The light of the torches dispelled the darkness of night. Nan Shiying sat amidst the blood, her legs crossed, elbows propping her chin, gazing at Feng Quan leading the刑部 (Xing Bu) officials and京兆尹 (Jing Zhao Yin) constables. Her eyes held a trace of emotion. She reached out and reopened the closed eyelids of Zou Chengyi, attempting to make the deceased Zou Chengyi see what sort of people his subordinates were.
Feng Quan's lips twitched slightly. The initial surprise he felt upon seeing Feng Luan was shattered by her ghastly actions. He hadn't expected her to stay.
If people had souls, Zou Chengyi's ghost might have wanted to deliver a flying kick to Nan Shiying, as she was still "abusing" his corpse even after his death. However, if souls truly existed, Zou Chengyi could only glare from the sidelines.
"Someone, arrest her!"
Feng Quan motioned to the constables. With Nan Shiying surrendering willingly, capturing her was effortless. The knife deliberately left near Zou Chengyi's body was immediately identified as the murder weapon. Feng Quan wrapped a corner of the cloth around the hilt, then took Nan Shiying's wrist, unhesitatingly pressing her hand onto the blood-stained hilt.
Nan Shiying was perfectly cooperative, so much so that a sudden unease arose in Feng Quan's heart.
"You..."
"What does Magistrate Feng fear?"
A faint smile played on Nan Shiying's lips. Though she was now a prisoner, she showed no unease or fear. Her hands were held by constables, and her clothes were stained with blood and dirt, yet her outward appearance, no matter how disheveled, exuded a profound calm and composure. It was as if nothing that happened could make her lose her composure.
Her smiling demeanor, however, struck Feng Quan as that of a demon baring its fangs. He couldn't fathom the source of her unbridled confidence, or rather, why she remained so fearless.
Feng Quan's face darkened. The firelight flickered with the cold wind, casting flickering shadows that danced in his eyes, as eerie as ghost fire.
He pursed his lips, offering no reply, and waved his hand at the constables holding her.
Nan Shiying sat in the prisoner cart, organizing her thoughts. If this was the final chapter, then she could connect and analyze each line that completed the narrative loop.
Working backward from the outcome.
Identifying suspects or suspect factions from the perspective of the ultimate beneficiaries.
Peeling away all the mysteries, the main thread of the entire affair was: Liu Ling died—framed her—used the framing to trigger the next step (exposing the existence of Miao Jiang remnants)—killed Zou Chengyi!
If killing Zou Chengyi was the conclusion, then besides completely condemning her, who would be the ultimate beneficiary of Zou Chengyi's death?
The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice?
Who would be foolish enough to reveal themselves? Even to cover up, one wouldn't expose themselves so obviously.
If not a position, then what else?
Nan Shiying rubbed her chin, a rough outline already forming in her mind.
Judging by Feng Quan's reaction when she discarded the body at the scene, he seemed to have expected her to flee. However, Feng Quan quickly regained his composure, suggesting he had already anticipated that she might remain at the crime scene.
Therefore, he must have also made prior assumptions about her actions during the autopsy and interrogation. One could only say that after Nan Shiying had been in Lin Yuan for so long, she had finally encountered a troublesome opponent with brains.
The cartwheels rumbled over the ground with a creaking sound. The prisoner cart entered through the back gate of the Ministry of Justice and proceeded all the way to the prison. Round and round, a figure stood before the prison gate, clad in black, a long sword in hand, exuding a sharp edge like a drawn sword. Feng Quan raised his hand, and the prisoner cart halted.
Nan Shiying stopped thinking and looked up. She saw Feng Quan's back standing straight, as if facing a formidable enemy. Following his gaze, a smile bloomed at the corner of her eyes.
Xuan Yi!
Xuan Yi drew his long sword and walked forward steadily.
Feng Quan, along with the officials from the Jing Zhao Yin and Xing Bu, drew their sabers and assumed defensive stances.
Feng Quan directly charged forward with his saber.
Xuan Yi flicked his wrist, thrusting his sword. It appeared soft and weak, but the moment the blade pressed against the saber, the force transmitted to Feng Quan's hand nearly made him drop the saber. A look of solemnity flashed in Feng Quan's eyes. He gripped his right wrist with his left hand, managing to parry the thrust without being defeated in one move.
Xuan Yi increased his force again. Feng Quan roared and swung his saber with all his might, pushing the sword away.
"Enough!"
Nan Shiying's voice drifted into Xuan Yi's ears with the cold wind. Xuan Yi withdrew his sword, creating distance from Feng Quan. Feng Quan, holding his saber, stood panting in place. He didn't charge again but quickly turned to look at Feng Luan.
Was this skilled swordsman a subordinate of Feng Luan?
Xuan Yi sheathed his sword and took out a piece of paper from his怀 (huai - chest/bosom). He tossed it towards Feng Quan.
The light piece of paper seemed to gain weight as it was thrown, landing on Feng Quan's chest. Feng Quan instinctively raised his hand to catch it and looked down.
His expression immediately became exceedingly grim.
The paper bore only seven large characters, with a simple four-character message: Everything as before!
And the signature: Ji Jin Mo!
Two lines, seven characters, like a scythe hanging over Feng Quan's neck. The scythe kissed the fine hairs on his neck, and he could even feel the coldness and pain from the blade grazing his skin.
"This... this Lord, it's not that this subordinate is unwilling to obey, but simply..."
Xuan Yi's icy gaze fell upon Feng Quan. His emotionless gaze, however, exuded a chilling killing intent. He smiled and said, "You can, as long as you are not afraid of death, nor of your entire family perishing untimely."
"You..."
This was no longer a warning, but an outright threat.
Xuan Yi scanned the surroundings and continued, "The same applies to all of you."
"Anyone present or absent, if anyone dares to torture Feng Luan, they will be making an enemy of the Regent's Estate."
"You people are nothing but cannon fodder. If you dare to stubbornly push forward, then see if the people behind you will fall out with my Prince to protect you. I have said all that needs to be said. I hope you do not misjudge yourselves. There are many paths to climb higher, and if you insist on walking down the path of ruin, I will not stop you."
"Alright, Magistrate Feng Quan, the Prince has a message for you."
"The Prince said: If I recall correctly, Feng Quan should be in prison right now. How did you get out? Escaping?"
With Xuan Yi's words, he did not spare another glance at Feng Quan's face but turned his gaze towards Nan Shiying. "Young Master Feng, rest assured, with the Prince here, if anyone dares to lay a hand on you, the Prince will lead the Demon Hunting Army to flatten the entire Ministry of Justice."