expression changed drastically, and they all turned around warily.
The butler's stiff figure, as if seeping out from the wall, silently blocked the center of the ancestral hall's main entrance.
Behind him, a dozen or so “servants” dressed in the same dark blue robes stood like wooden stakes.
Their faces, like the butler's, were stiff and pale, with that unchanging, eerie smile, their turbid eyes staring blankly at everyone.
They carried bright red paper lanterns with the character "喜" (happiness) written on them, but the inside of the lanterns emitted a faint green light.
A chilling, resentful aura, far larger and more solid than any previous supernatural event, crashed down like a tangible ice wall!
The air seemed to freeze, and even breathing became painful.
"When did this guy arrive?" Chu Yuan felt a chill run down his spine and asked softly through gritted teeth.
As he spoke, he glanced at Xiao Jin.
Since even they themselves didn't realize it, the only one among them who might have sensed it was Xiao Jin!
But Chu Yuan was disappointed.
Xiao Jin shook her head, her eyes fixed on the butler's figure: "I didn't notice, but I'm sure he's been listening for a while!"
Everyone was shocked.
Does that mean the butler already knows about everything they just researched?
Then he...
In the tense atmosphere, to prevent the NPCs from suddenly turning on them and killing people, the players gripped their items tightly. Xiao Jin slightly turned his body, a murderous intent flashing in his eyes.
It seems they are considering how likely it would be for them to clear the game early if they killed all the NPCs.
But to everyone's surprise, things did not go as they had imagined.
Xiao Jin had already seen the changing faces of the steward and others, but at the last moment, they seemed to be suppressed by something and suddenly returned to their original blank expressions.
"Please... return... to your room..." The butler's voice carried an undeniable air of authority.
Lu Jing's finger bones cracked as he clenched his fists, Chu Yuan's eyes flashing with a fierce light.
Zhan Wenzhen quickly gave Xiao Jin a wink and shook his head slightly.
A faint halo seemed to flow around Wen Baiqiu's fingertips, but it disappeared in an instant.
Seeing this, Xiao Jin restrained the restless A Mo and slowly sheathed his long sword.
It seems their mission can continue; the entity behind the scenes doesn't want to overturn things so soon.
Moreover, if a fight were to break out, the cost would be unknown, and the trail had already been lost.
"Let's go." Xiao Jin's voice was as cold as ice shards, and she was the first to turn around.
However, she didn't foolishly go back through the secret passage. Instead, she calmly walked past the butler and headed towards the side room.
As Xiao Jin passed by a group of NPCs, he could even sense the deep malice in the eyes of the people beside him.
Despite their reluctance, the group had no choice but to grit their teeth and keep up under this terrifying pressure.
The paper-figure-like servants followed silently behind them like a funeral procession, the eerie green lantern light distorting their shadows into ghostly shapes.
The oppressive atmosphere felt like a lead weight pressing down on my heart.
Only when they returned to the corridor where the West Garden wing was located did the group of servants disappear as if melting into the darkness.
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