Even with handcuffs on her wrists, Han Xiling held her head high with pride. Her eyes were cold and biting. “Shi Ting, I said I would make you pay a price. By whatever means, for however long it takes.”

Shi Ting’s eyes darkened. Though Han Xiling’s plan had not succeeded, it had still made Yan Qing suffer. If Bai Jin hadn’t caught her, if he hadn’t arrived in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

“Miss Han.” Bai Jin had seen enough. She spoke with undisguised contempt. “The state the Han Family fell into was entirely of Han Qiren’s own making. If he hadn’t done so much wrong, how would he have been brought to justice? The Military Police Division did nothing more than enforce the law. And the law shows no mercy to personal feelings. You only look at the outcome without considering the cause. You’ve been abroad and studied law — I thought you came to the Military Police Division as an intern precisely to see how the law governs a nation. How is it that when it comes to your own situation, you can no longer see clearly?”

“I wasn’t talking to you.” Han Xiling was clearly rendered unable to argue against reason, and could only glare furiously at Bai Jin. “Don’t lecture me here. What right do you have?”

Bai Jin raised an eyebrow. “You’re right, I have no such standing. But you killed someone, and that gives me the right to arrest you and interrogate you.”

Overhearing this exchange, Shi Guang’s expression shifted slightly as he stood to one side, seemingly lost in thought.

“Come along, Miss Han. Go inside and tell us slowly how you killed Madam Yan, and how you framed someone else for it.”

Just as Bai Jin was about to lead Han Xiling into the interrogation room, Shi Guang suddenly reached out and blocked the way. “Captain Bai, you say Miss Han killed someone — where is your evidence? Miss Han is the orphaned daughter of Director Han. Although Director Han committed crimes, that has nothing to do with Miss Han. Captain Bai isn’t trying to implicate the entire Han Family and use some random person as a scapegoat, is she?”

“Second Brother.” Shi Ting’s gaze fell on him, deep and inscrutable. “I thought you wanted to clear Yan Qing of suspicion — so now that the suspect has been caught, why does Second Brother seem so displeased? Is Second Brother speaking up for Miss Han, or is there some kind of agreement between Second Brother and Miss Han?”

“Old Seventh.” Shi Guang said furiously. “What do you mean by that?”

“Second Brother, don’t forget — this is the Military Police Division. There is only one person in charge here. In what capacity are you here, making comments and interfering with our investigation? Whether Miss Han is guilty or not — what does that have to do with Second Brother?”

“This truly has nothing to do with me.” Shi Guang’s gaze shifted to Han Xiling’s face, and a strange note crept into his voice. “Miss Han should probably think about what would happen if she were to die. What about the rest of the Han Family? Does she really expect Director Han to crawl out of his coffin to protect everyone?”

At these words, a flash of viciousness streaked across Han Xiling’s eyes. Shi Ting noticed immediately and moved to restrain her.

But Han Xiling had already hurled herself headfirst toward Shi Guang.

Shi Guang was knocked stumbling back step after step. Han Xiling wrenched herself free from Bai Jin’s grip and launched herself at Shi Guang like a woman gone mad.

“Quick — protect Second Young Master!”

The men Shi Guang had brought with him swarmed forward in a rush.

Shi Ting spotted someone reaching for a dagger at their waist. He lunged forward, struck the weapon from the man’s hand, and at the same time called to Bai Jin, who stood frozen. “Stop them.”

Bai Jin pressed through the crowd and hauled Han Xiling out from the middle of the scuffle. Even after being dragged to the ground, Han Xiling kept struggling to charge back.

Bai Jin delivered a sharp palm strike to the back of her neck. Han Xiling let out a muffled grunt, collapsed, and finally went still.

“That mad woman,” Bai Jin said, rubbing his wrist. “She’s completely lost her mind.”

Shi Ting glanced at Shi Guang. “Second Brother, in a hurry to silence a witness?”

“Old Seventh, what do you mean? She’s the one who attacked me first.” Shi Guang said with a somewhat aggrieved look, as if defending himself.

Shi Ting paid him no mind and turned to Bai Jin. “Take her inside — keep her under strict watch. Wait until she wakes before questioning her.”

“Yes.” Bai Jin dragged and half-carried Han Xiling into the interrogation room.

Seeing this, Shi Guang’s dark eyes shifted slightly. “Old Seventh, let’s talk about the matter of Zuo Liang instead. He came with the Commander’s seal to request a person — that’s correct, isn’t it? Detaining him the way you have — isn’t that a bit improper?”

“Zuo Liang assaulted officers.”

“Even if he did, it was only because your men refused to cooperate that he had no choice but to react the way he did.” Shi Guang said. “You’ve detained my man like this — if this were brought before the Commander, would you even have a leg to stand on?”

“And what is Second Brother’s meaning then?”

Shi Guang let out two words without ceremony. “Release them.”

“They wounded my subordinates, and now you’re asking me to release them on the spot?” Shi Ting’s long brows drew together. “There’s no such easy bargain in this world.”

“Fine. They hurt your people — I’ll make up for it myself.”

“How will Second Brother compensate?”

“Isn’t covering their medical expenses enough?”

Shi Ting let out a cold laugh. “My men were hurt this badly, and it’s only worth a bit of medical fees? Does Second Brother think I’m so easy to deal with?”

Shi Guang knew that getting Zuo Liang and the others out would require drawing some blood. He quietly bit his teeth. “For every person injured, I’ll not only cover their medical expenses but also give them an additional year’s wages as compensation. Will that do?”

Shi Ting weighed it for a moment and held up five fingers. “Five years.”

“Old Seventh, don’t push your luck.” Shi Guang’s eyes narrowed, and a glimmer of killing intent bled through.

Shi Ting said, “Assaulting an officer in a serious case can warrant execution outright. Even if you took it before the Commander, it wouldn’t matter — after all, the Shun Cheng Law Code was issued under his own name. He can’t very well undermine his own reputation. Isn’t that right, Second Brother?”

Shi Guang knew he had no choice but to accept defeat this time. But he had no desire to appear too deflated, so he forced an air of magnanimous indifference. “Then five years it is.”

Shi Ting smiled, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Second Brother is straightforward.”

Shi Guang had shed some blood, but at last managed to take Zuo Liang and the others away. Watching Zuo Liang’s retreating figure, Shi Ting spoke quietly to the person at his side. “Have two men keep an eye on Zuo Liang. Watch him around the clock — just make sure he doesn’t notice.”

Whether or not Zuo Liang had any connection to the Chen and Xu family massacres, Shi Ting believed that if they followed this thread all the way to the end, they would eventually find the truth. For now, though, interrogating Han Xiling was the most pressing matter.

Han Xiling, as the prime suspect, sat with handcuffs on her wrists and iron shackles around her ankles, both ends fastened tightly to the interrogation chair.

“Miss Han, there’s no need to pretend to be unconscious — I know you’re awake.” Bai Jin looked at her with cool detachment. “Why don’t you talk? Tell us how you killed Madam Yan, and who instructed you to do it.”

Han Xiling kept her eyes shut, as though fast asleep. But her gently fluttering lashes gave her away.

“Since Miss Han refuses to wake, I’ll have to find a way to make her come to her senses.” Bai Jin reached for a cup of water nearby and made as if to splash it in Han Xiling’s face. But the moment she made the motion, Han Xiling opened her eyes.

She had been pampered and sheltered from birth and had never suffered such humiliation. Even in captivity, she clung to the dignity that belonged to her as a daughter of a great family. She would not allow that cup of water to be thrown at her face.

Seeing Han Xiling glaring at him with open eyes, Bai Jin gave a light chuckle and set the cup back in its place.

“Oh, Miss Han is awake. Now that you’re awake, you might as well come clean.”

Han Xiling pressed her lips into a thin line and said nothing.

“Never mind if Miss Han won’t say anything. We’ve already extracted a large number of fingerprints from the courtyard where Guo Yanrong lives, and all of those prints belong to Miss Han. Can Miss Han tell me — what were you doing, hiding in Guo Yanrong’s courtyard all this time?”

Han Xiling still said nothing.

She had studied criminology abroad. She knew that she should not speak at a moment like this. Opening her mouth would give the other side a chance to seize on her words. As long as she kept silent, they could do nothing. After all, the Military Police Division didn’t resort to coerced confessions.

“Miss Han has indeed studied at the Military Police Division as an intern — she knows our methods well. You want to resist through silence — I understand.” Bai Jin’s long, narrow eyes narrowed. “But you may keep silent, while the two people next door don’t necessarily have to.”

At that, Han Xiling’s pupils suddenly snapped wide open.

The interrogation room next door was divided into two chambers, each with one person seated inside.

Sitting across from Shi Ting was Guo Yanrong, the second concubine of the Yan Mansion — a woman he had encountered a few times before, always at banquets held by the Yan Family.

Guo Yanrong had managed the household for a time in place of Madam Yan. She was a woman who knew how to work people and moved with great caution.

“Second Concubine, we’re acquaintances — I won’t beat around the bush. Why was Han Xiling in your courtyard?”

Shi Ting’s deep, penetrating eyes fixed on her. That gaze was sharply perceptive, as if it could read the contents of someone’s heart. Very few people dared to meet his eyes directly. Guo Yanrong was no exception.

Guo Yanrong lowered her head and said, “She… she was a classmate of Ling’er’s.”

“What kind of classmates?”

“They attended the same girls’ school once. Later, Han Xiling went abroad, but the two of them kept up correspondence all along and never lost touch.”

“So Second Concubine’s meaning is that Han Xiling came to your courtyard simply to catch up with an old classmate?”

Guo Yanrong nodded. “That’s exactly it.”

“But if old classmates were simply getting together, why would she not come and visit openly at the front door? Why dress in a servant’s clothes and disguise herself as a servant? How does Second Concubine explain that?”

Guo Yanrong’s eyes shifted. Her voice turned soft and pitiable. “Ah, after the Han Family’s downfall, Xiling became very afraid of meeting people. Even when she came to see Ling’er, she didn’t want anyone to know. So Ling’er had her dress in servant’s clothes and pass herself off as a maidservant — that way no one would pay any attention to her.”

“Second Concubine, you had best tell the truth.” Shi Ting’s voice was firm. “Han Xiling climbed onto the roof above Madam Yan’s room and entered through the window, where she killed Madam Yan. Her fingerprints were left on the windowsill and the roof tiles. The technical team has already retrieved them. If she went there to visit a classmate, what was she doing crouched on the window of the victim’s room?”

Guo Yanrong froze at these words, her eyes blinking rapidly. “Finger… fingerprints? Can fingerprints even be retrieved from roof tiles and windowsills?”

“Han Xiling was unlucky — the tiles used in that particular room were quite smooth, which made them ideal surfaces for fingerprints. Han Xiling didn’t just leave prints; she left palm impressions as well. Once a comparison is run, we’ll know very quickly whether or not they match. So I strongly advise Second Concubine that telling the truth now and telling it after the evidence is confirmed will have completely different outcomes.”