Chapter 406: 402: Twisted Logic (Seeking Monthly Recommendation Tickets)_1

Yingbao sat in the corner of the room, surveying the prison cell.

There were no windows in the prison cell, the only source of light came from beyond the sturdy barred doors.

The exit was also on the other side of these bars, but she would have to break through both the cell door and the barred doors beyond.

This was not difficult. All she had to do was cut the bars with God Scythe, but this would inevitably expose her abilities.

Actually, Yingbao was not afraid of exposure, but that would put Hu Daban and the other musicians and dancers at risk, especially since Cao Can was stabbed to death.

While she was in her dilemma, a group of soldiers accompanied by a middle-aged scholar arrived at the women’s prison.

Yingbao instantly recognized the man as Chui Zhaochen, Xiao Mo’s trusted aide.

Chui Zhaochen, with a nod and a bow, asked the prison warden, “Where are those people from Wuchun Yard detained?”

“They’re all inside. Shall we proceed with the interrogation, sir?”

“Bring those dancers out, the master has some questions.”

“Yes sir! I’ll get them right now.”

The warden approached the women’s prison and opened one of the cell doors with a key, shouting, “Come out! All of you, come out!”

Xiaolian and the other dancers were all startled, but they still made their way out of the cell one by one.

The woman who was squeezed in the deepest part of the cell also followed behind them.

Chui Zhaochen surveyed the dancers, waved his hand, and the soldiers began to drive them out with their weapons.

Yingbao lowered her head, keeping close to Xiaolian.

They left the prison cell and walked a long way before they finally arrived at the County Government Hall.

Xiao Mo sat behind the case table in the center of the hall, clad in a cloak, his face gloomy as he gazed at the women.

He then pointed at Yingbao with his left hand, “The one with double-looped hair, step forward.”

Yingbao paused before slowly detaching herself from the crowd.

Xiao Mo scrutinized her with furrowed brows, asking, “Where did you go last night? Speak the truth! If you dare to lie, you’ll lose both your feet!”

Yingbao cursed inwardly, but on the surface, she put on a pitiful expression and whined, “I didn’t go anywhere. I was with my sisters the whole time.”

Xiao Mo stared at her coldly, “You were first seen in Gongfang, then alone in a guest room. How could you have been with your sisters the whole time?”

Yingbao hesitated but soon replied, “When nature calls, should I not be allowed to answer?”

Xiao Mo studied the girl in front of him, frowning. Her bold tone reminded him of someone.

“What’s your name?” He asked. “Who are your parents, and where are you from?”

Instead of allowing the girl to answer, he pointed at Xiaolian and commanded, “You answer!”

Xiaolian nervously stepped forward, bowed to Xiao Mo, and said, “Her name is Huanxi, and she was just brought into Wuchun Yard yesterday by Hu Daban. I don’t know anything more.”

Xiao Mo shifted his gaze back to Yingbao, “Speak, where are you from?”

Yingbao knew she was in trouble, but she had no choice but to say, “I’m from Simen Town on the outskirts of the city.”

“From which village in Simen Town? What are your parents’ names? For every lie, you’ll lose one finger,” Xiao Mo warned coldly.

Chui Zhaochen added, “Young lady, the government record of household registration is not just for show, we can trace back the history of your family up to three generations. I suggest you think carefully before responding.”

Sweat trickled down Yingbao’s forehead as realizing she was cornered, she quickly said, “My family fled from famine, we do not belong to any village. Lizheng has not yet updated our information.”

“Lying!” Xiao Mo slammed his hand on the table, turned his head to Chui Zhaochen, and ordered, “Clean her face, I want to see who she really is.”

Yingbao’s face turned serious, just to see Chui Zhaochen wave his hand, and two soldiers quickly grab Yingbao’s arms.

Then Chui Zhaochen took out a handkerchief and wiped clean the paint on Yingbao’s face.

Xiao Mo watched the face that had been wiped clean of all its color, increasingly irritated.

He waved his men to take the other women away, before leisurely walking over, letting out a cold laugh, “So it’s you, Jiang Yingbao, why are you disguised like this? Was the assassin last night your accomplice? It’s been a few years, but you’ve really known how to make an impression.”

Yingbao stopped pretending, forcefully shaking off the two guard’s hands, rubbing her sore wrist and saying: “What assassin? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play dumb,” Xiao Mo this time seriously scrutinized the young women, “I don’t care if you assassinated Cao Can out of vengeance, this matter ends here, but from now on you must follow us.”

“Why? Taking me as a hostage?” Yingbao glared at him: “I even saved your brother’s life, is this how the Xiao Family treats their saviors?”

Xiao Mo straightened his clothes with his left hand, without raising his eyes, “You are now a prisoner, you should be aware of a prisoner’s mindset.”

“Xiao Mo, you once swore an oath, to never harm me or my family in this lifetime, have you kept that promise?” Yingbao bravely accused him.

Xiao Mo: “I have not harmed you or your family, on the contrary, it’s you, who teamed up with the assassin to hurt me, how should this be accounted?”

Yingbao blinked her eyes: “I can swear to the heavens, I never teamed up with anyone to hurt you.”

One day, I’ll let this scoundrel know, there’s no accomplice, he was simply bested by my hand.

Hearing this, Xiao Mo’s face softened slightly, commanding the soldiers at his side to stand down.

He took his seat back at the desk, “Yingbao, you need not worry, as long as I, Xiao, am here, your family will not be harmed.”

Yingbao: “But Cao Can and his thousand men planned to massacre my village, and you were complicit in it, which is equivalent to harming my family.”

“Nonsense.” Xiao Mo’s face was gentle, not looking angry, “I only arrived yesterday, I had no knowledge of Cao Can’s actions.”

Yingbao looked around, moved a chair and sat down, “Then if you kill Cao Can’s personal guard and his two troop leaders, I’ll believe you weren’t involved.”

Xiao Mo lightly laughed: “Why should I make you believe me?”

The girl had grown up, but her habit of taking advantage of situations was unchanged.

Yingbao scratched her forehead: “Since you can’t make people believe you, how can you talk about integrity?”

Xiao Mo was left speechless.

Out of options, Xiao Mo took Yingbao back to the courtyard of the County Government Office, called two maids to look after her, he then went to another room for a doctor to check on him and apply medicine.

He ordered Chui Zhaochen to call Hu Daban and the others to bring forward, investigate them thoroughly, if there were others following Yingbao before she entered Wuchun Yard.

But the results of the investigation were that Yingbao was alone, no one else was with her.

This seems strange.

The residents of Cao Can’s place may not be his own, but not just anyone could casually enter, and the defence that night was tight. The exterior alone had hundreds of guards surrounded, how could anyone easily enter without alarming anyone and then escape?

The person in black was small in stature, and even had a long knife in his hand, these obvious clothing and props and yet nobody saw how he escaped.

Xiao Mo pondered for a moment, feeling that this matter was still related to Yingbao.

Could the assassin be that girl, Yingbao?

But how is that possible?

She was practically raised under his watch; yes, she took some martial arts classes with a martial artist in the village, but how could she have the skills of an assassin?

And not to mention the strength of the assassin’s arm which not many in Daqian could match, surely a young girl couldn’t possess that kind of strength.

Perhaps Zhou Wuchang dispatched a top-level expert in secret to protect Yingbao.

He wondered if the girl was able to sneak into the county town because of the assassin’s help.