Eerie vines covered every corner of the estate.
The Corpse Man Vine, as thick as a water barrel, writhed like a venomous snake toward the area where the blood was strongest. All that remained on the spot was a deathly pale body. No, not a "body"—the person was still alive, merely unconscious from losing too much blood in a short time, with only the faintest breath remaining.
The Corpse Man Vines surrounded the inner courtyard on all sides.
The older young masters and young ladies of the household stood behind a cordon of servants. The little ones clung to their birth mothers' necks and sobbed, while the timid servants and maids trembled and screamed without pause. More than a hundred people were present, and the calmest among them was the head of the family.
He had assumed some wandering knights had come calling. But when he saw that the intruders were two young women, each with a Literary Heart Sigil hanging at her waist—one peach pink, the other dark purple—he immediately understood who they were. He took a discreet, deep breath and cupped his hands in greeting, forcing himself to remain composed. "We were misled by villains and spread rumors about Lord Shen. To reflect on our wrongdoing, everyone in the household, young and old, male and female, voluntarily cut back on expenses and donated ten thousand silver taels toward the river works. That may not make up for our transgression, but surely it isn't enough for Lord Shen to make such a fuss and send people to our door?"
Lin Feng sat cross-legged atop the thickest Corpse Man Vine, her eyes half closed. Beside her, Yu Zi gripped the hilt of the sword hanging behind her right hip. Its blade was drawn a few inches, revealing a gleaming edge.