Chapter 180 The Murderer

Zong Yan smiled wryly and said, "Let's not talk about that bastard."

The leader interrupted him, smiling but speaking firmly: "Don't be so modest. I've heard your son is a genius. Didn't you train him as your successor back then? If a child is a little rebellious, you should discipline him. You can't let him go on like this without restraint."

Zong Yan's smile froze on his face, and he remained silent for a second or two before he agreed.

"Call the child back. It's time for him to focus on his studies."

The leader's words sounded caring, but Zongyan was already sweating coldly. This was an order for Zongfang to take over the research on the berserker potion.

Zong Yan was still rapidly thinking about how to turn the situation around when he heard the leader continue, "Is he close to that ancient human?"

Zong Yan's jaw tightened, and he immediately dismissed it, saying, "It was just a fleeting romance."

The leader sneered, "Oh? A fleeting romance? He's willing to kill an entire family for that ancient human? Zong Yan, that special order of release you obtained through your connections a while ago was for your son, right?"

Zong Yan immediately bowed and said, "Please punish me, Chief."

The leader waved his hand nonchalantly, "What's the point? You've done a great service for me and are my invaluable right-hand man. Even if your son receives special care from the entire federation, it wouldn't be excessive, let alone a mere order of termination. It's just..."

Zong Yan didn't dare to look up, but even without looking up, he could imagine the look of the man in front of him at the moment.

The leader changed the subject and said, "Since it was just a fleeting romance, then the mission of bringing the ancient humans back to the Federation wouldn't be that easy to accomplish, right?"

Zong Yan gritted his teeth, sweat covering his forehead. He knew perfectly well that this wasn't a question, but an order. Between preserving the Zong Fang and the ancient humans, Zong Yan chose the former without hesitation.

"Please rest assured, Chief. I will formulate a detailed plan as soon as possible and will definitely bring the ancient humans back."

The leader narrowed his eyes slightly. Hearing that he never mentioned his son in his words, he knew that he valued and loved his son extremely. Therefore, he easily saw through one thing: the rumors of discord between the father and son of the Zong family were a smokescreen deliberately created and indulged by Zong Yan in the past few decades.

After some evaluation, he realized that he still needed Zong Yan, so he stopped putting pressure on him to avoid a fallout.

So he said, "Well, I won't force you. If you can capture the ancient human, your son will still be free."

——

Alliance of Freedom.

Qiao Susu asked Sang Yan to take her to the crime scene where the archbishop was assassinated.

This is a bungalow behind the church. The furnishings are simple, and you can see the traces of the archbishop's daily life. The air here is filled with a solemn and bleak feeling.

The crime scene was a study in the bungalow. Sang Yan learned that this was where the Archbishop usually spent the most time. Thick curtains blocked out the outside light, making the room appear dim and eerie. Unorganized books and documents lay scattered on the desk. Signs of a struggle were evident on the floor, and the bloodstained carpet symbolized the despair at the time of the murder.

Qiao Susu wanted to go in, but Sang Yan reached out and blocked her way first.

"Sui Sui, it's too dirty inside. Are you sure you want to see it?" Sang Yan asked worriedly.

She was pregnant at the moment, and considering her previous morning sickness symptoms, Sang Yan was worried that she would feel uncomfortable when she smelled the blood.

Qiao Suisui said, "I have to take a look. Don't worry, I'm wearing the moonflower brooch and bracelet you made for me."

Sang Yan's brows didn't relax. He took out a clean handkerchief, which he had lovingly scented with moonflowers. He handed it to her and said, "Cover your mouth and nose with it. If you feel any discomfort, be sure to tell me."

Qiao Susu nodded and covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief. As soon as she entered the door, even the fragrance of moonflowers could not cover up the strong fishy stench.

She suppressed the swelling in her throat and began to look around the room carefully.

She approached the desk and found an overturned ink bottle on it, the ink spilling onto the documents in a chaotic pattern.

"It's strange. Nowadays, everyone uses computers to record things. Even when writing letters, they use voice printouts. Few people use such a traditional and ancient way of writing anymore."

She picked up a piece of paper with a few lines of notes scribbled on it, but the handwriting was unfamiliar.

"Does the Archbishop usually have the habit of writing down records?"

Sang Yan shook his head. "I'm not sure. I'll try to ask later, but the Archbishop doesn't usually interact with people."

Qiao Suisui also noticed several broken quills and an open notebook on the floor. She opened the notebook and found that the last page contained what seemed to be an emergency record, but several letters were scratched off, which was obviously caused by deliberate destruction.

While she was thinking, Sang Yan called her over to look at the scratches on the ground.

"Looking at these marks, it's obvious that a fierce struggle took place here. And the direction and force of these scratches show that the attacker should have attacked from the front," Sang Yan analyzed.

"Are you saying the murderer didn't attack him from behind?" Qiao Suisui asked doubtfully. "If, as Carl said, it was the scavenger who did it, then why did the murderer go to the trouble of going around to the archbishop? Wouldn't it have been faster to just kill him from behind?"

Sang Yan nodded and said, "I think the murderer is more like imitating the scavenger's assassination method, and he inevitably had a conversation with the archbishop."

Under what circumstances would a murderer kill someone head-on?

Qiao Suisui's eyes lit up, and she instantly thought of a possibility -

"Could it be someone I know?"

"It's an acquaintance." Sang Yan and she said in unison.

The two looked at each other, and Sang Yan pointed to a photo on the desk. It was a group photo with part of the corner torn off.

Qiao Suisui leaned over to look. She didn't recognize anyone in the photo, but one face looked familiar, though she couldn't place where she'd seen it before. She took a picture of it with her laptop and decided to go back and look for a breakthrough.

They continued to look around the room, but found no valuable clues. Just as Qiao Sui Sui stood up to leave, she felt dizzy from standing up so suddenly, and her body swayed.

Sang Yan immediately supported her nervously, holding her shoulders firmly with both hands. The two people's breaths met in an instant, and an ambiguous atmosphere filled the air.

Qiao Susu looked up at Sang Yan and was slightly stunned.

Sang Yan stared at her face nervously, fearing that she might feel uncomfortable.

"Sui Sui, are you okay?" Sang Yan's voice was low and concerned, with a hint of anxiety that was hard to conceal.

Qiao Suisui nodded gently, "I'm fine, just a little dizzy."

Sang Yan was still worried, so he helped her walk to the corridor and let her lean against the wall to rest. He took out a bottle of water from his bag, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to her: "Drink some water and take a rest."

Qiao Sui Sui took the water bottle and looked at his bag curiously. First there was a handkerchief, then water. She couldn't help but ask, "What else is in there?"

Sang Yan's face flushed slightly, and he lowered his head to hide it by zipping up his pants. He said casually, "Nothing, just some odds and ends."

He was afraid that she would be tired from standing, so he went out to find a chair for her. Taking this opportunity, Qiao Susu took a look into her bag on the ground and saw a corner of light purple in the bag that was not completely closed.

Qiao Susu was startled, and walked over as if possessed. She opened the bag and saw a pair of soft-soled slippers that she often wore appeared in Sang Yan's bag.

She looked down at the small leather shoes on her feet. In order to match the dress today, she wore a pair of small leather shoes with a little heel. Although her shoes were custom-made by Liberi and the soles were very comfortable, she was pregnant now and her feet would occasionally swell. After walking or standing for a long time, no matter how comfortable the shoes were, they were not as good as soft slippers.

Feeling Sang Yan's concern, Qiao Suisui felt a warm sensation in her heart. For the first time, she discovered this man's gentleness and meticulousness, something she had never noticed before, and a strange feeling arose in her heart.

(End of this chapter)