Zou Chengyi's neck bulged with blue veins, his protruding eyeballs streaked with red, making the corners of his eyes appear slightly reddish. This visually corrected his overly wide eye spacing, making him look more proportioned than when he appeared calm and solemn.
Anyone else would have been intimidated by Zou Chengyi's imposing presence, paralyzed with fear. But Nan Shiying, at this moment, still had the leisure to ponder Zou Chengyi's appearance. She recalled a medical text that mentioned the possibility of correcting facial defects through medical procedures. Her palms itched with the desire to persuade Master Zou to have his eye corners corrected, if the timing were right.
Nan Shiying had her back to Zhang Yi and the others, so they couldn't see her at this moment. They assumed she had finally calmed down, cowed by the official's authority. However, Zou Chengyi, who was looking directly at Nan Shiying, wished he could pick up the gavel from the ground and throw it at her.
The anger in his heart had not diminished; instead, it climbed steadily.
Seeing Zou Chengyi's increasingly unfriendly gaze, Nan Shiying, ever the pragmatist, made a gesture to seal her lips.
Zou Chengyi suppressed his anger and stopped looking at her. Instead, he ordered, "Go and search their residences!"
"Sir?"
Zhang Yi and the others looked at Zou Chengyi in disbelief.
What did their lord mean? Why had he summoned them and then ordered the bailiffs to search their homes?
Sun Minglong lowered his head, looking at the prescription and formula in his hand, then his gaze swept over the man kneeling in a pool of blood. Some thoughts flashed through his mind, too quickly for him to grasp.
Zou Chengyi clasped his fingers on the desk, leaning forward slightly, and looked sharply at the group. Then, he said softly, "Feng Quan, tell us!"
Feng Quan spoke in a calm, emotionless voice. "Chief Clerk Sun, we found a packet of poison in the criminal's home. The handwriting on the poison matches the handwriting on the formula you hold. The criminal confessed that everything was instigated by Feng Luan and that the poison was also given by Feng Luan. However, Feng Luan claims that what she wrote that day was merely a whim to change her handwriting, and that the formula in your hand is her original handwriting."
"Then..."
"Then we, who have handled the formula, become suspects," Sun Minglong continued Feng Quan's words.
Feng Quan nodded.
Sun Minglong looked at him. "So, you too?"
Feng Quan nodded again.
Upon hearing the cause and effect, Sun Minglong became calm. Zhang Yi said no more, quietly awaiting the bailiffs.
The bailiffs soon returned, carrying a stack of thick paper, like rubbings.
"Sir, in the coroner's..."
Before he could finish, the coroner, who had been silent with his head down, suddenly lunged forward, forming his hands into claws and charging at Zou Chengyi.
Feng Quan's saber and Nan Shiying's silver needles were thrown out simultaneously.
Sensing the chilling sharpness of the long saber slicing through the air behind him and the cold precision of the silver needles piercing the air, the coroner turned, dodged the attacking saber and needles, and then lunged for Liu Yujing.
A flicker of panic crossed Liu Yujing's eyes. He hastily retreated, but his left foot tripped over his right, causing him to lose his balance and fall towards the coroner. He felt as if his life was about to end.
At that moment, he felt a great force on his left shoulder, pulling him backward. His forward momentum was converted into a backward fall.
Liu Yujing stumbled back several steps and then sat down heavily on the ground. Glancing back, he saw the person who had saved him from peril.
A complex emotion flashed in Liu Yujing's eyes.
Nan Shiying glanced at Liu Yujing, who had fallen at her feet, her fingers holding the silver needles upright.
Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, the coroner changed direction again and fled towards the hall entrance.
Feng Quan turned, kicked off the ground, and slashed his long saber through the air, his sharp killing intent locked onto the coroner's figure. In a flash, he appeared in front of the coroner, blocking his path.
The coroner withdrew his hand.
Behind him, silver needles flew.
Caught between the two forces, the coroner did not last long. His right arm was severed by Feng Quan's saber, blood gushing out like a fountain, splashing onto the ground and pillars. Accompanied by the coroner's agonizing screams, this sudden turn of events finally came to a close.
Zou Chengyi looked at the coroner, still unable to understand why he had done this.
"Zhao Jun, you have been in the Ministry of Justice for five years. Why would you do this?" Zou Chengyi asked.
The coroner, Zhao Jun, remained silent for a moment, then suddenly looked up and smiled at Zou Chengyi. The next instant, blood trickled down the corners of his mouth.
"You..."
Zou Chengyi shot up. He had never expected Zhao Jun to commit suicide so resolutely.
"Young Master Feng!"
Zhao Jun must not die!
Nan Shiying quickly stepped forward, placing a hand on his wrist and prying open his mouth with the other.
Black blood.
A potent poison!
Nan Shiying shook her head at Zou Chengyi. "It was instant death upon contact with blood. He cannot be saved!"
She stood up and thought of something else. "What poison did the man who bit the poison and committed suicide on Sishui Street die from?"
Zou Chengyi had not yet recovered from the shock of Zhao Jun's suicide by biting poison. Hearing Nan Shiying's question, he hesitated, then said, "This official does not know!"
Nan Shiying said, "Oh. If it is convenient, may I examine the body?"
Zou Chengyi was silent for a few seconds, then slowly nodded.
The truth of the matter was now almost revealed: someone had deliberately framed Feng Luan.
Just as everyone was still processing the entire incident, the woman named Cen suddenly let out a cry of despair. "You officials are colluding, trampling on human lives, and attempting to plunge my husband into eternal damnation. As a mere woman, I am powerless to defend my husband. Today, I shall dash my head against this court pillar of the Ministry of Justice to prove his innocence!"
Saying this, she violently threw herself against a pillar.
Her skull cracked, blood splattered, and she died on the spot.
Everyone was stunned into immobility. Only Nan Shiying's gaze fell upon the man.
Sensing her gaze, the man raised his head. As his eyes met hers, filled with playful mockery, the anger and grief on his face faltered. His despairing wail was interrupted, and a look of bewildered awkwardness flashed in his eyes.
However, all emotions vanished in an instant. Under Nan Shiying's almost 'encouraging' gaze, the man suddenly stood up. But due to excessive blood loss, his vision darkened, his legs weakened, and he collapsed onto the ground again.
The thud of him falling to the ground drew everyone's attention.
Before the man's eyes was a knife.
He lunged forward, his neck landing precisely on the blade, instantly severing his throat.
"This..."
Liu Yujing was so frightened that he lost the ability to speak.
Even the Ministry of Justice staff, accustomed to bloody scenes, felt a chill run down their spines.
Only Nan Shiying marveled at the man's method of death.