The inner room of the main hall at Xiao Manor.
A blue-green carpet embroidered with gold thread and a hundred children and a thousand grandchildren covered the floor. A six-panel screen stood just inside the entrance, blocking the view. Beyond it sat a full set of Huanghuali furniture carved with openwork landscapes and figures.
The furnishings were lavish, but, just like the windows in Xiao Zheng's bedroom, the lattice windows had all been thoroughly nailed shut with boards!
Xiao Meng and Xiao Xiang'e supported Xiao Shou between them as they hurried into the room.
At some point, the jade crown binding Xiao Shou's hair had fallen off. Now his hair hung loose, and sweat drenched his head. He looked utterly disheveled. He had no time to tidy himself; as soon as he entered, he urged them, "Quick! Shut the door!"
"As long as we block the entrance, those things can't get in!"
At his words, Xiao Xiang'e immediately released his arm, turned around, and shut the door, fastening the bolt.
Xiao Meng turned around as well. With the tremendous brute strength of his Core Formation Realm cultivation, he dragged a man-high chest of drawers from behind the screen and wedged it against the door.
The moment they had done so, shrill, piercing laughter passed through the lattice doors and rang inside the room. "Heeheehee... heehee... heeheeheehee... heeheehee... hee..."
Then the lattice doors shook violently.
"Bang!!!"
"Bang, bang, bang!"
"Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!"
The muffled pounding came in waves. The lattice doors shuddered and rattled without pause, and the chest of drawers blocking them began to sway and tremble. The objects inside clattered back and forth.
Seeing that the chest of drawers could barely hold, the three of them rushed forward and braced themselves against the door and the cabinet.