"Ah!"
Doctor Sun shouted as cold water was poured over him, a chilling sensation sweeping through him, while two others stood nearby fanning him with large palm-leaf fans.
Perverse, beastly, malicious.
"The boss is back." Wang Baoliu, upon seeing Lin Fan approaching, quickly stood up. "Boss, Sun Tao is incredibly stubborn. He's still insisting he's innocent."
"Hm, those who break the law often claim they're innocent," Lin Fan replied.
Wang Baoliu mulled over the statement, finding a deeper meaning in it. "Boss, but what if they're truly innocent?"
"If they're innocent, why would we arrest them?" Lin Fan turned his gaze to Doctor Sun, scoffing internally. Keep pretending. Soon, I'll see how much longer you can keep up this act. Whether he went near the ancient well was irrelevant now; what mattered was that Lin Fan had already determined that the well was where Doctor Sun concealed his secrets. There had to be something fishy about it.
Wang Baoliu, who wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, found himself deeply lost in the logic of those two sentences, nodding in agreement.
The boss's words always carry profound wisdom.
My old man was absolutely right.
Only by following a great figure can you truly learn something.
Doctor Sun saw Lin Fan and immediately shouted, "Master, this is truly a frame-up! I'm just an honest, law-abiding commoner. How could I ever commit a crime? I beg Master to see the truth!"
His desperate exclamation and tearful expression were practically dripping with injustice—he looked as pitiful as a wronged martyr.
"Law-abiding?" Lin Fan chuckled, circling around Doctor Sun. "Earlier, I visited your residence. Do you know what I found?"
Doctor Sun's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained composed as he cried his innocence. "Master, my residence contains nothing but medical texts and ordinary furniture. There's absolutely nothing else there, truly."
"Oh, really?" Lin Fan stared into Doctor Sun's eyes, as if silently warning him—this is your last chance; otherwise, don't blame me for exposing the truth.
"Yes, absolutely!" Doctor Sun was panicking inside but could only hold fast to his denial. "Master, I swear I've told no lies! I'm just a doctor. If I'd known things would turn out this way, I wouldn't have reported the situation from ten li away, even if you'd beaten me to death. This is bringing trouble upon myself!"
Lin Fan rested his hand lightly on Doctor Sun's shoulder and said calmly, "I searched your house earlier. Take a guess—what did I find?"
"Master, I swear there's absolutely nothing illegal!" Doctor Sun said, exhaling slightly in relief. Even if they tore apart the whole house looking, they wouldn't find anything.
His psychological resilience was incredibly strong; no matter the tricks or the torture, no confession would leave his lips.
"Indeed, just as you said—nothing suspicious was found," Lin Fan lowered his voice, leaning close to Doctor Sun's ear, "But then I went to the study. Take another guess—what did I find there?"
Doctor Sun replied promptly, "Master, even if you dismantled my entire residence, there wouldn't be anything illegal there."
Confidence—this is true confidence.
"Master, I understand the pressure you must feel in solving this murder case quickly. I assure you, if you release me, I won't hold this against you or report it." Doctor Sun hadn't yet figured out Lin Fan's intentions and felt bribery would likely be rejected outright.
If he didn't escape soon, he feared he'd be tortured into a false confession.
"Ah," Lin Fan sighed deeply, folding his hands behind his back as he walked up to Doctor Sun, his voice laden with eerie calmness. "You're right about everything. But there's something that's puzzling me—how does your spacious courtyard contain a dried-up well?"
"Where do you draw water from?"
In an instant.
When Lin Fan uttered those words, Doctor Sun's expression flickered with shock but quickly reverted to calm. "Master, that dried-up well was already there when I bought the property. It was dry from the beginning."
"Initially, I wanted to dig deeper to find water, but a Feng Shui Master told me that the well must remain dry due to unfavorable feng shui, so I left it abandoned."
Doctor Sun's heart began pounding with uncertainty.
"I only mentioned the well—why does that make you so nervous?" Lin Fan chuckled, never taking his eyes off Doctor Sun. He had long suspected the well was problematic.
"I…," Doctor Sun attempted to speak, but Lin Fan raised his hand to cut him off.
"No need to explain further. I was just teasing you. I've already investigated the well. There's no point continuing this charade. Stay right here, reflect, and think carefully about what else you want to share."
"Be honest and face leniency, resist and face severity. Don't say I didn't give you a chance," Lin Fan declared.
He had no intention of personally entering the well—it was far too eerie. Even rats, with their tiny bodies, had fallen victim to its horrors.
Going down there himself would be akin to courting death.
Doctor Sun fell silent, no longer protesting.
He simply stared at Lin Fan with a mix of disbelief and apprehension. He knew Lin Fan had uncovered the issue with the well, but actually entering it—that was unfathomable.
The well was rigged with numerous traps, and without knowing how to disarm them, access was practically impossible.
"Everyone, stay alert and keep a close watch on him," Lin Fan ordered. "Other than Lord Wang and myself, nobody is to open the door—for anyone."
"Understood, Boss," Wang Baoliu replied, his sense of duty as a constable kicking in instinctively.
Lin Fan left the cell. The sky was already dark, and after such a long, exhausting day, he couldn't go on any longer.
He'd rest first and deal with everything else in the morning.
The next day!
At dawn.
"Master, this is how it stands. Sun Tao is tied to the matters ten li away. Both Chief Zhao and I encountered Demons, which must also be connected to him," Lin Fan explained.
"But I've observed that Sun Tao is not particularly powerful. Commanding five Demons seems unlikely. There must be someone else behind this."
Lin Fan spoke decisively.
His claims required no speculation. With Sun Tao's lack of abilities, would Demons even acknowledge him?
Not devouring him whole would already be considered merciful.
Wang Zhou contemplated deeply. "Hmm, understood. I'll take people to inspect the well at his residence. You head to the cell and interrogate him about how many mechanisms lie in wait."
"Yes," Lin Fan acknowledged.
The area around the well was extremely confined, making it difficult to dodge traps. Plus, Sun Tao had cultivated a poison-related technique, which raised concerns about potential toxins in the well.
If precautions weren't taken and poison was accidentally contracted, it'd spell real trouble.
Wang Zhou watched Lin Fan's retreating figure, his brows furrowed. He already had some guesses but wasn't ready to confirm them just yet.
Jiangdu City's power dynamics were convoluted.
The government and Demon Hunting Mansion's primary mission was to eradicate Demons and safeguard the city's peace.
Getting entangled with certain factions could spell unnecessary complications.
At that moment.
Lin Fan was walking toward the cell.
Suddenly, a middle-aged man stopped Lin Fan in his tracks, smiling warmly, "Lord Lin, might we have a word?"
"Who are you?" Lin Fan gave the man a dismissive look, his shifty eyes and suspicious demeanor instantly marking him as trouble.
Then, glancing above the man's head, Lin Fan thought:
My goodness.
I really want to cut this guy down.