Immortal Clan: I have a Tree of Creation

Zhou Chengnan held his youngest son Zhou Yuanyi's little hand.

I walked along the wet and slippery village road to take him to school.

Little Yi'er wore a little vest carefully sewn by her older sister from black bear skin, and a little leather hat. Her little face was rosy from the warm sun.

With big, curious eyes, it looked around, filled with a sense of novelty at the long-lost liveliness.

Just as they turned the corner of the alley leading to the village school, the father and son stopped in their tracks.

The narrow village road ahead was completely blocked, packed with people.

Men, women, and children crowded together, standing on tiptoe to peer into a rather grand house deep inside, their voices buzzing with discussion.

Zhou Chengnan frowned; this scene was quite unusual.

"Dad, there are so many people!" Little Yi'er shook his father's hand and looked up at his father.

"Mm," Zhou Chengnan responded.

He originally intended to take Yi'er on a detour, but as his gaze swept across the crowd, he unexpectedly spotted Mr. Sun from the private school.

The usually refined and composed schoolteacher was now squeezed on the outer edge of the crowd, holding his old felt hat with one hand, craning his neck to look inside. The hem of his blue cotton robe was covered with mud, and his face was full of surprise and uncertainty.

Even Mr. Sun has no interest in teaching and is just watching?

Zhou Chengnan's heart skipped a beat, sensing that something big had happened.

Upon closer inspection, they discovered that the large mansion the crowd was surrounding was none other than the Chen family's residence.

—The Chen family!

The two most famous wealthy families in Jinyang Village were the Zhao family and the Chen family.

In his early years, Master Chen rose to the rank of eighth-grade official, and after retiring from public life, his family prospered considerably.

Zhou Chengnan was extremely surprised.

Who would have thought that the Chen family would be the ones to suffer the misfortune?

"That shouldn't be the case..."

Given the Chen family's resources, they shouldn't have frozen or starved to death in the blizzard. There must be something else going on here.

In front of the vermilion gate deep in the alley, several bailiffs dressed in black robes stood solemnly.

One of them was whispering something to a constable wearing a waist badge, who looked serious and kept nodding.

"Make way! Make way! The county government is handling a case; bystanders must step aside!" A slightly hurried shout came from behind the scenes.

From the direction of the village entrance, several more constables dressed in smart black uniforms and carrying goose-feather sabers hurried over.

The middle-aged man at the head of the group was burly with a dark complexion and piercing, sharp eyes. He was none other than Jiang, the head constable of Anshan County.

Jiang, the head constable, pushed through the crowd and walked straight to the constables and messengers at the gate of the Chen family. He began to talk in hushed tones, his eyes frequently glancing towards the tightly closed gate, his expression growing increasingly grim.

The murmurs among the crowd rose sharply with the arrival of the constable.

"My goodness, what's going on at Master Chen's house?"

"Dead...all dead! I heard that the whole family, more than ten people, including the servants, are all dead..."

"Really? Who's so bold?"

"It's absolutely true! The officials went in and saw it... oh dear, what a disaster!"

"How did he die? A robber?"

"I heard it's... a knife! Extremely fast! Each strike is fatal, leaving thin, long wounds—it's terrifying!"

"Long and thin? How thin must that knife be? Like a needle?"

"Who knows! The strange thing is, the constables searched the entire yard but couldn't find the murder weapon! Isn't that odd?"

Zhou Chengnan heard it clearly and felt a chill run down his spine.

The Chen family was one of the wealthiest families in Jinyang Village. Although Master Chen was somewhat shrewd and calculating, he was kind to others and could not be considered a bad person.

A family of thirteen, along with seven or eight servants, were wiped out overnight.

He died from a slender, sharp blade, yet there were no signs of a murder weapon...

This is something no ordinary thief could accomplish.

He subconsciously pulled Xiao Yi'er closer to him, blocking his view, not wanting the child to be exposed to such bloodshed too early.

"...Wait a minute!" A frail voice rang out from the crowd, tinged with regret. "Isn't the Chen family's youngest daughter, so beautiful and delicate, her name...I think it's Lingyue? She's only seven, right? I haven't heard of her before."

These words, like a stone thrown into water, stirred up even bigger waves.

"Yes! Master Chen had a daughter late in life, and he cherishes her like the apple of his eye! Where is that little girl?"

"Could it be...?"

"Damn thieves! They must have kidnapped that little girl!" a woman said angrily.

"Alas, what a pity for that little face, so beautiful, like a fairy child in a painting." Another voice was full of pity and worry. "If he falls into the hands of thieves, I'm afraid... I'm afraid he won't have a good end."

These words pierced Zhou Chengnan's ears like needles.

His brows furrowed even more, and his gaze unconsciously swept over the tightly closed doors and windows of the Chen residence, a shadow falling over his heart.

Just then, Xiao Yi'er, who was being protected by him, suddenly tugged at the hem of his clothes and made a small, puzzled "Huh?" sound.

Zhou Chengnan looked down and saw his son looking up at him with his little face.

The other little finger pointed to a slightly secluded corner next to the Chen family's gate.

There were some odds and ends piled up there, near a tightly closed side room window.

"What's wrong, Yi'er?" Zhou Chengnan asked in a low voice.

Xiao Yi didn't say anything, but just held his father's hand.

Zhou Chengnan was puzzled, but seeing his son's serious expression, he followed him.

As they approached, Xiao Yi suddenly broke free from his father's hand, squatted down, and tried to tilt his head and lower himself.

My gaze fell upon the narrow gap beneath the window of the side room, where tattered baskets and mats were piled up, and under the bed of an old wooden bed.

"Big sister?" Xiao Yi'er's voice was soft, filled with the purity and curiosity unique to children.

He lowered his head and called out to the darkness, "Don't be afraid."

Zhou Chengnan's heart skipped a beat!

He immediately followed his son's gaze and squatted down, staring intently at the spot.

Deep beneath the dimly lit bed, dust filled the air, and clutter was scattered about.

However, amidst that mess, behind a few broken wooden planks, there was a pair of eyes!

A pair of eyes, wide open in utter terror, blinked, brimming with tears, reflecting a faint light in the shadows.

She stared helplessly at Xiao Yi'er and Zhou Chengnan outside, like a frightened fawn!

Her small body was curled up, hugging herself tightly. Her tattered clothes, stained with dried dark blood, wrapped around her, like a fledgling bird abandoned in a bloody ruin.

"There are people here!" Zhou Chengnan suddenly stood up, his voice instantly drowning out the surrounding noise and reaching the ears of Constable Jiang, who was discussing things at the door.

All eyes immediately turned to them.

Jiang, the head constable, reacted quickly, taking a few steps forward. He bent down and looked in the direction Zhou Chengnan was pointing, and his expression immediately changed.

"Quick! Be careful!" he shouted, stopping the other constables who were about to rush over.

He carefully and gently lifted the covering to reach inside.

Soon, a small figure covered in blood and trembling was carried out by Constable Jiang with extreme gentleness.

It was Chen Lingyue, the seven-year-old daughter of the Chen family.

Her small face was covered with tear stains, mud, and dried, blackened blood. Her large eyes were filled with boundless fear and confusion. Her small body trembled in the constable's broad arms.