Chapter 380: This Chess Piece Has Come Alive

"Hengzhi, this is the first time I've seen a case like this."

Standing beside Shen Yu, Yang Lixin stammered a bit. There was no helping it; he could handle ordinary martial arts experts, he still had some ways to deal with them.

But when it came to those who played with Mechanisms, used hidden weapons, or poisoned people—especially things like Gu Poison—he was truly at a loss and had no ideas at all.

He only hoped that Shen Yu, who was standing nearby and was knowledgeable and experienced, could help him analyze the situation and capture the person behind the scenes sooner, so as to avoid leaving the entire Lujiang City in a state of panic by the end.

"This is simple. Since it is a Gu Insect, it will leave behind an aura. By following this aura, we can find where the other party is!"

"That sounds simple enough, but is it easy to handle?"

"It is easy; I have already found her!" Walking out of the residence, Shen Yu looked at the crowd that was still watching.

No matter the place, there is always a group of people who love to watch the excitement and don't fear trouble. As long as things haven't truly fallen upon them, they can always watch the spectacle so easily.

"Coincidentally, she is right here at the scene, right in the crowd!"

"In the crowd?" Looking at that group of people, Yang Lixin immediately shouted to the Constables nearby, "Quick, stop everyone! Don't let anyone leave!"

"No need, let everyone leave. I have already restrained her. Let people go; it will save us trouble in case she has any extreme behavior later that might harm the people nearby."

"Very well!" Nodding, Yang Lixin immediately ordered the Constables to drive away those onlookers. As for the culprit, he left it to Shen Yu to keep her restrained on the spot.

Never mind wanting to move, even speaking was something the other party could not do now.

"My Lord!" The Constables returned after driving away the commoners, looking at Shen Yu with some hesitation, not knowing how to speak.

The crowd that had been watching was already dispersed, leaving only a pregnant woman standing in place. Her belly was already somewhat large, clearly showing, which left these Constables feeling at a loss.

They simply could not connect a soft, weak pregnant woman with a cold-blooded murderer.

"Hengzhi, could there be a mistake?" The woman before them had delicate features and could be called fair-skinned and beautiful, but she appeared somewhat weak.

Standing there like a willow in the wind, as if a gust could blow her over—could such a person be the murderer?

Yang Lixin even recognized this person: Liu Zhangshi. Her husband was considered quite capable in the city, and he was warm-hearted; he had even helped the County Government Office quite a bit back then.

It was just that more than two months ago, while out on a business trip, he encountered bandits and lost his life. At the time, he had even sighed upon hearing the news.

In his impression, this Liu Zhangshi was a frail and weak woman, the type who didn't even dare to speak loudly. Could she kill someone?

"I am also unwilling to believe it is such a person, but it just happens to be her!" He shook his head and pointed at the woman, "The Gu Mother is still on her."

"Uh, uh..." Seeing Yang Lixin walking toward her, the woman subconsciously wanted to retreat, but her whole body was restrained; she couldn't even move, and she couldn't speak a word.

The more this was the case, the more panicked she became, and tears were already starting to well up in her eyes.

"Liu Zhangshi, did you kill the family here?"

"Now that things have come to this, do you still want to hide it? You should know in your heart why everyone else was driven away and only you were left behind. Your affairs have all been investigated clearly by Lord Shen!"

The woman opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing came out.

Suddenly realizing something, Yang Lixin then shouted to Shen Yu, "Hengzhi, release her first!"

"Very well!" With a slight wave of his hand, after releasing the restraint, the woman collapsed onto the ground. Her face showed a look of sorrow, yet at the same time, there was a hint of joy on her face after having her great revenge fulfilled.

"It was me, it was indeed me. He deserved to die, they all deserved to die!"

"Liu Zhangshi, what exactly happened to you? You weren't like this before!"

"Lord Yang, I didn't want this either, but if you had experienced what I experienced, you would be just like me!"

Raising her head to look at Yang Lixin, the woman said in a low voice with tears in her eyes, "Just three months ago, my husband went out on a business trip with him, and they encountered a group of mountain bandits on the way back."

"My husband fought desperately and volunteered to stay behind to cover the retreat, winning him time to escape, but my husband died because of it, leaving me alone and helpless."

"Just because of this, you wanted to kill his whole family?" It was as if he were seeing this woman for the first time. The most poisonous heart is a woman's; the ancients did not deceive me!

"No, My Lord, please don't misunderstand. I didn't kill him because of this. It was because of him, he..."

Speaking to this point, the woman hesitated, and in the end, she still did not speak. This posture, instead, made Yang Lixin feel somewhat annoyed.

Dealing with a heinous villain, even if she was a pregnant woman, it was hard for Yang Lixin to have any patience.

"Stuttering and stammering, Liu Zhangshi, you aren't making up a story, are you? You should think about the child in your belly. He wouldn't want his mother to be a murderer!"

"My Lord, this commoner would never dare, it is just that this matter is shameful to speak of!" Gritting her teeth, the woman closed her eyes and sobbed helplessly in a low voice, "He, he defiled my innocence!"

"My husband died because of him. He originally came to the door with gifts to express his gratitude, but who would have thought he would be moved by lust and sneak in that very night to defile my innocence."

"I begged him, begged him to let me go, but he just wouldn't. I resisted with all my might, but he kicked and punched me!"

Speaking to this point, the pregnant woman cried very sadly, like a helpless child, and her crying made the people around feel much more sympathy.

Thinking that this woman's husband died for that bastard, and was originally his benefactor. But in the end, this bastard actually returned kindness with enmity and took a fancy to the man's widow.

Forcing himself upon her impatiently as soon as night fell—who could stand that?

If no one had seen it, that was one thing, but if someone had seen it, they would have beaten him until he couldn't take care of himself on the spot.

"My Lord, I had no choice at the time. I was already two months pregnant, but he disregarded it entirely and continued to punch and kick me. For the sake of my child, I could only endure the humiliation!"

"Later, he came every night, and I was humiliated every night. For the sake of my child, I could only grit my teeth and endure it."

"But this matter was discovered by his legal wife. Yet she not only didn't blame the other party, but instead said I was unchaste and wanted to drown me in the river!"

"That night I was tied up by them and thrown into the river, but my life was tough, and I survived. At that time, I told myself that I must take revenge, I must make him pay the price!"

"This..." The woman's words made Yang Lixin hesitate. He knew the principle that a life must be paid for a life; the woman should pay for killing, but this family had gone too far.

The evil of the human heart perhaps lies in an inadvertent rise of lust; one thought arises and ten thousand thoughts are born.

"My Lord!" Covering her belly, the woman was full of pleading, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing to Yang Lixin incessantly.

Soon, her head was covered in blood, mixed with tears, which was unbearable to look at.

"I beg you to spare my child. You can do whatever you want to me, but please spare him. I beg you, can you leave a bloodline for my husband's family!"

"This..." For a moment, Yang Lixin felt somewhat soft-hearted and couldn't help but look at Shen Yu nearby, "Hengzhi, how about..."

"I also want to spare him!" Looking at the woman, Shen Yu seemed troubled and didn't know how to speak, but in the end, he still had to speak.

"But did no one tell you that your child is already dead?"

"What?" The woman kneeling on the ground couldn't believe her ears. Panicked and distraught, she covered her belly and hurriedly crawled backward while kneeling.

"My Lord, my child is clearly still in my belly. He even kicked me these past two days."

"My lord, all the faults and mistakes are mine alone, they have nothing to do with the child in my womb. I should not have killed, I should not have sought revenge. But I beg you, I beg you to spare him!"

"Madam Liu Zhang, do not let your imagination run wild; how could Hengzhi possibly lay a hand on your child!"

With brows tightly furrowed, Yang Lixin knew that Shen Yu would not shoot without a target; it was likely that things were truly as he had said.

"Hengzhi, could her child really be..."

"With a Gu Insect inside the body, her child has long since become nourishment; the so-called feeling of being kicked is merely the rolling of the Gu Insect inside under its own control!"

"I have checked, the vitality is already gone, there is no saving him, I am powerless to do anything!"