Chapter 90

"Mufeng?" Meeting Su Mufeng's deep eyes, Gu Yuexin only felt she was in an ice cellar and couldn't help but tremble slightly. Lowering her head, Gu Yuexin simply chose not to look at him.

Squatting down beside Gu Yuexin, Su Mufeng gazed at Gu Yuexin's beautiful profile and asked in a deep voice, "Xin Yi, is everything you said true?"

Although his voice was very low, Gu Yun could still see the surprise and uncertainty on his face, which he was unwilling to believe. This was the expression someone who knew nothing should have, but the first expression Gu Yuexin had when seeing Su Mufeng was fear and worry. What was she worried about for him?

Gu Yun's cold eyes stared tightly at Su Mufeng and Gu Yuexin, unwilling to miss a single one of their expressions, while Zhuo Qing, after hearing about the so-called illusion technique, looked thoughtful and lost in her own thoughts.

"I." Gu Yuexin hesitated for a while, then nodded forcefully and replied coldly and firmly, "It is true."

Ripples finally appeared on Su Mufeng's usually indifferent face. He, who never took the initiative to touch others, grabbed Gu Yuexin's shoulders and roared in a low voice, "Why did you do this?"

Tears welled up in her eyes. Gu Yuexin took a deep breath, forcing the tears not to fall. Gently pushing away Su Mufeng's hand, Gu Yuexin sighed lowly, "Mufeng, I am doing this to protect you! Go back to the Guyue family, don't stay in the capital anymore."

To him, who had lost his mother at a young age, Xin Yi was like a mother. He couldn't accept that Gu Yuexin had gone to kill to protect him. Although he also felt that the actions of those young ladies were disgusting and frightening, he had never thought of wanting them dead! "I don't believe you would do such a thing!" Staring blankly at Gu Yuexin, who refused to look at him again, Su Mufeng didn't know what he should say. He didn't need this kind of protection! He was even more unwilling to believe that the aunt he respected most would actually kill, and with such cruel methods; this was impossible!

Pushing away Su Mufeng, who was watching her with a heart-wrenching expression, Gu Yuexin shouted loudly, "I did it, you go, leave now!" Looking at Dan Yulan, Gu Yuexin suddenly stood up, held her head high, and cried, "Official, I have already confessed. Help me lock her in the prison; I don't want to see him!"

Su Mufeng was as if struck by lightning, staring blankly at Gu Yuexin's back turned to him. His body suddenly felt cold. Gu Yun keenly discovered that a flash of violence and coldness suddenly crossed his eyes, but it quickly returned to its original clarity.

Everything that needed to be said and seen had been said and seen. Dan Yulan waved his hand and said in a loud voice, "Since the criminal has confessed, men, take her to the prison. After reporting to the imperial court, we will pass judgment!"

"Yes." Two yamen runners walked to Gu Yuexin's side. She followed them out of the public hall very cooperatively, but the moment she stepped out of the porch, she couldn't help but look back at Su Mufeng, who was still standing blankly to the side. The tears in her eyes could no longer be controlled and flowed down: "Mufeng, if you still recognize me as your aunt, go back to the Guyue family immediately, do you hear me?!" Only there could he get the best protection. How she regretted now that she shouldn't have let him return to the Su family six years ago!

Being pushed forward, Gu Yuexin still looked back again and again, shouting at Su Mufeng: "Go! Leave quickly!"

Finally, Gu Yuexin's voice disappeared from the Ministry of Justice hall. Su Mufeng's eyes revealed a sense of confusion, and his expression was as indifferent as it was at the beginning, ignoring everyone in the public hall. He left silently as he had come, only his footsteps lacked their usual ease.

Dan Yulan didn't call him back either, letting Su Mufeng walk out of the public hall. After he had gone far away, Dan Yulan looked around at everyone and sighed, "What do you all think of this case?"

This case certainly had some doubts, but Gu Yuexin was caught while committing the crime, and the murder weapon she carried was consistent with the wounds of the deceased in the previous cases. She could also explain the cause of the matter and confessed voluntarily. As long as she was punished, this case would be considered closed. The one-month deadline given by the Emperor now had only nine days left. If the killer wasn't Gu Yuexin, I'm afraid the real culprit wouldn't be found, and Official Dan would have already been convicted and imprisoned.

No one from the Ministry of Justice made a sound. Zhuo Qing didn't know what she was still thinking about and remained silent. Lou Xiyan had been a bystander from beginning to end, neither agreeing nor opposing, and his unfathomable appearance made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Civil cases can be judged based on high probability, but criminal cases require 100% evidence; the entire chain of evidence must be complete and without omissions. In this heart-plucking case, if Gu Yuexin were the killer, there would be too many doubts!

The Ministry of Justice hall seemed a bit too quiet. Gu Yun stepped forward and said in a loud voice, "I think there are still doubts!"

Dan Yulan laughed heartily and said, "Miss Qing, please feel free to speak." He had long guessed that she wasn't the type to do things perfunctorily, and wasn't this exactly the reason why he admired this young girl?

Gu Yun raised her eyebrows slightly and looked back at Dan Yulan. There were only nine days left. His saying "feel free to speak" meant that it was very likely that if the killer couldn't be caught by then, he would be the one truly going to prison! This kind of demeanor couldn't help but make her admire him. She would definitely catch this killer!

Walking to the middle of the hall, Gu Yun explained the doubts she perceived one by one: "First, killing just to protect Su Mufeng from being harassed is a bit far-fetched. Moreover, although Gu Yuexin's martial arts are not weak, they are not very high. If it weren't for the deliberate withdrawal of half the night patrol soldiers, she might have been captured before even finding my room. In a place as heavily guarded as the Prince's Mansion, the killer could come and go freely; it really doesn't look like something Gu Yuexin could do. Second, killing three people in a row with such skilled methods, yet she can't explain the details of her killing; this absolutely doesn't make sense. Third, her attitude of being eager to confess; perhaps she is indeed protecting someone, and that person might be the killer!"

Cheng Hang was the first to object: "You think Young Master Su is the killer? I don't think so!" Young Master Su's hemophobia is something everyone in the Su family knows. The Su family even found many doctors for this; this couldn't be faked.

Gu Yun shrugged and replied, "I didn't say he was the killer."

Cheng Hang was even more confused: "You just clearly said the person she wanted to protect was the killer, isn't that Young Master Su?" Strange, how could such a shrewd person be so self-contradictory today?

Zhuo Qing, who had been silent, finally looked up and said with a face full of worry, "If the Guyue family's illusion technique is really that powerful, Su Mufeng might also have been put under an illusion, and he might have killed without even knowing it himself. And what prompted him to kill was the contact with women; as long as a woman deliberately touched him, he would kill uncontrollably!"

This was so-called hypnotic suggestion. If this were really the case, then the real killer should be the person who hypnotized him!

Uncontrollable killing? What a terrifying thing. Lv Jin looked at Zhuo Qing and said urgently, "So you mean he didn't strike last time because he was interrupted by Gu Yuexin? If it's uncontrollable killing, then he might still raid the General's Mansion tonight? And because of this, Gu Yuexin was so panicked that she made him leave the capital immediately."

As soon as his words came out, the expressions of everyone in the public hall changed. Gu Yun looked quite relaxed, smiled, and said in a loud voice, "Very possible! But these are just our guesses. We must be prepared tonight; whether the killer comes or not can only be left to fate!"

"Let me be the bait this time." Zhuo Qing suddenly requested. The next second, Prime Minister Lou, who had always been as steady as Mount Tai, finally scolded in a low voice: "No!"

Secretly taking a deep breath, Lou Xiyan's expression returned to normal, and he replied calmly, "I don't agree. This is too dangerous." Yesterday it was only Gu Yuexin; if Ao Tian hadn't appeared in time, Qing Mo might have been injured. Qing'er has no martial arts; this matter is too dangerous!

Zhuo Qing thought Lou Xiyan might disagree, but she didn't expect him to be so firm. Zhuo Qing turned her head and whispered persistently in his ear, "Xiyan, there are so many people protecting me in the dark, I won't be alright, I promise!"

Lou Xiyan's protective attitude toward Zhuo Qing was already very obvious. If she really had any mishaps, I'm afraid no one would be able to answer for it. Dan Yulan smiled and persuaded, "Actually, as long as the killer enters the General's Mansion, he will definitely be unable to escape, so there is no need for the two young ladies to take risks!"

Zhuo Qing turned her head and insisted, "No, this time, I must solve the mystery of the so-called illusion technique!"

Lou Xiyan frowned: "Can't someone else do it?"

Zhuo Qing shook her head slightly, while Gu Yun said straightforwardly, "If there really is a so-called illusion technique, she is the only one who can solve this mystery!"

Qing is not only the most outstanding chief forensic examiner in recent years but also a mentor in the police department responsible for training psychological counseling professionals. If Su Mufeng was really hypnotized by someone, Qing should be able to help him!

The pure black carriage sped toward the Prime Minister's Mansion as usual, but the atmosphere inside the carriage was a bit stiff. Zhuo Qing sat in one corner of the carriage, and Lou Xiyan sat in the other, turning his head to look out the window and ignoring her. Zhuo Qing took a deep breath, stood up generously, moved to Lou Xiyan's side, pulled his sleeve lightly, and asked in a low voice, "Xiyan, are you angry?"

Slowly turning his head, Lou Xiyan replied faintly, "What do you think?"

He was angry, and very angry! Zhuo Qing withdrew her hand and stopped tugging at his sleeve. She couldn't do the act of acting coquettish or throwing a tantrum to make him agree to her request, and Xiyan wouldn't fall for that anyway. After a long time, she looked up at Xiyan, who had been gazing at her, and Zhuo Qing explained in a low voice, "I am sorry for making you worry by doing this. But that killer must be caught, and his killing methods must be cracked; otherwise, those who died won't get justice, and many more lives will be threatened. I hope to find the real culprit, but I am not doing this blindly; I have the ability to deal with him. I will deploy everything tonight and try to ensure nothing goes wrong!"

(End of chapter)