TGCFNM -Chapter 118 Dog Eats Dog

After interrogating the three of them in succession, Chu Ling was helped out of the cell by Xiao Hua.

The warden personally escorted them out and said in a low voice, “Master, they’re like dogs biting each other. They all claim someone else buried it, but I think none of them are innocent.”

Chu Ling nodded; she knew all three were lying.

But there was one thing they weren’t lying about: they didn’t dare reveal who the horsemen were. Even in the face of death, they would rather bite their tongues and end their own lives than give any names.

Chu Ling swung herself onto her horse and looked at the warden. “Thank you for keeping watch over them. No need to treat them; it’s unnecessary.”

“Yes, Master.” The warden cupped his hands and responded.

Xiao Hua led the horse, holding a torch, and walked toward the government office.

“Master, they’re terrible, but there are even worse people than them… yet we can’t catch them,” Xiao Hua said angrily.

Chu Ling, lost in thought, sat atop the horse, reflecting on the behavior of the three.

They were fearful, terrified—even the slightest clue about the horsemen they refused to reveal. The only possible explanation was that the horsemen came from families they couldn’t compete with.

Zeng Yuanpin hadn’t yet seen the Zeng family imprisoned, so in his memory, the Zengs possessed imperial-granted items. He shouldn’t have been scared to this extent.

So unless those horsemen’s influence was something that made Zeng Yuanpin genuinely afraid…

Not everyone had her courage—the audacity to snatch imperial-granted items in broad daylight and then declare them fake.

Therefore, the answer was almost clear.

“Scions of the capital’s noble families have come to Changzhou?” Chu Ling murmured. “Or… perhaps, imperial princes?”

“Master, we can ask Tianxia Zhi,” Ghost Scholar said.

Chu Ling’s eyes lit up—of course, Tianxia Zhi could be consulted.

After returning to the government office, Chu Ling was helped by Xiao Hua to see Wan Sanjin.

Wan Sanjin had just sat down with a cup of tea. Seeing Chu Ling arrive, he moved a chair for her.

“Master, I interrogated the remaining two families carefully. They only said they were given silver to leave the city for a while; they didn’t bring anyone with them,” Wan Sanjin frowned. “As for which guards went along that day to commit the murders, the two families had no idea.”

Chu Ling sighed and furrowed her brows. “Those three are like dogs biting each other, yet they all refused to say who the horsemen were.”

She had already questioned the guards; all of them said they hadn’t gone to kill anyone.

Wan Sanjin was taken aback. “What do you mean?”

“I mean the guards belonged to the horsemen,” Chu Ling said.

Wan Sanjin understood. “So the masterminds were the horsemen with their guards. As for He, Yan, and Zeng, they were just… incidental?”

Chu Ling shook her head. “Not incidental. The binding of the victims was done by the masterminds, but throwing them off the mountain and burying them was done by the three.”

Wan Sanjin suddenly realized. “Master, so those three did commit murder for the gambling funds, but the mastermind taught them how to kill, right?”

Chu Ling nodded firmly. “Those three were essentially fall guys—if anything went wrong, they’d be the ones to take the blame, because they did the actual killing and burial.”

But the mastermind… walked away safely.

“Why?” Wan Sanjin didn’t understand.

Why would anyone bury a family of four alive just for a few coins?

Chu Ling took a deep breath and spoke slowly, “I went up there to check. That little path doesn’t see much traffic, so it’s nearly impossible for anyone to have known in advance that Master Zhou and the others would take it. The only possibility is that after Master Zhou left Yushui County, someone started watching him.”

Wan Sanjin pinched the bridge of his nose and speculated, “So someone knew Master Zhou would take that path, then tricked those three into committing robbery to get gambling money. After getting the money, they had them kill and bury people to prevent any exposure.”

“Exactly!” Chu Ling said.

Earlier, when she had guessed that the person on horseback might be a wealthy playboy, she never expected that the three men didn’t actually ride horses—someone else did.

“Can’t you question the person on horseback?” Wan Sanjin realized.

Chu Ling nodded, looking at Wan Sanjin. “That’s why I’m seeking help from Tianxia Zhi. I want to know who came near Changzhou City. More than that, I want to know how a county-level scholar could possibly offend someone with that kind of power.”

“All right, I’ll contact my elder brother immediately.” Wan Sanjin got up at once.

After Wan Sanjin left, Chu Ling let Xiao Hua go rest as well, then returned to her own courtyard alone.

—

Back in the courtyard, Chu Ling sat on the stone bench and looked up at Tao Sanniang. “So, do you know whom your husband offended?”

Tao Sanniang shivered in fear, tears welling in her eyes as she looked at Chu Ling. She bit her lip tightly and shook her head.

“Enough, sir… I… I accept my fate. Please, don’t investigate further.”

“Why not?” Chu Ling frowned.

“I’ve been by your side for so long, I’ve seen that you are a good official. A good official must live long to help the people.” Tao Sanniang wiped the tears from her eyes. “I cannot, for my own sake, ruin your future—or even… your life.”

“An official who cannot help the people is unworthy to be their magistrate.” Chu Ling’s gaze was firm. “You’re not acting for selfish reasons. By risking yourself, you are exposing the villains, so they cannot harm more people. You are saving lives.”

Tao Sanniang froze, blood and tears sliding down her cheeks.

“Are they sons of a noble family in the capital, or some royal relatives?” the Ghost Scholar asked directly.

Chu Ling looked at Tao Sanniang’s expression and asked, “You’ve guessed who it is, haven’t you?”

“Yes… it’s someone from the Gao family,” Tao Sanniang said through her tears.

Chu Ling frowned. “The Gao family?”

Tao Sanniang choked back her sobs. “The nephews of Noble Consort Gao returned to their hometown to pay respects. They happened to see my husband teaching and thought he was a good teacher, so they wanted him to go back to the capital to teach in the Gao household. But my husband was the only scholar in all of Yushui County. If he went with them, what would happen to his students? He couldn’t bear it, so he refused.”

The Ghost Scholar slammed his fan in anger. “All because of that?!”

Tao Sanniang nodded through her tears. “The young masters of the Gao family said he wouldn’t toast properly and forced him to drink. That very night, they nearly set fire to the academy.”

“And then?” the Ghost Scholar asked, furious.

“Then it seems the capital sent a letter. They said they were leaving, and my husband finally breathed a sigh of relief. But the young masters of the Gao family warned that the world is small, and to be careful. My husband said he wouldn’t go to the capital and that there was nothing to fear… nothing to fear from them.” Tao Sanniang wiped the unstoppable tears from her face.

For a long moment, the courtyard was filled only with Tao Sanniang’s sobs, and anyone listening felt their chest tighten.

Chu Ling found it absurd, ridiculous, and couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

“All because a scholar from a small county refused to go teach in the capital, an entire family’s lives had to be sacrificed?”

Why?!