Chapter 197 - 126: A Question of Character
Liu Qingsong choked, but before he could utter a word, he heard Liu Pinrang from the side say, "Inspector, how can you determine that the murderer wasn’t Jing Yuan?"
Xiao Song replied, "It has been investigated before. Jing Yuan was always reclusive and spent most of her time by the Temple Master’s side. The scene of the crime was at Guan Gong Temple, not Yue Lao Temple. Since it has been confirmed that the body wasn’t moved, why would they go there? The most likely scenario is that someone lured them there under false pretenses. After drawing them into the temple, the murder was then committed, so even if Nun Jing Yuan were the murderer, she would just be one of them."
Liu Pinrang nodded and said, "The Inspector’s analysis is reasonable. Could the murderer be Jing Hui?"
Xiao Song smiled noncommittally. He had suspected Jing Hui from the beginning, but unfortunately, due to lack of both witness testimony and physical evidence, and not even clarifying the motive for murder, there was no way to arrest her, especially now that Jing Yuan was the prime suspect.
Liu Pinrang sighed and said, "It seems we must quickly verify the identities of the several Buddhist nuns. I asked the Temple Master once, but she wasn’t very clear either. This background is indeed quite deep!"
In the rainy night, the fog was thick, adding a heavy sense of solemnity to the mountain atmosphere. Everyone fell silent, with only the crackling sound of torches burning, and occasionally, a Government Official would report finding some new objects.
Xiao Song, holding his umbrella, stood straight as a pine at the edge of the garden, quietly looking at the sprawling jade orchid flowerbed. Liu Pinrang and a few others, whether due to the cold or nervousness, occasionally rubbed their hands and stamped their feet.
There were hurried footsteps from behind. Liu Qingsong turned his head and instantly a smile blossomed on his face, joyfully saying, "Jiulang, look, so many lovely nuns."
Xiao Song remained unmoved, ignoring him utterly. It wasn’t until Wan Lu’s voice came through, "Lord Xiao, Inspector Liu, my mistress has sent me to deliver a letter," that Xiao Song turned around.
Xiao Song was intended to pass the letter to Liu Pinrang, but upon seeing Xiao Song’s compelling presence and remembering that he was the Inspector personally appointed by the Emperor, she handed the letter to him instead.