CHAPTER 911: CHAPTER 462: OUTBREAK

"To poison one’s own family, causing chaos and ensnaring so many people, what’s the point even if you end up as the Family Head, facing such a mess?"

"Precisely because the curse was simultaneously cast on many, the strength was dispersed, so the harm done by the black magic to each individual is limited."

Lin Chu explained, his eyes sweeping over the scene in the ward:

"Look at the Chen Family members, though they are in great pain, there is no mortal danger. The assailant’s intent might just be to limit their mobility."

"No, you’ve overlooked a critical point."

Fang Cheng, deep in thought for a while, suddenly spoke:

"If the assailant is Chen Xu’an, he is now the de facto ruler of the Chen Family, the only one who could restrain him, the old lady, is currently also hospitalized."

"With his current status, Chen Xu’an can mobilize all of the Chen Family’s strength to deal with us, the outsiders investigating this."

Fang Cheng paused, his gaze sweeping over the three, further analyzing:

"Even if things are exposed tomorrow, the secret unveiled, he has plenty of ways to frame us."

"After all, the Chen Family will surely rather believe him than us, the outsiders."

"Yet he’s done the opposite, sending all his helpers into the hospital."

Fang Cheng rubbed his chin, a tone full of doubt.

"This operation makes no sense logically."

"That’s right!"

Bai Ling also realized, her eyes lighting up:

"I remember he previously even said he’d send Chen Family experts to cooperate with us. By doing this, isn’t he cutting off his own arm?"

Chen Xu’an, once the prime suspect, seemed to have regained some innocence in her mind.

"I’ve been pondering this question too."

Lin Chuqiao rubbed her brow, lightly biting her lip:

"Chen Xu’an’s current actions can’t be explained by common sense, unless... he’s completely lost his mind."

"Lost his mind?"

Bai Ling looked at the man in the ward, gentle and still comforting his nephew, unable to associate him with a "madman."

All four fell silent, trapped in brief contemplation.

No matter their guesses, they couldn’t avoid one core issue.

If Chen Xu’an is truly the assailant, then his logic is self-contradictory at every turn.

The sobs and conversations from the ward drifted in, making the surrounding air heavy.

"Let’s not talk about this for now."

Lin Chuqiao shook her head, temporarily casting aside her doubts, and turned her gaze to Fang Cheng:

"What clues did you find upon returning to the Chen Family Manor?"

Fang Cheng gathered his thoughts, then recounted, in rough outline, the mysterious corpse tower, the accumulation of coffins and plaques inside, and the sinister statue and old body in the basement.

Lin Chuqiao listened, her brows tightly furrowed:

"As far as I know, while noble families value returning to their roots, they would not keep the remains of ancestors in a residence for long."

"After a family member dies, they are typically interred in the Inheritance Secret Realm, becoming part of it, nourishing the family’s bloodline."

"The Chen Family’s way is indeed bizarre and abnormal."

Listening to Lin Chuqiao, Fang Cheng nodded slightly.

His reason for consulting her was due to her vast knowledge and understanding of noble family secrets.

Then, he shared his suspicion:

"I suspect the reason why the Crow and the Professor came to Tian Nan Province is related to a certain hidden secret of the Chen Family."

"The Chen Family’s secret?"

Lin Chuqiao pondered those words, quickly searching her memory for various records on noble family legacies.

"Perhaps the Chen Family’s Secret Realm is special? Or that corpse tower is actually a deliberately built entrance to a Secret Realm?"

Though she said this, she lacked confidence, her eyebrows steadily furrowed, obviously unable to reach a conclusive answer despite meditating for so long.

Fang Cheng’s eyes flickered, silently contemplating.

He felt that the Chen Family’s hidden secret wasn’t just about a "special Secret Realm."

The key to solving the puzzle might lie with that bizarre statue in the basement and the mysterious old corpse.

Just then, the door of a nearby ward gently opened a crack.

Chen Xu’an was communicating something with the doctor inside, seemingly about to come out.

Fang Cheng’s gaze intensified, a thought instantly forming in his mind.

"I’m going to confront Chen Xu’an now and see how he responds."

Saying this, he stepped towards the ward.

"What?"

Lin Chuqiao was startled when she heard this and instinctively reached out to grab his arm:

"Fang Cheng, wait a moment..."

Her meaning was clear.

This was the Chen Family’s territory, and directly tearing the facade without preparation was very risky.

If Chen Xu’an was really the mastermind, he might still have some trump cards hidden.

The few of them might find themselves in a passive position on the spot, possibly even trapped in Tian Nan Province, with no chance of getting out.

Pan Wendi also scratched his head in frustration and leaned in to say:

"Isn’t this too hasty? If the negotiations break down, we haven’t secured an escape route."

Bai Ling clutched the edge of her clothes tightly and quietly added:

"Yeah, boss, there might be an expert still hidden beside Chen Xu’an. Shouldn’t we think it over..."

Fang Cheng turned his head, his gaze swept over the two, and then fell on Lin Chuqiao’s beautiful, worried face, and he gave a slight smile, asking in return:

"Don’t you trust me?"

As he said this again, his voice was not loud, yet it carried a strength that could calm people’s hearts.

Lin Chuqiao looked into his calm and bright eyes, dazed for a few seconds, and her grip on his arm slowly loosened.

The tension and worry eventually turned into a gentle, faint smile at the corner of her lips.

In that smile, there seemed to be a complete trust that said, "Since you have decided, I’ll accompany you."

Fang Cheng then composed his expression, and said in a deep voice:

"Haven’t you heard of this saying? The best way to break a black magic curse is to directly deal with the black magic master."

As he spoke, with a "creak," the ward door was pulled open completely.

Chen Xu’an walked out with a weary face, raised his hand to rub his temples, and his gaze casually swept across the corridor, but halted when he saw Fang Cheng and the others.

Evidently, he hadn’t expected them to still be there.

Fang Cheng met his gaze candidly, with a hint of imperceptible sharpness in his eyes.

Originally, he intended to wait until tomorrow to act, but the opponent’s continuous offensives and tightening moves made him realize he couldn’t wait any longer.

The longer they delayed, the more the enemy would be prepared.

Fang Cheng knew this well.

He wasn’t Sherlock Holmes, nor did he have any interest in playing a cat-and-mouse game in this fog with the rats hiding in darkness.

The current situation was complex and entangled, truth indistinguishable from falsehood.

His uncle had been missing for days, his life or death uncertain, and with every minute wasted, the danger increased.

Rather than passively guessing and analyzing here, led by the nose by the opponent, it would be better to... just flip this table!

To confront all the hidden enemies in the simplest and most violent way.

Let’s see whose trump cards are harder, whose fists are bigger.

And then decide who will have the upper hand in controlling this game!

Facing Chen Xu’an’s bewildered gaze, Fang Cheng stepped forward and said loudly:

"Mr. Chen, our team’s reinforcements have arrived, and we’ve just explored where the killer is hiding."

His voice echoed clearly in the corridor.

The remaining relatives of the Chen Family who hadn’t left yet turned their gaze toward Fang Cheng, an "outsider," with expressions of either astonishment or doubt.

Chen Xu’an’s pupils narrowed as he stared at Fang Cheng, seemingly trying to discern the truth of his words from his expression.

"What did you say?"

He instinctively followed up, his voice even altering in tone a bit.

Fang Cheng didn’t answer, just calmly met his gaze.

Chen Xu’an quickly glanced at the probing eyes around them, immediately realizing this wasn’t the place to talk.

He made a decisive move, stepped up, grabbed Fang Cheng’s arm, and said in a deep voice:

"You three, please follow me."

Fang Cheng did not refuse, still letting him pull his arm.

He only gestured to Lin Chuqiao and Bai Ling with his eyes, signaling them to follow behind, as Chen Xu’an quickly led them to an empty lounge not far away.

Pan Wendi thought for a second, then immediately followed.

"Bang!"

The door was slammed shut and locked.

The door was slammed shut and locked.

Inside the lounge, Chen Xu’an let go, pacing back and forth as if trying to calm his agitated emotions.

He suddenly turned around, his bloodshot eyes fixated on Fang Cheng, lowered his voice, and asked with emphasis:

"Where exactly did you go earlier?!"