"Something feels off."
Lin Fan stared at the dried-up well, his thoughts swirling.
Why was Wei Xiong so eager to enter the well?
Based on previous incidents.
If Wei Xiong truly wanted to crack the secrets of the well, he'd have volunteered himself, only to end up battered and defeated by the traps inside, emerging gravely injured.
Now the dog went a full round inside, suggesting there's no obvious danger.
And yet...
He thought of all those scenes in dramas—traitors always have their ways of hiding the truth.
"Something's about to go wrong."
Lin Fan muttered.
"What's the matter?" Wang Zhou could hear Lin Fan's mumbling but had no idea what he was talking about.
Hide it?
On second thought, no need to hide anything.
"Sir, what would you think if something unexpected happens down there?" Lin Fan asked.
Wang Zhou froze in shock, then quickly replied, "You mean there's still danger inside?"
"No, Wei the arrest officer will come back safely." Lin Fan said.
He foresaw two possible outcomes.
One, nothing happens; Wei Xiong emerges unscathed, reports there's no danger and that it's safe to proceed—yet finds no significant clues.
Two, chaos breaks out; perhaps a fire ignites suddenly. Wei Xiong, panicked, rushes out and reports that the fire was triggered by setting off a mechanism inside.
"That's fine, as long as the person is safe, the rest doesn't matter." Wang Zhou replied.
He missed the underlying message in Lin Fan's words.
Damn it...
He spelled it out this blatantly.
And still, Wang Zhou couldn't read between the lines.
Looks like Wang Zhou's intelligence needs a reevaluation.
Suddenly.
Someone screamed.
"Something's wrong—there's smoke coming from the dried-up well, and Wei the arrest officer is still inside!"
The mechanisms in the well made them uneasy.
Even after disabling the traps and testing them with livestock, they couldn't feel assured. Livestock were livestock; humans are humans. The two simply can't be equated.
No one could predict what might happen inside.
Lin Fan remained calm and indifferent.
It seemed Wei Xiong had set fire to destroy the evidence within. The question now was: did he manage to bring the ledger out?
Based on Lin Fan's deductions.
Even a traitor would act out of self-interest—if they found something that could threaten others, they'd keep it as leverage.
"Wei Xiong, come out quickly!" Wang Zhou shouted towards the depths of the well.
The smoke was thick, choking people and making it hard to breathe, obscuring visibility within entirely.
Suddenly.
A pair of hands grasped the edge of the well, and a figure hauled itself out.
Wei Xiong's body was covered in soot, with his arms burnt black, carrying the scent of roasted flesh.
"Sir, I should be punished. I stepped on a trap in the secret chamber inside the well, setting off a fire. I wanted to salvage the evidence, but the flames grew too intense. I..."
Wei Xiong's expression twisted in grief—regretful, helpless, sorrowful—he seemed profoundly remorseful about his actions.
Lin Fan watched Wei Xiong's convincing performance. If he hadn't binge-watched hundreds of drama series, internalizing all the clichés, he might have genuinely been fooled by this guy.
Look at that expression.
Acting so real it's unbelievable.
"No worries; coming back safely is already fortunate." Wang Zhou said calmly, patting Wei Xiong's shoulder. "What did you find inside?"
Wei Xiong replied, "Sir, at the end of the passage is a secret chamber. There, oil lamps burned brightly. I didn't pay them much mind at first, as I was drawn to a freshly written letter on the desk. As I approached to examine it, the oil lamps suddenly burst, setting off a conflagration that engulfed the chamber in moments. I tried to retrieve the letter, but the fire was too intense—it had already turned to ash."
"Hmm..." Wang Zhou sighed, perhaps lamenting the loss. "Forget it; if the trail's gone cold, we'll investigate further. What matters most is that you're alive. Let the doctor treat you properly."
"Understood." Wei Xiong answered, but as he prepared to leave, his gaze met Lin Fan's.
Lin Fan's half-smile sent a ripple of unease through Wei Xiong, who was already feeling guilty.
To Lin Fan.
This Wei Xiong fellow wasn't simple.
Lin Fan was certain it was Wei Xiong who set the fire—and there had been no "letter" at all. Only a ledger.
He checked Wei Xiong's profile floating above his head; no ledger was listed.
This meant either Wei Xiong hadn't taken the ledger out or had destroyed it—and perhaps memorized its contents instead.
If Wei Xiong knew Lin Fan's thoughts.
He'd probably shout in frustration.
How could you be so sure without seeing it for yourself?
"Sir, do you know someone named Lu Nian?" Lin Fan asked.
Wang Zhou frowned—it didn't ring a bell. He shook his head. "I don't know. Why?"
"Earlier today at the teahouse, this man offered me ten thousand silver notes to release Sun Tao. I killed him instead. If someone can afford ten thousand silver notes to push for Sun Tao's release, it shows Sun Tao knows something critical. Likely tied to the secrets of this dried-up well."
Lin Fan was unflinching—he took bribes openly, without pretense.
His message was clear.
He was reminding Wang Zhou: if someone can bribe me with such a fortune, I can resist—but that doesn't mean everyone around us can.
"I'll have someone investigate Lu Nian's identity. Alright, seal off this place. Everyone can leave." Wang Zhou said.
Lin Fan wasn't a mind reader; he had no way of knowing what Wang Zhou was thinking.
He'd already said so much.
Whether Wang Zhou could grasp it.
Or how much he could grasp—that was up to his perception.
As a constable, Lin Fan knew his responsibilities were clear, but his ultimate goal remained cultivation.
Since arriving in this world, discovering it was a realm of immortals, what other goal could surpass the pursuit of becoming one?
Step by step, deliberately—start humble, aim high, and avoid rushing.
Lin Fan left. He initially considered tracking Wei Xiong.
But after weighing it out, decided against it.
Given the situation now, Wei Xiong would undoubtedly act cautiously, revealing no slip-ups.
Better to visit the Demon Hunting Mansion and look into some cultivation techniques.
The possibility of extracting techniques from defeated enemies was an audaciously unique system.
But it all depended on luck.
Demon Hunting Mansion—its library.
"You can look for any technique that interests you here, but my advice: don't be greedy. Find one that truly suits you—that's the most important." Li Zhiyong remarked warmly, having developed good feelings toward Lin Fan after being saved by him.
"Thank you." Lin Fan replied, stepping inside.
"Wait." Li Zhiyong called out.
Lin Fan turned back, puzzled.
Li Zhiyong hesitated for a moment before saying, "You saved my life—you're my benefactor. There's something I hope you'll keep in mind: don't pursue the matters tied to the incident ten miles away any further. It won't benefit you at all."
"Is it because there are deeper ties involved?" Lin Fan asked.
Li Zhiyong simply smiled but said no more.
"Go choose your cultivation technique. Finding what suits you is the best strategy."