Hearing this voice, Zhang Datui couldn’t help but rejoice.
Looking in the direction from which the voice came, indeed, it was a familiar figure.
Zhang San walked step by step towards the Demon-Execution Platform.
The people kneeling around, although not knowing who he was, anyone with a brain could tell that with both King Jin and the Crown Prince involved today, the intrigue here was probably deeper than the tricks of the ladies of Pingkang Fang.
"All this talk about executing this one and that one, in the end, isn’t it just to lure me, Zhang San, out? Now, I have come out!"
As soon as Zhang San finished speaking, he saw an enraged Zhang Datui roar, "She is indeed a demon!"
"But your Town Demon Office has no evidence."
Zhang San’s tone was very calm, but the calmer he was, the more infuriated Zhang Datui became.
"I am the evidence! I can prove that she is a fox demon!"
Zhang San smiled and said, "Then how can you prove it?"
"I can swear on my life! This woman, Hu Xingxiang, is indeed from the Snow Fox clan!"
Zhang San laughed and said, "Well then, stab yourself in the heart with a blade now, and I will believe your words; I will believe she is a fox demon!"
Zhang Datui, always a brute, would charge into any fight with a fist swinging!
Yet, the affair today was both against his conscience and suffocating.
If it were not because Hu Xingxiang was indeed from the Demon Clan, Zhang Datui would rather have been killed by Qian Shanxiu than serve as the unfortunate Execution Supervisor.
Now Zhang San was mocking him?
Zhang Datui directly pulled out the ceremonial blade from his waist, cloaked it in Refining Qi into Gang, and stabbed it towards his own chest.
As fresh red splashed out behind him, the martial artists beside him were stunned.
He was now afraid that Zhang Datui would turn his head and ask him what usually happens in this situation. After all, it was his first time seeing an Execution Supervisor stab himself first during an execution.
"Now, can you prove it?" Zhang Datui roared at Zhang San below.
Although gravely injured, he couldn’t lose in terms of momentum!
Zhang Datui had been stewing in anger for too long today; he desperately needed Zhang San to bow his head and admit he was right!
However, at that moment, Zhang San didn’t even glance at Zhang Datui but instead looked very gently at Hu Xingxiang on the Demon-Execution Platform and asked, "The golden hairpin I gave you, why aren’t you wearing it?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Datui spat out a mouthful of blood.
Damn it, does no one care if I live or die?
Hu Xingxiang lowered her head, slightly shy, and said, "It’s too precious; I couldn’t bear to wear it, but I’ve kept it close to my body all this time."
Zhang San smiled and said, "Put it on. No matter how precious, a hairpin is meant to be worn on your head."
Hu Xingxiang tried to take the hairpin out from within her clothes, but her hands were bound, so she could only stretch a tail from under her skirt, roll the golden hairpin up with the tail, take it out, and insert it into her hair.
Seeing this scene, the recently blood-spitting Zhang Datui was overjoyed and exclaimed, "A fox’s tail! She revealed her fox’s tail! Hahaha... I told you, she’s a demon! She’s a demon!"
At that moment, Shen Erxian looked somewhat sympathetically at Zhang Datui.
Actually, all the big shots who came today could guess that Hu Xingxiang was definitely a fox demon.
After all, the Demon-Execution Platform had never executed wrongly before.
But everyone pretended not to know, hoping to muddle through the affair. It was just him who took everyone’s false words for truth, which was indeed pitiful.
Zhang San shouted towards Zhang Datui, "Since Principal Officer Zhang Datui has such keen eyesight, you could surely also see the two characters on the golden hairpin on Hu Xingxiang’s head, right?"
"Lonely? It’s truly a Fox Demon, even the inscription on the hairpin seduces others with the words of Fox Charm. Hmph!"
Zhang San was taken aback and hurriedly asked, "Principal Officer Zhang, could you take another look? Is it really ’Lonely’ written there, or is it the surname of the Empress of Great Sui?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Datui was also startled and immediately looked at the golden hairpin.
Indeed, he had mistakenly reversed the order just now — the hairpin was engraved with two characters — Dugu.
"So it’s Dugu! So what!?"
"No matter, this was merely a gift from the Empress when she took me, Zhang San, as her foster son. I cherish it deeply, so I gave it to Hu Xingxiang, who holds the most significance in my heart. Of course, if the Town Demon Office dares to execute a woman wearing a hairpin gifted by the Empress, go ahead!"
Although Zhang Datui was reckless, he was aware that the Little Fox had connections with the Empress, so it was difficult for him to take action.
What if... I just refuse to acknowledge it?
Since I’ve already thrown away all decency, might as well go all the way!
At that moment, Zhang Datui realized that the highest realm in life wasn’t what those Great Scholars in the Capital talked about, admiring the high mountains, nor was it what those old Taoists spoke of, being as virtuous as water and embracing tranquility and inaction.
The highest realm in life is — shamelessness!
As long as you are shameless enough, you can accomplish anything you wish to do!
Just when Zhang Datui thought he had found the magical treasure to victory, Zhang San continued speaking, "Speaking of which, Crown Prince Brother, you were present the day the Empress bestowed the golden hairpin on me. She even said that it should remind us brothers to quarrel less, right?"
The Crown Prince, seeing Zhang San step forward, knew that the arrangements of the Town Demon Office would surely remove this thorn in his side today.
But he never expected that at this moment, Zhang San would suddenly call out to him.
And Zhang San spoke only the truth, so he couldn’t deny it in front of everyone.
If he denied even the words his mother had said, it wouldn’t just be a simple lie anymore.
Unfilial acts and disrespect, among other accusations, were likely to be immediately thrown at him.
"Even though Mother took you in as a foster son, she didn’t allow you to misuse the gifts she gave you! Since Hu Xingxiang is a member of the Demon Clan, she should be executed by the Town Demon Office! This is the law of the land!"
Zhang San smiled and said, "Then, if I decide not to leave here today and let the Town Demon Office arrest me, Principal Officer Zhang, could you allow Hu Xingxiang to leave safely and ensure that she won’t be harassed in the future? And allow her to continue living in my house, coming and going freely?"
Zhang Datui was reluctant to agree.
But perhaps because his chest had been bleeding continuously, Zhang Datui had sobered up considerably from his previous frenzy.
His purpose for coming here today was never to kill the Fox Demon.
A perfectly transformed Little Fox Demon, although of interest to the Town Martial Office, was nowhere near as important as capturing Zhang San.
His only goal today was — to capture Zhang San!
"Fine! If you agree to stand still, then I will let Hu Xingxiang go!"
Zhang Datui said, seeming to show sincerity. He raised his hand, and a wave of Qi Gang immediately broke the bonds on Hu Xingxiang’s body.
Hu Xingxiang immediately jumped off the Demon-Execution Platform and landed next to Zhang San.
"San Lang, don’t worry about me. I can escape on my own."
Zhang San smiled and reached out to touch Hu Xingxiang’s head, saying, "Don’t worry, I’ll be fine."
As Zhang San spoke, someone from the crowd came over to grab at Hu Xingxiang’s skirt. It was only then that Hu Xingxiang noticed it was her aunt.
At the same time, many Martial Artists from the Town Demon Office also stood up from the ground, pushing through the kneeling crowd, and gathered around Zhang San.
Zhang San looked at Zhang Datui on the Execution Oversight Platform, clutching his chest, and slowly raised his hand, holding up three fingers.
"I, Zhang San, swear to heaven, if I truly am the mastermind behind the Floating Corpse Case, may I be struck by lightning from the heavens!"
At that moment, nobody expected Zhang San to express in various ways that he had been wrongly accused.
But what nobody expected even more was that, just then, in a cloudless sky, a bolt of lightning exploded.
The sound of thunder shook the Capital City!