“Li Huaisu, I’ve always believed that some things will never change.”

Before Suzhen could act, the atmosphere in the hall had already become exceptionally tense. Sang’s father refuted Ying Yan, but was sternly silenced by Ying’s father and several other clan leaders.

Seeing that Ying Yan’s people were about to capture everyone on Sang Zhan’s side, Lanna stared intently at Sang Zhan, seemingly pondering rescue methods, her eyes showing both severity and disappointment, painful as a knife.

“Stop, I’m willing to surrender myself. Let them go.” Sang Zhan looked toward the clan leader and several family heads, speaking proudly.

His gaze swept swiftly across his trusted clansmen in the hall. They had originally received his orders to remain still, but now they were all seething with suppressed anger, restless to act. However, he stopped them with his eyes, wanting to preserve their strength first.

“Please wait.”

Ying Yan’s lips curved in a smile as he exchanged glances with his father, but suddenly someone said: “Miss Lanna is undoubtedly the best physician, but I have worked as a coroner before. Could I examine this corpse?”

“A female coroner?”

“There are actually female coroners in this world?”

People were greatly astonished and whispered among themselves, but they saw that from the clear voice, a white-robed woman slowly walked out from the crowd.

“That young lady…” Abu first exclaimed excitedly, and Sang Zhan was also pleasantly surprised, but he ultimately shook his head at Suzhen, stopping her from this act of throwing an egg against a rock. Lanna also looked over with full doubt.

Ying’s father sneered coldly, pointing accusingly: “The divine lake was bestowed upon our tribe, granting us the great jade mine. If we weren’t afraid of disturbing the spirits and hoping to finish mining the treasures quickly, why would we let you outsiders come here to participate in the excavation?”

“So you also revere the spirits? I thought those who revere spirits wouldn’t dare to kill people.” Suzhen asked coolly in return, without any fear.

Lian Yu understood that she was unwilling to reconcile with him, but he hoped that regardless of whether she would love him again, she should still be herself. She didn’t need to be adored by all people, nor did she need to be understood by the vast majority.

The cracks in love sometimes can never be repaired in a lifetime, but one’s dignity and worth can be brought in life and taken in death. And she could also be certain that as long as he was behind her, she could freely do what she wanted to do.

Regardless of whether she still loved him or not.

“What did you say? You dare to falsely accuse us of murder?” Ying’s father said coldly, a hint of viciousness showing in his eyes.

“You are Sang Zhan’s people. Everyone saw with their own eyes that this woman came with Sang Zhan.” Ying Yan raised his eyebrows and smiled, decisively ordering: “Capture these outsiders who came to cause trouble.”

Suzhen frowned slightly. Before she could respond, Lian Yu emerged from the crowd, walking while smiling slightly: “Outsiders shouldn’t interfere in your tribal affairs, and we don’t want to cause unnecessary trouble. However, this person died from golden needles piercing acupoints. You say someone deliberately killed him, impersonating divine spirits, but could there be another possibility? What if this person truly was killed by divine wrath and heavenly punishment, and someone inserted the golden needles after Achuan’s death to disguise it as human action, disregarding divine anger and continuing to mine?”

“We have no relationship with this Sang Zhan. It’s just that his birds landed on our tree, and my wife helped him retrieve them, which is how we became acquainted. Based on this slight connection, would we speak for him? We came here wholeheartedly to mine, only for the word ‘money’. What we need to clarify is whether this was human action or divine punishment. If we can’t even preserve our lives, what use is all the gold and silver?”

“You can kill this man surnamed Sang right now, and see if we’ll say a word. Afterward, just let my wife verify this to dispel our doubts.”

He stopped a few steps ahead of her, facing all the tribesmen outside the ancestral hall, speaking eloquently, his eyes like black jade, his white robe like snow.

“What…”

Many people showed fear on their faces, speaking out one after another, looking toward the clan leaders and patriarch.

Suzhen hadn’t expected this man to do the opposite – not mentioning another murderer, but still directing the conflict toward the spirits. His talk about coming to mine for money was pure “nonsense,” but these words struck at the heart of the tribesmen, and coming from a man who commanded the world, it actually silenced the vast majority of people.

Just as Ying Yan’s expression darkened slightly, Suzhen seized the opportunity to step forward, half-kneeling beside the corpse. Achuan’s body had just been examined, with no clothing, covered only by a long strip of white cloth.

She quickly lifted the cloth, pulling it up to the waist.

Xuanwu and Zhuque stepped forward, turning the body to lie on its side.

It was a robust body. Since it was winter and the time since death wasn’t too long, there were no signs of decay, swelling, or sticky fluids, but the shoulders, waist, and hands had accumulated quite a few red-purple spots.

Since Lanna had already examined the head, Suzhen temporarily didn’t check there. Her hands moved along the skin following the bone structure, her technique skillful and swift as lightning.

“Lividity can form as quickly as a quarter of an hour after death, or as late as half to one hour,” she said while examining. “If death exceeds a certain time, lividity won’t change anymore. However, in the first few hours, if subjected to external pressure, lividity can disappear, and the corpse can form new spots due to changing positions or new pressure—”

“Like this,” she said, pressing hard with her finger on Achuan’s waist. People saw the purple-red spots instantly turn white. Her hand slid down, continuing the examination. Suddenly her eyes showed surprise, and she pressed hard on a certain spot on the waist. People were initially very dissatisfied with her sudden actions, but seeing this delicate woman showing no fear before a corpse, her five fingers precise in their movements, they momentarily forgot to speak. Some were even startled by her expression and immediately asked: “What is it?”

“This spot feels hard when pressed, and the color doesn’t change when released. I’m afraid this is an internal injury caused by profound internal force, with blood settling and appearing after death. It’s not ordinary lividity… but the color resembles lividity, and if not careful, it could be mistaken for normal lividity.”

“The internal injury is severe and could cause death. Why would someone still need to pierce the head’s vital acupoints? Unless the killer wanted to hide their martial arts skills.” Suzhen slowly stood up, staring at the patriarch and slowly asking: “May I ask who in the clan knows fierce palm techniques?”

“Ying Yan! He practices powerful external martial arts!”

Over there, Aqi and Abu, surrounded by the crowd, immediately shouted loudly. People were also shocked, their eyes widening. The patriarch and several family heads looked at each other, while Ying’s father’s eyes showed fierce malice. “You deliberately say Achuan died from internal injuries – this is clearly calling a deer a horse. How dare you claim you’re not Sang Zhan’s people!”

“Whether I’m calling a deer a horse or not, cut open the corpse and you’ll know. Miss Lanna is the best physician. Please ask her to look, ask her to speak.” Unlike his ferocity, Suzhen’s brow carried a composed smile.

Lanna stepped forward, her delicate eyebrows furrowed tightly, both surprised and pleased.

“Everyone listen to me – this is clearly Sang Zhan colluding with outsiders to frame me. Men, kill this woman who spreads lies to confuse people, and that man surnamed Murong!” Ying Yan’s face was fierce as a bird of prey. His four subordinates immediately abandoned Anu and attacked Suzhen.

“Protect Miss Suzhen!”

Sang Zhan shouted sternly. As he spoke, he kicked down a subordinate of Ying Yan beside him and rushed over. Dozens of his trusted clansmen also immediately stepped forward, and Aqi and Abu also fought with the people surrounding them.

However, there were many people supporting Ying Yan and determined to open the mine. Under Ying Yan’s signal, they surged forward to fight, blocking everyone completely.

Today’s trial of Sang Zhan had them ordered by Ying Yan to carry swords early on, and with their large numbers, Sang Zhan’s trusted followers inevitably retreated step by step.

“Stop!” The patriarch and others shouted loudly, but couldn’t control this frenzied situation.

Watching the fighting from both sides with swords glinting, ordinary tribesmen all panicked in terror, screaming and fleeing in all directions.

At this time, when Ying Yan wanted to kill without mercy, even if Lian Yu’s group revealed their identities, it wouldn’t help. Xuanwu leaped to Lian Yu’s side, while on the other side, Zhuque beside Suzhen heroically pulled Suzhen behind him. In the crowd, Lian Jie and Lian Qin protected Lian Xin, while Qinglong kicked the martial-arts-less Eunuch Ming, who fell face-first, pushing him deep into the crowd to keep him away from the battle and prevent him from being a hindrance.

“Protect the Sixth Young Master and Madam.” Lian Jie commanded in a deep voice while fighting, addressing two trusted subordinates who had escorted Suzhen here under Ming Yanchu’s orders.

The two tall, thin men were also highly skilled in martial arts. Without waiting for him to speak, they had already flown to Lian Yu and Suzhen’s sides. Lian Yu ordered: “Be careful not to harm innocent civilians! Zhuque, take Madam away first, wait for me somewhere safe!”

Zhuque nodded. However, Ying Yan and his father hated Suzhen extremely and actually ran to Suzhen’s side. At this time, Lian Yu was fighting with Ying Yan’s subordinates. His martial arts were considerable, and Xuanwu was even more fierce, but he was injured and Xuanwu was distracted protecting him. Although there was also that dark-skinned eunuch blocking, with tribesmen surging like a tide, they couldn’t break free for a moment.

Seeing those two attacking Suzhen, Lian Yu’s gaze suddenly changed. He was specifically targeted by Ying Yan, with countless attacks before him, unable to spare himself to go over. He seized a long sword from a tribesman, stabbed down his opponent, and fierce malice flashed in his eyes. “Follow my orders – for strong attackers, kill without mercy. Xuanwu, don’t mind me, go protect Madam.”

Xuanwu saw Lian Yu’s white robe stained with blood and couldn’t help hesitating. While he was uncertain, the tall, thin eunuch beside Suzhen shouted: “Lord Xuan, you protect the master. This subordinate will bring Madam out even if he dies, and have our people come for support.”

Hearing this, Zhuque didn’t hesitate and immediately took on all attacks from Ying Yan and his father, letting the man break through. The man gritted his teeth and, taking the opportunity, embraced Suzhen and spun up, flying over the crowd’s heads.

In the crisis, Suzhen was very clear that her dead heart would still worry about Lian Yu’s safety, but she knew staying would be a burden. She only shouted loudly: “Murong Liu, I’ll wait for you outside.”

She saw him look up, his gaze containing a thousand words, all transforming into a light smile at his lips.