Pfft!
This blade represents justice, the triumph of righteousness over evil.
At the same time, it symbolizes Lin Fan's unwavering commitment to confronting wickedness, fulfilling the promises he makes—even if those promises involve letting someone leave the dungeon. If he said he'd let them leave, he must honor his word.
He would never go back on his word.
Now, outside the dungeon, the execution has been carried out.
Excuse me... any objections?
Sun Tao's head spun through the air, tracing a parabola, and then thud-thud... rolled onto the ground.
His body collapsed with a loud crash.
"The head."
"The head."
Constables surrounded the scene. When they saw Sun Tao emerge, their nerves immediately tightened—how could a prisoner be outside here?
"It's fine. Sun Tao tried to escape while I was unprepared, and now he's been executed. This counts as eliminating a threat to Jiangdu City." Lin Fan flicked the blood off his blade and, in an unhurried manner, slid it back into its sheath.
As for the loot...
"Dropped Beginner-level Medical Skills."
Beginner-level Medical Skills: Exceeding the level of a quack doctor, some minor techniques effective for treating diarrhea, febrile illnesses, etc.
Lin Fan found the drop disappointing. Not being a doctor himself, what use would beginner medical skills be to him? Utterly worthless.
Sun Tao was kind of trash, so the loot dropping this felt fitting.
"Clean this place up, everyone." Lin Fan needed to meet up with Wang Zhou. What Sun Tao had said remained uncertain; he only half-believed his words.
Doctor Sun's residence.
Wang Zhou had surrounded the area with his men. At the moment, a group of people stood around a dry well, showing expressions of difficulty. Just earlier, someone had gone down and come back wounded from encountering traps.
"Sir, there indeed is a narrow channel about half a person's height beneath the dry well. To traverse it, one must stoop over, and there are numerous unknown traps. Even if one reacts in time, there's not enough space to dodge effectively."
"This place is perilous. Unless someone has cultivated to the Innate Realm, projecting Inner Strength outward to form Gang Qi, it's nearly impossible to navigate through these densely laid mechanisms."
Gathered around Wang Zhou were experienced arrest officers.
From their investigations thus far, they discovered that the mechanisms within the dry well were exceedingly intricate and terrifying. Rashly entering would have dire consequences.
"Alright, then we have no choice but to wait and hope Lin Fan can extract some information." Wang Zhou said.
The surrounding officers gazed at Wang Zhou. They were unfamiliar with Lin Fan and, frankly, hadn't even seen him before. Yet in the past day or two, they kept hearing his name.
They assumed he must be someone significant—perhaps a top expert from an outlying city.
After digging deeper, they learned he was actually a newly recruited constable, promoted to arrest officer on his first day. The rapid rise was surprising and unexpected.
Moreover, he had achieved a major feat by saving Wang Zhou and the four officials from the Demon Hunting Mansion at the Chen Mansion.
Impressive, truly impressive.
"Sir, even we are at a loss here. He's just been a constable for a few days—what could he possibly accomplish?" said one of the seasoned arrest officers.
"Among three people, there is bound to be a teacher. Just because you can't figure it out doesn't mean others can't." Lin Fan walked in from outside. Upon arriving, he overheard someone doubting his capabilities. Could he let this slide? Absolutely not. He had to prove himself.
Approaching Wang Zhou, Lin Fan said, "Sir, I've fulfilled my mission and gathered some intel."
After saying this, he glanced at the seasoned officer who had been skeptical of him earlier, flashing a radiant smile. His expression seemed to say:
Hello, my name is Lin Fan. Now, please sit back and watch me perform.
"Good, I knew I wasn't wrong about you! You really do have the skills," Wang Zhou said with a satisfied smile. Having competent subordinates felt truly wonderful—not only did it save him headaches during crises, but he could occasionally rely on them for support.
"Please bear with me for a moment."
Lin Fan walked into the house. Upon entering, he spotted a bathtub sprinkled with flower petals, with a small wooden duck calmly floating on the water's surface.
"What a pretentious fellow, even bathing with flower petals. If you're bathing so fragrantly, who are you planning to serve?"
Though he mocked, he still had to take the items.
The wooden duck seemed ordinary, placed in the bathtub as if its owner had a peculiar habit of playing with children's toys—nothing more.
The duck was not heavy.
It was exquisitely crafted, painted with dye—a bright yellow duck.
With a squeeze of his fingers, crack! The duck split apart, and a key fell out from within.
"So it was really hidden in here." Lin Fan grabbed the key and headed outside. He knew he was drifting closer to a complicated and dangerous matter.
To borrow a line from film dramatics:
He was now walking toward death.
Outside.
Lin Fan approached the dry well, raised his hand into the well, and touched the second layer of bricks. Feeling one brick after another, suddenly he discovered a loose brick. Pressing into the groove, he easily dislodged it.
A keyhole appeared before him.
Lin Fan inserted the key, turning it. Amidst the creaks, it sounded as though a mechanism had been deactivated.
"Sir, it should be disarmed, but it's best to test it with livestock first," Lin Fan said.
"Alright," Wang Zhou immediately ordered his subordinates.
Not long afterward.
A constable arrived with a dog.
"Sir, please no. My beloved Doggie and I rely on each other to survive. If something happens to him, I won't be able to go on!" A commoner in coarse clothes displayed an emotional bond with the dog.
The constable holding the leash felt awkward and reported, "Sir, this dog is the only one in the vicinity. I've already explained compensation to its owner, but..."
"One tael of silver," Lin Fan stated.
The coarse-clad man froze as if he'd misheard. "Sir, how much did you just say?"
"One tael of silver," Lin Fan repeated.
The man suddenly found righteousness, declaring, "Sir, though this dog and I have shared a bond, if he can serve the esteemed officers here, it would be his honor. Please, by all means, use him freely."
Good heavens.
One tael of silver for a dog.
He had found a literal gold mine.
If he'd known earlier, he'd have raised more dogs!
Lin Fan felt confident the trap had been disabled, but safety first. Who knew if further dangers lingered within? Logic dictated the risk was low, but it wasn't absent.
Soon afterward.
The dog scurried wildly within the well but encountered no dangers. Upon being pulled up, it was still lively and energetic.
"I'll go in and take a look," Wang Zhou said, preparing to descend into the well himself.
"Sir, you must not. Though this dog returned safely, it doesn't guarantee there's no danger. You are the backbone of Jiangdu City; if something were to happen to you, the city would be without leadership, resulting in great turmoil. Allow me to go in first to ensure things are secure before you proceed," the seasoned arrest officer urged.
Lin Fan glanced over. It seemed this officer wanted to impress Wang Zhou.
No problem.
Let him perform freely.
Do what you have to do.
As for Lin Fan? He wasn't about to volunteer to go in himself. If there were real danger, he wouldn't even have a chance to escape.
"Wei Xiong, be careful," Wang Zhou instructed.
After thinking it over, Wang Zhou found Wei Xiong's advice reasonable. Were anything to happen, the consequences would be troubling.
"Rest assured, Sir. I will exercise utmost caution."
Wei Xiong jumped directly into the well, disappearing from view.
PS: Thanks to Snow Sleigh Love Song for the generous reward. Heartfelt thanks.