Yue Ning’s angry shout seemed as if she would truly tear Wei Qizhi’s mouth apart, yet to Wei Qizhi, it sounded like heavenly music.
Wei Qizhi glanced toward the doorway and burst into joyful tears, shouting, “Princess! You’ve finally arrived! Save me! Save me and you can tear me apart however you wish—”
Yue Ning shot a fierce glare at Wei Qizhi. “Shut up!”
Wei Qizhi didn’t find Yue Ning frightening at all; instead, he found her utterly adorable at that moment.
Yue Ning surveyed the room and stepped aside. Behind her, Yan Chi and Zhan Yang led the way, followed by Qin Wan and Magistrate Zheng Baishi. The courtyard outside was filled with black-clothed guards, and the earlier gray-robed old servant stood expressionless, restrained by one of the guards. Inside the room, Ning Buyi’s knife had just carved a small cut across Wei Qizhi’s chest.
Wei Qizhi looked at Ning Buyi, finally smiling with confidence and satisfaction. “How about that, Brother Ning! I wasn’t just trying to scare you earlier. You didn’t run then, and now it’s too late to run.”
Ning Buyi twirled the thin blade in his hand and held it against Wei Qizhi’s neck. He smiled slightly. “Brother Wei truly has remarkable luck.”
After speaking, Ning Buyi raised his eyes to look at those who had entered the room.
He recognized everyone present, and he had known Magistrate Zheng Baishi and Zhan Yang for many years.
Seeing Ning Buyi with the knife, both Magistrate Zheng Baishi and Zhan Yang’s expressions grew heavy.
Magistrate Zheng Baishi sighed. “So it was you. When you first befriended the officials, it was all for this day, wasn’t it?”
Ning Buyi neither confirmed nor denied, showing not the slightest trace of panic. “You flatter me, Sir. What I needed to do was of great importance, so I had to be cautious.”
Despite having killed people, Ning Buyi remained calm and unhurried, as if his actions were nothing extraordinary.
Zhan Yang’s face showed thin anger. “Ning Buyi, you’ve harmed so many people for your selfish desires, yet even now you show no signs of remorse?! You’re also a scholar—don’t you know that killing people for ritual sacrifices is complete nonsense?!”
Ning Buyi shook his head at Zhan Yang. “Captain Zhan, there are many things in this world beyond what’s written in books. How can you know what’s true or false without trying?”
Ning Buyi’s gaze swept over Qin Wan, then looked at Yan Chi, smiling as he said, “There are many mysterious things in this world that we don’t understand. What I’ve done is perfectly normal; it’s just that ordinary people are too ignorant to understand.”
Qin Wan felt disturbed by Ning Buyi’s gaze. Looking at him now, she suddenly recalled their first encounter when she had secretly gone to the Meng mansion to examine a corpse for their case. She had unexpectedly met Ning Buyi there, who appeared refined and elegant, carrying several painting scrolls, truly like a person who had stepped out of a painting.
Though she despised Ning Buyi for committing such evil murders, she knew his words held truth, as she was the best example. Had she not experienced rebirth herself, she would have dismissed his words as a joke. But since she was indeed someone who had returned from death, she knew that not all mysterious legends were groundless.
Thinking of this, Qin Wan became somewhat alarmed. Ning Buyi could perform evil-dispelling rituals, and his powers might even exceed those of Daoist Zhang. Could he see that she wasn’t an ordinary person?
Qin Wan pressed her lips together. “When you went to the Meng mansion before, were you already searching for targets?”
At Qin Wan’s sudden question, Ning Buyi smiled. “The Princess indeed has a clever mind. I assume you all know about the Meng mansion incident by now. It was originally one of my targets, but unexpectedly, the Meng family created their murder case, saving me from having to find another target. That Second Master Meng, being someone who betrayed his own family and committed crimes against women, would have been perfect for a living sacrifice.”
Though Second Master Meng deserved death, everyone present represented the imperial court, even Qin Wan held an honorary position. Such words seemed to challenge the imperial laws. Sure enough, Zhan Yang was the first to object, “If you knew of his crimes, you should have reported them to the authorities. Instead, you took justice into your own hands… all for your selfish desires. Yet you speak of such evil deeds with such self-righteousness—truly the face of evil!”
Most evildoers believe themselves righteous, and Zhan Yang couldn’t find better words to curse Ning Buyi. Ning Buyi sneered, “Captain Zhan speaks with such nobility, but if the Meng family’s case had truly reached the authorities, how would they handle it? How would the Meng family deal with it? Captain Zhan makes it sound simple, but with so many dirty crimes in the secular world, how long can Captain Zhan’s justice and righteousness prevail? This world needs someone to truly stand up and carry out heaven’s justice!”
Listening to Ning Buyi’s brazen words, Wei Qizhi smiled bitterly, “Brother Ning, may I ask what crime I committed?”
Ning Buyi didn’t even look at Wei Qizhi, just laughed coldly, “Since you’ve caught me red-handed, I have nothing more to say.” Turning his gaze, Ning Buyi looked at Qin Wan, “Princess, when did you start suspecting me?”
At this point, Qin Wan saw no need to hide anything. “I saw your painting at the An Yang Marquis mansion, which reminded me that I had seen an identical painting at the Wu family’s home. I realized that the Wu family had bought paintings from you, which might have been just a coincidence, but it at least proved you knew the first victim. The first victim Wu Qian, along with the later victims Zhao Jiaxu and Hu Dequan, were all connected to the Feng Qi Tower. So I visited the Feng Qi Tower and indeed learned quite a bit. You likely used your connections with the courtesans there to gather information about their patrons. These patrons, when drunk, often revealed their secrets, sometimes even confessing their crimes. This is how you found your targets.”
After a brief pause, she continued, “You became close to me and the Princess, and when you saw us seeking paintings from your masters, you became cautious. That’s why that night, you stayed with us the entire time, while Wang Xin died that very night.”
“This alone could have cleared your suspicion, but I happened to discover your carefully prepared time-delay device at the mill. That morning, you had brought Wang Xin there early, hung up the millstone, tied the rope with a slipknot, ran it over the wall, and secured it to the beam in the adjacent room. Then you lit the prepared candle. Afterward, you must have cleaned up the traces, and though you took away the burned rope, you forgot to clean the candle marks on the beam.”
Hearing this, Ning Buyi gave a faint smile. “In that case, what Brother Wei said was true. He wasn’t heartless; he was just acting the part of a scoundrel before me on the Princess’s orders.”
Qin Wan nodded. “I suspected you and knew you were looking for targets, so I used Young Master Wei as bait. You had some friendship with him, and given his unrestrained nature, you wouldn’t find it strange if he suddenly acted heartlessly. That night, you used the Wu family’s Third Young Master to disguise yourself as a victim. You went to deliver paintings, drugged Third Young Master, but pretended to faint first, making him think you had both passed out. Later, the Third Young Master didn’t suspect you. When it happened, Third Young Master was caught red-handed, and I almost wavered, but your scheme wasn’t particularly clever. You knew Third Young Master had unspeakable secrets, so you tried to use this to make him appear to be the killer, but we could easily investigate Third Young Master’s situation if we wanted to. And if Third Young Master was the killer, why make the two cups of tea so obviously suspicious?”
After hearing Qin Wan’s words, Ning Buyi moved his knife-holding hand away slightly, seemingly no longer intending to take Wei Qizhi’s life.
Wei Qizhi breathed a sigh of relief, and Qin Wan continued, “Actually, you already knew I suspected you. You tried several times to clear yourself of suspicion, so why didn’t you leave while we were interrogating Third Young Master Wu?”
Ning Buyi thought of something, his eyes showing a hint of detachment, but he said, “This matter has come to this point today, and someone must take responsibility, correct? I did these things, and leaving like that would make me appear cowardly.”
Zhan Yang asked again, “Six years ago, was that also you?”
Ning Buyi slipped the knife into his sleeve, maintaining an elegant demeanor, “At this point, why does Captain Zhan need to ask so much? Ning Mou knows that in your eyes, his sins are grave. Since nothing can be changed now, there’s no need to say more to you all.”
As Ning Buyi no longer threatened Wei Qizhi with the knife, everyone dared to step forward. As they did so, Ning Buyi stepped back, and Wei Qizhi’s anxious heart finally settled. He was smiling at Yue Ning when suddenly her expression changed!
“What’s wrong with him—”
Wei Qizhi didn’t know what had happened, but when he turned to look, he saw that Ning Buyi, who was only two or three steps away from him, had suddenly turned deathly pale, and a stream of bright red blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Wei Qizhi blinked, and at that moment, Yan Chi immediately shouted, “Bai Feng—”
Bai Feng’s figure flashed to Ning Buyi’s side and quickly pressed two points on his chest. Ning Buyi’s body trembled slightly, but he merely smiled, as if mocking Bai Feng’s futile efforts. The blood at the corner of his lips grew darker, and soon his body collapsed, unable to stand!
Qin Wan quickly stepped forward to check Ning Buyi’s pulse, frowning as she said, “It’s poison!”
Suddenly everything became clear to Qin Wan. Earlier she had only noticed his pale complexion without knowing the cause, but now she understood completely—his deathly pallor was due to poisoning. Yet why couldn’t she detect it when checking his pulse?
Ning Buyi watched as everyone gathered around him, the smile never leaving his lips, his eyes fixed straight at the ceiling. The night outside had grown thick, and he seemed to be gazing through the roof at the night sky.
He had always been handsome, and now at death’s door, the blood on his lips made his features appear even more striking. His eyes were wide open, and though his body had been curled in pain, it now lay spread out. His hands, which had been clutched to his chest, gradually fell to his sides. He exhaled softly, his smile growing increasingly bright as if finding release until finally freezing in a moment of ultimate serenity.
Qin Wan sighed, “It’s poison, and it struck too suddenly. There’s no saving him.”
Qin Wan was known as the Little Medical Fairy, and she had even saved Tuoba Hong from death’s door, but now she declared Ning Buyi beyond saving. Everyone’s expressions darkened as they watched Ning Buyi’s breathing cease.
At the table, Wei Qizhi struggled in vain, completely unable to move. Zhan Yang gritted his teeth, “Damn it, we hadn’t finished questioning him, and he just dies like this.”
Zhan Yang stood up and looked toward the courtyard. “At least we still have the old servant. Your Highness, Princess, Sir, I’ll go question him now.”
Magistrate Zheng Baishi nodded, and Zhan Yang walked out. The old servant was still standing properly outside.
Inside the room, Magistrate Zheng Baishi asked, “Princess, is there any need to examine his body?”
Qin Wan shook her head, merely committing Ning Buyi’s death appearance to memory, trying to determine what poison he had taken. “No need for an examination, but although I understand medicine well, my knowledge of poisons is limited. I can’t immediately identify what poison he took.”
Magistrate Zheng Baishi sighed, “He probably prepared it beforehand, considering there were too many loose ends this time. He must have anticipated this day would come.”
Qin Wan shook her head, “This poison wasn’t just taken—it seems to have been in his body all along, suppressed until now.”
Magistrate Zheng Baishi frowned, “We know too little about his past. It seems we’ll need to send someone to his hometown.”
Yan Chi said, “Leave that to me. Magistrate Zheng, please handle the body first.”
Ning Buyi was a criminal, and they didn’t know if he had any relatives in the capital. Magistrate Zheng Baishi beckoned the yamen runners outside to come in, and they quickly carried Ning Buyi out. Inside, Wei Qizhi lay helplessly on the long table.
“Hey, hey, hey, don’t forget about me! Princess, I can’t move—do you have a solution?”
After Ning Buyi was carried away, everyone finally turned their attention to Wei Qizhi. Qin Wan stepped forward to check his pulse. “It’s just Bone-Softening Powder. Your chest wound isn’t deep either. I don’t have medicine with me, but we’ll send you back to the Wei mansion for a dose of medicine. For now, I’ll just apply some ointment to stop the bleeding on your wound. There’s nothing here to bandage it with, so you’ll have to bear with it.”
Though Wei Qizhi’s wound was bleeding, it wasn’t severe. Qin Wan took out the ointment she carried for treating external wounds and bruises and applied it to Wei Qizhi’s wound. Wei Qizhi hissed in pain, acting as if it hurt terribly.
Soon, Qin Wan finished treating Wei Qizhi’s wound.
Wei Qizhi breathed a sigh of relief and instinctively looked at Yue Ning. “Princess, given my current state of undress, could you perhaps…”
Yue Ning glared at him—did he expect her to dress him?!
Yue Ning glanced at Bai Feng nearby. “Guard Bai Feng, help him get dressed!”
With that, Yue Ning walked out to the courtyard, where Zhan Yang was questioning the old servant.
Bai Feng stepped forward to help Wei Qizhi arrange his clothes, while Magistrate Zheng Baishi called two yamen runners to help Wei Qizhi up.
Magistrate Zheng Baishi then asked, “Young Master Wei, what exactly happened today?”
Wei Qizhi then recounted the day’s events, and Magistrate Zheng Baishi responded, “Indeed, Ning Buyi had planned this all along.”
Yan Chi frowned, “But his death by poison still leaves many questions unanswered.”
Ning Buyi had died without revealing anything, leaving many mysteries in this case unsolved.
Magistrate Zheng Baishi agreed, “Indeed, there’s still much to investigate.”
At that moment, Zhan Yang came back from outside. “This old servant was bought by him a year ago, just to watch over this house. He had no other purpose and doesn’t know much about Ning Buyi’s affairs.”
Zhan Yang continued, “It seems we’ll need to visit Feng Qi Tower.” Now that they had confirmed Ning Buyi as the killer, everyone connected to him needed to be thoroughly investigated, and Ning Buyi was a regular at Feng Qi Tower.
Magistrate Zheng Baishi nodded, “Very well, you can do that tomorrow. For now, let’s send Young Master Wei back home. Fortunately, Daoist Zhang eventually calculated the third location, or Young Master Wei would have met with disaster today.”
Wei Qizhi was helped out of the room by two yamen runners. Yue Ning glared at him disapprovingly, naturally because of his reckless words. Qin Wan apologetically said, “I’m sorry for dragging you into this mess.”
Wei Qizhi laughed carelessly, “What’s there to be sorry about? A real man shouldn’t fear shedding a little blood! What kind of man doesn’t have a few scars on his body!”
Hearing Wei Qizhi’s bombastic words, Yue Ning coldly snorted, “I wonder who was crying and wailing just earlier…”
Qin Wan couldn’t help but smile, while Wei Qizhi huffed, “That was quick thinking in a desperate situation. How else could I have disrupted his concentration? By the way, about what I said earlier, please don’t take it to heart—”
At the mention of this, Yue Ning’s eyes immediately widened, “You dare bring that up again?! Do you want me to—”
Seeing Yue Ning raise her fist, Wei Qizhi quickly turned his head away, “Oh no, my wound has opened up again! Captain Zhan, Magistrate Zheng, please hurry and send me back! I’m dying of pain, I can’t take it anymore, oh, I’m about to faint—”
Wei Qizhi’s dramatic act of fainting made Yue Ning both angry and amused. Considering his injury, she naturally wouldn’t hit him. Though Wei Qizhi’s wounds weren’t severe, a knife wound that drew blood was no joke. Magistrate Zheng Baishi shook his head helplessly and quickly ordered the yamen runners to take Wei Qizhi to the Wei mansion. Wei Qizhi kept looking back as he left, “Then I’ll take my leave! Princess, don’t be angry, I’ll come apologize tomorrow—”
Yue Ning merely snorted coldly, ignoring him!
After Wei Qizhi left, Zhan Yang naturally took his men to investigate the house. Magistrate Zheng Baishi stood with Yan Chi and said, “Your Highness, this case is finally resolved. You saw His Majesty’s expression during morning court today—if we hadn’t solved it, I fear my position as prefect would have been in jeopardy. However, the outcome of the culprit’s suicide is somewhat unsatisfying.”
This case had earned Magistrate Zheng Baishi much criticism, and now that it was finally solved, he could be said to have shed tears of bitter relief.
Magistrate Zheng Baishi exhaled, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders, and said, “Tonight we owe much to Your Highness. Your men are far more agile than the yamen runners. If not for them, even a slight delay could have cost Young Master Wei his life.”
Daoist Zhang had calculated that the third location was in the south of the city. If the yamen runners had had to search house by house, who knows how long it would have taken. It was Yan Chi’s guards who set out, climbing walls and entering courtyards—though somewhat improper, it saved precious time.
Yan Chi said, “Magistrate, you know about the Northwestern military supplies matter. With this case resolved, I have one less worry on my mind.”
Hearing this, Magistrate Zheng Baishi quickly said, “Leave the aftermath to us. Your Highness, you and the two princesses should head back now. It’s very late, and with the case solved, everyone can rest easier.”
It was late, and staying longer would serve no purpose. After giving a few more instructions, Yan Chi prepared to leave with Qin Wan and Yue Ning. Yue Ning said, “It’s too late now, Your Highness should escort Qin Wan back—”
Yan Chi responded noncommittally, “Leave it to me.”
Yue Ning had her escorts and didn’t need accompanying, so she bid farewell to Qin Wan and Yan Chi and left first.
Yue Ning was unaware of the feelings between Yan Chi and Qin Wan, thinking only that Yan Chi, as a renowned war god, would be the safest escort for Qin Wan. After Yue Ning left, Yan Chi and Qin Wan got into the carriage together.
As soon as they entered the carriage, Qin Wan asked, “Don’t you find it strange?”
Yan Chi’s eyes showed understanding, clearly sharing her doubts. “He died too readily.”
Qin Wan nodded, “Indeed, and we still don’t know exactly why he performed those rituals… His final attitude was also very strange, saying this matter needed a conclusion. This doesn’t sound like the mad thoughts of someone purely evil. Six years ago, he could kill three people and escape, so why did he seem to give up resistance this time?”
Qin Wan’s words echoed Yan Chi’s thoughts, but he couldn’t figure it out either. “I’ll send people to investigate his hometown, which should yield some results. All these years he’s been alone in the capital, and though his reputation was significant, we don’t know who he was. At least the case is closed now.”
Thinking of Yan Chi’s earlier words, Qin Wan quickly asked, “How is the military supplies situation?”
Yan Chi’s expression grew serious, “Not well. There’s been no word from Shuoxi, which isn’t a good sign.”
Qin Wan’s heart sank, “What does His Majesty think…”
A cold look flashed across Yan Chi’s face, but he said, “Don’t worry about this. The Shuoxi Army hasn’t stood firm all these years for anything. His Majesty values the northwestern border greatly and won’t take it lightly.”
Qin Wan knew Yan Chi didn’t want her to worry, so she obediently didn’t ask further. It was now past midnight, and the night breeze carried a hint of chill. For some reason, remembering Ning Buyi’s relieved smile before death, Qin Wan felt a deep sense of unease rise in her heart.