When Wenshu saw Zhang Yuqiu glaring at her menacingly, and then glanced at Wang Jue’s expressionless face, years of collegial relationship instantly froze to an absolute zero by their reactions, leaving her feeling profoundly wronged. With eyes red-rimmed, she looked at Wang Jue and pleaded, "They can't distinguish the real me from the fake one, but can't you?"

This question truly stumped Wang Jue. He stared into Wenshu's eyes, took a deep breath, deliberately avoided the topic of true versus false Wenshu, and said softly, "Things are different now. Why are you here?"

Wenshu immediately burst into tears, weeping incoherently. Zhang Yuqiu shot her a sidelong glance. "Don't think tears will move us; we know exactly who you are. What about those patients, doctors, and nurses who died unjustly in that mental hospital? Can you explain that to us?"

Hearing this, Wenshu cried even harder, sobbing as she tried to defend herself, "I was forced... If I didn't kill them... I would have died myself!"

"Hmph!" Zhang Yuqiu let out a cold, dismissive sneer, then railed at Wenshu, "You fear death that much! Every single person standing here has died once, yet we didn't abandon our principles when threatened! It’s a wonder Ming Xiaoyu searched that hospital full of man-eating spectral insects for you. I told him then his efforts were meaningless."

Scolded so severely, Wenshu cried even harder, shouting out in distress, "It wasn't like that! They told me if I killed ninety-nine people, I could live in this world forever. If I didn't kill those people, my parents would be murdered by them, never to see rebirth. I had no choice but to take up the butcher's knife! Furthermore, they said Xiaoyu was also immortal. As long as I did as they asked, Xiaoyu and I would be together forever."

"Sigh," Wang Jue interjected upon hearing this, letting out a breath. "After years as colleagues, I never thought you’d still be as naive as when you first arrived. You believe whatever people tell you, without any opinion or resistance of your own."

"That's not true!" Wenshu mumbled tearfully. "I just wanted my parents to live long and safely, and I wanted to stay with Xiaoyu."

"And did your hopes come true? Where are your parents now? Where is Xiaoyu now?" Zhang Yuqiu retorted.

"Wuuuuu..." Wenshu shook her head while crying, and after a long pause, managed to say, "I was separated from my parents. Xiaoyu was taken away by them to save me, along with Xiao Shu and another old man."

Wang Jue exchanged a glance with Hou Dayong and said calmly, "That's the core issue. Who took the three of them? Who was injured? What exactly happened?"

Seeing Wang Jue begin to interrogate her, Wenshu covered her mouth and shook her head incessantly, backing away step by step. "Don't ask me, don't ask me! I can't say it, I can't say it, or I won't be myself anymore..."

Hearing Wenshu say this, Wang Jue paused, puzzled by her sudden reaction. Just as he was about to step forward and soothe her, Zhang Yuqiu stopped him with a firm hand. She drew the bronze-hilted dagger from her waist, clutching it tightly in her palm, and said to Wang Jue, "She was left behind to deal with us. A puppet can never escape the control of the Puppet King."

As Zhang Yuqiu finished speaking, Wang Jue noticed Wenshu's face change exactly as predicted. The meek and hesitant expression from moments ago instantly transformed, becoming cold and saturated with killing intent.