To avoid alerting them, the group dismounted and walked towards the exterior of the Sanying Manor.
"Jun Mohan, there aren't many people inside this manor. Shall we charge in directly?" Leng Ruoli suggested.
"Can we?" Jun Mohan agreed with her proposal.
Subsequently, Leng Ruoli took out two sniper rifles from her sleeves, handing one to Jun Mohan. As Ye Ying and the others had not been trained in firearms, Leng Ruoli decided against giving them guns, opting for them to use swords instead.
The group flew into the manor from three different entrances, not intending to be stealthy. The moment they flew in, they were discovered. Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan each shot the two guards who spotted them.
Following this, more people inside the manor became aware of their intrusion. They quickly called for their companions, and with the combined efforts of Leng Ruoli and her group, the guards within the manor were swiftly eliminated.
However, Leng Ruoli counted twenty bodies on the ground and realized there must be survivors.
They then searched the manor again, but found no trace of the remaining individuals, nor the children.
"Strange, could that mother and daughter-in-law have lied to us?" Leng Ruoli thought, feeling quite dejected.
"I don't think so. The expressions and tone of that mother and daughter-in-law didn't seem like they were lying. Moreover, there have indeed been several cases of missing children in the capital recently, with the authorities still unable to find any clues. I suspect those missing children cases in the capital might be related to this matter," Jun Mohan said, his thin lips exuding an icy aura.
"Then where did the remaining people go? We've searched the entire manor. There are only three entrances leading outside. Could there be a basement here?"
At this moment, Leng Ruoli placed a hand on her chest, her other hand pinching her chin as if deep in thought.
But as she was pondering, Ye Ying rushed towards them.
"Your Highness, Your Consort, your subordinate discovered something strange in the manor's kitchen," Ye Ying said urgently.
"Alright, let's go see it immediately."
Upon hearing this, Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan, along with Ye Ying, hurried to the kitchen.
"Your Highness, Your Consort, it's this stove that's peculiar," Ye Ying said, pointing to a newly constructed stove as soon as he entered the kitchen.
Leng Ruoli lowered her gaze and circled the new stove. She quickly discovered the anomaly: the stove had a large pot on it, but no opening for burning firewood, which was extremely odd.
Subsequently, Leng Ruoli suggested moving the large pot off the stove, but the pot was sealed onto the stove, making Leng Ruoli even more perplexed.
Could this be the entrance to the manor's basement?
Then, Leng Ruoli tapped the stove with her hand, and a series of echoing thuds came from within.
"Jun Mohan, this stove is indeed hollow, hehe..."
Leng Ruoli didn't know whether to praise the designer of the stove as clever or foolish.
If one called them clever, they thought of placing a basement entrance in the kitchen. Since most people wouldn't search for someone in the kitchen, she could see that the person had a bit of shrewdness.
However, if one called them foolish, Leng Ruoli saw from the stove's design that the person was incredibly stupid and likely had never cooked with firewood before. Otherwise, why build a stove with a large pot and a chimney, but no opening for firewood? Didn't this immediately reveal a problem?
Sigh, the more Leng Ruoli looked at the stove, the more she felt like laughing.
"Ye Ying, smash this large pot. This pot should be the entrance to a basement," Leng Ruoli said with a slight, amused smile.
"Yes, Your Consort!"
After Ye Ying responded, he raised his sword sheath and struck the center of the large pot several times. A large hole was made in the center of the pot. Immediately, the remaining three guards stepped forward to help. The pot was quickly smashed by Ye Ying and the other three, and the opening to the basement was immediately revealed.
Ye Ying peered down and exclaimed excitedly, "Your Highness, Your Consort, there is indeed a basement below, and a ladder!"
"Let's go down and see if the children are inside."
After Leng Ruoli spoke, she and Jun Mohan jumped down.
In reality, the basement was not deep. Leng Ruoli estimated its height to be about 2.5 meters. However, it was quite spacious. The floor was paved with alternating blue and white stone bricks, and dim oil lamps were placed on the walls every three meters.
"Your Highness, Your Consort, this place is a bit eerie. Allow your subordinate to scout ahead before we proceed further," Ye Ying said with a furrowed brow, a hint of worry in his voice.
"No, you should stay behind us. Our martial arts are superior to yours, and our ability to react to danger is stronger," Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan refused him outright.
"But Your Highness, Your Consort..." Ye Ying attempted to persuade his Prince and Consort.
However, Leng Ruoli interrupted him, "Ye Ying, if you do not obey my and the Prince's orders, then you will return the way you came."
Immediately, Ye Ying closed his mouth.
He thought to himself: No, they absolutely cannot be driven out by the Prince and Consort. Otherwise, what use would these guards be to the Prince and Consort?
Subsequently, to test whether the blue and white stone bricks on the ground contained any traps, Leng Ruoli took out a long wooden stick from her spatial dimension.
Ye Ying and the other three guards behind her were already accustomed to their Consort taking items out of her sleeves.
Therefore, Leng Ruoli no longer had to hide anything she took from her personal space in front of Ye Ying and the others.
She took out a long wooden stick from her space and forcefully tapped it on a white stone brick. Then, she waited for a moment, knowing that the white stone bricks were safe. She then picked up the wooden stick and tapped one of the blue stone bricks. As soon as she finished tapping the blue stone brick, the basement began to shake. The ground paved with blue stone bricks immediately caved in, while the white stone bricks transformed into square, white stone pillars.
Beneath the stone pillars were pits filled with incredibly sharp iron spikes. If they had accidentally fallen in, they would have been impaled like hedgehogs. Thus, they were fortunate to have tested the blue stone bricks, otherwise, they would have been in serious trouble.
The group gasped as they witnessed this scene.
"Good heavens! This is too perilous. Fortunately, the Consort used a wooden stick to test these blue and white bricks, or we would have been finished if we had accidentally fallen into the pits."
At this moment, Ye Ying felt a surge of fear. If the Prince and Consort had not rejected his request earlier, he would have confidently stepped onto those blue stone bricks.