Gu Yun smiled faintly and replied calmly, "You'll find out soon enough." It seemed that Qing had successfully executed a counter-hypnosis.
"You..." The man stared deep into Zhuo Qing's eyes, and after a sudden dizziness, he was struck with shock as he realized the heart he had been holding had vanished without a trace, along with the blood that had stained his hands. The pure white sheets were untouched, and there was nothing to be found. Zhuo Qing's sharp eyes coldly observed him.
"This is impossible!" The man gaped at Zhuo Qing, his expression shifting from arrogance and devilish charm to surprise and unease. Zhuo Qing slowly sat up, her lips slightly parted as she coldly spoke: "In this world, you're not the only one capable of hypnosis!"
She acknowledged that in the very beginning, she had almost lost herself within his gaze. Had she not been prepared, she might have fallen victim to his hypnosis. A fierce look flashed across the man's eyes, and Zhuo Qing, startled, quickly leaned back, instinctively shielding her chest. The knife in the man's hand slashed across the back of her hand.
The man moved swiftly, and Lou Xiyan's urgent voice rang out: "Mo Bai, Ao Tian, capture him!"
Mo Bai leapt from the beam, aiming for the man's back. The man, quick to react, spun around and kicked out, his knife still determinedly thrusting toward Zhuo Qing, who had retreated to the furthest corner of the bed. Just as it seemed it would strike her chest, a large hand reached out from behind the bed curtains, seizing the man's wrist and using internal energy to force him back.
Zhuo Qing felt a sudden tightness on her shoulder as an overwhelming force hurled her off the bed. The force was so great that she nearly crashed into the screen, but fortunately, Lou Xiyan and Gu Yun caught her in time, preventing any injury.
Mo Bai and Ao Tian, the two martial experts, surrounded the man. Though clearly flustered, the man showed no signs of defeat after ten moves. Gu Yun glanced outside, her eyes flickering as she called out, "Mo Bai, Ao Tian, don't let him escape the room!"
The moment her words fell, the man retreated toward the window, and with a swift movement, he was already outside. Mo Bai and Ao Tian immediately pursued, leaping out after him.
Gu Yun sighed in relief. The room still held Lou Xiyan and Zhuo Qing, neither of whom were skilled in martial arts. If the fight continued and the man took either of them hostage, it would be disastrous. Now that he was outside, there was no way for him to escape.
Indeed, as soon as the man exited the courtyard, he was met with the fiery lash of Ye Mei's long whip. Archers, concealed around the yard, revealed themselves, their bows drawn and aimed squarely at the gray figure in the center.
Gu Yun turned to glance at Lou Xiyan, who was tightly holding onto Zhuo Qing. With him taking care of Qing, she would be fine. Gu Yun then exited the yard herself.
Lou Xiyan inspected Zhuo Qing's body from head to toe, his expression anxious. "Where are you hurt?"
When he saw the dagger approaching her, he nearly forgot to breathe, terrified that in the blink of an eye, he would lose her. Last time, by the lotus pond, she had fallen unconscious, and he only heard Lou Xiwu recount the incident in vivid detail. Today, he saw Lou Xiyan's pale face for the first time. Yet her heart ached—she loved his gentle smile and the way he planned everything meticulously.
Zhuo Qing shook her head vigorously, her voice trembling as she said, "I'm fine."
"I'll check." Lou Xiyan grabbed her hand, and his gaze softened as he saw the three-inch-long gash on the back of her left hand. Fortunately, the wound wasn't deep, just bleeding slightly, but it wasn't serious.
Lou Xiyan finally felt a bit of relief. He tore a piece of cloth from his sleeve and gently wrapped her hand, but Zhuo Qing wouldn't dare move, repeatedly assuring him, "Xiyan, I'm really fine. It's just a small cut."
With a mixture of tenderness and helplessness, Lou Xiyan looked at her and sighed inwardly. Since falling in love with her, he realized that his heart wasn't as strong as he had once believed. Holding her tightly in his arms, her warm body and steady breathing reassured him—she was truly fine. In that moment, Lou Xiyan's heart finally settled back into place.
Seeing his complexion improve slightly, Zhuo Qing whispered, "Shall we go and have a look?"
With a resigned nod, Lou Xiyan took her uninjured hand, leading her to the door and preventing her from coming any closer.
Mo Bai, Ye Mei, and Ao Tian had already surrounded the man. There was no chance of escape now. With their combined efforts, they managed to restrain the man, binding him tightly with ropes and chains. The officials moved in, securing him with the prepared hemp ropes and iron clamps.
Cheng Hang looked closely at the man's face and immediately sneered, "Su Mufeng, I never expected you to be the real killer, and to have your aunt take the blame for you! You're worse than a beast!"
Earlier, he had played the role of an innocent fool. This man, with his feigned piety, truly deserved to die!
The man's body stiffened as he glared at Cheng Hang with fury in his eyes. "What's wrong with Xinyi?" he shouted.
His eyes, cruel and ruthless, were nothing like the usual Su Mufeng. Cheng Hang's heart suddenly jolted in fear, and he snapped, "Stop pretending! Men, take him back!"
The officials quickly grabbed the man, dragging him away. Zhuo Qing called out, "Wait, I have something to ask him."
Cheng Hang turned, seeing her hand wrapped in cloth, thinking her injury was severe. He advised, "Madam, please go tend to your wounds. If you have questions, you can ask at the government office."
Turning to the officials, he commanded, "Take him away."
Finally, they had caught the true culprit. Lord Dan no longer needed to be imprisoned. Watching the group rush out, Zhuo Qing lowered her head, sighing, "I'm afraid we won't be able to ask him anything later."
She spoke softly, and Lou Xiyan, who didn't hear her clearly, asked, "What did you say?"
Shaking her head gently, Zhuo Qing sighed again, "It's nothing."
She hoped her fears would not come true. Unfortunately, the very thing she feared came to pass.
The next morning, with Lou Xiyan by her side, Zhuo Qing arrived at the Ministry of Justice. As they entered the study, they heard Cheng Hang's loud voice cursing angrily, "It drives me crazy! Su Mufeng returned to the office pretending to be mad, acting like he doesn't know what happened. He was caught red-handed, and now he's still trying to deny it! Ridiculous!"
Zhuo Qing sighed quietly; her fears had indeed come true.
When they entered the room, Dan Yulan was the first to notice them, nodding slightly. "Minister Lou, Madam."
Although she had already suspected what had happened, Zhuo Qing still asked, "What's going on?"
Cheng Hang grumbled angrily, "Su Mufeng is pretending to be mad, saying he doesn't know what happened last night."
Gu Yun, who had clearly been there for some time, was leaning against the door, speaking in a low voice, "He's completely different from last night."
Everything about him had changed. Aside from his clothes, it was as though he were a different person altogether. Zhuo Qing nodded slowly. It seemed she knew where the problem lay.
Meeting Gu Yun's gaze, Zhuo Qing said helplessly, "I want to see him."
After much insistence, only Zhuo Qing and Gu Yun were allowed to meet the dangerous criminal. When they entered the cell, Zhuo Qing understood why Lou Xiyan and Dan Yulan had agreed to let two women meet such a dangerous man alone.
In the spacious cell, there was a small window, and the sunlight outside was bright, so the cell was reasonably lit. At the far end of the room, a man in gray sat cross-legged, his wrists and ankles shackled with chains as thick as a woman's wrist. One end of the chains was secured to his hands, while the other was deeply embedded in the wall. The same applied to his legs.
If it were an ordinary person, with such heavy chains, they could barely move, let alone attack anyone. The chain was short, and even if he managed to stand, he could not reach the middle of the cell. With such restraints, there was no way he could do anything.
Zhuo Qing's gaze remained fixed on the man ahead. Sitting cross-legged, he resembled how she had first seen him in Lou Xiwu's courtyard. Yes, though the environment was completely different, without the flowers and the soft music, he still emanated the same carefree, indifferent aura. This man was the Su Mufeng they knew.
Su Mufeng seemed to notice their arrival. He slowly opened his eyes, smiled slightly, and nodded as though he were not a prisoner, still as composed as if he were hosting them at home. This tranquility, this acceptance of fate—how few people could manage such calmness?
Zhuo Qing looked at him and said coldly, "Su Mufeng, I want you to answer my questions."
Su Mufeng didn't immediately respond. He turned and took a deep breath, as though savoring the air that surrounded him.
Finally, he spoke with a deep, calm tone. "What do you want to ask, Lady Zhuo?"
Zhuo Qing raised her eyebrows, hearing his words. She began, "You're not mad at all, are you?"