Chapter 382 - 280: As If Watching an Idiot

Chapter 382: Chapter 280: As If Watching an Idiot

Zhu Shunxi was slightly taken aback and shook his head, "I find that strange too. Yang Shao is not very capable, but he’s quite clear on personal and professional matters. He seldom takes his wife along on business trips."

At this moment, Lin Yuerong finally calmed down a bit and said with a tinge of sobbing, "Fang He... she followed my cousin-in-law to Xinzhou this time because... she suspected he has a woman outside! She said that he came back smelling of unfamiliar perfume several times recently. Maybe he’s secretly keeping a mistress outside!

When he married Fang He, he swore in front of my older cousin that she would be the only woman in his life. Fang He was upset and insisted on going to Xinzhou with him. At the banquet the day before yesterday, she told me she would follow him."

Unexpectedly, unexpectedly..."

If that’s the case!

Chen Hu’s expression turned strange as he said, "If the target of the murderer was Yang Shao and his wife, then he definitely knew that Lin Family would be going to Xinzhou with Yang Shao."

As he spoke, his eyes inadvertently drifted to Zhu Shunxi and his wife’s faces.

Few people knew when Yang Shao would go to Xinzhou, and even fewer knew that Lin Family would be joining him!

Everything considered, this couple still seemed very suspicious!

Zhu Shunxi’s face turned pale, and he quickly said, "Though I knew my cousin would be going too, I really didn’t kill them! Besides, didn’t you say that Manager Jin from Huachun Garden also knew they were going to Xinzhou? This means that more people knew about this than we might think!

Moreover, moreover, as you said, if the target was the couple, your theory holds, but if the target was just Yang Shao, and my cousin was just unlucky to get involved?

Most importantly, I’ve already said I have an alibi. My wife was home all afternoon yesterday and didn’t go out. The household servants can testify!"

His argument was also convincing.

Chen Hu withdrew his gaze with some disappointment, contemplated for a while, and asked, "Besides you, do you know if Yang Shao or his family had any enemies?"

What do you mean, besides him!

Zhu Shunxi unconsciously took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his forehead, "As far as I know, many stewards at Guangming Hall can’t stand Yang Shao. After all, being the head steward appointed by Master Lin is quite an eye-catching position."

Chen Hu’s face fell at once.

In that case, wouldn’t they have to go back to Anping County to investigate all Guangming Hall’s stewards?

At this time, Xu Jing looked at Zhu Shunxi and asked, "Since Yang Shao is the head steward, doesn’t he usually travel with a few people? At least a coachman? When they traveled this time, did they have anyone with them?"

Zhu Shunxi was slightly taken aback and said, "Indeed, as far as I know, there’s a boy named Nan whom Yang Shao finds very useful. Every time he travels, he takes him along, and certainly a coachman. They should have been by their side when Yang Shao and his wife were killed, but why are they nowhere to be seen..."

"He didn’t take anyone this time."

On the side, Lin Yuerong suddenly bit her lip and said, "The night before yesterday, Fang He told me that my cousin-in-law said he wouldn’t take anyone with him this time. That made Fang He very uneasy, so she insisted on going.

Initially, my cousin-in-law didn’t want to take Fang He with him but couldn’t resist her persistent pleading..."

Xu Jing immediately looked at her, "Did Lin Family mention why Yang Shao brought no one this time?"

Lin Yuerong shook her head, "She... she said she didn’t know. She tried asking him, but he refused to say. Under her persistent questioning, he only said one line: ’You’ll know when the time comes...’"

Everyone was slightly stunned.

The situation was indescribably eerie.

Why did Yang Shao suddenly change his long-standing habits? If the murderer knew this in advance, it would be all the more intriguing...

Xu Jing pondered for a moment and said, "It’s very likely the murderer was the one who made Yang Shao do it.

The murderer clearly planned this act meticulously, so he surely knew Yang Shao would be traveling alone this time. If he had been accompanied by a servant and a coachman, making him alone to kill would have been much harder, and could have left more clues to his crime.

And the reason that even Yang Shao’s wife wasn’t told must be something unspeakable, most likely because the murderer forbade him to mention it."

Pausing for a moment, Xu Jing’s voice turned slightly deeper as she articulated, "Therefore, the murderer must be someone Yang Shao was very familiar with, and someone Yang Shao had a certain degree of trust in, which is why the murderer could make Yang Shao follow his instructions."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Shunxi couldn’t help but be delighted, "With that said, doesn’t that clear me of suspicion! Yang Shao and I have always been at odds, and it’s good enough if we weren’t fighting. How could he ever listen to me?"

Xu Jing merely glanced at him blandly without saying a word.

Chen Hu, hearing this, said, "So, the ones we need to investigate would be those in Anping County whom Yang Shao was very familiar with and trusted?"

The primary targets for investigation are, of course, the stewards at Guangming Hall.

Their search area had suddenly shrunk again, which was indeed a good thing.

However, Xu Jing’s lips curled slightly, and with a cool gaze, she said, "Who said the murderer necessarily has to be in Anping County?"

Chen Hu was taken aback and quickly looked at Xu Jing, "What does Miss Xu mean by this? If the murderer isn’t in Anping County but still intends to kill... could it be that he hired a hitman?!"

Deng Youwei, who had been silent, glanced at Xu Jing and suddenly said, "Does Miss Xu already have someone in mind that she suspects?"

The scenario of hiring a hitman indeed existed.

Nonetheless, under normal circumstances, they would prioritize considering the possibility of the murderer doing the deed themselves, and only after eliminating qualified suspects would they consider the possibility of hiring a killer.

However, they hadn’t even started investigating, and Miss Xu had already proposed such a hypothesis. It could only mean she already had someone in mind she suspected.

And that person wasn’t in Anping County at the moment!

Xu Jing did not have the time to elaborate with Deng Youwei and simply said, "Indeed, there’s someone I suspect. To confirm my suspicions, we just need to find the killer and ask them directly."

Everyone paused, staring at Xu Jing with bewilderment, particularly Zhu Shunxi and his wife, who looked as though they suddenly realized the person before them was an idiot.

Everyone knew that finding the killer would bring the truth to light.

The problem was they had to be able to find them!

Did Miss Xu believe that just by speaking a few words, the killer would obediently reveal themselves?

Xu Jing was aware of their thoughts but only smiled lightly and said, "Many times, the thoughts of killers are quite straightforward, and their psychology is similar to ours. For dismemberment cases like this, generally, there are six common traits."

Saying this, Xu Jing extended a finger and said calmly, "First, dismemberment is time-consuming and inevitably makes a mess. Therefore, these kinds of killers usually have a place they consider very secretive to commit their crime. This place is often closely linked to them—most likely their own home or a place only they know about. They would only dismember a body in a spot they feel is safe."