Chapter 144: The Killer Is You

Xuanwu grew anxious, glaring furiously at Wen Jing. "Don't you just want to catch the murderer? I've already confessed, what else do you want?"

"Lock her up for now," Ji Changge said with a gloomy expression.

Xuanwu was led away by two guards.

"In order to shield Ruan Qinglian, she actually took all the blame upon herself," Ji Changge said heavily.

"Since she has confessed, we might as well humor her. Daring to murder a court official is a capital offense anyway. If this case is wrapped up early, we can return and report back," Dongsheng said impatiently, wishing only to leave this wretched place as quickly as possible.

Turning to look at Dongsheng in surprise, Ji Changge murmured, "I never expected to hear such words from you."

Dongsheng's face flushed. "Since the murderer has been identified, with both human and physical evidence, and the murderer has even confessed, isn't this only natural?"

Ji Changge fell silent, staring at Dongsheng for a moment before Dongsheng averted his gaze and said no more.

"Ding Wu, continue interrogating Ruan Qinglian."

Seeing Ji Changge's dark expression, Wen Jing hesitated inwardly. She did not know whether she should tell him about Liancheng. After pondering for a long while, she ultimately decided to inform Ji Changge.

Starting from Liancheng coming to Qinglian Residence to find her, all the way to Qingliu's death, Wen Jing recounted everything in detail. Yet after she finished, she noticed that Ji Changge's expression remained unchanged, showing neither shock nor anger.

"I understand," Ji Changge said flatly.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier. It was because..." Wen Jing stammered.

"It doesn't matter. You were merely afraid of implicating the Wen family, I understand," Ji Changge said, the corners of his mouth curving slightly.

Moved in her heart, Wen Jing had not expected Ji Changge to be entirely unangry. After all, this was no trivial matter; if Liancheng was the murderer, she would be guilty of harboring a criminal.

"If Liancheng is the murderer..." Wen Jing began.

"It is unlikely that he is the murderer. If he wanted to kill someone, he wouldn't go through so many detours. He would have simply killed them and left the weapon to frame Dongsheng. Besides, killing one person would have been enough," Ji Changge dismissed Wen Jing's thought outright.

"What if he conspired with Ruan Qinglian, each taking what they needed?" Wen Jing continued.

Ji Changge remained silent. What Wen Jing suggested was not entirely impossible, but if Liancheng were to be dragged into this, it would inevitably involve Prince Xuan. This case would then transcend an ordinary murder, and a major upheaval would likely sweep through the capital.

The two walked into the room where Ruan Qinglian was detained. Ding Wu was interrogating her, but Ruan Qinglian simply kept her lips tightly sealed, uttering not a single sound in response to Ding Wu's relentless barrage of questions.

"Don't think that by staying silent we can't convict you! With human and physical evidence present, silence is still a capital crime!" Ding Wu raged.

Ruan Qinglian opened her eyes, glanced at Ji Changge, and let out a cold laugh.

Wen Jing walked over to Ji Changge and whispered a few words in his ear. She suddenly recalled Minghui saying earlier that she had seen many people running past with blades; Minghui must have been walking toward them from the opposite direction and should have seen "Ruan Qinglian."

"Go bring Minghui here," Ji Changge instructed a nearby guard.

A moment later, Minghui was brought before them by the guards.

Upon seeing Ruan Qinglian, Minghui hurriedly lowered her head, appearing utterly terrified. Wen Jing cast a glance at her.

Ruan Qinglian looked expressionlessly at Minghui, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes.

"Minghui, earlier in front of that dilapidated house, did you happen to see a woman in white Taoist robes? What did she look like?" Ji Changge asked.

Minghui raised her head and glanced timidly at Ruan Qinglian.

"It's alright, just speak freely."

"I saw her... it was... it was the Holy Nun." After finishing, Minghui lowered her head once more, her hands nervously twisting the hem of her garment.

"You're shifting the blame! I've never even seen you!" Ruan Qinglian suddenly stood up, pointing at Minghui as if she wished to devour her alive.

Frightened, Minghui hid behind Wen Jing.

"Are you certain it was Ruan Qinglian?" Ji Changge asked once more.

Minghui nodded.

"That person wasn't me. I was asleep in my room taking an afternoon nap all along. Are you sure the person you saw was me?" Ruan Qinglian's phoenix eyes fixed intently on Minghui, as though she meant to dig two pits into Minghui's face.

Unnerved by her glare, Minghui's expression turned awkward. She stammered, "That person was running too fast; I didn't see her face clearly, but judging by her back and her clothes, it was the Holy Nun."

"Hmph, you didn't even see her face clearly yet you dare to falsely accuse me," Ruan Qinglian sneered.

"Naturally, that person wasn't you, but your disciple Xuanwu. She has already confessed. Her clothing and headwear are the proof. She ran past Minghui wearing your clothes, and because she was moving too fast, Minghui couldn't see clearly," Ji Changge said, looking at Ruan Qinglian.

Ruan Qinglian suddenly burst into laughter, shaking all over as if Ji Changge had just told a hilarious joke.

"Shut up!" Ding Wu shouted angrily.

Ruan Qinglian finally stopped, speaking leisurely, "If you're going to fabricate a story, at least make it plausible. Xuanwu suffered internal injuries some time ago and cannot channel her inner energy at all. Otherwise, do you really think you could have subdued her in a single move earlier?"

A jolt went through Ji Changge's heart. At Ruan Qinglian's words, he recalled the moment when Wen Jing was subdued and the instant he struck Xuanwu's arm—it had felt completely limp and devoid of force. At the time, he hadn't stopped to consider it, but thinking back now, Xuanwu had indeed felt like an ordinary woman with no inner energy whatsoever. Perhaps Ruan Qinglian was not lying; Xuanwu might genuinely have suffered internal injuries.

"How did she sustain those internal injuries?"

"To save me. When I went up the mountain in search of bear gallbladder for medicine, I encountered three adult bears. Xuanwu killed all three bears and was injured in the process. If you don't believe me, you can go check my medicine cabinet to see if there are three fresh bear gallbladders inside," Ruan Qinglian said calmly.

Ji Changge gave Ding Wu a look. Understanding the cue, Ding Wu turned and left.

Wen Jing remained silent. Ruan Qinglian did not look like she was lying. Where on earth had things gone wrong? Could that "Ruan Qinglian" have been Liancheng in disguise?

She glanced again at Ji Changge, whose brows were likewise tightly furrowed. Just when they thought the truth was about to surface, they had fallen into a deadlock once more. A flicker of panic crossed Ji Changge's eyes. What on earth was the true story?

"My lord, there are indeed three bear gallbladders," Ding Wu said, holding up three gallbladders still stained with brownish blood.

Looking at the three bear gallbladders, Ji Changge's expression grew even gloomier.

"Can Xuanwu and I leave now?" Ruan Qinglian stood up and asked.

"No!" Ding Wu declared.

"Let them go," Ji Changge said dejectedly.

Ruan Qinglian rose, cast a sidelong glance at Ding Wu, and made no effort to conceal the mockery in her eyes.

Ding Wu glared at her with bitter resentment. He could not fathom why Ji Changge was letting Ruan Qinglian go. Perhaps with a bit more torture, she would have confessed. He refused to believe such ghost stories as total loss of inner energy.

Ruan Qinglian strode past them, walking out with an arrogant and haughty demeanor.

Ding Wu slammed his fist onto the table. After all these days of grueling hard work, she was just being let go like this? He refused to be reconciled!

"Feiran, why did you let the two of them go?!" Dongsheng rushed over in exasperation.

Ji Changge remained silent, offering no response to Dongsheng.

"If there's nothing else, this humble Taoist will take her... leave first," a faint voice came from the corner.

"Go ahead," Ji Changge said.

Head lowered, Minghui walked toward the door.

"Stop right there."

Ji Changge looked in surprise at Wen Jing, who had remained silent for so long.

Minghui turned around. "Are you calling me?"

Looking into Minghui's pure eyes, Wen Jing lit a candle in her hand and walked over to stand before her.

"Do you still remember that fire? Such a huge fire, the houses collapsed, and they cried out, and screamed..."

Minghui raised her head and said coldly, "Shut up."

"You're finally willing to reveal yourself," Wen Jing said flatly.

"Why did you summon me out?" Baili Moshan asked coldly, casting her gaze elsewhere.

Looking at Baili Moshan's still fiercely proud face, Wen Jing said, "Don't you want to say sorry to all the deceased?"

Ji Changge and Dongsheng stared at Wen Jing in astonishment. From her words, could Minghui actually be the murderer?

How could that be possible...

"What fault does this humble one have?" Baili Moshan raised an eyebrow and asked.

"The game of chess you devised was originally flawless. If not for Xuanwu suddenly losing her inner energy, the two of them would have become your scapegoats. As the saying goes, human plans are inferior to heaven's—that describes you precisely," Wen Jing said coldly. She had almost been completely duped by this Baili Moshan; even a skilled hunter could occasionally be pecked in the eye by a hawk, but alas, the net of heaven is vast, and nothing escapes its grasp.

"Capture him," Ji Changge ordered.

"Yes, my lord!"

Several guards drew their sabers and rushed forward together, only to grab thin air. Rubbing their eyes, they found the space before them entirely empty—Baili Moshan had abruptly vanished from their sight.

A dozen paces away, Baili Moshan laughed aloud. "Do you really think you shrimp soldiers and crab generals can capture this lord?"

Seemingly caught off guard that the usually frail little Taoist nun Minghui possessed such peerless martial arts, several guards stared in utter astonishment before exerting their full strength to charge toward Baili Moshan. To think they had allowed themselves to be toyed with by a weak-minded female!

Even Ji Changge wore a look of profound shock. What he hadn't anticipated was that Baili Moshan could instantly soar a dozen zhang away; such lightness skill could scarcely be found anywhere in the entire pugilistic world. How could a young maiden have cultivated such supreme lightness skill?

As he pondered, Ji Changge gave chase as well, a figure flashing through his mind. Indeed, the "Ruan Qinglian" who had fled near the ruined house earlier possessed this exact level of martial prowess. Although he hadn't seen her face, martial artists never misidentified an opponent's stance and forms. Ji Changge grew even more certain that this "Minghui" was the person who had impersonated Ruan Qinglian earlier. Wen Jing was right.

Watching the two disappear one after the other into the sky, Ding Wu had yet to recover his senses. How could the frail little Taoist nun Minghui possess such formidable skills? And what baffled him even more was why Wen Jing had claimed Minghui was the murderer.

Dongsheng was likewise lost in a fog. The murderer was clearly Ruan Qinglian and Xuanwu—how had it suddenly turned into that perverted megalomaniac?