MTL - He Became a Salted Fish After Inheriting Millions of Secret Arts-Chapter 33 escape from the manor

Barney stopped trembling, and a deep, dark eye appeared between his fingers. Duan Feizhuo knew he had guessed right.

The screams of the servants filled the wine cellar.

"Mr. Hao Te? How is it possible! You can't just talk about this kind of accusation!"

"Mr. Haut has been working in the manor for thirty years, he is absolutely incapable of doing such a thing!"

Z stopped their yelling with a cold look.

"Have you any proof, sir?" demanded the servants.

"I met Mr. Haut just now." Duan Feizhuo recalled the clip at that time, "When he saw Barney, he said that Barney was 'the boy who died a year and a half ago'. Everyone thought that Barney was The trafficker abducted him, didn't he? Hott insisted that he was dead. I think there is only one possibility, and that is that he saw Barney's body with his own eyes."

Barney grinned, showing a set of gleaming white teeth. Duan Feizhuo knew he had guessed right.

Martha, the maid, trembled, "But why did Mr. Haut kill Barney? There is no wrong between them!"

Z said, "I think I can answer this question."

He took out a photo from the inner pocket of his coat and handed it to Duan Feizhuo.

Duan Feizhuo took the photo and looked at it carefully under the light. The photo shows a dilapidated building with peeling paint on a sign reading "Mint Leaf". A slender young man was walking out with the help of a stooped old man.

The young man looked familiar, but Duan Feizhuo couldn't remember where he had seen him before. But he recognized the old man at a glance, it was the housekeeper Hao Te.

"This 'Mint Leaf' is actually an opium den in London." Z smiled grimly, "Mr. Haut, the housekeeper, became addicted to opium at some point. You know, mint leaves are very expensive. You are poor. It’s no surprise that addicts do anything.”

The servants gasped in unison.

"I just said that Mr. Hao Te is not quite right recently, he seems to be out of spirits."

"He's lost a lot of weight. He used to be much stronger than he is now. I've heard that people who smoke opium suddenly lose weight."

"Last time I heard that he asked the lord to give him a salary advance! I said why he was short of money. It turned out that he was addicted to opium!"

Duan Feizhuo looked at the photo for a while, and asked Z, "How did you have this photo?"

A hand went over his shoulder and withdrew the photo.

"This is the real purpose of our coming here. We found out that Hao Te was in secret contact with the young man in the photo, and he seemed to be planning something. At the same time, we also had another task. It was a case entrusted by a noble lord. Now It’s not convenient to tell you.”

Duan Feizhuo snorted dissatisfied. He said everything (well, he said most of it), but Z still treated him as an outsider and kept everything under wraps.

He turned to Barney's undead. "So you want revenge on Hot? You brought us here so we don't get in your way?"

"I'm just following the orders of the ladies." The boy said quietly, "They are going to do something in the mansion tonight."

"What do they want to do?" Duan Feizhuo asked eagerly, "Are they going to kill Lord Perilla? But he's not in the mansion tonight!"

"He's already here."

After speaking, the shadow of the boy dissolved into the darkness.

"Wait!—Damn it!" Duan Feizhuo was so angry that he kicked the barrel to vent his anger, "We must catch up! We can't let those ghosts do whatever they want!"

"Mr. Chester!" Yeats stopped him, "don't be impulsive. I found another way out. Please look at this account book, which contains the design drawing of Perilla Manor thirty years ago. It can be seen that, Now the mansion is not completely rebuilt on the original site, but a part has been moved to the southeast."

He pointed to a corner of the wine cellar, "From that location, we should be able to dig into the cellar of the old mansion."

"What's the use of this?" Duan Feizhuo asked.

"If the undead can only control the new mansion, then when a person enters the cellar of the old mansion, it is equivalent to leaving the new mansion and out of the control of the undead."

Duan Feizhuo was overjoyed and hurried to the corner Yeats pointed at. He tapped the corner of the wall with the sword in the stone, and as expected, he heard a hollow echo.

"It's empty below," he said over his shoulder. The servants all showed joy.

"But how to dig it out? We don't have the tools..."

Duan Feizhuo looked at the sword in the stone. It screamed in a voice that only Duan Feizhuo could hear, "Don't use me to dig! I am the sword of the king, not a shovel!"

A faint sigh sounded from the last of the crowd. Z pushed aside the servant and walked over, took off his gloves, revealing his brass-colored prosthetic limb.

"Get out of the way, all."

Duan Feizhuo subconsciously jumped back.

Z swung his fist and hit the corner of the wall.

It's hard to imagine how amazing his strength was, his fist sank into the mud brick, spider web-shaped cracks spread around from under his fist, and the wall skin fell down like dandruff. He retracted his fist, and there was a hollow there.

The servants watched him in awe, and Martha, the maid, had already begun to sign the sign of the sign of the sign of the cross. Z just flicked the brass prosthetic limbs, tilted his head towards them, "Pick and pull a few times."

The servants stepped forward tremblingly, scraping away the loose bricks around the hole. A bottomless void appeared behind the wall. Yeats picked up the thin candle, and saw the flickering of the candle, indicating that there was wind pouring in from the hollow.

"Let's go." Yeats took the lead and got into the hole.

Al jumped in after him like a child thirsting for adventure. The three servants followed cautiously.

Duan Feizhuo looked at Z, who put on his gloves with a calm expression, as if he wasn't the one who punched a hole in the wall just now.

"Well, thank you." Duan Feizhuo said, "You won't get hurt, right? I mean, your prosthetics won't get damaged, right?"

The corners of Z's lips raised slightly, "Even if it is damaged, Scotland Yard will reimburse the repair fee."

Duan Feizhu couldn't help laughing along with him.

Z raised his chin at him, signaling him to go into the hole.

Duan Feizhuo inserted the sword in the stone into his belt, and carried the lantern into the cave. The space behind the hole is extremely spacious, and the square walls are polished smooth. It seems that it is indeed the cellar of an old mansion.

Z's unique footsteps with a metallic friction sound came from behind. Walking through the bottomless tunnel, he felt uneasy beating drums in his heart, but when he thought of having Z as his queen, he felt inexplicably at ease.

Ahead came the shouts of servants.

"There's a crack here!"

Duan Feizhu hurriedly hurried over. The farther you go, the fewer traces of artificial excavation, and finally the cellar completely becomes a tunnel. It seems that there was a natural hole in the ground of Perilla Manor, and the former architect used it to build a cellar.

The end of the tunnel was blocked by rocks, but there was a clear wind flowing through the cracks in the rocks. Not only was the candle in Yeats's hand blown to and fro, but a whistling sound could also be heard.

Z pushed aside the crowd again and came to the front. This time without him speaking, everyone retreated knowingly.

He took off his gloves again, moved his right shoulder, clenched his fist, and charged for a blow. The strength this time was far better than last time, and the evidence was that not only the rock he hit, but also the rocks above their heads and under their feet also cracked.

"Yeah!" Martha screamed, pulling up her skirt and hiding aside, as if doing a unique tap dance.

There was a crack in the ground where she was standing just now, and a steam rose up.

With underground cracks and steam, people often think of hot springs at the first time. But Duan Feizhuo walked a few steps closer and looked into the cracks in the ground, and saw that the ground was covered with transparent crystals, each of which shone with colorful lights, and even the diamonds, which are famous for their fire, were arrogant in front of them head.

"This is... an ether crystal!" Duan Feizhuo's eyes widened, "There is an ether crystal buried under the ground of Perilla Manor?"

The servants covered their mouths. Ordinary people may never see a piece of real ether crystal in their lifetime, but there is such a rich mineral deposit buried under the manor!

A flash of spiritual light suddenly flashed through his brain, as if lightning had struck him, charging his dull thinking with electricity.

Barney said he had seen Butler Hot digging... what? Could it be ether crystal?

Lord Perilla intends to sell the estate. If ether crystals are unearthed underground, land prices will surely rise accordingly. This is a good thing, why did Hao Te kill Barney to silence him?

Unless...he didn't want it to be made public. He wanted to sell the secret for a good price.

"come over!"

Z's call interrupted Duan Feizhuo's thoughts. He woke up like a dream, only to find that everyone had gone out along the ramp, and he was the only one left in the tunnel. Z stepped onto the ramp, turned around and held out his hand to him.

Duan Feizhuo held his hand without thinking. Z pulled him out with all his strength.

The two walked up the narrow ramp, and after a few crawls that required hands and feet, they finally got out of the ground. The fresh air rushed in, and Duan Feizhuo was so moved that he almost burst into tears.

They were at the foot of a cliff, and the lights of the village could be seen in the distance. The night sky was still dark. Duan Feizhuo felt that this night was extremely long, as if centuries had passed, but in fact this night was far from over.

"We went to the village for help," Z said.

Duan Feizhuo nodded.

At this time, there was the sound of rushing horseshoes and wheels rolling over the road above the cliff, and it could be recognized that it was a four-person carriage with two horses. The maid Martha raised her head, and she couldn't see the situation on the cliff at all from her angle, but she said firmly, "Oh, it's your lord's carriage."

"How do you know?" Duan Feizhuo asked.

"I can hear it even with my eyes closed. It's strange, didn't your lord go to the lakeside villa with the old lady and Miss Melissa?"

Duan Feizhuo and Z looked at each other in dismay. Should they go back to Oak Manor? But that haunted manor... Maybe they will be swallowed by the undead once they enter!

"Go to the village quickly, I'll go back to the manor!" Z said sternly.

"I'll go too!" Duan Feizhuo said hastily.

"Master, I'm with you!" Al said positively.

Yeats grabbed Duan Feizhuo who was eager to try, shook his head seriously, and stopped him with his eyes.

Duan Feizhuo shook off his hand, "You take Al to the village, I have to go back to the manor."

"We'd better stay out of their business," Yeats warned.

"No," Duan Feizhuo said coldly, "I've been involved a long time ago, and it's too late to quit now."

"finally reached!"

Xenophon jumped out of the carriage and pushed back the brim of his hat so that he could see the whole picture of Lord Perilla's mansion clearly.

The vast, dark silhouette of the mansion was lost in the darkness. Not a single window shone with light. There was no sound around, not even the chirping of birds and the barking of dogs. Only the wind whispered, like the pathetic prelude to an opera.

Lord Perilla climbed out of the carriage with difficulty, turned around to take his lover's slender hand, and helped Miss Melissa out of the carriage.

When he was about to do the same to support his mother, the old lady Edith pushed his hand away and jumped down by herself.

The son was a little embarrassed, so he poured his anger on Xenophon.

"Mr. Detective, you said something happened in my house, but I didn't see anything unusual!"

"Shut up!" The old lady gave her son a sideways glance, "Haot didn't leave a light on, that's enough to explain the situation. I always told Haote to keep a light at night, in case the residents in the territory come to visit in the middle of the night urgently You can find your way. But you see, there is no light in the house."

"Maybe it's just that Hott forgot..." the Lord muttered.

"I haven't made a mistake for thirty years, but why did I forget it tonight?"

Mrs. Edith waved her traveling cloak, raised her skirt and walked towards the gate. Miss Melissa huddled beside the Lord, watching her mother-in-law with complicated eyes.

As soon as Lady Edith came to the door, the door opened of its own accord, as if the whole house were to welcome her.

She strutted in, and Xenophon followed her with great interest, pretending to be her lady's valet. The lord and Miss Melissa held each other's hands and followed them cautiously.

The night wind passed through the foyer, whimpering sharply, like the weeping of people in portraits.

As soon as they entered the hall, a man with disheveled hair rushed forward.

"Hot?" Madam Edith raised her eyebrows and stared at her old housekeeper.

"Ma'am!" Hote sobbed. His eyes were red, every wrinkle on his face was squeezed together with fear, "Help me, save your loyal servant, there are... there are..."

He stopped suddenly, as if he felt some strange breath, he turned around slowly in horror.

A boy stood in the middle of the hall, holding a wire for rolling hoops.

"Ahh! That's him!" Hot sat down at the feet of the old lady, pointing at the boy and screaming.

The Lord opened his mouth wide, "Ah, he is the kid who disappeared a year and a half ago, what is his name?"

"Barney." Madam Edith said seriously, "You should care more about your subjects, Albert."

Hot continued to scream, "He's dead! He's a ghost! He's going to kill me, kill us all!"

"Is that so, Barney? You're dead?" asked the old lady.

Facing the undead, she has no fear, as if the undead are her dear neighbors, and she has to greet them every day.

The boy nodded.

Miss Melissa squeezed into the Lord's arms in fear. The lord hugged her a little tighter, but not out of a knightly heart to protect a lady, but out of fear—when people are afraid, they instinctively hug objects within reach.

Mrs. Edith asked, "But how did you get into the mansion? You haven't been here before, have you? Aren't the undead just wandering where they walked before? Unless..."

Barney lowered his head "He dragged me into the oak forest. I was buried in the earth, and then I opened my eyes again. There I took root and sprouted, and I grew up, in the sun and rain. I was lush and lush. My roots are all over the hills, and the birds sing on my shoulders. Then one day, I was felled, stripped, and cut into shape, and built this magnificent mansion. I met the souls sleeping in the wood, They whispered to me like a mother, like the wind rustling through the treetops. Our spines support the house, our arms wrap around people. We are here now, and this place is mine."

The boy's voice sounded like he was singing an old hymn. Such polite words are definitely not something a child can say. Something was speaking through his mouth. No, it should be said that he has already become a part of that thing.

"You were buried in the oak grove..." Lady Edith repeated in awe, "then the oak was felled and turned into timber...but no, the mansion was rebuilt thirty years ago and has not been restored since, No lumber can come in!"

"No, mother," said the lord timidly. It was rare for him to speak out directly against his fierce mother, but this time he had to speak up.

"What, Albert?"

"Have you forgotten the roof collapse incident? We also specially reinforced the roof and beams!"

"Of course I remember that! But I told Hao Te that it is not allowed to take materials from the oak forest, and must go to other places to buy building materials. Isn't that right, Hao Te? Answer me!"

Lady Edith stared sternly at the butler at her feet.

Hao Te knelt on the ground, with snot and tears, and shouted incoherently, "I didn't mean it, ma'am! I just... because it costs a lot of money to buy goods from other places, and it's much cheaper to get local materials, so I secretly ordered someone ..."

"Did you steal the oak forest without telling us?!" Mrs. Edith was furious, "Where's the money for the purchase? Was it embezzled by you?"

Hao Te lay on the ground trembling. "I'm only fascinated by ghosts! I'm so short of money, ma'am! Forgive me! For all the years I've served you! I never knew there were ghosts in those logs!"

Lord Perilla had never seen his mother so angry. The mother in my impression was stern, cold, and noble to the point of being cold, but at this moment she was furious, her eyes were red, and she was about to spit fire. Even if she tore Hote to pieces on the spot, Lord Perilla would not be surprised.

"Dog slave! Everything my husband painstakingly arranged was ruined by you! I said why the undead came back again. I thought it was something missing from the fire thirty years ago, but I didn't expect it to be you! You brought them back Come back! Do you know how many people you will kill!"

Mrs. Edith kicked Hote away. If it weren't for the lady's manners, she would have kicked Hott twice more. In order to make up for her regret, Xenophon thoughtfully repaired those feet for her.

"What are they talking about, Albert? Why can't I understand?" Miss Melissa asked in a low voice without even daring to lift her head.

"It's happier for you to know nothing, my dear," said the lord gloomily.

Hao Te was kicked and rolled all over the ground by Xenophon, screaming again and again, his clothes and hair were covered with dust, and he looked like a beggar in embarrassment. The old lady looked at Hao Te, and her anger calmed down a little.

"Forget it, I'll give you a chance to make up for your mistakes. As long as you remove all the building materials from the oak forest, the ghost should leave."

Hao Te showed joy and kissed his wife's shoes again and again.

"I'm afraid Hote doesn't deserve your favor, ma'am."

A grim voice came from behind.

The gate of the mansion opened slowly, and a young man with a lamp and a sword came in, his golden-green eyes reflected the reflection of the fire.

Behind the young man was a man with white hair and red eyes. His right arm was a brass-colored mechanical prosthetic limb, and a bright blade popped out from the end of the joint.

"Hello!" Xenophon waved his staff of civilization and greeted them cheerfully, "What an exciting night!"

Mrs. Edith brushed her temples and put on a noble demeanor, "What do you mean?"

Duan Feizhuo walked up to her with a lamp, and looked down at Hao Te who was crawling at the old lady's feet like a dog.

"He's the one who killed Barney."

Hao Te screamed incoherently, crawled towards Duan Feizhuo, begging for mercy.

Duan Feizhuo avoided him in disgust. "A year and a half ago, he dug up ether crystals near Perilla Manor. This scene was accidentally discovered by Barney. He killed the boy in order to silence him and buried his body in the oak forest. Afterwards, Hao Te robbed the oak forest and used the wood to repair the mansion. But what he didn't expect was that the undead also came back here with the wood. He obviously had two opportunities to choose, but both times he failed. If he is less greedy, things will definitely not develop to the point where he is today."

"Really, Hao Te!" Lord Perilla was surprised, "There are ether crystals underground?"

Mrs. Edith gave her son an annoyed look, "That's all you care about?!"

"But mother, if ether crystals are found in the ground, then we will release them! Fortunately, I haven't signed a contract with Melissa's uncle, otherwise we will lose a lot! We don't even have to sell the manor! Just open a mine, A lot of my friends in London would be happy to invest…”

Lord Perilla's eloquent narration was interrupted by Barney's grim smile.

The boy hit the ground hard with the wire in his hand.

At first, nothing happened. A few seconds later, a loud rumbling sound came from the depths of their feet, as if a giant beast imprisoned underground was roaring with all its strength. The ground trembled, and every piece of furniture trembled. Porcelain vases shattered, antique clocks fell forward, chandeliers clanged overhead, and the hallway rang with constant crackling. The portraits on the wall fell one by one, and the canvases that had been preserved for an unknown number of centuries were shattered by the impact of the landing.

The ground in front of Barney suddenly split open.

Countless pairs of white hands surged out, like thousands of poisonous snakes showing their fangs, leaping towards Hote and Lord Perilla.

Hao Te's limbs were strangled by white hands in an instant, and the shrill cry was hardly something a human could make.

Lord Perilla subconsciously turned around, hugged Miss Melissa to his chest, and used his body as a shield. She wrapped her hands mercilessly around him and forcibly dragged him away from her lover.

"You come at me! Just come at me! Don't touch Melissa!"

The Lord flailed his limbs wildly, trying to fight back the white hands.

Mrs. Edith raised her head, opened her arms, and shouted in pain, "Stop! What's wrong with you! You are the Lady Perilla of the past, you are the mistress of this land, shouldn't you protect the people here! Why do such a thing! Have you forgotten who you are?"

The overwhelming white hand weaves into a huge curtain, on which emerges the faces of women, some weeping, some angry, some calm and indifferent, and some with upside down eyebrows.

"Because we remember."

They said in unison.

"We are the mistresses of this land."

"We want to protect the people of this land from evil."

"We remember it all the time. We remember it while we're alive, and we remember it when we're dead."

"Not just for the protection of our families, but for all the people who live on this land."

"As long as there are people who love and respect this land, our mission is not over."