Every gaze converged on Fang Yuan. The young Elder let out a cold laugh. "It's true."
Gu Yue Fang Zheng closed his eyes, his heart heavy with grief.
Though he had slain many Electric Wolves on the battlefield, he had never taken a human life. The moment he heard Fang Yuan confess with his own lips, he suddenly felt that his own elder brother had become a stranger — remote and alien.
This distance was laced with fear of his brother's ruthless methods, and fury at having been dragged into the mess as an innocent bystander.
"Fang Yuan, don't you feel any remorse for slaughtering innocent people? Perhaps you had your reasons — you can explain them." Tie Ruonan said with deeply furrowed brows. Filled with a strong sense of justice, she despised people like Fang Yuan above all else.
Section One Hundred Seventy-Six: The Resolve to Sacrifice — "I killed them, and that's that. My story doesn't need to be told. But I genuinely didn't know that the missing Wang Er was a Demonic Path Gu Master, and I couldn't have predicted that Fang Zheng would be dragged into it," Fang Yuan said honestly.
"Brother, aren't you going to say anything to me?" Fang Zheng opened his eyes, their rims red.
"What do you want me to say? Comforting words, or an apology... Hmph, little brother, you're still too naive." Fang Yuan sneered.
"You bastard, brother... Don't think you're all that just because you've been promoted to Elder. Let me tell you — I already have the qualifications to attempt the Third Transformation..." Fang Zheng said through gritted teeth, his fists clenched so tight that veins stood out on his hands.
"Enough!" Gu Yue Bo could no longer watch in silence. He gave a low shout. "Fang Zheng, step down. What kind of behavior is this, shouting and screaming in a hall of governance?"
His words carried a hidden meaning, an undercurrent of displeasure. Tie Ruonan failed to pick up on it, but the Divine Detective Tie Xue Leng grasped it immediately. He stepped forward and clasped his hands in a salute. "Patriarch Guye, and all you Elders — my daughter barging into your council hall was indeed improper. I apologize for the offense she has caused!"
The Elders hurriedly rose to their feet, saying they would not dare accept such an apology.
Gu Yue Bo's expression softened as well.
But Tie Xue Leng continued. "However, this young friend Fang Yuan is still a suspect in the case involving Jia Jinsheng. I would ask that he remain in the stronghold and refrain from traveling to other strongholds as much as possible."
Gu Yue Bo rubbed his temples and let out a sigh. "Our Guye Clan is equally eager to give Lord Jia Fu a proper accounting. Since the Divine Detective has made this request, Elder Fang Yuan will have to bear a small inconvenience until the suspicion against you is cleared. I hope you can understand."
Gu Yue Bo looked at Fang Yuan, his expression sincere, yet his gaze deep and unfathomable.
Fang Yuan had indeed killed the Wang Laohan family, but they were merely mortals. What wrong had a Gu Master committed in killing mortals? Especially when that Gu Master was a clan Elder. There had been no punishment whatsoever.
"Yes." Fang Yuan glanced at Gu Yue Bo and replied, his face expressionless.
"Damn it, not again!" Tie Ruonan slammed her fist into a tree trunk, sending leaves fluttering down.
She was seething with indignation, gritting her teeth. "They clearly killed someone, yet everyone turns a blind eye, showing no response at all. Father, are mortals not people too? Why does everyone think it's perfectly natural for Gu Masters to kill mortals?"
Tie Xue Leng remained silent nearby, still as a sculpture.
The weather was overcast, gusts of wind sweeping through as the leaves of the mountain forest rustled.
Tie Ruonan suddenly bowed her head, her expression crestfallen. "I'm sorry, Father."
She apologized: "I didn't follow your instructions. I still used the Intuition Gu."
"Sigh..." The Divine Constable let out a long sigh, his deep gaze falling upon the young girl. "You child, so filled with hatred for evil, brimming with a sense of justice — just like me when I was young. As a father, that fills me with both pride and worry."
"What are you worried about?"
"Your ambitions are even greater than mine ever were. When I was young, my goal was to arrest every criminal under heaven and fill the Demon Suppression Tower to the brim. But you — you want to make all people equal, to treat Gu Masters and mortals alike, to have the law prevail across the world. Such ambitions and ideals are far too great, far too heavy." There was a weathered weariness in Tie Xue Leng's words.
"But Father, what meaning do laws, fairness, and justice have if they don't treat everyone equally? What kind of young person would someone be without ideals that might seem a bit arrogant? I believe anything can be accomplished through determination. As long as I work hard, there's no reason it can't be realized!" Tie Ruonan's voice was impassioned, her eyes brimming with the light of hope.
Tie Xue Leng fell silent. After a long pause, he finally spoke. "One day you'll understand, Ruonan. But that's fine — a young person should walk their own path. Setbacks will bring maturity. Your father is old now; I won't interfere anymore. I only hope you can live the life you want!"
As he spoke, he pulled a letter from his pocket and handed it to Tie Ruonan.
"This is ...?!" Tie Ruonan opened the letter and was overjoyed.
The letter was Jia Fu's reply, containing all the information regarding the Jia Jinsheng case — including Fang Yuan's past stone gambling, his possession of the Wine Worm, how the Bamboo Lord Gu had been used to interrogate Fang Yuan, and even the second trade journey: Fang Yuan's offers, the talent he had displayed during the transaction, and the fact that Jia Fu had tried to recruit him.
Tie Ruonan read the section about "Fang Yuan's offers" three times over, her eyes blazing with sharp light.
"This Fang Yuan is not only ruthless in his methods and cruel in nature, but also possesses cunning strategies and schemes. My intuition tells me he is highly suspicious. If he truly is the murderer, then he is genuinely terrifying. He lied without causing the Bamboo Lord Gu to change color — just what sort of skill does that take?" Tie Ruonan murmured to herself.