Chapter 161 An Eventful Period
After one hour, Su Li had examined the corpses of Ma Ling and other four persons.
“Lord Chen, Ma Ling and other four persons’ died of poison. As for what kind of poison it is, I may need to go back to the Affiliated School and have a test. Besides, it’s clear that the poison that killed them is different from that those drinkers died from. It is a more sophisticated mixture.”
“A kind of mixed poison different from that those drinkers died from?”
Chen Gong slightly raised his eyebrows. He finally heard a different point from what the medical examiner said.
“Yes.” Su Li took off her gloves and came to Chen Gong. She said specifically, “That day when I suppressed the toxicity in others’ bodies at the restaurant, I found that the toxicity was violent but not immediately deadly. However, the poison that killed Ma Ling and other four people was immediately deadly after one took it. So, there’s no time to rescue them.”
“That is to say… someone wants them to die immediately without leaving any evidence…”
Chen Gong’s eyes brightened. Why the poisoner wants Ma Ling and others die instantly, so they could not say a word. Ma Ling was not a small potato. He was the only son of the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. If it is not because people know that Chen Gong has his own rule that evidence talks, Ma Weiming would have come to the Ministry of Penalty and asked Chen Gong to punish the Su Family at once.
However, Chen Gong heard that Ma Weiming had already told the matter to the emperor. If he didn’t find out the truth quickly, Su Li would be in danger…
All people believed that the royal preceptor and the emperor were like father and son. However, only he knew that the relations.h.i.+p between them were not harmonious. The emperor deeply dreaded the royal preceptor actually.
Otherwise, Qi Xianqing could have stayed in Yunjing. He clearly knew that if he appeared in Yunjing, he would stimulate the emperor inevitably. However, why did he continue to send his apprentices to Yunjing?
This was the only point Chen Gong doubted.
“Lord Chen?”
Su Li called him. Chen Gong came to his sense and put a stop to all distracting thoughts. He said, “Since it is so, I’ll accompany you to go to the Affiliated School. But, if people behind the case is prepared, the Affiliated School will be…”
“Just rest a.s.sured, Lord Chen. The Affiliated School will not be in trouble. But my ident.i.ty now…”
Su Li glanced at her improper clothes helplessly.
Chen Gong smiled, which was not a usual thing. He took out a high-quality Appearance Disguising Pill and said, “For the time being, you are my a.s.sistant helping me solve the case.”
Su Li was surprised. The Appearance Disguising Pill that Chen Gong took out was of good grade. At least it could keep the one who use it from warriors under the inborn realm. This kind of elixir was valuable.
“Lord Chen, that’s not necessary.” Su Li said and operated the secret method and instantly she had changed herself into another person. She said, “My master taught me the secret method of the disguise skill. It comes in handy now.”
Then, it was Chen Gong’s turn to be in a daze.
Qi Xianqing must have taught her. It’s not easy to show others the secret method of the disguise skill. How could she trust him so much?
For a time, Chen Gong’s thoughts were more complicated.
…
Ling Li came back. Ling Mo saw that no one followed him and felt weird. Couldn’t Master enter the Ministry of Penalty?
“Master…”
Before Ling Mo asked, Ling Li waved his hand and interrupted Ling Mo. He changed his clothes and sat back in the wheelchair. He gently stroked his chin and asked weirdly, “Ling Mo, what do you think in the world can touch Chen Gong’s heart?”
Ling Mo stared blankly for a second. He couldn’t understand why Master suddenly asked him about this. But he still replied, “Probably not. Master, do you remember the case of Chen Gong’s uncle a few years ago? Chen Gong was so hardhearted that he tortured his uncle almost to death personally in order to make his uncle admit the guilt. After this incident, Chen Gong has been alone thoroughly. All relatives have been completely isolated from him. Even family affection cannot touch him. Is there anything else that can transcend family affection?”
“Right. So, it is too strange.”
Ling Li’s fingers gently stroked his lips. He said, “He even violated his principles to rescue Su Li from the dungeon. Why does Chen Gong regard Su Li specially?”
Then, Ling Mo and Ling Xian both looked shocked.
If Ling Li didn’t speak personally, they even would have thought that someone was joking.
A hint of sagacity flashed through Ling Xian’s eyes. She whispered, “Master, Chen Gong’s past is dim. No one knows what he has experienced in the past that makes him become such a person. Maybe he doesn’t want to mention it, but it cannot be justified that even the Tianya House cannot find a clue. It is very likely that Su Li and Chen Gong have unknowable relations.h.i.+p between them! Su Li seems to have a clean background. However, all kinds of signs show that her origin is not that simple. It is necessary to be careful when you make contact with her.”
Ling Li frowned. His eyes were lit. He whispered, “Ask the lurkers in the Ministry of Penalty to check all the cases related to Chen Gong. Since we cannot find anything in the Supreme Judiciary, we may find some clues in his site, the Ministry of Penalty.”
Ling Xian was so shocked that she said at once, “Master! It is not easy to train lurkers. Once they expose, it will alert the enemy. Just for Chen Gong, it is too…”
“Ling Xian!”
Ling Mo suddenly interrupted her with a cold voice.
Ling Xian’s look changed slightly. Her heart did a flip. She immediately raised her head and saw that Master’s was angry. She felt pained in her heart.
Unexpectedly, she didn’t notice that she had touched Master’s sore spot.
“Xian, how long have you followed me?”
Ling Li asked coolly. Ling Xian looked flurried. She lowered her head and said softly, “Master, since you adopted me at seven, it has been ten years till now.”
“A decade. Haven’t you learned the rules of staying with me?”
His tone was stricter. Ling Xian’s eyes brimmed with tears. She felt so wronged, “It’s my fault. I just worried about you, Master. I didn’t mean to… Please punish me.”
Ling Li looked indifferent. He closed his eyes and waved his hand. He said, “The punishment is as same as before. Get out.”
Ling Xian looked joyful. She immediately went out from the study. As long as her Master could forgive her, not to mention running a hundred laps, even a thousand or ten thousand, she was willing to do.
In addition to Ling Li, there was only Ling Mo in the room.
Ling Mo glanced at Ling Xian, who was running wildly on the martial arts field. He couldn’t help but be surprised. He turned his head and said, “Master, Ling Xian may have… on you.”
Ling Li looked slightly annoyed. Ling Mo immediately stopped speaking.
Closing the files, Ling Li looked tired. He said, “Why does she do this? The Ling House is an extremely dangerous place. Both my Second Brother and I know fairly well. We will not let any woman suffer here. Even if you…”
“Master!”
Ling Mo stood straight, and he looked as firm as a rock. He said, “I am the sword in your hands. As long as I live, the sword exists!”
The sword would not exist if I died!
He said in his heart. His life was given by his Master. If his Master died, he would die with him without any hesitation.
Seeing Ling Mo was like that, Ling Li was in a pickle. All of them were the same.
If they had been like Su Li who avoid him like avoiding the plague when she saw him, he could have worried less.
No!
That’s not good!
When he thought that Su Li smiled to everyone but cold-shouldered him, he couldn’t help but hate her in heart. Could he owe her in the previous life?
Even if he was a playboy, he was not ugly, and his family was super rich and powerful in Yunjing. How could she cold-shoulder him?
He just slightly kissed her by force of circ.u.mstance. How could she slap him severely?
Ling Mo saw that Master’s expression changed a lot. He consciously went out and closed the door. It’s not a good time to be with his Master in this state.
…
It was in the Affiliated School.
Without Su Li, the Affiliated School was not as lively as they imagined. Ma Ling was considered to be the top-level playboy in Yunjing. Now he suddenly died. Everyone felt insecure. Many playboys stayed at home and didn’t dare to go out.
Chen Gong pushed the door and walked in with Su Li. They saw a fat man sitting in the cla.s.sroom and staring blankly toward the rostrum.
Chen Gong did not expect that someone still dared to stay here. He could not help but be in a daze. When he saw that man’s face, he was much more surprised.
Tang Lei was the First Master of the Tang Family. He was known for his weak temper. As one of the three good-for-nothing masters in Yunjing, he was not that timid and weak as what others said, wasn’t he?
When Su Li saw him, she was in surprise.
Today’s Tang Lei was not as active as he was on the first day they met. Now he had dark circles around his eyes on his big round face. The whole person exuded lethargy which only old people had.
He would die soon!
After walking closer, Chen Gong also noticed that Tang Lei was in a bad condition. Chen Gong looked serious immediately.
Tang Lei heard the sound and looked at the door. When he saw Chen Gong here, he wasn’t joyful at all and he became panic immediately. He didn’t expect that he had waited here for three days, but Su Li didn’t come. The person coming here was the most terrible person in the whole Yunjing!
“Lord Chen, I’m Tang Tang Tang…” Tang Lei stammered for a long time but still didn’t say his name. He was so worried that he would almost cry. He said, “I… I will leave!”
Then, he was about to run from Chen Gong’s side. However, his back neck was clutched by Chen Gong. Chen Gong said harshly, “Stop! You can’t go anywhere today.”
“What?!”
Tang Lei was very fl.u.s.tered. He remembered Chen Gong’s grievous means that others said. He was so scared that his eyes brimmed with tears.
Chen Gong saw Tang Lei’s look and shook his head repeatedly. What others said were true. It was no wonder that Tang Lei was said to be useless.
Chen Gong changed his tone and gently said, “I won’t catch you. Tell me honestly. What are you doing here?”
Tang Lei was clutched by Chen Gong and could not escape. He could only tamely answer, “I come here to… to look for Lecturer Su. I want to ask her if she still have the elixirs she gave me before.”
What?
Tang Lei sighed and said weakly, “The elixirs that Lecturer Su gave made me have a hard time, but I felt more comfortable after a few days. However, shortly afterwards, I felt more uncomfortable. Especially, I slept a lot these days, but I still had dark circles around my eyes, as if I didn’t sleep at all. I was too afraid. I thought a lot and could only come here to find Lecturer Su.”
Chen Gong became serious. He turned his head and glanced at Su Li. Su Li’s look was more serious than him. She asked, “What unusual foods have you had recently? Or… where have you been?”
Tang Lei was extremely gentle. Although Su Li was dressed in jailer’ clothes, Tang Lei didn’t feel insulting when she asked him. Instead, he seriously thought about it and muttered, “I didn’t go anywhere. Brother Li is attracted to Lecture Su recently. He always said that he needs to read books at his home to develop his talent. I had no place to go, so, I just stayed at my home. But I seemed to eat much more than before…”
Su Li’s eyes brightened. She took hold of Tang Lei’s fat wrist. A green light, which only people with inborn hurdle could see, flowed into Tang Lei’s body along his tendons and vessels.
“Ouch!!”
Tang Lei immediately squatted down with hands covering his stomach and broke wind several times. He had no time to take Chen Gong into consideration. Then, he ran wildly to the latrine at once. Chen Gong frowned and shook his hands to disperse the stink. This stink was not like the usual… Instead, it was a putrefactive smell which a corpse emitted.
“Su Li, what happened to him? What did you ask him to eat before?”
Su Li did not conceal what happened to Tang Lei. She told Chen Gong about her discoveries the first time she met Tang Lei. Chen Gong listened to her and frowned. So, someone wanted to poison Tang Lei without a trace. Su Li’s means seemed to make him alert, and he speeded up killing Tang Lei.
“It’s really… an eventful period.”