Jian Fan pondered his words carefully. “If I said I forgot, would you believe me?”

  “Ha,” Qin Nan replied coldly.

  Jian Fan knew Qin Nan would believe him unless he asked directly. However, thinking about how he had made a foolish mistake yesterday without Jian Fan's reminder, he felt emotionally unable to trust Jian Fan's words.

  “What did you do yesterday?” Jian Fan quickly read the deeper meaning behind Qin Nan's expression.

  “Remember the big gash on the deceased’s head? I caused it,” Qin Nan pointed to himself.

  Jian Fan was momentarily speechless.

  He suddenly felt he had been too hasty in assuring Qin Wei Yi.

  Since Qin Nan had opened up, he decided to recount everything that happened yesterday, concluding, “Xia Zeqin isn’t the murderer. Based on the current situation, Xu Tian should be the one who injured the deceased. If we rule out you and Qin Wei Yi, there aren’t many suspects left.”

  “Just because someone is pretending to be the young master doesn’t mean it’s Xu Tian. But you can rule out Mu Xin as well,” Jian Fan replied.

  Qin Nan smirked. “Just say it outright: the smart ones are unlikely to be the culprits. We, the second-rate players, are probably suspicious, but the ones who failed to kill are the most likely suspects.”

  After a pause, he looked at Jian Fan. “Is that how it works?”

  Jian Fan rarely smiled at Qin Nan.

  “I suddenly understand why you said the previous world was harder,” Qin Nan mused.

  In this world, Jian Fan wouldn’t put himself in a dangerous position, while in the last one, it was purely luck that had played a role.

  This made things seem much easier than Qin Nan had anticipated.

  With Xia Zeqin, Jian Fan, Qin Wei Yi, Lu Jing, and Mu Xin ruled out, it left only four suspects: Zheng Jueming, Lin Junru, and the two members of Xia Zeqin’s team.

  “What if Xia Zeqin and Mu Xin have already alerted their teammates?” Qin Nan suddenly asked.

  Jian Fan looked at him. “First of all, they’re not the type to care about their teammates’ lives. Secondly, just because you say something doesn’t mean they’ll listen.”

  “Understood. Even the gods can’t save those who want to self-destruct, and I am someone abandoned by the gods,” Qin Nan said, casting a meaningful glance at Jian Fan.

  Jian Fan was at a loss for words.

  “Sorry,” Jian Fan thought for a moment and added, “I’ve never done this before, nor was there a need to. I’ll try my best in the future.”

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Qin Nan wasn’t truly blaming Jian Fan; after all, the choice was his. But receiving Jian Fan’s assurance made Qin Nan smile. “It’s a deal.”

  The eleven players returned to the main hall and took their seats.

  In the past, Xia Zeqin would usually be the first to speak, but this time he remained silent, and others also seemed hesitant to break the silence in the room.

  “Is no one going to say anything?” Qin Nan took the initiative to ask.

  Xia Zeqin adjusted his sitting posture and replied, “On the day of the murder, I was in my own courtyard, and the servants there can vouch for me. After today’s inquiries, I should be able to prove my innocence. As for my inquiry results…” Xia Zeqin paused for effect, “I plan to share them later. I want to see if everyone is willing to be honest first.”

  Qin Wei Yi agreed. “Why don’t we all confess first?”

  Lu Jing immediately responded with a “yes” after Qin Wei Yi finished speaking, while others remained quiet, occasionally glancing at each other, deep in thought.

  “Alright, I’ll go first,” Qin Nan said, taking the lead.

  All eyes turned to him.

  “On the day my father was murdered, I went to his courtyard. I heard Xiao Cui say that my father called for my elder brother to discuss business, and I was unhappy about it, so I intended to confront my father. Xia Zeqin, you just said you were in your own courtyard, which I believe I can indirectly confirm. When I arrived at my father’s courtyard, I didn’t see my elder brother, but I did see someone wearing the same clothes as you, but shorter than my father,” Qin Nan explained.

  Xia Zeqin chuckled. “That’s right. On the day of the incident, my father did send someone to call for me, but I didn’t go because we had just had a disagreement about business. I didn’t expect you to speak up for me.”

  Qin Nan maintained his composure. “I’m just stating the facts.”

  “So, when you arrived, your father was still alive. Who then was the one impersonating the young master?” Qin Wei Yi interjected.

  Qin Nan nodded. “Being shorter than my father is a notable feature. However, that person shouldn’t be the murderer. I saw them talking before leaving the courtyard for a while, and by eight o’clock, when I went back to find my father, the person who looked like my elder brother was already gone, and my father had been injured.”

  At this point, Qin Nan paused, took a deep breath, and continued, “The injury on my father’s forehead was caused by me.”

  If he, Jian Fan, and Qin Wei Yi could get Mu Xin on their side, they would have five votes. He wouldn’t necessarily be voted as the murderer, so Qin Nan was prepared to take a risk.

  As soon as he spoke, the atmosphere in the room became tense.

  “I don’t know what I was thinking at the time—maybe it was anger or panic. When I saw my father awake, I hit him with the inkstone. But upon reflection, the person who killed my father couldn’t possibly be me. I was the one who caused the second wound, but my father hadn’t been castrated yet, and the death scene we eventually saw hadn’t been set up. I choose to be honest because I hope we can work together to find the real murderer. The one who injured my father and the one who stabbed him are not the murderer. I hope the one who stabbed my father will step forward. My testimony can ensure you’re not the murderer.” Qin Nan made his intentions clearer.

  After Qin Nan finished speaking, some remained expressionless, like Xia Zeqin, Jian Fan, and Qin Wei Yi, while others exchanged glances.

  “It was me,” Xu Tian suddenly spoke up.

  Qin Nan’s gaze shifted to Xu Tian.

  “I was the one who changed into the young master’s clothes to meet the old master. While I was talking with him, I did hear some commotion outside. Now it seems that was when the second young master appeared. I did stab the old master, but the reason for that isn’t the focus right now. After I stabbed him, I panicked and left through the back door, returning to my own quarters. After that, I don’t know what happened,” Xu Tian explained.

  Xu Tian was certainly hiding something, but her willingness to share this much was commendable.

  However, Lin Junru raised a counterpoint. “After Xu Tian left, Qin Nan showed up and injured the old master. Then Qin Nan left, and Xu Tian could have returned to the crime scene.”

  Lin Junru immediately targeted Xu Tian.