Perjury

After leaving the security station, the first people Su Han sought out were these neighbors.

He had seen it perfectly clearly in the case file.

These good neighbors had served as witnesses against him, shamelessly spouting nonsense and giving false testimony against their consciences.

So they were his next targets in his search for information.

Zhao Mu's throat went dry. After recognizing Su Han, he was somewhat panicked and at a loss.

"You..." His voice trembled, and he could scarcely believe it.

"You're Su Han?"

"Why are you here?"

"The evidence was conclusive. Shouldn't you have already been..."

Su Han said nothing and simply took a step forward.

Zhao Mu instinctively backed away.

Although Su Han had not asked him anything yet, he had already begun to offer a guilty explanation.

"I don't know anything." His voice shook violently.

"Su Han, how did you escape?"

"Quick, turn yourself in. You might still get lenient treatment..."

Su Han still said nothing.

He walked straight up to Zhao Mu, stopping less than half a meter away.

Zhao Mu swallowed and tried to say something more.

But Su Han had already raised his foot, then kicked out fiercely.

Crack!

A leg bone snapped. Su Han had crippled his leg in an instant.

"Aaaah!!!"

Zhao Mu's scream of agony had only just begun.

Su Han's right hand was already clamped over his mouth, his five fingers gripping his jaw like iron pincers. At the same time, he grabbed Zhao Mu's collar, lifted him off the ground, and pinned him against the wall.

His movements were astonishingly fast.

Zhao Mu's entire body convulsed with pain, but his mouth was held tightly shut.

Su Han leaned close, his face cold as frost.

He asked, enunciating every word.

"Did you really see it?"

"Did you see me kill my parents?"

Zhao Mu's face twisted in pain. Unable to speak, he could only let out muffled whimpers.

Su Han stared fixedly into Zhao Mu's eyes before finally releasing his hand.

"Boo-hoo, it hurts. It hurts so much I'm dying."

Zhao Mu slumped to the ground, clutching the shattered knees of both legs. Tears and snot smeared his face as he wailed in agony.

The excruciating pain of his shattered bones made his whole body convulse, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.

Su Han looked down at him, expressionless.

"Talk."

"I, I don't know. I don't know anything..." Zhao Mu cried incoherently.

"Su Han, spare me. I just run a convenience store."

"I really don't know anything..."

He refused to tell the truth.

Su Han couldn't be bothered to say more. He raised his foot again and stomped on the top of Zhao Mu's thigh.

Crack!

Flesh and blood were mangled instantly, and his thighbone broke.

"Aaaaaah-"

Zhao Mu's scream was several times more intense than before. He rolled wildly on the ground as blood seeped from his pant leg, rapidly spreading into a red stain on the floor.

Su Han crouched down.

His eyes were level with Zhao Mu's, and his voice remained icy.

"Did you really see me kill my parents?"

Zhao Mu shuddered all over.

He lifted his tear-streaked face, his eyes now filled with fear.

"N-no..." he finally admitted, trembling.

"I didn't see it."

"Since you didn't see it," Su Han said, his gaze growing increasingly bloodthirsty, "why did you say you witnessed it when the security officers questioned you?"

"I..."

Seeing Zhao Mu avert his eyes and stammer, unable to answer,

Su Han raised his foot again and stomped hard on the top of his other thigh.

Crack!

The sound of a bone shattering rang out again.

"No, don't! I'll talk, I'll tell you everything." Zhao Mu broke down completely.

He answered in a shrill, tearful cry.

"I'll tell you everything. They gave me money. They gave me two million, a whole two million!"

Su Han's gaze sharpened.

"Who gave it to you?"

"I... I don't know him..."

Clutching his broken legs, Zhao Mu began to recall the details, his voice trembling.

"He was a man in a suit and bow tie, wearing sunglasses. He was very tall and muscular, and he came straight to the store to find me."

"When?" Su Han continued.

"The morning after the incident. I'd just opened the door when he came in."

"He said he'd give me two million to give false testimony against you."

"All I had to do was recite the script he gave me when the time came."

"Oh, right, I still have that script. I haven't gotten around to throwing it away..."

After some questioning,

Su Han also found the script at Zhao Mu's home.

He opened it to find a thick stack of cash and several sheets of paper inside.

The sheets were covered in a prepared script.

It was clearly organized and full of detailed testimony, all of it slandering Su Han.

Su Han put it away and continued questioning him.

"What about the other neighbors around here? Did they take money too?"

"Probably." Zhao Mu gasped from the pain and continued answering.

"Old Wang from the hardware store, Xiao Liu from the barbershop, and Sister Li from the fruit stand haven't opened their shops these past few days."

"I reckon they all took money like I did, but they ran off after taking it and giving their witness statements."

At this point, Zhao Mu was filled with regret.

Who could have known Su Han would actually escape, and even come straight to his door?

If he had known, he would have run off like the other neighbors.

So, after a pause, Zhao Mu continued begging for mercy.

"Su Han..."

"That's really all I know. I was just a little greedy for money. I didn't mean to harm you."

"Please spare me. Just spare me this once."

"I'll give you all two million, and all my savings too."

"Please, let me go this once..."

Su Han merely watched Zhao Mu in silence.

He was no longer of any use.

After three seconds of silence, Su Han raised his foot again.

A scream rang out and abruptly cut short, followed by the sound of shattering bones.

Zhao Mu's chest caved in completely, blood flowed across the floor, and all life vanished from his eyes.

He breathed no more.

Immediately afterward,

Su Han walked out of the convenience store and wandered slowly down the street. Taian East Road was deathly silent.

He carefully checked all the neighbors along the street.

The hardware store, barbershop, fruit shop, snack shop... every one of them was locked up tight, pitch-black inside.

Clearly, everyone had left.

The trail ended there.

Su Han stood beneath a streetlight and closed his eyes.

With a thought, a screen of light appeared before him.

[Name: Su Han]

[Age: 19]

[Lifespan: 188 days]

[Physique: 153]

[Comprehension: 156]

[Skills: Basic Fist Technique (perfected), Celestial Phenomenon Stance Technique (perfected)]

His physique and comprehension had now both surpassed 150 points.

And they were still increasing at every moment.

But at the same time, after dealing with Zhang Qu and his neighbor, Su Han had only two leads left.

One was his girlfriend, Xu Li.

The other was his older sister, Su Yuyun.

Su Han was eager to know.

Why had Xu Li said those things in the recording Zhang Ping had played for him?

And why had his sister identified him as the killer?

What on earth had gone wrong, and why?

He had to know the answers.