Chapter 83

Le Yin, was it?

Shangguan Ye narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression unreadable.

Song Lige realized she had let something slip and quickly turned to Murong Qiufeng. “Return his zither score, and I will let the matter go.”

Murong Qiufeng was puzzled. Le Yin, the number one musician in the world? How was he connected to this situation? He remembered only meeting Le Yin once at the teahouse, and the once-clear leads now seemed to blur.

“I’ve only met Le Yin once, and aside from exchanging a few words, we had no other contact. Could it be that Miss Song is causing me trouble because of something he instructed you to do?”

“Of course not. He’s not as despicable as you… Besides, I haven’t caused you any trouble; you’ve been causing me trouble from the beginning,” Song Lige almost let slip more, but quickly corrected herself.

Murong Qiufeng raised an eyebrow and then shook his head, laughing softly. “Miss Song, you still want to pin everything on me? Very well, let me continue. My second question—Miss Song mentioned that I used a zither to harm someone, and the broken zither was indeed found in the Moonfall Pavilion. But where is the proof that I played it?”

“And what proof do you have that you didn’t play it?” Song Lige’s anger simmered, and she no longer had the soft, helpless appearance she once had. Her icy demeanor now exuded an imposing presence.

Murong Qiufeng smirked. “I may not be able to prove why the zither was at Moonfall Pavilion, but I can prove that the place where the zither was played was not there.”

Song Lige’s expression froze, and she coldly asked, “What proof?”

“Miss Song, you’ve never used a zither as a weapon, have you? You wouldn’t know that when using a zither as a tool for attack, it doesn’t just harm the target directly. The first thing it harms is the surroundings. You channel your inner power into the zither, using its sound waves to affect others. This kind of shockwave doesn’t damage things severely, but there are still traces. Yesterday, I had someone check the Moonfall Pavilion, and there was no damage. However, across the street at the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, there were faint marks on the walls and furniture. If you don’t believe me, we can have someone demonstrate the zither playing to see if the vibrations match.”

Song Lige bit her lip, her face frosty. She wasn’t sure if she was unwilling to speak further or simply didn’t want to argue with him.

Murong Qiufeng didn’t mind; he continued, “Furthermore, when the zither played, it affected almost everyone present severely. Some even died. But Miss Song, you only felt faint and even had the energy to hit and curse people. Why is that?”

Shangguan Ye, recalling the slap that Murong Qiufeng had learned about from the Shadow Guards, felt a deep desire to have this woman torn to pieces.

Song Lige sneered, “I never said I didn’t have martial arts. Anyone with martial arts can resist it. What’s so strange about that?”

“Yes, Miss Song also practices martial arts. To resist the zither’s sound, a person with any martial arts skills would be able to withstand it to some degree. But if, at that time, I had truly intended to do something improper to you, your response would certainly have been to fight back, not to act as if you had no strength. Yet, you didn’t resist at all. And besides, the time span for that event was only a few steps long. Anyone, no matter how impatient, would know not to try anything at such a moment. The first thing you’d do is knock someone unconscious and take them away.”

The onlookers nodded in agreement. It made sense—no one would have been foolish enough to act recklessly under such circumstances.

Song Lige’s face turned pale.

Murong Qiufeng sighed. “One final question. Miss Song, do you really have the Fengyi Zither? You set up a contest with your family’s treasured Fengyi Zither as the prize, yet all of this happened. If your contest and matchmaking were false, then… was the whole spectacle just a coincidence?”

Song Lige froze. Murong Qiufeng had clearly done his homework and knew everything about her, even that she didn’t have the Fengyi Zither.

“If you don’t have the Fengyi Zither, should I file another charge against you for setting up a fraudulent contest? And what was the purpose of that deceptive contest?”

Everything was falling apart.

Song Lige’s face drained of color, and though she wanted to refute him, she couldn’t find the words. She felt as if there was still a way out, but her thoughts were a chaotic mess.

“My questions are finished, my lord,” Murong Qiufeng turned to the three men above him and bowed respectfully.

Hou Qianxing looked on with admiration, Murong Xing even showed a rare smile, stroking his beard and nodding. But Dugu Xian’s expression grew darker as he gritted his teeth.

The gavel struck the table heavily, and Hou Qianxing spoke, “Song Lige, do you have anything to say in response to Murong Qiufeng’s questions?”

Song Lige was flustered, feeling more helpless than ever. Her mind was in disarray, and all she could think about was how if Le Yin were here, he would surely have a way to resolve this.

Everyone was waiting for Song Lige to respond, but they could see her expression growing increasingly panicked, which made them feel puzzled.

The two maidservants beside her were also full of concern. Seeing their mistress’s flustered expression and looking at Murong Qiufeng’s composed demeanor and King Ye’s cold, piercing gaze, they exchanged a look and nodded. One of them quietly pulled a small round object from her sleeve and threw it toward the stage, while the other hurried to support Song Lige.

The small round object exploded with a burst of smoke, and the crowd erupted into chaos.

“Kill Murong Qiufeng.” As they fled, Song Lige did not forget her hatred toward him.

Seeing that Song Lige was determined to take Murong Qiufeng’s life, the two maidservants had no choice but to comply. “You take the young mistress and leave,” one said, drawing a sword from her waist and heading toward Murong Qiufeng in the smoke.

Murong Qiufeng stood still, not intending to stop them from leaving. He had no intention of sending them to their deaths. If they could escape the guards, then so be it. However, he had not expected them to try to kill him, which made him feel a surge of anger.

Before he could make a move, he suddenly felt a tight grip on his waist, as if someone had pulled him backward. A black shadow flashed in front of him, followed by a few agonized cries.

By the time the smoke cleared, the officials standing near the emperor had maintained their calm, standing guard around him.

As the smoke dissipated, Murong Qiufeng turned to look at the person beside him—it was Shangguan Ye. On the ground lay the three figures of Song Lige and her two maidservants.

Murong Qiufeng couldn’t help but gasp. The three women were now almost lifeless, collapsing onto the ground. The two maidservants had their tendons severed, while Song Lige had her martial arts abilities crippled.

Shangguan Ye coldly turned to look at Hou Qianxing and the others, speaking indifferently, “It seems the truth is clear now. Song Lige was manipulated and framed Murong Qiufeng, causing loss of life. Murong Qiufeng is innocent.”

The officials looked at the three women on the ground, silently acknowledging Shangguan Ye’s cold-blooded nature. He had dealt swiftly and ruthlessly with these women.

Hou Qianxing, the calmest of the group, shouted, “Take the three of them to the prison for now. We will decide their fate later. Murong…” Before he could finish his sentence, Shangguan Ye had already seized Murong Qiufeng’s arm and swept him away like a gust of wind, leaving the government office.

 

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