Chapter 112: Flower Thief (XII)

“I have an inkling, but since it is has not been verified, it is best not to say it.” Qiguan Rang lowered his gaze and turned to face Jiang Pengji. “Lanting decided to visit because you heard about what happened from that person. In that case, do you have any other clues?”

“There is not.” Jiang Pengji shook her head.

If it wasn’t for the fact that she could not get a definite number of people involved, she would not have needed to head over to the Wei residence in the middle of the night.

The scoundrels were meticulous in their planning. The culprits had practically no relation to each other.

“If you trust me, please hand that person over to me. I will ensure that he even tells us his ancestors’ names.” While Jiang Pengji spoke, she had a calm smile that made one feel chills down their spine. Qiguan Rang averted his gaze.

No matter how angry Wei Yuan was, the situation had been settled. Rumors could even fly due to that.

Wei Yuan may have been a Wei and been related to Wei Jingxian, but he was not as illustrious as her. He was only slightly better off than a poor and humble family.

If it were a simple rapist, Wei Yuan could kill him off quietly. But the culprit may have been a part of something far more sinister and he could do nothing about it.

“I’ll leave it to you.”

Interrogation by torture was something that Jiang Pengji was very familiar with; some of her viewers even had the “luck” to bear witness to her methods. She had no intention of letting others see her methods, as it may ruin Liu Xi’s reputation.

“I will take my leave now. If I get anything useful, I will report to you.”

Once she had finished saying that, she dragged the fallen man away, leaving Feng Jin with the other two men.

Qiguan Rang watched her leave as suspicion flashed across his eyes. The feather fan in his hand tapped a rhythm on his knee.

“Liu Langjun’s style is strange. He’s very different from how master Wei had described.”

Feng Jin’s mind was wandering, but when he heard Qiguan Rang, he quickly regained himself and faced the other man.

“Lanting may be out of the ordinary but I would not call him strange. He’s still a child, and at the age where his temperament is still unstable. He had met a misfortune and was traumatized. It would not be surprising that his temperament changed.”

Feng Jin gently cooked up some excuse for Jiang Pengji which caused the other to side eye him.

“Misfortune?”

Wei Yuan finally remembered that, due to his family situation, he had not gone to the Liu residence to tutor his student. He had not known about what had happened and was surprised that his usually quiet and reserved student felt like a stranger now.

The Liu Xi from the past was fearful, but, at the same time, respectful towards him. The Liu Xi now was still respectful, but it felt like an act.

“Sir, you’re not aware? A few days ago, Lanting and a few noble girls were kidnapped by some bandits. If not for Lanting’s quick wit, they would not have made it out alive. It’s because of that incident that Lanting behaves like this now.”

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Feng Jin did not know how Lanting was in the past and he would not pry. The Lanting he knew was the reckless and sly Jiang Pengji.

“I did not hear of this.” Wei Yuan’s expression turned kinder and he wore a guilty expression.

A teacher for a day was like a father for life. The words were not just for the students, but for any mentors, as well.

Even if a student was dimwitted and slow, they were still taught and raised by him. He would have forged a bond with them and yet, due to his family situation, he had neglected Lanting’s well-being.

Elsewhere, Jiang Pengji had successfully broken down the culprit. Her viewers reacted better, as they had prepared themselves for what was to come.

Another reason for their reaction was that her actions of “an eye for an eye” resonated with them, as they felt that the man deserved what he got for raping all those poor women.

In that era, a woman raped meant that she was ruined for the rest of her life. There was no need to be sorry for such a scoundrel.

Even though Jiang Pengji’s viewers would not try to suppress her, they could barely stand her actions. She was explaining her methods while she acted them out. It was way scarier than a horror movie.

Her viewers were terrified, yet they could not bear to leave the channel. They decided to spam the comments in an effort to cover the screen.

Wuliang Tianzun: “High definition ahead! Comment barrage to cover the screen! May the great powers of the heavens resist this!!!”

Nao: “Wealth, democracy, civilization, harmony, freedom, equality, justice, the rule of law, patriotism, dedication, integrity, and friendliness.”

Many viewers spammed whatever they could just to cover the screen and Jiang Pengji was forced to close the comments for the time being.

“What’s your name?”

“Lin Zhuangzi.”

As there was a new clue, Jiang Pengji chose another line of questioning. “Do you know where your other cronies are?”

While she asked, she searched through the man’s clothes and found a small bag containing a roll of bamboo scroll. The contents listed were similar to the ones from before––girls from the nearby Meng County. The only difference was the names.

When she reached the last bit, she saw some writing about the Wei residence. The man was not only after the Wei concubine in the rear wing, but also Wei Yuan’s two darling daughters. When she sifted through Liu Xi’s memories for who the daughters were, her expression turned sour and she glared at the man.

She teared off the bamboo slat containing the information about the Wei’s and exerted some force to shatter it.

She dropped the shards to the floor before kicking some soil from the ground to bury them.

As Jiang Pengji continued with her interrogation, the other man’s mental state started to waver and he was frothing at the mouth. His complexion turned pale and his breathing alternated between quick and slow.

Jiang Pengji was aware that normal humans from that era could not survive such an interrogation; their physical and mental health could not bear the strain. Even in her own era, where mental health and recovery was very advanced, they were not able to heal the mind fully.

She did not have much time left to grill the man, so she picked a few important questions to ask.

“Who is the mastermind behind all this? And why have all of you come to Hejian County?”