I trade in both worlds

"Search the secret room and the cellar." Lin Yi ordered in a low and firm voice. He believed that the mother and son must be hiding in some unknown place, waiting for their discovery.

The guards acted quickly. They pried open every stone slab in the courtyard and knocked on every wall, trying to find the entrance to the secret room.

However, they found nothing except an abandoned cellar.

The cellar was dark and damp, with a musty smell in the air. Lin Yi led the guards in and carefully checked every corner.

However, the cellar was empty, with only some old debris and thick dust, and it was obvious that no one had been there for a long time.

"Did they really escape?" Lin Yi thought to himself, frowning.

During the day, they had been sending people to monitor the Xu family, and saw with their own eyes that Xu Xu returned home and never came out again. So, where did the mother and son go?

They searched every corner of the courtyard, even the vegetable garden, but Xu Xu and Xu Qiwei seemed to have disappeared without a trace.

A guard came running over and reported nervously, "Boss, we can't find anyone."

Lin Yi's heart sank when he heard this. He was silent for a moment, and a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.

"Let's go to the east wing." He said in a deep voice, "You guys clean up the mess. Since we can't find it, we'll just wait and see. I want to see what secrets the Xu family is hiding."

Upon hearing this, the guards sprang into action. They quickly sorted out the messed-up items and quietly hid in the east wing.

In the east wing, there was no furniture except a kang, and it looked empty. Lin Yi walked around the room, and there was nothing else except dust and cobwebs.

Lin Yi signaled the guards to disperse and guard the doors and windows, while he sat on the kang and waited quietly.

They remained highly vigilant, their ears catching every slightest sound and their eyes fixed on every possible hiding place.

Time seemed to stand still, passing by every second.

Lin Yi and the guards waited quietly, however, as the night deepened, the courtyard remained silent without any movement.

He didn't understand where Xu Xu and the four children had gone to hide, and why did they suddenly disappear without a trace?

It was not until the next morning, when the first ray of sunlight shone through the clouds onto the earth, that a strange smell finally came from the courtyard.

Lin Yi suddenly opened his eyes, and a strong premonition that someone was coming surged in his heart.

At the same time, Xu Xu was standing in the utility room. She had just traveled back from the modern era and suddenly felt her heart beating violently, as if something was struggling frantically in her chest.

Xu Xu was startled, then realized that danger might be nearby. She carefully looked out the window, but found nothing unusual.

However, when she stuck her head out of the utility room, she saw that the door bolt in the main room was lying quietly behind the door, but the direction of the door bolt was wrong. The side that usually faced downwards was now facing outwards.

The strong ominous premonition in Xu Xu's heart made her more and more uneasy. She realized that this place was not safe and she had to leave as soon as possible.

Without thinking too much, she quickly put her hand on the door frame of the utility room and returned to the modern era. Xu Xu took a deep breath, trying to calm her inner panic.

In the ancient courtyard, Lin Yi and the guards were waiting quietly.

They didn't know that Xu Xu had just appeared in their sight and then disappeared mysteriously.

When Xu Xu's breath suddenly disappeared, Lin Yi opened his eyes suddenly, waved his hand, and rushed out with the guards.

They searched every corner of the courtyard and even carefully searched every inch of land in the vegetable garden.

However, they found nothing except the whistling of cold wind and the rustling of leaves.

Lin Yi frowned, and he began to wonder if he was hallucinating.

"Did you sense the breath of a living person just now?" Lin Yi asked in a deep voice.

The guards nodded one after another, their faces full of confusion and puzzlement: "I did sense it, but it disappeared in the blink of an eye."

Lin Yi was silent for a moment, his eyes flickering in the night. This matter was not simple. The disappearance of the Xu family must be inextricably linked to this small courtyard.

He secretly made up his mind to find out the truth of the matter no matter what.

Xu Jin saw Xu Xu standing at the door and patting her chest, and walked over worriedly: "Sister, are you feeling unwell?"

Xu Xu shook his head and said solemnly, "My heart started beating violently as soon as I got back. I felt very uneasy. It seemed as if some danger was approaching me."

Xu Jin frowned upon hearing this: "Don't go back recently. Maybe Yang Erzhu's men are lurking in our yard, waiting for us to fall into their trap."

Xu Xu nodded, secretly thanking his luck that he had noticed the danger in time, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.

She took a deep breath, tried to calm her inner turmoil, and returned to the house with Xu Jin.

In the following days, Xu Xu lived peacefully in modern times with her children.

Lin Yi and his guards never gave up the search.

After Yang Shengze came for four consecutive days and found no one, he went straight back to the capital to report.

Six days, six whole days. Lin Yi and his guards stayed at the Xu family for six days and six nights, but they never saw the Xu family. Their patience and perseverance were tested like never before.

Lin Yi sighed helplessly, then took out the carrier pigeon and wrote down the details of the Xu family on the letter paper.

Then he tied the letter to the pigeon's legs and gently released it.

The pigeon flapped its wings and flew high, breaking the silence of the morning light, carrying Lin Yi's expectations and anxiety, and flew into the distance. Lin Yi stood where he was, looking firmly at the direction where the pigeon disappeared.

A few days later, the nanny carefully took the note from the feet of the carrier pigeon that was perched on the windowsill, unfolded it and gave it to Xiao Xiangxiang.

After reading the letter, Xiao Xiangxiang angrily threw the letter paper in her hand, scolded the nanny and blamed her for not doing her job well.

"You are all useless." Xiao Xiangxiang roared, her makeup distorted by anger. "So many people, so many days, and we can't even find two people."

The nanny was so frightened that she was shaking all over and dared not say a word.

Xiao Xiangxiang paced back and forth in the room, the anger in her heart was like a blazing fire that could not be calmed down.

She didn't understand why Xu Xu and Xu Qiwei suddenly disappeared without a trace? Where were they hiding?

"Mammy." Xiao Xiangxiang suddenly stopped and looked at Mammy with a sharp gaze: "Go and pass the order. If you receive another letter and still don't see the Xu family, burn down the Xu family's yard. I don't believe that a big fire can't drive out anyone."

Mammy shuddered all over and nodded in agreement. Xiaoxiangxiang had always been a master who kept her word. If she couldn't handle this matter well, she might lose her life.

As the nanny left, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in Xiao Xiangxiang's eyes.