Suicide out of fear of punishment

In the Nightwatchers's office, the person in charge of interrogation was Nangong Qianrou. This vicious transvestite had created hundreds of inhumane interrogation methods and ordered craftsmen to make more than a hundred new torture instruments.

This contributed to the development of the Great Feng's methods of torture.

One of these punishments was called "standing torture," in which a large iron weight was hung around the prisoner's neck. Over time, the prisoner's neck would gradually become sore and painful, eventually becoming unable to support itself.

But they wouldn't let the prisoners rest, forcing them to stand, causing them unbearable pain. Within Celestial Person, they died in endless agony.

There are also torture methods like Xu Qi'an's, which involve working himself to the bone to cultivate immortality. It is said that the inspiration for this method came from his advancement to the Spirit Refining Realm. Xu Qi'an can attest to how painful this kind of torture is.

He was already suffering terribly from meditation and contemplation; one can only imagine how much more difficult it must have been for an ordinary person.

In Nangong Qianrou's "Criminal Law Encyclopedia", there are over a hundred articles on this type of punishment, which involves cutting flesh with a dull knife.

Although Jiang Luzhong wasn't an interrogation maniac like Nangong Qianrou, who was proficient in 108 different interrogation positions, he was still familiar with some of the most torturous torture methods through his exposure to them.

Liang Youping silently met Jiang Luzhong's gaze. Both of their eyes were sharp as eagles, but Liang Youping, who had little cultivation, was quickly defeated.

He looked away and chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Looks like I have no other choice."

Neither Governor Zhang nor Jiang Luzhong spoke, staring at him expressionlessly. Now that this man was in their hands, even a stone could be made to speak.

Liang Youping glanced at Xu Qi'an, patted his limping leg, and said leisurely, "I'm not lying to you, this leg was indeed broken by someone, but the person who saved me wasn't Zhou Min."

"I was born in Yunzhou. From the time I can remember, I knew that Yunzhou was plagued by bandits and that the people suffered greatly. My childhood dream was to learn martial arts and become a chivalrous swordsman who would roam the world and kill bandits."

"But the poor couldn't afford to study martial arts, so I had to focus on my studies. After failing the imperial examinations twice, I abandoned my studies and joined the army."

My dream was defeated by reality before it even began. Luckily, I had my second uncle feeding me hundreds of taels of silver every year, otherwise I would have just ended up studying like Erlang. It's no wonder my aunt dislikes me.

Xu Qi'an was filled with emotion.

Given Xu Dalang's aptitude, what future could he possibly have with studying? He probably wouldn't be much better than Xu Lingyin.

"One year, I saw a young master bullying a woman in the street in Baidi City. I was so angry that I fought back, but I was outnumbered and his henchmen broke my leg. The young master was disappointed and didn't want to let me go, so he ordered his men to take me out of the city and bury me alive. That was when I was doing this."

"That lord appeared, and he had his guards rescue me, arrest the young master, and give me justice."

Xu Qi'an and his companions realized that the "official" was likely the person Liang Youping was loyal to, and most likely the mastermind behind it all.

Liang Youping raised his head, meeting Governor Zhang's gaze, and said, word by word, "Song Changfu, Provincial Treasurer of Yunzhou."

"."

The room was completely silent.

Governor Zhang's expression was quite strange, a mixture of surprise and acceptance. After all, within Baidi City, any official of the fourth rank or higher could potentially be the mastermind behind it all.

The governor was already prepared and wouldn't be "surprised".

"It's him."

However, Governor Zhang's heart remained heavy, for Commander Yang Chuannan was already implicated in the case, and now another Provincial Treasurer had been added to the list.

The officialdom in Yunzhou is rotten to the core.

"Who arrested you?" Xu Qi'an asked during a brief moment of silence.

"I don't know." Liang Youping shook his head, a blank look on his face. "Not long after you left that day, I chased away the prostitutes in the shop, locked the door and left. As soon as I walked out of Huangbo Street, I was knocked unconscious."

"When I woke up, I found myself locked in a small, dark room with a burlap sack over my head, completely helpless. I ate, drank, and relieved myself in that small, dark room, and someone brought me food at set times. Later, I was taken to a security escort agency and then brought here to you."

"Didn't you see what that person looked like?" Xu Qi'an pressed.

Liang Youping shook his head.

Liang Youping disappeared after we left. Then, three days later, members of the Witch God Cult entered his dream to interrogate him, trying to find out if he had fallen into the hands of the Nightwatchers. Because during those three days, Governor Song accompanied Governor Zhang on an inspection tour, so he didn't notice Liang Youping's disappearance until they returned to Baidi City and learned that their little brother had gone missing. Oh, right.

Xu Qi'an suddenly realized.

Governor Zhang tapped his fingers on the table. "Continue."

"From then on, I followed Governor Song, who wasn't yet a provincial governor at the time." Recalling the past, Liang Youping's eyes revealed a hint of reminiscence.

"As Song Changfu's official rank rose higher and higher, I, a cripple, also rose rapidly in rank and became the current Secretary of the Bureau of Experience, reaching the Principal Sixth Rank."

"It was through Song Changfu's recommendation that I joined the Qi faction. But this identity was clandestine; Zhou Min was a spy for the Nightwatchers watchman's office, and I was a spy for the Qi faction."

"Qi Dang supplies military provisions to the mountain bandits, and this process must go through the censorate. For years, I've been working for Provincial Governor Song, secretly altering account books and embezzling military supplies."

"He used to say he dreamed of becoming a great hero and killing all the bandits. Now he's become an accomplice to evil." Xu Qi'an couldn't help but mock.

Liang Youping became the kind of person he hated most.

Liang Youping remained silent in the face of Xu Qi'an's sarcasm.

Governor Zhang squinted and asked, "What about Yang Chuannan? He's also a member of the Qi faction, why are you framing him?"

Liang Youping shook his head. "I don't know any of that. I only know that he's not close to the Qi faction. Provincial Governor Song revealed that Yang Chuannan is just a pawn that the Qi faction has put out in the open, and can be discarded at any time."

Xu Qi'an mentally defined Yang Chuannan as the scapegoat.

"If it weren't for Zhou Min, the conspiracy in Yunzhou would have continued indefinitely." Liang Youping shook his head and chuckled, "Perhaps this is a case of the long arm of the law, though its meshes are wide, nothing escapes it. Speaking of which, I have a good relationship with Zhou Min, and we often drink together after our shifts."

"I just didn't expect him to be the Nightwatchers's spy, and me to be the Qi faction's spy. That's why they say you can't see into someone's heart."

Liang Youping seemed to have opened a floodgate, and without Governor Zhang's interrogation, he blurted out everything he knew.

"Zhou Min is a very intelligent person, extremely sensitive to numbers. After we noticed that he had discovered discrepancies in the accounts, I tried to win him over, promising him substantial rewards."

Jiang Luzhong leaned back comfortably in his chair. "He refused?"

"No," Liang Youping chuckled. "He readily agreed, willing to go along with the corrupt practices. He just didn't expect that the so-called win-win tactics were just a facade, actually a test to see what he had discovered."

"Zhou Min's tactic was merely a delaying tactic; he immediately wrote a secret report and exposed the matter."

This is the operation of a well-informed spy! If it were a scene from a TV drama, Zhou Min would definitely righteously refuse. Xu Qi'an, using the excuse of complaining to keep his brain active, couldn't help but say:

"Actually, he already had a premonition that you were going to kill him to silence him."

"A smart person naturally has their own awareness. He could have escaped, though he couldn't have." Liang Youping raised his chin.

These words seem to be directed at himself; he, too, was a clever man who foresaw his fate, and since he couldn't escape it, he didn't bother to.

"After the scandal broke, Provincial Governor Song, following his pre-arranged plan, pushed Yang Chuannan out to take the blame. He secretly laid plans while awaiting the arrival of the Governor."

Upon hearing this, Governor Zhang questioned, "Then why did you personally stay at Dog Meat Shop No. 15? Shouldn't the account books contain evidence detrimental to Provincial Governor Song?"

"Yes, there are several entries in the ledger indicating that military supplies were transferred from the Provincial Administration Commission to the Regional Military Commission. As for why I stayed at No. 15 Ding, that was the order I received," Liang Youping replied.

This doesn't make sense!

Xu Qi'an frowned and looked at the three white-robed Warlock: "Is his word credible?"

The three white-robed Warlock shook their heads. "We can't see through him. His destiny is concealed; our Qi-Watching Technique cannot detect it."

The Qi-Watching Technique couldn't detect it. Xu Qi'an was first taken aback, then realized that someone had tampered with Liang Youping's body and someone was covering up his fate.

As Number Four said, Warlock have ways to counter wizards, and it was precisely because of this shield that Liang Youping avoided being cursed and divination.

Ningyan, is there anything you'd like to say?

Despite Xu Qi'an's severe intellectual decline, Governor Zhang still hoped to hear his opinions more.

"Letting Liang Youping and others work in the dog meat shop was a mistake. I don't think that someone as shrewd as Governor Song would make such a basic error," Xu Qi'an said confidently.

"Of course, we can't rule out that this is a provocation. After all, if that mysterious expert hadn't kidnapped Liang Youping midway, even if we knew something was wrong, we wouldn't have been able to find anything."

In the end, the only option was to bring Yang Chuannan back to Beijing with concrete evidence to explain.

Whether it was a provocation or something else, it's impossible to determine for now, unless Song Changfu is confronted face-to-face.

As for that mysterious expert, Xu Qi'an had a suspect in mind: the arrogant Yang Qianhuan. First, he only knew one such high-level Warlock. Second, although there were Rogue Cultivator Warlock outside, the ability to conceal one's destiny and deceive Jiang Luzhong's perception was a level of strength that ordinary Rogue Cultivator could not achieve.

This is like in a previous life, where those who could enter the Chinese Academy of Sciences were definitely highly educated talents, and there was no such thing as a self-taught, uneducated bachelor.

As for why it was Yang Qianhuan, it's because Xu Qi'an only considered her.

Well, this guess still needs to be confirmed.

"Want to know the reason? That's easy." Governor Zhang sneered, "Immediately issue the order: mobilize all forces to arrest Provincial Treasurer Song Changfu. Remember, speed is of the essence!"

It's the same approach used against Yang Chuannan, but it works very well. The surprise attack catches the enemy off guard, leaving them no time to react.

Before long, the entire Tiger Guard was mobilized, while Governor Zhang only brought Jiang Luzhong and a few Nightwatchers. The rest of the Silver and Bronze Gong guards stayed behind to guard the post station and watch over Yang Chuannan.

Xu Qi'an also stayed at the post station, citing the reason as needing to rest and recuperate.

He had just unleashed his full power outside the city and was now too weak to move around.

Bang!

The gates of the Provincial Governor's residence were broken open, and Jiang Luzhong led the Tiger Guards into the mansion, subduing the resisting guards one by one.

Unexpectedly, Governor Song did not appear like Yang Chuannan. The Tiger Guards found him in his bedroom; he was already dead.

The Provincial Governor Song lay on the ground, a dagger embedded in his chest, blood flowing everywhere, staining his clothes and half his face.

"Your Excellency, he is dead."

After inspecting the area, the Tiger Guards respectfully reported back.

"Did he commit suicide out of fear of punishment?" Governor Zhang walked to the body, his face serious.

Song Changfu really died just like that?

He pondered for a moment and then ordered, "Send someone to the government office to summon an experienced coroner to examine the body."

The coroner arrived quickly, accompanied by the prefect of Yunzhou. The prefect was filled with fear and unease. When he saw the body of Provincial Governor Song in the bedroom, he was so frightened that he sat down on the ground.

"Your Excellency, this, this..." The prefect's face was deathly pale, his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a complete sentence.

"What's the panic?" Governor Zhang glanced at Song Changfu's corpse and had no choice but to take the prefect out of the bedroom and into the study to tell him about the twist in the case.

So it turns out that Provincial Governor Song was the real culprit who colluded with the Witchcraft Cult and supplied military supplies to the mountain bandits?

The prefect stared blankly, unable to process this earth-shattering news for a long time.

"This matter should be announced as soon as possible to prevent unrest among officials in Yunzhou."

Position determines mindset; at this moment, Governor Zhang was thinking about how to appease the officials and maintain stability.

If Xu Qi'an were here, his first step would be to meticulously examine the corpse and the case until there were no oversights.

Just then, a Tiger Guard came in to report, "Sir, the coroner has finished examining the body."

"Bring him in," Governor Zhang said.

The coroner hurried in, head bowed.

"Report it."

"Yes!" The coroner then spoke, saying, "The deceased is Song Changfu, aged forty-five, six feet one inch tall. There are no injuries to the head, hair, skin, or bones. Apart from a knife wound to the chest, there are no other injuries to the limbs and torso."

"There was no unusual odor or color in the mouth or throat, so the death was not due to poisoning. An examination revealed that the cause of death was a stab wound to the chest, indicating suicide."

Governor Zhang nodded and said, "Preserve the body properly." He then turned to the prefect and said, "Summon all officials of the sixth rank and above from Baidi City to the Provincial Administration Office. I have something to say."

After making the arrangements, Governor Zhang frowned, pondered for a long time, then summoned a gong player and instructed him:

"Return to the post station immediately and tell Xu Qi'an everything that happened here, listen to his opinions, and report back to me. Also, include the coroner's autopsy report."

Post station.

"What?! Governor Song is dead?!"

Upon hearing the news, Xu Qi'an's eyes widened in shock.

"The governor would like to ask for your opinion." The messenger, a man with a gong, sat casually on the table, his feet on a long bench, a teacup in his hand. He took a sip and began to chat:

"That fellow surnamed Song was quite sensible. Hearing us break down the door, he knew he was doomed and committed suicide out of fear of punishment. The governor sent me back to ask you what you think of this matter."

"Yuanfang, what do you think?" This famous line subconsciously popped into Xu Qi'an's mind.

Song Changfu's suicide out of fear of punishment was unexpected; he had thought he would have a chance to bring Liang Youping and Song Changfu to court.

Xu Qi'an was extremely exhausted, and he had to think about things one by one.

Was it the governor's "speed is of the essence" strategy that worked, making Song Changfu feel that the situation was hopeless and leading him to commit suicide?

But normally, shouldn't people not give up until they see the coffin? This isn't a game. It's a bit too impulsive to surrender at the first sign of a disadvantage. Hmm, it's also possible that the Dream Witch, who has never shown up, killed him to cover it up.

That's not right. The premise for the Dream Witch to kill and silence witnesses should be that the truth has already come out, so how did he know that things had already been exposed?

In an instant, it was like a bolt of lightning striking my mind.

"There must be Song Changfu's spies near the post station, constantly monitoring the situation. It might even be that fourth-rank Dream Shaman. When the guards from Fushun Escort Agency brought Liang Youping in, although he was covered with a sack, his limp was still very obvious."

"Song Changfu already knew that Liang Youping had been captured." Xu Qi'an made this judgment in his mind, and he finally realized that something was wrong.

They interrogated Liang Youping for over half an hour at the post station. Afterward, the governor led his men into the provincial governor's residence. Even at the Tiger Guard's speed, it would take at least forty minutes to get from the post station to the residence. During such a long time, would Song Changfu just sit at home and wait to die?

But Song Changfu is indeed dead; the coroner has confirmed that he is lying dead in the coffin!

"Oh no, we've fallen for their trap!"

Xu Qi'an blurted it out.

P. S.: This chapter is over four thousand words, so the update is late. I'm sure everyone can understand.