Chapter 17

Chapter 16: Changming Town 16

If Jiang Wan’er hadn’t recovered her memory, she wouldn’t have had a motive to kill.

Once she regained her memory, meaning she awakened her abilities, she wouldn’t have used poison or arrows to kill Elder Gong.

Shi Zong’s counterargument was truly brilliant.

Zuo Sanqiu couldn’t help but laugh and then heard him speaking for him as well. “I have no motive, and actually Zhang Ye has no motive either. I wouldn’t have instructed him to kill Elder Gong.

“Under the influence of the love curse, he indeed felt jealousy toward Elder Gong, so in a moment of impulse he struck his head. But he wouldn’t choose to finish the job.

“Ah Hua’s testimony can confirm that Zhang Ye didn’t lie. Several people came out from the mahjong parlor at that time and helped carry the unconscious Elder Gong back to Dongtian Fudi.

“In that situation, Zhang Ye wasn’t sure if anyone saw his face, so he wouldn’t immediately strike again. Otherwise, he could easily be identified as the killer.”

Second Young Master Li blinked a few times, silent for the moment, seemingly at a loss for words after Shi Zong’s rebuttal.

First Young Master Li spoke, puzzled: “If we’re talking motive, the three of us ‘former husbands’ have even less motive.

“Our motive was entirely directed at Jiang Wan’er. After the four rituals to eliminate resentment are completed, she would become an ordinary ghost. Our families gave us tools to exorcise ghosts—some are talismans that can disperse a ghost in an hour, some are gourds that can kill a ghost sealed for a day…

“As for Li Simei—”

“I also had the intention to kill Jiang Wan’er. I thought she had killed my two older brothers. But I didn’t know she was a ghost. I prepared poison.”

Li Simei, with twin ponytails, looking cute yet cold and arrogant, took over the explanation, glancing at Second Young Master Li.

“You found ‘Crane’s Crown Red’ in my room, right? I had some on me too.”

She took out a celadon bottle herself and said, “This is the poison I prepared for Jiang Wan’er. It wasn’t until the investigation stage that I realized she was a ghost and couldn’t be poisoned to death.”

Hearing her words, everyone instinctively exchanged a glance.

After a moment, Second Young Master Li spoke again: “This case seems very strange to me. If the deceased were Jiang Wan’er, each of us had a motive and had prepared different methods. This would have been the true ‘Three Strikes and Two Poisons’ scenario.

“But now, the deceased is Elder Gong? We really have no motive.”

Zuo Sanqiu immediately objected.

He had been targeted by Second Young Master Li all along, while Shi Zong was speaking for him. Naturally, he fully sided with Shi Zong and directly challenged Second Young Master Li:

“How can you say you have no motive? First Young Master Li and Second Young Master Li may have no motive since they died early, but you? The love curse lasts seven days. You were buried on the seventh day, but what if you ingested the curse before dying? It’s possible the curse’s influence hadn’t fully worn off. Knowing that Jiang Wan’er might elope with Elder Gong, killing him would be within your motive.”

“Where’s the time to coordinate so precisely? That’s just sophistry,” Second Young Master Li said.

“I didn’t ingest the love curse after marrying Jiang Wan’er. How could I possibly have consumed it before death?”

Zuo Sanqiu was silenced, his face red with anger.

Shi Zong spoke again: “Don’t let the ‘love curse’ mislead you. Remember the sufficient and necessary conditions in high school math? Being under a love curse guarantees you fall for me, but conversely, someone who loves me isn’t necessarily because of the curse.

“Before the curse was placed, someone among you may have already liked me—that’s entirely possible.

“Or, even if memory is restored and the love curse no longer influences him, this man might grow to love me through our time together, and thus kill Elder Gong for me. Therefore, the three of you aren’t completely without motive.”

After a brief pause, Shi Zong continued: “Additionally, I want to clarify why I’m not the killer.

“Even if I regain all my memory, I wouldn’t kill Elder Gong—at least, not as a priority.

“Ten years ago, those who humiliated, harmed, and ruined me were you four men. I hate you most, then the three major families, and lastly, all the townspeople who agreed to my execution.

“Does this include Elder Gong? No. I have no grudge against him. He was a high-level expert hired by the three families from the Outer World, essentially just a tool.

“There are countless experts in the world; if he died, the wealthy, powerful families would just hire another to eliminate me. Killing such a tool is meaningless.

“So my priority in revenge is to kill you four men and the heads of the three major families, far above killing Elder Gong.

“Besides, as you can see, his death would mark me as awakened. The three families would bring in even stronger people to oppose me. Killing him only brings disadvantage, no benefit.

“Moreover, Elder Gong is under the influence of my love curse, obeying my commands. If I ordered him to commit suicide, he wouldn’t resist. Why would I personally kill him?

“I’ll reiterate: I fled the marriage last night not because I was ‘awakened,’ but because I discovered the love curse and suspected Zhang Gongzi didn’t truly love me. To escape safely, I placed a love curse on Elder Gong.

“In this situation, if I regained memory, I could use Elder Gong to secretly kill the three major families and execute my revenge perfectly.

“In short, I had absolutely no reason to kill him.”

Shi Zong’s tone was light, yet there was something in it that made it undeniably persuasive.

He proposed: “Let’s do this. I suggest everyone take a minute or two to explain why they didn’t kill Elder Gong, then proceed with further discussion.”

Everyone fell silent, seemingly reflecting on their stories or considering their explanations.

Then Li Simei spoke first: “I had no motive to kill Elder Gong. I only wanted to kill Jiang Wan’er.

“Crane’s Crown Red was with me at the wedding, intended for poisoning her during the ceremony, like in a toast. Who knew she would flee?

“Besides, according to Ah Hua, the killer could only act between 3:20 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. I left the Zhang residence at 6 a.m. with witnesses. In just half an hour, I couldn’t reach Dongtian Fudi, let alone commit murder.”

First Young Master Li spoke second: “I also had no motive. After marriage, I immediately turned against Jiang Wan’er. Just seeing her made me both afraid and disgusted. I assume she remembers these details?

“I couldn’t have truly loved her. I was only kind before marriage because of the love curse.”

Unexpectedly, Shi Zong spoke on his behalf:

“You can be ruled out. In my story, your change of heart is very obvious. Second Young Master Li and Wang Zhi’en only became slightly cold, far less pronounced than you.

“So… I suspect one of them truly loves me. Excluding myself, Zhang Ye, First Young Master Li, and Li Simei, for me it’s a choice between two.

“The real culprit is either Second Young Master Li or Wang Zhi’en.”

Wang Zhi’en, usually silent, finally couldn’t hold back: “What nonsense? I’m not the killer! After marriage, regaining memory made me afraid of you! It’s just that while the love curse hadn’t completely worn off, my feelings for you were conflicted.

“Once the curse faded, I avoided you completely! Then I staged a fake death with the Wang family. I died so quickly because I had no attachment to you!”

Second Young Master Li added: “Honestly, Jiang Wan’er’s argument is a bit forced. True, she’s beautiful; if she were human, I might have loved her. But she’s a ghost—how could I love her?

“Regardless of who destroyed the Ye family, at least my parents told me it was Jiang Wan’er who killed the entire Ye family. Who could really love her then?

“All of us created an idol drama for Jiang Wan’er where every man loved her. But in reality, none of us were that love-crazed.

“Besides, after all this investigation, who has found any motive for the three of us men?”

Those who humiliated Jiang Wan’er and caused her death now scolded her as a terrifying, disgusting ghost.

Zuo Sanqiu was angered but had to admit that Second Young Master Li spoke sensibly. They really didn’t seem to be the killers.

So, who was the real killer?

Why did everyone seem so innocent?

The stories of the other three male characters were all so similar. Where did the differences lie?

With that, everyone finished speaking.

Discussion fell silent as everyone pondered.

After a while, Second Young Master Li spoke again, looking at Zuo Sanqiu: “By the way, I just remembered something. Zhang Ye, do you know about the Zhang family wedding hall fire?”

“The Zhang family wedding hall? The place where Jiang

“I’ll choose between you and First Young Master Li…

“In fact, you’re still the more suspicious one.”

The afternoon sunlight wasn’t intense.

Shi Zong slightly raised his head in the light and shadow, thoughtfully studying Second Young Master Li—

Anyone with a bit of sense should know that Jiang Wan’er truly had no motive to kill.

This person has been targeting me from the start. Could he really be Chen Li’s accomplice?

Shi Zong’s heart was calm, yet wearing Jiang Wan’er’s face, he deliberately wore an expression of mild impatience.

Seeing this, everyone else couldn’t help but think: he explained so much, and Second Young Master Li still suspects him—it was understandably annoying.

“Let me say it one last time, I have absolutely no reason to kill a tool already under my love curse.”

His tone was very irritated.

After saying this, he immediately stood up. “But whatever, think what you want. I don’t want to waste any more time.

“If the real killer isn’t found, at most I just won’t get the point reward. But if discussion drags on, I’ll be torn apart by the expert the three major families sent. So…”

He walked straight to the red button and pressed it with a “click.”

Turning back, he lazily looked at Second Young Master Li and said, “Choose the lesser of two evils. Want to vote for me? Hurry up, don’t dawdle. Everyone press the button, voting time has started.”

Author’s note:

Everything will be explained soon~

If you’re interested, you can try deducing it yourself~

If not, just wait for someone to reveal it later~

Also, I revised the synopsis.

Clarified the worldview and main quest.

Also highlighted the CP lines.

The one-line summary is now: “Goodnight, Moon.”

Added a little scene:

At that moment, all light vanished.

That person slowly walked from the void, and in a brief instant, it seemed like he had walked through countless cycles.

He looked at him and gently smiled, then closed his eyes.

“Goodnight, my moon.”