Undergoing Trial

Nanning County yamen, dusk was settling, and dark clouds pressed down from above.

In the yamen's backyard, the interrogation room was dim and cramped, with only an oil lamp flickering in the corner.

Gu Chang'an sat on an old wooden chair, and opposite him, three people were questioning him.

To the side, one person was taking notes.

The leader was He Yongnian, the Head Constable of the Criminal Investigation Department. He was about fifty years old, with a lean face, dressed in a gray-blue official robe, his waist plaque gleaming. His eyebrows were hooked, his nose was high, and his gaze was as sharp as an eagle's.

"Name?"

"Gu Chang'an."

"Position?"

"Constable of the Nanning County Martial Guard Division."

"Number?"

"Fungui · Ding 314."

"What was your mission during this operation?"

"To lead the team through the forest path west of the city, to draw the enemy's attention."

"What was the outcome?"

"We defeated the Firewood Gang's protector Liang Hu, and Hall Masters Duan Lie and Pei Xuan. During the operation, Constable Zheng Zhen betrayed us, and I killed him in return. Liang Hu and Duan Lie consumed Blood Pills and turned into Mad Demons. To prevent these two Mad Demons from harming their comrades, I lured them away."

"..."

"After separating from Shen Qingyan and Lin Tai, what did you and Li Hongye do?"

"Constable Li and I discovered the Firewood Gang's Left Protector Yin Jiu severely wounded from fighting Liang Hu, and he was attempting to escape. To eliminate any future trouble, we killed him. Afterward, Liang Hu pursued us. We were no match for him, so we could only flee down the mountain."

"During this mission, you did not go to the Pill Hall?"

"No."

"After the battle, did you find any trace of Daoist Chai?"

"No."

"Everyone else is either dead or severely wounded. Why are you two unharmed?"

"..."

As soon as Gu Chang'an left, before the door had fully closed, and before his footsteps had faded, the sound of two steadier footsteps slowly approached.

A moment later, County Magistrate Yang Jing and County Assistant Wu Heng entered the interrogation room one after the other.

He Yongnian immediately stood up and cupped his hands:

"Lord Yang, Lord Wu."

The two nodded slightly and sat down as host and guest. Yang Jing looked up at He Yongnian and said calmly:

"How was the interrogation? Are there any problems with this Gu Chang'an?"

He Yongnian opened the case file in his hand and spoke at a moderate pace, but his explanation was clear and organized:

"Gu Chang'an's confession is largely consistent with the accounts provided by the survivors Jiang Yuan, Shen Qingyan, and others. According to Jiang Yuan, Liang Hu and Duan Lie in their Mad Demon state were extremely ferocious, and indeed seemed intent on killing their comrades. It was Gu Chang'an who actively lured the enemy away, with Li Hongye following him."

"Shen Qingyan also confirmed that she and Lin Tai were fighting Yin Jiu and his group outside the Pill Hall, and they personally saw Gu Chang'an rush out from the woods, luring away Liang Hu and Duan Lie in their Mad Demon state, thus giving her and Lin Tai an opportunity to escape."

"Furthermore, Gu Chang'an also confessed to the circumstances of killing Zheng Zhen. The autopsy matches his description, and there are no flaws so far."

He closed the case file in his hand and concluded:

"These circumstances are all consistent with Gu Chang'an's confession."

"The only issue is that during this mission, the entire Martial Guard Division is either dead or severely wounded."

"Only Gu Chang'an and Li Hongye are safe and unharmed. According to their account, they relied on their agile footwork and did not engage the Mad Demon Liang Hu head-on. Instead, they avoided his sharp edge through hit-and-run tactics, which allowed them to retreat unharmed."

Wu Heng frowned slightly and said in a low voice:

"Can you be sure they didn't go to the Pill Hall?"

He Yongnian hesitated slightly, clearly not understanding why Wu Heng was so fixated on this point.

Was it that important whether they had gone to the Pill Hall or not?

However, given the difference in rank, he had to answer.

After careful consideration, he still answered truthfully:

"According to Gu Chang'an, they were pursued by Liang Hu the entire time and fled into the mountains. Moreover, Liang Hu in his Mad Demon state was last seen outside the Pill Hall, fiercely fighting the remaining members of the Firewood Gang. His body was confirmed afterward."

"Furthermore, Gu Chang'an and Li Hongye's cultivation is not high, only Ninth Rank. In such a dangerous situation, if they had truly entered the Pill Hall and come into contact with Daoist Chai or other Firewood Gang experts, it would have been impossible for them to leave unharmed."

"All indications suggest that they indeed had no opportunity to enter the Pill Hall."

Yang Jing nodded upon hearing this, his expression calm. "If that is the case, then there is no need to investigate further. The Martial Guard Division has suffered heavy losses, and Gu Chang'an is a meritorious official. We must not dampen the spirits of loyal individuals."

He Yongnian rose to accept the order. "Yes."

But Wu Heng remained silent, his expression heavy, sitting still in his seat, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the armrest.

He didn't refute Yang Jing's words, nor did he agree with them.

He didn't believe everything was truly so clean.

Had Gu Chang'an and Li Hongye entered the Pill Hall?

If they had entered the Pill Hall...

Had they taken anything away?

Had they discovered anything?

Wu Heng's gaze was like a deep, cold night pool, fixed on the flickering candlelight shadow on the table, remaining silent for a long time.

The night was as dark as ink, with scattered starlight.

Gu Chang'an turned his head, looking at Li Hongye beside him, who appeared slightly weary, and asked in a low voice, "Are you alright?"

Li Hongye's expression was calm, and she said softly, "I should be fine."

As she said this, her hand gripping the scabbard tightened slightly, clearly showing she was still uneasy.

Before returning to the county town, they had already coordinated all their statements.

They hadn't mentioned Daoist Chai or the Pill Hall at all.

That hall... was too strange, too dangerous.

Among the piles of bodies, they had successfully scavenged many treasures, martial arts manuals, elixirs, and so on.

They hadn't tallied exactly how much there was.

All their spoils were now hidden in the wilderness; they hadn't brought them back to the county town.

Gu Chang'an remained silent, only nodding, "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

The night grew deeper. The walls of Sky Wind Martial Hall were hidden in the darkness, with only the front hall brightly lit.

They pushed open the door, and the people inside looked up.

Li Tianfeng, Xie Lanzhi, and Wang Xiaojuan were gathered in the main hall. The oil lamps reflected the anxiety in their eyes—and the joy when they saw Gu Chang'an and Li Hongye return.

"You're back!" Xie Lanzhi hurried forward, her eyes slightly red.

Wang Xiaojuan bit her lip, her eyes blinking rapidly, and followed, "Brother Gu, Sister Hongye, are you alright?"

Gu Chang'an grinned and feinted with his hand, "Look at my handsome face, do I look like I'm not alright?"

Li Hongye shifted slightly, took off her outer robe, and hung it on the wall, "Still alive."

Li Tianfeng's gaze swept over the two, confirming they were indeed unharmed, before he slowly let out a sigh of relief and asked, "How did things go?"

Gu Chang'an paused, his expression indifferent, "The Firewood Gang is annihilated, the Pill Hall is destroyed, but Daoist Chai escaped. We lured Liang Hu and Duan Lie away as planned, then escaped the mountain forest. Director Wang is dead, Old Zhou is dead, and many people... didn't return."

Li Tianfeng closed his eyes and nodded gently.

Xie Lanzhi murmured softly, "...So many more people died."

Then, Li Tianfeng asked, "Did you see... Daoist Chai?"

Li Hongye shook her head, her tone crisp, "No. We didn't get close to the Pill Hall at all."

Gu Chang'an chimed in, "We were running for our lives the whole time."

They weren't telling the truth, not only to avoid unnecessary trouble but also to prevent their families from worrying.

The four fell silent for a moment, and Li Tianfeng sighed, "It's good that you're back. Things will be tense from now on, be careful."

Gu Chang'an nodded, "Don't worry, we know what we're doing."

The lamplight flickered, and the atmosphere in the room relaxed.