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Chapter 464 The Chen Family's Secrets, the Vampire Monster
The lounge was quiet.

Only the low breathing of a few people mingled together.

"Mr. Chen."

Fang Cheng stared at the slightly agitated man before him for a long time before slowly speaking:
Before answering this question, I would like you to tell me honestly, do you have a very important secret that you are hiding from us?

"secret?"

Chen Xu'an's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and the excitement on his face was instantly replaced by astonishment.

He gave an awkward laugh:
"No, why would I deliberately conceal important information?"

"I can't wait for you to find the murderer as soon as possible, quell this storm, and restore peace to the Chen family."

"Young Master Chen, let's not beat around the bush."

Lin Chuqiao also stepped forward, her voice cold:

"Since we chose to ask you in person, it must be because we have enough evidence."

"Only by speaking frankly and openly can we resolve the predicament facing the Chen family more quickly."

"If you're still trying to cover it up, and a misunderstanding causes the clues to go cold, it will not only delay the capture of the murderer, but also leave the Chen family's troubles unresolved. It will also inevitably create a rift between us, and I'm afraid that it won't look good for anyone."

Lin Chuqiao's words were delivered slowly and deliberately, yet contained an implicit threat.

The atmosphere in the room became tense.

Pan Wendi moved his wrist, and his joint made a soft "crack" sound.

Bai Ling puffed out her cheeks and stared intently at Chen Xu'an with her big eyes.

Chen Xu'an lowered his head, obscuring his eyes, and only his Adam's apple could be seen bobbing repeatedly.

Clearly, they are struggling with whether or not to confess something they have been deliberately hiding.

Fang Cheng didn't urge him, but calmly looked at him and spoke again:
“I found some crucial clues in your younger brother Chen Shaoze’s room and your grandmother’s room. All of these clues point to the same place…”

Chen Xu'an suddenly raised his head:

"Where?!"

"The old, closed building in the northwest corner of the Chen Family Manor."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xu'an couldn't help but clench his hands slightly.

Fang Cheng met his gaze calmly and continued:
"When we left the hospital, we were actually returning to the Chen Family Manor to specifically investigate that old building."

"Aside from the coffins and memorial tablets of the Chen family's ancestors, there was nothing else suspicious in the building."

"But in the basement, we found a strange three-eyed statue and a corpse of unknown origin."

These words struck Chen Xu'an's heart like a heavy hammer.

His eyes were fixed on Fang Cheng, and his previously steady breathing suddenly became heavy.

A few seconds later, the hesitation in his eyes gradually faded, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he exhaled a long breath.

"really……"

His voice carried a hint of relief, as if he had finally made up his mind:
"Since you've investigated this far, there's no need for me to hide it any longer..."

Upon hearing this, Bailing immediately clenched her fists in front of her chest and moved closer to Fang Cheng.

Pan Wendi leaned forward slightly, adopting a fighting stance, looking ready to make a move at any moment.

Lin Chuqiao was also tense, her eyes fixed on Chen Xu'an warily.

Fang Cheng stood calmly, but the muscles beneath his clothes were already bulging like a rock.

The opponent may make the slightest move, and a thunderous strike can be launched at any time.

Chen Xu'an seemed oblivious, and simply said slowly:
"To be honest, the source of the series of changes that have happened to my Chen family is very likely that the black building."

After a pause, he added a further explanation:
"The Black Building is where our Chen family stores the remains of our ancestors. It involves secrets about the family's bloodline abilities, which I didn't mention to you before because it's a taboo within the Chen family..."

As Chen Xu'an continued speaking to himself, his gaze shifted and he suddenly noticed the four people looking as if they were facing a formidable enemy, causing a look of surprise to appear on his face.

"What are you doing?"

He had barely finished speaking when he suddenly realized what he had said and gave a self-deprecating laugh:
"Could it be... that you suspect I am the murderer?"

"Xiao Chen."

Pan Wendi shrugged and spoke frankly:

"It's not that we want to suspect you, but your previous behavior was indeed very suspicious."

"Right."

Chen Xu'an paused for a moment, then shook his head and smiled bitterly:

"If I were investigating this case, I would also make the second young master of the Chen family, this good-for-nothing who reaped the benefits without lifting a finger, the prime suspect."

He sighed and raised his hand to rub his temples.

“I am not very talented. I am not as good as my eldest brother, who was raised as the heir since childhood, nor as good as my younger brother, who is naturally intelligent and knows how to please our grandmother.”

“A month ago, I was already marginalized in this family, and all I wanted was to live a peaceful life as a rich young master.”

"I never dreamed that so many things would happen later..."

“During this time, I kept thinking, why wasn’t I the one who was killed? Why was I made to shoulder the burden of the family in the end?”

He muttered to himself, as if confiding his inner turmoil to the others.

His former image as a dashing scion of a prominent family has vanished, replaced by a deep weariness.

Fang Cheng and Lin Chuqiao looked at each other in bewilderment.

Chen Xu'an's performance completely exceeded their expectations.

I originally thought that this person was cunning and would either use clever words to argue his way out of trouble, or simply tear off the mask and take direct action.

Unexpectedly, the other party broke down and revealed their overwhelming feelings in front of them, these outsiders.

If this is acting, then the acting is simply too good. So expressive and moving, it would be a waste not to win an Oscar.

Bai Ling couldn't help but mutter softly:
"Since you know where the source is, why haven't you taken any action and allowed your loved ones to be harmed and suffer the pain of being cursed?"

Lin Chuqiao and Pan Wendi also looked at him with suspicion.

No matter how you look at it, there are still too many doubts about Chen Xu'an's words and actions.

Fang Cheng remained expressionless, waiting for the other party's explanation, but his body did not relax in the slightest.

Upon hearing this, a bitter smile reappeared on Chen Xu'an's face:
“I also want to do something, but that black building is a forbidden area for our Chen family to suppress our fortune. Without solid evidence, even if I am the acting head of the family, I do not have the authority to conduct a thorough investigation.”

"If anything goes wrong and shakes the foundation of the Chen family, I will be the family's eternal sinner."

"Moreover, everything before was just my speculation."

“It wasn’t until you came to investigate that I heard Mr. Bai say that he had found the murderer’s trail. That’s when I got the idea to use your actions as an excuse to gather the clansmen together and force my grandmother to open the Black Tower and find out the truth in public.”

"But who would have thought... before tomorrow even arrived, the clansmen who returned from the secret realm all fell ill one by one..."

After saying that, he let out a long sigh, full of helplessness.

The entire lounge fell silent once again.

"You say you're not the murderer."

Fang Cheng asked at the opportune moment, breaking the silence:
"So, who do you suspect is the murderer?"

Chen Xu'an hesitated for a moment, a hint of fear showing in his eyes.

Then, looking at Fang Cheng, he asked in a dry voice, "If... I said the murderer was a corpse, would you believe me?"

"Corpse?"

Lin Chuqiao frowned slightly.

Upon hearing this, Bai Ling's face paled even more.

Pan Wendi also gasped, seemingly recalling the horrifying scene he had witnessed in the dark building.

Fang Cheng was also somewhat surprised, thinking that Chen Xu'an would mention the strange three-eyed statue.

"Correct."

Chen Xu'an emphasized, enunciating each word clearly:

"That's the body you saw in the basement, my grandfather, Chen Hongye."

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng and the others looked even more surprised.

"But."

Lin Chuqiao was the first to react and immediately asked:

"According to intelligence records, didn't your grandfather pass away three years ago? How could his corpse have killed someone?"

"It's a long story."

Chen Xu'an pulled out a chair next to the table and sat down.

Then, calming himself down, he slowly said:

"Three years ago, my grandfather suddenly fell seriously ill and passed away a few days later."

"According to the Chen family's rules, a clansman is not buried immediately after death."

"Instead, the remains are kept in the Black Building for three years to dissipate the corpse's aura. After three years, the remains are exhumed and moved to the family's secret realm to be worshipped alongside the ancestors of all generations."

Fang Cheng's eyes flickered slightly as he recalled what Pan Wendi had said during his investigation of the Black Building.

There were no remains in the coffins of the three victims, including Chen Shaoze.

“Our Chen family’s tradition is indeed strange, but it’s a rule passed down from our ancestors, and no one dares to break it easily.”

Chen Xu'an continued speaking, his voice becoming increasingly erratic:
"Originally, this was just an ordinary family funeral."

"But shortly after my grandfather was placed in the coffin, my grandmother began to have nightmares. She kept saying that she dreamed that my grandfather was shivering from the cold down there, kept saying that he was hungry, and that there were evil spirits chasing him and trying to eat him."

“It wasn’t just her; several elders in the family had similar dreams, and some even dreamed that evil spirits were dragging their grandfathers’ hands toward hell.”

"After the news spread throughout the family, everyone was in a state of panic, and everyone felt that it was because the spirit of my grandfather was restless."

“One day, my grandmother said that she dreamed that my grandfather appeared to her and told her that she must send his body to the family’s secret burial place as soon as possible so that he could rest in peace.”

"Grandmother immediately convened a family meeting, but the elders rejected her proposal on the grounds that 'ancestral rules cannot be violated'."

At this point, Chen Xu'an sighed:

"Grandmother had no choice but to discuss it with my father and, as a second-best option, move Grandfather's coffin to the basement of the Black Building."

“There is a three-eyed god of wealth that has been passed down in our Chen family. We hope to use the power of the statue to suppress evil spirits and let my grandfather’s soul rest in peace.”

"Sure enough, the nightmare that plagued my family disappeared after that, but who could have imagined that the real nightmare was just beginning."

"Nothing unusual happened in the first year."

"But just two years ago, my father, who was the head of the family, suddenly passed away."

“At first, everyone thought it was because my father was overworked. Then last year, my second grandfather and fourth uncle also passed away one after another.”

"They were all very healthy, without even cardiovascular disease, yet they all died silently in their sleep, the cause of death being heart failure."

"At that time, although people found it a bit strange, they didn't pay much attention to it and just thought it was a coincidence. After all, birth, aging, sickness and death are common occurrences."

"Things started to get completely out of control during this year's Spring Festival."

Chen Xu'an took a deep breath, his face darkening, and said:
“My younger brother, Chen Shaoze, brought his fiancée back to the manor, saying he wanted to meet our parents. But the next evening, his fiancée went out for a walk and then disappeared.”

"We searched all night before finding her body in the woods near the Black Building. Her skin was dry, and the flesh on her face was sunken in, as if she had been drained of blood."

"After that, Shaoze seemed to have lost his soul. He locked himself in his room all day, refusing to eat or drink. Less than two months later, he also..."

Chen Xu'an's voice suddenly choked, and he paused for a moment before composing himself and continuing:
“Next, more and more terrifying things happened. Victims appeared one after another in the family. Even my eldest brother was in a car accident and is still lying in the intensive care unit.”

"These things are all recorded in the information about the Bridge of Helplessness that you have, so I won't go into details."

Fang Cheng nodded slightly, quickly comparing this information with the clues he already had in his mind.

“You just said that Chen Shaoze’s fiancée was also murdered.”

Lin Chuqiao astutely grasped the key point: "Why is there no record of this in the intelligence materials?"

"Because she is not yet a member of the Chen family."

Chen Xu'an explained:

"Moreover, the manner of the death was too bizarre. My grandmother was afraid of attracting the attention of the police and special investigation team, so she used her family connections to settle the matter privately and keep it a secret."

"Besides her and the subsequent investigators, were there any other non-Chen family members murdered at the manor?"

Fang Cheng then asked as well.

"There were also two servants who were found dead at night, and their deaths were exactly the same as Shaoze's fiancée's."

Chen Xu'an answered truthfully.

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

Sucking blood seems more like the predatory behavior of some kind of evil creature.

"I know what you're thinking."

Chen Xu'an said bitterly:

"At the time, I also thought there was a monster in the manor that ate human flesh and blood, and I investigated it in secret for a long time."

"But since the two servants died, that thing has never appeared again, as if it had suddenly vanished without a trace."

“Until a week ago, I became the acting head of the family and got the key to the Black Building.”

"I suddenly had a whim to use my Spirit Eyes to examine Shaoze and the others' bodies again. Maybe the decomposition of the bodies will leave some clues."

Chen Xu'an lowered his voice again.

"But when I opened the coffin on the third floor, I found that Shaoze's body was gone, and the bodies of the other two murdered clansmen had also disappeared without a trace."

"I was shocked and immediately used my spiritual eyes to investigate. I sensed a faint, unusual aura coming from the basement."

"So I took the key and carefully entered the basement, which had been sealed off for years..."

As he said this, Chen Xu'an's fingers, which were resting on the table, trembled slightly, as if he had returned to that terrifying scene.

"It was filled with bones, and the air was thick with the stench of decay."

"I followed the scent and finally stopped in front of a black lacquered coffin. When I saw what was inside, I froze."

“I saw my grandfather’s body in that coffin.”

"He lay inside for three years, yet there was no sign of decay; his skin even retained some color..."

"His muscles look even fuller than before he was hospitalized, and his chest is still rising and falling slightly, like...like he's still alive!"

(End of this chapter)