Seeing that Meng Yuxiu's expression remained unchanged, she cleared her throat and said seriously, "Really? You've been fighting on the battlefield for so many years, and there are still weapons you don't recognize?"
Meng Yuxiu looked away and said with a sigh, "I have indeed seen many weapons, but at most they are the swords, spears, and clubs commonly used in battle. I have not seen many sophisticated weapons used for assassination."
"He who takes a man's gift is bound to be grateful; he who eats another's food is bound to be obliging." Chang Lili felt a little embarrassed after receiving so many favors from Meng Yuxiu. As a person who values relationships and loyalty, she naturally wouldn't stand idly by.
She clapped her hands, eager to try: "General, you are far more ignorant in this regard than us common folk. You may look down on it, but I can see it better than you..."
"You? You're just a woman who hangs out in the streets, how could you understand these things?" Meng Yuxiu seemed to have heard something funny and laughed loudly without restraint.
Even though he looked quite handsome when he smiled, Chang Lili couldn't stand it. She slammed her hand on the table and said defiantly, "What? You doubt my abilities?"
Meng Yuxiu suppressed his smile and sat up straight: "That's not entirely what I meant. Also, I don't want too many people to know about my friend's attack, and I don't want any suspicious people to approach him again."
These words were grating to hear, making Chang Lili even more unwilling: "General Meng, do you doubt me? Putting aside my abilities, you must have already found out about my background. How could someone as prominent and powerful as you bring an unknown person into the general's mansion?"
Meng Yuxiu raised an eyebrow and looked at Chang Lili in surprise. He found that she was indeed more insightful and clear-headed than those women raised in the palace, and was not some country bumpkin.
“I said I could see it, and I definitely can see the trick. I’m not some amateur just watching the show. You’re at a loss right now, why don’t you let me give it a try?” Chang Lili was partly unwilling, but mostly driven by interest. Seemingly realizing that her tone was too harsh, she added in a flattering tone, “You’ve helped me so much, I just want to repay you in a way.”
The big fish has taken the bait, and Meng Yuxiu promptly reeled it in: "Since that's the case, then take a look. Come to my study after dark."
After leaving those words, Meng Yuxiu strode away from the dining room.
As Chang Lili felt a mixture of anticipation and unease, darkness fell. She ran to the study door in one breath, but hesitated whether to push it open and go in.
Meng Yuxiu's voice suddenly came from inside the room: "What? You were so confident during the day, but you're scared at night?"
Chang Lili pushed open the door without thinking. She had an inexplicable trust in Meng Yuxiu.
The candlelight flickered as she slowly closed the door. Inside, Meng Yuxiu stood by the desk, smiling at her. On a soft couch in the study lay a man.
He looked unwell; there were visible burn marks on his neck and even his face, and his complexion was as pale as paper.
Chang Lili forgot her argument with Meng Yuxiu and walked towards the man with his eyes closed. Looking at the horrific wounds, she frowned and hesitated before asking, "These wounds..."
“It’s a burn,” Meng Yuxiu walked over and lifted the man’s shirt to reveal a smooth chest with minor burns and a horrifying wound clearly visible. “This is the fatal wound caused by a sharp weapon. I can’t tell what weapon it was.”
It was a smooth wound, already scabbed over after treatment, as if a knife or sword had pierced it swiftly.
"Is it a longsword?" Chang Lili blurted out, but immediately dismissed the idea. "No, it looks sharper than a regular sword. Since it's a sneak attack, it should be a short and lightweight weapon, like a dagger?"
Meng Yuxiu shook his head: "If it were just a dagger, he wouldn't be so badly injured. I've consulted many famous doctors, and all of them said that his internal organs are severely damaged. It's not as simple as just being stabbed."
Chang Lili frowned. She leaned closer to the man's chest, her small face full of seriousness. The candlelight made her clear eyes shine like stars.
Meng Yuxiu was so engrossed in watching her that he was somewhat lost in thought.
“It certainly doesn’t look like a simple dagger…” she pondered, then was alarmed to discover that while the wound appeared to be a flat one overall, there was a subtle difference between the middle and the sides; the middle of the wound was slightly thicker than the sides.
The image of scissors flashed through Chang Lili's mind. She frowned and then relaxed, her expression turning horrified: "If this... if it really is like that, it's too vicious and terrifying!"
"What's wrong?" Meng Yuxiu knew she had figured something out. It seemed that the delicate, thread-thin saw was indeed made by her.
He walked over to Chang Lili, patted her shoulder reassuringly, and said softly, "What's wrong? Did you think of something scary?"
Chang Lili sighed, "It's not that I find the weapons terrifying, but rather that the people who use them are truly vicious."
"You can tell what kind of weapon this is?" Meng Yuxiu asked in disbelief.
"It's just a guess right now, and I don't know how to describe it to you." She looked around in annoyance, then saw the paper and pen on the table. Suddenly, she had a flash of inspiration, ran over, picked up the paper and pen, and completed a painting in a smooth and effortless manner.
When she showed the sketch to Meng Yuxiu, he asked, puzzled, "Scissors?"
Chang Lili shook her head: "It looks like scissors, but it's not that simple. However, it is somewhat similar to the principle of scissors. It is not actually a dagger, but rather two daggers. Two exquisite daggers are fixed together, making it look like one. The wounds caused by such a weapon will naturally be a little wider than those caused by ordinary daggers and swords."
"I've been puzzled by this problem for so long, but I never expected you could solve it in the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea. Please continue," Meng Yuxiu said excitedly.
"The two daggers were cleverly fixed together. After being plunged into the chest, one of the daggers could rotate along the point where the two daggers were fixed, making the two daggers like a pair of scissors, except that the blade of the scissors was on the inside, while the blade of this dagger was facing outwards." Chang Lili explained in a serious tone, completely different from the carefree and rascal-loving Chang Lili of the past.
Meng Yuxiu's eyes lit up: "So this weapon not only stabbed my friend, but also injured his internal organs from the inside. These people are truly vicious!"
Chang Lili looked at Meng Yuxiu with satisfaction, a hint of triumph in her eyes.
But seeing Meng Yuxiu's gloomy face, saddened and indignant for her friend, she immediately suppressed her own emotions and comforted him, "This was an ambush, so it was naturally an extremely vile method. Now that we have a clue, I believe we will soon find the culprit."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
