Chapter 499 An Astonishing Secret
"Jessie asked us to find you and told us to get you over as soon as you're done," Sarah quickly spoke up.
Ethan was taken aback momentarily, then led Chloe and Sarah directly into the courtyard.
This courtyard was on the outermost edge of the Wilson Villa, specifically used for hosting guests. It was much larger than the one inside the Shadow Gang, capable of accommodating hundreds of guests.
Ethan's sudden arrival naturally made the courtyard lively again.
Munro, Clarence, and Dorian were all in the courtyard. Upon seeing Ethan, they immediately gathered around him. Clearly, they were all eager to know what important matter Phoenix had discussed with Ethan.
"There are some things I can't disclose right now. Don't ask. I'll explain when I can," Ethan had to patiently explain to the group, then started looking for Jessie.
Jessie was playing with Hannah, Alice, and Camila in a corner of the courtyard. Ethan quickly spotted them and walked over.
Seeing that Ethan didn't want to talk more, Dorian and the others didn't press him and temporarily suppressed their curiosity. They sensibly didn't disturb Ethan and Jessie's conversation.
"Mom, is there something urgent you need me for?" Ethan asked directly upon seeing Jessie.
"You all stay here and play with Camila. Ethan, come with me." Jessie instructed Chloe and the others, then walked into one of the corridors at the back of the courtyard.
The guest rooms were distributed along these corridors, and Ethan followed Jessie to the innermost area of the courtyard. There was a medium-sized garden here, adorned with a pavilion, rockery, and lotus pond.
Ethan couldn't understand why Jessie had suddenly brought him here. Before he could ask, he saw Jessie walk around the lotus pond to a stone path beside the rockery.
Ethan had no choice but to follow patiently. He then saw Jessie stop at a shaded part of the rockery and start feeling around on a stone.
Soon, Jessie pulled out a hidden lever from under the stone. As the lever was pulled, the rockery shook and split in two, revealing a dark, downward-leading tunnel.
Ethan's eyes widened in surprise. He had no idea there was a hidden mechanism and secret passage here.
"Mom, what's going on?" Ethan asked in astonishment.
"Don't talk. Just follow me inside." Jessie didn't explain much and was the first to enter the dark passage.
Without time to think, Ethan quickly followed. Jessie pressed a mechanism at the entrance, and the secret door closed again.
The passage was dark. Jessie, clearly prepared, took out a flashlight to light the way.
Ethan, full of confusion, followed Jessie for dozens of feet down the descending staircase until they reached the bottom.
In the darkness, Jessie used the flashlight to search the wall for a while, then twisted a round stone. The sound of mechanisms turning came, and numerous wall-mounted lamps lit up one by one, illuminating the space.
At the bottom of the passage was a roughly 100-square-foot space, empty except for the wall-mounted lamps. One of the walls had a double stone door.
Before Ethan could ask more questions, Jessie pressed a brick on the wall, and the stone door opened.
"Come in," Jessie said, leading the way into the space beyond the stone door.
Ethan frowned, his curiosity deepening. He hadn't expected Jessie to have so many secrets. But since she was his mother, he followed her instructions and went inside.
Beyond the stone door was a naturally formed lava cave, also lit by lamps, allowing Ethan to see everything clearly. It was a secret room, about 1,100 square feet in size.
What surprised Ethan even more was the rows of iron shelves, or rather, iron bookshelves, filled with thick books, resembling a small underground library.
"Mom, what is this place?" Ethan asked in astonishment after scanning the room and seeing nothing but books and bookshelves.
"When are you planning to go to the cemetery?" Jessie asked instead of answering.
"I've already instructed Elmer to prepare. We'll open the coffin this afternoon," Ethan explained, frowning.
"The six Wilson family elders came back because of this, right?" Jessie asked again.
Ethan's heart skipped a beat. Jessie wasn't entirely accurate, but she wasn't far off.
"This is your dad's library. As you can see, it's filled with books, his life's collection," Jessie suddenly changed the topic, explaining the origin of the underground library.
"But why build the library underground and in the Wilson family's guest area? Is it necessary to be so secretive?" Ethan asked in shock.
Jessie hesitated for a moment, then suggested to Ethan, "You can take a look at these books."
Ethan, full of suspicion, walked to the bookshelves and randomly pulled out a dusty book.
Blowing off the dust on the cover, Ethan read the title and widened his eyes in surprise. He then put down the book and checked the titles of other books, even flipping through a couple of them.
"As you can see, all these books are martial arts manuals, including many rare techniques," Jessie said calmly, observing Ethan's reaction.
"These are all my dad's books?" Ethan finally snapped out of his shock, his curiosity deepening.
Ethan was quite confused. In his memory, Matthew, though a Half-Step Grandmaster, didn't seem very interested in martial arts. More importantly, these techniques were invaluable treasures for the Wilson family.
The martial arts manuals here were far superior to what the Wilson family currently practiced. Even though they couldn't compare to the ZF knack Ethan practiced, they were still extraordinary.
"To be precise, your dad acquired them unintentionally. At least, that's what he told me," Jessie nodded and explained.
"Who else knows about this secret room besides you?" Ethan asked in astonishment.
"Everyone who knew is dead. He hid it well, not letting unrelated people find out. After the construction was completed, those involved disappeared," Jessie replied, and her answer made Ethan's eyes widen even more.
Ethan found it hard to believe that Matthew, who he remembered as gentle and refined, would make so many innocent people disappear just to hide a secret.
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