The bamboo groves stood lush and deep, a thousand leaves whispering in the breeze.
Dappled branches and leaves cast their shadows across the window lattice. Beneath the dim yellow lamplight, Yu sat alone at the table, looking gloomy as he lowered his eyes to a sheet of peach-blossom paper in his hands.
The sheet was covered in tiny, neat characters, recording one name after another, with a few brief notes beside them.
These were the clues he had gathered from the guards during the day.
Of all the people in the vast Xiao Manor, the only true blood descendants of the Xiao Family were Master Xiao, Xiao Shou; the young lady, Xiao Xiang'e; the young master, Xiao Zheng; and the body he now inhabited, Xiao Meng.
There had originally been a number of maids and servants in the manor, but every so often, one of them would mysteriously vanish without a trace.
According to one of the guards, Master Xiao had specially hired men as skilled in martial arts as they were from far away to serve as guards, all to protect his three children.
However, according to the rules Master Xiao had set, the guards were only to patrol the manor during the day and protect the Xiao Family's bloodline.
As soon as the sun set, they had to leave. They were not allowed to spend the night at the Xiao residence.
Moreover, there was no order of seniority among Xiao Meng, Xiao Zheng, and Xiao Xiang'e. Even now, the guards still didn't know which of them was the eldest young master and which was the second...
The circumstances were certainly suspicious. But since the Xiao Family paid them extremely well, the guards never pressed for answers, strange as they found it. They simply carried out Master Xiao's instructions