Chapter 37: The Mystery Continues

Chapter 37: Chapter 37: The Mystery Continues

Once Zeng Anmin overcame all objections and insisted on coming to the tomb to open the coffin for an autopsy, Xu Yunfeng quieted down, not saying another word from beginning to end.

THUD.

As the laborer brought down the final shovel, a black coffin was strikingly exposed before everyone’s eyes.

The moment the coffin was dug out, someone gasped in horror, "The—the head nail is gone!"

At those words, everyone instinctively looked over. Where a long nail should have been driven into the head of the coffin, there was now only a tiny hole, barely visible to the naked eye! Instantly, all eyes turned toward Zeng Anmin in shock.

This single detail served as immense proof of the official’s deduction!

"Open the coffin." Zeng Anmin’s gaze casually swept over Xu Yunfeng. Though it was just a fleeting glance, he observed carefully.

Upon seeing the missing nail on the coffin, Xu Yunfeng’s face showed no sign of surprise! Logically, a normal person would display at least some level of astonishment at such a sight, yet Xu Yunfeng remained entirely indifferent. This detail alone indirectly revealed a multitude of clues!

Suppressing his speculations for the moment, Zeng Anmin looked calmly at the coffin and repeated, "Open the coffin!"

"Yes, sir!" Two Red-clothed Guards marched toward the coffin with solemn expressions, not hesitating in the slightest.

CRACK!

Without the head nail, the coffin was pried open easily. Instantly, a dead silence fell over the scene. Just as expected, the massive coffin was completely empty!

"This..."

After a brief moment of stunned silence, a wave of violent exclamations erupted.

"Lord Zeng judges cases with divine accuracy!"

"Heavens! To think it really is exactly as this lord deduced!"

"He actually solved such a bizarre case?!"

"This is wonderful, Young Master! Your name is cleared!"

"The most important thing is that the Master isn’t dead!"

"May the ancestors bless us!"

Some were horrified, some astounded, some bewildered, and some thrilled. Yet, everyone instinctively looked toward the young man in official robes standing in the center of the clearing, his face a picture of absolute calm. Their gazes were laced with a mix of awe and reverence.

Zeng Anmin seemed entirely unsurprised by this outcome. "Do not celebrate too early," he said calmly. "Although Shen Jun’s suspicion has now been washed away, the next thing we must do is..." He paused, his gaze shifting toward Xu Yunfeng, and his voice boomed like thunder. "Put all our efforts into hunting down Shen Liu!"

His words caused the Shen Family, who had been celebrating Shen Jun’s innocence, to freeze. In an instant, their excitement vanished. Though the Young Master had cleared his name, the Master had murdered his wife...

"Putting on such a grand show just to fake his death..." Zeng Anmin sneered, turning and walking straight out. "I’d like to see exactly what kind of tricks this Shen Liu is playing! Dachun! Wrap it up!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Left Clerk Zeng, please wait," Shen Jun’s voice suddenly rang out.

Zeng Anmin paused slightly. His expression remained unchanged as he turned back to look at Shen Jun. "If you intend to plead for your uncle, save your breath."

"I, Jun, thank Lord Zeng for returning my innocence." Shen Jun’s face was utterly solemn as he bowed deeply to Zeng Anmin, reaching his toes. Rising, he stated earnestly, "However, my uncle treated me like his own son. Having no other way to repay him, I am willing to accept his punishment in his stead."

As his words fell, everyone shuddered, looking at Shen Jun with highly complex expressions. He had finally proven his innocence with great difficulty, yet he was now rushing to enter the Observation Department’s Imperial Prison? This...

Ignoring those gazes completely, Shen Jun looked candidly at Zeng Anmin and continued, "Since Uncle sought to escape by faking his death, although I do not know the exact reason, he must surely have his difficulties..."

"Hmph!" Zeng Anmin suddenly let out a cold snort, interrupting him. He thought, "Kid, a heartwarming drama isn’t played like this." With a stern expression, he glared at Shen Jun. "The state has its laws, and a family has its rules. If everyone acted like you, wouldn’t the world fall into utter chaos?!"

Riding on his horse, Zeng Anmin’s gaze was tranquil. He looked at Xu Yunfeng, who was riding alongside him.

Now, the case of Shen Jun murdering his aunt had dramatically transformed into the case of Shen Liu murdering his wife and disappearing. The facts were right there before their eyes.

He had also gained several clues through this case. First, the reason the case of Shen Jun killing his aunt had remained open for three months was because Xu Yunfeng did not want to kill Shen Jun. If he had wanted to, he wouldn’t have gone a full three months without even visiting the Imperial Music Bureau to verify Shen Jun’s alibi with An Shiyi.

Therefore, there was a paradox. Today at the Shen Mansion, the purpose of Xu Yunfeng’s words was to guide Zeng Anmin into confirming Shen Jun’s guilt. He wanted to use Zeng Anmin’s hands to kill Shen Jun!

Thinking of this, Zeng Anmin narrowed his eyes slightly. He thought, "In other words, he wants Shen Jun dead, but he doesn’t want Shen Jun to die by his own hands... He has concerns... What kind of concerns?"

Without sufficient clues, even if Zeng Anmin were an Immortal, he couldn’t possibly divine the answer out of thin air. However, they only needed to put all their efforts into finding Shen Liu next, and all questions would be easily resolved. Furthermore, Zeng Anmin had a feeling that this case was inextricably linked to Prince Jiang’s Mansion.

CLOP CLOP CLOP.

As the horses slowly arrived at the Observation Department, Zeng Anmin dismounted, burdened with his thoughts, and walked into the Office of the Chief Clerk.

Prince Jiang’s Mansion.

King Jiang sat imposingly in his chair, staring gloomily at the news that had arrived from the capital. "The Profound Array Department claims they never forged this short knife," he said, his face dark. "Could it be that the Black Cat Martial Artist crafted it himself?"

Sitting opposite him, Mr. Qi looked weathered, his voice carrying a trace of gloom. "Ever since the Profound Array Master, Celestial Master Xu, began forging Spiritual Artifacts, your subordinate cannot think of anyone else outside the Profound Array Department capable of making a Spiritual Artifact containing an Array. It seems the path of tracking down that Black Cat Martial Artist through his weapon is a dead end."

Hearing this, King Jiang said expressionlessly, "The Profound Array Department has no reason to lie about this matter."

Mr. Qi wanted to say something more but was interrupted by a voice.

"Prince, a secret letter has arrived from the Observation Department."

"Bring it up," King Jiang said, looking toward the servant.

"Yes, Your Highness." The servant respectfully entered the hall and offered the letter with both hands.

King Jiang took it, tore it open, and read the contents.

"Idiots!" King Jiang slammed the secret letter fiercely onto the table with a loud SMACK! His expression was incredibly ugly as he hissed resentfully, "Unable to accomplish anything, yet more than capable of ruining everything!"

By now, Mr. Qi’s complexion had recovered. Although setting up the Array last time had drained much of his vitality, there was an abundance of Spiritual Medicine in Prince Jiang’s Mansion to help him replenish it.

"What happened?"

King Jiang handed the letter over. "See for yourself."

Taking the paper, Mr. Qi’s aged face appeared exceedingly grim under the flickering candlelight. "Prince, Xu Yunfeng’s good intentions have led to a terrible outcome. Now, Zeng Anmin must have certainly realized that something is wrong. If we do not want our grand scheme ruined, we must..." Reaching this point, a ruthless edge crept into Mr. Qi’s voice. "If we hesitate to cut him loose, we will be the ones to suffer."

King Jiang’s hand paused slightly. He then raised his head, his face expressionless, his gaze drifting toward the top of the desk. There lay a depiction of the Black Cat Martial Artist holding the short knife.

A sharp glint flashed through his eyes. "Very well. Make it clean."