“Wuwuwu…” Ji Dafu, gasping for air and covered in blood, crawled to Shen Du’s feet with drooping eyelids. He kowtowed and pleaded tearfully,
“I’m truly just an errand boy! The gambling dens and brothels I manage don’t need such things. If anyone disobeys, we just beat them up. If they still resist, we break their arms and legs. That always works.” He sighed, “What you’re talking about, I’ve never even heard of it.”
“Guangchun Hall has a clear hierarchy, managed level by level. I’ve heard that the big boss is over there.” Ji Dafu pointed towards the north.
For a moment, the prison fell as silent as falling rain.
“Please spare me. I’ll tell you everything, everything! I know many things, even the burial sites.”
Zhu Yan and Shen Du exchanged glances, realizing they wouldn’t get any information about the poison from this man.
There was no avoiding a confrontation with Mo Qianzhi.
Since they couldn’t get any information about the poison, Shen Du didn’t waste time. He took Zhu Yan’s hand and prepared to leave, leaving the rest of the interrogation to Jing Lin.
Zhu Yan didn’t move.
Shen Du turned back, puzzled:
Zhu Yan shook her head.
“Then let’s leave first.”
Zhu Yan somewhat helplessly tugged at Shen Du’s sleeve, pulling him back.
Shen Du looked down at Zhu Yan’s delicate white hand, his gaze softening: “Are you afraid?”
He bent down to carry Zhu Yan, but she stopped him, embarrassed, and reminded him with a smile:
“Have you forgotten about the bride case?”
At the time, the bride case had stopped at Xu Jize, and the mysterious person who killed Er Laipi was temporarily set aside due to lack of evidence. Later, Mo Qianzhi closed the case on the pretext of preventing panic, but was it truly closed? Of course not.
Ji Dafu, watching their interaction from afar, had initially breathed a sigh of relief when Shen Du was about to turn away, but became anxious again when Zhu Yan pulled him back.
“Jing Lin, have you got it all?”
“Yes!” Jing Lin cupped his hands.
“Let’s go!” Shen Du’s expression remained impassive, his voice cold.
Zhu Yan nodded in satisfaction, knowing that they wouldn’t leave any loose ends in the investigation.
As the two walked away, Ji Dafu’s body visibly trembled, and then he tried to appear calm.
“Speak up!” Jing Lin said ominously, deliberately turning to reveal the torture instruments at his side.
They were unique to the Imperial Guard.
After taking several deep breaths, Ji Dafu finally found his voice.
“That case…”
Ji Dafu wasn’t sure how much these people knew about the matter, so he decided to confess everything.
He started by mentioning Wang Buzui.
It seemed he indeed had more interactions with the Vice Leader.
“At that time, I was the one who reported the case. I even invited the famous detective Young Master Pan, so I couldn’t act rashly for fear of arousing suspicion. After discussing with the Vice Leader, he went to help me hunt down Liu Zongyuan to eliminate the evidence.”
Ji Dafu occasionally glanced at the person in front of him, observing their reaction.
Jing Lin, however, felt somewhat dissatisfied: “Hurry up and speak. Are you waiting for severe punishment?”
“No, no, I’ll talk, I’ll talk,” Ji Dafu said with a bitter expression.
“The pursuit went smoothly and left no traces. This was something the Vice Leader was skilled at. But an unexpected encounter occurred on the way back when he met Xu Jize and Er Laipi, who were holding Du Xiaowan captive.” At this point, his voice rose, either to create an atmosphere or due to genuine excitement.
“He followed Xu Jize and the others because of Du Xiaowan,” Jing Lin stated confidently. “She fits your selection criteria.”
Ji Dafu didn’t deny it: “He had this obsession. Whenever he saw someone even slightly resembling his sister, he wouldn’t let them go.”
This wasn’t a secret within Guangchun Hall.
“Continue!” Jing Lin kicked Ji Dafu, who winced in pain and continued his account.
Since Wang Buzui hadn’t particularly hidden his tracks, the two men quickly discovered they were being followed.
After circling through several streets, seeing they couldn’t shake off their pursuer, they realized they had encountered a troublesome situation. However, they didn’t know if the follower was from the groom’s family or the authorities.
Subsequently, the two seemed to argue. Finally, Xu Jize left first, while Er Laipi found a dry well to place Du Xiaowan in before hurriedly leaving in the opposite direction.
Wang Buzui knew these two were likely splitting up to shake him off before returning later to continue enjoying the beauty. But they had no idea that Wang Buzui’s target was Du Xiaowan, not them.
Seeing the two leave for some distance, Wang Buzui silently appeared at the well, taking out a fire starter to enter and abduct Du Xiaowan.
It was a case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
However, at this moment, Er Laipi, seemingly unsatisfied, returned halfway, intending to take Du Xiaowan for himself. Upon seeing Wang Buzui wearing a half-face demon mask, he was shocked, instantly recalling the terrifying rumor circulating in the Gannan region. His legs trembled, and he almost fled immediately.
But he seemed to have forgotten the latter part of that rumor: anyone who had seen the half-faced demon had no chance of survival.
However, Wang Buzui didn’t kill him immediately. He first gouged out his eyes, as the Fire Moth Party believed that body parts taken from living beings were better for reviving the dead.
Naturally, Er Laipi couldn’t help but scream in pain as his eyes were carved out alive. But the pain was nothing compared to his fear of death. He turned to flee but couldn’t take a step before his throat was slit, and he fell into the well.
He didn’t even have time to cry for help.
Wang Buzui, of course, paid no attention to Er Laipi. He was about to go down the well to take Du Xiaowan when he heard orderly footsteps approaching from behind. Although reluctant, he ultimately abandoned Du Xiaowan and left.
Later, during the city massacre, he instructed Ji Dafu to abduct Du Xiaowan first and then take her away in the chaos. Every step was calculated.
Jing Lin pondered, resting his chin on his hand: “Did Wang Buzui encounter Du Xiaowan by chance because she resembled his sister Wang Xiuxiu, or had he already selected her beforehand?”
Ji Dafu stood up, supporting his waist, with a mocking smile: “What do you think?”
Of course, he didn’t dare wait for Jing Lin’s answer. “They had already selected her long ago, but because they weren’t ready for the revival ritual, they hadn’t bothered the Du family. This time, it was a chance encounter seeing Du Xiaowan being abducted, so they decided to take her away and frame Xu Jize and Er Laipi.”
“You’re quite adept at seizing opportunities, aren’t you?”
Hearing Jing Lin’s mockery, Ji Dafu smiled and asked, “I’ve naturally told you everything I know without holding back. So, can I be forgiven?”
Jing Lin walked out and closed the prison door, sneering: “You’d have to ask all those people you’ve killed over the years if they’re willing, especially your maternal uncle.”
Mentioning Li Kaixiang angered Ji Dafu: “He, he has no…” right to be unwilling?
Since the interrogation was mostly complete, Jing Lin didn’t linger. He organized the confession and sent it to inform Shen Du and Zhu Yan.
Ji Dafu’s confession was largely in line with their expectations. After reviewing the statement, Zhu Yan frowned:
“So Du Xiaowan was someone they had selected long ago.”
If Ji Dafu hadn’t said so, she would have truly believed it was a chance encounter, not realizing that behind the apparent coincidence was premeditation.
Hugging herself, Zhu Yan felt a chill: “Their influence has spread so widely. The entire Yingzhou City is within the Fire Moth Party’s sphere of influence. No wonder they can act with impunity.”
Shen Du embraced her, his face grim: “With Mo Qianzhi as their protective umbrella, what’s impossible?”
“Looking at it this way, the entire Yingzhou, even the whole Gannan region, is their hunting ground for potential targets.”
The thought was terrifying.
Shen Du turned to the side. Due to the hot weather, Jing Lin was drenched in sweat from running, with beads of perspiration rolling down his face. Seeing Shen Du looking at him, he quickly cupped his hands: “Does the Leader have any orders?”
“Release Li Kuirui without charge. As for Ji Dafu, execute him.”
“Yes!”
As Jing Lin was about to leave, Shen Du beckoned him. Jing Lin was puzzled: “Ah?”
Seeing Jing Lin like this, Shen Du felt annoyed but had to suppress his temper and said: “Bring some iced fruits to cool down.”
Jing Lin’s eyes lit up, instantly understanding. He accepted the order and left.
His master had become more considerate, knowing to care for his wife.