Chapter 2, not man-made

Those who insist on staying here are either officials sent by the government or foolish individuals who are heartless and unafraid of death

Hmm? Xu Maozong's expression became serious, his brows furrowed, and he said with some tension: "What do you know?"

Xu Maozong originally intended to finalize matters in a few days, but he did not expect the current situation to arise

This world is indeed not as simple as just the martial arts realm

Xu Jing had seen dead bodies before, but it was the first time he encountered so many corpses with identical conditions before his eyes

Xiao Lian no longer spoke, silently pushing Xu Jing as they quickly returned to the Xu residence

Indeed! Xu Jing's heart tightened; what was once mere suspicion was now a confirmed answer

Xu Jing hesitated for a moment and grasped the stone in his hand

He organized his thoughts and continued, "I would like to ask, is the matter of the Tang residence truly man-made?"

In fact, he feels a deep sympathy for Xu Jing, and originally wanted Xu Jing to enjoy a few more years of carefree days, but now there is no way to do so

In the study, Xu Maozong was holding a brush, recording something in a book that Xu Jing had never seen before

As Xu Maozong served as the county magistrate of Guishui, he encountered Xu Jing at the Tang residence while the latter was there to observe the commotion in the morning. However, due to the presence of the governor and the shock he experienced, he did not approach to greet him

Although Xu Jing does not practice martial arts, he has some understanding of the martial arts rankings among people in the Jianghu. According to his knowledge, the strongest expert is akin to the innate masters he has read about in novels from his previous life

At noon

Xu Maozong pondered for a moment before saying, "Alright, as the heir of the Xu family, there are certain matters you will inevitably need to know sooner or later. Since you insist, I will not hide it from you any longer."

The Tang family, like the Xu family, is one of the prominent households in Guishui City. However, compared to the Xu family, which has a thriving population and many members holding important positions in the city, the Tang family does not engage as much in intermarriage with other families.

It seems that the Tang family is finished. Xiao Lian pushed Xu Jing along as she spoke, This matter, I wonder which expert in the martial world is responsible for it, and why I have never heard of anything similar before.

Xiao Lian, hurry up and go

Having lived in this world for six years, Xu Jing felt a sense of urgency for the first time, even though he was well aware that he had no ability to change anything. However, he truly did not want to face a similar situation one day and die in a state of regret.

Xu Jing took a deep breath and said, "Uncle, are there any survivors from the Tang family?"

As soon as Xu Jing saw the blood-red stone, he felt a strange sensation, though he could not understand why. He then said, "Can you show it to me?"

Xu Jing resolutely stated: "I do not want to be unaware when the same thing happens to me, ultimately not even knowing the reason for my death"

Xu Jing felt a heavy heart as she recalled the gruesome deaths of those in the Tang residence, falling silent and becoming lost in thought

This? Xu Maozong picked up a blood-red stone that was placed on the table and said, "I don't know what this is either. I found it on the body of the eldest son of the Tang family this morning. I think it might be some kind of clue, so I brought it back to study it."

He thought Xu Jing had come for this matter and quickly comforted her, saying: "Jing'er, don't worry, Uncle will help you find a young lady in a while, and I guarantee she will be no worse than Miss Tang San."

A sudden explosion echoed in his mind, followed by a series of awkward and convoluted syllables.

Xu Jing's stubbornness is well understood by Xu Maozong

"Sure." Xu Maozong pushed the stone in front of Xu Jing

Moreover, each person appears to be awake and frightened before their death, and the manner of death is identical; this matter does not seem to be something that individuals from the underworld could accomplish

Xu Maozong, with a sullen expression, hurried back from outside and plunged into the study.

Xu Maozong, seeing him like this,苦笑道: "Why must you seek trouble for yourself?"

"What are you asking this for?" Xu Maozong was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly thought of something and sighed, "A total of one hundred seventy-six people, including the master and the servants, have all perished, and Miss Tang San was not spared either"

Then Xu Maozong took out the book that had just been covered with miscellaneous writings and handed it to Xu Jing, saying: "Most of these are records of cases similar to that of the Tang family that your uncle and I have handled over the years. Although the majority lack clarity and have ended without resolution, there are also a few cases where the truth has been uncovered"

"Xiao Lian, you go outside and wait for a moment, I have something to discuss with Uncle," Xu Jing instructed.

Boom

Xu Jing was at a loss for words; he truly was not referring to this matter. Thus, he shook his head and said, "Uncle, that is not what I meant."

He stood up, walked to the bookshelf, tapped a few times in the bottommost compartment, then pushed with his hand and surprisingly reached inside. After a short while, he pulled out two ancient-looking books.

At that moment, he inadvertently glanced at the desk and, with a look of surprise on his face, asked: "Uncle, what is that?"

Xu Maozong fell silent for a moment before saying: "Jing'er, there are some things that, knowing them, may be worse than not knowing. Your uncle is not telling you this for your own good."

He did not want to stay even a moment longer. Many of the onlookers, after taking a glance, were so frightened that they panicked and turned to flee.

Xu Jing had previously met Miss Tang San and had a relatively good impression of her, so he did not oppose her

Uncle!" Xu Jing looked at Xu Maozong seriously, no longer speaking, her eyes filled with determination, embodying a posture of not giving up until her goal was achieved

Xu Maozong did not take it to heart either. After chatting casually for a while, Xu Jing called out loudly to Xiao Lian, preparing to leave

"Is there something going on?" Xu Maozong asked, noticing Xu Jing's serious expression.

Xiao Lian thoughtfully walked out of the study and casually closed the door behind her

Xu Jing took the book but did not rush to flip through it, intending to take it home to read slowly

Upon seeing Xu Jing, he forced a smile, picked up a nearby杂书, and placed it over the book where he had just recorded some notes, calling out: "Jing'er."

Some time ago, Old Master Tang mentioned to Xu Maozong the intention to marry the third young lady to Xu Jing; however, Xu Maozong did not make a unilateral decision, stating that he needed to inquire about Xu Jing's opinion.

Xu Jing expressed some helplessness and said, "I am not foolish, nor am I like those ordinary commoners who understand nothing; how could I fail to see the issues involved?"

Rivers and lakes

Although he had never heard of such a syllabic language, Xu Jing remarkably understood its meaning: "Discover the energy that meets the system's activation requirements, should it be absorbed?"

At that moment, upon seeing his uncle return, Xu Jing immediately had Xiao Lian push him to the study.

Do not speak indiscriminately and make baseless remarks. Xu Maozong glared fiercely at Xu Jing.

Xu Jing smiled awkwardly and said, "Uncle, I am not a child anymore, please tell me."

Although it is possible to kill with flying flowers and falling leaves, it is still unlikely to accomplish matters of the Tang court

The Tang family, after all, is a large clan with nearly 200 members, among whom there are quite a few recruited guards and skilled martial artists, yet they were exterminated overnight without a trace of commotion.