Calamity Messenger-Chapter 80 - 64: Interrogation
Luo Weijin, dead?
Qian Gongyu only now realized that the corpse was someone she knew. Although Luo Weijin didn’t see eye to eye with her, their relationship hadn’t reached the point of deep hatred. After Jiang Shi punched him and Qian Gongyu got to know Jie Yuan Shao and Shang Xinlei, Luo Weijin actively avoided them, making it clear that the dynamics of offense and defense had changed. Now, Qian Gongyu was the antagonist he couldn’t afford to provoke.
Qian Gongyu had planned to show off to him today to vent her frustration, as life always needs some clowns to highlight one’s superiority. Seeing his brutal death, Qian Gongyu felt no joy, only inexplicable discomfort and a shared sense of indignation—how could the scion of a prestigious family be so cruelly murdered?
When she heard Lu Wangji say that Jiang Shi had been near the Luo family carriage and demanded to inspect Jiang Shi’s saber, she was startled and immediately pulled Jiang Shi behind her like a furious mother cat, saying loudly, "Impossible! Jiang Shi didn’t do such a thing! She was with me the whole night!"
"Lu Xiaoqi, let’s not talk about whether Jiang Shi’s saber matches the wounds on the body. Even if it does, that proves nothing." Jie Yuan Shao raised his hand to block Jiang Shi, saying, "Jiang Shi’s saber is merely a conventional straight blade. It’s not surprising that the real murderer used a similar weapon."
"It’s not to match the wounds but to test if the blade was stained with the victim’s blood." Lu Wangji pulled out a covered bronze mirror from his sleeve, "Do you recognize this token?"
Jie Yuan Shao’s pupils shrank: "The Blood Mirror!"
"What is the Blood Mirror?" Qian Gongyu asked.
"It reflects blood across a thousand miles and reveals hidden traces. The Blood Mirror can show the blood flow’s trajectory, even if the murder weapon was cleaned. It’s an invaluable token for the Criminal Department’s investigations," Jie Yuan Shao introduced, "Although it’s merely a Second-Turn token, it only comes from the Third-Turn Secret Realm and is extremely fragile, requiring careful preservation wherever it’s held. Lu Xiaoqi actually carries it around." Her last words were emphasized, as if hinting at something. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
"The Left Cavalry Guard, patrolling the world, how can we lack such aids?" Lu Wangji said casually, "Jiang Shi, please."
Jie Yuan Shao and Shang Xinlei exchanged a glance, seeing nothing wrong with Lu Wangji’s request unless Jiang Shi was indeed the killer, otherwise the Blood Mirror would reveal nothing... could it be?
Using the cover provided by Jie Yuan Shao and Qian Gongyu, Shang Xinlei approached Jiang Shi and asked in a low voice, "Have you ever lost your saber? Or... did you really do it?"
If it were someone else, Shang Xinlei would be sure it was a slander because no one would be foolish enough to murder someone with whom they had a grievance in a place like Mansu Forest Land—those familiar with killing know they should wait until the enemy is outdoors to kill and hide the body, thus maximizing the delay in discovering the murder case—but if Jiang Shi did such a thing, Shang Xinlei wouldn’t find it strange at all.
In her view, Jiang Shi wasn’t a gentleman; she wouldn’t wait ten years for revenge. If she had a grudge, she must resolve it urgently that night, or she might lose sleep, affecting her health.
"My saber has always been with me."
Even in such a situation, Jiang Shi remained calm, though she only answered the first question, and Qian Gongyu immediately added, "It couldn’t have been Jiang Shi—I was holding her all night, she never left!"
"Lu Xiaoqi, you can inspect Jiang Shi’s saber, but you shouldn’t only check hers." Jie Yuan Shao said calmly, "Everyone in the camp is a suspect and should be thoroughly investigated."
"I have already inspected everyone in the camp before you returned." Lu Wangji said indifferently, "Is it possible that Jiang Shi’s guards don’t even dare to submit their weapons for inspection? If so..."
He gently raised his hand, and the soldiers deployed with the Divine Machine Crossbow, instantly enveloping Qian Gongyu in murderous intent. The back of her neck felt as if a snake’s tongue had licked it, and a numbing fear seeped through her spine into her whole body.
"The brutal murder of a noble scion concerns the court’s dignity and is a grave matter that must be fully investigated. I, Lu, would rather make a mistake than let it go." Lu Wangji said coldly, "Anyone who refuses to cooperate will be deemed guilty as a murderer. Xiaoqi Army, obey orders, and kill without mercy!"
"Yes, sir!"
The soldiers wielding the Divine Machine Crossbow were no ordinary people; more than half were messengers, and even those who weren’t had strong Qi Blood. Though they numbered only in the dozens, their unified response was like a tidal wave, shaking the forest land. Although Jie Yuan Shao hailed from a noble family, she had never faced such a stern military force, and her face turned pale.
Qian Gongyu remained silent, still standing in front of Jiang Shi, though her legs kept shaking, and the sound of her teeth chattering could be heard.
In contrast, having been part of the great case in Chang’an and witnessed the grand scene of An Guo Temple set alight, Shang Xinlei remained calm even now. She quickly whispered, "Jiang Shi, if you’re confident, hand over your saber first. We can ensure they won’t wrong you."
After a moment of silence, Jiang Shi unfastened the White Iron Straight Saber from her waist and tossed it to Lu Wangji.
Lu Wangji wasted no time and used the Blood Mirror to first illuminate the corpse on the bed. Everyone could see the Blood Mirror emit a faint yellow light, under which the blood on the corpse seemed to turn into drifting smoke.
"This records Luo Weijin’s blood essence," Lu Wangji explained, "Now, if we illuminate anything else, only his blood remnants will show."
Then Lu Wangji illuminated the White Iron Straight Saber with the mirror, and at that moment, many in the camp held their breath, with Qian Gongyu instinctively gripping Jiang Shi’s hand tightly, trembling all over.
Under the yellow light, the blade of the White Iron Straight Saber shone brightly, without a trace of blood.
"The result is evident, Lu Xiaoqi," Jie Yuan Shao said, exhaling deeply, "Jiang Shi isn’t the murderer; you’ve got the wrong person!"
"No one would stay in Mansu Forest Land after killing someone," Shang Xinlei mocked, "The killer has surely left, Lu Xiaoqi, you should investigate those who’ve left the camp in the past few days instead of aiming your soldiers’ Divine Machine Crossbows at us!"
Lu Wangji seemed to have anticipated this outcome, showing little disappointment. He handed the White Iron Straight Saber to a soldier behind him and said, "Fourth Miss Shang’s suggestion is noted, but there are only four of you left in the camp. If Jiang Shi is innocent, your personal weapons also need to be... hmm?"
He raised an eyebrow, as if only now noticing that Qian Gongyu and the others had more weapons than when they entered, and asked, "What’s with these...?"
Shang Xinlei was stunned for a moment before she realized a huge problem. But at this point, they could no longer patch this loophole.
"They are rewards we brought out from Mansu Forest Land," said Jie Yuan Shao.
"But why do you all have rewards while Jiang Shi doesn’t?" Lu Wangji said, "I’ve heard that Jiang Shi carries a storage token. If so, that should also be inspected, as the weapon might be hidden inside."
