Firefly Journey

Chapter 257 Thunderous Sound from an Earthenware Pot (4)

"Lu Huai, why do you not kneel before me?"

Seeing Lu Huai standing as straight as a pine tree, Duan Feibai scolded him.

A day and a night in prison did not smooth out his rough edges; instead, it enraged him, and he blamed his tragic fate on the two imperial envoys.

The Lu family, a prestigious and long-established noble family in Yunzhou, would never kneel before a peasant boy, even if that person were an imperial envoy.

However, whether he kneels or not is not up to him.

Without the need for the constables to intervene, Lin Yuanran easily subdued him with a flick of his wrist, forcing him to kneel down with a thud.

No matter how resentful Lu Huai was, it was all in vain. In the face of magic, status was nothing but a joke.

"Lu Huai, let me ask you this: did you kill Gu Bingyan at Yuqiong Tower that day?"

Without any preamble or beating around the bush, Duan Feibai went straight to the point and asked the question.

Lu Huai said coldly, "I have already explained this matter. I was indeed at Yuqiong Tower that day, but I was just looking for fun and had no motive to kill anyone."

Lu Huai's words made some sense.

For a playboy like him, going to brothels is nothing more than a way to enjoy himself, and it doesn't really matter who serves him.

Lin Yuanran and Duan Feibai guessed that Gu Bingyan's injuries were probably due to something she did wrong during the service, which displeased Lu Huai, leading to his physical abuse.

According to the servant at Yuqiong Tower who was on duty that night, he did not hear any screams from the room, and the two people did not come out during the night.

"When did you go to sleep?" Duan Feibai asked again.

Around one or two in the morning.

Duan Feibai frowned. If Lu Huai were to give a more precise answer about when he fell asleep, it would be an attempt to force an explanation, because a person in a state of exhaustion would not be able to know the exact time.

But Lu Huai was fine.

Could it be that he really wasn't the murderer?

To put it another way, if Lu Huai wasn't the murderer and the murderer was someone else, then how did he manage to sneak into the room, kill the victim, and escape unscathed without making a sound?

There is only one answer.

The killer is an extraordinary being.

An ordinary person could never carry out such a locked-room murder.

What was his motive? Why would he target a prostitute?

The trail went completely off.

Duan Feibai, seated at the head of the table, fell into deep thought.

Lin Yuanran said at this moment, "I know what you're thinking."

You must hate us to death in your heart, but you dare not say it, because to say it would be to insult the officials of the court and to disrespect the emperor.

You must be really looking forward to seeing how the Lu family will get you out. But let me tell you clearly, once you're in jail, there's no way you'll get out.

Even if the Lu family resorts to underhanded means to secure your release from prison, I will personally take action and resolve the issue using methods honed by extraordinary individuals.

Lin Yuanran's words were like a thunderclap out of nowhere, stunning all the high-ranking officials and yamen runners present.

The implication is that no matter how much the Lu family tries to save you, it's useless. Even without evidence, I will personally eliminate you.

It's hard to imagine what this young Western imperial envoy was thinking, deciding to stick with Lu Jiagang to the end.

The reason why others didn't understand was very simple in Lin Yuanran's view.

There is the sun in the sky, the moon at night, and the law in the world.

He was an upright man who could not stand injustice.

If he were just an ordinary person, he would definitely avoid such things and try to protect himself.

But now that he's a superhuman with certain abilities, he'll definitely intervene if he encounters something he can control. If no one intervenes, evil forces like the Lu family will truly continue to roam free.

Regardless of whether Gu Bingyan's death was caused by Lu Huai, this boy's usual behavior was extremely arrogant and domineering. Countless people were bullied and even lost their lives in secret.

People like Lu Huai deserve to die. More importantly, the Lu family, which he relies on, must also be completely destroyed. Otherwise, the common people of Yunzhou will continue to suffer oppression.

Seeing that he couldn't get anything useful out of him, Duan Feibai decided to dismiss the case, and Lu Huai was put back in jail.

"Lord He, do you still remember the scene at the palace examination back then?" Duan Feibai suddenly asked.

He Changqing was silent for a moment, then said, "I can't remember."

"Then try to remember. Everyone encounters difficulties. The important thing is not to lose yourself."

With that, Lin Yuanran and Duan Feibai walked out of the yamen.

On the way, Lin Yuanran said, "His Majesty sent you to investigate the courtesan case, but in reality, he wanted you to punish the powerful families of Yunzhou, right?"

Duan Feibai didn't shy away from the question: "That's right, you actually figured it out."

Lin Yuanran sighed and said, "I'm not stupid, but why didn't you tell me?"

"Your mission is to be a henchman. The Yunzhou aristocratic families are very powerful, so the fewer people who know about them, the better."

"Understood. However, Yunzhou is a thousand miles away from Danyang, and the Lu family keeps information very tightly under wraps. How did Your Majesty know about the situation here?"

Duan Feibai smiled, gathered his sleeves, turned north, and bowed towards the distant capital.

"Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the emperor. Where in the country are there no eyes and ears of the royal family? Moreover, there are reports that the Lu family has abused their power and acted as local tyrants in Yunzhou."

Lin Yuanran asked curiously, "Oh? Who is that person?"

"Keep it a secret for now. That person is still collecting important things. Once that's done, we can completely convict the Lu family."

……

……

A dark and windy night is the perfect time for murder and arson.

On a quiet night, a group of mysterious masked men broke into Qingzhu Town.

On the streets of the small town, the occasional bark of a dog could be heard. After a dark shadow swept by, several dead dogs would appear. Tonight was destined to be anything but peaceful.

During the day, the group had already scouted the location, and now they headed straight for the Duan family's courtyard.

They were sent by the Lu family to kidnap Duan's mother.

There were about ten people in the group, led by an extraordinary individual.

They stealthily approached the outside of the Duan family compound. The leader raised his hand, and the assassins leaped into the courtyard almost simultaneously.

Upon admission, everyone was stunned.

A person was sitting at the stone table in the middle of the courtyard.

He had a small knife, or perhaps a sword, tucked into his waistband.

In the battle against the Sword Saint, Orlando lost "Black Fang," and this is the only remaining "Red Moon."

Strictly speaking, he is no longer a "dual swordsman".

"Good evening," Orlando greeted everyone.

Despite their panic, the assassins, burdened by their mission, dared not leave. At their leader's signal, they all attacked and besieged Orlando.

Orlando drew his "Red Moon" and moved through the group of assassins with ease. In a short time, all of them except for the leader fell.

"Is he Xiaobai's enemy?"

The leader was already terrified and forgot about his mission. He tried to run away, but the flying red moon pierced through his back.

"Perfect, I don't need to know anyway."

Orlando walked over, drew the Crimson Moon sword, wiped it clean, and then sheathed it.

Looking at the assassins' corpses scattered on the ground, he glanced at a certain room, sighed, and began to deal with them.

I should send a message to Duan Feibai tomorrow. Our enemies have come knocking, so we need to be careful what we do!