"Not only that..."
Chen Xuâan swallowed, his voice filled with uncontrollable fear:
"The wrinkles on his face have significantly reduced, making him look several years younger than I remember."
"I almost couldnât recognize his original appearance, thinking that someone else had replaced him in the coffin."
"The feeling was as if the one lying inside wasnât a corpse at all."
"But rather a... monster, experiencing reverse growth while in a deep slumber!"
Chen Xuâan recounted the strange and bizarre events, sending chills down everyoneâs spines.
Bai Ling couldnât help but rub her arms, as if a chill was creeping up her spine, causing goosebumps all over.
Lin Chuqiao sat across the table, her brows furrowed, lost in thought.
Fang Cheng, upon hearing Chen Xuâanâs story, glanced at Pan Wendi beside him.
This guy confidently claimed during his prior investigation of the Black Building that the body in the basement wasnât breathing and didnât resemble a living person at all.
Pan Wendi, noticing his gaze, gave an awkward smile, shrugged his shoulders, and mouthed silently, "How would I know?"
Fang Cheng silently withdrew his gaze and fixed it on the pale-faced Chen Xuâan:
"So, you believe that the corpse lying in the coffin suddenly revived and killed the Chen Family members and other outsiders?"
"When something abnormal happens, there must be something strange behind it."
Chen Xuâan exhaled a breath of stale air, speaking in a deep voice:
"Although I didnât see it commit the murders with my own eyes, the Black Building is the only place in the Chen Family Manor that seems abnormal."
"If it wasnât that corpse causing mischief, what else could it be?!"
"Exactly!"
Bai Ling nodded vigorously, clearly convinced by Chen Xuâanâs description.
Fang Cheng did not immediately express his opinion.
Previously, in private discussions, it was speculated that the culprit could be someone within the Chen Family.
If indeed, as Chen Xuâan said, it was the Chen familyâs old master possessing the body.
It would explain why he could move around the house freely and why the corpses of the victims in the Black Building disappeared mysteriously.
As for whether a three-year-old corpse could rise from the coffin and murder...
Having witnessed the existence of the Ghoul King Jiang Chen, such things werenât bizarre to Fang Cheng.
The only puzzle for him was how the invisible killer Black Magic was specifically executed.
Imagining a Zombie sitting inside a coffin casting Black Magic from afar seemed somewhat off.
Fang Chengâs eyes flickered, pondering silently.
Perhaps, thereâs another accomplice hiding behind this?
And why would the Chen familyâs old master take such a deadly hand against his own family?
Could it be that after lying in the coffin for three years, he completely lost his sanity, turning into a monster that only knew killing?
"Mr. Chen."
After a long contemplation, Lin Chuqiao was the first to break the silence in the lounge:
"Did you inform the other Chen Family members about this incident? What was their reaction?"
"I told them."
A trace of helplessness appeared on Chen Xuâanâs face:
"After escaping from the Black Building, I immediately informed my grandmother about it."
"But she didnât seem surprised at all, casually saying that this is a normal phenomenon of the Chen Familyâs bloodline power."
"She also mentioned that my grandfather was exceptionally talented, which is why his features remained undamaged after death, telling me not to be alarmed, and that after the mourning period ends, it would naturally be resolved when moved to the Secret Realm for burial."
"The Chen Familyâs bloodline power?"
Fang Cheng raised an eyebrow, sharply catching this critical piece of information.
Chen Xuâan hesitated for a moment, seemingly debating whether to speak.
Finally, he sighed, opting to speak the truth to swiftly uncover the truth and resolve the family crisis:
"Apart from the publicly declared âSpiritual Eyes,â our Chen Familyâs bloodline power includes another trait few know about, called âSolidification.â
"When activated, it can make the bodyâs hardness become as indestructible as jade for a short period."
"Also, this trait can affect the body even after death, making our clan memberâs corpse decompose at a much slower rate than ordinary people."
"But... even at a slow rate, that kind of reverse growth defying logic shouldnât occur."
"This isnât just strange, itâs terrifying enough to make oneâs scalp tingle with fear!"
As he spoke, Chen Xuâanâs voice suddenly raised, his emotions heating up again, and he clenched his hands into fists.
"I even suspect that the one lying in the coffin isnât my grandfather at all!"
Lin Chuqiao ignored his emotional reaction and lowered her eyes, her slender fingers tracing lightly on the table surface as if sorting through a jumble of information.
After a moment, she looked up and spoke slowly:
"To my knowledge, there are only two kinds of creatures in this world capable of achieving posthumous âresurrectionâ and âreverse growthââGhouls and Vampires."
"Coincidentally, both these monsters prefer to consume human flesh and blood to replenish their energy."
"The more blood they consume, the younger their bodies appear, and the stronger the power they acquire."
Chen Xuâan was momentarily stunned at hearing this.
"Youâre saying... my grandfather mutated into that kind of man-eating monster?"
His mouth slightly open, eyes wide, clearly in disbelief.
"Exactly."
Lin Chuqiao nodded slightly, her tone unchanged, explaining:
"While the mental state of noble family members is generally more stable compared to ordinary mutants, itâs not entirely possible for them not to mutate into monsters."
"However, such cases are rare and typically only occur during periods of severed inheritance and family decline."
She paused, straightforwardly explaining:
"Due to the lack of purification from the Inheritance Secret Realm, the accumulated negative consciousness and Strength canât be diverted, ultimately leading to the mental imbalance of the noble family members, turning them completely insane and descending into murderous monsters."