Chapter 229 - 227: Honey Trap (Second Update)

Chapter 229: Chapter 227: Honey Trap (Second Update)

Zhao Jing’an was troubled and said, "I have no problem taking Brother Six there, but Xi and Miss Xu might not be able to go. The Imperial College explicitly prohibits women from entering the dormitory area."

This rule seems reasonable, so Xu Jing resolutely said, "Then you just take Zhao Liulang. I’ll instruct you on some questions later, and you can find a way to ask Jiang Zhengdao if you meet him."

While Zhao Jing’an took Zhao Jingming to the dormitory, Xu Jing and Zhao Shaohua casually found a stone table in the courtyard of the Imperial College to sit down.

Sitting together, they attracted a lot of attention. Passing students couldn’t help but cast furtive glances at them, and some bolder ones approached with flushed faces to strike up a conversation.

Zhao Shaohua had always been annoyed by these flattering men, let alone these students who probably hadn’t even grown a full beard, yet dared to have designs on women. She was about to coldly dismiss them when Xu Jing raised her eyebrows and gave them a faint smile, saying, "Which class are you students from?"

The beauty’s smile was soul-stirring, causing the faces of the students who approached with a try-and-see attitude to turn even redder, and they couldn’t help but get excited.

"I... I’m from Class B, Section 5!"

"I’m from Class B, Section 2!"

"I... I... I’m from Class C, Section 6!"

A, B, C should correspond to Upper Residence Students, Inner Residence Students, and Outer Students, respectively.

Xu Jing gently smiled and said, "I came in today with my friend to visit her cousin, and the students in the Imperial College are all very spirited."

This gentle smile sent the three in front of her into another racing-heart frenzy, as if they were about to combust.

Zhao Shaohua: "..."

She couldn’t help having a mischievous thought. If Yanci saw this scene, she wondered what kind of expression he’d show.

Pfft, it’s amusing just to think about it.

"However, my friend is very worried about the recent incidents at the Imperial College, and consequently, I’m also becoming concerned," Xu Jing suddenly sighed softly, "I don’t know who’s been killing the students at the Imperial College, and when the Ministry of Justice will catch the real culprit."

A beauty sighing is a dangerous thing!

Those three students immediately became anxious and said in unison: "There’s no need to worry, Miss! What kind of person is your friend’s cousin? Among us students, there’s a rumor that the killer has some conscience, only targeting scums! As long as your friend’s cousin hasn’t done anything wrong, there’s nothing to be afraid of!"

"Yes, yes! Maybe the ones who died were all scums. Even the heavens seem to be helping the killer! The Ministry of Justice encountered some accidents while investigating here at the Imperial College.

The last time an official from the Ministry of Justice went to investigate a night-soil dumping site, he stumbled and almost fell into a cesspit filled with filth. The time before that, an official slipped in the kitchen because someone secretly spilled oil on the floor. The time before that, a flowerpot from the second floor suddenly fell, nearly hitting an official from the Ministry of Justice on the head."

"However, the official who slipped by the night-soil site later said that someone shot a stone at his leg, which caused him to fall. That time they even called many guards to search the surrounding area for a long while."

Xu Jing was slightly stunned.

So, these incidents weren’t accidents, but deliberate? Is someone obstructing the Ministry of Justice’s investigation?

Could it be the killer? But these sound like childish pranks, causing no real harm, perhaps only disturbing the Ministry of Justice’s people. It doesn’t quite align with that cautious and ruthless killer.

Xu Jing slightly lowered her gaze and said, "Were all the deceased really scums? I didn’t know that."

"You’re not from the Imperial College, Miss, of course, you wouldn’t know! The three deceased and even Jiang Zhengdao, who often played with them, were without a doubt scums who did all sorts of evil under the protection of their families’ power. However, before He Anming and Jiang Zhengdao entered the Imperial College, Zhang Zhengbo and Cai Yuanlang, although not exemplary students, at least didn’t do anything too outrageous."

One of the students said: "Ever since He Anming and Jiang Zhengdao joined two years ago, they’ve completely led them astray. Some things I am not at liberty to tell you Miss, but many people in the Imperial College loathe them from the bottom of their hearts."

Xu Jing’s eyes flashed, "Isn’t it possible to enroll in the Imperial College at the age of twelve? Why did they enroll so late?"

"Jiang Zhengdao only enrolled two years ago when his father was transferred to the Western Capital. Although He Anming’s family is based in the Western Capital, I heard he attended family schools before. When his family couldn’t manage him anymore, they shoved him into the Imperial College."

Xu Jing’s mouth twitched. Is the Imperial College a trash depot? She pondered for a moment, then asked, "Having committed so many bad deeds, people must do more than just dislike them, right? Could the killer not be one of their enemies?"

As she spoke, she put on a slightly fearful expression, making the three students boil with a sense of justice, eager to catch the killer on the spot to comfort the beauty.

"Certainly, many in the Imperial College have been bullied by them, saying they dislike them is putting it lightly. When those three died, people probably secretly cheered."

"But speaking of people who dislike all three of them simultaneously, I can’t really say. The only person I can think of is Mr. Song."

Xu Jing was taken aback.

"Ah, yes, yes, Mr. Song must have been driven crazy by those three. He punished them at least three times a month, constantly having talks with them. If it weren’t for their family protections, Mr. Song would have expelled them already!"

"That’s because the previous incidents of them coercing other students into secret meetings hadn’t come to light yet. If Mr. Song had known earlier, he’d have had ample grounds to send them home."

Zhao Shaohua didn’t expect to hear the name Mr. Song from them and couldn’t help frowning, exchanging a glance with Xu Jing.

At that moment, Xu Jing suddenly felt a sharp pain in her arm. She drew her arm back, inhaling, and instinctively looked down, just in time to see a stone the size of a pigeon egg fall to the ground.

The thing that just hit her arm was that stone!

Judging by the sensation of it almost hitting the bone, that stone must’ve been propelled by something, possibly a slingshot!

She stood up abruptly, looking in the direction from which the stone had come.

It was a corridor, but in front of it was filled with shrubs and trees, obscuring the view of what lay behind.

Zhao Shaohua realized what was happening when Xu Jing gasped and stood up as well, shouting, "Jade, go over and check the situation immediately! Jing, are you alright?"

She gestured with her eyes for Treasure Bead to usher the bewildered students aside and rolled up Xu Jing’s sleeve, revealing a red mark on Xu Jing’s left arm. Judging by the look, it would certainly swell up later.

With fire in her eyes, she gritted her teeth: "Which bastard is attacking people from behind!"

Xu Jing took out her carry-on ointment and had Zhao Shaohua apply it for her, speaking calmly: "It’s likely the same one who has been attacking the people from the Ministry of Justice."

Zhao Shaohua looked at her in disbelief.

Even they... have been attacked as well?!

Just then, the sound of footsteps came from not far away. Zhao Jingming and the others had returned, and their expressions didn’t look good.