Chapter 462: No way to refute
Han Yunxi might have laughed, but the expressionless Long Feiye had a different change. He glanced slightly outside the curtain as his eyes flickered with ruthlessness. Han Yunxi had no idea that Long Feiye was watching the entire scene. She simply shook her head at Mu Linger. Even after finding out that Mute Granny had gone missing after falling off the cliff, Han Yunxi had never given up searching for her. She and Long Feiye had been wracking their brains to track her down and only given up recently.
When it came to Mute Granny’s death, she still felt remorseful and uneasy. But that didn’t mean Mu Linger could accuse her without any grounds!
“Hypocrite! I, Mu Linger, look down on people who bully innocent old women!” Mu Linger raged. She had once said that she’d definitely scorn Han Yunxi if she hurt a hair on Mute Granny’s head.
Han Yunxi lost it as well. She jumped off the carriage and said, “Mu Linger, you better give me some evidence and a clear explanation. Otherwise, don’t even think of leaving today!”
“Evidence?” Mu Linger gave a frosty laugh. “I must have had a hole in my brain not to suspect you from the start. You yourselves are the evidence, so why should I give you any more?”
“Stop flapping your mouth with useless words!” Han Yunxi shot back.
“What, you want me to spell it out?” Mu Linger sneered back. “Han Yunxi, only my Mu Clan, you and the Duke of Qin, and Qi gege knows of Mute Granny’s existence.”
“So then?” Han Yunxi asked.
“His Highness Duke of Qin had the skills to bring you and Mute Granny away from the Mu Clan and their entire team of guards. Do you think my Mu Clan would’ve had the skills to back Mute Granny into a corner until she jumped off the cliff?” Mu Linger demanded.
“It wasn’t His Highness Duke of Qin who escorted Mute Granny out, but his subordinates,” Han Yunxi said, before adding, “And I never blamed your Mu Clan.”
She might have suspected them, but Mu Linger’s defense for them had stopped that line of thinking. She hadn’t bothered the Mu Clan at all after that. Mu Yingdong left Mute Granny there for a reason, so he had full reason to chase after the old woman, but he’d never force her off a cliff. Moreover, when Mu Yingdong came to ask for Mu Linger, she had questioned him then too and grown convinced that he wasn’t the culprit.
“So, you’re sure my Mu Clan didn’t do it?”
“I’m sure. What exactly do you want to say?” Han Yunxi wasn’t that patient.
Mu Linger remained calm and asked, “Then let me ask you next, would Qi gege kidnap Mute Granny?”
Han Yunxi didn’t even have to think. “It’s impossible that it’d be him.”
Gu Qishao might have taken her to see Mute Granny, but she wouldn’t even know the old woman existed before he told her! Gu Qishao was searching for Mute Granny right now as well!
“Very good. Then let me ask you again. If we’re the only ones who know that Mute Granny exists, and Qi gege and my Mu Clan both aren’t suspects, wouldn’t that leave you and Long Feiye as the most suspicious party?” Mu Linger asked.
“That’s gangster logic!” Han Yunxi exclaimed.
Mu Linger didn’t understand the term, nor did she want to know; she had long lost her temper after Qi gege had laid out the situation to her and found his words sounded very logical. She trusted that the Mu Clan and Qi gege were both free from suspicion, but she couldn’t do the same for Han Yunxi and Long Feiye. The more she considered it, the more likely it seemed that the couple had squirreled away Mute Granny somewhere and lied to her about the old woman falling off a cliff. Most likely, they didn’t want the Mu Clan asking for their person back.
As for what Han Yunxi wanted Mute Granny for, it seemed to have something to do with her birth origins. Qi gege hadn’t been clear on that point, but she was too lazy to find out more. All she wanted was Mute Granny back and to expose Han Yunxi’s mask!
She raised her voice and demanded, “If it wasn’t you and Long Feiye who locked her up, then where did Mute Granny go? And who could’ve tried to kidnap her? Say something!”
“I want to know who tried to kidnap her too. I’ve been looking for a year but I haven’t found any clues!” Han Yunxi nearly blew her top. What was gangster logic? Someone who couldn’t see sense and resorted to sophistry to say illogical things. How could Mu Linger point fingers at her and Long Feiye just because she’d eliminated the Mu Clan and Gu Qishao? How were they supposed to have a proper talk when the girl was being so unreasonable?
It might’ve been better if Han Yunxi said nothing at all, because her words only made Mu Linger laugh until it turned into a sneer. “Han Yunxi, you said that it was the subordinates who escorted Mute Granny away. Then may I ask, are His Highness Duke of Qin’s men nothing but rice buckets? They might have lost Mute Granny, but they couldn’t find a trace of a clue? Who are you trying to fool?”
Han Yunxi gave a minute start. It had to be said that she’d been perplexed over the very same question. Actually, if she was on Mu Linger’s side, they might both find Mute Granny’s sudden kidnapping questionable. Back then, Gu Qishao had posed the same question after finding out that Mute Granny was gone. Chu Xifeng was the one who escorted the woman away. His martial arts skills were the best amongst Long Feiye’s subordinates, but he still managed to lose the old woman over a cliff. He should’ve at least find some clues from the kidnappers or at least prevented them from escaping. How could he have found absolutely nothing in over a year?
Leaving aside Mu Linger, even Han Yunxi herself found that impossible. Still, she didn’t even think to suspect Long Feiye. Even if she suspected everyone who knew about Mute Granny’s existence, she’d never doubt her husband, because they were on the ‘same side.’ Suspecting Long Feiye was the same as suspecting herself!
She had explained it away mentally that the bandits were too mysterious, perhaps parties who knew quite a bit about Mu Xin and by extension, Mute Granny. She and Long Feiye had discussed the issue multiple times, but the lack of hints meant they had to wait until the other side made a move. Of course, Han Yunxi had no desire to explain all this to Mu Linger. She’d said enough, and the girl wouldn’t believe her anyways.
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe me. Saying any more to you is useless, so get out of the way,” Han Yunxi said coldly.
“What, is your guilty conscience acting up? Don’t tell me you think those kidnappers were oh-so-mightier than thou. Using excuses like ‘their martial arts were too strong’ is too laughable!” Mu Linger’s words suddenly made Han Yunxi’s heart clench.
It wasn’t the first time she’d met someone so obstinate, but Mu Linger’s bold, assured attitude left her helpless to retort. Fine, she and Long Feiye did seem suspicious about all this, but she could do nothing beyond knowing in their heart that they were innocent. Han Yunxi gave Mu Linger one last penetrating stare before turning to head for her carriage.
But Mu Linger suddenly said sternly, “Hand over Mute Granny before you even think of leaving!” Then she actually struck forward with her sword!
Unfortunately, she didn’t get close to Han Yunxi before Xu Donglin appeared. He knocked her sword aside and sent her sprawling to the ground. Unresigned, Mu Linger immediately jumped to her feet. “Han Yunxi, you’re feeling guilty, aren’t you?!”
Han Yunxi ignored her and climbed back onto the carriage. Mu Linger stopped talking because she had enough trouble fending off Xu Donglin’s renewed assault. Her pharmacy skills were top-notch, but her martial arts were average at best. It was already a lucky thing for her to block three of Xu Donglin’s moves.
After getting on the carriage, Han Yunxi discovered that Long Feiye was still reading his book. She sat on one side and propped her head in her hand to think, not saying a word. But when she heard the sounds of combat growing louder outside the carriage, she told Long Feiye, “Let’s just go. We don’t want to offend the Mu Clan to death since they still control Medicine City.”
Han Yunxi knew that Long Feiye’s absolute lack of change in expression meant that he didn’t object. He simply disliked wasting words, that was all. Xu Donglin himself was enough to send Mu Linger to his death. Though Long Feiye harbored killing intent, Han Yunxi’s words were right. If they really killed Mu Linger, they’d end up facing the entire Mu Clan and Mu Yingdong would stop holding back his temper. Right now, they didn’t want to face off against an entire city, so they wouldn’t seek unnecessary trouble.
“Uncle Fu, why aren’t you moving yet?” Long Feiye said coldly.
“Yes, yes!” the carriage driver Uncle Fu started up the horses again. At the sight of this, Xu Donglin hastened to catch up, completely ignoring Mu Linger. She had long been knocked to the ground and sported an injury in her right leg that made it impossible for her to give chase. She got to her feet with difficulty and tossed aside her sword as she mentally cursed her stupidity between panting breaths. As soon as she received Qi gege’s message that Han Yunxi would come this way, she’d run over in a hurry to confront her. She hadn’t expected Long Feiye to be traveling with her.
How could she deal with Han Yunxi in these circumstances? It was simply seeking death!
After fuming for a while, Mu Linger docilely sat down and applied medicine to her leg wound. Then she retrieved her sword to use as a walking stick. She had no idea where Qi gege had gone off to, but he’d found her to drink tea a few days ago and analyzed Mute Granny’s disappearance with her. Then he’d vanished that very night before his flying pigeon dropped her a message this morning.
She couldn’t figure out what Qi gege was so busy with these days, but this time she was still very happy. He had only told her to sound out Han Yunxi about Mute Granny instead of asking her himself, which proved that Qi gege could see through Han Yunxi’s hypocritical ways. It wasn’t the like the past when the woman had led him by the nose.
Of course, Mu Linger herself had yet to realize who was really the one being led by the nose.
Meanwhile, only Gu Qishao himself knew what he was up to these days.
—
Currently in Pill Fiend Valley, Gu Qi Sha was watering his precious plants in the courtyard. The valley was so vast that he had an enormous quantity of rare plants, but the ordinary-looking ones in his personal courtyard were the rarest and more famous ones in the valley. It was usually the old steward who took care of them, but he took over the job himself when he was home.
“Master, there’s a married woman outside with her months-old baby. She’s caught some strange disease and wants to beg for the stem pith of the rice-paper plant,” the old steward said nervously.
Gu Qi Sha simply pretended he hadn’t heard as he watered his treasured plants.
The old steward hesitated before adding, “Master, that married woman really is quite pitiful. Her illness makes it impossible for her to care for the child, so her baby doesn’t even recognize her as its mother… Aye, it’s really a sad story. Why don’t…”
Gu Qi Sha simply ignored him, causing the old steward to sigh. He knew asking his master would be useless. There were so many people begging for medicine outside that he grew soft hearted once in a while, but all that was useless! The steward as about to leave when a little pageboy hastened over to signal him frantically. At once, the old steward knew what was going on. He quickly retraced his steps and reported, “Master, His Highness Duke of Qin’s group is here!”
His Excellency Pill Fiend had been waiting for His Highness Duke of Qin and esteemed wangfei for days…