How could he be alright! Fu Yuansheng sneered, "Lin Shu, are you scared? You weren't there at the time but I personally witnessed the skeletal remains being fished from the well. Though I'm a scaredy cat, I wasn't really scared. But it's pretty rare for you to actually be so frightened. Aren't you normally quite bold?"
"What are you blabbering on about? I'm… not scared!" he firmly denied. "I'm just thinking, how did Guo He die? Didn't he leave the Academy… a year ago? He was fine then, so how did he reappear in the well?"
His voice got smaller and smaller as he spoke. He clenched his fists tightly, his palms full of sweat.
Fu Yuansheng was also confused. He rested his elbows on the table, supporting his chin. "I too find it strange. Say, do you think that the skeleton really belongs to Guo He? I don't think they're similar. After all it's only a portrait, who knows if she painted it on a whim."
"Portrait?"
"Right, apparently, it seems that a portrait of the deceased can be drawn from its remains. The result was a painting. Honestly, it actually does look similar to Guo He. But it doesn't matter whether it is him or not because the Teacher believes so. We can't do anything about it."
"Last night, when we competed in painting, her painting skills were below that of a three-year-old. How could she possibly paint a portrait?" Lin Shu doubted this. Who would believe that someone who could only draw disarrayed lines can paint portraits?
Faced with his questions, Fu Yuansheng leaned in. "Lin Shu, I'm not lying. It's true. She painted right in front of everyone. Although it does not completely resemble Guo He, the portrait conveyed his manner; though the painting wasn't fully accurate due to the speed it was drawn, the skill is obvious!"
Lin Shu thought, so did that person purposefully yield to him last night?
Damn it! However, he was not worried about Ji Yunshu's painting but rather the skeletal remains from the well. He grabbed onto Fu Yuansheng and asked, "Are you sure that the remains are Guo He's? Then, are there any clues to the murderer?"
"There's none at the moment!"
"Then, what else did the person named Ji say?"
"She didn't say anything, and had us leave first so that she could investigate. But in my view, the investigation probably will be for naught. It's still better to wait for the officials to come."
Lin Shu felt the stuffiness in his chest loosen with these words.
Fu Yuansheng felt his reaction was excessive, so he carefully asked, "Lin Shu, about Guo He's death… do you happen to know something about it?"
He suddenly rebuked, "What nonsense! Why would I know anything about it when we still don't even know if the remains does belong to Guo He?"
"Oh, you're right."
"Okay okay, you already told me everything you needed to tell me. Hurry and go, I want to rest a bit more."
An order to turn visitor's out!
Fu Yuansheng patted his clothes and raised himself. "Alright, you have a good rest too. I'll be off." When he turned around, he bumped into two imperial guards. Their faces were unfeeling; their hawkish eyebrows were like sharp swords, and their hair was in a ruthless bun. Unwelcome visitors!
"What are you…" Fu Yuansheng did not finish speaking when the two imperial guards walked past him after their shoulders collided with each other.
The oblivious Lin Shu glimpsed about and suddenly went alert. He retreated a few steps. "What are you trying to do" He was beyond flabbergasted. The imperial guards restrained both of his arms, without any regard for the consequences.
"What are you doing? Let go of me, Let go of me…" He struggled and shouted.
The iron-blooded imperial guards were ruthless. They slammed him onto the table with a loud bang. The teapot also shook along the table.
"What the heck you're doing? Release me!" His struggle fruitless!
While one imperial guard pulled up his sleeve on his left hand, another removed a dagger from his waist and ruthlessly sliced into his arm without hesitation.
"Ah!" A scream resounded.
When the fresh blood overflowed from the wound in his arm, an imperial guard collected the blood in a small bottle.
"Let me go! You are trying to kill me! I want to report you to the authorities!"
"Shut up!" An imperial guard warned, and there was an extra crease in his forehead. "It's just a cut; it won't kill you. What are you shouting about? If you shout again, I'll cut your neck next."
"Uh!" Lin Shu was no different from anyone when facing imminent death. The threat was effective enough to scare him into cooperating with them as he laid still on the table, unmoving.
Afterwards, Fu Yuansheng seemed to be scared dumb at the turn of events that he was rooted foolishly in place. He did not know what to do, and could only watch as everything unfolded in front of him.
Perhaps because the cut was too small and the blood was flowing out too slowly, the imperial guard sliced the same spot again.
"Ah!" Another scream resounded.
After the bottle was full, the two imperial guards released Lin Shu. They left behind a small bottle of medicine and departed with confidence. From start to end, it was simply cruel.
Lin Shu slid onto the floor and quickly applied pressure into his bleeding arm. Fortunately, this imperial guard was much more lenient, reducing the excessive blood loss.
Fu Yuansheng rushed in and helped him up. "Lin Shu, how are you?"
"What do you think?"
He already was injured by the whip when he got bitten by a snake, and now forced to let blood. His lips were pale and colorless. When he got up from the floor, he slammed his hand onto the table furiously.
Slam!
"This matter is not over yet." He seriously declared. "Let's go find Teacher."
"What are you finding Teacher for?
"To get justice."
Brother, aren't you acting like a primary school kid going to their teacher to complain! So, Fu Yuansheng supported him to find Teacher Yu.
At the same time, Teacher Yu was sitting cross-legged on a woven mat with one hand extended on a low table in his room. In front of him, Mo Ruo examined his pulse.
On the other side of the room, there was Tang Si who had been dragged over by Shi Ziran. She sat with her legs spread apart and glared at the doorway. Shi Ziran did not leave, but stood outside the courtyard. Shi Ziran didn't want to watch her from outside of the room, but he was afraid she might cause another mishap and would affect Ji Yunshu's progress in the case. His master would never let him off if that happened. Furthermore, he knew Tang Si wanted to murder him.
"Bastard." Tang Si ground her teeth and furiously cursed him. Then, both of her hands pinched the little skull on her waist, and she kept clicking her tongue. Her entire body radiated evil intent like a white-hot halo of flames. There was not a shred of a demure woman's temperament!
Ever since Shi Ziran dragged her in, Mo Ruo felt as though his head was going to split in half. He began to blame Jing Rong for this. What is he planning to do? Of all places, why did that brat have to deliver this girl here? He inwardly shook his head. He did not pay attention and let Tang Si sit there at the side.
