Then… did you kill him?" Xiao Mu Yu asked coldly after a few seconds of silence.
"Of course not! I truly had nothing to do with his death!" The Barbarian King, feeling somewhat frustrated, scratched his head. "When we were conversing in the study and I heard his conditions, I did indeed have the fleeting thought of ending him, but the truth is, that was merely a passing notion!"
"I hadn't even stood up or uttered a single word before that scoundrel bled out right before my eyes," the Barbarian King lamented. "The scene was nothing short of spectacular! Just as I finished speaking, he seemed to have been cut to pieces by invisible blades, his body riddled with wounds. The blood gushed forth like a fountain, splattering all over the room."
"And then you were captured?" Xiao Mu Yu inquired coldly.
"Exactly," the Barbarian King replied, tugging at his hair in distress. "At that moment, I was the only one in the room, and there was no one powerful enough to butcher a living man in front of a ninth-tier warrior without being noticed. Since that ninth-tier expert hadn't detected any trace of the perpetrator, the guards concluded that I was the murderer and arrested me."
"You… didn't file an appeal?" Xiao Mu Yu asked, his expression cold as he rubbed his forehead. "Isn't it true that the laws of Demacia allow suspects to appeal?"
"Appeal? Of course, I did, but it was utterly futile," the Barbarian King admitted, his frustration evident. "The guards later discovered a list in the study where Littel, the count, had died. It meticulously detailed some of the scoundrel's nefarious dealings… thus, I was deemed to be the infamous serial killer, Jinx."
"Jinx…" Xiao Mu Yu slowly pondered the name before coldly asking, "Who is that?"
"Jinx? To be honest, I have no idea—probably no one does." The Barbarian King scratched his head, feeling at a loss.
"That is a serial killer who emerged in Demacia about six months ago, targeting those who exploited legal loopholes to evade justice, as well as nobles who engaged in illicit activities without detection. Strangely, after each murder, this individual leaves behind a detailed account of the victim's crimes at the scene of their demise."
"What's peculiar is that when the guards investigated using that information, they found that every detail was astonishingly accurate, almost as if it were a reflection of reality," the Barbarian King marveled. "Especially some nobles, who, despite their attempts to cover up, had many of their undiscovered crimes exposed clearly by this Jinx."
"Jinx… possesses formidable detection abilities?" Xiao Mu Yu mused, lowering his head in thought.
"Precisely," the Barbarian King nodded, a hint of schadenfreude in his voice. "So even though the Demacian guards have been tirelessly searching for this individual over the past six months, they haven't even caught a glimpse of a single hair."
"Not even a single hair," the Barbarian King scoffed. "Over the past six months, those foolish nobles in Maple Leaf Snow have been dropping like flies—at least several hundred have perished, including dimwitted nobles, law-breaking commoners, and those sycophants serving the nobles."
"Despite the numerous deaths, the guards still have no clue whether Jinx is male or female, young or old. The most ridiculous part is that, to this day, they remain ignorant of the individual's real name and codename," he continued.
"Name… isn't Jinx the name of the killer?" Xiao Mu Yu asked coldly.
"Ah, indeed, Jinx is not the killer's actual name," the Barbarian King confirmed, nodding. "As of now, aside from that individual, no one else knows their true name."
"To facilitate the pursuit, the guards, in their ignorance, assigned the name Jinx to this individual. As Jinx's deeds became increasingly exposed, this codename spread throughout Maple Leaf Snow."
"Jinx… in ancient magical language, signifies 'the bringer of misfortune and evil.' I suspect that by now, anyone in Maple Leaf Snow who is unaware of this name is likely nonexistent," the Barbarian King scratched his head. "Moreover, as more nobles who evaded justice faced retribution from this individual, it seems a faction of supporters has emerged in favor of Jinx."
"Those supporters believe that Jinx's actions are just, that those killed were indeed guilty individuals, that Jinx is rectifying the flaws in Demacia's imperfect legal system, and that Jinx is a harbinger of justice… essentially, a myriad of nonsensical viewpoints," he elaborated. "These supporters have even petitioned the old Emperor Jarvan III of Demacia multiple times, demanding that the guards cease their pursuit of Jinx and acknowledge the controversy surrounding Jinx's actions."
"In summary, this Jinx is quite a troublesome figure," the Barbarian King expressed his frustration. "Typically, the victims slain by Jinx are discovered only hours after their demise. However, this time, Littel's body was found shortly after his death, and coincidentally, just after you and your sister Ashe arrived in Maple Leaf Snow, Jinx began their killing spree."
"Thus, those foolish nobles unanimously concluded that I am Jinx. The reason I resorted to killing was that during this time, I was desperately trying to lift the blockade on supplies against the barbarian tribes, navigating the noble circles but continually facing setbacks. In my frustration, I contemplated exacting revenge on the Demacian nobles… damn it! A bunch of imbeciles!" The Barbarian King's anger was palpable, as if he felt personally insulted by the nobles of Demacia.
"Indeed! There were several occasions when I seriously considered retaliating against those scoundrels! But if I truly wished to take revenge, why would I resort to such petty tactics? I could have easily deceived the saintly guardian in Maple Leaf Snow and then slaughtered them one by one… Such trivial thievery is completely beneath me! How dare those imbecilic nobles suspect me! Damn it!" Growing increasingly frustrated, the Barbarian King slammed his fist against the ground, leaving an imprint in the stone floor.
"…" After silently observing the ranting Barbarian King, Xiao Mu Yu lowered his head in contemplation before coldly raising his gaze to ask, "You… truly did not kill him?"
"Of course not… uh, Xiao Yu, what does that look mean?" The Barbarian King, sensing Xiao Mu Yu's inquiry, looked up in confusion, but upon meeting those cold, unyielding eyes, he was momentarily taken aback.
After a few seconds, the Barbarian King finally reacted, his voice tinged with panic as he exclaimed, "Hey! Xiao Yu, don't be impulsive! This country has saintly guardians! Even if we saints band together, we wouldn't be able to stir up much trouble."
"…" After a few seconds of silence, Xiao Mu Yu coldly replied, "You need not worry; I possess sufficient deterrent power to intimidate the upper echelons of Demacia from acting recklessly. If that noble truly was your victim…"
As he continued, Xiao Mu Yu lowered his head in contemplation, seemingly weighing his own strength. After a few seconds, he coldly raised his head and stated, "It matters not. As long as I confront the Demacian royal family directly, it wouldn't matter if you merely killed their count; even if the deceased were a duke, I am confident I could suppress this matter."
"I know, I know that you possess such ability. Otherwise, do you think your sister Ashe would seek your aid to get involved in this chaotic mess if you lacked the power to intervene in dire situations? You would only realize this when we are all dead, wouldn't you?" The Barbarian King remarked, somewhat helplessly.
"However, it's been many years, yet your stubbornness remains unchanged," he added with a hint of resignation.
"This is not stubbornness," Xiao Mu Yu replied coldly. "The methods I propose are based on the assumption that the situation has reached its worst. If you indeed killed that noble, then Demacia would not let you, the murderer, escape easily, and we could not allow you to face judgment unchallenged… thus, a confrontation of powers to determine the outcome would be inevitable."
"I… fine, fine, I won't argue with you on this," the Barbarian King conceded, opening his mouth but feeling somewhat powerless to change the subject. "I know you're impressive! I know you're cold! I know you're formidable! But Xiao Yu, I simply do not have your level of fortitude! If hundreds of thousands of lives are lost at my hands, I would surely be haunted by nightmares…" He suggested we change the subject. "So, what will you do next?"
"Quite simply," Xiao Mu Yu replied coldly, "I will capture Jinx and prove your innocence, thereby forcing Demacia to release you."
"Hmm… it seems that is the only course of action. Then… I will leave everything to you," the Barbarian King said, scratching his head. "By the way, during my absence, you must keep a close eye on your sister Ashe. After all, there are far too many despicable nobles in Maple Leaf Snow."
"…" Xiao Mu Yu raised his head in silence and coldly asked, "Are you worried she will be targeted by those nobles?"
"Worried? Not at all," the Barbarian King replied, his expression one of despair. "I am concerned for those nobles! Do you think your sister Ashe is as gentle as she appears? Do you think the title of Queen of the North was earned through kindness?" He covered his face, recalling past events. "In our Freljord, even the snow bears would retreat in fear of her! If those foolish nobles dare provoke her, I fear she may lose control of her temper and cause a few fatalities!"