Chapter 25: Sherlock Xi â His and Xie Qianli’s Enmity Spanning Two Lifetimes…
Even though Sweet Tub reiterated its business scope, Ying Xi didn’t let it off the hook.
Oppression from the Host forced Sweet Tub to comply.
Thus, an aerial view of Shanglin Park miraculously appeared before Ying Xi. The image was constantly stretching, magnifying, and then magnifying again.
The picture froze on Yingzhou Island, where heads were bobbing, corresponding exactly to the present moment.
Sweet Tub reacted instinctively, wanting to switch the view to the beautiful scenery on Yingzhou Island for Ying Xi to appreciate.
Just as the lens was about to move, it was interrupted by Ying Xi: “Don’t move yet.”
Sweet Tub halted the action.
So what the screen presented was the eunuch’s corpse by the water, half-covered by a white cloth.
This was a close-up. From a different angle, Cheng Shun faced upward, his face green and bloodless, looking particularly terrifying.
The system interface also trembled weakly due to Sweet Tub’s fear.
Sweet Tub: “Y-Your… Your Majesty, what else do you want to see?”
Ying Xi was silent.
He had a vague conjecture that the killer might have left clues. Where exactly, he couldn’t say.
Aside from a few flower petals, the land by the water was mostly soil.
So having nowhere else to look, Ying Xi had to look at the soil layer around Cheng Shun again.
Examining the interface before him again: Cheng Shun’s expression was painful, facing upward.
Around Cheng Shun’s body was a ring of wet marks. The soil color was deeper than dry soil, appearing dark brown. This was caused by Cheng Shun’s wet body just being fished out.
“…” Ying Xi’s eyelid twitched!
He thought his eyes were playing tricks, blinked hard, and stared closely at the interface again.
To outsiders, the Emperor was silent, radiating an invisible pressure everywhere. The court officials silently held their breath, daring neither to disturb the Emperor nor to invite trouble; no one moved.
Ying Xi couldn’t care less about them.
He was concentrating, trying to capture a fleeting thought.
Staring at the interface again, focusing his attention, he murmured to Sweet Tub as if to himself: “Zoom inâcloserâ”
“Zoom in here.”
“A bit to the right.”
“Closer to the water’s edge.”
The Dating System spared no effort in displaying NPC details.
The interface was naturally as high-definition as desired, its effect no less than setting up countless high-power magnifying glasses above Yingzhou Island.
At this moment, magnifying many times from a flat angle revealed a subtle difference in the color of the soil by the water on Yingzhou Island.
The area soaked by water under Cheng Shun was dark brown.
But the area that caught Ying Xi’s momentary attention, though only a few small patches and very hard to distinguish, was reddish-brown.
âThis wasn’t water stains.
Ying Xi guessed it was blood.
Blood melting into the soil, making the soil layer present a deep reddish-brown distinct from elsewhere.
Ying Xi asked Sweet Tub, “Do you see that patch of blood?”
Sweet Tub certainly didn’t want to look. Compared to wind, flowers, snow, and moon, or beautiful scenery, why would it pay attention to creepy bloodstains?
Sweet Tub: “No… no…”
“Then look carefully. Remember it.” Ying Xi said.
Once Ying Xi spoke in a commanding tone, few could resist.
So even if Sweet Tub didn’t want to look, it had to, and it obediently marked a dot with a red circle in the place Ying Xi indicated.
Ying Xi looked at the first mark by the water and asked, “Using this bloodstain as an example, can you find more similar bloodstains?”
Ying Xi didn’t understand that the System Assistant was essentially code for calculations.
He just found Sweet Tub magical, so he asked tentatively.
Unexpectedly, he gave Sweet Tub a precise command. Deep reddish-brown bloodstainsâit searched within the field of view, and instantly, a string of marks, large and small red circles, appeared before Ying Xi’s eyes.
âAll the red circles of significant size stretched from the spot where the flower basket was picked up, starting from the murder scene and ending by the water.
âThere were other very tiny red circles, with a trajectory similar to the former.
These marks were all reflected in Ying Xi’s dark grey pupils.
The numerous marker points corresponded exactly to the process of Cheng Shun’s body being dumped!
Ying Xi stared unblinkingly at these marks in his eyes.
Like admiring a diagram drawn by the killer’s footprints.
Then, after observing for a long time, he grinned slightly.
The teenage Emperor let out a soft sound of confidence mixed with mockery: “I know.”
“Your Majesty… knows what?”
At this time, Sweet Tub was completely unaware of the effect of its actions. It asked blankly, “Your Majesty, are these circles useful?”
“Greatly useful,” Ying Xi thought.
Without the Dating System’s help, he couldn’t have quickly locked onto the bloodstains on the island, let alone connected them into a trail.
And when the bloodstains formed the killer’s movement path, it finally exposed the killer’s fatal clue.
That clue wasâ
The large red circles were Cheng Shun’s blood, from ruptured vessels.
Those small red circles, distributed almost parallel but at a certain distance, could only be explained as… the assassin’s blood!
Ying Xi ordered, “Quickly examine everyone present to see if there are traces of being stabbed by flower shears on the lower left abdomen. The assassin is injured.”
“Flower shears?” The captain of the guard was stunned. “Injured? Lower left abdomen?”
Every word was understandable, yet he had no idea how the Emperor deduced it.
The captain was still pondering life.
Yu Jing got anxiousâa rare sight. Prompted by the Emperor, he shouted hurriedly, “Flower shears! Flower shears! No one fished up flower shears from the water just now!!!”
Grand Superintendent Yu’s eyes were red, covered in bloodshot veins.
Preparing the sachets was something Cheng Shun had asked him for permission to do beforehand. The flower-picking eunuchs carried baskets and had shears tied at their waists to cut branches.
Bringing large shears would be carrying sharp weapons, risking the Emperor’s displeasure.
So the shears carried were very smallâsmall scissors!
Now those scissors weren’t on Cheng Shun, nor in the water. If the existence of the flower shears was considered…
Then the flower shears were very likelyâ
Yu Jing said, “After Cheng Shun was slashed, he fought back and pulled out the small scissors from his waist to give the assassin a stab! The scissors were stuck in the assassin!”
After Yu Jing finished, several guards understood.
Thinking through the sequence of events, the guards nodded and executed the task.
They mobilized simultaneously. Apart from the guards protecting the Emperor on Yingzhou Island, more manpower was transferred.
“Flower shears” and “injured”âtwo short phrases made the situation on Yingzhou Island, previously like a fog, suddenly clear up.
The officials accompanying the Emperor stood silently, looking at each other. They felt the Emperor’s deduction was unexpected yet truly reasonable.
But why hadn’t they thought of the flower shears at the time?
The ministers naturally couldn’t know that Ying Xi deduced the assassin was hit only after seeing the blood distribution.
But the order didn’t matter; the result did.
Now, with Yingzhou Island as the core, the court officials looked up at Ying Xi, their eyes clearly shining with light.
Favorability from the officials rose to varying degrees.
Although Ying Xi was oblivious, Sweet Tub was giving Ying Xi constant positive feedback:
“Your Majesty, you have little puppy-dog fans.”
“Wuwuwu, two of them!”
“There’s a little wolf-dog too. This type of person snarls at everyone to their face, but seeing you, he hates that he can’t wag his tail into a flower~”
“Your Majesty, I also sensed an uncle gong. Steady, reliable, like a bear.”
“Ahhh, and alsoâ”
In his mind, Sweet Tub’s voice kept rising, speaking words he didn’t understand at all.
Ying Xi’s mind first circled with several types of dogs, then a bear, before his thoughts returned to reality, his gaze meeting Su Xueyi beside him.
Su Xueyi blinked. His deep, water-like eyes gazed at Ying Xi, looking as if two vortexes capable of sucking people in were surfacing in their depths. Su Xueyi’s gaze was fanatical and bright.
Su Xueyi approached, about to say something more to Ying Xi.
Ying Xi stiffened, instinctively turning his face away.
Even though he didn’t realize that such a reaction would only arouse Su Xueyi’s intense interest even more.
A guard outside Yingzhou Island shouted, “We found bloodstainsâthe assassin is here!”
The guard’s voice came from afar, still audible on Yingzhou Island.
Ying Xi stepped out, following the direction of the voice. He walked a bit fast, panting slightly.
Ministers, guards, and attendants also chased the source of the sound off Yingzhou Island, running toward the deeper parts of Shanglin Park.
Running revealed who was fast and who was slow.
The military officials were obviously faster. Su Xueyi was not far behind. Xie Qianli and Lian Qing were one ahead of the other, leaving the others far behind.
The crowd passed through the garden and returned to the complex, stepping on the long white marble pavement. The snow-white surface made the blood trail left by the assassin particularly glaring.
The blood drops went from one every few dozen feet to every dozen feet, then five or six feet.
The dots became denser. The assassin was close!
There was a person leaning back against the corner of the Shanglin Park wall.
The wall was too high. Injured, terrified, and exhausted, he couldn’t climb out. He had to rest temporarily, one leg tucked in, the other sprawled in front of him. A sharp short knife, the suspected weapon, lay beside him, the blood groove still wet.
“Don’t let him run!”
“He’s here, grab him!”
“Careful of hidden weapons, approach slowly!”
“…”
The sound of swords, footsteps, the chaotic breathing of runners, shoutsâall sounds wove into a net.
The assassin lowered his head, eyes closed. Sweat seeped from his forehead, a bead rolling down his rugged face. His lips were dry. His abdomen was wounded and still gushing blood. He listened nostalgically to what might be the last sounds of his life.
Only when everyone was in front of him did the assassin laboriously curl the corner of his mouth slightly.
The assassin was none other thanâXie Qianli’s lieutenant in the Longwu Army, Feng Ze!
“Are you fucking crazy? Are you crazy!!!”
Feng Ze collapsed by the wall.
Lian Qing rushed over to grab Feng Ze by the collar. Hearing General Xie analyze on Yingzhou Island that the killer was left-handed, Lian Qing had a premonition, losing three souls and seven spirits.
How could it really be him?
Lian Qing roared incomprehensibly:
“The old Duke left orders on his deathbed: spare no effort, be loyal to the Emperor.”
“The old Duke’s bones aren’t even cold! The Longwu Army was just established; it’s exactly when the army needs people. Where did you hear rumors? Why the hell did you walk this narrow path!!!”
Feng Ze didn’t open his eyes; his brow trembled violently.
Lian Qing wanted to curse more.
The guards had already surrounded Xie Qianli and Lian Qing heavily.
The captain of the guard pressed his blade against Xie Qianli’s left shoulder. The edge pressed into the skin of Xie Qianli’s neck, instantly drawing a line of blood.
Unlike the previous probing and waiting for the Emperor’s order, this time, the captain’s blade was infused with killing intent, his expression cold: “Feng Ze attempted regicide; the Duke of Ying cannot escape blame. Just under my blade, His Majesty released the Duke of Ying three times.”
“His Majesty trusted you so much, Imperial Grace as deep as the sea, unheard of in the world. Is this how the Duke of Ying repays His Majesty?”
Those few charm increases had an influence that first affected those around Ying Xi.
Now, whether this captain of the guard had been triggered into that kind of thought or not, at the very least, he was die-hard loyal to Ying Xi.
The Emperor was nearly assassinated by a crossbow right under their noses…
The guards were terrified in hindsight!
Instantly, more swords pointed at Xie Qianli; the guards surrounded him in moments.
Sharp weapons, out of anger or opportunism, stabbed toward Xie Qianli. Blood splattered. In an instant, deep and shallow bloodstains soaked his clothes. Xie Qianli stood tall but numb, suddenly stabbed into a spotted deer of Shanglin Park.
Ying Xi arrived last, his heart tightening violently!
“Xie…”
He was suddenly pierced by the sight of Xie Qianli covered in blood. Ying Xi froze on the spot.
Seeing Feng Ze leaning in the corner, he guessed the whole story. Ordinary people would naturally assume this was Xie Qianli ordering his subordinate to commit regicide.
A strong sense of disappointment and anger rose abruptly in Ying Xi.
But he couldn’t decide whether to stop it or let them kill.
The grievances of two lifetimes between him and Xie Qianli overlapped again.
The image conveyed infinite contradictions to Ying Xi. A layer of mist quickly rose before Ying Xi’s eyes, but through that wet mist, his glare at Xie Qianli looked like two burning fires.
Xie Qianli’s lower lip trembled slightly.
His expression, usually like an iceberg, melted for a moment.
Covered in blood, he raised his hand toward Ying Xi. His fingers were curled.
When all the guards focused their attention on Xie Qianli, ignoring the real assassin Feng Ze in the corner, Feng Ze secretly took a deep breath.
Feng Ze gathered his strength. The curled leg pressed down hard, and his whole body sprang up rapidly.
He still held a sharp weapon in his handâit was those flower shears.
Feng Ze lunged at the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, careful!”
Simultaneously, Xie Qianli knocked the captain of the guard aside. His speed and power were indescribable; the captain was sent flying several feet with a crash.
Xie Qianli beat Feng Ze to it, completely blocking Ying Xi.
The sharp flower shears deeply pierced the web of his hand.
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