Finally, Lin Shu decided to put down the stone that had been weighing heavily on his heart.

　　Gently sighing, he said, "Yes. I b.u.mped into Guo He on the evening of the 12th. We did not run into each other at the back mountain but at the corridor of the west courtyard. I was on my way back from the washroom and ran into Guo He, who was drinking alone at the corridor. Despite our fairly close relations.h.i.+p, I didn't join him because I never enjoyed drinking and I hated the smell of it. However, he noticed me and relentlessly forced me to drink with him. I refused and gave him a push. Everyone knows his bad temper, and it worsened under the influence of alcohol. He furiously attacked me with the wine bottle and spilt the wine all over me.

　　"Meanwhile, my chestnut bead bracelet accidentally got caught by the wine bottle broke. Then my hand got cut by the chipped wine bottle, causing my blood to stain it. Not only that, he humiliated me and attempted to challenge me, saying that I was no match for him. He also said that I would definitely lose to him in the coming examination. I was enraged by his words. Unable to contain my anger, I punched him a few times and had certainly injured him badly, causing him to lie on the ground, covered in blood. However, I am very sure that he was fine since he sat up afterwards. So I picked up my chestnut beads and left the scene. That was exactly what happened. I didn't lie. He was still alive when I left him behind." He grew more agitated as he spoke.

　　He seemed to be telling the truth.

　　"I didn't want to tell the truth because… I did actually hit him. I was afraid that if I admitted that you will a.s.sume that I'm the murderer and send me to the yamen since my blood was found on the chestnut beads and the wine bottle. Then, I will not be able to defend myself anymore. Afraid of that possibility, I decided to stay quiet." He looked at Ji Yunshu and continued, "Teacher Ji, everything I said just now was nothing but the truth. You must believe me."

　　Ji Yunshu asked, "Do you have any proof?"

　　He shook his head. "Everyone was studying in the study hall. We were the only ones in the corridor. Besides, I haven't told anyone about this incident."

　　That means he has neither an alibi nor any material evidence to support his claim! At this moment, Ji Yunshu hesitated to believe his statement.

　　Upon listening to his hesitation, Lu Hu remained hostile. "Lin Shu, how dare you continue to lie!"

　　"I'm not trying to defend myself. I've been telling the truth. I only attacked Guo He but didn't kill him. When I left him, he was still alive as he was trying to help himself up. I thought that he would return to his room once he was sober."

　　"We'll naturally discover the truth when we arrive at the yamen." Lu Hu was determined to bring Lin Shu to the yamen for interrogation. He commanded, "Bring him to the yamen together with the bones."