Sueños Florales en la Ciudad

Capítulo 143

"besides!"

"Anything else?" Zhu Liuyue frowned. "Have I really overlooked so many things?"

"Do you remember what you said to Zhu Huihui on Hidden Spirit Island?"

Feng Xuese smiled slightly, mimicking Zhu Liuyue's tone, and said, "Silly child! That method of distinguishing people by their heartbeat and pulse requires extremely keen senses and profound internal strength. Miss Mu is not skilled in martial arts, how could she possibly know it!"

"Even if the art of disguise is so sophisticated that it can change one's temperament, appearance, voice, smell, eye color, and even control one's height, it cannot change one's bloodline, heartbeat, or other characteristics. So, I will definitely be able to recognize you next time." These were the words that Chen Muwan said to Kazama Yoru, who was wearing a mask, on the lake embankment of Xuan Yue Water Island that day.

Only Feng Xuese, Chen Muwan, and Feng Jianye were present at the time, and no one mentioned it afterward. Therefore, when Zhu Liuyue uttered the same words, the answer was self-evident.

Zhu Liuyue's smile was somewhat bitter: "It seems that being talkative is really not a good habit."

Feng Xuese said, "After I began to have doubts, I remembered many things and suddenly realized that Brother Liu Yue's shadow was in every bloody incident!"

"Oh? Is there anything else that Xue Sexin is so concerned about?"

Feng Xuese quietly said, "Huihui said that when he entered Luomei Nunnery, Brother Liuyue was standing in front of the Buddha altar, slowly inserting three sticks of incense into it—"

"So what?"

"At that time, you had just finished killing someone, right? You were even forcing the nun we were looking for to abdicate when you heard Huihui's voice. So you hurriedly crushed the nun's throat bone, but there was no time to hide it, so you had to stuff it under the brocade curtain behind the Buddha statue. As for the sachet and hairpin you left behind, that was naturally to prevent being suspected and to shift the blame to another party!"

Zhu Liuyue sighed, "I know that matter was handled a bit hastily, but time was really tight—alas, that child Huihui is very lucky!" The implication was that if Feng Xuese hadn't arrived in time, Zhu Huihui's life would probably have been in danger.

"Since you have already framed Mo Xinxue for the Luomei Nunnery case, and she has also been bewitched by you, taking the blame for this matter herself, she is no longer of any value. If she is allowed to live, she will have the opportunity to leak secrets. Therefore, when you chase after her, kill her to silence her!"

Zhu Liuyue smiled and said, "I killed Mo Xinxue because she knew me, not that Kazama Yoru."

Kazama Yoru originally appeared as a villain, so it wouldn't matter if he were the mastermind behind hiring someone to hunt down Maple Snow Colors again. However, Prince Zhu Liuyue could not be the mastermind behind this.

So, if the person Mo Xinxue falls in love with is not the gentle and considerate "Haoyue Liuxia" Liu Yue Gongzi, nor the young prince Zhu Liuyue, but the mysterious and unpredictable Feng Jianye, will she still be killed?

Zhu Liuyue herself didn't have an answer.

"On the day Huihui and I arrived at Xuan Yue Water Island, Brother Jianwu hosted a banquet for us at the lakeside pavilion that evening. You were disguised as Kazama Yoru, spying from the side. After your whereabouts were exposed, you exchanged blows with Xiye Yan, then calmly escaped, reverting to your identity as Young Master Liuyue, to keep your appointment with Yan Shenhan. Huihui accidentally stumbled upon your duel and was injured. It is said that you and Yan Shenhan were injured because you withdrew your internal energy too hastily, causing a backlash—in fact, we guessed wrong. You were not injured, or rather, your injuries were much less severe than Yan Shenhan's. Immediately afterwards, you took Huihui away and happened to encounter Mr. Chen and Madam Wan, so you handed Huihui over to them. Then you transformed back into Kazama Yoru and ambushed both Yan Shenhan and Xiye Yan!"

Zhu Liuyue did not deny it, saying, "Zhu Liuyue's subordinates are guards of the Prince's Palace, concerned with appearances, putting on airs, and acting with dignity; while Kazama Ye's subordinates are meticulously trained ninjas, skilled in assassination, sabotage, reconnaissance, and secret strategies. The two are naturally very different. However, you can rest assured that the person who killed Qin and Song was forced to be killed by me at the graveyard in order to save Huihui's life!"

Feng Xuese remained expressionless and continued, "On Dongting Lake, you made prior arrangements, pretending to be assassinated, using the opportunity to chase the enemy, avoiding Huihui's sight, and then transforming into Kazama Yoru, leading men to Xuan Yue Water Island for the massacre. Hmm, perhaps to buy you more time to carry out your crime, Steward Qin even took Huihui on a long boat ride around the lake, since she doesn't know the way anyway. Only when Steward Qin thought your plan was almost complete did he take her ashore!"

Zhu Liuyue nodded slightly: "That's right! You even guessed that, I admire you!" She smiled and said, "Although this arrangement is troublesome, it has one advantage—even though my identity is well concealed, just in case, someone is still needed to witness it. Huihui, that child, is naturally a ready-made witness!"

Feng Xuese said, "The Blood-Seeing Pavilion is just an ordinary Jianghu organization, and it has nothing to do with what you are plotting. Although the Twelve Zodiacs discovered the secrets of the two generals' families, you have already eliminated them—so why did you destroy the Blood-Seeing Pavilion?"

Zhu Liuyue smiled and said, "I just don't want to cause trouble for myself."

After learning of the deaths of the Twelve Zodiac Envoys, the Blood Tower will not let the matter rest. Rather than waiting for them to come looking for them, they will strike first and eliminate them to prevent future troubles.

Feng Xuese hummed in agreement and said, "At that time, Zhu Liuyue was traveling with Huihui, but Feng Jianye's men had already arrived at Jianxuelou ahead of time to poison and kill them. As a result, Jianxuelou, like Xuan Yue Shuiyu, was tragically wiped out. As for the 'colluding' couple, I think they were just caught in the crossfire because of the timing!"

He looked up at Liu Yue and said, "Then, you accompanied Huihui to bring Song Xiaobei to Yinling Island and handed her over to Madam Wan for treatment, but you left in a hurry halfway. Was it because you learned that Fusang had sent troops and rushed to help?"

Zhu Liuyue smiled and said, "My news is naturally much faster than yours."

The two stood, one by the pond and the other on the pavilion, their conversation growing increasingly cold as Feng Xuese's expression grew.

"Are you Zhu Liuyue, or Kazama Yoru?"

Zhu Liuyue smiled faintly: "Does it matter who I am?"

Feng Xuese placed her hand on the longsword at her waist and said, "If you are Kazama Yoru, a Japanese, then the actions of two countries fighting for their own interests, though unscrupulous, are not entirely unforgivable. But if you are Zhu Liuyue, and you betray your country for personal gain, then you should be executed!"

Zhu Liuyue remained silent for a moment before saying, "I am Zhu Liuyue."

Feng Xuese gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his expression stern, and said, "As a prince, why have you colluded with the enemy and betrayed your country?"

Zhu Liuyue's smile was somewhat bitter as he said, "I am not a prince or heir; I am merely a knife, a pawn."

"Then, who is the one wielding the knife and the chess pieces?"