Tang Dynasty Puppet Doctor

Chapter 34 Another Truth
The old woman paused, then lowered her voice and said solemnly, "Because your mother was once the number one secret guard beside Crown Prince Li Hong, and she was also a famous medical saint in the martial arts world. She also had a more important identity, she was once a disciple of Li Chunfeng.

It is said that Li Chunfeng's last prophecy predicted who would destroy the Wu family and replace the Li Tang dynasty, and this prophecy is known only to your mother.

"My mother?"

Murong Huan seemed to have a thought and asked, "You said that Zhou Xing and his son tortured and killed those girls and branded them with plum blossom marks in order to preserve the great Zhou's fortune? Why is that?"

"Because someone once asked your mother about Li Chunfeng's last prophecy. She didn't answer, but gave him a plum blossom petal. Then that person spread the word that the person who would influence the Great Zhou's destiny would be a woman with a plum blossom birthmark."

"To win credit for their deeds to the King of Wei, Zhou Xing and his son found many young girls with plum blossoms printed on their bodies. They preferred to kill the innocent rather than let them go. Finally, when they couldn't find any more, they simply printed plum blossoms on their bodies themselves for fun..."

After hearing this, Murong Huan finally lost his composure and stood up suddenly.

If that's the case, then the deaths of those girls are actually related to her mother?
So why did the mother give that plum petal? Was it intentional or unintentional?

Would you rather kill someone by mistake than let him go?
Just because of a false prophecy?

Murong Huan never believed in any prophecies. Her master also taught her about the Tuibei Tu. Her master once said that the future development of mankind will follow certain laws, and the world of great harmony described in the Tuibei Tu, where there is no city or government, no you or me, and everyone is one family, is also the natural law of historical development in the end.

The idea of ​​universal peace comes from the Confucian "Book of Rites: Li Yun" which says "The Way of the Great Dao". It is the truth realized by these ancient sages and philosophers.

Although the old woman couldn't see, she seemed to sense Murong Huan's shock. She suddenly shook Murong Huan's hand and said lovingly and earnestly, "Young man, may I ask you for a favor?"

"you say!"

"After I die, please take good care of Xiao Lian for me, okay? She has sacrificed so much for our Li family. I don't want her to spend the rest of her life in that kind of place."

"Although Xiao Lian is not my biological child, she is a child with a miserable life. She is still so young and should not have to endure so much."

Tears fell from the old woman's hollow eyes, and the tear accidentally fell on Murong Huan's hand, making her think of her mother.

"Okay, I promise you, I will definitely save Li Xiaolian's life, but you don't have to take the blame for all the sins of the real murderer!"

Murong Huan changed the subject and the old woman was suddenly startled. Although one could not see the expression in her eyes, one could feel the fear and horror in her heart.

"No, I'm the murderer! It's me!"

She shouted and ran out of the interrogation room and walked in front of Lu Ling.

"Zhou Jiulang and Zhou Xing were indeed killed by this old woman. These two men destroyed my family. I wish I could eat their flesh and drink their blood to pay them back. I beg Lord Lu to enforce the law impartially and convict this old woman!"

She said as she knelt down.

"But you were just a weak woman. Your strength was not enough to pull Zhou Xing up to the beam. Zhou Xing was strangled to death by being hung from the beam."

Just as Lu Ling finished speaking, he saw a thin figure flash before his eyes, and a palm wind came towards him fiercely. Lu Ling dodged sideways and heard a muffled sound in his ears. When he turned around to look, he saw a deep palm print on the wall.

Lu Shiyilang was horrified.

"You actually know martial arts?"

"Yes, I was once a member of the Inner Guards like Wuling Yue. I lurked in Zhou Jiulang's household as a servant, and have been waiting for this opportunity to bring these beastly father and son to justice!"

At this point, she sneered again, "Of course, under the current rule of a saint, it's difficult for cruel officials like Zhou Xing to be brought to justice according to the law. Then I can only be the King of Hell, taking their lives with my own hands to atone for the sins of my father, brother, and those innocent girls!"

Hearing the old woman's mournful laughter, Lu Ling and Lu Shiyilang looked at each other in doubt, and both of them turned their gazes to Murong Huan at the same time.

"What do you think?" Lu Shiyilang asked first, "Can you draw the murderer's sinful soul?"

"Could it be her?"

Before Murong Huan could answer, a constable came hurriedly with a report: "Lu Shaoqing, Shaohuayuan's famous prostitute Huo Xiaolian is here. She said she is also here to surrender!"

When the old woman heard Huo Xiaolian's name, she was horrified and screamed like a madman.

"Why is she here? Didn't they tell her to hide away and never come out again? Didn't they tell her to live a secluded life like in paradise?" "Why did she come back?"

"It was me, her aunt, who wronged her and ruined her life! I used her to get revenge, so why is she still here?"

As she spoke, she knelt down in front of Lu Ling, crying and begging, "Lu Shaoqing, can you please let me settle this case? My niece Xiao Lian is innocent. She is just one of the many girls killed by Zhou Xing and his son. She has suffered too much in this life. Don't let her take this blame!"

Lu Ling helped the old woman up and comforted her, "Don't worry, as long as the murderer is not Huo Xiaolian, she is of course innocent!"

The old woman stopped talking with tears in her eyes.

Lu Ling ordered one of the constables to guard the old woman and asked Murong Huan to go out with him to see Huo Xiaolian.

As soon as I arrived at the door, I saw that although it was a woman dressed in gorgeous clothes and with a bright appearance, she looked particularly desolate and haggard, with messy hair and even a little bloodstained.

"My humble servant Huo Xiaolian greets Lu Shaoqing!"

In front of Lu Ling, Huo Xiaolian did not show any fear or cowardice. Instead, she exuded the dignity and composure that only a girl from a wealthy family could have. She was neither humble nor arrogant, and quite elegant.

"It has nothing to do with my aunt. I was the one who killed Zhou Jiulang and Zhou Xing!" she said directly.

Lu Ling invited her to the interrogation room alone, in a room separate from the old woman.

"Then tell me, how did you kill Zhou Jiulang and Zhou Xing?"

Li Xiaolian took out a glass ball and placed it on the table in front of Lu Ling. She also took out some broken jade bracelets wrapped in silk and said seriously, "I once raised a kind of Gu, which is inside this glass ball. After eating all of its kind, this Gu becomes toxic enough to eat away at the heart and bones. I only need to let this Gu crawl over that person's body. Although it won't be enough to kill him immediately, within six hours, his liver will definitely rot and he will die."

"You must have had the coroner examine the bodies of Zhou Jiulang and Zhou Xing. You must know the exact cause of Zhou Jiulang's death."

"You can also go and take a look at Zhou Xing's corpse now. It must be in the same condition as Zhou Jiulang!"

Li Xiaolian had just finished speaking when the coroner Xin Wei rushed in. He first glanced at Li Xiaolian, then said to Lu Ling, "Lu Shaoqing, Zhou Xing's body is in the same condition as Zhou Jiulang's. Originally, there were only marks of strangulation on his neck and some burns on his body, but nothing else. But now that I've opened his body, I've discovered that his internal organs have all corroded away."

Lu Ling and Lu Shiyilang's expressions finally changed.

They suspected the blind old woman, Huo Xiaolian, and even several people who seemed to have nothing to do with the case. They didn't expect that the final murderer was Huo Xiaolian, who looked particularly innocent.

"After Zhou Jiulang's death, a case involving a body found in a well caught the attention of your Dali Temple. Lu Shaoqing then reported the case to the Saint. Yesterday, Su Silang and Xiao Zhongcheng came to Shaohuayuan to look for me. Putting all these things together, Zhou Xing suspected that I was the one who killed Zhou Jiulang and then exposed the murders of these girls by his father and son. That's why he wanted to kill me to silence me!"

"He was the one who asked me to go to his mansion. If I don't kill him, he will kill me!"

Li Xiaolian said, and showed the back of her bloody head to Lu Ling, "Look, this is what Zhou Xing did to me..."

Lu Shiyilang's eyes showed pity, and he cursed inwardly: "Zhou Xing, this beast!"

"I also know that Lu Shaoqing and Xun Langjun have some friendship with Prince Ze. In particular, Xun Langjun searched for a long time after Prince Ze was killed and his youngest daughter Li Xiaomei disappeared. In fact, Xiaomei and I are also acquaintances..."

"You know Xiaomei?" Lu Shiyilang couldn't help but ask, "When did you meet? And how did she end up in Zhou Jiulang's hands?"

"It was the day Xiaomei entered the Jiaofangsi. In fact, Xiaomei deliberately attracted Zhou Jiulang's attention that day, intending to assassinate him. Unfortunately, she failed and lost her life in vain."

After Li Xiaolian finished speaking, she took out a piece of paper from her sleeve and handed it to Lu Shiyilang.

When Lu Shiyilang saw the familiar font on it, his eyes blurred. He saw that it was indeed written: I swear to kill my enemy with my own hands. If I succeed, I will retire. If I fail, I will die. Don't worry!
Amidst the shock of Lu Ling and Lu Shiyilang, Li Xiaolian knelt down and said, "I know that the King of Wei will not let go of the deaths of Zhou Xing and his son. He will definitely drag someone from my Li Tang clan into the blame, or even fabricate a more serious crime. Xiaolian doesn't want to implicate others, so she's here to take the blame!"

"Please, Mr. Lu, spare my aunt. Although my aunt hates Zhou Xing and his son and even wanted to kill them, the one who actually killed them was me, Li Xiaolian!"

Murong Huan couldn't help but call out, "Li Xiaolian!"

Li Xiaolian looked at her and shook her head.

At this time, another messenger came to report: "Report to Lu Shaoqing, the King of Wei is here!"

(End of this chapter)