How should she respond? Zhuo Qing lazily curled her lips and replied with indifference,"I was just passing by."
Passing by?!Everyone stood dumbfounded—what kind of answer was that?!
Lou Xiyan rubbed his nose and gave a feigned cough, barely stifling a laugh. Passing by? Only he could come up with such nonsense. He... he... he—this was blatant contempt for the court!
Wu Zhigang's face darkened with rage. "Ignorant child! Do you take this court for a playground?" Momentarily forgetting Lou Xiyan's presence, Wu Zhigang strode to the center of the hall and bellowed at Zhuo Qing, "Outrageous! Guards! Seize him—"
"Lord Wu."
A calm, low voice fell like a bucket of cold water over Wu Zhigang's head. He immediately sobered, turned back swiftly, and responded respectfully, "Yes, Chancellor. What are your orders?"
Rising, Lou Xiyan smoothed out the wrinkles in his robe and asked, "Where is the body now?"
Wu Zhigang looked to the officer who had reported in. The man hurriedly replied, "Still in the prison cell, sir."
Lou Xiyan walked leisurely through the main hall toward the side door. Wu Zhigang panicked and quickly followed, crying out, "Chancellor Lou, where are you going?"
"Send the coroner to examine the corpse. I intend to oversee it personally—whether this was suicide or murder, we must know the truth."
His tone was even, betraying neither anger nor joy. Wu Zhigang, now drenched in cold sweat, followed nervously behind.
When Madam Lin heard that the body would be examined, she rushed forward again in grief. Lin Bokang's sudden death had left the villagers anxious for clarity. A crowd surged forward with her.
At the side door, the constables had already raised their staves horizontally.
"You are not permitted inside!" one of them barked.
Madam Lin clutched the staff with trembling hands, sobbing as she struggled, "Why? He was my husband!"
Wu Si's sturdy frame stepped in front of her protectively. His honest face pleaded, "Officer, please, let us in!"
"No!" The constable didn't even spare them a glance, his refusal absolute.
Leaning against the doorframe, Zhuo Qing watched the standoff with idle amusement. They understand nothing. Even if they went in, it would be of no use. Better to pray that Chancellor Lou's wisdom would uncover the truth.
Yawning, she turned to leave. She was exhausted—ever since she had inexplicably arrived in this world, she hadn't had a decent night's sleep. She needed to find a quiet place to rest before deciding what to do next.
Just as her foot crossed the threshold, a voice as clear and cold as spring water rang out—
"Let them in."
The speaker was Lou Xiyan's personal guard. The constables exchanged glances, then quickly lowered their staves and allowed the villagers to enter.
What a beautiful voice. Intrigued, Zhuo Qing turned back. A white-clad figure stood by the side door—a vision of elegance.
He must be Lou Xiyan's bodyguard. Narrowing her eyes, Zhuo Qing assessed him silently. About 190 cm tall, skin as pale as snow, dark chestnut hair that suited him well, and exquisitely defined features. His sky-blue eyes shone like crystal—he was a breathtaking blend of East and West.
But what stood out the most was not his appearance, but the detached air about him. He seemed neither cold nor warm—just distant. Zhuo Qing wasn't fond of that type, but she had to admit—he was mesmerizing.
Suddenly, the man walked toward her. Zhuo Qing lowered her hat brim, expecting him to pass—but he stopped beside her.
"Let's go," he said, voice flat and unfeeling.
"Where to?" Zhuo Qing feigned ignorance.
"I won't hesitate to use force."
As he spoke, his pale hand clamped down tightly on her arm.
"Alright! I'll walk myself!" she snapped. Damn, he's strong!
He slowly released her and walked ahead without another word.
Zhuo Qing rolled her eyes. So even in ancient times, bodyguards have to act cool.
Grudgingly, she followed him into the prison. As she passed him, she muttered coldly, "For the sake of those beautiful eyes, I'll let this slide."
Otherwise... well, she had a bad habit of holding grudges.
Mo Bai froze. Beautiful? Because of these very eyes, he had been abandoned by his family. Everyone called him a demon. He had no kin, no friends—no one even dared meet his gaze.
Beautiful eyes, she said?
A fleeting glimmer of mockery passed through his eyes, but his face remained impassive as ever.
They wound through the prison until Zhuo Qing finally arrived at Lin Bokang's cell.
She deliberately examined the surroundings. The cell was located at the very end of the prison block. Unless someone specifically entered, it would be completely out of sight. Strangely—or perhaps intentionally—the adjacent cells were empty as well. In other words, whatever happened here likely had no witnesses.
The cell door was already crowded with people. Standing at the outermost edge, Zhuo Qing could still see the body, hanging stiffly from the beam.
The corpse's face had turned bluish-purple and was grotesquely swollen. There were petechial hemorrhages on the skin—clear signs of asphyxiation.
As her gaze moved downward, Zhuo Qing's brow furrowed involuntarily.
"Greetings, Chancellor!"
A male voice sounded from behind. Zhuo Qing turned and saw a man in his thirties rush over, bowing deeply before Lou Xiyan.
"And who might you be?" Lou Xiyan asked, eyes never leaving Zhuo Qing.
He had noticed her earlier—how intently she had examined the corpse. Last night, Jing Sa had investigated the entire Niujia Village and found no trace of a disfigured youth. Just who was this person? Could it have been he who abducted Qing Feng? And for what purpose?
Everything about him piqued Lou Xiyan's curiosity.
"I am Wang Bingsheng," the man replied respectfully. "A coroner of the Ying Tian Prefecture. I have been conducting post-mortem examinations for over a decade."
A coroner? An ancient forensic expert, then.
At the mention of examining the body, his expression turned confident—perhaps even slightly arrogant. Zhuo Qing's previously agitated mood began to lift. She was curious to see how they conducted autopsies in this era.
"Very well. Examine him thoroughly—find out if it was suicide or murder."
He focused only on the case, not the people involved. If it were murder, the implications would be serious. To kill someone inside the Ying Tian Prefecture prison… that was no simple matter.
"Yes, sir."
Wang Bingsheng entered the cell. The constables had already cut down the body. With its purplish face and grotesque swelling, it was barely recognizable. The corpse lay stiff on the ground.
Madam Lin collapsed in grief. "Husband…"
"Careful, madam!" The villagers quickly helped her to the side.
Taking advantage of the commotion, Zhuo Qing stepped closer. The coroner lifted the dead man's head, inspected the ligature marks, then examined the limbs. In less than five minutes, he stood and reported to Lou Xiyan:
"Chancellor, the corpse's face is flushed purplish-red, and the limbs hang straight downward. There are burn-like marks on his feet, and the ligature marks extend to the area behind both ears. All signs point to death by hanging—the means, his own belt."