Holding a lantern, guiding souls across, Lady Hou comes from the underworld.

Faced with such "hospitality," Ada was so frightened that she became incoherent.

"My lord, I... I am not worthy..."

If he were to be "treated" with physical pain, he probably wouldn't be so terrified.

But it's precisely this method...

How could he not be intimidated by the rumored "Living Yama" treating him with such courtesy and even offering to dine with him?

Ren Fengjue feigned surprise: "What do you mean by this?"

Ada was so frightened that tears streamed down her face: "I... a death row inmate, how dare I dine with you, sir..."

That is incorrect.

Ren Fengjue reached out and picked up the white jade cup, poured himself a cup of wine, and placed it in front of him.

"You didn't kill the person; you're a scapegoat. I'm here to clear your name and restore your innocence."

Upon hearing his words, Ada trembled like a leaf, unsure how to respond.

Ren Fengjue then said, "Sit down."

It was just one word, spoken softly and even gently, yet it was incredibly intimidating.

Ada dared not disobey, and with a combination of his hands and feet, he managed to get the child onto the table.

The dishes in front of me were truly plentiful.

He was imprisoned in the dungeon for half a year, and could only eat scraps of food every day.

During those days of extreme hunger and cold, he felt immense regret and even silently prayed that God would give him a way to survive.

At this moment, it feels like a dream.

Ren Fengjue then gestured for him to start eating.

"please."

Ada had no choice but to pick up her chopsticks cautiously, first taking a bite of warm rice, and then picking up a large piece of braised pork.

Ren Fengjue smiled at him, "These are the dishes and wine from Zuihualou. Are you satisfied?"

Ada dared not nod, much less shake her head.

That's the Drunken Flower Pavilion! He'd lived half his life without ever going there once.

This feeling brought tears to his eyes for no apparent reason.

So, he stuffed all the meat into his mouth at once...

Ren Fengjue watched him silently as he wolfed down his food, like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds...

Alright, it's time.

"Li Ada".

He called out, then took a bundle from Guan Yue's hand and gently placed it on the table.

"Here are thirty taels of silver and a change of clothes. After you finish this meal, let Doctor Guan escort you out of the yamen."

"I have already prepared the official document announcing your 'acquittal'."

"From this moment on, you are no longer a death row inmate, but a clean and free man."

These words were spoken so sincerely and naturally, as if it were truly the truth…

Ada was jolted awake as if from a dream.

He shuddered, and his chopsticks fell to the ground.

"Sir, are you... what kind of joke are you making?"

Ren Fengjue's smile remained unchanged: "What kind of person do you take me for? Why would I joke with you?"

Ada immediately knelt on the ground: "Sir, I am a death row inmate, I killed someone..."

"You can't just let me go like this..."

Ren Fengjue's smile was tinged with coldness: "In that case, tell me, how did you kill that person that day?"

Ada immediately confessed: "That day, I dragged that Liu woman into a grove of trees, intending to...do something indecent to her!"

"She screamed and struggled desperately, and her two children were crying beside her. I was afraid they would make too much noise and be heard by passersby, so I simply picked up a stone from the side and smashed them to death..."

"wrong."

Ren Fengjue slowly shook his head. "In your confession that day, you said the murder weapon wasn't a stone, but a sharp, thorny piece of wood."

Ada was stunned.

Ren Fengjue then asked, "Think again, how many times did that piece of wood pierce Liu before she died?"

"He hit her...he hit her five or six times, and her head was bleeding profusely..."

"Wrong again!"

Ren Fengjue's voice gradually turned cold: "She had no wounds on her head. She died from blood loss after being pierced through the chest by a sharp piece of wood."

"How could that be?"

In an instant, Ada began to panic, muttering, "She was crushed to death!"

"Think about it again."

Ren Fengjue's voice grew increasingly cold and authoritative: "Was she stabbed to death, or was she crushed to death?"

"Smash... Stab..."

Ada felt her mind go completely blank.

Those "confessions" that had been given countless times six months ago are beginning to become blurred.

Panic, confusion, fear, doubt.

He could no longer tell...

Ren Fengjue, however, refused to let him off the hook, saying almost word by word, "You are not the murderer at all."

"I am the murderer!"

Ada lay prostrate on the ground, completely out of control, almost screaming, "I am the murderer, sir! Please stop asking questions and lock me up in the dungeon..."

Ren Fengjue stood up and slowly walked over to him.

"I now formally ask you: who exactly murdered Lady Liu of Yan County and her two children?"

"What exactly did you receive from that person that made you willing to take all the blame and become his scapegoat?"

"If you answer, I can spare your life."

"If you do not answer, we will throw you out of the Ministry of Justice right now and announce it to the world."

"You should know better than I what the consequences will be, right?"

Ada was so frightened that her face turned pale.

Having come this far, he was certainly not afraid of death.

What's more terrifying than death is the fear of the unknown.

He knew that even if he was declared innocent and released, "that person" would definitely not let him go.

More importantly, family members may also lose their lives as a result.

He has only one option: death, either at the execution ground, or in the dungeon, or...

With this thought in mind, there are no more worries.

He desperately rammed into the wall beside him, but the expected death did not come. Instead, he was lifted up by a force behind him and flew backward.

Ada fell heavily to the ground, feeling dizzy and lightheaded.

Ren Fengjue stepped on him and grabbed his chin to prevent him from biting his tongue.

"Li Ada, you have only one choice in my eyes—tell the truth."

"I, Ren Fengjue, am a man of my word. I make a promise to you, and I will always keep it."

"If you can trust 'that person,' why not trust me this once?"

With no hope of dying and unable to struggle, Ada finally gave in when she looked at the upright young man in front of her.

I said…

"The person who killed Lady Liu was Zheng Daoyuan, the prefect of Shuntian Prefecture."

"It was he... who threatened the lives of my entire family to force me to take the blame."

"Lord Ren, my death is of no concern to me, but the lives of my family are in your hands!"

Ren Fengjue loosened his grip and immediately instructed Guan Yue, who was standing to the side, "Do you know what to do?"

Guan Yue hurriedly replied, "This subordinate understands, I will do it right away."

As night fell, inside the Shuntian Prefectural Government's residence, after hearing news from his advisors about the dungeons in the capital, Zheng Daoyuan slumped into a chair.

"It's over. If Ren Fengjue finds out about this, we're all doomed."

The aide was filled with apprehension. "Given this situation, we have no choice but to go all the way and find a reliable person to send to the Ministry of Justice!"

Zheng Daoyuan knew that there was no other way, so he simply waved his hand.

"Go do it, do it cleanly, and don't leave any of his family alive."

"Yes."

After his advisors left, Zheng Daoyuan remained unsettled and began pacing back and forth in his room.

Suddenly, there was another knock on the door.

A figure stood outside the door.

"Who?"

The man did not respond.

Zheng Daoyuan was in a state of confusion and didn't think much before he stepped forward and opened the door.

However, by the light from under the eaves, he saw a familiar yet eerie face.

"Is...it you?"

His tone was filled with disbelief.

The newcomer smiled and said, "I need to borrow something from you."