“That wasn’t poison!”

Yun Tongyang was shocked!

“What did you say? It wasn’t poison?”

Li Mingzhou slowly raised his head, looking at the pale-faced Yun Tongyang, and said, “It was just a bowl of ordinary sedative. I didn’t poison it. Big Brother, Dan’er was just a child. You could be so ruthless, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

“You…”

So the son of the Flowing Gang’s Second Leader from back then was still alive?

Which meant there were no vengeful spirits claiming lives at all!

“After Dan’er fainted, I carried him down the mountain and entrusted him to a farming family to raise. In the blink of an eye, twenty years have passed. Now, he’s finally come for revenge. This is endless retribution.” Li Mingzhou said in a heavy voice, flicking his sleeves and patting his thigh lightly, grief-stricken. “But if he’s still alive, who is he? And where? How has he lived all these years?”

Ji Yinshu picked up his words.

“All these years, he actually hasn’t lived well. Growing up in a farming household, life was not only impoverished but arduous. Fortunately, that child was very clever and extremely diligent. He studied desperately, learned to read and write, immersed himself in literature. After growing up, he passed the xiucai examination and spent years writing letters for impoverished common people. Virtuous and talented, gentle and humble, and moreover dignified in appearance—truly a man of talent. But…”

Her eyes deepened.

“Even though he was only three years old back then, he witnessed with his own eyes how his father died. The revenge for his father’s death weighed on his heart, becoming an unresolved burden for many years. He searched for years and finally learned where his father’s killer was. And what was even more coincidental, he learned that Miss Yu Yin intended to frighten people by pretending to encounter ghosts, so he used this to his advantage. At the first quarter of the second watch the next day, he infiltrated the deceased’s home, rendered them unconscious, and created the false impression that the deceased had hanged themselves.”

“No, no…”

Yun Tongyang still refused to believe it. His entire body hung limply on the ground, yet his eyes were wide open.

As if they were about to burst out!

In this brief hour, he could be said to have been sentenced to death.

With no chance to refute.

Ji Yinshu sighed again, “The causes you sowed back then were destined to become the consequences you must reap now.”

Everyone just stared eagerly, pricking up their ears to listen, but among the meanings, they didn’t quite understand much of it.

Fang Mingsan simply walked down from the high bench, pushed aside several junior constables, and walked to Ji Yinshu’s side.

Asking in a low voice, “Young Master Ji, is this case… concluded?”

She glanced at Fang Mingsan. “Did Your Honor not understand?”

“I understand somewhat, but… who exactly is the murderer?”

“Your Honor might as well look around—who is missing from this public court?”

Mm-hmm?

Who’s missing?

Fang Mingsan looked around in a circle!

Who was absent?

His eyesight wasn’t good, so he couldn’t see very clearly.

But Chief Zhang suddenly exclaimed, “Your Honor, Advisor Wen isn’t here.”

So Fang Mingsan looked a few more times.

“You’re right! Where is Lingyang? Wasn’t he at the Li residence earlier? Didn’t he return together? Could something have happened? Where has he gone off to on his own? I don’t know…”

As he was muttering, he suddenly paused. Fang Mingsan abruptly realized something. His eyes lit up, widening extremely large—even larger than Yun Tongyang’s eyes. His head buzzed a few times, and his lips trembled as he said, “Could it be… could it be… it’s…”

He couldn’t bring himself to say the name “Wen Lingyang.”

He couldn’t believe it!

More than that, he was shocked.

In the public court, there was an uproar!

Some were surprised!

Some were dumbfounded!

Others discussed in low voices.

“What’s going on? The murderer is our Advisor Wen?”

“How is that possible? How could Advisor Wen be the murderer? Normally, he doesn’t even dare to kill a chicken. How could he dare to use a knife to kill people? Impossible, impossible…”

“But Young Master Ji wouldn’t speak nonsense. Why would he bring up Advisor Wen for no reason? I think Advisor Wen is the murderer.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Let’s just wait and see first.”

…

Fang Mingsan nearly fainted. His hands trembled as he raised them and lowered them, going back and forth several times before he finally managed to squeak out words to Ji Yinshu, “Young Master Ji, this case is a matter of life and death! Advisor Wen is kindhearted and praised by everyone in the county yamen. How could he possibly… how could he possibly be the murderer? Isn’t there… isn’t there some misunderstanding here?”

I don’t believe it, I just don’t believe it!

But Ji Yinshu’s eyes were absolutely certain—the person who killed them was none other than Wen Lingyang.

Just at this moment, Shi Zijin, whom Ji Yinshu had earlier sent somewhere unknown, came in, stuffed an object into her hand, whispered something in her ear, then silently withdrew.

The thing in her palm was ice cold!

She didn’t look at it, only lightly rubbed it a few times with her fingertips before tucking it into her sleeve.

…

One incense stick’s time later!

Wen Lingyang’s residence.

Inside the room, Wen Lingyang was sitting cross-legged on a mat, wearing a pale ink-colored long robe. His hair was tied high in a topknot, bound with a light purple ribbon that hung down his back all the way to the ground.

On the desk before him sat a tall, elegant vase with a bamboo stalk inserted in it—very straight, with prominent joints. Beside it was a pot of freshly brewed tea.

He grasped the handle of the teapot and poured two cups of tea, pushing one across to the opposite side.

As if waiting for someone!

The tea’s fragrance overflowed, permeating this room constructed of woven bamboo, mixing with the scent of bamboo—warm and comforting to the nose.

Outside, the morning light had slowly climbed up, casting hazy rays that fell on the ground, on the desk, and on his body and face.

He lowered his gaze, carefully tending to the cup of tea before him. A figure entered from the doorway, obscuring half of the originally hazy, weak light.

Finally settling down across from him.

Ji Yinshu sat cross-legged, her back to that not-particularly-spacious door. The cup of tea before her still emanated rising wisps of white mist, brushing against her face and eyelashes—very gentle.

Wen Lingyang wasn’t surprised by her arrival. His pale lips curved slightly upward as he raised his gaze to meet her eyes.

Smiling gently, “Without realizing it, dawn has broken.”

Ji Yinshu: “After a night has passed, naturally the day has broken.”

Both of them spoke with deeper meaning.

“It’s cold outside. Young Master must have come all the way from the yamen—your body must be chilled. Have some tea to warm yourself.” He gestured with his hand.

Such a man was like a beam of gentle light!

Falling into one’s eyes, supremely comfortable.

Ji Yinshu didn’t refuse. She picked up the cup of tea and took a small sip.

“The tea is very fresh.”

“Just picked.”

“Ning’er tea?”

“Young Master’s tongue is quite remarkable. Usually when others drink this tea, they have to guess several times before they figure it out.”

“That’s because Advisor Wen deliberately placed a Ning’er leaf in the teacup, which is how I knew.”

Upon looking, indeed, in the teacup floated a Ning’er leaf, verdant green.

Wen Lingyang continued smiling gently.

Ji Yinshu set down the teacup and said, “Advisor Wen deliberately wanted me to know this tea is Ning’er tea, and even more deliberately wanted me to know much more.”

As the words fell!

Wen Lingyang didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he held the teapot and added a bit more tea to her cup, then looked outside.

The previously hazy, dim light was now slowly turning red, and the air even carried the warmth of early morning.

He asked lightly, “What makes you say that?”

What makes you say that?

Interesting!