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At such times, it was undoubtedly the perfect opportunity for a hero to save the damsel in distress. In the past, whenever I was in danger, Qiu would always step forward, effortlessly driving away the enemies with his graceful and handsome moves. And somehow, now that I think back on it, why was it that every time he saved me, I ended up inexplicably in his arms for quite a while? Why didn’t he simply push me away lightly and stand protectively in front of me instead?
It was truly a question worth pondering.
However, this time, Qiu was standing very close to me, yet he didn’t move at all, and a smirk appeared on his face.
Is this really my suave idol? Is marriage truly the grave of love?
A surge of unnamed anger rose within me. I let my instincts take over; I shifted my body and grabbed He Xue Ting's wrist from the side. Using his momentum as he charged at me, I executed a shoulder throw, slamming him heavily onto the ground.
Only after throwing him did I realize what I had done. It turned out that this He Sir had no martial skills at all, which meant he was no match for me, the modern Police Flower.
I heard the man behind me click his tongue and say, "Don't easily provoke women, nor judge them by their appearance, because some women can be truly terrifying!"
I shot an angry glare at Nie Qiuyuan, only to find him smiling at me with admiration and indulgence in his eyes. Oh my gosh, what was I supposed to do? I was too angry to stay mad at him, but letting it go felt unsatisfying.
Sigh, who told me to go through so much trouble to pursue an Arch-Nemesis for myself?
He Xue Ting lay face down on the ground, not moving at all. After a moment, he suddenly burst into laughter.
"I'm already very tired," he finally said after calming down.
"Every time I commit another crime, I find myself unable to control my actions. Afterwards, I regret it; however, it feels like there’s a ghost living inside me that forces me to commit another act after some time. In truth, I've always hoped someone would appear to stop me, but for so long now, no one has. Lord Nie, your arrival is quite timely..."
I could understand how someone with psychological repression could develop a compulsion towards crime that they couldn't resist. However, attributing everything to external forces was wrong because ultimately the choice lay in one's own hands.
If one didn't take that first step or if they had stopped in time, perhaps everything would have ended differently.
But now everything was irretrievable; no matter what reasons there were, they couldn't outweigh the seventeen precious lives lost. Moreover, he had even driven his beloved woman to madness.
Somehow, the woman's heart-wrenching cries from the Mirror Gate seemed to echo endlessly in my ears.
"Love Is Poison! Love Is Poison! Eventually, you too will become a Vengeful Spirit..."
He Xue Ting looked up with a sorrowful expression, and suddenly a stream of bright red blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, shocking to behold.
I was startled and quickly turned to Nie Qiuyuan, only to find him with a cold expression, yet his body remained still.
"What happened?" I grabbed Autumn, asking urgently.
Autumn held me close and replied, "It's Aconite."
"So, he poisoned himself? I was lost in thought just now; didn't you see it? With your abilities, how could you let him poison himself right in front of you?"
Indeed, at this point, I no longer needed Autumn's answer. If she hadn't allowed him to take the poison, how could he have succeeded?
Perhaps this was just part of Autumn's gentle nature.
"He Sir, given the circumstances, why not show some compassion and tell us where Cui Langjun is now?"
Seeing that He Xue Ting was beyond saving, I voiced the question that lingered in my heart. Perhaps it could still fulfill the wishes of Cui Langjun and Madam He?
But in He Xue Ting's wide-open eyes, his pupils had already begun to dilate. When he opened his mouth, the blood trickling from his lips had started to turn a purplish-black color, indicating that he had ingested a considerable amount of poison.
"Nie... please... take care of Awang..."
He could only manage these few words before all expression suddenly froze at that moment, and he breathed no more.
"If He Xue Ting is captured, will they be subjected to Lingchi?" After a long while, I finally calmed my breathing enough to ask Nie Qiuyuan in his embrace.
"What is Lingchi?"
It then occurred to me that Lingchi, this form of torture, only came into existence after the Five Dynasties; it did not exist in the Tang Dynasty. Has human society become increasingly cruel as it develops?
"According to the law, perhaps they would face beheading," Nie Qiuyuan frowned in disgust at my explanation of Lingchi. It seemed that the punishments in the Tang Dynasty were still more humane.
"But even if they took their own lives out of guilt, wouldn't their bodies still be mutilated?"
"Not necessarily." Qiu gently shook his head. "Before this case is reported, news will definitely be sealed off. However, the final handling of the matter will likely not be as you imagine."
"Then what about Cui Langjun? Is there any way for us to find him and bring him back to Madam He?"
Qiu held me close, gently stroking my hair while gazing at me in silence.
His expression made my heart skip a beat.
I think I already knew the answer; I just didn't want to believe it was true.
The psychological distortion, the indulgence in hatred, the devaluation of human life, and the unusual obsessions likely all began with a life that had already been taken. Before everything else, it all started from that very first moment.
So, Cui Langjun probably won't return.
Thinking of that madwoman, who might remain insane forever—Madam He—my heart surged with deep sorrow.
The next few days passed in a haze. No wonder during my time in the police force, those with poor mental resilience among the Scouts easily fell into depression. Given my suppressed feelings over these past few days, that seemed highly probable.
In the case of He Xue Ting, Nie Qiuyuan swiftly sealed off the news. Magistrate Ma Anyang and Legal Officer Yue Lantian, who rushed over upon receiving the information, conducted a secret investigation centered around He Manor. As a result, not only was a large quantity of Aconite poison discovered at He Manor, but also items belonging to the victims from previous cases.
Near the location where we found the body in Suzhou, specifically at the temple pointed out by Qiu on the map, Judicial Officer Yue Lantian compared evidence and found that the white powder under the victim's fingernails and on He Xue Ting's belt was indeed incense ash from that temple. Bloodstains and the dagger used to stab the female corpse were also found in the temple.
In He Xue Ting's study, there was a crumpled piece of paper in the wastebasket, heavily layered with a single sentence written on it.
"He who lives should not be infatuated with love."
I had read this sentence before; it seemed to originate from someone of the Qing Dynasty. Perhaps when people suffer heartache due to love, even their spoken words might bear resemblance?
"Regretting the fallen red leaves staining my clothes, he who lives should not be infatuated with love; there is nowhere for longing to settle. If flowers bloom again, they are not from the same tree; clouds may linger but bring only sorrow. It is not a pastime but only grief."
However, the final handling of this case turned out to be quite different from what I had imagined, as Nie Qiuyuan had predicted. He Xue Ting's remains were not mutilated and displayed publicly; instead, they were hastily buried after being collected, with an official statement claiming that He Xue Ting had succumbed to a sudden illness.
As for the seventeen serial murders in Suzhou, local officials quietly selected a particularly heinous criminal among the death row inmates and executed him in secret, placing all blame for these heinous acts on this scapegoat. They announced that this person had resisted arrest and was killed on the spot. The head of this scapegoat was displayed on the city wall to quell public panic.
After all, there would be no serial killer appearing again to commit similar atrocities.
This was my first encounter with a "false case" in my ancient detective career.
Rationally speaking, I could understand everything. If we were to reveal that Suzhou's third-ranking official was a bloodthirsty serial killer, any shred of credibility that the new dynasty had just established among the people would likely crumble instantly.
This incident made me reconsider what true justice really is. Is exposing the truth of facts truly the only correct choice?
Madam He Feng Wan, after being treated by doctors, was confirmed unable to return to normalcy. Therefore, at our request and out of respect for her colleagues, Magistrate Ma Anyang arranged for her proper placement. Reflecting on her life made me deeply feel that we should cherish the present and those around us. Who knows what awaits us in the future?
Perhaps seeing so many events unfold has caused my emotions to fluctuate greatly; thus Nie Qiuyuan has been exceedingly gentle with me, sometimes to a point where I find it hard to bear. If we could always remain this close, it would truly be blissful.
In the blink of an eye, we had spent five days in Suzhou. The case was finally nearing resolution, so this autumn, I accompanied Qing to the market to buy souvenirs for my colleagues at the Dali Temple in Chang'an.
To be honest, the modern Ye Zhenzhen had never really shopped before. Since arriving in the Tang Dynasty, the few times I had gone out were always dragged along by Han Meilan, so I thought I wouldn't know how to shop at all. However, once I arrived at the market, I instinctively tapped into my feminine side and felt completely at ease, quickly filling two large bags with purchases.
The silk, embroidery, and goods in Suzhou were exquisite. I bought silk for Melan, a foot care set for Lin Jiu and Wang Jinzhi, and some Osmanthus Candy from a well-known brand for others. Qing watched me pick out items and suddenly burst into laughter for some reason. Nevertheless, he cheerfully carried the bags behind me, seemingly enjoying the experience.
"Why did you only buy for Melan? You didn't get anything for yourself? Come on, let me pick out some beautiful fabrics for you—something that... hmm, only I can see you wear," he said with a grin as he pulled my hand toward a large silk shop.
"Stop it! What are you talking about?" I replied playfully, though my heart felt sweet.
Just then, our sweet moment was interrupted by several hurried officials from the Provincial Governor's Office.
They rushed over, breathless and pale, and upon seeing us, they looked as if they had been saved. "My lord, please hurry back to the Provincial Governor's Office! Something terrible has happened!"
At that moment, I couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of "terrible thing" had occurred at the Suzhou Inspectorate. If I had known then, perhaps I would have cried on the spot.
When I returned to the Provincial Governor's Office, I knew I would never forget the shock and pain of that moment; it was a feeling that words could not describe.
Inside the Provincial Governor's Office, we saw our good friend Ma Anyang surrounded by others with ashen faces. They were gathered around the head of Su Liche, the Deputy Judge of Dazhou who had once gently treated my ailments...
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