54: Chapter 51 Investigation 54: Chapter 51 Investigation Xu Yuan was all too familiar with this burial village.
So familiar that he could still recall the name of every person in the village to this day.
The butcher who liked to sharpen his cleaver in the middle of the night, the beautiful young wife who always had a smile on her face and loved to tease others, the blind man who was not completely blind, and the village elder who was always beaming with laughter…
The burial village was a novice village in the Cang Yuan storyline.
A village deep in the mountains on the border of Dayan, both peaceful and extremely dangerous.
It was said to be peaceful because the various uncles and grandpas in the village were very kind to the protagonist, as if they were ordinary elders of a family.
It was said to be dangerous because these uncles and grandpas were outwardly ordinary, but in reality, they were all big shots retired here, each of whom had once been notorious thieves or demons.
A broken-down little village gathered with all sorts of big shots.
Then, his father, the Prime Minister, personally led people to slaughter the village clean.
Only one teenager, who accidentally ventured into the mountains to hunt, survived on his own.
Yes, this teenager was the protagonist of the storyline.
That was the fundamental reason why Xu Yuan had been seeking the protagonist of the storyline.
With such blood vengeance laid out, there was basically no room for the protagonist and the Prime Minister’s Mansion to turn things around.
Once the other party grew strong enough, no matter what reason his father had for slaughtering the village, the protagonist would never be lenient.
However, with the clues provided by Su Jinxuan, Xu Yuan had now narrowed down the possible routes of the protagonist to three and was roughly certain of what kind of cheat code the other side had.
The first one, the righteous and hot-blooded route.
For a hot-blooded righteous protagonist, the cheat code was naturally as the name suggested, a wounded war god, the more wounded, the more explosive his potential.
The second one, the route with a personal grandpa companion.
The cheat code was also simple, fully AI-controlled, with strength that could soar under special conditions.
The third one, the evil route of cultivating the Great Harmony Yin-Yang Technique.
The cheat code was three doses of Joyful Powder, a substance that could ignore level restrictions.
It was suitable for both men and women.
Xu Yuan’s mood became somewhat heavy.
The former and the latter were not much of an issue, as he could simply have Zhou Chen go and kill the protagonist.
But according to Murphy’s Law,
Xu Yuan had a feeling that the protagonist was most likely taking the grandpa companion route because that protagonist was the hardest to deal with.
Without the game’s special conditions to limit him, the other party could deliver him a big blow whenever they were pushed too hard.
Of the people Xu Yuan knew at the moment, probably only his big brother could reliably kill the protagonist, even Big Ice Lump with the surname Ran was dubious.
The fragrance filled the carriage.
Most of the time, a quiet environment can calm people’s minds, but when one’s life is at the mercy of others, such silence becomes an agony.
Looking at Xu Yuan’s silent profile, Su Jinxuan took a deep breath.
She clenched her fist.
Then she opened her fist.
After doing it several times,
Su Jinxuan’s eyes flashed with sadness, and she slowly exhaled the breath she had taken, gently calling out:
The answer was actually already in her heart, but people always harbour such unrealistic expectations.
Xu Yuan’s eyes swept over, and the ease she had originally shown had disappeared; he saw the unease in her eyes.
He was somewhat taken aback.
It seemed that what she said about Mr.
Qin treating her as a younger sister was likely the truth.
Had she been a thoroughly trained dead soldier, she probably wouldn’t have shown such an expression.
For an unmarried young lady to behave this way in the face of death was already quite remarkable.
“You seem very afraid,” he asked.
Su Jinxuan bit her lip lightly with her tiger teeth:
“The Shadow Guards of the Prime Minister’s Mansion are notorious, and Jinxuan naturally has heard of them.”
“If you’re so afraid, then why did you dare to come to me?”
Xu Yuan’s gaze was smiling, but there was not a trace of pity:
“One last question, if you’re willing to answer it, once we enter the residence later, I can choose not to hand you over to Ying’er.
Of course, if you don’t answer, I believe Ying’er should also be able to get this information from you.”
“Su Jinxuan, what purpose did that Mr.
Qin have for making you manipulate me?”
Clutching the corner of her clothes, Su Jinxuan’s fingers turned faintly white.
After a long silence, she shook her head:
Hearing this, Xu Yuan lifted his hand to gently caress her smooth hair, whispering softly:
“I’m sorry, Jin Xuan, but that’s not the answer I wanted to hear.”
You said earlier that you took the initiative to alleviate Mr.
Qin’s worries, and now you claim not to know?
You’ve practically given yourself away.
Thinking this, Xu Yuan felt a hint of amusement.
But this was the right response.
If everyone could remain cool-headed in the face of such terror and life-threatening fear, then there would be far too many ruthless people in this world….
Ying’er led Su Jinxuan away.
Given the information she’d provided, Xu Yuan had indeed spoken a few good words on her behalf in Ying’er’s presence.
No corporal punishment was necessary; simply bind her hands and feet, seal her hearing, and toss her into a dark room filled with soft quilts.
Seeing the grateful look in Su Jinxuan’s eyes as she was led away, Xu Yuan almost wanted to laugh.
The modern techniques of interrogation may not be as direct as the physical torture of ancient times, but they are a form of mental attack.
If you ask, it’s from personal experience.
Out of sheer curiosity, Xu Yuan, in a past life, had visited a professional experience hall with a group of friends just once.
Lying on a soft bed, limbs wrapped in special cotton pads, then letting the staff fit you with specialized ear muffs and blindfolds….
Xu Residence was situated in the vast northern expanse of Jingjiang City, covering more than a thousand acres.
A large wetland lake lay within it, with pavilions, towers, and exquisite buildings stretching as far as the eye could see.
The lakeside was breezy.
Watching Ying’er and Su Jinxuan’s fading figures in the distance, Xu Yuan turned to Zhou Chen, who was drinking nearby, and suddenly said:
Zhou, could you do me a favor?”
“Third Young Master, you may simply command,” Zhou Chen replied, setting down his wine jug.
Xu Yuan focused on Su Jinxuan’s departing figure:
“Help me look into the matter of Su Jinxuan’s family being wiped out.”
Zhou Chen’s eyes carried a hint of surprise: “The young master means….”
“Su Jinxuan said she was saved by that Mr.
Qin while fleeing disaster, and that most of her family died.
I suspect there’s more to it.”
Zhou Chen murmured, seemingly grasping Xu Yuan’s intent.
Although he had some doubts, Zhou Chen showed no sign of refusal.
The Third Young Master’s recent actions had increasingly justified Zhou Chen’s investment in him.
He clasped his fist and said:
“I just don’t know where Miss Su’s hometown is?”
Xu Yuan’s eyes flickered for a moment, then he said:
“Jin City in Jiangnan Province.”
In his past life, when Xu Yuan, as the story’s protagonist, brought Su Jinxuan into Jin City for the first time, she would say, “I haven’t seen Jin City for over a decade.
It has really changed beyond recognition….”
Zhou Chen immediately clasped his fist: “Alright, Third Young Master, rest assured, I will notify the Black Scale Guards in Jiangnan Province right away.”
Zhou Chen prepared to turn and leave right away.
Zhou Chen halted his steps.
Xu Yuan unhurriedly took out a stack of five silver notes, each worth a thousand taels, from the Sumeru Ring and sent them to Zhou Chen’s hand with Origin Qi.
Zhou Chen’s eyes brightened, but he still whispered while holding his wine jug:
“Third Young Master, what is this…?”
Xu Yuan chuckled softly:
Zhou has guarded me well with great effort; consider this some money for wine as a token of appreciation.”