That’s Right, I Killed Her (2)

Fourth Missy Gan ran away since she was pregnant and had never told Gan Zhixuan who his father was. Every time he asked her, she would avoid the question and refuse to give him the answer. She really held her ground. So, how did Gan Zhixuan find out that Zeng Deyong was his father?

Someone must have tipped him off.

The two lived in separate cities and their neighbors would not have known about what was going on. Fourth Missy Gan did not have any friends she was close enough with to tell them about such things and she certainly wouldn’t have told her son. So, who could have done it?

Who… would have wanted Fourth Missy Gan to return?

The answer was obvious.

Zeng Deyong was rather annoyed by the way everyone was staring at him and snapped back, “We’re talking about MY concubine and MY son, so I can do whatever I want! It’s none of your business!” He spun to glare at Sang Zheng, “Look at that look on your face! Is it because… not only did you take a fancy to my wife, but you also took a fancy to my mistress? And you’re angry that she didn’t let you sleep with her?”

Sang Zheng was already very angry with Zeng Deyong, but he was not going to let Zeng Deyong change the subject. “Five years ago, Fourth Missy Gan was in Qingxian too. You lied to Madam Wei and everyone else, and pretended you had no idea. But actually, you knew she was there and had even met with her, right?”

“I—”

“There’s no point in denying it, because I’m not making a guess here. I saw it with my own eyes!”

Sang Zheng’s voice grew louder and higher as he glared fiercely at Zeng Deyong, as though he was not going to stop until he had let everything out. “Did you see Qiu Wenkang, then? Were you very angry when you saw how Qiu Wenkang was so eager to help Fourth Missy Gan?”

“Madam Wei made a cuckold of you and you were angry about that, so you decided to find yourself other women. Fourth Missy Gan made a cuckold of you as well and you got angry too, but you couldn’t do anything to punish her because she lived elsewhere, so you decided to kill her!”

Sang Zheng’s eyes looked like they could spew blood. “You killed her, then framed me for it, killing two birds with one stone! You’re a very smart man indeed, Count Zeng!”

“PUI!” Zeng Deyong spat loudly and spoke even more thunderously than Sang Zheng, “You saw me in Qingxian? I saw you too! The bottle of poison is a bottle that only your people would design and produce, and the poison is also only grown in your people’s part of the country! You’re obviously the one who killed her, but you’re trying to frame me for it?!”

Sang Zheng yelled back, “The commandery prince is here with the investigation team! How dare you argue back despite being guilty of murder! How audacious!”

Zeng Deyong shouted, “Excuse me? My wife saved you, but instead of repaying her, you went after other women and destroyed her family! I couldn’t possibly be more audacious than you, Mr. Sang!”

Their shouts grew louder and louder, making the atmosphere in the room more and more tense.

Song Caitang blinked several times. So… they were attacking each other now?

That was not quite what they expected today.

The change in their attitude was like a typhoon sweeping through the hall, catching everyone by surprise. But the two men refused to back down. If one shouted loudly, the other was going to reply in an even louder voice.

It didn’t take long for them to turn red in the face and to spill even more information.

“Commandery Prince Zhao! You’ve already found hard evidence, but this bastard keeps refusing to admit to his guilt? I can be a witness!”

Sang Zheng suddenly turned toward Zhao Zhi and began to use everything he had to expose Zeng Deyong. “It’s true that he’s not the only person who can go in and out of his study, but there’s a secret compartment inside that nobody knows how to open. Not even Madam Wei. He’s the only person who can keep and retrieve these important pieces of evidence easily!”

Zhao Zhi looked at Wen Yuansi.

Wen Yuansi narrowed his eyes and asked Sang Zheng, “Is that so?”

It was true that there was a hidden compartment inside the study. Qi Yan was an expert at opening such compartments, yet he had taken a long time to find out how to open it. But by that time, the count was returning and he didn’t have time to open it…

Wen Yuansi had managed to open it earlier today, but if Qi Yan hadn’t already figured it out beforehand, there was no way he could have opened it.

Sang Zheng’s words boomed, “Of course! I can guarantee that with my very life! I also saw—”

“Sang Zheng!” Zeng Deyong suddenly roared furiously.

This time, the one who remained steady was Sang Zheng. He raised an eyebrow at Zeng Deyong and said, “What? As a man, I should own up to everything I’ve done, regardless of whether it’s good or bad! It’s true that I coaxed your wife into having an affair with me and made a cuckold of you, and it’s also true that I have slept with many other women. It’s also true that I really wanted to kill Fourth Missy Gan and frame Gan Zhixuan for it. I admit to everything you said just now! But I did not kill Fourth Missy Gan in the end! Zeng Deyong, I have the guts to admit everything I’ve done! But you don’t have the guts to do that!”

“Sang Zheng! Stop trying to agitate me!”

“Tsk! Only a timid and rash weakling would be afraid of being agitated!”

“My conscience is clear!”

“If your conscience is really clear, then you’d better speak the truth!”

“Fine!”

“If you’ve got the guts, admit one of the things I’ve raised!”

“I’ve got guts! Not just today, but every single day! I’ve got more balls than you, since you don’t even have any! You want me to say it? Fine! I was the one who killed Fourth Missy Gan! So what? That’s what she gets for catching you with Madam Wei! I don’t want to look pathetic, so before it’s time to kill both of you, I’ll cover your shameless deeds for the time being! But I saw that you wanted to kill her, so of course I had to ride on that! How could I live with myself if I didn’t try to bring you down!!”

Zeng Deyong practically shouted out that last sentence.

His face was red with anger as he admitted his guilt with unparalleled bravado.

The hall was so silent, you could hear a feather drop.

Zeng Deyong froze for a moment, as though he suddenly realized he just said something he shouldn’t have…

But there was no way to take back what he had already said. Besides, Zhao Zhi had come prepared with evidence and all that, so he was already cornered right from the start. After he recovered from that short moment of shock, he glared fiercely at Sang Zheng and scoffed a little self-deprecatingly. “I’ve admitted it! So what?”

Zhao Zhi narrowed his eyes as he placed his teacup on the table.

Song Caitang was a little surprised that he had admitted it so quickly.

But Qi Yan was very excited. This bastard had finally admitted his guilt! He was so happy, he kept tugging on Wen Yuansi’s sleeve.

Since nobody was going to say anything, Wen Yuansi took a step forward. “Zeng Deyong, you have just admitted to being Fourth Missy Gan’s killer. Is that right?”

Zeng Deyong replied, “That’s right!”

Wen Yuansi went on, “Can you tell us exactly what happened that day?”

“Of course I can. But I have a request,” said Zeng Deyong as he narrowed his eyes and used his chin to point at the rest in the hall. “One should not wash their dirty linen in public, and this matter concerns my family’s private business. Commandery Prince Zhao is the official in charge, so anyone under his command can stay here. But those who have nothing to do with this – can they be told to leave?”

He was mainly referring to Lu Yuxue, Wei He’an and Gan Zhixuan.

Zhao Zhi understood that this case was not as simple as it seemed, because it had implications for what happened five years ago and even 18 years ago, which might include some classified information that ordinary civilians should not be privy to, so he nodded in agreement. “Sure. Men—”

Zeng Deyong pointed to Madam Wei. “Throw this thing out too.”

Madam Wei bit her lips, her eyes bloodshot. “I’m… I’m not allowed to listen to matters concerning this household either?”

“That’s right!” yelled Zeng Deyong. He didn’t care that she used to be his wife. “The Zengs, the household of the Count of Peace, doesn’t want a licentious woman like you to be the mistress of the house!”

She had suffered way too many blows today and had even vomited blood earlier, so she was already on the verge of collapse. After he uttered those words, she closed her eyes and fainted, which actually saved her from hearing worse words. Zhao Zhi called the maids to quickly carry her out of the hall.

Gan Zhixuan was an obedient boy, or rather, he was too timid. So even though he was still angry about how his mother died, he didn’t dare to fight back. He clenched his fists and bowed his head as he walked out of the hall silently.

The remaining two, Lu Yuxue and Wei He’an, also had no choice but to leave, even though they were curious and wanted to continue watching this drama.

Lu Yuxue’s brows were tightly knit and she walked very slowly. Wei He’an chuckled and said, “Why, are you still hoping that your cousin would open his mouth and ask you to stay?”

Lu Yuxue maintained her aloof and unapproachable upper class image well. Unless the man talking to her was her cousin, Zhao Zhi, she chose which men she wanted to talk to and which ones she ignored. She didn’t even glance at Wei He’an as she allowed her maid to support her as she walked away.

That was exactly how she became the goddess to all the young men in Bianliang.

But Wei He’an wasn’t bothered at all. His gaze moved away from Lu Yuxue’s back view to the pretty silhouette standing in the hall…

He shook his head, then chuckled as he walked away.

Zhao Zhi tapped the table with his knuckles. “All those people have left. You may speak now.”

“You’ve already found all the evidence, so there’s no point in trying to cover it up anymore. I’ll tell you everything,” said Zeng Deyong magnanimously, as though he had completely forgotten that he was the one who fiercely denied everything all this time. “I was the one who killed Fourth Missy Gan.”

Sang Zheng gnashed his teeth. “Of all the times to kill her, why that day?”

Zeng Deyong’s eye twitched cheekily, “That’s what I want to ask you and Madam Wei. Why did you choose that day of all days to carry out your plans?”

“Enough, stop arguing.” Zhao Zhi scratched the side of the teacup with his nail, resulting in a nasty screeching sound. He glared at Zeng Deyong to remind him to behave. “Go on. Why did you want to kill Fourth Missy Gan?”

Zeng Deyong scoffed at Sang Zheng, then got back to what he was saying, “She was a licentious woman who refused to behave like a woman should, seducing men left and right. Not only did she take a fancy to a young fellow, she even tried to seduce the head administrator of the crown prince. She found out that Sang Zheng and Madam Wei were having an affair, so she could use that to her advantage. But she decided to run away and refused to listen to me. How could I possibly allow her to live?”

Song Caitang and the rest were stunned.

So, in the end, this murder was over a personal feud? It had nothing to do with anything else?

But what about the box with secret drawers and its blueprint? What about Sang Zheng’s secret gold shipment? Who were they reporting to?

Zhao Zhi narrowed his eyes. “This young fellow you talk about… Was it someone in Qingxian five years ago?”

“That’s right,” Zeng Deyong nodded before looking up warily. “How did you know?”

But he figured it out pretty quickly. After all, Zhao Zhi had come with soldiers to interrogate him and even produced all this evidence. Zhao Zhi’s motive was obvious.

He let out a long laugh. “Ah, you’re trying to make me talk about another case, I see! You’re very confident and you have sufficient evidence on hand, but you didn’t want to mention anything, waiting for me to walk into this trap instead, hoping that I’d trip over my own lies and have no choice but to come clean… But I’m not going to do that. Since I’ve already admitted to doing one thing, I don’t mind admitting to another. That’s right, there was a young fellow who was rather handsome, and I think his name was Jing Yan. He kept hanging around Fourth Missy Gan and I couldn’t stand it, so I killed him!”

Everyone gasped inwardly. The killer was really the same person!

It was Zeng Deyong who killed Jing Yan!

At this point, Qi Yan dropped his fan and his eyes were bloodshot as he almost pounced on Zeng Deyong. But Wen Yuansi caught his arm in time and held him back. “Calm down, calm down…”

It had come to a point where the murderer was willing to cooperate, so Song Caitang didn’t have to direct this interrogation anymore. She breathed a sigh of relief and sat down at the table to drink some tea.

She left the rest to Zhao Zhi.

Zhao Zhi looked rather authoritative when he furrowed his thick brows. “We’ve already examined Jing Yan’s body and we’ve confirmed that he was someone very highly skilled in martial arts. How did you manage to kill him?”

“Oh, you found his body already? Wait, by now, he would be nothing more than a pile of bones. How were you able to confirm his identity? And you’re saying he was highly skilled in martial arts just by looking at his bones? Don’t you think that’s a little flimsy?”

Zeng Deyong was genuinely surprised. He also seemed somewhat impressed. Could someone really glean all this information from a pile of bones?

“That’s a matter of my coroner’s ability, nothing to do with you. What you should be concerned with is my question…” Zhao Zhi slammed the table hard. “Zeng Deyong, you’d better come clean right now!”

Zeng Deyong’s eyes twitch a little, as though he was unhappy about this. But he eventually calmed down and snorted, “I used a mace.”

He noticed that nobody seemed surprised and snorted again. “So, you know about this too?”
Zhao Zhi nodded. “You know martial arts.”

“That’s right. My father rescued a very highly skilled martial artist in the past, so to return the favor, this martial artist taught me martial arts. But before that, he made me promise to make sure I did not use this knowledge to bully others and to use it only if my life was in danger,” said Zeng Deyong very nonchalantly. “But you know how my family has survived all these years. There was no way I could have displayed my potential at all.”

The Zengs were given the title of Count of Peace and survived because they believed in keeping a low profile. The descendants could be wastrels and live recklessly, but they could not be found to be too clever or too capable.

Zeng Deyong looked at Zhao Zhi, then at Song Caitang and Wen Yuansi, and finally at Sang Zheng. “Did all of you think that I was very useless all this time? You’re wrong!”

Zhao Zhi frowned slightly. “You killed Jing Yan all by yourself? You didn’t have any companions or a group with you?”

“Zhao Zhi, are you looking down on me now? You’re the only one who can get through thousands of soldiers and horses and lop off the head of the enemy’s general, but I can’t possibly be a martial arts genius?” Zeng Deyong scoffed. “Why would someone at my level need to rely on someone else? Who would even be good enough for me to rely on?”

Zhao Zhi ignored his taunts. “So, how did you kill him? We know the sort of injury he suffered.”

“Yes, yes, you can stop reminding me. Since I’ve already started, I won’t hold anything back!” Zeng Deyong went on, “Five years ago in Qingxian, I found out that Jing Yan and Fourth Missy Gan were meeting in secret. They were in extremely close proximity and were very, very intimate. I even saw that Jing Yan kiss Fourth Missy Gan’s cheek!”

Qi Yan instantly lost his temper. “That’s impossible! He wasn’t that sort of person!”

His uncle was a well-mannered man who didn’t seem very interested in women and did not know how to pander to women either. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have remained single until the day he died and leave no wife or children behind.

“I don’t care what sort of man he was, since I didn’t even know him at all. In any case, I saw them like that! They were behaving so intimately!” Zeng Deyong scowled as he continued, “She knew I was nearby, yet she dared to do such a thing! She was trying to challenge me! She was trying to prove that she was better than me! I wasn’t going to take that lying down!”

Song Caitang frowned slightly. “What time and where did you see the two of them? How far away were they from you?”

Zeng Deyong paused to think, then said, “It was evening time by the river. I was about… 20 or 30 meters away?”

“In the evening, the shadows are long and blurry, plus there isn’t a lot of light. If you’re a little too far, you won’t be able to see what’s going on clearly,” said Song Caitang. “I’m afraid you might have been mistaken.”

Zeng Deyong spat. “I don’t care if I was wrong or not. In any case, I saw them behaving like that, so they were romantically involved! At that time, I had already met with Fourth Missy Gan several times and I told her that if she went back to Bianliang with me, I would also acknowledge our son. But she refused and that was already embarrassing enough for me. To make things worse, I had to witness this also…”

“That Fourth Missy Gan not only seduced Jing Yan but she also seduced Qiu Wenkang! Madam Wei was just jealous and tried to vent her anger on her, but she went to get Qiu Wenkang to help her, as though she was trying to antagonize Madam Wei. But was she trying to challenge Madam Wei? No! She was trying to challenge ME! Of course I was angry!”

Zeng Deyong shut his eyes. “I’m skilled in martial arts, but I’ve always been careful, so even though I was so angry, I didn’t want to do anything rash. But heaven was on my side… That Jing Yan had enemies!”

“It was a group of men in black. They were all dressed the same way with a black cloth covering their faces, but they carried different weapons. All of them were clearly highly skilled – a few dozen of them were running after one Jing Yan!” Zeng Deyong was still a little excited as he recounted what happened. “I couldn’t miss this chance. I had been given the chance to take revenge, so I couldn’t call myself a man if I were to let this opportunity go. So, I followed them secretly and watched them fight.”

“I have to admit that Jing Yan was really something. He was up against a few dozen people, yet he managed to use his own skill and the mountainous terrain to fight them off. He was severely injured, but he managed to kill every person that was trying to kill him!”

“But so what if he survived that attack? He was unlucky to run into me. If I hadn’t followed them, he would probably have survived. But I did – which means, the heavens were allowing me to kill him.”

Zeng Deyong uttered these words in a sinister and smug voice.

It was clear that he had basically gotten lucky.

If Jing Yan hadn’t gone through that huge and bloody fight against the group of men in black, Zeng Deyong would never have been able to kill him. But Jing Yan had fought fiercely for a long time and was already on the verge of collapse. So when Zeng Deyong approached him at this juncture…

It was obvious how things ended.

Qi Yan’s eyes were bloodshot and he looked like he had gone mad. “I’m going to kill you…”

Wen Yuansi couldn’t hold him back, so he threw the guards a glance. The guards knocked Qi Yan out and carried him to one side to rest.

A murder case was a big matter, so he could not punish the perpetrator himself without going through the authorities first. Qi Yan knew that well, but he couldn’t control himself because this was about his uncle.

Zhao Zhi’s expression didn’t flinch at all. He kept his eye on Zeng Deyong. “So, when Jing Yan was weak and on the verge of death, you used your weapon to kill him.”

Zeng Deyong replied, “That’s right.”

Zhao Zhi narrowed his eyes. “Where did you injure him? How many times did you strike him?”

“He was very badly injured, but he wasn’t easy to deal with at all. I exchanged so many moves with him, I don’t really remember exactly where I hit him anymore. But the last strike, the one that killed him, I remember that one clearly. It was here.”

Zeng Deyong pointed to his chest bone. “I hit him real hard, so I could hear the sound of bone cracking. My mace must have hit his heart. The look in his eyes at that moment, I still remember it well. I’m very sure!”

There was indignation, surprise, a reluctance to die…

But right at the end, he actually broke into a smile, as though a burden had been lifted off his shoulders. He didn’t seem to be angry with anyone for what happened and didn’t have even a tinge of regret.

Zeng Deyong had seen many people die in his lifetime, but he had never seen anyone die with such an expression before.

After Zeng Deyong finished recounting everything in detail, Zhao Zhi propped his chin up with one hand. “So, what happened after you killed Jing Yan? What did you do?”