Chapter 77: Results Revealed (2)

Seeing this, the coroner repeated, “Your mother was poisoned with a highly toxic substance.”

“Bang!”

Head Sheriff Tian was engulfed in fury, slamming the teacup down and glaring at the yamen coroner, demanding loudly, “Speak! Who gave you the audacity to deceive me?”

The coroner was instantly terrified, turning pale and trembling as they fell to their knees, stammering, “Head Sheriff… Sheriff, I… I’m not skilled…”

Head Sheriff Tian was already fed up. She knew what was going on. With a heavy sweep of her sleeve, she sat back in her chair and turned to ask, “What poison is it?”

“Head Sheriff, I’m sorry, but we coroner have never seen this poison before.”

For a moment, everyone fell silent, overwhelmed by the rapidly changing situation. It felt like riding a roller coaster, leaving them emotionally drained.

Meanwhile, in the crowd, Chen Xin was about to try to figure out the nature of the poison and send someone to inquire about it when a lazy, contemptuous voice echoed through the hall.

“What a bunch of idiots. This is the Nonghua Poison from Poison Valley, worth two hundred taels of silver. You’ve never heard of it? How embarrassing. I wonder if you haven’t been out of the city for too long?”

Upon hearing this, the crowd erupted in murmurs. Poison Valley? Isn’t that the sworn enemy of Medicine Valley? The rivalry between the two valleys was intense.

And why does the person speaking from the roof seem so familiar?

“Nonghua Poison from Poison Valley?” Head Sheriff Tian didn’t care who this person was, as long as she could get the answer she wanted, she pretended not to have heard the disrespectful remarks earlier.

Turning to Xian Xiaoxiao below, she said, “Xian Xiaoxiao, as the Magistrate said earlier, how could a commoner like your staff afford this two hundred taels poison? Moreover, my mother had no grievances with you. Is it possible that you were used as a scapegoat by the tavern?…”

The Magistrate finally relaxed her muscles upon hearing Head Sheriff Tian’s words and hastily echoed, “Yes, yes, it must be the tavern instructing her.”

Head Sheriff Tian shot a sharp glance at the one who interrupted her, “What’s the rush? I haven’t finished speaking!”

Continuing, she addressed Xian Xiaoxiao, “But my mother had no conflict with your tavern, and there’s no reason for such a deadly poison to be used suddenly. It immediately leads one to suspect that your tavern is the culprit. Speak up, I believe you must know who the mastermind is behind this poisoning. Who was behind the poisoning?” She stared directly at Xian Xiaoxiao.

Xian Xiaoxiao looked uneasy, hesitant to speak. She pointed at the female chef who poisoned the victim, “Head Sheriff, why not ask her? Wouldn’t that be more convincing?”

The lone female chef, kneeling on the ground, still immersed in the panic of her impending execution, felt as if her neck was being choked.

Suddenly, she felt a push from behind and looked forward with a dazed and hopeless expression, “What’s happening? Am I going to be executed?”

“The Head Sheriff is asking you a question.” Another worker from the tavern, who was usually cheerful and lively, approached and nudged her, eyes filled with fear and disdain. They never expected their usually jovial colleague to be a murderer.

Seeing the person responsible for her mother’s poisoning, Head Sheriff Tian’s expression darkened even further, brimming with hatred.

Even though she knew she was just a tool, she couldn’t help but resist the urge to kill at this moment, gritting her teeth and asking, “Who instructed you?”

At this moment, the chef regained her senses, but she still kept her head down, silent.

Everyone was anxious to know the identity of the ruthless perpetrator who didn’t spare even an innocent old lady.