“That may be so, but the two masters protecting Master Jingxi will probably be displeased.”

Such an enticing aroma would surely not escape the notice of the monks living in the same bamboo house.

The young general said seriously, “Eating meat can nourish the body and replenish strength. The eminent monks have compassionate hearts and will surely understand.”

Qiao Zhao couldn’t help but laugh, openly accepting his kind gesture.

She hadn’t expected Shao Mingyuan to be quite skilled at grilling. She ate the entire fragrant chicken leg in one go, immediately feeling satisfied in her stomach, and praised sincerely, “It’s very delicious.”

Shao Mingyuan’s gaze moved away from the oil stains at the corners of the young woman’s lips and asked, “Do you want more?”

Qiao Zhao shook her head, “No, I’m full.”

Only then did Shao Mingyuan finish the remaining chicken meat, skillfully destroying the evidence, then smiled at Qiao Zhao, “Let’s go, time to rest.”

The two returned to the front of the bamboo house.

As Qiao Zhao was about to enter, she turned around and said softly, “General Shao, thank you.”

Shao Mingyuan was somewhat surprised, then smiled, “It was nothing, mainly I was hungry too.”

Qiao Zhao curved the corners of her lips.

How rare, he knew how to deflect responsibility.

She turned and walked into the bamboo house, closing the door.

Shao Mingyuan stood outside for a while before entering the bamboo house on the other side.

The bamboo grove was quiet, but before long, Qiao Zhao, who hadn’t been sleepy to begin with, was awakened by the commotion outside.

She sat up directly, seeing a sheet of firelight outside. She hurriedly put on her shoes and walked to the door, gripping the bone flute that Shao Mingyuan had given her.

With such a big commotion outside, Shao Mingyuan must have heard it too.

With this thought, Qiao Zhao opened her door. The scene outside was quite unexpected.

Dozens of monks had surrounded the bamboo house where Shao Mingyuan lived, torches held high in their hands illuminating their grave expressions.

Shao Mingyuan stood at the doorway, meeting Qiao Zhao’s gaze from afar. He nodded reassuringly at her, then asked the monks, “May I ask what brings all the masters here at this hour?”

“Please accompany us back to the temple, Lord Marquis.”

“Master, could you tell me what has happened in the temple?”

The leading monk suppressed his grief and anger, “Our head monk has been murdered. The abbot requests that Lord Marquis come with us.”

After the monk finished speaking, Shao Mingyuan keenly noticed that the monks surrounding him quietly stepped forward, tightening the encirclement.

His expression remained completely unchanged as he said calmly, “Very well.”

Hearing him agree directly, the monks were relieved.

Shao Mingyuan walked to Qiao Zhao’s side, “Miss Li, please come along.”

“Mm.” Qiao Zhao nodded and walked together with Shao Mingyuan.

The two were “escorted” by the monks into Dafu Temple. As soon as they entered, the temple gates immediately closed with a harsh grating sound in the deep night.

Dafu Temple was brightly lit, as bright as day.

The leading monk immediately launched his accusation, “Fellow junior brothers, bind the murderer who killed our head monk!”

The monks surged forward. Shao Mingyuan protected Qiao Zhao behind him and called out loudly, “Wait! Master believes that I murdered the head monk?”

“At this point, does Lord Marquis still try to argue?” the leading monk sneered.

Shao Mingyuan spotted the approaching abbot and declared loudly, “Abbot, what exactly happened to your temple’s head monk? Both Miss Li and I were at the bamboo house area. Why would we be connected to this matter?”

“Amitabha. Not long ago, a scream came from my junior brother’s room. When everyone arrived, they found he had already died inside.”

“Then why do you think I did it? I have no reason to harm the head monk,” Shao Mingyuan asked calmly.

He knew well that the more critical the situation, the less one could panic.

Before the abbot could answer, the leading monk excitedly said, “Of course there’s a reason! Our head monk had suspected you had problems before, but the abbot was magnanimous and unwilling to believe it. Now thinking about it, the head monk’s suspicions were correct. Master Wumei’s disappearance and the murders of the brothers at Shuying Nunnery must have been your doing. Otherwise, how could it be that such things never happened before, but occurred after you all came to Dafu Temple?”

“So the master is basing this entirely on speculation?”

“It’s not speculation, but reasonable deduction. This female benefactor has been living in Shuying Nunnery all along. No one is more familiar with the nunnery’s layout and the brothers’ daily routines than she is. And Lord Marquis has been staying in the temple, frequently contacting the female benefactor. It would be very easy to secretly go to Shuying Nunnery to commit murder,” the leading monk said.

“Then how do you explain that murderer?” Qiao Zhao asked.

It seemed the head monk’s previous suspicions about Chen Guang, combined with his death, had made many monks suspicious of them.

The leading monk said coldly, “That murderer might well be a scapegoat. Otherwise, how do you explain why the female benefactor’s coachman and maid were in that old house, along with the layout maps of Dafu Temple and Shuying Nunnery?”

He finished speaking and bowed to the abbot, “Abbot, Master Wumei’s disappearance was carefully planned by these few people. You must not listen to their sophistry anymore and let the murderer who killed our head monk go free.”

The abbot’s face showed neither joy nor anger as he looked at Shao Mingyuan.

Shao Mingyuan asked the leading monk calmly, “Whether it’s guessing or deduction, the master still has no evidence whatsoever? Just assumptions?”

“Who says there’s no evidence? Yuan Xi—”

A thin monk stepped forward.

“Yuan Xi was the first to discover the head monk’s murder. Yuan Xi, tell them what you saw again.”

Yuan Xi glanced at Shao Mingyuan, moved a step to the side, then said, “I went out to relieve myself and suddenly heard a scream from the head monk’s room. I rushed over to look and saw a figure dash out from the head monk’s house, jump onto the roof, and head in that direction.”

He pointed with his hand directly toward the bamboo house area.

“Does that prove I did it?” Shao Mingyuan asked without changing expression.

“Although it was night, tonight’s moonlight was quite good. Though this humble monk didn’t see the murderer’s appearance clearly, I can confirm he wasn’t wearing monk’s robes, but the clothing the temple prepares for pilgrims, just like yours, benefactor.”

At these words, all the monks’ gazes fell on Shao Mingyuan.

The leading monk continued, “From when the head monk screamed to when we arrived, it wasn’t even the time for a cup of tea. I ask you, besides Lord Marquis, who else could manage to escape smoothly in such a short time?”

Shao Mingyuan smiled nonchalantly, “Naturally, the real murderer.”

“Does Lord Marquis think that we at Dafu Temple can do nothing to you?” the leading monk pressed aggressively.

“May I ask what time everyone heard the scream?”

“More than two quarters of an hour ago,” the monks replied in unison.

Shao Mingyuan smiled slightly, “Unfortunately, I wasn’t asleep at that time.”

The leading monk sneered, “Of course, Lord Marquis wouldn’t be asleep. Weren’t you in our head monk’s room murdering at that time?”

Shao Mingyuan walked casually a few steps, looking somewhat ashamed, “I wouldn’t dare commit murder, but I did kill living beings.”

The abbot looked at him deeply.

“Please forgive me, Abbot. At that time, I was roasting wild chicken to eat.”

Miss Qiao lowered her eyes, thinking silently: Good thing he didn’t implicate me.