CH 44

Chapter 44: Unquestionable Evidence (2)

Just when it was quiet, Mu Yang jumped out of nowhere and asked excitedly, "Where is it?! Where is it? Where’s the dead thing?"

He pushed aside the crowd and quickly spotted the carcass on the ground. He grinned and exclaimed happily, "Oh, this way of dying is really unusual!"

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There was a dead silence all around. Mu Yang's happy voice was extremely abrupt, but no one dared to say anything. Wen Yantong gave him a look, telling him to shut up and stop being so chipper.

But Mu Yang didn't understand at all. Instead, he came up to her and patted her on the shoulder, saying, "Did you kill it? You really have good skills!"

Wen Yantong glared at him. "What are you talking about?!"

"Aiya! I’m only kidding." Mu Yang laughed. "I naturally know that you didn't kill it."

His eyes looked around, and his smile suddenly became cold as he said, "Are there really fools who suspected that you killed it?"

Wen Yantong breathed a sigh of relief. When she heard Mu Yang defending her, she couldn't help feeling warm. Although Mu Yang was a natural goofball, he was also an affectionate and righteous person.

"Mu Yang." Sun Qiu stopped him.

Mu Yang was not too scared to see him, so he smiled and greeted Sun Qiu politely. "I didn't see Teacher Sun just now. Please excuse this student's rudeness."

Sun Qui didn't pursue it either, but with a straight face, he asked the person who had previously accused Wen Yantong, "Do you have any basis for saying that it was Wen Yantong’s doing?"

The person was a little afraid of Mu Yang and looked at him several times, hesitating to say anything. Sun Qiu realized his meaning and said, "Say it. Everything is up to me to decide who’s wrong or right."

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"Yes. The servant in charge of the night watch said that he saw Wen Yantong last night running around here in the middle of the night. At that time, everyone was sleeping, and he was the only one..."

Sun Qiu cut him off and asked, "Who was the servant assigned to the night watch yesterday?"

An older man in the crowd stood up and said, "Last night was this humble one's shift."

"Was what he said true?" Sun Qiu asked the night watchman.

The servant replied, "There was indeed such a thing."

The crowd began to discuss in a low voice. Sun Qui looked at Wen Yantong. "What do you want to say about this?"

Wen Yantong said, "I want to ask him a few questions."

Sun Qiu said, "Ask."

She said to him, "When did you see me last night?"

"The end of chǒu-shí(1-3 am), approaching yín-shí (3-5 am)," the servant replied.

"In the pitch dark, how can you be sure the person you saw was me?" she asked again.

"I can see clearly. You are the only one in the Academy with a leg inconvenience." The servant replied, "Wearing a white cloak and carrying a yellow lantern."

Wen Yantong nodded, "Yes, that was me."

As soon as her voice fell, someone jumped out in a hurry. "It really was you!"

Wen Yantong glanced at him, "What's the hurry? I haven't finished asking yet."

She then continued, "How were you able to spot me at that exact time? Do you usually keep vigil in this area?"

"No, this humble one happened to take over the vigil at that time. I was using the toilet in the nearby hut and saw you as soon as I came out," the servant answered.

"Last question," Wen Yantong said. "You said you saw me scurrying around here. Is that true?"

The servant answered the first few questions smoothly but hesitated to answer the last question. 

While he kept silent, Wen Yantong suddenly said in a sharp tone, "The Teachers of the Academy are all here. If you dare to lie during your testimony, then you are playing with your life!"

The servant’s body froze. "No. I just saw you walking over there with a lantern in hand. The matters about scurrying around were added by the students."

Wen Yantong nodded with satisfaction and said to Sun Qiu, "Teacher Sun, I'm done asking."

"Then what do you want to say now?" Sun Qiu asked.

Wen Yantong said, "This student is ashamed. Last night I practiced calligraphy at Teacher Li's place because my calligraphy was too ugly. I didn't return until it was chǒu-shí, so when that person saw me, it was indeed I who was rushing back to the dormitory and passing through this place. However, I did not come closer nor did I touch this rooster."

"The rest of the time, I slept in my room until I was woken up this morning. When I arrived, dirty water was poured over me, accusations of me killing the Academy's rooster." Wen Yantong continued, "This student has been wrongfully accused."

"Impossible! How could Teacher Li keep someone for so long?" someone questioned.

"I would not lie about this matter. If you don't believe me, you can ask Teacher Li," Wen Yantong said frankly.

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"No wonder Brother Xi didn't come to class today." Mu Yang exclaimed, "So he got home very late yesterday, too!"

"Yes, Little Marquis was also present yesterday. If you don't believe me, you can also ask Little Marquis to verify." Wen Yantong was even a little proud when she said this.

This pot of dirty water was poured just in time.

If this occurred on any normal night, Wen Yantong would be sleeping in the dormitory by herself, and there would be no evidence to get rid of these accusations at all. But coincidentally, it happened on the night she went to practice calligraphy, so Li Boyuan and Chi Jingxi could both be her witnesses.

They were witnesses that no one dared to question.