Shigeo felt uneasy. The truth was, last night all his senses had been locked onto the ghost-masked figure standing over him, so he hadn't paid attention to what was happening in the other rooms. Otherwise, he might have caught the exact method Wu Youhua used to commit her crime.
But if he didn't expose this matter tonight, it would only get harder later.
Everything already pointed clearly—Wu Youhua was the murderer. But why had she orchestrated this self-righteous act, pretending to be a benevolent ruler? Why spend enormous sums to summon so many shinobi and medical-nin to Wu Wang City?
If he struck too soon, would it only alert the snake and ruin the investigation? These were all things Shigeo had to weigh carefully.
"Enough already! Curfew, curfew—everyone back to your rooms. The corpses will be taken away soon. Over this past year, countless people have died already. You outsiders may think it strange, but for us in Wu Wang City, we've long grown used to it. Go back and sleep!"
Once again, the voice of the old innkeeper of Yao Hai Tower rang through the hall.
Shigeo raised his voice in reply:
"Get used to death? How can that ever be normal? Everyone, I know who the murderer is!"
The crowd that had been about to disperse all froze and rushed back to the doorway of the crime scene.
"Who is it? Wasn't it the sea demon?"
"Of course not. The culprit is someone you've all seen before…"
"Who? Say it! Who?"
"The lord of Wu Wang City—Wu Youhua!" Shigeo's words were sharp and firm.
He couldn't think too much now. Maybe disrupting her plan ahead of time was the only way to force her hand, to make her reveal herself sooner.
The gathered shinobi and medics stared in disbelief. Some even scoffed:
"Don't spout nonsense. If the lord wanted to kill people, why bother hiring shinobi to protect her people? She could just kill a few each day at will. If she truly were the murderer, summoning all of us here would only be asking for trouble."
"…"
Shigeo realized he had been impulsive. It was hard to explain in a way anyone would believe.
"Even if I don't know why she gathered all of us here, what I am certain of is this—last night, the one who flayed those corpses was her. I even have proof!"
The corridor grew silent. The innkeeper, who had been about to bark and drive everyone away, fell quiet. His triangular eyes gleamed from the shadows, staring at Shigeo with vicious malice.
Among the crowd, Shennong sneered:
"Oh? And what proof do you have?"
Shigeo raised his tweezers, then plucked a hair from the corpse.
"Look at this."
"Hair? What's so strange about that?" Shennong asked coolly, his eyes dark. Others echoed him—clearly unconvinced.
"Look closer. This hair is purple, and this length—exactly the same as Wu Youhua's. Which means she was here!" Shigeo pointed around the room.
Unfortunately, with so many people having entered the chamber after the death, much of the lighter evidence had already been trampled and lost. Only this strand of hair had remained.
"A single strand of hair isn't proof. The city is full of people. Even this inn has plenty of visitors. There are plenty of kunoichi with long hair. How can you claim it's hers?" Shennong pressed, bitterness in his tone—as though he desperately wished he could silence Shigeo right then and there.
"In this city, how many common folk have you seen? Among all the kunoichi here, how many have purple hair this long? And look at the lipstick color here—it's identical to what we saw on her lips in the castle today. And these bite marks—don't they match her too? Wu Youhua tricked us into coming here. She clearly has another purpose!"
Shigeo knew he was being reckless, but if the corpses were taken away, tomorrow it would be near impossible to find any evidence left that could implicate her.
"Bah, nonsense. Go back to sleep!" Shennong snapped, shoving through the crowd. He shook his head and sighed loudly:
"A child's wild accusations. Ridiculous. To slander with just a strand of hair? Outrageous!"
The others also shook their heads, dismissing it as flimsy reasoning, and one by one left the scene.
Only two shinobi lingered, continuing to examine the corpses more carefully—perhaps reconsidering Shigeo's words.
Soon after, the city guard arrived to collect the bodies. The crowd remained restless in the corridor until the innkeeper shooed them back, reassigning rooms. Reluctantly, they all returned to their chambers.
It was a sleepless night.
The next morning, the selection trial was held in the castle atop the cliff. Every medical-nin was present, even those who had shouted about wanting to leave the city the night before.
As the innkeeper had said, it was impossible for anyone to leave Wu Wang now.
Today, Wu Youhua looked far healthier. She sat lazily upon her high throne, her eyes bright, two female attendants at her side.
She cleared her throat and spoke:
"Everyone, about last night—you've no doubt heard already. Those sea demons are truly audacious. And since Wu Wang is a land forgotten by both great nations… The Daimyo of Kawa no Kuni refuses to give us aid, citing our location on the border with Kaze no Kuni. The Wind Daimyo likewise turns a blind eye. But it matters not. Wu Wang has wealth—I can hire my own protectors. That is why I issued commissions everywhere."
"My request is simple: I ask you medical-nin to help me cleanse this evil, so that Wu Wang's citizens may know peace again."
With a clap, her guards carried forward five flayed corpses—two of them the same from last night's murders in Yao Hai Tower.
Wu Youhua's gaze fell briefly, almost mockingly, upon Shigeo.
So—last night this boy had dared accuse her of being the killer? Today, she would make sure he never left this place alive.
"Now then," she continued, "show me your skills. Whoever can find the culprit who killed these people will advance immediately. Whoever can deduce the cause of death will also enter the final round. Begin!"
Leaning back into her throne, Wu Youhua smiled slyly, eyes gleaming with cunning.
The medical-nin surged forward to examine the five corpses in detail.
But Shigeo already knew the truth. He stood quietly to the side, his sightless blue eyes locked on the woman upon the throne, his expression fearless.
That calm, unyielding look made Wu Youhua's heart twist with irritation. She sneered inwardly, then licked her lips slowly, flashing a teasing smile. She extended a finger, beckoning him forward.
(End of Chapter)
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