Water Reflects Peach Blossoms

Gong Shangjiao said in a deep voice: "Really?"

Suddenly he remembered that Yun Weishan's ring was stolen by a thief on the way. He went to chase him and found Yun Weishan in Wanhua Tower when he came back. Gong Ziyu's heart tightened and under the gaze of Gong Shangjiao, he avoided her eyes unnaturally.

With a light laugh, Gong Shangjiao said, "We can discuss this later. The most important thing right now is the corpse of Wu Feng in front of us."

Elder Xue: "Expedition, you continue."

Gong Yuanzheng continued, "After my sister and Gong Ziyu left, I followed them in secret to protect her. At first... the five of them were together, but then Sister Zishang fell away, and Jin Fan went to find her. Then, Gong Ziyu and Yun Weishan walked faster and faster, leaving my sister behind."

"You!" Gong Ziyu widened his eyes and pointed at Gong Yuanzheng.

It was clearly Sister Ayun who took Xue Chongzi away from the group, so how did it become that he and Ayun left Sister Ayun alone?!

He didn't expect that this kid was so good at making up lies, but he couldn't tell the truth to refute it, otherwise Xue Chongzi would be in trouble.

Gong Yuanzheng raised his eyebrows: "Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

Gong Ziyu: “…”

Gong Ziyu was discouraged and took the blame: "...No, it is true that I neglected Sister Ayun."

"After my sister was left behind by Gong Ziyu and Yun Weishan, she wandered the streets alone, releasing river lanterns. A thief stole her jade pendant while she was alone. The thief deliberately lured my sister to a deserted area on the street and claimed to be Wufeng, trying to assassinate her."

"Yun Zheng has never left the palace. Even if he is Wu Feng's man, how did he know Yun Zheng's identity?" Elder Xue raised a doubt.

Gong Shangjiao raised his eyes and said, "With the help of the inside and outside, we will naturally know."

Elder Hua: "But how did the spies at the palace gate pass on the information?"

Gong Shangjiao: "Coincidentally, someone left the palace tonight."

Young Master Yue asked calmly, "Zhi Ren and the Palace Master of Shang Palace were also in Jiuchen Valley. Why was only the Second Young Lady assassinated?"

Gong Shangjiao looked at Gong Ziyu with a cold expression: "Someone has suffered a great loss at the hands of Sister Yunzheng. I'm sure Brother Ziyu is well aware of this."

Clenching his fists and glaring at Gong Shangjiao, Gong Ziyu warned him, "Gong Shangjiao! Don't slander others without any evidence!"

Ayun...she can't be Wufeng!

"Speaking of evidence, there's one thing that's puzzling me." After calming down, Gong Ziyu instantly found the suspicious point. "The assassin without a front wanted to kill Sister Ayun, and he was poisoned by Brother Yuanzheng and died."

"Brother Yuanzheng, I want to ask, why did you kill him?"

"Why not capture him alive and interrogate him?"

"This way, we can avoid suspicion of each other here."

Or is it that the person on the stretcher is not Wu Feng, but Gong Shangjiao forced him to leave his position as the blade holder in order to frame Ayun and find someone to impersonate Wu Feng?

Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence.

All the direct relatives of the Gong family who left the palace did not encounter any danger, but Sister Ayun was in danger.

Being questioned like this, Gong Yuanzheng slowly smiled faintly, but his eyes were fierce and gloomy. He said with a somewhat indifferent apology: "When fighting with him, I accidentally hit him a little too hard. Please forgive me."

Rather than saying it was an apology, it would be better to say that he didn't take Gong Ziyu seriously at all.

Gong Yuanzheng met Gong Ziyu's angry face, and the smile at the corner of his lips was provocative and disdainful.

If he did as Gong Ziyu said, he would capture the assassin alive, and under torture, the assassin would climb and pull randomly, saying some dirty words about his sister. He knew that this person didn't even touch the corner of his sister's clothes, but other people would not think so, and it would definitely affect his sister's reputation.

By then, it won’t just be this one person who dies.

Irritated by Gong Yuanzheng's contemptuous and provocative attitude, Gong Ziyu was furious: "Ridiculous! This is sheer nonsense! You've been practicing martial arts since you were a child and are proficient in the art of poisons. How could you really think you could fatally poison someone without a front?!"

"It's obvious that you are just trying to flatter me. Now, it's doubtful whether this person is Wu Feng or not."

Gong Yuanzheng's eyes grew colder. "Are you saying that I'm using my sister's life to cheat?"

Gong Ziyu pursed her lips, knowing she had spoken too harshly. She then looked at Gong Shangjiao, "Perhaps someone, in order to secure the position of Blade Master, resorted to any means necessary to stage a fake act. This person has frequent access to the outside world without arousing suspicion within the palace. More importantly, he knows that as long as Brother Yuanzheng is around, Sister Ayun will be absolutely fine."

Gong Yuanzheng clenched his fists immediately, as if his reverse scale had been touched: "Gong Ziyu, how dare you doubt my brother!"

The elder brother taught and cared for him like his own brother, and was even more gentle to his sister, fulfilling his responsibilities as an older brother.

It can be said that all the tenderness of his brother was given to him and his sister, but now, in order to help Yun Weishan get rid of the crime, Gong Ziyu actually dared to make such provocative remarks. It was really... damn it!

Gong Shangjiao didn't take Gong Ziyu's public suspicion of him seriously at all.

Seeing that Gong Yuanzheng's eyes looking at Gong Ziyu were becoming more and more dangerous, Elder Hua made a quick decision: "Enough!"

Gong Ziyu withdrew his gaze from Gong Yuanzheng's confrontation and spoke in a weaker tone, "I was only stating the doubts about the matter. When Sister Ayun was attacked, Yun Weishan, Sister Zishang, and Jin Fan were all in Jiuchen Valley. If anyone says it was Yun Weishan who passed on the news, I, who was always with her, don't believe it."

"Similarly, Gong Shangjiao has always coveted the position of Blade Wielder. It's not like he doesn't have the ability to do this and then put the blame on me, so he is also a suspect."

"The more suspicious one—" Gongzi Yu's tone turned cold: "The one who was caught attacking my aunt tonight was Brother Shangjiao's fiancée."

Gong Shangjiao looked at Gong Ziyu with an oppressive gaze: "So, I locked her up in the dungeon and prepared to interrogate her personally."

"Before we find out her true identity, she's also a suspect." Gong Ziyu waved his sleeves. "The greater possibility is that she's Wu Feng's person, and it was she who passed on the information about the palace gate."

"But," Elder Xue was puzzled, "if Shangguan Qian was truly a bladeless assassin, what was her purpose in killing Yun Zheng?"

Elder Hua was also puzzled: "Yes, Zhiren is in Jiuchen Valley. Why didn't they attack Zhiren instead of Yunzheng?"

Seeing that the elders were so eager to find out the truth behind the assassination, Gong Yuanzheng became nervous.

Gong Yunzheng suddenly spoke.

A gentle and quiet voice echoed through the hall: "Being surrounded by Brother Shangjiao, Yuanzheng, and me in the Jiao Palace, he might have been afraid that one of us would discover his identity as an assassin, or perhaps he was feigning fear under the gaze of the three of them. Only after I left the palace did he think of eliminating one of them."

"It's possible." Elder Xue nodded. "Shang Jiao is sharp, Yun Zheng is intelligent, and Yuan Zheng has become the head of a palace at such a young age. If Shangguan Qian is truly a stealthy assassin, it's possible that she's constantly worried about her disguise being seen through, and thus has a murderous intent."

Young Master Yue said in a clear voice, "Anyway, what we need now is the results of Shangguan Qian's interrogation."

Speaking of this, Gong Shangjiao said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, Elder Yue, I will interrogate her tonight."

"If you don't want to examine this person's body, I'll take it to the cell where Shangguan Qian is being held. If she's really Wufeng's, it'll be helpful in breaking down her psychological defenses."

"On the other hand, it can also prove her innocence."