Сhapter 79: Тhе Disguise Is Abоut to Bе Ехроsеd
Zhu Yan was sо anxious that tears wеrе abоut to fаll. Соuld it bе that shе rеаllу wоuldn’t makе it until help arrivеd?
Wаtching thе dagger teаr through her сlothes, shе соuldn’t еvеn fееl the cоldnеss of thе blаdе.
But аt that mоmеnt, a cоld shоut rang оut, and two pеople burst thrоugh thе dоor.
"Zhu Yаn!" "Liu Niang!" they bоth саlled оut simultаnеоuslу.
Sеeing thаt thе killer hаd alrеady сut through Zhu Yаn’s сlоthes, Shеn Du wаs furiоus with shаme and rushed fоrward to engage thе killer in combаt.
Zhu Yan let оut a lоng sigh оf reliеf. Thank heavens, she was finally saved.
Shen Du exchanged blows with the killer, and after a few moves, they were surprisingly evenly matched.
Just as Shen Du was preparing to launch another attack, Xu Xiangren grabbed him. "You take care of Liu Niang. Leave the killer to me!"
Shen Du trusted the strength of the Unrighteous Agents.
Shen Du nodded and turned to check on Zhu Yan’s condition.
Zhu Yan’s entire body was stiff, and the front of her clothes had been torn open. Shen Du quickly took off his outer robe to cover her, pulled her into his arms, and removed the cloth gag from her mouth.
"Thank you for coming in time," Zhu Yan said, her voice trembling slightly and thick with a nasal tone, as if she were about to cry.
Shen Du didn’t speak, only tightening his arms around Zhu Yan a little more.
Only he himself knew how much he cared for this woman. If she had really died here, he wouldn’t know what to do in the future.
Xu Xiangren’s martial arts skills were no joke either. After a few rounds of fighting with the killer, the killer began to lose ground.
Just as Xu Xiangren was about to deliver a finishing blow, the killer suddenly turned and launched a hidden weapon. Xu Xiangren couldn’t dodge in time and retreated repeatedly, while the killer seized the opportunity to leap out of the temple and disappear.
Seeing this, Shen Du clenched his fists, stood up, and gave chase. Suddenly, he turned back, fed Zhu Yan a pill, and then continued pursuing until he reached a forest, where a figure appeared before him.
Zhu Yan’s body gradually recovered. Seeing that Shen Du hadn’t returned for a long time, she grew somewhat worried. "Second Brother Xu, could Shen Du be in danger?"
Xu Xiangren observed the situation in the temple and shook his head. "No, that killer’s martial arts are no match for Shen Du. Even if he can hold out for a few moves, he’s completely outclassed by Shen Du."
Only then did Zhu Yan feel at ease. By now, she could stand and walk, but her neck was still stiff, like a puppet.
"Did you find anything?"
Hearing Zhu Yan’s question, Xu Xiangren furrowed his thick eyebrows. "There were some discoveries, but it was truly dangerous."
"What was so dangerous?" Zhu Yan didn’t understand Xu Xiangren’s words.
"Besides you, there was another corpse at the scene. It seems it was meant to be paired with you."
Zhu Yan gasped, her scalp tingling at the thought.
Thank goodness Shen Du and the others arrived in time. If they had been even a moment later, she might have really been buried together with that corpse.
With someone’s help, the killer escaped smoothly.
Exiting the forest, Shen Du punched a tree trunk, but the next moment, he thought of a countermeasure.
He hurried to the Ministry of Justice prison and explained the situation to Chen Wen.
Chen Wen nodded with a meaningful expression and whispered a few words to Shen Du.
Western Brightness Temple, backyard.
Shen Du had already led his men to lie in ambush there. Before long, a dark figure indeed slipped into the room where the corpses were stored.
The brothers from the Inner Guard Bureau surrounded the area heavily, holding torches as they waited for the person inside to emerge.Perhaps the culprit had sensed something amiss, for when he burst through the door, he froze completely in place.
Shen Du, his expression cold and aloof, stared at the black-clad figure before him. Taking a torch from one of his comrades, he stepped closer. "What a moth drawn to the flame. We've been waiting for you."
With those words, Shen Du suddenly hurled the torch toward the black-clad figure. The man's face paled in shock, and he stumbled, falling to the ground.
Before he could react, numerous blades and weapons were already pressed against his neck.
"Disarm him, remove his mask, and bring him before the Empress to confess his crimes."
"Yes, sir."
At Shen Du's command, the brothers of the Inner Guard Bureau hurried forward to carry out his orders.
When the culprit's face was revealed to the crowd, a flicker of surprise crossed Shen Du's deep eyes. "It's you?"
...
"Be careful."
Xu Xiangren escorted Zhu Yan back to the Shen residence. Though Zhu Yan could move now, the effects of the drug hadn't fully worn off, leaving her movements somewhat stiff.
"Liu Niang!"
As soon as Zhu Yan sat down in a chair, Lu Chuichui rushed in from outside. "Shen Du has already captured the culprit. He's being taken to the temple now to be handed over to the Empress for judgment. If we're late, we'll miss it."
Hearing this, Zhu Yan was filled with excitement. She slapped the table and stood up. "Good, let's go right away."
No sooner had she spoken than she stumbled backward a few steps, saved only by Xu Xiangren's steadying hand.
"The drug hasn't completely left your system yet. Take it slow. The culprit isn't going anywhere—why rush like this?"
"Second Brother, you don't understand," Zhu Yan said, brimming with excitement. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stand upright. "This culprit has kept us chasing him for so long, nearly costing Shen Du and me our lives. Now that he's finally been caught, how could I not be excited? I wish I could interrogate him myself."
Hearing Zhu Yan's words, Xu Xiangren smiled. "Alright, even if you're eager, you still need to take care of yourself. I'll accompany you."
"Mhm." Zhu Yan nodded vigorously, but despite her best efforts, the movement appeared slight to others.
Lu Chuichui also hurried over to support Zhu Yan, her face full of concern. "What do you mean the drug hasn't worn off? Were you injured by the culprit?"
"It's nothing, really," Zhu Yan reassured her. Her mood was exceptionally elated now, and the pain she felt was no longer a concern. "We need to hurry over. We mustn't miss this spectacle."
"Mhm." Lu Chuichui nodded emphatically, unable to hide the joy welling up from within.
Along the way, Zhu Yan imagined several possible outcomes. This culprit had killed countless people—the Empress would surely not let him off lightly.
She truly wanted to ask him: Why did you do this?
Finally arriving at the temple, they found it surrounded by imperial guards, with commoners barred from entering.
A crowd had gathered at the entrance, craning their necks to see inside. It was clear that the serial murder case had shifted the people of Chang'an from fear to hatred—everyone wished they could personally execute the culprit.
"This culprit has reached a level of infamy that enrages both gods and men. Nothing short of flaying him alive would satisfy my hatred," Lu Chuichui said fiercely, her small mouth pursed in anger.
Zhu Yan understood. How could she not feel the same deep-seated hatred for this culprit? But in the end, there was only one culprit, and he couldn't satisfy everyone's desire for vengeance.
Unable to enter through the main gate, the two made their way to the back entrance of the Western Brightness Temple. Only after showing their identification tokens were they allowed inside.Arriving at the main hall, they saw from a distance the murderer kneeling on the ground, flanked by civil and military officials on both sides, among whom were Shen Du and Lai Luozhi.
Even His Highness the Prince of Ying and Princess Yongan, who usually stayed aloof from worldly affairs, were now standing beside the Empress.
"So many people," Lu Chuichui grew nervous. As a lowly clerk, she had never witnessed such an imposing scene.
Among all those present, aside from the guards at the door, she held the lowest rank.
Though Zhu Yan held the same official rank as her, she was also Shen Du's wife, which naturally elevated her status considerably.
"What's there to fear?" Zhu Yan reassured her. "We have been investigating this case all along. Now that the truth has come to light, we have every right to be here."
"But..." Lu Chuichui, timid by nature, hesitated to step forward.
Zhu Yan tightly grasped her wrist, though she herself felt somewhat uneasy.
She did not think of herself as Madam Shen, but rather as a minor ninth-rank official—just a small cog in the machine. If anything went wrong, it would be better to have someone to share the burden.
Compelled by Zhu Yan's encouragement and unable to resist her own curiosity, Lu Chuichui reluctantly allowed herself to be led as the two quietly blended into the crowd of officials.
Everyone's attention and gaze were fixed on the murderer, so their arrival went unnoticed.
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