Chapter 267: Heartfelt Conviction

Heartfelt Conviction

Although it's nearly certain that the string of heinous murders last night at the Heavenly Affinity Inn was committed by this mysterious girl before us, Nie Jinxuan is a serious person who wants the other party to be wholly convinced, so she calmly proceeded with questioning.

At this point, the mysterious girl was already fuming over Nie Jinxuan's recent handling of her subordinates, so as soon as Nie Jinxuan finished speaking, she widened her eyes, then lunged a step forward toward Nie Jinxuan and said.

"What do you mean? Why should I tell you my whereabouts?"

"Miss, regarding this matter, I already made it clear just now, so I don't want to repeat it! And if you don't tell us your whereabouts, that's fine... Innkeeper!"

Gazing at the mysterious girl before her, Nie Jinxuan stayed calm. As soon as she spoke, she called for the Prince's steward; the steward, who had been hiding in the back, heard Nie Jinxuan summoning him. Though terrified, he stepped forward trembling upon considering Nie Jinxuan's status.

"Yes... yes... May I ask what orders the Princess has?"

"Prince's steward, I'm asking you: when did this lady check into the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion?"

As she asked the Prince's steward, Nie Jinxuan's eyes remained fixed on the mysterious girl before her. Upon being questioned, the steward couldn't help but turn his head and sneak a glance at the fearsome-looking mysterious girl, then swallowed nervously before answering truthfully in a low voice.

"Replying to the Princess... Princess, it was... it was around noon yesterday..."

"After checking in, did she go out at all?"

"Um... after the lady checked into the inn's heavenly-character large room, she never went out, but this morning I heard from the shop's attendant and the night watchman Old Zhang that she had once taken someone out last night..."

"At night? Then may I ask exactly what time at night?"

"Um... I recall Old Zhang saying it was just after midnight... He said the night watch had just been struck at that time."

"The Prince's steward didn't know exactly what had happened, but he knew that since Nie Jinxuan was asking, it couldn't be trivial, so he related everything he knew. As soon as the steward finished speaking, Nie Jinxuan curled the corner of her lips and then looked at the mysterious girl before her and said."

"Miss, was what the steward just said true?"

"Hmph, so what if it's true? So what if it's not?"

"Then it seems true... So may I ask, miss, where did you go after taking your attendants out of the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Obviously, no matter what Nie Jinxuan said, the mysterious girl adopted an attitude of 'what can you do to me?'. Seeing her behavior, Nie Jinxuan's expression suddenly turned stern."

"You may choose not to tell me, but miss, you should think clearly: yesterday at the entrance of the Heavenly Affinity Inn, you clashed with the inn's madam, Sun Shi, which everyone knows. Today, Sun Shi and all the guests and attendants of the inn were found dead inside, and during this period you happened to be out with your attendants without explaining where you went, so we have good reason to suspect you are connected to last night's bloody incident."

"Hmph, related?! I don't know what you're talking about—related or not, I have no idea. How so? Hearing you say that, do you think I killed that Madam Sun?"

"Whether it's you or not, you know it in your heart! But even if you don't speak, it doesn't matter..."

"Having said that, Nie Jinxuan paused slightly, then turned her gaze and stepped toward the mysterious girl's attendants behind her..."

"Last night, a bloody incident occurred at the Heavenly Affinity Inn in the capital; the inn's madam and all nine guests and attendants were brutally killed by the murderer. The guests and attendants died in the courtyard; judging by the condition of the eight victims, the murderer likely drove them into the courtyard before the killing, had them stand side by side, then struck them down with a sword in an instant."

"All eight victims died from a single sword strike. Besides them, the inn's madam, Sun Shi, died in a side room of the rear courtyard. She suffered thirty-six wounds all over her body, her eyes were gouged out, her tongue cut off, and both feet were severed... but none of these were fatal; her true cause of death was excessive blood loss."

"In other words, the murderer first stabbed Sun Shi, then let her suffer alive until she bled to death—his methods are extremely cruel, shocking to behold. When he killed the eight victims in the courtyard, he struck with astonishing speed, so we can be certain he is a highly skilled martial artist; aside from that, he left no other clues."

"Nie Jinxuan's eyes remained calm as water as she walked and spoke, her gaze sweeping over each attendant. Meanwhile, the mysterious girl, whose expression had grown increasingly grave from Nie Jinxuan's words, suddenly burst into laughter upon hearing there were no clues."

"Haha~ You speak with such confidence, I thought you already knew who the murderer was~! Turns out there are still no clues... Hehe, since then..."

"The mysterious girl grew arrogant again. But before she could finish speaking, Nie Jinxuan, without even glancing at her, directly interrupted her."

"Yes! Indeed, no clues were found on the eight bodies in the courtyard! But that's because the murderer killed them with a single sword strike, leaving no trace. However, miss, don't forget there is another victim besides those eight—the inn's madam, Sun Shi!"

"Sun Shi differs from those eight courtyard victims, for she was tortured to death by the murderer in the most brutal way! From her capture to her actual death, calculations show it took at least an hour! During that hour, although Sun Shi was weak and no match for the murderer, she still struggled."

"While speaking with the mysterious girl, Nie Jinxuan kept her eyes on those attendants, and upon reaching this point she suddenly seized the wrist of one of them."

"What is a woman's most common action when struggling? It is to clutch the attacker desperately with her hands—and Sun Shi did just that; this was confirmed during autopsy, for I found tiny skin fragments under the nails of her right hand."

"Nie Jinxuan spoke each word carefully; as she spoke, she glanced at the right hand of the attendant she had seized, then released it. In the moment she let go, her gaze swept once more, she stepped forward to another attendant and grabbed his right hand."

"Thus, this means Sun Shi scratched the murderer!"

"Saying this, Nie Jinxuan lowered her eyes to the right hand she had seized, and indeed saw a scabbed wound on it!"

"Seeing this, Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but curl the corner of her lips, then lifted her gaze to that attendant. Upon meeting Nie Jinxuan's beautiful yet stern eyes, the attendant instantly pressed his lips together and reflexively jerked his right hand back!"

"Nevertheless, no matter how he tried to conceal it, it was useless. After observing the attendant for a moment, Nie Jinxuan let out a soft laugh and then asked him."

"What is your name?"

"……"

"Where did the wound on your hand come from?"

"……"

"No matter what Nie Jinxuan said, the attendant remained silent. Seeing this, she twitched the corner of her eye slightly and then said again."

"You won't talk? No problem—even if you stay silent, this evidence alone is enough to convict you!"

"Nie Jinxuan's words remained gentle; upon hearing them, the attendant suddenly moved, but at that moment Lianfeng, who had been ready nearby, flashed forward, subdued the attendant, and on the spot crippled his martial arts!"

"Lianfeng is the chief of Yin Fengzhan's four dead warriors, his martial arts naturally the highest! Seeing the attendant's martial arts destroyed, the few other attendants nearby were startled and immediately readied their swords."

"Obviously, unlike the ruffians Nie Jinxuan had just dealt with, these attendants are superior not only in martial skill but also in status. Thus, while they might have merely watched the earlier handling of those ruffians, seeing their companion crippled now naturally made them panic."

"Of course, the attendants were agitated, and the naturally impatient mysterious girl likewise flared with rage. She immediately lunged at Nie Jinxuan and, without thinking, shouted."

"Insolent! You dare lay a hand on my people?!"

"After all, the mysterious girl truly didn't care about her attendants' fate; she merely couldn't tolerate Nie Jinxuan's disregard for her. Upon hearing her outburst, Nie Jinxuan smiled, but then instantly wiped the smile away."

"So what if I moved?"

"Saying this, Nie Jinxuan shifted her gaze, bypassed the mysterious girl before her, and once again looked at the attendant being held by Lianfeng."

"Last night, the murderer broke into the Heavenly Affinity Inn, but judging by the situation, the killer was certainly not acting alone. Although I cannot prove who exactly killed the guests and attendants in the courtyard, from the wounds on Sun Shi's body I can be certain that, besides you, there was at least one other participant—and that person was a woman!"

"So you had better tell the truth: who exactly is that woman, and who all participated in last night's bloody incident?"

"Although Nie Jinxuan appeared to be questioning that attendant, she had in fact already indicated that the mysterious girl was the true murderer. Upon hearing that Nie Jinxuan could deduce so much from a single corpse, the attendant was momentarily stunned, but then lowered his head and fell silent."

"Hmph, still refusing to speak? No problem—Lianfeng will take him away for thorough interrogation!"

"Yes!"

"With a respectful reply, Lianfeng then had his subordinates take the attendant away... At this moment, seeing her own people being led off just like that, the mysterious girl trembled with rage all over; before she could speak, Nie Jinxuan added."

"Miss, that attendant just now was your subordinate, so your other attendants are also under suspicion; therefore please accompany Magistrate Pei to the Capital Prefecture."

Nie Jinxuan's words sounded pleasant, saying she was going to the Capital Prefecture, but actually she just wanted to lock up the mysterious girl! So upon hearing that Nie Jinxuan had not only moved her own people but now also wanted to arrest herself, she instantly blew up!

You dare!

How could I not dare?

Do you know who I am?

Who am I, and what can you do? In the Eastern Mausoleum, the Son of Heaven who breaks the law is punished just like a commoner!

Nie Jinxuan loathes those who bully others with their power the most. Yet this girl before her not only refuses to say so, but also so recklessly endangers lives—how could Nie Jinxuan tolerate her?! At this moment, seeing Nie Jinxuan so overbearing, the furious girl narrowed her eyes, then directly looked at Nie Jinxuan, Pei Yaoguang, and the surrounding guards, and suddenly spoke.

Kill them!

……

If one were to say, yesterday on the street the mysterious girl could still barely endure, but now she can no longer hold back her killing intent!

At that moment, upon hearing this, the attendants were stunned, but then still drew their swords; just then, a cold voice suddenly came from outside.

Stop!

That voice was icy as a blade, yet its aura was astonishing; even without seeing the speaker, it already made people feel alarmed. So upon hearing it, everyone present couldn't help but startle, then instinctively turned their heads—but upon seeing who had arrived, they were instantly astonished.

For the person who arrived was none other than the newly enthroned Emperor Xingning, Yin Fengzhan!

As it turned out, after court that morning, Yin Fengzhan heard the news of Nie Jinxuan leaving the palace. And upon recalling Lian Feng's private report from yesterday, he immediately left the palace to follow her!

All Yin Fengzhan could not have imagined was that, as soon as he arrived, he saw this scene!

Thus, at this moment, Yin Fengzhan's feelings can be imagined. Upon seeing Yin Fengzhan arrive, those present—Pei Yaoguang and the others—immediately stepped back to salute, but before they could speak, Yin Fengzhan raised his hand in a gesture and then walked straight up to Nie Jinxuan.

Yin Fengzhan said nothing, merely glanced up and down at Nie Jinxuan, and only after confirming she was completely unharmed did he secretly let out a breath of relief.

All right?

Hmm, all right. But how did you come here?

Yin Fengzhan's sudden appearance also surprised Nie Jinxuan. But upon hearing her words, he merely pressed his lips together and then spoke softly.

Nothing.

Yin Fengzhan never speaks sweetly, nor would he now, before everyone, say that he was worried about Nie Jinxuan and had specially come out of the palace for her. So, after responding to Nie Jinxuan's reply, he immediately turned his head, glanced at the crowd before him, and finally fixed his gaze on the mysterious girl.

Yin Fengzhan said nothing, merely giving her a cold stare. At that moment, upon meeting his eyes, the mysterious girl couldn't help but freeze.