Chapter 6 Xie Nai’s Interrogation

Chapter 6: Xie Nai Interrogates

The newcomer had bright eyes and an elegant demeanor, his waist adorned with a white jade carved phoenix pendant, a golden crown on his head, as striking as a jade tree in a forest. The white robe woven from misty clouds made him appear like an otherworldly immortal, noble and unapproachable.

The small red mole at the corner of Xie Nai's left eye seemed redder than when Qin Jiao last saw him. After his light, clear eyes swept across the entire scene, Xie Nai's gaze fell upon Qin Jiao.

The young master was dressed in simple elegance today, not as disheveled as a few days ago, but his face was deathly pale, his expression anxious, as if frightened and unsettled.

"Take Young Master Qin to the tea house," Xie Nai ordered.

"Yes," Luo Bei acknowledged, "Young Master Qin, please follow me."

"Thank you."

Qin Jiao knew that he and Cong Shuang, as witnesses, would certainly be questioned. Carefully guiding Cong Shuang, he followed Luo Bei out of the alley. Once he could no longer smell the blood, the young master looked a bit better.

After Qin Jiao and Cong Shuang left, Xiao Nianzhang, the prefect of Nanzhou, hurried over. As soon as Xiao Nianzhang saw Xie Nai, he fell to his knees with a thud, "Please punish me, I failed in my patrol duties, resulting in another death..."

A beautiful cotton rose stained with blood landed at Xie Nai's feet. Amidst the clamor, Xie Nai's voice was as cold as frost, "I will personally investigate this case."

"Then I'll go make arrangements first."

Seeing Xie Nai's displeased expression, Xiao Nianzhang finished speaking and quickly withdrew.

Soon after, Luo Bei returned. Seeing Xie Nai pacing around the crime scene, Luo Bei didn't dare to disturb him. Only when Xie Nai stopped did Luo Bei dare to approach, "Your Highness, the tea house is ready."

Xie Nai nodded, then turned and walked toward the tea house.

Inside the Kè Lái Tea House.

Qin Jiao held a cup of calming tea, his face still didn't look good.

Cong Shuang, who hadn't seen the crime scene, was doing a bit better. She looked down at the bound young man on the ground, thinking he must be the first person to discover the body.

Well... aside from that, the man's clothing was truly garish.

The man was around twenty-something, handsome with clear eyes, wearing a purple brocade robe with a green outer garment, a red headband studded with pearls, a colorful sachet at his waist, and a gold ornament filled with bright feathers hanging from his chest...

Shocked by the crime scene earlier, Qin Jiao hadn't paid much attention to this man, but now that he had calmed down, he could not ignore the man who was as flashy as a peacock.

The sound of pearl curtains clashing came from outside the hall. Xie Nai entered, followed closely by Xiao Nianzhang, the prefect of Nanzhou, and the tea house owner.

After Xie Nai took the main seat, Luo Bei served freshly brewed Yugo tea.

On a multi-layered shelf in the hall was a wooden gourd rack with a jade immortal landscape sculpture. The immortal wore a leisurely expression, with cold, clear brows, much like Xie Nai at that moment, holding a partridge-spot tea cup.

His star-like eyes grew cold as he looked at Qin Jiao and the man on the ground, his voice stern and icy, "Which one of you is going to talk first?"

The gaudy "pheasant" of a man bound on the ground spoke first: "I'd never do something so terrible. It wasn't me anyway, and I don't know anything. If you really want to know, I'll just have to make up some ghost stories for you."

Qin Jiao suddenly understood!

This tone, this voice—this was the jinx from that rainy night – the great thief He Zhao.

"Ghost stories?" Xie Nai didn't mind He Zhao's arrogance. There even seemed to be a hint of a smile on his lips, "Take him away. First, cut off ten fingers."

He Zhao: ?

As soon as Xie Nai finished speaking, guards came to drag He Zhao away. "Hey! Are you serious? No, no..."

He Zhao fluttered like a lazy old hen that had been hit with a stick. He was a typical case of a wise man who knows when to back down, and immediately surrendered when he saw he couldn't escape: "Don't touch me! I'll talk, alright? Why do you have to start using torture like that? I just stole a bracelet from you..."

"Stop the nonsense!" As He Zhao muttered curses, Luo Bei's long sword slid out of its sheath with a swish, "Tell us why you were at the crime scene and what you saw!"

Seeing this scene, Qin Jiao felt a chill in his heart. The first time we met, he wanted to kill me, and now he's about to cut off He Zhao's fingers... It seems the rumors were true—the Prince of Lingnan is indeed ruthless.

He Zhao reluctantly began, "That day, after I left the prefect's residence, I came to this Kè Lái Tea House. The tea and snacks are good here, and the place is quiet and peaceful. I figured since I'd be chased anyway if I went out, I might as well stay here.

I've been staying here for a few days. Today, I suddenly craved the crispy chicken from the east of the city. I had just used my Lightness Skill to fly out of the tea house when I encountered a murder and got caught by you... I was having a good day today, but then I ran into you. What a stroke of bad luck!"

"Is that all? Any missing details?" Luo Bei asked.

"That's all, that's all. 'The general store is closed'—that's me now. Meaning I've got nothing left to say."

"?"

"General store closed, no more stock." He Zhao looked at Luo Bei, trying to convince him with his eyes, but Luo Bei remained completely unmoved.

"You said you've been staying at the Kè Lái Tea House these past few days. Can the owner vouch for you?" Luo Bei asked again.

Hearing this, the tea house owner quickly responded, "Sir, I have never seen this man! I don't know that he's been staying at my tea house. We sell tea, we don't run a lodging business."

"The tea house indeed doesn't board guests, so I've been staying in the western courtyard, in your daughter's room."

Qin Jiao: "..."

What kind of scoundrel is this? Sneaking into someone's daughter's room to stay?

The tea house owner's face turned even uglier, "What nonsense are you talking! I only have one son, no daughter!"

"Ah? This..."

He Zhao was clearly stunned for a moment, then blurted out, "Then your son is a bit 'dumb asking for a doctor'..."

"'Dumb asking for a doctor'?"

"Just... something unspeakable."

"You! You're the one with something wrong!"

Qin Jiao watched from the side as the tea house owner was so furious he nearly rushed up to strangle the pheasant-like He Zhao on the spot.

"I'm not talking nonsense! Your son's room is full of used cosmetics and makeup, and the closet is filled with women's clothes that have been worn... In a normal man's room, you'd find books and brushes, or swords and weapons, not this kind of stuff."

He Zhao's description practically said straight out that the tea house owner's son was a pervert.

"You! You!..." The tea house owner had probably never met someone as ridiculous as He Zhao, and was so angry he could barely speak.

Fortunately, there was still Luo Bei, calm and composed, completely unfazed by He Zhao's bluster: "He Zhao, the tea house owner says he hasn't seen you, meaning no one can vouch for you. And today, you were the first at the crime scene. Could it be that you killed someone and then played the victim?"

"By heaven's conscience! What victim-playing? This is all 'ducks in a meeting'—absurd fowl talk! Huh? You people..."

As He Zhao spoke, he turned and suddenly spotted Qin Jiao and Cong Shuang, and his train of thought was suddenly unlocked: "Hey, hey, hey! That man and woman were at the crime scene with me, but you only interrogate me, not them. What's this about? Playing favorites, showing partiality?"

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