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墨書 Inktalez
Listening to Aunt Wang's murmurs, Qi Xiao suddenly recalled something.
A few days ago, his mother had made a steaming pot of lotus leaf cakes to sell on the street. There were many customers, all praising how delicious they were. When his mother noticed a beggar at the corner staring longingly at the cakes, she felt pity and decided to give him a few pieces. The beggar devoured them immediately, thanking her profusely.
Could it be that the old beggar who was poisoned was him? But so many people had eaten the cakes; how could only he have died? This didn’t make sense; the county official must have judged incorrectly!
How outrageous! What fault did the official have? The official only spoke of evidence when passing judgment.
Qi Xiao rushed to the yamen, shouting to see his mother. The county official dismissed him with a wave of his hand, wanting to drive him away. However, when he saw Qi Xiao conjure a strong wind that sent several yamen runners tumbling, the official's expression changed immediately.
Hearing Qi Xiao claim that he had wrongly sentenced an innocent person, the official felt even more embarrassed and slammed the gavel loudly.
"Hmph! If you don’t believe me, then let’s see for yourself."
With that, several yamen runners brought in witnesses and presented evidence. One piece was a half-eaten lotus leaf cake found in the old beggar’s possession. After examination by a doctor, it was confirmed that the cake was poisoned.
The official waved his hand for the witness to speak. The witness immediately prostrated on the ground, his eyes darting as he recounted what he had seen that day.
"That day, I was setting up my stall across the street. I clearly saw that Widow Zhou was selling her cakes well when suddenly she walked over with several pieces toward the old beggar. He ate them. Not long after, he started foaming at the mouth and fainted."
"I realized something was wrong and immediately went to find a doctor, but on my way, I ran into some yamen runners."
Thus unfolded a scene where the yamen runners actively tried to save the old beggar. They took him to see a doctor, but unfortunately, he could not be saved. Instead, they learned from the doctor that the old beggar had been poisoned.
In broad daylight, someone had actually poisoned someone on the street; this was truly a disregard for law and order.
Afterward, the yamen runners and stall owners brought this matter to court. Upon hearing about it, the county official was furious and ordered an arrest. Unfortunately, Widow Zhou refused to admit her guilt and wouldn’t sign any confession.
"Hmph! The evidence is here; what grievances do you still have? The matter of Widow Zhou committing murder is already settled. The official has shown leniency because of your youth; do not cause further trouble here and disturb court proceedings."
"Someone, get this kid out of here!"
"You’re lying! My mother wouldn’t harm anyone. She—"
Qi Xiao was frantic, thinking for a long time before finally coming up with an excuse. His mother had no grievances with that old beggar; there was no reason for her to kill him.
The county magistrate paused, then laughed. "How could there be no reason? This old beggar is of lowly status. Perhaps one day he stole money from your mother, or maybe he was infatuated with her beauty and harassed her multiple times. If this old beggar offended your mother one day, and she decided to take action against him, would that be so strange?"
"Yes! I saw this old beggar harassing Widow Zhou myself."
"Right, right! I've seen it several times!" Several constables chimed in.
The county magistrate stroked his beard, grinning with satisfaction. "See? What did I tell you?"
Qi Xiao was momentarily speechless, his mind growing more chaotic. Could it really be as they said? No, his mother wasn’t that kind of person, and she had never mentioned anything like that to him!
No, no! If she truly wanted to kill someone, why would she do it in front of everyone? You must be mistaken!
The magistrate's expression shifted slightly as he fell silent. One of the constables quickly interjected, "What kind of doubt is this? Maybe she wanted to use the crowd as a cover to escape suspicion."
"So many people weren't poisoned; only the old beggar was. Once he dies, no one will connect this incident to the lotus leaf cake. She deliberately presented the cake in front of everyone to mislead the judgment."
The magistrate nodded repeatedly. "Exactly! This woman is cunning; fortunately, I am wise enough not to be deceived by her."
He further noted that the old beggar had managed to resist his hunger long enough to leave a small piece behind. If it weren’t for that, unraveling this case would have been quite difficult.
With such brilliance from the magistrate, how could he be fooled by this wicked woman’s petty tricks?
Hearing his subordinate's flattery, the magistrate threw his head back and laughed heartily, clearly pleased.
Qi Xiao stood frozen in place, his mind in disarray.
Seeing his state, the magistrate felt a twinge of pity. "Tsk tsk, a widow and a fool; it truly pains my heart."
But who told them to offend the Wang family?
The case has been resolved clearly, so you should not linger here any longer. The official understands your concern for your mother, but this court is not a place where you can act as you please! The official's patience is limited; it would be best for you to leave quickly. As for that widow Zhou, considering her circumstances, let her be sentenced to execution after autumn.
These words struck like a thunderbolt, instantly dispelling the fog of confusion and awakening Qi Xiao to clarity. No! None of you can harm my mother!
The county magistrate was furious. How outrageous! I have tolerated you for long enough, you little brat, daring to take advantage of my kindness? He shot a glance at the guards, who rushed forward, but before they could get close, a strong wind blew them all to the ground. Not a single one of the ten or so guards could approach Qi Xiao.
Seeing this, the county magistrate immediately ducked under the table, trembling in fear. Qi Xiao casually grabbed one of the nearby guards and demanded, Where is my mother?
The guard trembled and extended his hand. I... I will take you there.
In the dark and gloomy prison cell, only a few dim oil lamps flickered on the walls. Upon seeing a bloodied woman in the cell, Qi Xiao's tears flowed as he rushed forward. Mother, are you alright?
The heavy door was chained shut with a loud clank as the guard quickly took out his keys. Little deity, please don’t rush; I’ll unlock it for you right away.
As soon as the door opened, he dashed inside and knelt before the woman, crying until his vision blurred. Mother, does it hurt? I’ll take you home.
The woman’s face was pale as she forced a smile. She reached out to touch his cheek and gently wiped away his tears. Xiao’er, dear, don’t cry.
The child nodded eagerly. Mother, I’m very good; I won’t cry. The celestial being said he wants to take me as his disciple.
Once I learn everything, we can live a good life together.
In truth, Qi Xiao didn’t quite understand what kind of good life being an immortal would bring; he only inferred from others' reactions that becoming an immortal seemed like a wonderful thing. Not only would he and his mother be respected by many people, but they would also receive abundant riches and treasures.
With those things, he thought they wouldn’t have to suffer from hunger or cold anymore or worry about their livelihood in the future.
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