Xu Jing just gave a faint smile, completely ignoring his threat, and continued, “However, even if you’ve tied up Peng Shi’s hands, he still has his feet.
What if he made some noise while fiercely struggling, drawing attention?
Therefore, you intended to bind Peng Shi’s feet as well, but just then, you found that Peng Shi suddenly stopped struggling—he was already dead!
That’s why only his wrists have ligature marks, but not his feet!
Am I right, Manager Mu?”
Manager Mu looked at Xu Jing with a gloomy expression and suddenly let out a low laugh, “Miss Xu, your storytelling skills are quite impressive.
However, these are just your speculations.
How should I know if they’re true or not?”
Xu Jing sneered, “You won’t shed a tear until you see the coffin, right?
Chen Hu!”
“Yes!”
Chen Hu was Xu Jing’s temporary assistant for the day.
Hearing Xu Jing’s call, Chen Hu immediately said, “What are your orders, Miss Xu?”
Xu Jing kept her eyes on Manager Mu and said word by word, “Turn over Peng Shi’s right wrist and let everyone see the mark there!”
Manager Mu was slightly stunned, as if he suddenly thought of something, and his face turned pale.
Chen Hu immediately turned over Peng Shi’s right hand as instructed.
Instantly, the oddly shaped mark on Peng Shi’s right wrist appeared before everyone’s eyes!
What kind of mark is this?
Why did Manager Mu’s face change so abruptly upon hearing about its existence?
Xu Jing’s lips curled slightly, and she slowly said, as if tormenting, “This mark’s shape is not unfamiliar to you, Manager Mu?
It’s probably your first time killing someone, not knowing that a person who ingests arsenic doesn’t die immediately.
Therefore, you didn’t expect Peng Shi to struggle near death, nor did you make any preparations!
In the critical situation, you couldn’t think much, and you grabbed something at hand to tightly bind Peng Shi’s hands.
That thing was…”
Manager Mu suddenly smiled.
This was the first time Xu Jing saw him smile since she met him.
Yet, that smile was inexplicably stiff and eerie, carrying a cold, desperate aura as if it came from the underworld, making those who saw it feel uncomfortable.
He slowly opened his mouth to interrupt Xu Jing, “It was a belt.
In the heat of the moment, I tore off the belt from my body to bind that man’s hands, not even having time to remove the belt hook.
That mark was made by my belt hook.”
Everyone was already shocked to the point of numbness, only subconsciously following his words to look at the bronze turtle-shaped belt hook on his waist.
Belt hooks were similar to modern belt buckles, but the shapes of ancient belt hooks varied, often serving as status symbols.
In a time when mass production was impossible, finding two identical belt hooks was nearly impossible.
Although the mark on Peng Shi’s wrist wasn’t very complete, upon closer inspection, the shape and the faint lines on it were unmistakably identical to Manager Mu’s bronze turtle-shaped belt hook! Get faster updates on novelping.com.
Xu Jingjing was silent for a moment, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice, “Not struggling anymore?”
Manager Mu raised the corners of his mouth, seemingly somewhat tired, “Struggling is useless, isn’t it?
I just want to retain the last bit of my dignity.”
Not far away, Mrs.
Cao was already in tears, anxiously and painfully saying, “Mu Lang!
It’s not like this, Mu Lang…”
“Don’t call me that!”
The man’s expression suddenly changed, turning his head sharply, and growled like a beast, “It’s truly disgusting!”
Mrs.
Cao’s words abruptly stopped, a large tear welling up in her eye, seemingly forgetting to fall, looking incredulously at the man not far away.
“Do you really think I would take a fancy to a stupid woman like you?”
Manager Mu seemed to have thrown caution to the wind, his initial calm demeanor vanished completely, glaring at Mrs.
Cao with bloodshot eyes, gritting his teeth, “I only intended to use you.
I coveted the Peng Family’s wealth, wanting to eliminate all the Peng Family to swallow their fortune.
Killing Peng Jinhai was only the first step of my plan!
Yet I didn’t expect you to be so foolish, unable to even kill cleanly and decisively!”
Mrs.
Cao’s eyes widened.
After she realized, she struggled and screamed madly, “You lied to me?
You actually lied to me?!
Your sweet words, your vows of eternal love, they were all fake?
No, I don’t believe it!
“””
You clearly said that you were the only one left in your family, that you once came from a family of military generals, a promising young man, and now you’ve fallen to this point.
Although you are unwilling, you still want to live up to the expectations of your parents and live well.
You clearly said you wanted to live well with me, as long as I killed that beast, as long as I…”
“Shut up!”
Manager Mu’s eyes suddenly turned red, his voice shrill and desperate, “You stupid woman are not worthy to speak of my parents, not worthy to speak of my family!”
Everyone present seemed not to have expected things to turn out this way, their mouths agape, unable to close for a long time.
Xu Jing couldn’t help but click her tongue and sigh, “That’s why one should not be obsessed with love.”
Her words were almost mumbled, the volume very low, and everyone else’s attention was attracted by Manager Mu and Mrs.
Cao, no one noticed what she said.
Except Xiao Yi, who was standing next to her.
Xiao Yi turned his head, frowning slightly, his eyes complex as he looked at Xu Jing.
This woman was speaking nonsense again.
However, now was not the time to pay attention to her.
He quickly withdrew his gaze, took a step closer to the agitated Manager Mu, his voice slightly cold, “Over the past decades, according to what I know, the renowned military family in Great Chu that perished overnight was the Mu Family of Nanling. This story is hosted at novelping.com.
However, the men of the Mu Family of Nanling should have been beheaded and displayed for all to see in King Wu’s rebellion twelve years ago.”
Manager Mu’s body suddenly stiffened, but soon, a look of acceptance, even liberation appeared on his face.
He laughed coldly, “You’re right.
The men of the Mu Family should have been exterminated twelve years ago.
However, my mother couldn’t bear to see the Mu Family’s line end, so she secretly exchanged me for a boy who looked like me, and had her wet nurse take me and flee.
For the past twelve years, not a day has gone by without the immense blood feud of my family weighing on my shoulders, yet I know the chances of successful revenge are slim to none, and reviving the Mu Family and its past glory is even more impossible.
But I am unwilling, truly unwilling…”
He gritted his teeth, his eyes so red it seemed they might bleed, “I know you, we are about the same age, I often hear elders praise your intelligence and talent, but I am no less.
Once, in Nanling, I was also praised as a remarkable young talent.
But why, in the end, did I fall into dust while you remained so dazzling, high and mighty?
This pain and despair torment me endlessly, I am tired, truly tired…”
He slightly lowered his eyes, his voice hoarse, though he did not cry, the sound was more sorrowful and hopeless than crying, making one’s heart tremble.
Xiao Yi pursed his lips tightly, his deep eyes watching him for a long time before raising a hand and speaking deeply, “Take him away, keep a close watch on him.”
Finding such a high-profile fugitive of the court who should have died years ago was entirely an unexpected gain.
Such fugitives burdened with treason are to be escorted back to the Capital for the Holy Emperor’s personal judgment.
As soon as Xiao Yi finished speaking, a government official immediately stepped forward to take Manager Mu away.
Manager Mu did not resist at all, only before leaving entirely, he chuckled lowly, saying: “Vice Minister Xiao, just consider this a piece of advice from me.
I have lived many years, tasted both the pleasures of wealth and the bitterness of lowliness.
Great Chu has been established for barely over thirty years, for the past decades, the court focused on stabilizing the borders, expelling foreign enemies, but neglected the internal shifts, which led to the disaster of King Wu’s rebellion twelve years ago.
However, once a King Wu falls, there will always be thousands more King Wus to follow.
Vice Minister Xiao, do not think that being in such a high position, envied by many, can’t change in a blink.
I wish you not to end up like me, a stray dog tasting the utmost of pain and despair.”
Though he said it as a blessing, it was clearly more like a curse.
Hiding from the side, Dongli almost couldn’t hold back from rushing out and cursing.
Xiao Yi frowned slightly, but in the end, he just said indifferently, “Appreciate your kind words.”
Manager Mu let out a low laugh, said nothing more, obediently following the government officials away.
Xiao Yi watched his retreating figure, saying nothing for a long time.
Xu Jing, unwilling to get involved in such complicated matters, and having no interest, felt satisfied after seeing the matter resolved.
She stretched lazily, showing a bright smile to Chunyang and Chunxiang, “Alright, the matter is resolved, let’s go back!”
Though Chunyang and Chunxiang had not completely digested their mistress’s remarkable behavior earlier, they were moved to the point of tears when hearing this, feeling like they survived a great ordeal.
Chunyang bit her lip and said, “When we get home, mistress, wait to enter the house until I light a fire basin to drive away bad luck, things…
things will surely get better!”
Xu Jing looked at them and couldn’t help but smile softly.
Suddenly, the corner of her eye caught something, and her smile slightly faded, her face turning complex as she looked over.