"You're talking nonsense! This is simply impossible! My father is not such a heartless man!" Pan Xintian grew increasingly agitated, and the dagger in his hand edged closer to Dan Xueyao's neck.
Regardless of what Pan Xintian said, Wei Shuxuan stared at him, her words becoming even more unforgiving. "Your father has raised you for so many years. Can't you even tell your uncle from your father? Or is it that in your eyes, there's only your father's property?"
"I didn't! Don't spout nonsense here!" Pan Xintian's gaze towards Wei Shuxuan turned increasingly venomous, as if he wanted to devour her alive.
"Whether I'm spouting nonsense or not, you know very well. You should know that your father is left - handed, right? Then did you notice that the 'Pan Anping' who died in the first case was actually right - handed?"
The expression on Pan Xintian's face began to waver. Wei Shuxuan knew that his mental defenses were starting to crumble bit by bit. This was the time to press on until he completely broke down.
"Our coroner examined the body from yesterday repeatedly and in detail. He was indeed left - handed, and the person you poisoned and killed yesterday morning was your father, Pan Anping!" Wei Shuxuan deliberately emphasized that the person Pan Xintian had killed was Pan Anping, his own father.
"You claim to be avenging your father, but in fact, you're the real murderer who killed your father! A patricide criminal!"
"No, no no no no... Ah!" Pan Xintian was truly driven to the brink of collapse by Wei Shuxuan's words. The clarity in his eyes gradually faded, and he lost all reason. "You liar! I'll kill you!"
With that, Pan Xintian was about to raise the dagger and stab at Wei Shuxuan. Wei Shuxuan had been waiting for this moment. She had long hidden a pebble in her sleeve and threw it at Pan Xintian. The force wasn't enough to knock the dagger out of his hand, but it was enough for her to free Dan Xueyao from Pan Xintian's grasp.
"Miss Dan, go first! Don't worry about me! Hurry!" Wei Shuxuan grabbed Dan Xueyao's hand but immediately pushed her towards the door of the thatched cottage.
"But!" Dan Xueyao hesitated slightly.
Then she heard Wei Shuxuan's voice again. "You don't know martial arts. You'll only hold me back. So, go quickly! I want to deal with him without any distractions! Do you understand?"
"... I know! I'll go out now and find someone to help you!" Dan Xueyao knew how to prioritize. After hearing Wei Shuxuan's words, she ran towards the door.
"Don't go! None of you can leave!" Seeing Dan Xueyao about to run, Pan Xintian wanted to stop her quickly but was blocked by Wei Shuxuan.
"If you want to catch her, you have to get past me first!"
Pan Xintian gritted his teeth and stabbed at Wei Shuxuan wildly with the dagger. She was glad that she was nimble - footed and easily dodged. Using the grappling techniques she had learned in her past life, she knocked the dagger out of Pan Xintian's hand, pinned his hand behind his back, and forced him to kneel down.
"Wei Wei!"
A gust of wind blew, and a man knelt in front of Wei Shuxuan. "Bring a rope to tie him up."
"Yes!"
Wei Wei tied the rope in a special way, but it seemed quite secure to Wei Shuxuan. Looking at the bound Pan Xintian, she held one end of the rope and planned to take him back to the Pan Mansion to report to the Prime Minister.
Not long after she walked out of the thatched cottage, Xin Zizhao appeared, with Dan Xueyao following behind. Xin Zizhao looked at Wei Shuxuan in surprise. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Why did you come with Miss Dan?" Wei Shuxuan looked at him and Dan Xueyao blankly.
"Brother Wei Luo, I'm so glad you're okay. I met Young Master Xin on the way, so I asked him to come and save you. I was afraid it would be too late."
As Dan Xueyao spoke, her eyes turned red. She looked so pitiful, but unfortunately, neither of the two people present appreciated it.
"I'm okay. We can take Pan Xintian back to the Pan Mansion to give an account to the Prime Minister."
Back at the Pan Mansion, Dan Linghai was grateful that Wei Shuxuan had brought back his precious daughter. The details of the two murder cases in the Pan Mansion were also revealed. The murderer of the first case, Pan Anping, was already dead, so no further investigation would be conducted. However, Jin Yan'er, as an accomplice, had to be imprisoned.
As for the murderer of the second case, Pan Xintian, who was suspected of poisoning his father and harming the family member of a court official, but since he didn't know that the person he killed was his father in advance, his death penalty was commuted to life imprisonment.
The case of the Pan Mansion came to an end like this.
Dan Linghai sent people to investigate Xin Zizhao's personal information, and soon got accurate results.
After the trial of the Pan Mansion case, Dan Linghai respectfully bowed to Xin Zizhao. "Your subject failed to notice and didn't recognize the identity of the Fifth Prince. Please punish your subject, Fifth Prince."
Wei Shuxuan on the side opened her mouth in surprise. What? Xin Zizhao was the Fifth Prince? Wasn't that position even higher than that of the Prime Minister?
Although she had long known that Xin Zizhao's identity was extraordinary, she never expected that he was actually a prince!
In response to Dan Linghai's words, Xin Zizhao simply replied, "It doesn't matter. Anyway, I'm not a prince yet. I'm just an ordinary person."
"Fifth Prince, you can't say that. After you return to the palace and officially have your coming - of - age ceremony, you'll be the noble Fifth Prince."
Regarding the title of prince, Xin Zizhao said that he wasn't really interested. If it weren't for the imperial edict, he didn't really want to go back, because he didn't want to implicate this Qiuling Mountain.
"Since the Fifth Prince is going back to the capital to receive the conferment, let your subject see the Fifth Prince off."
Xin Zizhao didn't really care about this. He looked at Wei Shuxuan. Wei Shuxuan was a bit curious as to why Xin Zizhao suddenly looked at her. "And take her with me."
"Yes, Fifth Prince."
Dan Linghai left with Dan Xueyao. When Dan Xueyao left, she even smiled and said goodbye to Wei Shuxuan.
Only Wei Shuxuan and Xin Zizhao were left in the room. Wei Shuxuan curiously asked Xin Zizhao, "You've already found your people. Why do you still want me to go back with you?"
"Didn't you promise me before to escort me to the capital? I haven't reached the capital yet, so you still need to stay by my side to take care of my daily life."
"... Alright. I'll be a good Samaritan to the end."
Wei Shuxuan agreed so readily because if she didn't go back with Xin Zizhao, she didn't know where to go. She didn't know many people here. It was better to follow Xin Zizhao, as her life would be more secure.
All the matters to be resolved had been settled. Now it was time for a new journey.