Chapter 73
This was also within Wang Jin's expectations.
If Mu ger's words had been useful, he wouldn't have let Mu ger leave earlier. Coming out now wouldn’t help explain anything—instead...
"...Mu ger was hiding in the house just now, wasn’t he? Since A-Yu suffered such a thing, he was also there just now... That means Mu ger... is an accomplice!" Yue ger said softly, his trembling finger pointing at Mu ger, his face pale with horror, as if he had discovered something shocking.
"!" Mu ger stared at Yue ger in disbelief, his mouth agape, unable to utter a word.
Just as expected... Wang Jin twitched his lips. Mu ger had always protected him, and this person had long held a grudge against Mu ger...
Wang Jin reached out and pulled Mu ger behind him, shielding him. Mu ger was pregnant, if a real conflict broke out, he couldn’t let him get hurt.
Mu ger had never imagined that this delicate figure would one day stand in front of him. When this person first arrived in the tribe, he was a lunatic with a muddled mind—recognizing no one, attacking everyone. It had taken Mu ger tremendous effort to make him accept his presence.
After accepting him, this person had clung to him constantly—seeking him when hungry, when thirsty, hiding behind him when beaten. Mu ger had grown accustomed to shielding this person in everything...
He had never imagined that one day this person’s madness would fade, nor that he would stand so bravely in front of him.
His frame had always been delicate. Even after marrying Brother Heng, when his living conditions improved, he hadn’t gained much weight. Such a small figure, standing under the sun, would cast only a tiny shadow on the ground. Yet now, standing before him, he seemed like a towering mountain, capable of blocking all wind and rain. The shade he cast felt like a blessed sanctuary, sheltering him...
Mu ger’s fingers tightened slightly, gripping Wang Jin’s hand firmly.
Wang Jin spoke loudly: "You don’t believe A-Mu’s words. Yao ger is the leader’s neighbor, compared to me, he’s much closer to the leader’s family... Surely, you’ll believe him, right?"
The leader frowned, and the crowd murmured. Wang Jin continued, "Ever since Yue ger married the leader, Yu ger has clashed with Yue ger many times. Yao ger can testify, he’s personally witnessed Yu ger and Yue ger arguing, right, Yao ger?"
Wang Jin turned to Yao ger, who nodded and said, "Yu ger loved to eat and ate a lot. But after Yue ger came, the food portions shrank. He wasn’t happy and... quarreled with Yue ger a few times."
Seeing Yue ger glare at him, Yao ger shrank back, stammering as he tried to distance himself: "He’s lost so much weight, everyone in the tribe can see it."
Yue ger’s eyes turned sharp as he pointed at Yao ger, about to speak, but Wang Jin quickly cut in: "Yue ger, you claim I harmed Yu ger because of past conflicts. Well, I say you killed him because of your constant quarrels at home."
"Nonsense!" Yue ger snapped. "I’m sickly, how could I possibly hurt A-Yu? Besides... how do you explain this wine..."
At this, Wang Jin flexed his fingers slightly, releasing Mu ger, and walked toward Yu ger...
Yu ger lay in a pool of blood, surrounded by shattered porcelain, pieces of dishes and a wine jar...
His expression was peaceful, as if he had suffered no pain. But Wang Jin knew there was a large, bloody hole at the back of his head, and all the blood on the ground had flowed from that wound...
In life, he had been just as delicate as Wang Jin, unable to bear even the slightest pain. The agony of that blow must have been unbearable...
His closed eyes, nostrils, ears, and lips were all stained with dried blood, now crusted black against his skin...
Wang Jin’s heart clenched. He closed his eyes to steady himself, then said, "The back of his head was struck. According to Yue ger and the leader, it was the wine jar..."
He spread his hands before the crowd. "My hands have no injuries at all."
The crowd looked puzzled. Wang Jin glanced around, spotted a water jar in the corner, and under everyone’s watchful eyes he grabbed it and smashed it against the table. The jar shattered, fragments scattering everywhere. At the same time, Wang Jin’s hand which was originally soft and fair, was now streaked with several bloody cuts.
Mu ger gasped and rushed forward to check, but Wang Jin patted his hand, signaling him to stay calm.
Though the ger’s face was pale with pain, his gaze toward Mu ger was firm and warm. Mu ger’s heart ached.
If Brother Heng found out about this, how heartbroken he would be...
After reassuring Mu ger, Wang Jin turned back, his sharp eyes sweeping over the crowd. The people instinctively stepped back, even the leader feeling an unusual aura emanating from him...
Usually soft and timid, like a small creature always in need of protection—yet now, his slender frame stood with such presence that, though it couldn’t drive the crowd away, it made them hesitate to approach.
Wang Jin showed his hands again, now completely different from before. He declared, "I’ve always been prone to injuries. Even brushing against grass can cut me. If I’d smashed a jar, no matter how careful, I couldn’t have come out unscathed... Yet earlier, you all saw my hands, no wounds at all. That means, at the very least, I couldn’t have been the one who struck Yu ger."
Those present were all gers. When Wang Jin had taught them weaving and making rouge, they’d all interacted with him enough to know his fragile constitution.
Seeing their expressions shift, Wang Jin glanced at Yue ger, who had stopped crying at some point and was now frantically hiding his hands. Wang Jin’s eyes gleamed as he said, "Yue ger, your hand seems injured..."
Yue ger startled, shoving his hands behind his back—only making the crowd more suspicious. The leader stepped forward, grabbed Yue ger’s hand, and despite his struggles, exposed it to everyone.
There was indeed a long cut. The crowd gasped.
"You..." The leader stared at Yue ger in shock. Yue ger hurriedly said, "It wasn’t me! This was from accidentally scratching myself with a hairpin."
"What a coincidence..." Wang Jin murmured.
Yue ger glared at Wang Jin and said, "It’s you! When you couldn’t clear your own suspicion, you shifted the blame onto me. You claim you’re easily hurt, but Mu ger was your accomplice, and he was the one who acted! Now you’re accusing me just because you think you have a grudge against me too. Wang Jin, you’re ruthless, killing two birds with one stone! You’re trying to wipe out both me and A-Yu in one go!"
"Stop spreading lies to confuse everyone!"
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