Teahouse, private room.
Lin Fan glanced at the surroundings, then turned his gaze to the man sitting before him—someone he really wanted to kill.
"Let's not waste time. You're here for Sun Tao, aren't you?" Lin Fan looked at the middle-aged man opposite him, cutting straight to the point.
The middle-aged man froze momentarily. His real name was Lu Nian, an ordinary-looking man who could easily be overlooked in a crowd.
He had already planned his opening lines.
But his opponent didn't even give him the chance.
Well, that's fine—less hassle.
"Lord Lin, sharp eyes you have. I'm truly impressed." Lu Nian smiled, then pulled a silver note from his pocket, placing it on the table and sliding it toward Lin Fan using two fingers. "Lord Lin, I hope you'll do me a favor."
Lin Fan leaned forward to examine the note's amount, his face showing shock as he exclaimed, "Ten thousand taels?"
Lu Nian maintained his composed smile.
He knew exactly what ten thousand taels represented.
This wasn't a trivial sum.
As a constable, Lin Fan's monthly salary was indeed decent—ten taels, to be exact. But to save up ten thousand taels? That would take a lifetime.
And now, these ten thousand taels were laid out before him. Lu Nian didn't believe anyone could resist such temptation.
Lin Fan observed Lu Nian, whose smile remained intact, and then lightly pressed his finger onto the silver note. "What's the meaning of this? Are you trying to bribe me?"
"Lord Lin, how could you call this a bribe? Jiangdu City's safety relies heavily on your noble efforts. This is merely my personal token of gratitude to you," Lu Nian replied, noting Lin Fan's apparent interest in the money while waiting for a justification.
Since the man wanted an explanation, he'd give him one.
"I insist Lord Lin accept it," Lu Nian said.
Despite detesting such behavior, Lin Fan couldn't deny his interest in the silver note. However, what amused him most about this situation was imagining how satisfying it would be to kill this man.
"Fine, if you insist on giving me a token of appreciation, how could I let you down? I'll reluctantly accept it," Lin Fan said, his experienced money-handling techniques revealing he wasn't new to this kind of exchange.
Lu Nian's face kept its smile, but inwardly, he cursed Lin Fan to death. What a shameless bastard.
"I stopped you here today for two reasons: first, to present Lord Lin with this gift, and second, to request your assistance with something else."
In Lin Fan's opinion, this man was indeed sophisticated.
Calling a bribe a "gift"—apparently, this was the preferred way people interacted.
"About Doctor Sun?" Lin Fan asked.
Lu Nian replied, "Yes, Doctor Sun—Sun Tao. He's my elder uncle. I've been away conducting business for many years and recently returned to Jiangdu City. Now my uncle has been jailed, and I'm terribly anxious. I hope Lord Lin can release him."
Damn!
Lin Fan truly hadn't expected such bluntness.
No attempts to play coy.
Feigning difficulty, Lin Fan said, "This matter poses quite a challenge. You must understand your uncle is linked to demons. Releasing him just like that would leave me in a tough spot."
"Lord Lin, please help me. My uncle was arrested by you. If you claim it was a mistake, releasing him will pose no issue at all," Lu Nian pleaded.
Lin Fan stared at him and chuckled. "That's… not impossible. But I'm curious—who exactly are you? You say Sun Tao is your uncle, but I don't believe you for a second."
Lu Nian knew this was a weak argument but simply shook his head. "Lord Lin, some things are better not known. As long as you help, I assure you there will be hefty rewards afterward."
"Sigh, it's not that I don't want to help, but this is truly difficult. Besides, Sun Tao's involvement with demons is a heinous crime. How can he be released so easily?" Lin Fan said.
Lu Nian eagerly interjected, "Lord Lin, all you need to do is claim there was a mistake, and Sun Tao will undoubtedly be freed. At the end of the day, doesn't everything fall under your authority?"
"Hmm?" Lin Fan frowned. "What exactly are you implying? I am Lin Fan, a constable of Jiangdu City, sworn to uphold its stability. Are you asking me to turn a blind eye and lie?"
"That's impossible."
"Guilt is guilt. Innocence is innocence. That's an unchanging principle."
Lu Nian was stunned, sensing something amiss. "Lord Lin, you've just pocketed the money a moment ago."
Dammit.
Lu Nian couldn't believe this man would take the money and not follow through.
BAM!
Lin Fan slammed the table and stood, glaring angrily as he shouted, "What nonsense are you saying? I am a constable of Jiangdu City—when did I ever take your money? If you keep spouting lies, I'll arrest you on the spot!"
CLANG!
Lu Nian's expression changed drastically, his smile freezing into disbelief as he raised his hand and said, "You're going back on your word?"
He couldn't fathom encountering someone so despicable.
Taking the money without hesitation.
Then turning around and denying everything.
With rage building in his chest, Lu Nian's gaze turned cold, and he hissed, "Fine, very fine. I, Lu Nian, have dealt with all sorts of people, but today my eyes have truly been opened. Taking the money and flipping the script afterward."
"Return the silver note!"
He knew the negotiation was over, but he refused to let Lin Fan walk away with the money.
"What money? I didn't take anything from you. What am I supposed to return?" Lin Fan said. He had no intention of admitting anything—for all intents and purposes, the silver was his now.
Lu Nian flew into a rage, reaching out to grab Lin Fan's chest.
The silver had to be there.
CLANG!
At that moment, Lin Fan unsheathed his blade and swung it at Lu Nian, roaring, "You thief! How dare you lay a hand on a constable!"
He'd wanted to kill this scoundrel for ages.
All he needed was an excuse.
Anyone associated with Sun Tao was undoubtedly bad news. Keeping Lu Nian alive served no purpose—what good was he? Waiting for winter? No, he had to die.
Lu Nian: Second-class adept.
Possible drops: 23 years of cultivation, Mountain Pushing Hand (Third-class), Flying Cloud Four Steps (Second-class), Fiery Sun Saber Skill (Second-class), 1,000 taels silver note, Copper Decorative Ring, red undergarment, Knockout Drug, and a piece of firewood.
Lu Nian was utterly dumbfounded, unable to believe Lin Fan would actually draw his weapon and attack—was he planning to kill him right here?
He rolled away to evade the strike, but the table was split cleanly in half by Lin Fan's blade.
"I'll kill you!"
Lin Fan didn't know any formal sword skills, but as long as it got the job done, that was good enough.
His cultivation was 31 years, while Lu Nian's was only 23.
Even without battle techniques, he could crush Lu Nian with higher cultivation alone.
"Constable Lin, you're serious?" Lu Nian shouted angrily, his agile movements allowing him to dodge the repeated swings.
Being in a teahouse, such conflict would obviously draw attention.
If he killed Lin Fan, staying in Jiangdu City would be impossible.
"Do you expect me to be joking?"
Lin Fan charged, hacking away without pause, completely uninterested in banter.