Chapter 24: Confrontation and Choice

Chapter 24: Confrontation and Choice

"It's not a question of whether we believe it or not; the fact is, you are a major suspect," Cade stammered, standing next to Li Xiaoman.

Pang Bo's eyes immediately widened. "What do you mean, you blond devil?" he demanded. "What makes you think Ye Fan killed him?"

"No, I'm not stating a subjective opinion; I'm talking about objective facts," Cade said, looking earnest and rigid as he carefully analyzed the situation. "I didn't say he's the killer; I'm just stating a fact: he's highly suspicious. What Liu Yunzhi said makes sense: Ye Fan and the deceased had a conflict, providing a motive for murder. And he was very close, meaning he had the opportunity to act."

Although he didn't speak very smoothly, everyone understood his point. He was, like many straightforward Westerners, simply stating the facts.

"Devil, you really have no common sense!" Pang Bo scoffed. "It's an obvious matter, but you have to make it sound like proving a mathematical theorem. So stubborn!"

"What is... a devil?" the foreigner Cade asked, bewildered. "I've heard you say it several times. What... does it mean?"

"You're a devil, a stubborn one, and I can't be bothered talking to you," Pang Bo snapped, dismissing him. He then turned to Li Xiaoman. "Why aren't you speaking? You should know Ye Fan very well, shouldn't you?"

Li Xiaoman stood tall and graceful, illuminated by the faint light of a cell phone. She was like a fresh, beautiful lotus blooming with a subtle fragrance in the darkness. Her expression was calm and natural as she spoke softly, "Deep down, I don't believe Ye Fan is the killer, but right now, he genuinely is a suspect..."

"Li Xiaoman!" Pang Bo interjected, his voice heavy with anger as he bit out her name. "You're truly heartless! I never imagined you'd say such a thing. Anyone else can doubt him, but not you! Others might not know Ye Fan, but don't you? Even though you've broken up, you can't be so merciless, can you? Are you trying to rub salt in Ye Fan's wounds?"

"I don't mean anything else; I'm just stating a fact." Li Xiaoman remained calm, her beautiful face fair as jade. She slightly furrowed her brows. "I'm not targeting anyone," she said. "I just want to point out that if the killer dared to murder, then there's nothing else they wouldn't dare to do. We are all in great danger right now. I hope we can be objective rather than subjective. In fact, Ye Fan is highly suspicious, and everyone else present also has some suspicion."

Pang Bo sneered, "Ultimately, Ye Fan is the most suspicious, and you don't believe him, so why bother saying all this?" He turned his head sharply. "I truly misjudged you," he said. "In the past, your decisions were hard to change; no friend could persuade you. Now I realize your character isn't decisive and resolute, but heartless."

Just then, a somewhat nervous, almost timid voice whispered, "I... I believe Ye Fan. I believe he... isn't the killer." It was the female classmate who had been struggling in life. Her body was thin and very frail, and she walked out with her head down, looking somewhat nervous and uneasy.

The once simple and happy girl had become very unconfident due to her recent struggles in life. She was no longer bright and cheerful, and speaking in front of others was not smooth, making her appear ill at ease.

This was also the main reason Ye Fan had felt deep sympathy for her at the class reunion.

Like Ye Fan, Pang Bo felt sympathy for this timid female classmate. She hadn't been like this in school; back then, she often joked with him and Ye Fan, her laughter like pearls. The three of them had a very good relationship, and being with her easily made people feel happy.

"Liu Yiyi, thank you!" Ye Fan smiled and nodded at her.

"You're welcome," Liu Yiyi replied, her voice soft and pitiful as she stood there awkwardly. "I believe you wouldn't kill anyone..."

"If not him, then who?" Li Changqing demanded indignantly. "Besides Ye Fan, who else has a motive for murder? He's retaliating."

The female classmate standing next to Liu Yunzhi spoke again, "Ye Fan, how could you be so cruel? That was a classmate you knew for four years!"

"I'll say it again: I didn't kill anyone." Ye Fan faced the accusation with calm composure. "You can suspect me, but please don't directly slander me before the matter is thoroughly investigated."

"The facts are before us!" an angry voice countered. "You and the deceased were practically next to each other, the closest. No one else could have killed him without you noticing, and only you had a motive to commit the crime!"

Pang Bo, who had a short temper and couldn't stand being provoked, retorted furiously, "Can you please be reasonable? Don't prematurely condemn someone before the matter is concluded! I truly don't understand. At graduation, you put it nicely that you and Liu Yunzhi went your separate ways; to put it bluntly, Liu Yunzhi contemptuously dumped you, making you hate him terribly. How is it that now you're practically clinging to him, cheering him on?"

"You... you're making a vicious personal attack!" The female classmate's face turned pale with anger, her body trembling, as she pointed a finger at Pang Bo.

"Attack? Yes, attack a chicken!" Pang Bo was not one to back down, and his tongue could be very sharp. "This is called fighting fire with fire," he declared. "Speak human language to humans, ghost language to ghosts. If I see a toad, a few spits will drown it!"

"You..." The female classmate's body trembled, too enraged to speak.

Liu Yunzhi's face darkened. "Enough, Pang Bo, are you even a man?" he said. "Is saying these things worthwhile?" The Vajra Pestle in his hand was wreathed in several thin rays of light, exceptionally striking in the darkness. It served as a stark reminder to everyone that it possessed absolute deterrent power; if a conflict erupted, no one could possibly resist it.

Pang Bo's face also fell. "Because Ye Fan isn't the killer, and you're just making trouble," he said, "I'm simply giving you a taste of your own medicine."

Ye Fan's gaze swept over Li Xiaoman, then moved to the other students. Just then, three classmates stepped forward and declared, "We believe Ye Fan didn't kill anyone."

Including Liu Yiyi, Zhang Ziling, and Pang Bo, there were suddenly six people on Ye Fan's side. Counting himself, that made a total of seven. Out of the sixteen survivors, those who believed Ye Fan accounted for almost half the group.

Lin Jia was very beautiful, with a graceful figure. Her naturally phoenix-shaped eyes gave her an inherently charming temperament. Even in the tense atmosphere, although she spoke calmly, she still appeared somewhat alluring and captivating.

"I also think it's impossible for it to be Ye Fan," Lin Jia said. "We all know his character; he's not such a ruthless person and never holds grudges..."

Li Changqing, displeased, interrupted her. "Who else could it be but him?" he demanded. "Who among us here would kill someone? Who would have such a mindset?"

Pang Bo instantly flared up. "Li Changqing, can you be any more despicable?" he glared. "Can you find any more reasons, throw any more mud? I really want to press this bronze plaque onto your face. How can you utter such baseless accusations?"

"I can't be bothered with you!" Li Changqing retorted, turning his head away in anger. He was still bruised and swollen, having been badly beaten by Pang Bo at the five-colored altar.

At that moment, Wang Ziwen walked over, choosing to believe Ye Fan. Zhou Yi had been like a bystander from beginning to end, but now he too made a choice. He looked at the divinely shimmering Vajra Pestle in Liu Yunzhi's hand, then at the composed Ye Fan. "We can't easily conclude who the killer is," he said. "I believe Ye Fan wouldn't kill a classmate."

At this moment, the vast majority of people sided with Ye Fan. He knew some were sincere, while others, by observing his calm demeanor in the face of Liu Yunzhi's Vajra Pestle, believed he must possess some "trump card," making their choice almost opportunistic.

"If it's not Ye Fan, then who is it?" Liu Yunzhi asked, his face cold as he stared at Ye Fan, then shifted his gaze to Pang Bo. "Is the killer another one of us?"

"Drop your act," Pang Bo retorted, nonchalant and fierce. "Don't think others are afraid of you just because you're holding a glowing club. I can still smash you with this non-glowing bronze plaque!"

Liu Yunzhi's face instantly darkened. He gripped the Vajra Pestle tightly and advanced three steps!

Ye Fan pulled back Pang Bo, who was about to charge forward. Then, facing everyone, he said with utmost seriousness and solemnity, "I can tell you all, the killer is not any one of us."