Immortal Clan: I have a Tree of Creation

"Ling girl! It's Ling girl!" Someone in the crowd recognized her and exclaimed in surprise.

"Thank God, she's still alive."

"Ouch, look at all this blood... What a tragedy!"

"Child, don't be afraid, don't be afraid, the official is here..." A kind-hearted woman couldn't help but wipe away her tears.

Officer Jiang held the little girl in his arms, feeling that she was so light that she was almost weightless.

He asked in the gentlest voice he could muster, "Little girl, don't be afraid. Tell your uncle, did you see the killer? What did he look like? Which way did he run?"

Chen Lingyue's small body trembled, and tears welled up in her big eyes.

She opened her mouth, making a painful "hoarse" sound in her throat, her little face turning red, but she couldn't utter a single syllable.

Only large, scalding tears fell, pattering onto the rough back of Jiang the constable's hands.

"She's terrified, she can't speak..." someone whispered.

At this moment, an old man living diagonally opposite the Chen family sighed in the crowd: "Captain Jiang, it's useless."

"This child... is mute, born that way. He hasn't been able to speak since he was little, he can only make 'ah ah' gestures."

The youngest daughter of the Chen family is actually mute?

This news shocked and disappointed the onlookers even more.

The light of hope in Jiang's eyes dimmed instantly.

He gazed at the horrific scene faintly visible through the wide-open gate of the Chen residence.

Looking at the pitiful, speechless child in his arms, his brows furrowed deeply.

The constables quickly conducted a more thorough search inside and outside the house.

Unfortunately, apart from the shocking, thin wounds, no weapon was found at the scene.

It's puzzling that the snow had just melted, and the ground was muddy and slippery, making it easy to leave marks.

However, no suspicious footprints could be found in the courtyard, inside the house, or on the wall they climbed over.

It was as if the murderer appeared out of thin air, committed the crime, and then vanished into thin air, leaving only the courtyard full of death.

"Boss, this..." A young constable stared at the pristine ground, his voice dry, "It's too clean, it's practically... practically like a ghost..."

"Shut up! Stop talking nonsense!" Officer Jiang hissed, but his eyes were equally serious.

Years of experience in handling cases told him that the near-extermination of the Chen family was too bizarre to be an ordinary revenge killing or robbery.

No murder weapon, no footprints, a clean and efficient killing method bordering on the bizarre...

This killer is probably a terrifying figure with unpredictable movements and unimaginably high martial arts skills.

It's even possible that...

Jiang, the head constable, dared not think any further.

The police are powerless to handle such cases.

Anshan County has just experienced a once-in-a-century snow disaster, and everything is in need of rebuilding. The county government is in a state of chaos.

The backlog of relief, pension, household registration, and land disputes is enormous.

Faced with this unsolved family annihilation case, despite their deep resentment and doubts, they had no choice but to put it aside.

Jiang, the head constable, sighed, quickly added a few strokes to the case file he carried with him, and then signaled his men to prepare to collect the body and close the case.

No matter how much manpower and resources are spent here, it will all be in vain.

He carried Chen Lingyue and led her into the mansion, which resembled a battlefield.

As they prepared to let her see her parents and relatives one last time, the little girl's body tensed instantly, her little hands gripping the constable's clothes tightly, and tears streamed down her face.

A flicker of reluctance crossed Jiang's eyes, but he hardened his heart and carried her inside.

To close the case, the body must be identified.

A moment later, loud wailing came from inside the house.

The scene was filled with despair and fear, and the people outside the door felt a pang of sorrow, shaking their heads and sighing, wiping away tears.

"Oh, poor child..."

"So young, and already her parents are gone..."

"How are we going to live from now on?!"

"Only one girl is left; the Chen family line has ended..."

A short while later, Officer Jiang came out again carrying Chen Lingyue.

The little girl seemed to have lost all her soul, lying limply on the constable's shoulder, her face buried in her hands, her body still trembling and sobbing slightly, her silent tears soaking the constable's shoulder.

Zhou Chengnan watched in silence, his heart heavy.

Little Yi'er had quietly crept over again, her little face tilted upwards.

Just as the constables were preparing to take Chen Lingyue away for resettlement.

Suddenly, Xiao Yi'er mustered up her courage, broke free from her father's hand, and ran a few steps to Jiang Butou's side.

He stood on tiptoe, and in his clear, very childish voice, whispered to the small figure in the constable's arms:

"Don't be afraid, miss."

"If you're hungry and have nothing to eat, come to my house."

"I have meat at home..." He paused, then, as if feeling it wasn't enough, added earnestly, "Lots of meat!"

The child's innocent words seemed particularly out of place in the oppressive atmosphere, yet they carried a heartwarming sincerity.

Jiang, the head constable, paused and looked down at the chubby-faced little boy.

Xiao Lingyue, who had been burying her head on the constable's shoulder, seemed to move very slightly.

She slowly lifted her small face from the blood-stained fabric of her clothes.

Looking down blankly, my gaze settled on Zhou Yuanyi's small face, which was filled with sincerity.

Eyes facing each other.

On one side lies the abyss of fear, which has just been completely frozen by bloodshed and death.

On the other side is the innocent and pure kindness of children, untouched by the world.

Sunlight filtered through the clouds, dappling the muddy village road, and also falling on the small hands stained with blood, and on the eyes as pure as a stream.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment.

Chen Lingyue neither nodded nor shook her head.

She simply gazed at Xiao Yi'er, her eyes brimming with an indescribable light, as if she wanted to etch that face deep into the depths of her mind.

Jiang, the head constable, gave the Zhou father and son a deep look, and finally just shook his head heavily.

"Everyone, please disperse."

The crowd dispersed with sighs, discussing the tragedy of the Chen family and lamenting the fate of little Lingyue.

Zhou Chengnan silently took Xiao Yi'er's hand and carried him around the Chen residence.

Xiao Yi looked back every few steps, gazing in the direction where the carriage had disappeared. For the first time, a confusion that didn't belong to someone her age surfaced in her clear eyes.

"Father, where is my sister going?"

"Go to the yamen (government office), the officials will take good care of her."

"Oh..." Zhou Yuanyi murmured.

After a moment, he hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at his father and expressed his doubts.

"Dad, what if the murderer who killed Uncle Chen's family didn't actually leave?"

Zhou Chengnan's steady steps suddenly stopped, and his body stiffened.

She turned around and looked at her son intently, as if realizing for the first time... that her youngest son seemed to have an extraordinary talent.

"Yi'er..."

"Officer Jiang has already closed the case, so don't overthink it."

He thought for a moment, then continued to say to his son, "Where the murderer is doesn't matter, Yi'er. You must not go out and spread rumors about this, understand?"

Zhou Yuanyi stared wide-eyed and nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

The tragedy at the Chen family's home caused a huge uproar, but life had to go on.

The Zhou family's life returned to normal.

With the help of the Snow Spirit Mushroom, Zhou Chengnan's cultivation level advanced by leaps and bounds.