On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 2298 Shifting the Blame East

Following the path taken yesterday, the group hurried to the Li family cemetery.

As soon as they rounded the clump of bushes, the sight before them made everyone pause.

The newly dug grave, which had just been rebuilt yesterday, was forcibly dug up, scattering soft new soil all over the ground.

The black lacquered coffin lay askew in the pit, its lid fallen to the side, the edge chipped and chipped, and several deep footprints imprinted in the soil, a scene of utter chaos.

Yin Ding stepped forward first, bent down and peered into the coffin.

Upon seeing this, his expression changed drastically, and he turned to Huo Changhe and Yan Ruyu, saying, "Your Highness, Your Highness, the body is gone!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Ruyu frowned, quickly walked to the coffin, and looked down at it.

Where are the remains of Li's third daughter-in-law inside the coffin?

Huo Changhe stood beside her, his gaze sweeping over the mess around him, his eyes filled with coldness.

Su Shengsheng leaned closer, and after seeing the scene inside the coffin, his face was filled with astonishment. He subconsciously asked, "Who did this? Why steal a corpse?"

In all my life, I've only ever heard of people stealing money and treasures; this is the first time I've ever seen someone steal a corpse. I'm filled with confusion and astonishment.

Linlang stood aside, her gaze coldly sweeping over the footprints on the ground, and said indifferently, "There are many. I've seen a lot of disgusting things while working with the master before. When people turn evil, they can be far more evil than ghosts."

Su Shengsheng was speechless, his mouth agape for a long time.

Just then, a myna bird flapped its wings and flew over, landing on Yinding's shoulder. It called out in a low, urgent voice, "Someone's coming! Someone's coming!"

Immediately afterward, the sound of hurried footsteps and the shouting of villagers came from outside the woods, growing closer and closer, clearly heading towards the cemetery.

Huo Changhe made a quick decision, gave a low shout, and ordered everyone to hide immediately.

Yan Ruyu gave him a wink, signaling him to take Yinding, Su Shengsheng, and Linlang into the dense forest to the west, where the trees were lush and leafy, making it the perfect place to hide.

Huo Changhe understood, and the group quietly headed towards the woods on the west side.

Seeing that no one was around, Yan Ruyu waved her hand, and all the horses, luggage, and other items were put into her personal space.

She then turned and entered the woods. Huo Changhe came to meet her. He lightly touched the ground with his toes and leaped onto a tall elm tree beside him. He moved among the dense branches and leaves, steadied himself, held his breath, and looked toward the entrance of the cemetery.

A group of villagers walked in, each carrying hoes, shovels, machetes, and the like. Their faces were flushed, they looked aggressive, and they kept shouting.

"It must be nearby! Someone saw strangers coming towards the cemetery yesterday; they must be grave robbers!"

"These thieves are incredibly audacious!"

"We must catch them and demand an explanation!"

Yan Ruyu hid among the branches and leaves, her gaze slightly focused, her heart stirring slightly.

Tomb raiders? Could the tomb raiders they're talking about be referring to themselves?

But this happened too coincidentally.

When the villagers arrived at the dug-up grave and saw the mess before them, they were all shocked and fell silent for a few seconds before erupting into a cacophony of voices.

In the crowd, a man wearing a coarse cloth jacket suddenly turned red in the eyes, pushed aside the people in front of him, and stumbled to the edge of the pit.

He stared at the empty coffin, his legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees, clutching the edge of the coffin with both hands. He let out a suppressed sob, cried a few times, then suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot, and cursed through gritted teeth.

"Who? Who stole my wife's body?!"

My wife just left, and I can't even get some peace of mind. Why would you steal her?

May you die a horrible death! May you be struck by lightning!

I will definitely find you, skin you alive, and tear your tendons out!

This man was the third son of the Li family. He had just buried his wife himself, but now the grave had been dug up and her body was gone!

His elderly mother also came over with a cane. When she saw this scene, she almost fainted and was supported by the woman next to her.

She sat on the ground, wiping away her tears and sobbing, "What a tragedy! My wife had such a hard life. She was pregnant with a boy but passed away before giving birth, and now even her body is gone. What kind of divine retribution is this..."

Seeing the Li family's miserable state, the villagers all showed sympathy, and the murmurs subsided, but their doubts grew stronger.

The elderly man stroked his beard and frowned, saying, "Everyone knows the state of the Li family; they're dirt poor."

When the third daughter-in-law was buried, even the decent coffin was bought with money pooled together by the neighbors. She was dressed in coarse cloth, and there were no burial goods whatsoever. Why would grave robbers target the Li family's grave?

A person next to him chimed in: "Usually, tomb raiders only target the ancestral graves of wealthy families, after gold and silver treasures. Why would they steal the corpses of poor people like this?"

Grave robbers usually only steal valuables; stealing corpses is extremely rare.

One person whispered, "Could it be...could it be that someone is here to arrange a ghost marriage?"

I've heard that some wealthy families, whose young masters die young, will arrange ghost marriages with recently deceased young women. Maybe they saw that the third daughter-in-law of the Li family had just passed away and was a young woman, so they came to steal her away?

Upon hearing this, the third son of the Li family instantly turned red in the eyes, scrambled to his feet, grabbed the man's collar, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"What nonsense are you spouting! That's my wife, she's a member of the Li family, how could she be used for a ghost marriage!"

If you dare say another word, I'll tear your mouth off!

The man was startled by his appearance and quickly waved his hands, saying, "I was just saying it casually, just saying it casually, don't take it seriously..."

Yan Ruyu hid in the treetop, her brows furrowing even more, a vague feeling that something was amiss.

The villagers were right. When they opened the coffin yesterday, they could clearly see that there was nothing of value inside except for the body of Li's third daughter-in-law.

Her clothes were so simple they were almost shabby; such a grave could not possibly attract ordinary grave robbers.

Moreover, the footprints that Yin Ding just found by the stream were clearly left by someone who practiced martial arts.

The villagers below helped tidy up the coffin and grave. Although it was an empty coffin, it couldn't just be left unattended.

After everything was tidied up, the crowd gathered around the Li family and dispersed.

Once the sound had faded into the distance, Yin Ding released the myna bird to check the situation. After confirming that they had all left, the group climbed down from the tree.

Su Shengsheng asked, "Why are we hiding? We didn't steal the corpse."

Linlang patiently explained, "We didn't steal it, but we're outsiders too. In their eyes, our presence here must mean we have ulterior motives."

"Even if we explain, they won't listen."

Su Shengsheng nodded: "That makes sense."

Yan Ruyu looked at the gravesite, lost in thought.

Yin Ding came over and whispered, "Your Highness, Your Highness, I suspect that someone is deliberately trying to shift the blame."

Huo Changhe narrowed his eyes slightly: "You mean, someone wants the villagers to think that we stole the corpse?"

The silver ingot nodded solemnly.

"Exactly."