Chapter 130: Mouth Says No

"Alright, Plum," Zu An couldn't help but say, "To frame me, you didn't even hesitate to kill your most capable subordinate, Plum Blossom Thirteen. Aren't you afraid this will dishearten your other subordinates?"

"You're the one who did it, yet you're slandering me here!" Mei Chaofeng feigned anger. "Plum Blossom Thirteen offended you back then, and you ordered someone to break his limbs. Everyone knows about that incident."

Plum Blossom Thirteen's leg was initially broken by Lu De, the academy's dean, and later, all four of his limbs were broken by Chu Chuyan. Both individuals had extraordinary backgrounds, and he didn't want to involve them. Therefore, he deliberately spoke vaguely, omitting the names of those who injured him, and only emphasized that Zu An had ordered it.

Zu An naturally understood his intention and, coincidentally, didn't want to involve his wife. So he didn't expose the lie: "That's right, I had Plum Blossom Thirteen's limbs broken. Even if he truly offended me, I've already taken my revenge and vented my anger. Why would I kill him now?"

"Because Plum Blossom Thirteen is my most capable fighter, you feared you wouldn't be able to defeat him once he recovered and came after you. So, you struck first, delivering a fatal blow while he was still recuperating," Mei Chaofeng said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Plum Blossom Thirteen's relatives began wailing and tried to rush towards Zu An, but the bailiffs in the courtroom quickly stopped them.

"Silence!" Xie Yi had to strike the gavel once more.

Zu An replied, "What kind of joke is that? I've even defeated a fifth-rank master; why would I care about a mere third-rank Plum Blossom Thirteen?"

Mei Chaofeng snorted, "Your victory against the fifth-rank master yesterday was just a stroke of luck; everyone saw it. Furthermore, the evidence for your murder of Plum Blossom Thirteen is conclusive; there's no room for you to argue."

"Oh, what evidence do you have?" Zu An asked, curious.

Mei Chaofeng bowed to Xie Yi and the others. "Plum Blossom Thirteen's wounds have been examined, and it's been determined that he died by the academy's basic swordsmanship. I presume you, honorable sirs, have already verified this."

"There are at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, people who know basic swordsmanship. Why are you blaming Ah Zu?" Chu Zhongtian interjected.

Mei Chaofeng waved his hand, and a subordinate promptly brought a sword. "When the killer attacked Plum Blossom Thirteen, he was discovered by our gang's patrolling disciples. He fled in a hurry under their encirclement, leaving this sword behind."

Chu Zhongtian's gaze fell upon the sword, and his eyes instantly narrowed. How could he not recognize it as the weapon Zu An had used in the arena yesterday?

Zu An shrugged. "After the clan competition yesterday, I casually gave this sword to someone in the Chu Manor and didn't bother with it anymore. It seems you bribed someone from the Chu family to obtain it."

Chu Zhongtian's face darkened considerably. He had suspected a mole within the Chu family before, but last night there wasn't enough time to investigate thoroughly. He never expected such a significant problem to arise again.

Mei Chaofeng directly ignored Zu An and continued, "Last night, over a dozen people witnessed your crime. No matter how eloquent you are, you won't be able to clear your name."

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of people squeezed in, each describing what they had witnessed the previous night.

Chu Zhongtian couldn't listen anymore and slammed the table. "Nonsense! You just said that testimonies from relatives couldn't be accepted. So, are the testimonies from these subordinates acceptable? They're all members of the Plum Blossom Gang; what they say is simply whatever their leader tells them to say."

Mei Chaofeng smiled faintly. "The crucial point is that now we have not only eyewitnesses, but also physical evidence and a motive. Can all of this simply be a coincidence? Is Duke Mingyue perhaps planning to cover up for the culprit just because he is his son-in-law?"

Chu Zhongtian was enraged, slamming the table as he rose to his feet. "What are you, to dare speak to me like that!"

Even though he was usually a good-natured man, he had suppressed too much anger these past two days. Combined with his long-standing dislike for some of the Plum Blossom Gang's methods and Mei Chaofeng's smug demeanor, he finally couldn't restrain himself.

Mei Chaofeng's face instantly contorted. In that moment, he felt a powerful, pervasive pressure, so intense that with his cultivation, he couldn't even stand steadily, nearly collapsing to the ground in fright.

Just then, Sang Hong stood up and went to Chu Zhongtian's side, comforting him, "Duke Mingyue, why trouble yourself by getting angry with a mere commoner? It's simply not worth it!"

While seemingly offering counsel, he subtly highlighted the other party's status as a commoner, reminding him not to act rashly, and at the same time, he shielded Mei Chaofeng from Chu Zhongtian's overwhelming aura.

Xie Yi also spoke up to mediate, and Chu Zhongtian reluctantly sat back down.

Mei Chaofeng's face was pale. Having just been overwhelmed by the other man's aura, he was momentarily speechless, unable to utter a word.

Zu An then spoke, "How peculiar. According to your recent statements, I supposedly went to kill Lord Yang, the Minister of Household Affairs, in the first half of the night, and then rushed to the Plum Blossom Gang to kill Plum Blossom Thirteen in the second half. I must have been quite busy that night."

"It's not surprising for someone as deranged as you to do such things," Mei Chaofeng finally recovered. "What's more, weren't you just cleared of suspicion for assassinating Lord Yang? That means you had even more time to kill Plum Blossom Thirteen."

"Very well, it seems you also acknowledge that I'm not Lord Yang's killer. As for your claim of 'ample time,' that makes even less sense," Zu An said, changing his tone. "Last night, I was clearly at home with my beautiful wife, engaged in 'procreation.' Where would I have had time to go kill someone?"

Chu Zhongtian: "???"

He was utterly dumbfounded. Of course, he knew this fellow was talking nonsense; his daughter still slept in a separate room from him. But could he say that now? Wouldn't revealing that put his son-in-law in a difficult position?

Yet, if he didn't say anything, his daughter's reputation would be completely ruined...

Wait, hold on. They *are* husband and wife, so perhaps it doesn't matter too much?

Even so, hearing his son-in-law speak of his affectionate relationship with his daughter, he, as her father, couldn't help but feel a strange discomfort.

The crowd gathered at the entrance, eager for gossip, also erupted in an uproar. Although Zu An hadn't provided any specific details, everyone couldn't help but imagine numerous suggestive scenes, especially picturing the delicate and beautiful Chu Chuyan being 'defiled' by a 'pig.' They all instantly felt a pang of jealousy.

Rage value from Yang Shanwei: 233!Rage value from Xiao Qun: 233!...

"Nonsense!" A furious roar echoed, and everyone turned to look, only to see Shi Kun's eyes bloodshot.

Rage value from Shi Kun: 999!

Although he knew perfectly well that Zu An was lying, he couldn't suppress the fury in his heart. Other people weren't privy to the details, and if he were to marry Chu Chuyan in the future, wouldn't everyone view him as picking up Zu An's 'worn-out shoes'?

This was something he absolutely could not tolerate!

"You couldn't even enter Miss Chu's private chambers, what are you boasting about here!" Shi Kun roared.

Zu An glanced at him. "Why are you so agitated? Are you perhaps coveting another man's wife? Tsk, tsk, tsk, is this the kind of family upbringing the Shi family imparts?"

Shi Kun instantly flew into a rage, thinking, *Where's my damn sword?*

Rage value from Shi Kun: 468!

Xue'er, behind him, quietly tugged at his sleeve and whispered a reminder, "Young Master, a moment of impatience can ruin a great plan."

Shi Kun then took a deep breath and slowly calmed down. *That's right,* he thought, *his implication in murder today is a certainty. I'll settle accounts with him later, once the verdict is handed down.*

Zu An glanced at Xue'er, somewhat surprised. *It seems this girl didn't reveal my secret; otherwise, Shi wouldn't be so furious. Why would she help me conceal it?*

*Could it be that she's unknowingly fallen in love with me?*

Noticing his gaze, Xue'er couldn't help but glare fiercely back at him. *No wonder the Young Master gets so angry,* she thought, *I want to hit him every time I see him.*

Rage value from Qiao Xueying: 520!

Seeing this number, Zu An was instantly amused. *She says no, but her body is quite honest.*

Catching Shi Kun's cue, Mei Chaofeng hastily said, "Testimonies from relatives cannot be accepted, and what Zu An is saying is simply too false. A quick inquiry among the Chu family members would reveal that he and Miss Chu sleep in separate beds. How could she possibly testify for him? Just look at a crucial day like today: Miss Chu didn't even bother to show up, from which one can easily deduce the state of their marital relationship."

"Who said I didn't come!" At that moment, a clear, melodious voice rang out.

The crowd automatically parted, and everyone looked towards the sound. They saw a graceful figure in a light blue long dress, appearing as if a celestial fairy were slowly descending from the clouds.

"That's Miss Chu!"

"She truly is a beauty of unparalleled grace!"

"With a wife like that, I certainly wouldn't want to leave the bed."

"Exactly, who would waste time committing murder then?"

Hearing the discussions around him, Zu An couldn't help but marvel at Chu Chuyan's immense charm; all his carefully chosen words couldn't compare to her simple entrance.

Chu Chuyan walked in and said calmly, "There's no need to investigate. He slept with me last night."

As soon as these words were uttered, the crowd instantly erupted in a clamor. Even Chu Zhongtian's eyes widened, Sang Hong, who had been leisurely sipping tea, choked on his drink, and Xie Yi, who had raised his gavel halfway, found himself unable to bring it down.

"What?!" Shi Kun glared fiercely at Xue'er beside him, his handsome face contorted in disbelief. "Didn't you swear they couldn't possibly be together?"

Xue'er also looked bewildered. *Could it be that in just a few days since I left, Chu Chuyan and his relationship has progressed so rapidly? But how is that even possible?*

Zu An didn't even bother to check the constantly refreshing rage values accumulating in the background. Instead, he stared at Chu Chuyan in astonishment, truly surprised that she would shield him in such a public way.

Previously, even though they were married, the rumors of them sleeping in separate rooms were widespread, and in many people's minds, she remained a pure fairy, untainted by a speck of dust.

But today, by publicly admitting that she slept with him, even the most stubborn person would likely no longer believe she was still a virgin.

To stake her reputation to save him, Zu An was deeply moved. He thought, *My wife, though a bit aloof, has a very warm heart. Hmm, in the future, I should massage her more to help warm her body.*

"Cough, cough," Xie Yi finally recovered and tapped the gavel to signal for silence. "Miss Chu, this is a court of law, not a place for jokes. Was what you just said truly accurate?"

"Naturally, it's true," Chu Chuyan replied, standing in the center of the room, her skirt gently swaying. The more ethereal and transcendent she appeared at that moment, the more shattered the hearts of the onlookers became. "And I also have a new witness."

"A new witness?" Not only Chu Zhongtian but even Shi Kun and the others exchanged bewildered glances, utterly unable to fathom how she could possibly turn the tables.

"Bring them in quickly!" Xie Yi said urgently.

Chu Chuyan nodded. Soon, the Chu family guards entered, escorting a person. Upon seeing that figure, Mei Chaofeng, who had been composed and confident just moments before, instantly blanched.