Start with push-ups to gain experience

Chapter 457 Our Captain Bai is a powerful mental ability user

"Master, you are back."

Butler Li Tiansheng immediately stepped forward respectfully to greet him.

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young man wearing a well-fitting bespoke suit and gold-rimmed glasses walking briskly in from outside the door.

He had a refined appearance, a steady gait, and exuded a calm demeanor that only those who had long held high positions possessed.

It was Chen Xu'an, the second young master of the Chen family.

After handing his briefcase to the housekeeper, Chen Xu'an walked to Chen Li's side, bent down to support his grandmother's arm, and softly comforted her:

"Grandma, the doctor said you need to rest more and not worry about these things."

Although his words were considerate, his actions seemed somewhat stiff.

That gesture seemed more like a junior's routine with an elder than genuine affection.

Seeing this, Lin Chuqiao calmly got up and stepped back, returning to Fang Cheng's side.

Fang Cheng and she exchanged a glance, and both read the same judgment in each other's eyes.

The internal workings of this family are far more complex than they appear on the surface.

"I'm a little tired."

Chen Li waved her hand, her face showing even more weariness: "Xu'an, you're back. I'll leave the task of entertaining the guests to you."

"Okay, Grandma, don't worry."

Chen Xu'an nodded and watched as Li Tiansheng helped the old lady slowly walk into the inner hall.

Only after his grandmother's figure disappeared behind the door did he turn around, his face showing apology and politeness, and take the initiative to extend his hand to Fang Cheng and the other two.

"I'm so sorry, everyone. Something came up at the company and I had to leave."

"I am Chen Xu'an. I am in charge of things at home for the time being. Please feel free to ask if you need anything, and don't hesitate to ask."

His every word and action was impeccable, perfectly embodying the upbringing and demeanor expected of a scion of a prominent family.

"It's alright, Young Master Chen."

Fang Cheng politely extended his hand to shake his, responding in a calm tone:
"We've just arrived at your residence and are here to ask the old lady for some information. My name is Xiaobai, and these two are my companions, Xiaochu and Bailing."

This was the code name he casually filled in when he accepted the mission at the Bridge of Helplessness.

The two sat down again on the sofa.

Chen Xu'an's gaze swept over the beautiful and refined Lin Chuqiao and the lively and spirited Bailing, and finally landed on Fang Cheng, who had a calm demeanor and was clearly in charge.

"Mr. Bai, Miss Chu, Miss Bailing."

Chen Xu'an spoke, his tone sincere as he apologized again:
"My grandmother was a bit cold just now, please forgive her."

"Our family has suffered repeated misfortunes, and we are utterly exhausted. Before you, we had already consulted many capable and extraordinary people, but in the end, none of them could help..."

He sighed softly, his tone slightly helpless:

"Therefore, it's inevitable that the elderly become somewhat disheartened and less patient with others."

"We understand."

Fang Cheng nodded slightly upon hearing this and smoothly continued the conversation:

"I just wonder, how many groups of people have you invited before us?"

"You are in the fourth batch."

Chen Xu'an sighed again, leaned back on the sofa, and said with a slight frown:

“Actually, before we issued the commission, we suspected that our family members were under a curse. We used our family connections to specially invite a renowned white-robed Ajarn from Siam.”

"That master was skilled at dealing with this kind of evil magic, but he only stayed here for one night, and the next day he seemed to have vanished into thin air, without any further news."

"We realized that the seriousness of the situation was far beyond our expectations, which is why we had no choice but to rely on the power of the Bridge of Helplessness."

"Later, two more groups of people were sent from the Bridge of Helplessness, but..."

He abruptly stopped speaking, his face darkening as he picked up his teacup and took a sip.

It seems that they wanted to use the warm tea to suppress some unpleasant memories.

"Young Master Chen, could you please recount the events of that time in detail?"

Lin Chuqiao looked at him gently, her eyes carrying a hint of psychological guidance.

Chen Xu'an put down his teacup, the bottom of which made a soft sound as it hit the table, which was particularly clear in the quiet living room.

He smiled bitterly:
"The second group to arrive was a mercenary team that called themselves 'Fox Hunters,' consisting of three people. They were said to have handled many similar paranormal events in Southeast Asia and were very experienced."

"They stayed at our house for three days and three nights, conducting reconnaissance during the day and setting up ambushes at night. They certainly seemed very professional."

Chen Xu'an paused, recalling the scene, a chill unconsciously creeping into his eyes:
"On the fourth day at dinner, a very strong man in the squad took a sip of the meat soup that our servants had prepared."

"Just a few seconds after swallowing, he suddenly clutched his neck and collapsed to the ground, his skin turning bright red all over, like a shrimp that had been boiled alive in boiling water."

“We watched as white steam rose from his body, and he convulsed violently on the ground. He died in less than a minute.”

"Later, the forensic examination revealed that all his internal organs had been cooked at high temperatures in a very short time..."

Upon hearing this, Bailing's face paled slightly, and she instinctively hugged her arms tightly.

"The other person died an even more gruesome death."

Chen Xu'an lowered his voice even further, seemingly with a slight tremor:
"He didn't drink the soup, but shortly after his companion died, large patches of red rash suddenly appeared on his body, and then the rash quickly became purulent."

"He said he was very itchy and kept scratching himself. We tried to stop him, but we couldn't. He was incredibly strong and went crazy, tearing off his own skin."

"Finally, he even... gouged out his own eyeballs, muttering 'So many bugs'..."

"what!"

Bai Ling finally couldn't help but let out a soft gasp, clearly frightened by this horrific and bloody story.

Fang Cheng and Lin Chuqiao exchanged a glance, both seeing the seriousness in each other's eyes.

The way these people died was far more direct and gruesome than the ways the Chen family members died as described in the intelligence.

Lin Chuqiao took a deep breath and calmly analyzed:
"Given the physical capabilities of an ability user, ordinary viruses and bacteria simply could not cause such a rapid infection. As for the internal organs being cooked due to drinking the soup..."

"I think it's more like some kind of curse was triggered instantly, most likely by that sorcerer, who was warning everyone who tried to interfere."

"That's what we thought too."

Chen Xu'an nodded slightly, his expression growing increasingly grave.

"The third group to arrive was a Taoist priest from the Maoshan School, accompanied by several attendants. He was said to be proficient in various talisman techniques for exorcising evil spirits and suppressing malevolent forces."

"On the day he arrived, he set up an altar and performed a ritual in my yard. He laid out a compass, a peach wood sword, and yellow paper talismans all over the ground. It was quite a grand affair."

"But halfway through the ritual, he suddenly stopped and started talking nonsense, saying that he saw gold paper ingots falling from the sky."

"Then... right before our eyes, a ball of fire flew out of the brazier, instantly engulfing him. In just over ten seconds, he was burned to a crisp."

After Chen Xu'an finished speaking, the entire living room fell into a deathly silence.

The unseen enemy seemed to be using three bloody deaths to declare "his" absolute dominion over the mansion.

"Young Master Chen, I have a question."

Fang Cheng broke the silence first, his powerful voice instantly dispelling the heavy chill.

"Among these batches of mission takers, have any two individuals been identified as such?"

He gave a brief description:
"One was around fifty years old, wearing glasses, and had a refined demeanor; the other was in his thirties, tall and thin, with a long face and a mustache."

This was exactly the image of his uncle, Li Dingjian, and the professor. Upon hearing this, Chen Xu'an thought carefully for a moment, but ultimately shook his head.
"No, I'm certain that no investigators matching those two characteristics have ever come to my home."

A hint of disappointment flashed in Fang Cheng's eyes.

To be honest, whether the Chen family's case can be solved or the mission at the Bridge of Helplessness can be successfully completed is not important to him.

His real purpose in coming to Tiannan Province was to find his uncle's whereabouts as soon as possible.

Just when Fang Cheng thought the clues had run dry, Chen Xu'an suddenly let out a soft "hmm," as if he had remembered something.

"Wait... I think I vaguely remember that bearded man you mentioned."

He frowned, trying hard to recall:
"About a week ago, on the day my older brother had his car accident, I was driving away from home, heading to the hospital. I think I saw someone on the street outside the manor who looked a lot like the person you described."

"He had a long face and a short beard. He was loitering around the area suspiciously, and as soon as he saw my car drive out, he turned around and walked away."

"Where did he go?"

Fang Cheng pressed on with further questions.

"At the time, I was so focused on getting to the hospital that I didn't pay much attention to anything else, and I didn't even see which direction he went..."

Chen Xu'an shook his head apologetically.

Seeing that Fang Cheng remained silent, Lin Chuqiao naturally took over the conversation, trying to approach the investigation from another angle:
"Young Master Chen, according to the mission records, besides the three dead, there should be two survivors among the Chen family members who suffered misfortune. May we make contact with them?"

"That might not be very convenient."

Chen Xu'an looked troubled:
“My older brother is seriously injured and is still in the ICU. He is not out of danger yet, and the hospital has a rule that no one is allowed to visit him.”

"What about the other mentally unstable member of the Chen family?"

Lin Chuqiao did not give up and continued to make demands:

"We promise that we will only take a look at the situation and will not do anything to provoke him."

"It was my second uncle who went mad; he's no longer here."

Chen Xu'an's tone turned somber, revealing a hint of helplessness.

"where is it?"

Lin Chuqiao was taken aback upon hearing this.

"For my second uncle's safety, and also to cure his mental problems, my grandmother sent him to our Chen family's secret retreat for recuperation."

Lin Chuqiao immediately understood and didn't ask any further questions.

She understood the meaning of those words perfectly.

Each family's secret sanctuary is a vital and important place, and outsiders are absolutely not allowed to set foot there.

Moreover, the secret realm itself has a natural repulsive force on people who are not of the same bloodline.

Even female relatives by marriage cannot enter unless they reside there long-term and their aura completely merges with the family.

The two most direct leads in the investigation seem to have come to an abrupt end.

Just as the atmosphere reached an impasse, Fang Cheng suddenly spoke again:
"Young Master Chen, I would like to go to the room of the first deceased, Mr. Chen Shaoze, to see the situation at the scene."

"it's useless."

Chen Xu'an subconsciously rejected it:
"Whether it was the police, our family's experts, or the later groups of people, they searched inside and out countless times, but found nothing."

"Moreover, more than half a month has passed, and any traces of it would have long since disappeared."

Lin Chuqiao glanced at Fang Cheng's profile, her eyes flickering slightly, then turned to Chen Xu'an and said with a smile:

"Young Master Chen, you may not know this, but our Captain Bai's abilities are quite special."

"He is a powerful psychic, capable of sensing subtle traces that ordinary people cannot observe. Perhaps he can discover something different."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xu'an's eyes flashed with surprise as he re-examined the seemingly young "captain" before him.

He hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded:
"Alright, since the three of you have come from afar, I have no reason to refuse this request."

Led by Chen Xu'an, the three of them walked up the spiral staircase leading to the second floor.

The staircase is made of precious teak and covered with a thick, soft carpet, so that it makes no sound when you step on it.

The entire second floor was empty and quiet. On both sides of the long corridor, most of the room doors were closed, giving off a desolate feeling of deserted buildings.

"Young Master Chen, please forgive my intrusion."

As Lin Chuqiao walked, she asked softly, "The mansion seems very deserted. Why haven't I seen anyone else?"

"Ashamed to say that."

A bitter look appeared on Chen Xu'an's face:
"One mishap after another has happened in my family, but the real culprit has been nowhere to be found."

"For safety reasons, my grandmother has moved most of the immediate family members to the secret realm for temporary refuge, leaving only a few people outside to maintain the normal operation of the family."

"Aren't you afraid to stay outside by yourself?"

The lark, who had been quietly following behind, couldn't help but ask a question.

Chen Xu'an paused slightly, then smiled faintly and said nonchalantly:
"Of course I'm afraid, but as a descendant of the Chen family, someone has to stay behind to support this family. It's a responsibility that I can't shirk."

As they spoke, the group arrived at a door at the end of the corridor.

"This is it."

Chen Xu'an took out a bunch of keys and inserted them into the keyhole.

"Squeak-"

With a soft sound, the door was pushed open.

A dull, musty smell mixed with dust and mildew immediately hit me.

“After the incident, this room has been sealed off, and no one has entered except for the police and the previous investigators.”

Chen Xu'an stood at the door, showing no intention of going in.

Fang Cheng went inside alone, while Lin Chuqiao and Bai Ling stood at the door without disturbing him.

The room was furnished in a youthful style, suggesting that the deceased was a fashion-conscious young person.

But at this moment, all the furniture was covered with a thin layer of dust, making it look lifeless.

This is the source of the whole incident. Chen Shaoze, the youngest grandson of the Chen family, was scared to death in this locked room with the doors and windows closed, more than half a month ago.

There were no signs of a struggle at the scene, and the estate's multi-million dollar security system showed no signs of intrusion.

Fang Cheng slowly scanned the entire room, and in his pupils, scenes invisible to ordinary people quietly emerged.

The "scavenger's eye" has been quietly opened.

Through the dark red filter, the entire room was instantly filled with countless halos of energy, some bright and some dim.

On the doorknob, there remained a bright fingerprint left by Chen Xu'an.

The ground was covered with faded, messy footprints belonging to the police and other investigators.

Too much time had passed, and most of the traces had faded, but Fang Cheng still patiently examined every inch of it.

His gaze swept across the desk, then the wardrobe, and finally settled on the large bed.

Suddenly, Fang Cheng's pupils contracted slightly.

On the wall next to the headboard, I saw several extremely faint, yet somewhat unusual, halos of light.

(End of this chapter)