The whole family was brutally murdered? The ruthless heiress's eldest daughter went berserk aft

Chapter X: Undercurrents

The night was as dark as ink, and a cold wind howled. Murong Xuewei and Gu Ye hurried to Chen Dajia's house, their hearts filled with doubts. The unexpected death of the peasant woman's husband, Chen Da, made them realize that things were far more complicated than they appeared.

Gu Ye pushed open the creaking wooden door, revealing a dimly lit room. He gestured for Murong Xuewei to watch her step, and the two slowly approached Chen Da's body. Gu Ye crouched down and carefully examined the corpse.

"Did you find anything?" Murong Xuewei asked softly, a wary glint in her eyes.

Gu Ye frowned, his fingers gently tracing Chen Da's neck. "There are obvious bruises on his neck, like he was strangled." He paused, "But the body was pulled from the water, so it seems he was murdered first and then dumped in the water."

Murong Xuewei's heart sank. "So, it's definitely murder."

“That’s right,” Gu Ye stood up, a cold glint in his eyes, “The question is, who would want to kill an ordinary farmer?”

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing seriousness in each other's eyes. Murong Xuewei sighed softly, "It seems we need to thoroughly investigate this Chen Da's background."

Gu Ye nodded. "I've already sent someone to invite the village chief over; I believe he can provide some useful information."

Not long after, the village chief rushed over. Seeing the general's carriage parked in front of the Chen family's house, the old man seemed somewhat uneasy.

"My lord, I've arrived." The village chief bowed tremblingly.

Gu Ye waved his hand, "Don't be nervous, we just want to know about Chen Da's situation."

Murong Xuewei asked gently, "Village Chief, can you tell us about Chen Da's daily life? Does he have any relatives or friends?"

The village chief scratched his head. "Reporting to Madam, Chen Da is quite pitiful, actually. His parents died early, and he's an only child with no siblings." The old woman sighed. "The worst part is, he's inherently lazy, spending his days idly and doing nothing productive."

Murong Xuewei frowned slightly. "If that's the case, how does he make a living?"

"This..." The village chief hesitated for a moment, "It's strange, just a few days ago Chen Da was always looking worried, saying his family was starving. But lately, he's always been seen drunk at the tavern at the village entrance."

A glint of light flashed in Gu Ye's eyes. "You mean, he suddenly received a windfall?"

The village chief nodded in agreement, "Yes, sir. We old neighbors also find it strange, but when we ask, Chen Da just laughs it off, saying it's due to his ancestors' good deeds and his luck has finally turned around."

Just then, an elderly villager interjected, "Sir, I remember that just before Chen's family's fortunes improved, his wife's family came to visit."

Murong Xuewei and Gu Ye exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of surprise in each other's eyes. Murong Xuewei pressed further, "Uncle, do you remember any details?"

The old man tried hard to recall, "That day I was working in the fields when I saw several well-dressed people enter Chen's house. Although I didn't hear what they were saying, the atmosphere seemed quite tense. Not long after they left, Chen Da started spending money extravagantly."

Gu Ye seemed thoughtful. "It seems this wife's family background is quite interesting. Village Chief, do you know where Chen Da's wife's family is?"

The village chief nodded and said, "Reporting to you, sir, it's in the next village. I heard they have a nephew who works in the army, and whenever the Chen family is struggling to make ends meet, his wife goes to her parents' house to borrow money."

Murong Xuewei's heart skipped a beat. "Serving in the military camp? Do you know which general he's under?"

The village chief shook his head, indicating he didn't know, but Gu Ye's expression became unusually grave. He whispered to Murong Xuewei, "We need to investigate this nephew's background."

Murong Xuewei nodded in agreement, and the two decided to travel to the neighboring village that very night. Before leaving, Gu Ye instructed the village chief to keep it a secret and not to alert anyone else.

The carriage sped through the night, and inside, Murong Xuewei and Gu Ye were both lost in thought.

"Do you think this nephew who works in the military camp might be related to Chen Da's death?" Murong Xuewei broke the silence.

Gu Ye took a deep breath. "Very likely. But what worries me more is that if he is indeed involved, it might be linked to a much larger conspiracy."

A sharp glint flashed in Murong Xuewei's eyes. "You mean, someone has planted spies in the military?"

Gu Ye nodded. "That possibility can't be ruled out. If that's the case, then we need to be extra careful."

Murong Xuewei gripped Gu Ye's hand tightly. "No matter what, we must get to the bottom of this."

Gu Ye grasped her hand in return, his eyes filled with determination. "It will definitely happen."

The carriage continued its journey through the night, the sound of its wheels rolling over pebbles particularly clear in the stillness. Murong Xuewei gazed at the fleeting scenery outside the window, a sense of unease rising within her. She knew they were gradually approaching the truth, but at the same time, they were stepping into an even larger vortex.

As the carriage jolted along, Murong Xuewei's thoughts drifted back to the past. She recalled the scene of her entire family's tragic death in her previous life, the heart-wrenching pain still keeping her awake at night. Now reborn, she had thought she could easily take revenge and change her fate using her memories and experiences from her past life. But reality was far more complicated than she had imagined.

She stole a glance at Gu Ye beside her, her heart filled with mixed emotions. This man was an important pawn in her revenge plan, yet unknowingly, he had occupied an increasingly important place in her heart. Murong Xuewei smiled bitterly to herself. How could she not know that Gu Ye also had his own secrets and purposes? But even so, she couldn't help but be attracted by his talent and charisma.

Just as Murong Xuewei was lost in thought, the carriage suddenly shook violently, followed by the coachman's exclamation.

"Sir, there are people blocking the road ahead!"

Gu Ye immediately became alert. He drew his sword from his waist and whispered to Murong Xuewei, "You stay in the carriage, I'll go check."

Murong Xuewei shook her head. "I'll go with you." She drew a delicate dagger from her sleeve, her eyes gleaming with determination.

Gu Ye glanced at her, said nothing, and simply nodded. The two of them got off the carriage one after the other, cautiously looking around.

In the moonlight, several dark figures could be vaguely seen standing in the middle of the road. The one in the lead shouted, "Who goes there? This is a military stronghold; unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter!"

Gu Ye stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "You're saying I'm just some nobody?"

Upon seeing Gu Ye, the man hurriedly knelt down, "This humble servant did not know you were General Gu, please forgive me."

Gu Ye frowned slightly, about to speak, when Murong Xuewei gently tugged at his sleeve. She stepped forward and said softly, "How could I blame you! This Eastern Camp is General Xin's camp. General Gu doesn't come here often, so it's normal that he doesn't recognize it. Please get up."

The man visibly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Murong Xuewei's words.

He cautiously looked up at Gu Ye, and said tremblingly, "This humble servant will clear the way for the general immediately."

The soldier stood up and called for the other soldiers to clear the way, then quietly told another soldier to go and inform General Xin.

After the person turned and left, Gu Ye asked in a low voice, "What do you think?"

A glint of light flashed in Murong Xuewei's eyes. "These people, judging from their physique and aura, don't seem like ordinary soldiers. They're clearly on guard against something."

Gu Ye nodded in agreement, "It seems we made the right decision to come this time."

After the soldier opened the camp gate, he stood beside Murong Xuewei and asked, "General Gu and his wife, what brings you to the East Camp?"

"We're here to..." Gu Ye was about to say that he was here to investigate a case when Murong Xuewei stopped him.