Countless pairs of eyes turned to stare at Song Zhi the moment he spoke.

Song Zhi wasn’t anxious at all. He even humbly and politely bowed to Magistrate Zhuo.

Magistrate Zhuo squinted at him. He actually recognized him—after all, Song Zhi used to be a talented scholar in Yiwu!

In the past, Magistrate Zhuo had even bought his poetry collections and greatly admired the poems he wrote. He bought every volume published and still kept them in his study at the yamen to this day.

Back when Song Zhi stopped writing poetry, Magistrate Zhuo had felt regret for quite some time!

He asked: “Mr. Song, Wang Jun came looking for you?”

“Yes!”

“What did he want from you?”

“This…” Song Zhi paused, thinking: Wang Jun is already dead. I can’t very well say he came to give me gifts, can I? If word got out, Wang Jun would surely be subject to gossip and finger-pointing.

The departed soul had already left—why not let him rest in peace?

Seeing him hesitating and stopping himself from speaking, Magistrate Zhuo said seriously: “A murder has occurred, and the deceased is Wang Jun. If you didn’t kill him, just tell the truth directly.”

“My lord, could I not say?”

“No!”

“…” Song Zhi sighed.

Troupe Master Tao quickly came over, tugged at Song Zhi’s soy sauce-stained sleeve, and said: “Mr. Song, if you know anything, you must speak up!”

“Troupe Master Tao, this Song knows nothing!”

“But Wang Jun came looking for you.”

“He did come looking for me, but then he left.”

“What did he want?”

“Casual conversation, just casual conversation!” Song Zhi lowered his gaze.

Troupe Master Tao trusted Song Zhi. Never mind killing a person—he wouldn’t even dare kill a chicken.

But—Magistrate Zhuo didn’t care about such things: “Mr. Song, this official has always respected scholars like you. You’d better explain clearly what happened that night. Why did Wang Jun go looking for you? What exactly did you discuss until the end of Xu hour? And when Wang Jun left, why did you chase after him? You need to explain all these suspicious points clearly.”

Song Zhi bowed: “In response to my lord, last night Wang Jun came looking for this Song truly just for casual conversation. After chatting for a while, he left.”

“Then why did you chase after him?”

“I… was just seeing him off.”

“Song Zhi!” Magistrate Zhuo shouted sternly.

Song Zhi was startled.

He was so shocked he didn’t know what to do.

Magistrate Zhuo’s patience had worn thin: “You were the last person to see Wang Jun. You say you were seeing him off, but who sees someone off by chasing after their behind? In this official’s view, Wang Jun was killed by you.”

Song Zhi was speechless!

Seeing his patron being labeled a “murderer,” Troupe Master Tao quickly said: “My lord, Mr. Song usually doesn’t even dare kill a chicken. How could he kill a person? His hands are for holding a writing brush, not a knife. Moreover, he doesn’t even know Wang Jun at all. The two have never met. There’s no grudge or enmity between them!”

Hmm?

Magistrate Zhuo: “No grudge or enmity? Don’t know each other?”

“That’s right!”

“If they don’t know each other, why would Wang Jun go looking for him?”

“This…”

“It seems there must be some entanglement between the two.” Magistrate Zhuo was suspicious.

Troupe Master Tao had originally wanted to help Song Zhi, but unexpectedly made things worse instead. After thinking, he said again: “My lord, while that may be so, Wang Jun’s white bones were buried in that pile of yellow earth. Song Zhi has never been here. How could he… bury the white bones inside?”

Just as these words were spoken, someone picked up the conversation: “Mr. Song came this morning.”

Ugh!

The clown actor who had encountered Song Zhi that morning stepped forward.

Troupe Master Tao was surprised: “Old Jiang, Mr. Song came this morning?”

“He came looking for Wang Jun, but Wang Jun had already gone missing by then. I let him wander around the theater house by himself. I still remember at that time… Mr. Song was holding a bundle in his hands.”

“A bundle?”

“Yes!”

One of the people who had carried the yellow earth also jumped out, saying: “When several of us were carrying the yellow earth into the backstage area, we also ran into Mr. Song. At that time, he was indeed holding a bundle in his hands, but when he left, it was gone.”

Magistrate Zhuo understood and nodded: “That bundle must have contained Wang Jun’s white bones.”

Upon hearing this, Song Zhi said: “No, it wasn’t white bones!”

“The witness testimony and physical evidence are all present.”

“This Song has been wronged.”

“You still dare cry injustice!” Magistrate Zhuo questioned, “This official asks you—did you kill the person or not?”

“This Song absolutely did not kill anyone.” Song Zhi didn’t get agitated either. He still maintained his unhurried manner.

“You still dare argue. This official refuses to believe you won’t talk. Men, take Song Zhi to the yamen. This official will personally interrogate him.”

Several constables came forward and seized Song Zhi!

Song Zhi’s physique was weak. Even if he wanted to resist, his wrists couldn’t muster the strength.

He could only let himself be handled like a puppet.

No matter how everyone thought about it, they couldn’t connect the four words “murderer” with the frail scholar Song Zhi!

Even if Troupe Master Tao wanted to say something more, he was powerless.

Magistrate Zhuo turned to ask his subordinates: “Have you carefully interrogated everyone present at the scene?”

“In response to my lord, we’ve interrogated them all one by one. There are no problems.”

“Alright, first take Song Zhi away. Also bring that pile of yellow earth and white bones back to the yamen.”

“Yes!”

Before Magistrate Zhuo left, he also told the theater troupe members: “This official will send people to summon you to the yamen for questioning at any time. During this period, you are not allowed to leave.”

“Yes, yes, yes!” The theater troupe members nodded repeatedly.

After Magistrate Zhuo and the constables left with Song Zhi, the people inside watching the play also dispersed, afraid of being connected to this matter in the slightest.

Jingrong, Ji Yunshu, and Bai Yin also left after their “observation.”

Because of this murder case, the outside of the theater house was crowded with people.

Worried about unexpected incidents, Jingrong immediately pulled Ji Yunshu back to the inn.

After returning, Ji Yunshu remained heavy in thought.

She was in the room, her brow tightly furrowed, not saying a word.

Jingrong sat across from her making tea.

Very leisurely!

Meanwhile, Bai Yin stood at the doorway with his arms crossed, leaning against the door frame, tossing out words: “You really can’t judge people by their appearance. That Song Zhi looked refined and cultured, even somewhat timid, but who would have thought he’s actually a murderer. Yesterday, we shouldn’t have helped him catch that thief.”

Jingrong chuckled softly, raised his eyes to glance at Ji Yunshu, then said to Bai Yin: “Have them prepare things. We’ll leave Yiwu first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Just leaving like that?”

“Haven’t you seen enough?”

“Then I’ll go prepare first.” Bai Yin left.

Ji Yunshu stood up and walked to the window, pushing open the tightly closed window.

A breeze blew in.

Gently brushing against her face.

Jingrong looked at her small frame and said: “Yunshu, we cannot get involved in this matter!”

Reminding her.

“I know.”

“Then what are you thinking about?”

“I’m thinking about those white bones.”

“White bones?” Jingrong stood up and walked to her side, confused: “What do you mean?”

She gazed into his eyes and said: “I feel that…”

Jingrong immediately grasped her hand, saying seriously: “Promise me, we cannot get involved in this matter.”

“I…”

“We’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning!”

Ji Yunshu understood his concern. After remaining silent for a long while, she nodded.