"Mufeng?"
Meeting Su Mufeng's deep, unreadable gaze, Gu Yuexin felt as though she were trapped within a cavern of ice. A shiver coursed through her, beyond her control. She lowered her head, choosing not to meet his eyes.
Su Mufeng crouched beside her, his eyes fixed intently on her exquisite profile. His voice, low and heavy, pierced the silence.
"Aunt Xin, is everything you said… true?"
Though his tone was restrained, Gu Yun could read the disbelief and uncertainty on his face—an expression only someone wholly in the dark could wear. But what Gu Yuexin first saw in Su Mufeng's eyes was neither confusion nor anger, but terror… and worry. What was she afraid for? Why was she afraid for him?
Gu Yun's eyes, sharp and cold, tracked every subtle nuance between Su Mufeng and Gu Yuexin. Not a flicker escaped her scrutiny. Beside her, Zhuo Qing's expression darkened as she sank into silent contemplation upon hearing the mention of illusion techniques.
"I…" Gu Yuexin hesitated for a breath, then nodded firmly, her voice cold and resolute. "It's true."
A ripple passed through Su Mufeng's usually impassive face. A man who never initiated contact with others suddenly gripped Gu Yuexin's shoulders and growled, "Why did you do this?!"
Tears welled in Gu Yuexin's eyes, but she took a deep breath and refused to let them fall. Gently brushing his hands off, she whispered with a sorrowful sigh, "Mufeng, I did this to protect you. Return to the Gu family—leave the capital."
To him, who had lost his mother at a tender age, Aunt Xin was like a mother figure. He couldn't bear the thought that she had taken lives for his sake. Though he too found those noblewomen's actions despicable and frightening, he had never wished for their deaths.
"I don't believe you could have done such a thing!" He stared blankly at Gu Yuexin, who refused to meet his gaze, unsure what to say. He didn't want protection like this. He could not accept that the woman he respected most would resort to murder—especially by such cruel means. It was inconceivable.
Pushing aside the heartbroken Su Mufeng, Gu Yuexin suddenly roared, "Yes, I did it! Now go! Leave!"
She turned to Dan Yulan, stood tall, and declared, "My lord, I have confessed. Take me to prison—I no longer wish to see him!"
Su Mufeng stood as if struck by lightning, frozen in place as cold spread through his limbs. Gu Yun, ever perceptive, caught a flicker of something violent and sinister flash across his eyes, though it vanished just as swiftly, replaced by the usual clarity.
The words had been spoken, the truths unveiled. Dan Yulan raised a hand and declared, "Since the accused has confessed, guards, take her to the dungeon. Her sentence shall be decided after the court reports to the Emperor!"
"Yes, sir."
Two bailiffs stepped forward. Gu Yuexin offered no resistance, allowing herself to be escorted out. Yet as she stepped over the threshold, she couldn't help but turn back to gaze at the still-dazed Su Mufeng. Tears finally escaped her eyes.
"Mufeng, if you still regard me as your aunt—go back to the Gu family, now! Do you hear me?!"
Only there could he find the safety she so desperately wished for. How bitterly she regretted ever allowing him to return to the Su family six years ago!
Though pushed along by the guards, Gu Yuexin turned back again and again, crying out to him: "Go! Hurry, go!"
At last, her voice faded beyond the great hall of the Ministry of Justice. Su Mufeng remained rooted to the spot, his eyes lost, his face returning to its earlier mask of cold indifference. He turned and left, as quietly as he had arrived, though his steps now lacked their usual ease.
Dan Yulan did not stop him. He merely watched as the young man disappeared through the gates, then turned his gaze upon the others and sighed.
"What are your thoughts on this case?"
Though there were doubts, Gu Yuexin had been apprehended in the act. The weapon found on her matched the wounds of the previous victims, and her confession had explained the circumstances. If she were executed, the case would be closed.
With only nine days left of the Emperor's one-month deadline, if Gu Yuexin wasn't the true culprit, and the real murderer remained at large, Dan Yulan himself could end up imprisoned.
The Ministry of Justice fell into a heavy silence. Zhuo Qing remained deep in thought. Lou Xiyan maintained his detached composure, neither supporting nor opposing—his inscrutable demeanor betraying nothing of his thoughts.
In civil cases, judgment could be made on probability. But in criminal matters, the evidence must be irrefutable—a chain without a single weak link. If Gu Yuexin were the killer in this heart-extraction case, too many inconsistencies remained.
Breaking the silence, Gu Yun stepped forward and declared, "I believe there are still unanswered questions."
Dan Yulan smiled broadly. "Speak freely, Miss Qing."
He had long known she wasn't one to gloss over matters—and that was precisely why he admired her.
Gu Yun raised an eyebrow and glanced at him. With only nine days left, his invitation to speak freely might very well result in his own imprisonment if the true killer wasn't found. Such composure earned her respect. She would catch the culprit—no matter what.
Stepping to the center of the hall, Gu Yun laid out her doubts:
"First, the motive. Killing to prevent others from disturbing Su Mufeng? That's a flimsy justification. Gu Yuexin is skilled, yes, but not exceptional. Had the night patrol not been deliberately reduced, she wouldn't have even reached my room. In a place as heavily guarded as the Prince's estate, it seems beyond her capabilities.
"Second, she killed three people with such precision, yet cannot recall the specifics of the murders. That's implausible.
"Third, her eagerness to confess—she may indeed be shielding someone, someone who could very well be the true murderer."
Cheng Hang was the first to object. "You're suggesting that Young Master Su is the killer? I don't believe it."
Su's hemophobia was well known in his family. They'd consulted many doctors—he couldn't possibly fake it.
Gu Yun shrugged. "I never said he was the killer."
"But just now you said she was protecting the real murderer—wouldn't that be Su?"
Confused, Cheng Hang found her reasoning contradictory.
At last, Zhuo Qing lifted her head, worry etched on her face. "If the Gu family's illusion arts are truly this potent, Su Mufeng may have been manipulated without his knowledge—triggered to kill through physical contact. If touched by a woman, he could lose control and murder without intent."
Hypnotic suggestion. If this were true, the real culprit was the one who had hypnotized him.
Uncontrollable murder—how terrifying. Lü Jin turned to Zhuo Qing, alarmed. "If that's the case, then last time, when Gu Yuexin interrupted him before he struck—had she not, could he have attacked the General's estate tonight? Is that why she panicked and urged him to flee the capital?"
The hall fell into stunned silence. Gu Yun, however, seemed rather composed. She smiled faintly and said, "It's very possible. But all of this is still conjecture. Tonight, we must be prepared—the killer's arrival is a matter of fate."
"I'll act as bait this time," Zhuo Qing suddenly volunteered.
Lou Xiyan, silent until now, finally raised his voice. "Absolutely not!"
He drew a deep breath, regaining his composure before replying coldly, "I don't approve—it's too dangerous."
Yesterday was only Gu Yuexin. Had Ao Tian not arrived in time, Qingmo might have been hurt. Zhuo Qing had no martial skills—this was far too perilous.
Zhuo Qing had anticipated his refusal, though not its severity. Turning slightly, she whispered firmly in his ear, "Xiyan, so many will be protecting me in secret. I'll be fine—I promise."
Lou Xiyan's protective instincts toward Zhuo Qing were already clear. Should anything happen to her, no one would be able to account for it...