Chapter 73

“The Spiritual Artifact was purchased by me,” Chuzheng nodded, then without a change in expression, pointed at the thief, “However, this Spiritual Artifact was stolen by him.”

The thief’s face drastically changed, and he began to shout, “I didn’t, she’s talking nonsense, she’s the one who killed Young Master Song.”

“You say I killed him, do you have evidence?”

“This Spiritual Artifact is the evidence!” the thief yelled out loud.

“Which you stole.”

“I didn’t!” the thief retorted, glaring at Chuzheng with resentment, “I didn’t steal it, she’s lying, she’s the one who’s lying, she’s the murderer!”

The Song Family members looked at Chuzheng then at the thief, suddenly unsure whom to believe, who really killed their Young Master?

Chuzheng insisted that her Spiritual Artifact had been stolen, and that the death of Young Master Song had nothing to do with her.

She appeared calm and collected, showing none of the panic and nervousness of a murderer.

On the other hand, the more loudly the thief screamed and shouted, the more suspicious he looked.

The Song Family members were somewhat undecided, but in the end, they decided to take both Chuzheng and the thief back with them, as one of them had to be the murderer.

“Miss, we apologize for the offense, but please come back with us to the manor. If you did not do it, we will offer you an apology.”

“I’m not free,” Chuzheng retreated into her room, intending to close the door.

The speaker’s brow furrowed, and he took a step forward, bracing the door, “Miss, if you wish to clear your suspicion, it would be best to come back with us to the manor.”

Chuzheng, expressionless, rebutted, “You suspect me based on a single sentence, does that mean I can also say, based on a single sentence, that you’re the murderer and that you’re crying ‘Stop thief’ to cover your guilt?”

The man: “…”

Before the man could come up with a response, Chuzheng suddenly took action, kicking him out.

The man soared through the air, crashed through the balcony handrails, and fell down into the inn below.

Chuzheng looked at the remaining shocked Song Family members, her face cold as she threatened, “I said it wasn’t me. Dare to come here again, and I’ll kill you all.”

Bang—

The door slammed shut, and with the lead Song Family member kicked out, they did not dare to approach and went downstairs to find their leader.

At this moment, the leader was violently spitting blood, which shocked everyone even more. The girl seemed to have just given a casual kick, how could it have caused him to spit blood?

With a face ashen, the leader ordered, “Have someone watch this place and bring this man back first.”

“It wasn’t me, why are you arresting me, it’s her, that woman did it!” the thief struggled.

When they found Young Master Song, they had by chance caught this suspicious-looking person nearby, but then he said he had seen that murder weapon, belonging to a woman.

That was why they had come looking.

Young Master Song’s death was a big deal, and by the next day, the news had spread far and wide, with many applauding the news.

Young Master Song was the bully of Shangning City, forcibly taking women of good families, publicly murdering people – there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t dare to do under the Song Family’s name.

There weren’t much clues in the dungeon; they didn’t even know why Young Master Song was there, only that the murderer must have brought him there.

That afternoon, someone appeared claiming to have seen a person stealthily following Young Master Song, and that person pointed directly at the thief.

The Song Family found out that the thief was in desperate need of Spirit Stones to pay off his gambling debts, giving him a motive to commit the crime.

Others claimed to have seen Chuzheng interacting with Young Master Song, although after separating from him, Chuzheng went straight back to the inn.

The innkeeper and shop assistant could both testify that she had not gone out at all.

The Song Family, even though they felt Chuzheng was a major suspect, did not dare act rashly since she had both an alibi and strength.

In the end, the thief took the fall and became the convicted killer of Young Master Song.

Song Family.

“Family Head, that woman is a bigger suspect…”

Patriarch Song’s face darkened, his hands clinking an iron walnut in his grip, “Song Li is in her hands.”

“What?” the person exclaimed, “The young master? He… he’s dead, isn’t he?”

He had seen it with his own eyes! That half-human half-demon monster…

Patriarch Song did not intend to reveal why Li Tang was still alive, “That bastard is in her hands, if she lets this matter out, revealing that the Song Family has connections with the Demon Clan, we’ll become the target of the arrows.”

The person took a moment to digest the information, “Family Head, aren’t you thinking too seriously? Not everyone might believe what she says.”

Patriarch Song: “The Song family is a tall tree that catches the wind. Whether it’s true or not, there’s always someone to take advantage of the situation.”

The man’s face visibly changed. In Shangning City, it seemed like the Song family was leading, but secretly, who knew how many were waiting for the chance to pull them down.

If they were tangled in unclear relations with the Demon Clan, even if the Song family were innocent, they could be exploited and fall into a calamitous situation from which they could never recover.

“Family Head, about this matter…”

“If she has any schemes, she will definitely contact us,” Patriarch Song said. “First, send someone to keep an eye on her, and if the opportunity…”

Patriarch Song gave him a knowing look.

The man understood and made a throat-slitting gesture.

Patriarch Song reiterated: “Without absolute certainty, you are not to act.”

“Yes,” the man replied. “By the way, Family Head, the young miss should be returning in a few days.”

Patriarch Song’s expression softened slightly. “Every three years, the Ziyun Sect recruits new disciples. Lan’er is coming back this time for that reason. Have the Song family’s young gentlemen prepare well.”

“Yes.”

–

Inn.

Li Tang leaned against the head of the bed, sipping porridge from Chuzheng’s hand.

“Do you think they believed it?” Li Tang took the initiative to speak for the first time in days.

“What?”

“That it wasn’t you who killed him.”

“If I say it wasn’t, then it wasn’t,” Chuzheng replied as she brought the spoon to his lips, and Li Tang opened his mouth slightly.

“The Song family doesn’t care about evidence.”

“They wouldn’t dare lay a hand on me.”

“Why?”

Chuzheng’s face was all seriousness: “They can’t beat me.”

“…”

Li Tang watched Chuzheng tidy up the dishes. He parted his lips, as if he wanted to say something but then hesitated.

“Say what’s on your mind.”

“…” Having his thoughts exposed, Li Tang simply spoke up: “Are you from the Demon Clan?”

“Seems so.”

“…” Yes or no, but what did ‘seems so’ mean? “The Demon Clan is sealed in the Underground Demon City, how did you get out?”

“The same way your father got out,” Chuzheng replied.

Li Tang frowned, his tone changing slightly: “You knew my father?”

His mother rarely mentioned his father, but he knew that his mother loved him very much, and she had no regrets.

His mother also said that his father did not abandon them on purpose; he had his reasons.

If there was a chance…

“No,” Chuzheng said.

“Then why did you save me?”

Chuzheng clenched her fist slightly, her seriousness like a vow: “When I see injustice on the road, I draw my sword to help, to be a good person.” She resolved to be a good person or she’d be leading a dog’s life… no, a backward life; she couldn’t rewind! Absolutely not!

“…” Is there something wrong with this person?

If such words were spoken by a human cultivator, he might believe them.

But she was from the Demon Clan, claiming she wanted to be a good person. Had all the good people in this world died out?

The way she treated him before, it felt like she was deliberately messing with him. How could that be considered good?

This woman was truly strange…