“Serves him right!”
As if ‘gloating’ was written all over his face, Murong Bai curved his lips and chimed in, “Although Lan Yishi was killed by a single stab, the depth of the wound and the skill with which the blade was wielded are entirely different from the deceased Liu Jinxiang.”
“Then, in the opinion of Forensic Examiner Murong, the murderer of Liu Jinxiang and Lan Yishi are not the same person, are they?”
After hearing Hua Jinrong, Lin Qingge, who had finished the last spoonful of congee in her bowl, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and slowly spoke, “The murderers were always two people, or at least two people.”
“Why do you say that, my lord?”
“Think about it, Golden Blade Hero Liu Jinxiang and Flying Grass Feng Wuying were almost killed simultaneously. Even if the killer possessed exceptional martial arts skills, it would be impossible to complete the tasks of poisoning Liu Jinxiang and transporting the drugged Liu Jinxiang to the pond with a cart and pushing him in, all within such a short period. Firstly, there were too many variables involved, and any slight misstep could have led to being caught in the act. Secondly, according to Wu Suowei’s description, the person who poisoned Flying Grass Feng Wuying was a young man significantly thinner than myself, while the one who pushed Golden Blade Hero Liu Jinxiang to the pond with a cart was a burly man resembling Master Long Xiaotian of Wolong Mountain Villa. By the way, where is that Wu Suowei?”
Lin Qingge looked around but did not see the shifty-eyed fellow.
“My lord, I have borrowed Wu Suowei for a few days. I will return him to you after I am finished with him.”
“Alright, make sure Master Hua prepares the arrest warrant later.”
Since he had become a master thief, he was certainly on the wanted list of the authorities. Therefore, directly arresting him and sentencing him to three to five years would be perfectly acceptable. However—Murong Bai plus the master thief…
Lin Qingge, feeling somewhat uneasy, thought for a moment and then instructed, “Forensic Examiner Murong, I can lend you Wu Suowei for the time being. But if I find out you’ve done anything nefarious with Wu Suowei, I don’t mind having Master Hua prepare an arrest warrant for you as well. After all, we can never have too many people working for free.”
“As expected of you, my lord, you truly have a good head for calculations. But to get back to the matter at hand, there is another peculiar detail concerning Lan Yishi’s death. Unlike the peaceful expressions on the faces of Master Hui Chong and others, Lan Yishi’s eyes were wide open, and his lips were slightly parted at the moment of death. It is evident that he was severely frightened before dying, but given that there were no signs of struggle, it might be more fitting to say he died in utter disbelief.”
“Furthermore, the killer’s late-night visit to Lan Yishi not only went unnoticed or suspected by those around, but Lan Yishi even allowed them into his house. This indicates that Lan Yishi knew the killer, and perhaps they were even very close…”
“If we consider those within the mountain villa who were closest to Lan Yishi, besides Long Xiaotian, there are only the other four disciples who were his personal students. Of course, it is also possible that the steward who handled Lan Yishi’s account books committed the crime, but the stewards are all elderly gentlemen, and their martial arts skills are insufficient to harm Lan Yishi. So, my lord, are you suggesting that the killer is among the disciples of Wolong Mountain Villa?”
Lin Qingge, having eaten her fill, did not directly answer Hua Jinrong’s question. Instead, she stood up from her seat. “The suspects have been basically identified, but there is a lack of conclusive evidence to finalize the case. However, there are still a few points of doubt that I cannot figure out.”
With that, she looked at Leng Ningyue beside her, extended the hand she had used to wipe her mouth, and smilingly invited, “Madam, the weather is lovely today with bright sunshine and fragrant flowers. Would you do me the honor of accompanying me for a leisurely stroll?”
Leng Ningyue somewhat distastefully wiped her oily hands with a handkerchief, but a rare smile appeared in her beautiful eyes, visible outside her veil. After wiping them several times, she slowly replied with a single word: “Yes.”
Everyone who hadn’t eaten breakfast but felt inexplicably full:…
On the other side, Lin Zimo raised his small hands high. “Daddy, Mommy, Mo’er wants to go for a walk too!”
“Be good, Mo’er. You still have to study with Forensic Examiner Murong later. Perhaps next time.”
Lin Zimo, having been rejected, visibly drooped. Then, he suddenly raised his small head and pouted, “Mommy, wipe my mouth.”
However, Leng Ningyue directly placed the handkerchief in front of Lin Zimo. “Mo’er, you are almost five years old. From now on, you must do small things like wiping your mouth yourself. Do you understand?”
“Mo’er understands.”
Little Lin Zimo buried his head in his chest and replied in a muffled voice.
The next moment, a hand gently rested on his head and caressed it. “Mo’er, Mommy cannot always be by your side, so you must learn to be independent and grow up. Mommy believes that Mo’er is already a strong little man, and even if Mommy is not around, you can still do everything to the best of your ability.”
“Of course! Mo’er is a little man, Mo’er can take care of himself!” Lin Zimo, instantly full of energy again, puffed out his chest and made a guarantee.
Murong Bai, who somewhat regretted drinking that tea to become a disciple, looked at Hua Jinrong and said with disdain, “Tsk, should I call this little fellow silly, or easily satisfied? But no matter which it is, I doubt it’s suitable for that position.”
“Bai Er, aren’t you worrying about things that don’t concern you? Mo’er is still so young, why are you thinking about such things? I actually think it’s quite good for Mo’er to be like this. At least he has his parents’ love and a carefree childhood.”
Murong Bai looked at the couple who had already walked away and let out a cold snort. “Heh! In my opinion, they are true love, and this little fellow is just an accident.”
“Bai Er, don’t be so fiery. You’re just being treated as a free tutor for a child. Besides, our Mo’er is so obedient.”
Murong Bai lowered his head and glanced at the little boy who had picked up another red bean bun and was putting it into his mouth, nodding in agreement. “Indeed, he possesses a purity unsullied by knowledge.”
Lin Zimo: ???
In the spirit of sharing joy, Hua Jinrong, who was also staying behind as a free bodyguard, instructed An Yi and An Er to move all the corpses to one place for safekeeping and then brought Ling Han and the others back. This way, Lin Zimo would have his martial arts lessons in the afternoon.
As for Lin Qingge and Leng Ningyue, they claimed to be going for a short stroll but disappeared for the entire day. They finally returned in the evening, under the stars.
Everyone, finally freed from their responsibilities, made excuses to leave, fearing that if they were a step too late, the task of putting the child to sleep would fall upon them.
The night passed without dreams.
The next morning.
The entire Wolong Mountain Villa was shrouded in a layer of gloom.
This was because the master of Wolong Mountain Villa, Long Xiaotian, had committed suicide in his room the previous night…