Zhong Li followed the sound and looked. The woman who had been sitting on the high seat just now, holding a dagger, lunged at her.
Her delicate eyebrows furrowed, and she kicked out, aiming for the woman's hand.
The dagger clattered to the ground, and the woman tumbled down in a heap.
"You!" Gu Ling glared at Zhong Li, her chest heaving with rapid breaths, as if pushed to her limit.
"Zhong Li! How could you treat my mother like this!" Gu Ling roared.
Zhong Li said coldly, "I was merely acting in self-defense."
Gu Ling, furious, picked up the dagger from the ground and charged at Zhong Li again, shouting, "I'll kill you!"
"No!" Ah Wu lay on the ground, watching everything unfold. He wanted to intervene, but he was dizzy. As soon as he got up, he fell back to the ground heavily.
Zhong Li didn't want to tangle with Gu Ling. She flicked her hand, sending the dagger flying from Gu Ling's grasp, and with her other hand, pinned Gu Ling beneath her.
"Let go of me, let go of me!" Gu Ling twisted her body, trying to break free.
Zhong Li ignored her and called out, "Yao'er!"
Hua Yao entered with her entourage. She glanced at Gu Ling in Zhong Li's hold and waved to the constables behind her, saying, "Arrest her!"
The constables acknowledged the order and moved towards Gu Ling.
"Officer Zhong!" Ah Wu still wanted to plead, his tear-filled eyes fixed on Zhong Li.
Zhong Li handed Gu Ling over to her subordinates for detention. She then crouched beside Ah Wu and asked, "Ah Wu, do you truly understand her?"
Ah Wu nodded. "Officer, Gu Ling told me her story. Everything she did was for her mother; she is actually very kind."
"Is that so?" Zhong Li knitted her brows, looking at Ah Wu. She was somewhat surprised; how could Ah Wu's heart be so easily swayed after only a few days?
She pondered for a moment and was about to help Ah Wu up, intending to counsel him further after returning to Dali Temple, when suddenly, the two constables detaining Gu Ling let out a scream.
Zhong Li and Ah Wu turned their heads towards the sound.
At some point, Gu Ling had managed to break free from her restraints. She picked up the fallen dagger from the ground and plunged it into her own heart.
"No!" Ah Wu cried out, his voice tearing.
Blood trickled down Gu Ling's vibrant wedding dress, disappearing into the yellow earth.
Like a kite with a broken string, Gu Ling's body went limp and fell towards the ground.
Seeing this, Zhong Li took two quick steps forward, intending to support Gu Ling and stop the bleeding, but her shoulder was forcefully pushed. Ah Wu's low growl reached her ears: "Get away!"
"Li'er, are you alright?" Fortunately, Hua Yao was quick-witted and steadied her.
Zhong Li shook her head, her gaze never leaving Gu Ling's direction.
Ah Wu cradled Gu Ling, his hands trembling, unsure of what to do.
"Ah Wu!" Gu Ling reached out, wanting to caress Ah Wu's face.
Ah Wu quickly clasped her hand with his own, nodding frantically in response.
"Ah Wu, don't cry!" Gu Ling murmured.
Ah Wu shook his head, tears streaming uncontrollably.
Gu Ling forced a faint smile. "I killed someone, and this outcome was to be expected."
"No!" Ah Wu sobbed.
Gu Ling continued, "You work for Dali Temple; you shouldn't break the rules for me, no matter how helpless I was in my actions. Don't ruin your relationship with Officer Zhong because of me. I am but a lowly commoner, insignificant compared to the esteemed Officer Zhong. Ah Wu, I'm leaving now. Don't think of me. I know that in this vast Southern Yue Kingdom, only you truly understand me. I… I… mmm…”
Gu Ling's words were cut short as she gasped her last breath. With a final struggle, her body stiffened, and she stared directly at Zhong Li, who was not far away.
Zhong Li narrowed her eyes, meeting the lifeless gaze of Gu Ling until a mournful wail that pierced the heavens erupted. Only then did she shift her gaze to the woman kneeling on the ground, looking as if she had lost her beloved daughter.
"Li'er, what do we do now?" Hua Yao bit her lip. She had never encountered such a situation. The murderer committed suicide, and the murderer's lover was a colleague from Dali Temple. She was at a loss.
"Even though Gu Ling is dead, she must still be brought to Dali Temple to face justice according to the rules." Zhong Li said, then turned and entered the carriage parked at the entrance.
Hua Yao glanced at Ah Wu, wanting to comfort him but unsure of what to say. After making a few simple arrangements, she also followed Zhong Li into the carriage.
The carriage had arrived with such swiftness, yet it returned with agonizing slowness.
It seemed everyone was immersed in sorrow, the atmosphere oppressively heavy.
Hua Yao lifted the curtain and glanced behind them. Then she looked at Zhong Li, who sat opposite her, calmly reading a medical text. After a long pause, she finally said, "Li'er, why don't we just let this case drop?"
Zhong Li had just picked up a teacup from the table, ready to take a sip. Hearing Hua Yao's words, she closed the medical book and fixed her gaze on Hua Yao.
Hua Yao, feeling flustered under Zhong Li's stare, swallowed a few times and said, "I just feel a little bit sorry for Gu Ling."
"Sorry?" Zhong Li's tone rose slightly, as if surprised by Hua Yao's sentiment.
Hua Yao asked, "Don't you feel sorry for her, Li'er?"
"Feel sorry for what?" Zhong Li retorted. "Is Gu Ling to be pitied? If so, what about the women who died at Hua Man Lou? How innocent were they? Should they not be pitied even more?"
"I..." Hua Yao was rendered speechless.
Zhong Li sighed and placed the medical book back into the small cabinet behind her. "Yao'er, why do you pity Gu Ling? Is it because she has elderly parents, or because of her poor background, or perhaps because of the grand declarations she made today?"
"Li'er!" Hua Yao exclaimed, a hint of indignation in her voice. She placed her hands on her hips and looked at Zhong Li. "The person is dead; what more do you want from her? If you had parted ways with the Prince earlier, you would have acted like nothing had happened, your composure astonishing. But now you are cold-blooded! Unfeeling! No, not just cold-blooded and unfeeling! You are simply a numb puppet!"
Zhong Li listened to Hua Yao's reprimand, looking at her as if challenging her with every rebuttal.
Hua Yao was about to say more, but seeing Zhong Li's reaction, she felt she might have spoken too harshly and fell silent.
Zhong Li lifted the curtain and glanced behind the carriage.
Gu Ling's body was placed on a dilapidated cart. Ah Wu, his head covered in blood, was pushing it. Following Ah Wu was Gu Ling's mother, staggering along, clearly on the verge of collapse.
"Judging by appearances, they do look quite pathetic," Zhong Li said, retracting her gaze with a cold smile. "But I feel no pity for them whatsoever."
"You..."
"Yao'er," Zhong Li interrupted Hua Yao, who was about to resume her scolding, "how long have you been with me?"
"Nearly half a year," Hua Yao replied, a little taken aback by Zhong Li's sudden question.
"After so long, can't you see through such simple schemes?" Zhong Li asked.
"Li'er, what do you mean?"
Zhong Li sighed and asked, "How long does it take for you to marry someone you know?"
"Ah?" This was another ambiguous question for Hua Yao. She bit her lip and said sheepishly, "I've had feelings for Lord Lan for years, so naturally, I've always wanted to marry him. But if it were a stranger, normally it would take some time to get to know them, right? If not a year, then at least a few months."
After she finished speaking, she seemed to realize something and looked at Zhong Li with a look of sudden understanding.