Suspect

Lu Zheng explained, "It's a technique for disarming a blade barehanded. It definitely wouldn't work against an expert, but against an ordinary person, it's effortless."

Of course, Lu Zheng was talking about before.

Although he had already mastered saber techniques back then, he had still been within the bounds of an ordinary person. But now that he had learned the Mountain Carrying Eighteen Forms and cultivated Martial Blood Qi, things were different.

"Saber techniques?" All three were astonished.

After Lu Zheng had entered their field of suspicion, they had all watched the surveillance footage of him subduing Li Yanjie. Everyone had their own guesses, and they had even asked Lin Wan, who had been present at the time, to demonstrate it.

But after arguing for ages, they still had not reached any conclusion. No matter what, though, no one had guessed that the smooth, flowing sequence of movements had actually been saber techniques.

"I thought it was sanda or some kind of grappling technique," Lin Wan said.

"With a single saber, watch the hands; with twin sabers, watch the footwork. Aside from the saber in the right hand, single-saber techniques also use the left hand, so there are some grappling moves to go with them."

Lu Zheng explained, "Actually, grappling techniques are pretty versatile. It feels like they can be used anywhere."

Professional!

Lin Wan's beautiful eyes lit up. Lu Zheng was practically a reclusive master hidden away in the city.

At a time when Traditional Martial Arts were widely mocked as useless in a fight, he had subdued a young man in his twenties with one hand.

"Impressive!" Liu Leng gave him a thumbs-up.

"You're too kind. He was just too weak."

Lu Zheng was actually telling the truth. How could a real expert possibly stand there like a wooden post and let him entangle him so easily?

Liang Yuandong asked again, "Then what school does your saber technique belong to? Wing Chun's Eight-Chopping Knives?"

Thanks to the Ip Man series, Wing Chun's Eight-Chopping Knives had become well-known throughout the country.

"No." Lu Zheng shook his head and grinned. "Basic saber techniques."

This cold joke was not funny at all.

"If basic saber techniques were that powerful, martial arts wouldn't be called dance arts."

"That's because they didn't practice them well." Lu Zheng said calmly, "There isn't a single unnecessary move in any form. It only depends on whether you know how to use it."

Those words were domineering!

"Like military saber techniques?" Liu Leng was interested too.

"Uh, what I practice is traditional saber technique, so it's different from military saber techniques. Military saber techniques also evolved from martial arts, but they've been streamlined far too much. And military sabers are comparatively short, so they retain only some of the most dangerous applications. Anyway, they're different."

Tsk, tsk, professional! As they spoke, the car soon drove through the gates of the City Bureau and stopped outside the office building.

Then, beneath the grave gazes of several people, Lu Zheng and Lin Wan got out of the car chatting and laughing.

Everyone: _? What was going on?...

"Name?"

"Lu Zheng."

"Age?"

"Twenty-two."

In the interview room, Lu Zheng was making his statement with a curious expression.

"These things are all crystal clear. Do you really have to ask every single one?"

"It's procedure. The process has to be confirmed."

Lin Wan explained briefly, then continued, "Place of origin?"

After a full round of procedure, they finally arrived at the key point.

"Where were you between ten o'clock and midnight the night before last?"

"At home." Lu Zheng answered immediately, without a moment's hesitation.

"Do you have proof?"

Lu Zheng sighed helplessly. "I live alone. Of course I don't have proof."

Lin Wan and Liang Yuandong exchanged a glance before she asked directly, "Do you usually eat fruit?"

What kind of sharp turn was that?

Still, Lu Zheng nodded and answered honestly, "I do."

"Do you use a fruit knife?"

"I do."

"Then why didn't we find a fruit knife in your home today?"

"Huh?" Lu Zheng looked completely baffled.

Liang Yuandong shifted his gaze from the documents in his hands to Lu Zheng. "Li Yanjie is dead. The murder weapon was a fruit knife, and your fingerprints were on it."

"What?" Lu Zheng was instantly stunned.

Li Yanjie was dead? I killed him? "No, wait!" Lu Zheng raised a hand. "Let me sort this out!"

"Li Yanjie is dead, the murder weapon was my fruit knife, and then you went to my home today but didn't find the fruit knife there?"

"That's right!" Lin Wan said gravely. "Do you have anything to explain?"

No wonder they had been acting as if facing a formidable enemy, ready to make a move at the slightest disagreement.

"Uh... I'm not the killer?" Lu Zheng said blankly.

The corner of Liang Yuandong's mouth twitched, while Lin Wan nearly laughed.

"Although there are many points of doubt, the evidence is also very clear, so we had no choice but to bring you back for questioning. Please understand," Liang Yuandong said. "We also hope you'll cooperate so we can investigate this case thoroughly and clear your name."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Lu Zheng nodded like a pecking chicken.

Lin Wan asked, "Starting from your conflict with Li Yanjie last weekend, please describe your movements over the past few days in detail."

"I..." Lu Zheng had only said one word when his eyes flickered.

"Did you remember something?" Lin Wan immediately pressed.

"My home was burglarized!"

Lu Zheng hurriedly said, "It was the morning before the day before yesterday."

Then Lu Zheng told them about going to the Ten Thousand Ren Ancient Sword Hall and returning at noon to discover that his slippers had been moved.

"But I didn't find anything missing from the house, so I didn't report it."

"The morning before the day before yesterday?"

"Mm." Lu Zheng nodded firmly.

"Alright. That is indeed a lead. We'll investigate it thoroughly."

After asking a few more questions, it was clear that aside from Lu Zheng's fingerprints on the fruit knife, there was not a single other piece of evidence pointing to him.

Lu Zheng had barely gone out these past few days, much less investigated any of Li Yanjie's movements. His motive for murder was insufficient as well.

So Lu Zheng was quickly cleared, and Lin Wan escorted him to the entrance of the City Bureau. "Your suspicion has been temporarily lifted, but keep your phone on. Don't leave the city for the time being."

"Alright!" Lu Zheng nodded helplessly. What kind of mess was this...

"Team Leader Li, this is Lu Zheng's statement."

"Our preliminary assessment is that the killer may have been following the victim, witnessed the conflict between the victim and Lu Zheng, then tailed Lu Zheng to confirm his address. Finally, while Lu Zheng was out, the killer broke into his home, stole the fruit knife, and planted it to frame him."

"At the crime scene, the fruit knife was discarded in grass less than thirty meters from the victim's body. There were still fingerprints on it. It was obviously intended to misdirect the investigation."

"Everything about Lu Zheng's behavior was normal. Judging from the surveillance footage in his residential compound, he's just an unemployed shut-in. Other than that one trip on the morning before the day before yesterday, he has hardly left home at all."

Li Jinglin shot Liu Leng a sidelong glance. "Could an unemployed shut-in send you flying with one shoulder?"

Liang Yuandong froze. "You mean he's still a suspect?"

Lin Wan frowned. "There's no need for that. Wouldn't it have been better not to leave any evidence? Why wave a flag where there's no silver buried?"

Li Jinglin thought for a moment. "Have you copied back the surveillance footage from Lu Zheng's residential compound?"

"We have."

"Check it first. See whether there were any suspicious targets during that time period." Li Jinglin closed the statement folder. "Also, investigate what other grudges Li Yanjie had stirred up over the past six months—grudges serious enough to provoke someone into killing him."

"Yes!"