"Qi Xia," Zhang Chenze said, her expression stoic and arms folded. "The first person Han Yimo called out was you. Did you know each other before?"
Qi Xia, with his hand still pressed against his forehead, replied without looking up, "No."
"Do you have any clues about his death?" Zhang Chenze continued to inquire.
Qi Xia didn't respond further, instead directing his focus to the giant sword impaled in Han Yimo's body.
The sword had an ancient design, resembling a beautifully crafted piece of art.
Its surface bore numerous battle scars, suggesting it had seen many conflicts.
But in this era, who would wield such a giant sword to fight against people?
"Qi Xia, I'm asking you something," Zhang Chenze said irritably. "Aren't you going to explain yourself?"
"No matter if you're the murderer or not, you should say something to clear the suspicion, no?"
Qi Xia still didn't respond. Instead, he reached out to draw the sword.
"Hey!" Police Officer Li quickly approached. "Qi Xia, regardless of whether you're the murderer, we need to protect the crime scene! Otherwise—"
"Otherwise, what?" Qi Xia interrupted. "Otherwise, when more police come to investigate, it's easy to lose evidence?"
Police Officer Li's mouth twitched, leaving him at a loss for words.
Given the circumstances, waiting for the police to arrive seemed impossible. The real question was whether they could even make it out alive.
Seeing Police Officer Li fall silent, Qi Xia resumed his efforts, using both hands to draw the sword.
He summoned every ounce of his strength, finally managing to extricate the sword entirely from the ground.
When Qiao Jiajin rushed forward to assist, he quickly discovered that the giant sword was even heavier than he had anticipated. The completely black, ancient sword was crafted from an unknown metal that weighed approximately 75 kilograms—equivalent to the weight of a robust adult man.
Qi Xia gasped heavily as he heaved the metal sword to the ground, the impact creating a resounding noise.
After a moment of gathering himself, Qi Xia took a deep breath before addressing Zhang Chenze. "Lawyer Zhang, let's clarify. This metal sword is longer than a person, weighing over fifty kilograms. Are you still suspicious that I lifted this sword in the early hours of the morning, silently killed Han Yimo, who couldn't move, and then drove the sword deeply into the ground?"
Zhang Chenze pursed her lips, her complexion turning grim.
"And prior to that, to prevent you all from discovering it, this metal sword was concealed in my pants pocket all along, correct?" Qi Xia queried again.
Seeing the tense atmosphere, Police Officer Li stepped forward to defuse the situation. "Qi Xia, if you didn't kill Han Yimo, why did you feel the need to pull out the sword?"
Qi Xia didn't engage further with Zhang Chenze. Instead, he lowered his head to examine the giant sword stained with blood.
Carefully inspecting it, he shook his head, then turned over the metal sword.
True to his suspicions, engraved on the other side of the sword handle were three small words: {Seven Evil Sword}.
There wasn't much useful information in Han Yimo's final words. It seemed he was grappling with a realization, but unfortunately, he hadn't clarified it before his death.
The only detail Qi Xia retained from his words was the phrase {Seven Evil Sword}.
"Is this sword called the {Seven Evil Sword}?" Qiao Jiajin asked from the side.
Qi Xia gently stroked his chin, pondering aloud, "The engraving on the sword wasn't facing Han Yimo, so he shouldn't have known its name when he was stabbed. Why did he mention {Seven Evil Sword}?"
"I think your line of thinking is rather unconventional," Police Officer Li shook his head, commenting, "Why focus on the name of the murder weapon? Shouldn't we be investigating the cause of Han Yimo's death?"
Qi Xia glanced at Police Officer Li and responded, "Han Yimo was killed during daylight. Even if he was asleep, the pain should have woken him immediately. He should have seen the attacker theoretically, yet he didn't mention the murderer's identity but referenced the {Seven Evil Sword} twice. Isn't that peculiar?"
"But he called your name..." Xiao Ran whispered softly. "Disregarding the name of the sword, Han Yimo did call out your name first."
"So?" Qi Xia asked, his tone neutral.
"So... you're the murderer..." Xiao Ran replied timidly, hiding behind Police Officer Li and avoiding Qi Xia's gaze.
Qi Xia didn't argue. He simply stared at Xiao Ran, seemingly assessing whether she was the true culprit or simply foolish.
"And our companion has passed away, yet you show no sorrow, only calmly analyzing the situation. But you're just a swindler! What good is your analysis?" Xiao Ran's voice trembled with tears. "Who here would believe you?"
"{Sorrow}?" Qi Xia frowned, seeming puzzled. "Are you suggesting... I should mourn someone I've only known for a day?"
"You're so cold-blooded, that's why I’m calling you the murderer!" Xiao Ran's voice escalated. "You wanted to leave last night, didn't you? Why did you stay instead? Anyone with a bit of sense would see it's because you planned to kill."
By now, Qi Xia had largely concluded that the woman before him might not be the murderer, but she was certainly a fool.
She had previously shouted something along the lines of, {Why should we trust this swindler?} in the room they were initially in.
To her, {logic} held little sway; she only embraced the conclusions that suited her desires.
Qiao Jiajin couldn't tolerate it any longer and said to Xiao Ran, "Hey, silly gal, if you don't want to use your brain, don't interrupt others. I think Swindler Lad's analysis makes sense."
"But you three aren't exactly good people!" Xiao Ran retorted indignantly. "Someone just died here, and the three of you are the most suspicious, no? What's wrong with me being stupid? Even if I'm stupid, I know better than to commit crimes."
This statement was directed not only at Qi Xia but also at Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian beside him.
Indeed, the three of them were never regarded as virtuous individuals.
Qi Xia nodded solemnly and replied, "What you've said is true."
Abandoning his examination of the body and the giant sword, he stood up slowly and declared, "There's no need for further investigation. I'm the one who killed him."
Upon hearing Qi Xia's admission, everyone remained stoic.
Only Xiao Ran seemed agitated as she exclaimed, "See! He confessed! All that talk about the sword was just a distraction!"
Police Officer Li frowned, lost in thought beside them.
"Hey! Swindler Lad!" Qiao Jiajin couldn't comprehend it anymore. "Even if you confess, who's going to believe you? Not to mention, even if you move this sword with me, it would still make noise."
Qi Xia waved his hand dismissively and walked out of the convenience store.
"It doesn't matter. With only ten days left, accusations of murder hold little weight. Besides, I have no desire to debate with fools," Qi Xia remarked.
Upon hearing Qi Xia's words, Qiao Jiajin pursed his lips and followed suit. Tian Tian, who had already resolved to accompany Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin from the start, saw no reason to remain either.
Lin Qin turned to Police Officer Li, sharing a meaningful glance as if intending to convey something unspoken. Then, shaking her head, she departed.
The group of eight remaining individuals split into two teams.
The four remaining individuals wore somewhat complex expressions, though Xiao Ran appeared relieved as she remarked, "Great... those unpleasant people have finally left."
"Xiao Ran, we seem to have overlooked something," Doctor Zhao whispered to her quietly.
Xiao Ran rushed out of the building and called out to the four departing figures.
Qi Xia turned back coldly, unsure of what Xiao Ran intended to do next.
"Have you forgotten something?" Xiao Ran asked urgently. "Where are the {Dào}?"
"Yes, the four {Dào} that the nine of us risked our lives to get. They can't all be taken away by you, can they?"