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墨書 Inktalez
Mings, Shao Wen, and Xiao Ning were all affected by Guan Tianming's words, their expressions shifting noticeably.
Suddenly, Mings recalled something. He took out a piece of white paper from his pocket, on which was a profile made up of the features of three little figures. "If I remember correctly, is this person on the paper your mother?" he asked.
Guan Tianming lightly played a note on his instrument, his violet eyes fixated intently on Qin Xian, as if he had forgotten everything else in that moment.
Mings continued to gaze at him and said, "I don't understand why you left me a portrait of your mother. Is it to draw all suspicion towards yourself? Is everything connected to her death, or perhaps like Tian She, your mother also met her fate at Bu Dong Mountain Manor?"
Guan Tianming's expression shifted with the music, ignoring Mings entirely. Mings pressed on, "Actually, I have long suspected that Guan Ao was responsible for the deaths of the Western Herbal Merchant, Yan Ying, and Sun Miao. He alone had the motive and the strength to kill them. But the Black Wooden Box found near these three dead bodies and the wooden figure discovered inside have always puzzled me. It wasn't until this half face appeared that I started to piece things together. Did you kill them?"
Guan Tianming suddenly raised his eyes, his violet pupils flickering for an instant, making Mings feel somewhat uneasy.
Guan Tianming's gaze darted around before he firmly stated, "I killed them all. The three you mentioned—the merchant, Yan Ying, and Sun Miao."
"But how did you..." Mings began to ask when suddenly half of his body went numb, rendering him unable to move.
He looked back in surprise; Shao Wen and Xiao Ning also wore unnatural expressions, seemingly unable to move as well.
Guan Tianming said coldly, "Do you understand now? While my instrument cannot kill, its music can temporarily deprive a person of their autonomy—rendering their body beyond the control of their mind—of course, this only works when one is unguarded."
With a casual strum of two strings on his instrument, Mings and the others regained their senses.
Mings slightly turned his elbow and said, "But even so, you couldn't possibly kill someone like that."
Guan Tianming suddenly smiled, and Mings fixed his gaze on him intently.
"Of course, I have other methods," Guan Tianming said.
His gaze shifted slightly, revealing a hidden wall deep within the secret chamber.
Chained to the wall with iron chains and locks was a woman.
Mings looked at her and exclaimed, "Qing Die?"
"That's right, it's her," Guan Tianming's subordinate, Qin Xian, let out a sharp sound, like a piercing cry through the clouds.
In the blink of an eye, a bird with azure feathers flew out from an unknown dark corner, quietly landing in front of Guan Tianming. It bowed slightly, as if waiting for orders like a servant.
Mings noticed that the bird had a dark cover over its beak, its color cold and ominous.
Understanding dawned on Mings. "I see. You first used the sound of the zither to confuse the person's body, rendering them unable to move. Then you controlled the Azure Bird to fly out and used its sharp iron cover to sever their neck. One stillness, one movement—killing without a trace. As for the death of the Medicine Merchant, it seems you poisoned him using the Azure Bird."
Guan Tianming smiled faintly, his gaze fixed on the zither.
A faint sound of splattering blood drew Mings and the others' attention—Qing Die, who had just emerged from behind the hidden wall, now had her hands and feet stained with blood.
Qing Die's face was pale, on the brink of death, blood pooling rapidly on the ground.
"Captain, look!" Shao Wen exclaimed urgently.
Mings furrowed his brow and stared. "How many more people do you intend to harm before you stop? Qing Die has been your maidservant all along; how can you not spare her?"
Guan Tianming closed his eyes and murmured, "I am powerless now."
Mings drew his saber and stepped past Guan Tianming, rushing in front of Qing Die and slashing down with a single stroke.
With a loud clang, the blade shattered into two pieces. Mings looked closer and realized that Qing Die was shackled with Blacksteel; without the key, it would be impossible to unlock them anytime soon.
Mings tore off a sleeve to bandage Qing Die, only to see her body covered in numerous small wounds. The longer these wounds remained, the more blood would seep out. It seemed that Guan Tianming had inflicted such injuries on Qing Die for quite some time.
"Bring me the key!" Mings shouted, urgency in his gaze.
Guan Tianming remained with his eyes closed. "You should leave. This is not your concern. I am powerless, and so are you."
Xiao Ning pressed her sword against Guan Tianming's neck, coldly saying, "Enough with the nonsense. Hand over the key now."
Guan Tianming refused to surrender the key.
Xiao Ning tilted her sword slightly, the sharp edge pressing against Guan Tianming's throat; with just a bit more force, he would be beyond saving.
"This is what you brought upon yourself. You've harmed so many; consider this your retribution!" Xiao Ning shouted, ready to apply pressure when suddenly a dark shadow swept past her.
A thick fog suddenly enveloped the chamber. Mings shouted in alarm, raising his blade to protect himself and Qing Die. But when the smoke cleared, both Guan Tianming and Qing Die had vanished.
Mings rushed forward, staring blankly at the empty space where the ancient zither had been left behind in the chamber.
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