This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 131, First Sacrifice, Chen Haoran

A piercing scream suddenly rang out outside the door, like a sharp sword piercing the silent night sky. Xiao Xingchen only had time to glance at the illuminated room before she was quickly pinned to the ground by several dark figures who rushed in, like a lamb to the slaughter.

"You audacious villain, how dare you plot to murder Lord Chen!"

His back was pinned down by two men's knees, and his face was pressed tightly against the cold ground, as if he were being crushed by a mountain, making it difficult for him to move.

He struggled to lift his head, his gaze piercing, as if trying to imprint the scene before him deeply into his mind.

The room was so spacious that it resembled a huge treasure trove, as if it were a warehouse specifically used by the Chen family to store their wealth.

Stepping into the room through the main door, it stretches for over twenty meters, resembling a deep, secluded corridor. Large chests filled with gold and silver treasures line both sides, radiating an alluring glow.

At the very front, there was a huge table, like a majestic mountain, covered with the ancestral tablets of the Chen family, solemn and dignified.

At this moment, as the torches burned fiercely, even he, who had experienced the horrors of the Silent Temple, couldn't help but gasp.

"Ugh..." The sounds of vomiting behind me rose and fell, like a symphony of disgust.

He finally understood why there was such a strong smell of blood in the room and why the floor felt so slippery.

Above the ancestral tablet on the altar, a person's limbs are being forcibly pulled up, as if being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, and suspended in mid-air.

That wasn't the most horrifying part. The man's chest was cruelly cleaved in two, from bottom to top, all the way up to his neck. His internal organs, like bunches of ripe grapes, dripped into the air as his intestines moved.

The blood had long since dried up, and half of the human skin had been peeled off, revealing scarlet muscles, like a torn canvas.

Where his neck should have been a human head, it was now replaced by the head of a demon. The head seemed to be that of some kind of large animal, ferocious and terrifying. It was far away, and Xiao Xingchen could not see it clearly. He only felt that the demon's eyes were like burning flames, revealing endless evil and terror.

The dripping blood, like a flood bursting its banks, had stained all the memorial tablets on the altar red. The ground seemed to be covered with a scarlet carpet, with shocking bloodstains everywhere. Stepping on the ground felt like stepping on a slippery river.

"Stop it, everyone! Protect the scene!"

A furious shout rang out, exploding like thunder in everyone's ears, silencing the ensuing commotion.

King Liang walked slowly, his expression solemn, like a mountain. He glanced down at Xiao Xingchen, his eyes sharp as knives, and asked directly, "Why did you kill Chen Haoran?"

How did you know that was Chen Haoran?

Xiao Xingchen's question was like a sharp sword, piercing Liang Wang's heart and startling everyone behind him.

Yes, they haven't even gotten close enough to see for themselves, so how can they be sure that this is Chen Haoran?

“King Liang, the matter still needs further investigation. I know this boy, but he has no ability to set up such a flawless murder scene.”

The eldest princess naturally spotted Xiao Xingchen at a glance. Her heart trembled like a vast ocean, and she stepped forward without hesitation. She absolutely refused to believe that Xiao Xingchen would kill someone.

"Hmph, the door was locked from the inside when we came in, and he was the only one there. I think he was the one committing the crime, but he didn't expect us to suddenly barge in. Who else could it be but him?"

King Liang was furious, like a powder keg that had been lit, and he gave the eldest princess a thorough scolding.

Then he shouted loudly to those behind him: "Yong'an Prefecture, Dali Temple, where are your people? Why haven't you sealed off the scene for investigation? If this corpse really is Lord Chen, you will all be doomed!"

“Yongan Prefecture is here, so let’s have it inspected.”

"The Dali Temple receives the order."

"Gentlemen, I need to go to the palace. I'll leave this place to you."

The Right Chancellor took his leave immediately, knowing better than anyone the uproar that Chen Haoran's death would cause.

"Look, there seem to be words on that back!"

In the blink of an eye, a cry of surprise exploded like a thunderclap.

In the torchlight, a large character on the wall behind the altar appeared and disappeared like a ghost.

"Sacrifice! It's actually just the character 'sacrifice'!"

Xiao Xingchen stared intently, and behind the suspended body, an enormous character for "sacrifice" came into view.

Another ritual? Xiao Xingchen's heart skipped a beat, and he naturally thought of the evil spirit ritual during the day, as well as the Houtu ritual that had not yet taken place.

Could it be...? He silently memorized everything, but lacking information, he was unable to deduce who was manipulating everything behind the scenes.

However, one thing is beyond doubt: whether it is the Demon Festival, the Houtu Festival, or this mysterious character "祭" (sacrifice) in front of us, there must be some connection between them.

This is by no means an ordinary murder case; the hidden story behind it must be shocking.

The appearance of the character "祭" (sacrifice) caused King Liang's brows to furrow tightly, as if he were enveloped by an invisible pressure. He seemed to have suddenly realized something.

He immediately issued an order: "Yong'an Prefecture, immediately investigate the scene and make sure to confirm whether the skinned person is Lord Chen Haoran!"

"I obey my orders!"

"There is another matter: where are Lord Chen's family members? How could they be completely unaware of such a momentous event?"

King Liang's words were like a sharp sword, piercing Xiao Xingchen's thoughts. Indeed, Chen Miao, Madam Chen, and even Daji were no ordinary people; how could they be completely oblivious?

"Quickly investigate where Madam Chen and her daughter have gone."

The eldest princess whispered to Mu Ye,

Those suspected of being Chen Haoran have vanished like leaves, but apart from Chen Haoran, the wife and daughter of the Chen family have disappeared without a trace, as if they had evaporated into thin air.

This was like a heavy hammer blow to everyone's hearts.

A terrifying thought rose in their minds like a ghost: Could it be that the annihilation of their entire family was about to befall them?

Thinking of the massacre of the Chen family in Yong'an, even the eldest princess was uneasy. After entrusting the entire area to Yong'an Prefecture and Dali Temple, the Prince of Liang rushed straight to the Imperial Palace.

As for Xiao Xingchen, the shackles were tightly wrapped around his body like venomous snakes, and he was mercilessly taken to the Heavenly Prison.

The princess wanted to defend him, but at this point, he was too suspicious, so she had no choice but to give up.

However, before he left, the eldest princess told him to wait patiently, and that she would personally investigate the matter.

What should have been a lively promotion banquet ended unhappily amidst a gloomy atmosphere.

The news that Chen Haoran had been skinned alive and hung in the Chen family ancestral hall spread like wildfire, and the once peaceful Yong'an City was shaken to its core.

The appearance of the character "祭" (sacrifice) in particular has led many people to associate it closely with the ghost sacrifice at Shenxianlou.

The young swordsman who appeared at the murder scene was thrown into the Heavenly Prison like a lamb to the slaughter.

Xiao Xingchen had only vaguely heard of the so-called Heavenly Prison before, but when he personally stepped into it, he deeply realized that it was indeed a terrifying place.

Upon entering the prison, regardless of right or wrong, he was immediately met with a brutal beating, like a storm, until he was covered in bruises and broken skin. Only then was he carelessly discarded like trash in a dark and damp cell.

Even though he possessed demon blood protecting him, the brutal beating in the prison still caused him excruciating pain. His limbs felt as if they had been broken, and his flesh was torn apart. He was thrown to the ground like a lifeless corpse, and even turning over was a luxury.

He certainly wouldn't believe it if someone told him that attending a promotion banquet would lead to such an outcome.

However, for the first time, he deeply felt the malice of this world. Whether intentional or unintentional, he had been completely outmaneuvered this time.

He tried hard to recall every detail of entering the Chen residence, attempting to find a clue.

Chen Haoran was present when he greeted Huangfu Lingxue at the main gate. From the time he entered the mansion to the time he was invited to the ancestral hall, only half an hour had passed. In that time, who had the power to skin a vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue and hang him in the ancestral hall?

What role did I play in all of this? Was I a scapegoat or something else? Where did Chen Miao go? And why did Daji disappear?

All these doubts filled him with unease, not about whether he would die, but about whether Daji would be in trouble.

Just like now, although he was beaten terribly, he was certain he wouldn't die. His wedding dress wasn't ready yet; even if he wanted to die, he probably couldn't.

All the helplessness made him sigh.

"It seems we can only wait for news. Ruoxue should know about this too. She will definitely try to come see me later. I hope she can bring some useful information."

At this moment, all he could do was wait and let the storm rage on him. He was powerless to do anything. He muttered to himself, "Daji, please don't let anything happen to you."