The charming widow of the Marquis's mansion: The stable boy carries the flag and raises the dra

There was a deathly silence all around; even the wind had stopped.

The next moment, a shrill shriek suddenly came from the direction of the ancestral hall.

The sound was shrill and caused ear pain.

Ye Niannu gripped the sword hilt tightly, her peach blossom eyes narrowing slightly.

The shriek suddenly rose in pitch, then abruptly stopped.

Immediately afterwards, a burst of hearty laughter came from the ancestral hall.

"Hahahaha... Hahaha..."

The laughter echoed through the deserted Peach Blossom Spring, passing through the empty houses, sending chills down one's spine.

Wang Long withdrew his hand, turned around and looked towards the ancestral hall, his gaze calm.

Ye Niannu also looked over.

The two exchanged a glance and instantly arrived at the entrance of the ancestral hall.

The sharp laughter had stopped, replaced by a low, intermittent sobbing, as if someone had been gagged but was still struggling desperately.

Without hesitation, the two pushed open the door and stepped over the high threshold at the same time.

The interior of the ancestral hall was much more spacious than the exterior. Sunlight streamed in through the half-open wooden windows, falling on the dusty blue brick floor.

The altar in the very center was empty, with no memorial tablets or incense burners, only a thick layer of ash.

On the wall behind the altar, there is a white skeleton nailed to it.

The skeleton was fixed to the wall in a "T" shape, with a thumb-thick black nail driven into each of its limbs, head, and neck. The nails were covered with dense ancient runes, which gleamed with a cold luster in the dim light.

The skeleton was contorted and stiff, with several ribs showing obvious signs of breakage, as if it had suffered great pain in life.

Judging from the shape of the pelvis and shoulder blades, this is a female skeleton.

Wang Long stood in front of the altar, looking up at the skeleton nailed to the wall, his brows slowly furrowing.

He didn't speak, but silently observed the runes on the black nails.

Ye Niannu walked up to him from the side, her gaze lingering on the skeleton for a moment, and said in a low voice.

"Their death was gruesome... Their limbs, head, and neck were all nailed down."

"This isn't ordinary torture and killing; it's more like... a sealing ritual!"

Wang Long's expression was solemn; such a tragic death had actually occurred in a small village.

It's really strange.

He leaned closer, examining the nails closely, and murmured to himself.

"The runes on these nails are completely different from the patterns on the two stone slabs at the village entrance. How strange!"

He extended his right hand, a wisp of golden aura condensing at his fingertips, and carefully approached the end of one of the black nails.

The moment the literary energy touched the nail, the cold runes on the nail suddenly lit up, emitting a piercing buzzing sound, as if a living thing that had been sleeping for many years had been disturbed.

Immediately afterwards, a sharp screech burst forth from deep within the nail, piercing straight into the eardrums of Wang Long and Ye Niannu.

The sound was like a woman's scream, or like metal scraping against bone, sending chills down your spine.

Ye Niannu instinctively gripped the hilt of her sword and whispered a command.

"Young master, be careful!"

Wang Long quickly withdrew his finger, and the wisp of literary energy dissipated. The light of the runes gradually dimmed, and the hissing sound slowly subsided.

"It won't come off?!"

Wang Long withdrew his hand, looked down at his fingertips, and spoke with a hint of seriousness.

His power, which was enough to smash a mountain, couldn't even pull out a tiny nail.

"These nails aren't just for physical fixation; they've nailed down the very essence, spirit, and soul of this skeleton! What a ruthless method!"

"Even if external force is injected, it will be absorbed by the runes and cannot be shaken in the slightest."

He paused, his gaze returning to the skeletal skull.

"This setup is more than just going to kill her."

"It's more like they want to keep her here forever, with no release even in death."

Ye Niannu remained silent for a moment, her gaze lingering on the skeleton for a long time.

"Could it have been done by these villagers?"

Her voice was a little hoarse.

Wang Long remained silent; he didn't know either.

The skeleton looked quite old, weathered and fragile, as if it would crumble into dust at the slightest touch.

He turned his gaze back to the posture of the skeleton, then looked around at the empty altar, and a vague sense of unease welled up in his heart.

This is currently the only clue, and it may be the key to their departure.

However, Wang Long had no clue what to do and was completely helpless with these nails.

He scratched his hair in frustration.

Who exactly is it, and for what purpose?

It's truly cruel to torture and kill a young girl and then suppress her in the ancestral hall!

Seeing Wang Long's appearance, Luo Hanyi gently comforted him.

"My lord, it's been so long ago, perhaps a thousand years, ten thousand years—it's beyond our control!"

Wang Long composed himself; he was still too emotional.

I can't control myself when I see this kind of thing.

He let out a long breath and smiled and nodded at Ye Niannu.

I plan to inject some more spiritual energy into the nail to see if I can pull it out and help the skeleton be laid to rest.

This is something Wang Long is capable of doing.

Suddenly, that piercing buzzing sound rang in my ears again, closer and clearer than before.

It felt like it exploded in his mind.

Immediately afterwards, a wave of dizziness struck.

Wang Long felt the world before him twist violently for a moment, as if he had been suddenly pulled into a narrow passage, his consciousness and body briefly separated.

When he "opened his eyes" again, he was no longer in that ancestral hall.

What comes into view is a warm and bright village.

This is truly the Peach Blossom Spring.

The peach blossoms were in full bloom, and the petals fluttered down in the breeze, landing on the bluestone path, on the eaves, and on the head of a little girl who looked about seven or eight years old.

The little girl, wearing a faded cloth dress and straw sandals, squatted under the old locust tree at the village entrance, intently watching a villager squatting opposite her.

"Grandma, have you found your chicken?"

The little girl's voice was clear and soft, carrying a patience and gentleness beyond her years.

The elderly woman, addressed as "Grandma," nodded anxiously.

"Found it, found it! Thanks to you for pointing the way, my old hen was hiding in the haystack behind the woodshed, incubating a nest of eggs."

The little girl smiled, her eyes crinkling, and clasped her hands together as if performing some small ritual.

"That's good."

As soon as she finished speaking, the anxiety on the old woman's face receded like the tide, replaced by a relaxed and satisfied smile.

The villagers around laughed when they saw this. Some went up and patted the little girl's head, while others handed her a handful of freshly picked wild fruits.

The little girl smiled and took it, then took a bite, her cheeks puffing out like a little hamster.

Wang Long stood a few steps away, but he was like a wisp of ignored air. No one looked at him, and no one noticed his presence.

He looked down at his hands, then looked up at the smiling little girl, and a voice inside him told him...

This is the skeleton on the wall.

When she was alive, she was so vibrant and radiant.