Zhu Yan was so anxious that tears were about to fall. Would she not live to see rescue?
As she watched the dagger cut through her clothes, she couldn’t even feel its coldness.
Just then, a cold rebuke sounded as two people burst through the door.
“Zhu Yan!” “Liunniang!” They called out simultaneously.
Seeing that the murderer had already cut Zhu Yan’s clothes, Shen Du, enraged and humiliated, stepped forward to engage in combat.
Zhu Yan let out a long sigh of relief. Thank heavens, she was finally saved.
Shen Du exchanged blows with the murderer, and after several rounds, they seemed evenly matched.
As Shen Du prepared to attack again, Xu Xiangren held him back. “You take care of Liunniang. Leave the murderer to me!”
Shen Du trusted the Local Constable’s abilities. He nodded and turned to check on Zhu Yan.
Zhu Yan’s body was rigid, her clothes torn. Shen Du quickly removed his outer robe to cover her, embracing her and removing the gag from her mouth.
“Thank you for coming on time,” Zhu Yan’s voice trembled, thick with emotion as if she might cry.
Shen Du said nothing, only tightening his embrace.
Only he knew how much he cared for this woman. If she had died here, he didn’t know how he would go on.
Xu Xiangren’s martial arts were formidable. After several exchanges, the murderer was at a disadvantage.
Just as Xu Xiangren was about to deliver a finishing blow, the murderer suddenly turned and threw a hidden weapon. Caught off guard, Xu Xiangren stumbled back. The murderer seized this opportunity to leap out of the temple and disappear.
Seeing this, Shen Du clenched his fist and moved to give chase. He quickly returned to feed Zhu Yan a pill, then pursued the murderer to a grove where a figure appeared before him.
Zhu Yan’s body gradually recovered. Seeing Shen Du hadn’t returned, she grew worried. “Brother Xu, Shen Du won’t be in danger, will he?”
Xu Xiangren, surveying the temple, shook his head. “No, that murderer’s skills are no match for Shen Du. Even if they could hold out for a few moves, they’re no match for him.”
Zhu Yan relaxed. By now she could stand and walk, but her neck was still stiff, like a wooden puppet.
“Have you found anything?”
Hearing Zhu Yan’s question, Xu Xiangren furrowed his brows. “There are some findings, but it was close.”
“What was close?” Zhu Yan didn’t understand.
“Besides you, there’s another corpse here. It seems they were preparing to pair you two.”
Zhu Yan inhaled sharply, chilled by the thought.
Thank goodness Shen Du and the others arrived in time. If they had been a moment later, she might have been buried with that corpse.
The murderer, aided by someone, escaped smoothly.
Emerging from the grove, Shen Du punched a tree trunk in frustration. But the next moment, he thought of a countermeasure.
He hurried to the Ministry of Justice prison and briefed Chen Wen on the situation.
Chen Wen nodded meaningfully and whispered something to Shen Du.
In the back courtyard of Ximing Temple, Shen Du and his men were already lying in wait. Soon, a black figure slipped into the building where corpses were stored.
The Imperial Guard surrounded the area, holding torches, waiting for the person to emerge.
Perhaps sensing something amiss, when the murderer burst out, they froze in place.
Shen Du, with a cold expression, looked at the black-clad figure. Taking a torch from a comrade, he approached. “Well, well, a moth to the flame. We’ve been waiting for you.”
With that, Shen Du suddenly threw the torch at the black-clad figure. Startled, they stumbled and fell.
Before they could react, numerous weapons were at their throat.
“Disarm them, remove the veil, and bring them before the Empress to confess and face justice.”
“Yes, sir.”
At Shen Du’s command, the Imperial Guards quickly complied.
When the murderer’s face was revealed, surprise flickered in Shen Du’s deep eyes. “It’s you?”
…
“Be careful.”
Xu Xiangren escorted Zhu Yan back to Shen Manor. Though she could move, the drug’s effects hadn’t fully worn off, leaving her movements stiff.
“Liunniang!”
As Zhu Yan sat down, Lu Chuichui rushed in from outside. “Shen Du has caught the murderer. They’re being taken to the temple for the Empress to deal with. If we’re late, we’ll miss it.”
Hearing this, Zhu Yan was elated. She slapped the table and stood up. “Good, let’s go now.”
As she spoke, Zhu Yan stumbled backward, thankfully caught by Xu Xiangren.
“The drug’s effects haven’t worn off. Take it slow. The murderer won’t escape, why rush?”
“Brother, you don’t understand.” Zhu Yan was excited, gritting her teeth to stand straight. “We’ve been chasing this murderer for so long, and Shen Du and I nearly lost our lives. Now that they’re finally caught, how can I not be excited? I wish I could interrogate them myself.”
Hearing this, Xu Xiangren smiled. “Alright, even if you’re eager, mind your health. I’ll accompany you.”
“Mm.” Zhu Yan nodded forcefully, though, to others, the nod seemed slight.
Lu Chuichui quickly moved to support Zhu Yan, full of concern. “What drug effects? Were you injured by the murderer?”
“It’s nothing.” Zhu Yan reassured her. In her current excited state, physical discomfort seemed trivial. “We must hurry. We can’t miss this spectacle.”
“Mm.” Lu Chuichui nodded emphatically, her face unable to hide her inner joy.
Along the way, Zhu Yan imagined several possible outcomes. This murderer had killed countless people; surely the Empress wouldn’t be lenient.
She wanted to ask why they had done it!
Finally reaching the temple, they found it surrounded by imperial guards, barring commoners from entering.
People crowded at the entrance, trying to peek inside. It was clear that the serial killings had turned the entire Chang’an from fear to hatred. Everyone seemed to want to personally execute the murderer.
“This murderer has incurred the wrath of both gods and men. Flaying them alive would barely quench my anger,” Lu Chuichui said fiercely, her small mouth pursed in anger.
Zhu Yan understood. How could she not hate this murderer to her core? But there was only one murderer, not enough to satisfy everyone’s desire for vengeance.
Unable to enter through the main gate, they went to the back entrance of Ximing Temple. Only after showing their official badges were they allowed in.
Arriving at the main hall, they saw the murderer kneeling on the ground, surrounded by civil and military officials, including Shen Du and Lai Luozhi.
Even Princess Yongan of the Ying Royal House, who usually stayed out of worldly affairs, stood beside the Empress.
“So many people.” Lu Chuichui felt overwhelmed. As a lowly scribe, she had never seen such a grand assembly.
Among all present, except for the guards at the door, she held the lowest rank.
Though Zhu Yan held the same rank, as Shen Du’s wife, her status was naturally elevated.
“What are you afraid of?” Zhu Yan comforted her. “We’ve been investigating this case all along. Now that it’s solved, we should be part of this.”
“But…” Lu Chuichui hesitated, afraid to step forward.
Zhu Yan gripped her wrist tightly, feeling a bit nervous herself.
She didn’t see herself as Lady Shen but as a lowly ninth-rank official. If anything happened, it would be good to have someone to share the burden.
Encouraged by Zhu Yan and driven by curiosity, Lu Chuichui reluctantly followed as they quietly mixed in among the officials.
Everyone’s attention was focused on the murderer, so their arrival went unnoticed.