TGCFNM -Chapter 507 Upholding Justice Over Family

After grabbing the porcelain bottle, Chu Ling was about to open it immediately, but Ghost Scholar stopped her.

“What if there are cursed insects inside?”

Chu Ling’s hair stood on end. Carefully, she blew out the fire on the matchstick and dashed outside.

Passing by the knocked-out little servant, she glanced at the porcelain bottle in her hand and froze.

She needed to find a safe way to handle the evidence she was holding.

So, Chu Ling dragged the little servant quietly and snuck out of the Xuanyuan Mansion, returning to the carriage.

“Why is it so lively over there?” Bai Su floated up for a look.

Curious, Chu Ling also poked her head out. Suddenly, someone shouted a string of curses, followed by a roar:

“Who released the ghost fire?!”

“It’s a ghost! A ghost is here! Hahahahaha!”

“Nonsense! There’s no ghost!”

“That shadow—he’s a ghost! He’s teasing us, even sprinkling incense ash on us! Hahahahaha!”

Chu Ling found it amusing and cautiously ran over. She discovered that Yuan Luo and Su He, in order to buy her time, were acting like madmen, leading a group of people in chaotic circles, intermittently releasing ghost fire and scattering medicinal powder on the ground.

The crowd twisted their faces in wild laughter, chasing the shadow with spears and swords in hand.

The scene was as ridiculous as it was eerie.

Finally, Su He saw Chu Ling, grabbed Yuan Luo, and started running toward her.

“The ghost is escaping! Hahahahaha! Chase it!”

“Chase the ghost! Chase! Hahahahaha!”

“Chase them, hahahaha, chase! Kill the ghost!”

“……”

Chu Ling took a deep breath, stepping back first to let Zhang Dong run ahead—better not let the soldiers see them.

Zhang Dong patted Zhuifeng: “Zhuifeng, time to show off your speed. You’ll get extra beans when we get back!”

Zhuifeng immediately sprinted off, hooves thundering.

A short while later, Yuan Luo and Su He caught up and climbed into the carriage, leaning against its violent swaying and gasping heavily.

Yuan Luo yanked off his mask. “I, as the proud top disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect… I’ve never done something like this!”

“Just get used to it, you’ll get used to it,” Chu Ling said, balancing herself on the swaying carriage while holding onto the captive she had brought along.

Su He looked at Chu Ling, panting hard: “I think we made a huge mess.”

Chu Ling nodded briefly in response: “…I figured that out.”

Yuan Luo braced himself against the carriage, asking anxiously: “Will we get caught? End up in jail?”

Chu Ling was momentarily lost in memory, then hurriedly lifted the curtain and urged Zhuifeng to go faster. “Tonight, two extra rations of beans when we get back!”

Zhuifeng lowed and tore forward like a maniac.

The moment Zhuifeng thundered back to the back gate of the Wan residence, Xiao Hua suddenly leapt out, shoving the carriage inside, slamming the rear door, and locking it with a wooden latch.

Wan Sanjin looked at the motionless carriage and cautiously knocked on the door. “Are you alive?”

Yuan Luo was first to lift the curtain. Legs weak, he jumped down and instinctively put a hand on Wan Sanjin’s shoulder. “Today… today I really gave it my all. You… you have to help me find someone properly.”

Steward Liu, seeing the guest’s state, hurriedly had a servant support him. “Young Master Yuan Luo, the hot water is ready. Wash up and get some rest.”

Yuan Luo wanted to clasp his fists in thanks, but he was so exhausted he didn’t even have the strength. He could only nod slightly in gratitude before letting a servant support him as he left.

Su He then stepped down from the carriage as well. Immediately afterward, Chu Ling tossed someone out of the carriage and then stepped down, using the man as a foothold.

The “servant” dressed in expensive clothes was thrown awake and lifted his head slightly.

When Xiao Hua saw this, she knocked him unconscious again.

Chu Ling leaned against the carriage, catching her breath, and took out the bottle in her hand.

“The bottle contains the gu insect. It’s also evidence. To make the evidence appear legitimate, we’ll say that someone from the Xuanyuan family secretly escaped during the chaos and personally handed the evidence over to me.”

Wan Sanjin looked at the person under Chu Ling’s foot. “A witness?”

Chu Ling nodded and looked at Xiao Hua. “Before dawn tomorrow, throw him outside. Then pretend we suddenly discovered him and bring him back in.”

Xiao Hua nodded. “Understood, my lord.”

Chu Ling held the bottle tightly, her eyes shining.

“Alright, now we just wait for tomorrow.”

After they finished talking, Steward Liu dismissed everyone one by one, telling them to wash up and get some rest.

The next day.

When the bound Xuanyuan Bai struggled awake, he stared in shock at the pile of firewood stacked in front of him. Before he could even understand what was going on, Xiao Hua appeared behind him and knocked him unconscious again.

After knocking him out, Xiao Hua untied him, secretly slipped out the back door, circled to the front, and threw him onto the street outside Wan Manor.

At dawn, when some townspeople heading out saw someone lying outside, someone kindly knocked on the gate of Wan Manor.

Steward Liu just happened to open the door and see the man. He immediately gestured for servants to carry him inside and thanked the passing townspeople who helped.

When the sky was fully bright, a refreshed Chu Ling straightened her official robes and ordered people to bring along Xuanyuan Bai—who had “righteously put justice before family”—to the yamen to begin the trial.

The yamen gates were wide open. Curious citizens surrounded the place, their excited chatter growing louder and louder. Amid the noise, the unconscious Xuanyuan Bai finally woke up again.

This time no one knocked him out.

They simply tied him up and stuffed a cloth in his mouth.

Chu Ling slammed the gavel and shouted loudly:

“The person bound below—are you Xuanyuan Bai?!”

Xuanyuan Bai struggled, trying to get Chu Ling to remove the cloth from his mouth, making muffled sounds.

Chu Ling nodded.

“Good. The person involved has admitted it—he is indeed Xuanyuan Bai.”

In truth, she had already found someone to identify him beforehand. She hadn’t expected that the random “servant” she had knocked out would turn out to be Xuanyuan Zheng’s beloved son. With luck like hers, she should probably be picking up silver on the street.

“After enduring countless hardships, Xuanyuan Bai secretly escaped from the heavily guarded Xuanyuan residence and brought the gu insects hidden by his own father to report the crime,” Chu Ling declared emotionally, slamming the gavel again. “Xuanyuan Bai has righteously put justice before family—truly a model of filial devotion!”

Xuanyuan Bai’s eyes widened as he struggled even more desperately.

“After investigation by this official, everything Xuanyuan Bai said is true. The gu insects did indeed come from the Xuanyuan residence, and the Beauty Gu used in the pleasure house also originated there.” Chu Ling’s expression turned cold.

Ghost Scholar watched the lively scene outside and said quietly, “That’s about enough.”

Chu Ling then spoke loudly:

“In court, the Xuanyuan family repeatedly impeached and suppressed other officials under the excuse of political disagreements. Once those officials were convicted, they were exiled to the Sin Street. At the same time, the Xuanyuan family persuaded their daughters to enter brothels to become courtesans. Yet within seven days of becoming top courtesans, they would die from the Beauty Gu.”

“The Xuanyuan family used this method to eliminate those who disagreed with them and reap huge profits. This is a grave crime!”

“I will truthfully report this matter to His Majesty and await his decision.”

Xuanyuan Bai’s eyes turned bloodshot as he struggled violently, trying to rush forward.

Chu Ling looked at him coldly.

“I didn’t say a single word wrong.”

With that, she struck him with a hand chop, knocking him unconscious again.

“Guards! Although Xuanyuan Bai has righteously put justice before family and delivered evidence, he did secretly escape—especially when His Majesty has already ordered the Xuanyuan residence sealed. Therefore, immediately imprison him and await His Majesty’s judgment,” Chu Ling ordered.

“Yes!”

“Court dismissed!” Chu Ling announced loudly before turning and leaving.