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Chapter 461 Acting Competition, The Eerie Little Building

This bold guess seemed to quiet down the noisy rest area.

Fang Cheng, Lin Chuqiao, and Bai Ling all subconsciously looked at the Chen family relatives who were gathered together not far away, some sad and some panicked.

The three exchanged glances, then tacitly walked to a secluded viewing window before standing still.

“I am more inclined to believe the latter, and judging from the current situation of those who have benefited, the second son, Chen Xu’an, is the most suspicious.”

Lin Chuqiao breathed a sigh of relief and continued her calm analysis:

"The eldest grandson was seriously injured, and the youngest grandson died tragically. One was already the head of the family business, and the other was the most beloved by the old matriarch."

"Both of them were ahead of Chen Xu'an in the succession order. After their incident, Chen Xu'an could naturally take over the family's power."

"Also, have you noticed..."

Lin Chuqiao glanced at Fang Cheng and Bai Ling, and continued:
"That sorcerer was extremely ruthless in dealing with outside investigators, aiming to kill them with a single blow. Their gruesome deaths were like a warning to outsiders not to interfere in the Chen family's affairs."

"At the same time, the methods he used on the Chen family members were relatively 'mild'. They either died silently in their sleep or died accidentally from falling from a building or in a car accident. He did not deliberately torture them."

"Taking all factors into account, this incident appears to be more like a premeditated internal purge aimed at removing obstacles to succession."

"What about the Third Young Master Chen Qiming? He's also quite strange!"

Bai Ling, listening intently, widened her eyes and couldn't help but interject:
"His eyes are like hooks; he's obviously no good. He was trying to flirt with Sister Xiao Chu just now. He might have some ulterior motive."

As she spoke, she wrinkled her nose, looking disgusted.

"I initially thought the second young master was a prime suspect, but now I find him to be gentle and refined, and a decent person. I dislike this third young master Chen even more!"

Lin Chuqiao chuckled softly and patted the back of her hand:
"Although Chen Qiming is unruly, he is too flamboyant and can't keep secrets. He doesn't seem like the kind of person who could plan such a meticulous black magic scheme."

She paused and added:
"Moreover, I subtly inquired with the servants and learned that Chen Xu'an and the old lady have never had a good relationship. The old lady values ​​her capable eldest grandson more, and Chen Xu'an's talent in cultivation is very ordinary, so he has always been marginalized in the family."

"Under these circumstances, he certainly had a motive to use black magic to disrupt the Chen family's original order."

"However, the only thing that puzzles me is..."

At this point, Lin Chuqiao frowned slightly, revealing a hint of doubt:
“Now that Chen Xu’an has already taken control of the family, and Chen Qiming poses no challenge to him, he has no reason to harm anyone.”

"Why did he try to poison Old Madam Chen last night? He should be targeting us outside investigators right now."

"Someone did indeed try to harm me last night."

Fang Cheng suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but it made the two women's hearts tremble instantly.

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Chuqiao's expression tightened, and she couldn't help but step forward, gently touching Fang Cheng's arm with her hand, her eyes full of concern:

Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?

Bai Ling also came over, her face full of nervousness, even her breathing became softer:
"Boss, did that sorcerer cast a spell on you?"

Fang Cheng smiled and shook his head, then briefly recounted what had happened last night:
"I was meditating in my room when I suddenly felt a chilling aura approaching. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw a ghostly figure formed from black smoke rushing towards me."

"This ghostly figure didn't have much offensive power. It was probably some kind of evil being controlled by someone. After it was driven away, I planned to follow the clues and find the mastermind behind it."

"But to my surprise, the other party was very alert and quickly realized that they were being followed, so they destroyed the ghostly figure directly."

"I didn't give up and continued to chase them into the woods in the northwest corner of the manor. But they were prepared and had set up a snake trap there to block me, taking the opportunity to forcibly sever my mental lock."

"Then I heard screams coming from inside the mansion. I thought something had happened to you two, so I rushed back immediately."

"Ghostly figures? A snake formation?"

Bai Ling's eyes widened, and her face paled slightly, as if she were conjuring up some disgusting images.

"That should be 'Hungry Ghost Descent'."

Lin Chuqiao frowned, her expression grave:

"The Hungry Ghost Curse is the legendary art of raising ghosts. The sorcerer will feed the hungry ghost with his own blood and essence, making the hungry ghost completely under his control, and then send it to harm people."

"These hungry ghosts are usually captured from the underworld, where the yin energy is extremely heavy. Once they are tamed, they will establish a life-and-death bond with the sorcerer. As long as the sorcerer is alive, the hungry ghost will not completely dissipate. It is very difficult to deal with them using ordinary methods."

"Moreover, a person possessed by a hungry ghost will instantly lose their mind and become extremely hungry. This hunger is not just a normal desire to eat, but a craving for the flesh and blood of living things. They will frantically devour all living things around them."

"If they can't find food, they'll even bite their own flesh until they're unrecognizable and die in agony..."

As she spoke, Lin Chuqiao turned her gaze to Bailing, sweeping over her deathly pale face:

"The chilling feeling of being followed that you had in the living room last night was most likely that hungry ghost wandering around, looking for a new target."

"Wow!"

Bai Ling shuddered upon hearing this, instinctively moving closer to Lin Chuqiao, her voice tinged with lingering fear:
"Can we find this pervert quickly? Staying in that gloomy mansion of the Chen family, I always feel a chill down my spine."

Fang Cheng then smiled slightly:
"I've got some leads on where the killer is hiding."

The lark perked up and eagerly pressed for an answer:
"where is it?"

Lin Chuqiao reacted very quickly, immediately looking at Fang Cheng and guessing:

"You mean, the area near that grove of trees last night?"

Fang Cheng nodded, appearing confident:
“Now is a good opportunity. The Chen family is all gathered at the hospital. Whether it is Chen Xu’an or Chen Qiming, they have to stay here to deal with relatives and handle the aftermath. They can’t get away for the time being.”

"We can take this opportunity to return to the Chen family and find solid evidence."

What exactly are your plans?

Lin Chuqiao didn't ask any more questions, her eyes full of trust.

"Call Pan Wendi first. I need his help with something."

Upon hearing Fang Cheng's words, Lin Chuqiao immediately understood and took out her phone to dial the number.

She walked aside, whispered a few words, quickly hung up the phone, and came back to say:
"I'll have Wendy drive to the hospital entrance and wait for you immediately. What's the next step?"

"Wait a minute, Bailing and I will pretend that we need to prepare some tools for tomorrow's operation, and find an excuse to leave the hospital and go back to Chen Family Manor."

Fang Cheng calmly explained his plan:

“I have already spread the news that we have found clues about the murderer. That guy hiding in the shadows must know that the deadline we gave the Chen family is tomorrow.”

"He will definitely not sit still before tonight, and will be in a hurry to destroy the evidence and give himself away."

At this point, Fang Cheng turned his gaze to Lin Chuqiao, his eyes showing a hint of unconscious concern:
"Chu Qiao, you stay at the hospital alone and keep an eye on the Chen family, especially the two brothers. Notify me immediately if anything happens, okay?"

"no problem."

Lin Chuqiao smiled sweetly, a sly glint in her eyes:
"In broad daylight, and with my protective talisman, even if I can't win, can't I at least run away?"

"Besides, do you think they would forcibly abduct a woman from a hospital?"

She deliberately made a joke to ease the slightly tense atmosphere.

"it is good."

Seeing her relaxed demeanor, Fang Cheng felt relieved and spoke with certainty:
"No matter who the murderer is, we will find out soon."

As he spoke, he turned his gaze to the other end of the corridor.

There, the door to the lounge was opened.

Chen Xu'an and Chen Qiming walked out one after the other, talking in hushed tones as they approached them.

....................................

Half an hour later, in a wealthy neighborhood with shady trees.

A black, extended Lincoln drove smoothly on a road with little traffic.

The driver was Pan Wendi.

He looked very different today; he was wearing a smart driver's uniform, white gloves, and even his posture was deliberately upright.

Despite her meticulous attire, she couldn't hide the fatigue in her eyes and couldn't help but let out a big yawn.

Through the rearview mirror, Pan Wendi could see Fang Cheng and Chen Xu'an sitting in the back seat.

Fang Cheng remained composed, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the shadows of the trees outside the window, revealing little about his emotions.

Chen Xu'an, on the other hand, had a solemn expression and deep eyes, and remained silent.

"Driver, please concentrate."

Fang Cheng's voice came softly.

"Don't worry, boss, I guarantee I'll get the job done!"

Pan Wendi immediately sat up straight, gave Fang Cheng an OK sign, and then lowered her voice to explain a few words:

"Don't get me wrong, I didn't go out fooling around. Last night I mainly watched a documentary about black magic, trying to do my homework in advance so I could help my cousin and you."

"It turned out that thing was scarier than a horror movie. It kept me up all night. My mind was filled with bugs and skulls..." Chen Xu'an in the back row had a tense face and didn't react to his words.

He simply turned his gaze to the window, and the heavy feeling of his family's crisis was clearly revealed in his eyes.

Seeing this, Pan Wendi said no more and continued to focus on driving.

Ahead, the magnificent gate of the Chen Family Manor can be seen in the distance.

He immediately perked up and honked the horn twice.

From the guard booth next to the gate, a security guard quickly stepped out, raised his hand to stop them, and tried to question them.

Upon recognizing Chen Xu'an as the person sitting in the car, he quickly jogged over and bowed respectfully in greeting.
"Second Young Master, you're back?"

Chen Xu'an did not answer, but only glanced at him with indifferent eyes and gestured with his chin toward the door.

"Open the door."

"Yes Yes!"

The gatekeeper immediately understood and dared not ask any further questions.

Although he was puzzled as to why the second young master would return in an unfamiliar Lincoln, he immediately turned around and used the walkie-talkie to notify the control room to open the door.

squeak-

The heavy, ornate iron gate slid open slowly to both sides.

The vehicle drove in smoothly until it was completely out of the guard's sight.

Chen Xu'an, who had been keeping a tense expression in the back row, suddenly broke down.

Then, he winked mischievously at Fang Cheng, lowered his voice, and said in a completely different, clear female voice:
"How was my acting? Not bad, right?"

"Crack!"

Before Fang Cheng could answer, Pan Wendi, who was driving, turned around and gave an exaggerated thumbs-up:
"Perfect! Bailing, your acting skills are so good, it would be a waste not to win an Oscar!"

"Do you know that the look in his eyes just now, that aura, was exactly like Chen Xu'an himself?"

"of course!"

Bailing rubbed her stiff cheeks triumphantly, regaining her lively nature.

She was born with the extraordinary ability to change her appearance and voice, which was developed and trained by a professor.

This ability has reached the point of being indistinguishable from reality, making him an indispensable master of disguise in the team.

"Dude, this is so exciting!"

Pan Wendi rubbed his hands excitedly, muttering to himself:

"It's like filming a spy movie. Is it my turn to shine now?"

"Drive your car well."

Fang Cheng interrupted him, calmly reminding him, "This show has only just begun."

After parking the car in the garage, the three of them entered the Chen family mansion.

The servants they encountered along the way all bowed and greeted "Chen Xu'an" upon his return.

Bai Ling once again got into character, keeping her eyes straight ahead and nodding slightly, perfectly capturing the aloofness and authority of the family head.

As soon as he entered the hall, the butler, Li Tiansheng, quickly came to greet him, a hint of surprise on his face:
"Second Young Master, why are you back so soon? The Old Madam..."

"Grandma's condition has stabilized for now."

Bai Ling interrupted him in a deep, calm voice:
"I suddenly remembered that some details might have been overlooked when Grandma had her accident last night."

"Now bring Mr. Bai back, and then carefully inspect Grandma's room again. Go and get the key to the master bedroom on the third floor."

Li Tiansheng was slightly taken aback, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

But faced with the "Second Young Master's" unquestionable gaze, he immediately bowed and replied:

"Yes, I'll go get it right away."

A moment later, Li Tiansheng returned with a set of keys.

Bai Ling took it from his hand, weighed it in her hand, and then gave the order:

"Also, have the kitchen prepare some light breakfast; I'm going to pack it up and take it to the hospital later."

She spoke fluently and behaved appropriately, having completely taken on the role of Chen Xu'an, and even began to take the initiative to assign tasks to the old housekeeper.

Li Tiansheng dared not delay and immediately turned around to take care of it.

Only after the butler's figure disappeared into the inner hall did Bailing let out a long sigh of relief, make a face at Fang Cheng, and stick out her tongue:
"Phew... That scared me to death. This Butler Li has such a sharp eye. I almost couldn't hold back."

"Not bad, you did a great job."

Fang Cheng smiled slightly and offered her a word of encouragement.

The three then went up to the third floor and used a key to open Chen Li's room.

A strong smell of blood mixed with the smell of medicine wafted over.

On the carpet, the dried bloodstains left dark brown marks.

The sheets and blankets were in disarray, with a few drops of dark red bloodstains on the edges, and a piece of it had fallen to the floor.

One can imagine how chaotic the scene was last night.

Fang Cheng ignored all of this, walked directly to the bedside, squatted down, and gently touched a noticeable crease on the blood-stained carpet with his finger.

"Traces back!"

A black and white afterimage flashed through his mind in an instant.

Fang Cheng "saw" Chen Lishi writhing in pain on the bed, as if her body was being pierced by invisible needles.

He eventually rolled off the bed and crashed heavily onto the floor with a thud.

As she struggled, the blurry figure made of black smoke flashed by again on the wall above the bed.

"Boss, have you found anything?"

Bai Ling asked in a low voice.

Fang Cheng shook his head and said in a deep voice:

"Just like last time, I only saw a figure, but it was too blurry to make out the appearance."

He then stood up, his gaze sweeping across the room, and repeatedly tried to rewind his memories, including sensing the bloodstains.

But no other valuable clues were found.

"Should we go to Chen Xu'an and Chen Qiming's room and see what good stuff they've hidden?"

Bailing shook the spare key that belonged to the butler in her hand and winked mischievously.

"No need. Even if they have something wrong, they wouldn't hide important things in their room."

Fang Cheng immediately rejected the idea, and instead said, "We don't have much time, let's hurry to that grove of trees."

The three quickly went downstairs and left the main house.

Fang Cheng, leading Bai Ling and Pan Wendi, easily navigated the flowerbeds in the heart of the manor and soon arrived at the grove of trees in the northwest corner.

In the forest, hundreds of snake carcasses, broken in two, lay scattered on the ground, the strong stench of blood and stench making one want to vomit.

The Chen family manor was very large, and the servants had clearly not yet noticed anything unusual.

"Ugh..."

As soon as Bailing stepped into the woods, she couldn't help but cover her mouth, her stomach churning violently.

Fang Cheng remained expressionless, took a step forward, and walked over, stepping on the snake corpse.

Pan Wendi also suppressed his discomfort and quickly followed.

Hey! Slow down, wait for me!

Bai Ling tiptoed carefully through the gaps between the snake corpses scattered on the ground.

Her delicate and charming appearance was completely different from when she used the alias "Chen Xu'an".

Fortunately, there were no servants around, otherwise the scene would probably have been exposed on the spot.

After the three of them passed through the woods, a solitary four-story building came into view.

(End of this chapter)