Chapter 157

After rushing for five days and five nights, she finally returned to the capital and immediately hurried to the Ministry of Justice. The chief judge of this case was the Criminal Justice Official Dan Yulan. Since Qing had called her back in such a rush, she had long been mentally prepared that it must be a difficult case, but when she heard it was a serial heart-plucking murder case, she was still shocked. Qing's autopsy report showed that the victims were all female, with no other wounds on their bodies; all had a five-inch-long knife wound under their left chest, and the cause of death was the killer removing the heart through the knife wound. The victims' facial expressions were extremely terrified, but no other wounds were left on their bodies.

The killer not only had first-class killing techniques but also very proficient methods of committing the crime, leaving no evidence at the scene. The Ministry of Justice had been investigating for a month, and the crime scenes and witnesses had been checked countless times, yet there were still no results. Qing asked Cheng Hang of the Ministry of Justice to look for case files of similar cases nationwide in recent years, hoping to find clues from them.

"Madam, why aren't you entering the mansion?" Two small generals looked curiously at the Madam who had been sitting on the steps of the General's Mansion for half an hour.

Gu Yun's brain, which was analyzing the case, froze. She looked up and saw the two soldiers looking at her with silly grins, and for a moment, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

She could analyze a case without missing a single detail, logically and clearly, but when it came to her own affairs, she couldn't make up her mind. She originally didn't want to return to the General's Mansion. It wasn't that this place was bad—the soldiers here were very straightforward, and now her freedom wasn't too restricted—it was just that whenever she thought about living under the same roof as Su Ling, she felt inexplicably annoyed and irritable! What was even more hateful was the matter of the Golden Bagua Disk; if she didn't stay at the General's Mansion, she would have no news of the Bagua Disk, and it would be impossible to go back.

In order to return to the era that belonged to her as soon as possible, Gu Yun finally decided—to stay at the General's Mansion!

After deciding, Gu Yun stood up and smiled extremely gently at the two young small generals, "Trouble you to go tell the soldiers in the mansion that the General said he has a sweetheart and will marry her soon. From now on, you are not allowed to call me Madam anymore, otherwise, you will be dealt with by military law. Do you understand?"

The two small generals looked at each other, and after a long while, they replied somewhat reluctantly, "Understood. Then... how should we address you?"

"You can just call me Miss Qing." Gu Yun was in a great mood; as long as it wasn't that damned "Madam," it didn't matter what they called her.

Convinced that Gu Yun must be very sad inside and was only acting like nothing was wrong for the sake of the big picture, the two looked at each other and said firmly, "Yes, Miss Qing, don't worry, in our hearts, you are the General's Wife!"

Huh? Gu Yun's mouth stiffened. She didn't care for that, alright! Clearing her throat slightly, Gu Yun emphasized, "I appreciate your intentions, but please really don't call me Madam anymore. The General will be unhappy. You must convey this to everyone, understand?"

"Yes." The two had expressions of standing up for her on their faces, but their answer was still loud and clear. Gu Yun was already very satisfied with this; as long as she didn't have to hear the word "Madam" again in the future, she would feel much better. She was truly a bit tired, so Gu Yun smiled at the two small generals and turned to enter the mansion.

Watching Qing Mo's "forced smile" and "disheartened" back, one of the small generals said indignantly in a low voice, "How could the General treat Madam like this? Such a good woman, the General really doesn't know how to cherish his blessings!"

"Exactly!" The other one quickly agreed. No wonder Madam's complexion was so poor, and she had sat outside the mansion for so long without going in just now. How pitiful!

When men gossip, the depth of their skill sometimes makes women look on in despair. Not long after, rumors about Su Ling's fickleness and abandonment spread widely throughout the General's Mansion and even the Su Family Army, with many versions.

Gu Yun was dizzy and just wanted to sleep, so she walked straight toward the backyard. When she reached the front hall, she bumped into Su Yu, who was coming the other way. Obviously, Su Yu hadn't expected Gu Yun to actually return. A flash of joy crossed his eyebrows, but it was quickly replaced by an impatient look as he said, "Why are you back so soon? Where is the Second Brother? Did the Eldest Brother come back with you too?"

After rushing around for several days and being busy analyzing the case just now, now that she could finally be idle, Gu Yun really felt very tired. She ignored him and continued walking toward the backyard.

Against the backdrop of her black clothes, Gu Yun's complexion looked very pale, and her dark circles were frightening. Su Yu finally felt that something was wrong with her. He blocked her path, not letting her continue forward, and asked, "It's only been a few days, why do you look like you're half-dead?"

Gu Yun didn't want to explain and wanted to tell him to let go. Su Yu suddenly grabbed her wrist and said anxiously, "Is your illness acting up again? Do you want me to go invite your sister over?"

On his young face, anxiety and worry were undisguised; it could be seen that he genuinely cared about her. Gu Yun replied faintly, "I'm fine. Su Ren is transporting the gold and is still behind. Su Ling must have gone to the palace." They had parted ways once they entered the capital.

"Are you really okay?" Su Yu was still a bit worried and muttered to himself, "I should still invite a physician to come and take a look." The last time she suddenly fainted, it was truly frightening.

Gu Yun rolled her eyes, shook off his hand, and continued walking toward the backyard. Su Yu roared with dissatisfaction, "Hey, I'm talking to you, where are you going?"

"To sleep." Two words drifted over from afar. Su Yu was stunned for a while, then shook his head and chuckled softly. So she hadn't slept well. It seemed that suppressing bandits during this period must have been very exhausting. Alright, he would tell the kitchen to make her a few good dishes to nourish her. Su Yu walked happily toward the kitchen, where he rarely appeared, completely forgetting the errand he was about to go out to handle.

The kitchen finally managed to make a table full of good dishes, but Gu Yun was completely dead to the world. Su Yu screamed his lungs out outside the door, only to get two words in return, "Not eating!"

Staring at this table of sumptuous dishes, Su Yu's anger rose steadily. Ungrateful dead woman, next time she wants to eat, he won't give her any!

Just as Su Yu was so angry he was about to flip the table, Su Ling's tall figure appeared in the front hall.

"Eldest Brother." Seeing Su Ling, Su Yu suppressed his temper, stood up, and was about to greet him when a faint scent of wine wafted over. Su Yu frowned, "You went drinking? Qing Mo lied to me and said you went to the palace. I even wanted to ask you what the Emperor said."

Su Ling's eagle eyes darkened, "She's back?"

Su Yu replied resentfully, "Back, went to sleep as soon as she returned."

She still knew to rest! Su Ling snorted coldly, rubbed his sore neck, and turned to leave the front hall.

Su Yu called out, "Eldest Brother, you're not eating, where are you going?" Why was this table of dishes so unappealing to everyone?!

"To sleep." Dropping two words coldly, Su Ling strode away.

Sleeping again? Su Yu was depressed.

A gentle breeze brushed his face, and the moonlight was as cool as water. The hundred-year-old Wutong tree used its vigorous branches to hold up large umbrellas, isolating the beautiful moonlight; only at the very top of the tree could one see a crescent moon. Amidst the dense leaves, a silver light, more dazzling than the moonlight, swayed gently. On a high branch, there was a dark figure, pillowing his head with his hands, eyes closed, seemingly sleeping. But even so, you wouldn't dare to approach him easily. Just lying there casually, he was ready to attack or defend, without the slightest flaw.

The man slowly opened his eyes and habitually turned his head slightly to look. This was the highest place nearby, and one could easily see that smooth rock wall and the woods she had once used to train soldiers.

A trace of self-mockery flashed in Ao Tian's indifferent eyes. Since when did he always habitually look at those woods? He heard she went to Pei City to suppress bandits. A small body—how did she store such great power? Truly an interesting woman.

"Good morning, Miss Qing."

"Morning."

"Good morning, Miss Qing."

"Morning."

Although she hadn't slept enough, after a night's rest, Gu Yun's spirits were much better. And after the two small generals' promotion throughout the night, the effect was good; everyone who saw her no longer called her Madam, but... they seemed unusually enthusiastic toward her, acting with extreme caution. She was a bit puzzled, but still very happy. It was a success after all; what a wonderful day!

Gu Yun was in a good mood. Seeing Su Yu from afar, she smiled, "Morning, Su Yu."

Su Yu was still sulking about last night's incident and snorted, "You really can sleep; you're practically a pig."

Gu Yun raised her eyebrows slightly and laughed loudly, "A pig is still better than a chick."

"You!" Su Yu glared at Gu Yun in annoyance. It was all her fault for saying he ate little like a chick; now every time his sister saw him, she called him General Chick! Both sisters were equally hateful!

An elderly servant was bringing Su Yu's breakfast over. Seeing Gu Yun, he smiled kindly, "Miss Qing, have you had breakfast? I'll go get some for you."

"No need, I'm in a rush to go out." Gu Yun waved her hand and left the house, leaving behind an annoyed-looking Su Yu.

What did the servants call her? Miss Qing? Didn't they usually call her Madam? Su Yu nodded secretly. Actually, calling her Miss Qing was best; she wasn't the Eldest Brother's woman, so why call her Madam!

Yuelai Tea House.

"Three thousand taels! Are you sure?!" Qian Jing's pair of phoenix eyes shone brightly, sweeping away his usual careless, ruffian-like appearance, and he stared straight at Zhuo Qing.

As expected, he was a money-grubber; as soon as money was mentioned, he became spirited. Zhuo Qing nodded lazily, and Qian Jing immediately shouted, "I'm in!" Three thousand taels—the Ministry of Justice was truly making a big move this time.

Looking at the two people on the side who were calm, self-possessed, and remained indifferent and silent, Zhuo Qing asked, "Ao Tian, Ye Mei, what about you two?" They were her main purpose today! The victims this time were all noble daughters and young ladies of prominent families. The guards in their mansions were not exactly lax, yet the killer still succeeded, which showed that his martial arts must be superb. Even if the culprit was discovered, the people from the Ministry of Justice might not be able to catch him. Having these two help would make it more certain. They were bounty hunters; three thousand taels should be attractive to them, right?

"I'm busy." The hoarse male voice remained cold and cruel; silver hair hung slightly, looking uninterested.

Alright, no need to try to win him over; he had already clearly written his refusal on his face!

A golden mask covered the woman's expression, leaving only a pair of cold and sharp eyes. She didn't refuse immediately; her eyes narrowed slightly, cold and silent. Qian Jing curled his lips and said, "Senior Sister, the culprit has killed four innocent women in a row; this person must be eliminated!"

From the first moment he met this Senior Sister, she had always had a pair of cold eyes. Senior Brother caught people based on his mood, but she had a heart full of justice. The people she caught were all heinous criminals; money definitely couldn't move her, but sin could.

Sure enough, her icy eyes flickered slightly, and Ye Mei nodded imperceptibly.

Zhuo Qing breathed a sigh of relief; today could be considered a success.

"Knock knock."

A light knocking sound rang out low, and the few people in the room looked at each other. Zhuo Qing said in a low voice, "Come in." She had specifically told the boss just now not to let anyone disturb them; who could be outside the door?

Unlike the soft knocking, as soon as Zhuo Qing finished speaking, the door was nimbly pushed open, and a delicate figure leaned against the door frame. Zhuo Qing chuckled, "Why are you here?" She had specifically wanted to let Gu Yun sleep more, which was why she hadn't gone to find her, but Gu Yun had come to find her first.

It was her! A flash of brilliance crossed Ao Tian's eyes, which had been calm and waveless, but it was quickly hidden.

After a sleep, Gu Yun's spirits were clearly much better, and her complexion was no longer so cold and hard. She smiled and replied, "I went to the Prime Minister's Mansion to find you, and Lou Xiyan said you came here."

(End of chapter)