"Second Brother, you were the one in charge of negotiations with Chen Yuan, right? Did you notice anything unusual?" Gu Changfeng turned his gaze to Gu Ye.
He had never taken Chen Yuan seriously, but after Gu Ning mentioned it, the suspicion was quite significant.
Gu Ye’s brows were tightly knitted as he said slowly,
"That day when Yu Yan attacked Chen Yuan in the private room, I did give him twenty taels of silver to smooth things over. It showed that Chen Yuan is relatively mild-tempered. Afterward, no bad rumors spread, which means he kept his end of the bargain.
"When Yu Yan attacked his younger female cousin, Chen Yuan was indeed furious. He came to our door the very next day demanding an explanation. Brother, I even asked for your opinion at the time. Later, I paid another twenty taels of silver out of my own pocket, and after some earnest persuasion, Chen Yuan agreed to a settlement.
"Logically speaking, he wouldn’t pursue the matter anymore. Killing Yu Yan holds no benefit for him."
He didn’t think Chen Yuan would brazenly kill someone. In his impression, Chen Yuan had always been a smart man who knew how to assess a situation.
Gu Changfeng was unconvinced and scoffed,
"Second Brother, you can know a person’s face but not their heart. Chen Yuan cruelly murdered his own cousin and abandoned his parents; what else is he incapable of doing?
"He might have harbored resentment for a long time and been blinded by greed. He probably wanted both our Gu Family’s compensation and Yan’s life!"
When he decided to stop sponsoring Chen Yuan back then, it was due to both Yu Yan fanning the flames and his own prejudice.
Saying this, he looked at Gao Mingchang and Cao Yan, asking in a deep voice,
"You two are from the same batch as Chen Yuan and should have had quite a bit of contact with him. Do you think Chen Yuan is the killer?"
Gao Mingchang’s expression shifted, and he braced himself as he said,
"Reporting to the Patriarch, I don’t think Brother Chen is the killer. He is not the type to hold a grudge. We had a conflict in the past, yet he never retaliated against me after achieving success in martial arts.
"Even when he was forced to leave the Gu Family, he never harbored hatred toward the Gu Family or Brother Yu. We’ve always lived in peace, which shows that Chen Yuan is broad-minded.
"Furthermore, and most importantly, regarding strength—although Chen Yuan’s skills are not bad, I believe he still fell short compared to Brother Yu.
"When the conflict broke out in the private room, Brother Yu struck first, and Chen Yuan had no thought of fighting back. Instead, he chose to yield. Therefore, I believe Chen Yuan lacked the strength to ambush and kill Brother Yu."
Now that Yu Yan was dead, and considering he had already made peace with Chen Yuan at the banquet, he would have to be out of his mind to offend Chen Yuan again. Moreover, these words were indeed his true thoughts.
Cao Yan nodded slightly. "I think Brother Gao’s words make sense. Chen Yuan indeed wouldn’t dare fight Yu Yan."
After their analysis, Gu Changfeng’s expression looked a bit ugly. He had thought he found a clue, only to realize he was wrong again.
The aspect of strength was indeed hard to justify. Even in an ambush, where would Chen Yuan get the courage to attack Yu Yan? If he couldn’t kill Yu Yan on the spot, he would be dead meat. There was no reason for him to take such a risk.
He then looked at Huang Yan, his tone finally softening a bit. "Tributor Huang, I heard you have a good personal relationship with Chen Yuan. What do you think about this?"
Huang Yan said flatly, "There isn’t enough evidence to draw a conclusion. However, I hope the Patriarch can take the time to understand Chen Yuan better. He is not a heartless or ungrateful person. Do not be biased."
He had long disliked Yu Yan, feeling that the Gu Family would sooner or later be harmed by him. It was better that he was dead. As for whether Chen Yuan killed him or not, it didn’t matter.
Gu Changfeng had no choice but to let it go, only listing Chen Yuan as a suspect. They then analyzed other possibilities, such as whether anyone from the Demon Dao had recently arrived in Qingyuan County. This was also possible; after all, people from the Demon Dao killed without reason. He even inquired if there were any men infatuated with Gu Wantong, guessing it might have been a crime of passion.
Shortly after, a servant reported from outside the hall, "Patriarch, Chief Leng from the County Magistrate’s Office has arrived."
"Quickly, invite her in." Gu Changfeng felt slightly invigorated. Apprehending murderers was exactly what a Captain of the Constabulary was best at.
Steady footsteps rang out, TAP, TAP. A slender figure crossed the threshold. She wore the official uniform of a Captain of the Constabulary, a sword strapped to her waist. She looked to be around thirty, exuding a valiant aura.
It was none other than Leng Rushuang, Chief Leng of the County Magistrate’s Office. She had already reached the Muscle Gate’s Hidden Force stage, had solved numerous cases, and was backed by veterans in the Government Office. Her taking over the case was the only good thing that happened today.
"Detail the circumstances of the case and your current progress, one by one," Leng Rushuang said as she took a seat, her voice as cold as ice.
Gu Changfeng recounted everything truthfully, emphasizing a few rival families they suspected, as well as Chen Yuan, who had a feud with Yu Yan a few days prior.
Leng Rushuang’s eyes narrowed slightly in thought before she spoke.
"Very well, I understand. I will follow up on both of these leads. You may also continue your investigation, and if you find any clues, inform me immediately."
With that said, she left as decisively as she came. She dispatched a few constables under her command to stake out those rival families while she went to investigate Chen Yuan. If she could confirm that Chen Yuan didn’t have the time to commit the crime, she could rule him out and focus on other clues.
In the West Courtyard of the Gu Family, inside an exquisite chamber, a girl with a face like peach blossoms was grooming herself in front of a mirror.
Cheng Xiaoyu held it in for a long time before finally managing to say, "Miss, my condolences..." Thinking she would finally see her miss today, she had deliberately woken up early. She hadn’t expected Yu Yan to be dead, which gave her a massive fright. Watching over her silent miss, her heart ached deeply.
Gu Wantong’s voice was very ethereal, but her words were astonishing: "Yu, what is there to mourn?"
Cheng Xiaoyu instantly widened her eyes in shock. She wondered if she was supposed to congratulate her miss. Did her miss hate Yu Yan because he bullied her? Was she herself more important in her miss’s heart? For a moment, she felt something was very wrong.
Chen Yuan didn’t care at all about the Gu Family’s trivial matters and continued his own cultivation. The death of a mere Yu Yan wasn’t enough to stir up any waves in Qingyuan County. There were only a few with Grade B-Upper Root Bones, but quite a lot with Grade B-Lower ones. Only a minor clan like the Gu Family would treat Yu Yan like a treasure.
In the afternoon, he headed toward Funiu Mountain as usual, leaving a long trail of footprints in the vast, snowy landscape. However, he didn’t reach the Fourth Medicinal Garden peacefully. Instead, someone from the garden called him over to see General Manager Li, saying there were matters to ask him about.
A ripple formed in Chen Yuan’s heart, but he remained outwardly calm, walking unimpeded into General Manager Li’s courtyard. Inside the hall, besides General Manager Li, there was a female constable with heroic features, who was scrutinizing Chen Yuan.
Chen Yuan accepted her gaze frankly, cupping his hands and bowing. "Greetings, General Manager Li."
Li Song smiled. "No need for formalities, Chen. This is Chief Leng from the County Magistrate’s Office. She has some questions, so just answer her truthfully."
Leng Rushuang didn’t waste time either. Her sharp gaze locked onto Chen Yuan, her tone incisive. "Chen Yuan, you requested time off yesterday, saying you had family matters to attend to. What were these matters? Can anyone prove it?"
She had initially wanted to rule out the possibility of Chen Yuan committing the crime, only to unexpectedly find a suspicious point. He just happened to ask for a day off on that exact day. It was too much of a coincidence.
Chen Yuan replied calmly, "My younger female cousin had just recovered from her injuries, so I took her for a stroll in the Inner City. The neighbors and several shopkeepers can testify to that." He had already prepared his story and wasn’t panicked in the slightest.
Leng Rushuang’s expression grew even more stern.
"Alright. Now tell me what you were doing that night, and do you have proof? If not, I have reason to suspect you are the one who murdered Yu Yan."
Chen Yuan frowned slightly and explained, "I stayed at home all night. The neighbors and my family can prove it. You can go ask them yourself." He hadn’t briefed his aunt on anything; from his family’s perspective, he was simply sleeping in his room.
Leng Rushuang gave Chen Yuan a profound look. "I hope that is the case. If I find out you are lying, I will definitely arrest you and hold you accountable." With that, she left, seemingly heading to Hundred Herbs Lane to investigate for real.
Chen Yuan didn’t care at all. If she wanted to investigate, she could go ahead; she wouldn’t find any evidence anyway.
At this time, General Manager Li took a sip of tea and spoke slowly, "Are you in trouble? Do you need my help?"
Chen Yuan smiled and cupped his hands. "Thank you for your kindness, General Manager Li. Yu Yan died at such a crucial juncture, and I just happened to be on leave. It’s normal for them to suspect me. Once they investigate properly, everything will be fine."
Li Song nodded and added, "Even if you really killed him, it doesn’t matter. It’s just the insignificant Gu Family; they aren’t worth worrying about. However, this Leng Rushuang... the old geezer backing her is quite troublesome."
Chen Yuan etched these words into his mind.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he took his leave and headed for the Fourth Medicinal Garden. In the end, strength determined everything. He just needed to focus on his cultivation with peace of mind.