Nangong Nan took Nangong Chunxue, Liu Ruyan and Li Ruoxuan into the secret room.
The secret room is a deep rectangular room, dark and quiet. It is divided into five small pavilions, and a narrow circular tunnel leads directly to the hidden depths of the back mountain.
Everyone looked around with alert eyes, appearing extremely cautious. Everyone held their breath and couldn't help but tighten the weapons in their hands.
Nangong Nan nodded slightly towards the three of them, telling them not to make any noise and to pay careful attention to their surroundings. The three of them nodded to him, indicating that they understood.
Nangong Nan was next to Nangong Chunxue, and Liu Ruyan and Li Ruoxuan were one behind the other. The four of them walked lightly and slowly and carefully step by step.
The five small rooms in the secret room are separated by five heavy and thick steel doors.
Each steel door was tightly locked with an iron chain as thick as a fist. Everyone took ten steps forward and came to the first steel door.
Nangong Nan suddenly stopped, looked at Liu Ruyan and Li Ruoxuan, and whispered in their ears: "You guys just wait here, don't move around, there are many traps and hidden weapons around here, you are not familiar with this place. Don't touch the mechanism. Otherwise, you will die if you don't pay attention." After saying that, he nodded to them solemnly.
Liu Ruyan and Li Ruoxuan were quite surprised, but they had no choice but to obey Nangong Nan's arrangement and nodded in agreement.
Nangong Nan stared at Nangong Chunxue, and whispered in her ear: "Chunxue, follow dad closely and don't make any sound. Let's go in slowly and take a look. If the thief is really hiding inside, don't do it. To alert the enemy. Be careful of hidden weapons and follow my instructions!" He stared at her eagerly, as if he was worried about her safety.
At the beginning, he had thought that it would be a bit risky to let his daughter follow him in. He was originally worried, fearing that she would not be able to cope with the crisis and something would happen to her.
But suddenly I thought about it, after a hundred years, the Nangong family will be managed by their brothers and sisters. Today's move is to let her practice with him and accumulate some experience in adapting to changes.
Nangong Chunxue was also bold. She looked at her father calmly, gritted her teeth gently and nodded.
She followed closely behind Nangong Nan, her eyes wide open, alertly paying attention to the movements around her.
Nangong Nan looked back at Liu Ruyan and Li Ruoxuan, who were standing a foot away behind him, with a strange look in his eyes.
He has realized that these two people are outsiders after all, and it is really inappropriate to bring them to such a secret place, but they have good intentions in coming to help. Although it is necessary to be on guard against others, you cannot judge the heart of a gentleman with the heart of a villain.
If they were to notice his intentions, wouldn't it be that he would betray his feelings and make them look down upon him?
In fact, he asked them not to follow him out of his own selfish motives, lest he reveal the secrets that the Nangong family had hidden for hundreds of years. This matter is related to the life and death of the Nangong family, and it must not be known to outsiders.
Liu Ruyan and Li Ruoxuan were certainly not fools. Although they felt very strange when they heard what Nangong Nan said just now, they had guessed some of his intentions. They just pretended to be nonchalant and tacitly understood.
Nangong Nan asked Nangong Chunxue to stand behind him, deliberately blocking the sight of Liu Ruyan and Li Ruoxuan. He stretched out two fingers to reach into the gap under the steel door, and gently took out a thin steel nail about an inch long. He wanted to insert the steel nail into the three small holes on the steel lock, and just inserted the third one. A small hole. Unexpectedly, the keyhole was unusually loose, but the iron nail seemed to be inserted into a ball of cotton. Nangong Nan suddenly tightened his face, was shocked in his heart, and said to himself: "What's wrong, this lock cylinder has been It's damaged. It's obvious that the big lock has been tampered with. It seems like it was really robbed inside." He suddenly looked like a deflated ball, with a look of horror on his face.
Nangong Chunxue looked at him doubtfully and asked anxiously: "Dad, what's wrong?"
Nangong Nan whispered: "It's over. This lock cylinder has been destroyed. A thief must have gotten in. The chain is tightly wrapped on the surface and does not look strange. This is just a deliberate move by the thief. A cover-up. Alas!" He sighed helplessly. Because he only focused on drinking at night, he let his guard down and allowed the thieves to take advantage of him. He felt deeply annoyed in his heart.
Nangong Chunxue comforted: "Dad, let's not talk about this for now. Let's open the door and go in to take a look."
Nangong Nan didn't think much anymore and hurriedly pushed open the first door. With a creak, the steel door opened in response.
The two of them ducked in, ran ten steps forward, and rushed to the second door. Nangong Nan prepared to open it in the same way as before, but this door was exactly the same as the first door, and it had also been tampered with.
The two of them quickly rushed to the third door. This door was still the same as before. Nangong Nan's heart sank. He felt a chill down his spine and beads of cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
His eyes suddenly widened, his face turned ashen, and his hands were trembling with fear.
Nangong Chunxue has grown up, and this is the first time he has seen his father so panicked. She had no idea what secrets and treasures were hidden in the forbidden secret room of the Nangong family. And this was the first time she had entered this secret room.
She could only comfort her father in a low voice. Seeing her father look so panicked, she couldn't help but feel an inexplicable fear in her heart.
Liu Ruyan and Li Ruoxuan watched eagerly as the two figures gradually disappeared, becoming even more suspicious in their hearts. They stood there talking softly from time to time, watching the surroundings vigilantly.
It was quiet and dark, and nothing could be seen. There were lanterns hanging on the four walls, and fire tucks were placed in the corners, but they had no choice but to obey the owner's instructions and did not dare to light them, let alone act arbitrarily.
Nangong Nan and Nangong Chunxue pushed open the fourth and fifth doors one after another, and each door was tampered with.
They slowly entered the fifth door and walked forward cautiously.
Not far ahead, a faint bright light appeared, illuminating the surrounding walls. It turned out to be an oval-shaped stone cave. The cave was extremely dry, presenting a strange and bizarre scene.
The cave extended underground, winding down along the narrow stone steps. After descending about ten steps, we suddenly reached the bottom of the secret room, with no way forward.
Under the weak light, some remnants of cloth and box wood were scattered on the ground. It was quiet all around, but no trace of anyone was found.
Nangong Nan calmed down his nervousness and asked Nangong Chunxue to light the lantern hanging on the cave wall with the fire pleat hidden in the corner. The cave suddenly became extremely bright. All kinds of broken antiques, calligraphy and paintings were scattered on the ground, as well as a saber worn by a domestic servant. However, there was a corpse lying in the corner of the cave.
The scene in front of them made Nangong Chunxue couldn't help but exclaim, and the two of them had their hearts in their throats.
Taking a closer look, the corpse was none other than Jiang Yun, who was ordered to guard the gate of the backyard at night.
His eyes were protruding, his mouth was open, and a long gash was cut on his neck. It was exactly the same as Marley's death in the front yard. His throat was cut with a knife, and blood dripped all over the floor. The blood from the wound on his neck had solidified. There was deep fear in his eyes. Apparently, just like Namare, he was killed by a knife and his throat cut without any defense.
Nangong Nan's expression turned grim and he murmured, "Ah, it turns out that Jiang Yun was also poisoned!" He suddenly gritted his teeth and said bitterly, "Who did this? Who is it?"
Nangong Chunxue looked at the dead body on the ground and pondered: "How could he die here? He was obviously on duty at the gate tonight?"
She slowly knelt down, stared at the knife marks on the body, and thought: "Dad, look at the wounds on the neck, it should be the same person. Could it be after the murderer killed someone in the front yard... "
Before she could finish speaking, Nangong Nan frowned and said, "I think it's not that simple. This shouldn't be done by the same person. Think about it, the murderer killed Mare in the front yard. At that time, Mare's throat was cut and he He let out a scream, which was extremely loud and woke us all up. How could Jiang Yun not hear it?"
He paced in place and said slowly: "When we heard the scream and rushed out, the courtyard was empty. At this time, another murderer took advantage of this gap to restrain Jiang Yun in the backyard and forced him to enter. In the secret room, open all the five steel doors, come here, steal the treasures, and then kill the people. The wooden boxes and cloth on the ground were thrown down by the thieves after they got it. "
Having said this, he suddenly let out an exclamation, which startled Nangong Chunxue so suddenly that she looked at him in surprise.
Nangong Nan suddenly reached a corner at the bottom of the cave, stretched out his hand and struck a few times. Suddenly, a stone box about a foot wide cracked open on the left and right walls of the cave. Nangong Nan looked at the stone box with bright eyes, suddenly his eyebrows widened and he smiled.
The scene that suddenly appeared in front of him made Nangong Chunxue stunned: It turned out that there were two stone box mechanisms on the stone wall, one on the left and one on the right.
Nangong Nan suddenly breathed a long sigh of relief. Seeing that the two stone boxes were safe and sound, the stone hanging in his heart finally fell to the ground.
Nangong Chunxue was about to speak, but Nangong Nan had already said: "Fortunately, these two treasures were not stolen. Thank God! If these two treasures were stolen, how could I, Nangong Nan, be worthy of the ancestors of the Nangong family! Alas! Finally! Fortunately! It didn't fall into the hands of thieves!"
Nangong Chunxue stood aside in a daze, her eyes widening in confusion as she listened.
She couldn't help but asked in confusion: "Dad, what is this?"
Nangong Nan suddenly suppressed his smile and said seriously: "Chunxue, this is a secret about our Nangong family. It is related to the rise and fall of the Nangong family, the honor and disgrace. Daddy can't tell you now! Daddy will tell you a hundred years later before he dies. "." He looked at Nangong Chunxue solemnly, "Remember, everything you saw today must be kept secret and must not be told. Otherwise, the Nangong family will be in disaster!" After saying that, his eyes flashed. , revealing a mysterious and strange color.
Nangong Chunxue heard this and couldn't help but asked: "Why is this? Daddy, I am your daughter. Is there any secret that even my daughter cannot know?" She looked at Nangong Nan in confusion, with a curious look on her face. .
Nangong Nan sighed and interrupted her: "There is no why? Don't ask anymore. One day, you will know. Okay, you must remember what dad said. Everything you saw today is not a word." Can’t say either.”
Nangong Chunxue remained silent, gritted her teeth gently, and could only nod.
He did not open the stone box, but just stared at it with respect for a long time, then used the same technique to knock a few times on the corner of the hole, and saw the two stone boxes retracted into the stone wall. It was the same as before opening it, no traces could be seen.
At this time, a rooster could be heard crowing in the backyard. It was already the sixth watch and it was almost dawn!
Nangong Nan cleaned up the remaining books on the ground and carried Jiang Yun's body on his shoulders.
Nangong Chunxue found another cloth and wiped the blood on the ground. After cleaning up, the two men carried Jiang Yun's body out of the cave, closed the steel doors of the secret room one by one, and wrapped them tightly with iron chains.
When the two came to the secret room, Liu Ruyan and Li Ruoxuan were surprised to see the two carrying a corpse. They couldn't help but open their eyes wide and looked at each other.
Liu Ruyan couldn't help but ask: "Uncle Nangong, what is this?"
Nangong Nan sighed and said quietly: "He is Jiang Yun."
Nangong Chunxue had regained her composure and said, "When my father and I went in, we found him dead on the ground. Like Ma Lei, his throat was cut with a knife and he had been dead for a long time."
The two of them were deeply shocked. Li Ruoxuan muttered: "But he was clearly at the door of the backyard, how could he die inside?"
Nangong Nan just shook his head, his face was heavy, and he said nothing.
Liu Ruyan blinked and said slowly: "The thief must have forced him in, and then killed him and silenced him."
Nangong Nan glanced at him, without comment or reply, and just said softly: "Okay, let's go!"
Liu Ruyan and Li Ruoxuan were quite surprised, but they couldn't ask any more questions and just followed them slowly out of the backyard.
At this time, it was already broad daylight, and everyone gathered at the door of the backyard.
Everyone looked at Nangong Nan and the dead Jiang Yun with surprise.
Nangong Nan looked around at the crowd and said solemnly: "When we entered, he was already dead inside, and the secret room was also opened by thieves. Fortunately, only some unimportant things were stolen!" He seemed very nervous when the secret room was stolen. Calm. This was completely unexpected, but no one asked anything.
