Chapter 142: Confusing and Mysterious

Ma Chulong and his sister looked at the three corpses laid out before them, both wearing expressions of horror.

It wasn't just them; no one present had expected that three dried corpses would be kept inside Yuan Jing's residence!

These three dried corpses had not undergone any special treatment; they were simply placed haphazardly in an empty room in a corner of the grand mansion.

The shriveled bodies had lost all flesh and moisture, to the point where it was impossible to distinguish whether they were male or female.

Yuan Jing was the calmest of everyone, though a deep gaze seemed to be suppressing something.

"Mr. Yuan, these three... are..."

Someone lost their composure and took the initiative to speak.

Yuan Jing's subsequent answer shocked everyone to the extreme.

"They were all my wives."

After his words fell, the surroundings plunged into a deathly silence.

After an unknown amount of time, Cao Meng spoke up to break the oppressive atmosphere.

"Mr. Yuan, please accept my condolences. In my view, the cause of death for the three ladies was unusual; they must have had their essence drained by an evil or supernatural entity."

"Yes, I think so too!"

A chorus of agreement immediately followed.

It was evident that Cao Meng held immense prestige among these people.

Ma Chulong and Ma Chulan exchanged a glance, their expressions grim.

Although they were the youngest people present, their aura was not inferior to the others.

"Mr. Yuan, could you tell us in detail about the circumstances before and after the three ladies met their ends?"

The three dried corpses died in the same manner, but that didn't necessarily mean it was the work of a malevolent spirit, so they had to ask clearly.

Yuan Jing had no intention of hiding anything; his shifting gaze landed directly on the first dried corpse.

"Actually, they hadn't truly become my wives yet..."

***

At the teahouse.

A young waiter stood beside Su Yan, speaking excitedly, "After Mr. Yuan became the richest man in our provincial capital, he naturally became a highly sought-after figure. But what was most maddening was that previously, Mr. Yuan had put all his energy into his business, to the point that he hadn't married even as he approached thirty. Almost every prominent person in the provincial capital was rushing to send their daughters to the Yuan residence."

"Just a year ago, Mr. Yuan finally selected a bride. The woman's family was also in business; although they weren't as wealthy as Mr. Yuan, they were considered a well-matched family of similar status. The marriage agreement was struck instantly, and the wedding at the time shocked the entire provincial capital."

Su Yan listened intently. Although she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she could imagine from the waiter's sighs how glorious it must have been for the richest man to marry.

Sun Mang was listening with great interest, though he was also wondering: wasn't getting a wife a good thing? Why was the waiter calling it a trouble?

His doubt only lasted a few seconds before the waiter suddenly lowered his voice and said, "But on the very night of the wedding, the bride suddenly died of sudden death."

Su Yan seemed to have already guessed it; her expression did not change in the slightest.

Sun Mang, however, was stunned, unable to believe it.

"Died? What was the cause?"

The waiter shook his head like a rattle. "How could we know the details of such a big figure's affairs? We've only heard rumors. It caused a massive uproar in the city that night; even the Chief of Police was alerted and personally led a team to investigate. The people in the city were all waiting for the official news. After about a month, the police department announced the investigation results, saying the bride had suffered a sudden heart attack."

"Then Mr. Yuan is truly unlucky, getting a wife only for her to die before the wedding night was even consummated," Sun Mang sighed.

"How do you know she died before the wedding night was consummated?" Su Yan unexpectedly blurted out.

Sun Mang, of course, didn't know, so he could only laugh awkwardly.

Hearing this, he finally understood Su Yan's purpose: she was asking about Yuan Jing. It seemed she still hadn't given up on that business deal.

"What happened next?"

He skillfully changed the subject, showing a rare moment of intelligence.

The waiter looked around to ensure no one was paying attention to them before continuing, "Even though this matter was unlucky, Mr. Yuan's status was still there. Not even a month had passed before a large number of matchmakers came knocking again. However, Mr. Yuan is quite a man of sentiment; it took a full six months before he settled on another marriage. This time, the girl was a returnee from studying abroad, and her family was in politics rather than business."

"Although the second wedding wasn't as grand as the first, it still made it into our provincial newspaper. It's just that no one expected..."

At this point, the waiter subconsciously paused, his expression turning unsightly.

Seeing him like this, Sun Mang blurted out, "Don't tell me the second bride also died on her wedding night?"

He had originally intended to make a joke, but he didn't expect to receive a confirming look from the waiter. His scalp couldn't help but tingle with dread.

"How could such a coincidence happen? Could it be that Mr. Yuan is cursed to be a widow?"

He almost instinctively looked toward Su Yan.

That Mr. Yuan definitely had a problem!

It couldn't be that the second bride also had an illness that just happened to flare up on her wedding night, could it?

Su Yan ignored him and instead asked the waiter, "What was the official answer?"

"They said that on the wedding night, a criminal broke into the Yuan residence and accidentally killed the bride."

"Who would believe that?" Sun Mang felt that if even he didn't believe it, others shouldn't either.

Not to mention that the Yuan family surely had many guards; why would a criminal specifically choose the wedding day, and why would they specifically accidentally kill the bride?

The waiter gave an awkward smile. "Whether people believe it or not, that's how it was decided."

Su Yan actually asked again, "And then?"

"Sister, how did you know there was more?" The waiter now looked at her with newfound respect.

After all, this was the second time.

Sun Mang was so shocked he was speechless.

"Young man, you just said these things all happened half a year ago," Su Yan said calmly.

Something must have happened recently; otherwise, Yuan Jing wouldn't have brought so many people here now.

The waiter indeed nodded. "A little over a month ago, the Yuan residence held its third joyous occasion, and then the bride died on the second day of the wedding. They said it was the second day, but everyone on the outside knew she must have died that very night. After three times in a row, even the Yuan residence couldn't suppress it. That's why the official investigation results haven't even come out yet."

The waiter had said everything he should and shouldn't say, then left the table where Su Yan was sitting.

"Are these girls crazy? Knowing it's a pit of fire, they still jump in!" Sun Mang truly could not understand. Two had died for no reason before, yet there was still a third victim.

"Men die for wealth, and birds die for food," Su Yan picked up her tea cup, which was still warm, and began to sip it unhurriedly.

After regaining his senses, Sun Mang lowered his voice. "Su Yan, Mr. Yuan invited so many people here, it must be for this matter. Does that mean it's because of something non-human?"

Su Yan's gaze beneath the black cloth flickered slightly as she thought of the gloomy resentment shrouding the Yuan residence.

"Not necessarily."

Yuan Jing making such a grand spectacle might just be a way to confuse public perception.

(End of Chapter)