6kv Chapter 77: Remnants of Night's Ashes
Chapter 77: Remnants of Night's Ashes
"Zhou...Zhou, the head of the department? Lin...Inspector Lin?" Zhao Kun's Adam's apple bobbed as he uttered a few words with difficulty, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace. "What...what is the meaning of this? This humble official...this humble official is merely here to inspect this old residence. After all, it was once the former home of my deceased master, and I occasionally feel nostalgic..."
"Check?" Zhou Yan's voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable penetrating power. "Checking requires scaling walls in the dead of night and heading straight for this abandoned woodshed? Checking requires opening this cabinet with its hidden mechanisms? Chief Zhao, your way of being nostalgic is quite unique."
Zhao Kun's face turned deathly pale in an instant, and beads of cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead, rolling down his bushy beard. He knew he had fallen into a meticulously planned trap! The whole thing about Dong Bao escaping and sending a letter, about Liu Qiqi's confession… it was all a lie, a ploy to lure him into the trap!
"Your Excellency, please see the truth!" Zhao Kun straightened his back abruptly, as if grasping at a last straw. His voice rose sharply, filled with the indignation of being wronged. "I do not know what Inspector Lin said to you, but all of this must be a frame-up! I have been loyal to the court and the Demon Suppression Bureau for many years, and have worked diligently for them. How could I have committed such an illegal act? Someone must be coveting my position and has framed me..."
"A frame-up?" Lin Yan, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke, interrupting his performance. He closed the ledger, his fingertip lightly tapping the rough cover. His voice was soft, but each word was clear, carrying a cold, all-knowing quality. "So, Chief Zhao means that the records in this ledger—such as receiving 500 spirit stones as 'tribute' from Chen Fuhai of Black Stone Town in a certain month of a certain year, sharing three 'blood crystal stones' with Chief Liu in a certain month of a certain year, and sending ten boxes of 'Eastern Country Ginseng' and one bushel of 'South Sea Pearls' to Lord Liu's residence in a certain month of a certain year…—were all written down by someone else and stuffed into this secret compartment of yours?"
Zhao Kun was struck dumb, his mouth agape, but no sound came out. Lin Yan had already read the contents of that ledger! He had even casually read a few entries aloud!
"And another thing," Lin Yan slowly stepped forward, bent down, and with his uninjured right hand, picked up a small package wrapped tightly in oil paper from beside the still-burning tinderbox on the ground. It had fallen with the tinderbox and gone unnoticed by Zhao Kun. He gently unwrapped a corner of the oil paper, and a very faint, strange scent, a mixture of chilling coldness and a sweet, fishy smell, wafted out. "The powders of 'Yinming Moss' and 'Crimson Heart Bone-Rotting Grass' are well preserved. But this 'Soul-Guiding Sandalwood Ash' seems a bit damp? No wonder the bloodstains on Old Ghost Mo and the others were slightly lighter in color when they were poisoned, not as deep as the records of Wu Tiankui's death."
"How...how do you recognize me?!" Zhao Kun exclaimed, then realized his mistake and his face turned ashen.
Lin Yan did not answer, but simply wrapped the small package again, held it in her hand, and looked at him calmly, as if she were looking at a clown jumping around.
Just then, a series of slightly chaotic but deliberately light footsteps came from outside the woodshed door. Immediately afterwards, the door was pushed open, and the light from several torches rushed in, illuminating the small woodshed brightly, revealing every detail.
In the firelight, Sun Wenyuan could be seen leading a squad of black-armored guards, escorting several people, standing outside the door.
At the front was a young woman in a peach-colored silk jacket, her hair disheveled, trembling with fear—Zhao Kun's mistress, whom he kept here. Beside her was a gaunt, mute woman, also deathly pale. Following them were two men, tightly bound and bruised—the brothers Dong Bao and Dong Cun. Dong Bao avoided eye contact with Zhao Kun; Dong Cun, however, kept his head down, looking as if he were dead.
The last person to enter, supported by two guards, caused Zhao Kun's pupils to shrink sharply, as if he had seen a ghost.
It was a hunched woman, dressed in a coarse cloth dress covered in patches, her face… no, it could no longer be called a face. From her forehead to her jaw, several deep, healed but grotesque scars crisscrossed, distorting her features and making one eye slightly crooked. Only her eyes, burning with a deep-seated resentment and mad hatred, were fixed on Zhao Kun, as if she wanted to devour him alive.
It was Liu Qiqi!
"Zhao...Kun!" Liu Qiqi's voice was hoarse and unpleasant, like a broken gong scraping against gravel; every word seemed to be squeezed out of her chest, "You...you've finally met your match!"
Zhao Kun looked at each face, at the overwhelming hatred in Liu Qiqi's eyes, at the timid appearance of the Dong brothers, at the fear of the mistress and the mute woman, and finally, his gaze fell on Zhou Yan's deep and unfathomable face, and on the account book and the packet of poison in Lin Yan's hand...
He understood. He understood everything.
From the moment Dong Bao "escaped" to report the news—no, perhaps even earlier, from the moment Liu Qiqi was "rescued"—he had already stepped into this trap tailor-made for him. Lin Yan never let Dong Bao escape; in fact, Dong Bao's "escape" was part of the plan! The purpose was to terrify him, to throw him into disarray, and to make him eager to come to this "safe house" to destroy the evidence!
What a brilliant scheme! What ruthless methods!
A bone-chilling cold shot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, shattering his last shred of hope and struggle. He staggered back a step, his back slamming heavily against the cold earthen wall, sending dust and ash falling in a shower.
Zhou Yan then spoke slowly, his voice still flat: "Zhao Kun, the evidence is overwhelming. You colluded with demon bandits to refine, hoard, and sell blood crystals; poisoned your superior Wu Tiankui and framed your colleagues; ordered your subordinates to kill witnesses in an attempt to silence them; you embezzled public funds and bribed your superiors… Every single one of these acts is irrefutable. What else do you have to say?"
Zhao Kun's lips trembled, his gaze unfocused. Under the bright firelight and the cold stares of onlookers, he felt like a lamb stripped of its wool and thrown onto a chopping board, waiting to be slaughtered. All his prestige, all his power, all his scheming had become a laughable and pathetic illusion at this moment.
But he was, after all, a man who had spent decades navigating the cutthroat world of officialdom. After the initial shock and despair, a ferocious, desperate air was forced forth. He abruptly raised his eyes, bloodshot, and hissed, "Zhou Yan! Lin Yan! You think you can bring down Commander Liu? You think you can bring down the Garrison Commander by capturing me and taking these things? Dream on! I'm just a errand boy! Even if I admit to these things, don't even think about implicating anyone above me! If you dare touch me, Commander Liu, the Garrison Commander, and… and all the nobles in the capital, will not let you off! Then, who lives and who dies is still uncertain!"
He tried to intimidate people by using his powerful backers as a last-ditch effort.
Lin Yan suddenly chuckled softly.
The laughter was exceptionally clear and jarring in the quiet woodshed. He took two steps forward, getting closer to Zhao Kun, the firelight casting a half-light, half-shadow on his pale face.
"Chief Zhao, it seems you still don't understand." Lin Yan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a cat-and-mouse-like composure, even a hint of laziness. "Who said we'd use these things to 'bring down' anyone? That's too much trouble."
Zhao Kun was taken aback.
Lin Yan waved the account book in his hand and said slowly, "How about this? Tomorrow, no, perhaps the day after, some news will slowly spread throughout Qingzhou Prefecture. For example, Zhao Kun, the head constable, has been secretly detained by Chief Zhou Yan for suspected involvement in multiple serious cases. Also, Chief Zhou and I are preparing to verify each clue provided by Zhao Kun—for example, are there really ships regularly traveling between the Canal Transport Office and other places, colluding with bandits and trafficking people? And is there still some 'blood crystal stone' samples that Xu Youcai, the clerk of the branch's accounting office, hasn't had time to send out yet? Oh, and also, is every single 'Eastern Kingdom Ginseng' and 'South China Sea Pearl' that Lord Liu's residence has received over the years clearly recorded, with their origins crystal clear?"
With each word he spoke, Zhao Kun's face grew paler and his body trembled more violently.
"Chief Zhao, guess," Lin Yan leaned slightly forward, looking into Zhao Kun's wide, fear-filled eyes, his tone almost a whisper, yet carrying a deadly chill, "when this news reaches the ears of Chief Liu Xiong, the ears of Garrison Commander Liu, and even... the ears of those 'nobles' behind them, what will they think? Will they believe you, Chief Zhao, are tight-lipped and utterly loyal, or will they think... you've revealed everything, both what you can and cannot say?"
"They'll think you've betrayed them, that you sold everyone out to save your own life." Lin Yan straightened up, his voice regaining its calmness, yet every word was piercing. "At that point, without us even lifting a finger, the first people your 'backers' will likely want to silence are you, Zhao Kun, your family, and even everyone else who might be connected to you. Don't you think that makes sense?"
Zhao Kun collapsed completely, sliding down the wall to the floor, his face ashen, his body trembling like the last leaf in the autumn wind. Lin Yan's move was too vicious! This wasn't investigating a case; this was psychological warfare! He was trying to turn him into a pawn that both sides wanted to crush immediately!
He could almost see the cold killing intent shooting from Liu Xiong's ever-smiling eyes, the resolute ruthlessness appearing on Liu Wenhuan's round face, and even the high and mighty figures in the capital would not hesitate to wield the butcher's knife to sever the clues... And his family, the girl he kept in the outer residence, even his relatives back home... would all be plunged into an abyss of no return because of his capture at this moment!
"No...no..." Zhao Kun murmured, tears streaming down his face. The fierce aura he had shown earlier had vanished, leaving only the most primal fear of death and the implicating of his family. "It can't be like this...I'll talk...I'll tell you everything...I beg Steward Zhou, Lord Lin...give me a way out...give my family a way out..."
Zhou Yan and Lin Yan exchanged a glance and nodded slightly.
Lin Yan said to Sun Wenyuan, "Mr. Sun, take the others away first, separate them and guard them strictly." He glanced at Liu Qiqi and added, "Arrange a clean room for Lady Liu, have a doctor examine her, and prepare some hot soup and food."
Sun Wenyuan accepted the order and directed the guards to take away the trembling mistress, the mute woman, the pale-faced Dong brothers, and Liu Qiqi, who was still staring intently at Zhao Kun as if she wanted to torture him with her gaze, from the woodshed. Inside the woodshed, only Zhou Yan, Lin Yan, and the limp Zhao Kun remained.
The torchlight flickered, casting the three people's shadows on the wall, stretching and distorting them.
"Zhao Kun," Zhou Yan's voice rang out in the now empty woodshed, carrying a final, irresistible authority, "tell me everything you know: about the Blood Crystal Stone, about Liu Xiong, about the collusion between the officials of Qingzhou Prefecture, about the death of Wu Tiankui fifteen years ago, about the recent poisoning of Mo Laogui and others, and... about the truth behind the murder of Lord Su Yuanshan's family. Perhaps, I can consider showing leniency towards your family."
As if grasping at a last straw, Zhao Kun struggled to straighten his knees, his head touching the ground, his voice hoarse and broken: "I'll talk... I'll tell you everything... I only beg for your mercy, sir..."
He began to recount his story in fits and starts, beginning with how, when he was just an insignificant soldier in the Demon Suppression Division, he accidentally obtained a fragment of a scroll containing the method for concocting a compound poison and some raw materials from the belongings of a wandering demon during a pursuit; he talked about how he endured and kept quiet until he climbed up to Wu Tiankui, and how, unable to bear the humiliation and coveting his position, he conspired with Liu Qiqi, who was also suffering from torment, to use the poison to send Wu Tiankui to his death; he talked about how, through ruthlessness and scheming, he gradually became Liu Xiong's confidant and began to get involved in the "Blood Crystal Stone" line.
"...In Blackstone Town, Chen Fuhai and Zhao Mang were initially in charge, feeding demon wolves with refugees and even townspeople, and refining them in a 'cellar' deep in the Azure Wolf Mountain. Later, when Lord Lin destroyed the wolf den, they secretly moved some to a more secluded location, but the output was much lower than before. Black Wind Ravine was another large 'cellar,' operated by Mo Laogui's gang of evil cultivators. Its scale and output were much larger than in Blackstone Town. They used captured merchants and even hired refugees as 'materials'..." Zhao Kun's voice trembled with fear and recollection. "The refined blood crystals were divided into three, six, and nine grades. The lowest grade was given by Chief Liu to those who performed well, like me... The better ones he kept for himself or to bribe other officials in Qingzhou Prefecture. And the best quality, the purest energy..."
He swallowed hard, a flicker of awe and fear of those at a higher level flashing in his eyes: "...It will be personally arranged by Chief Liu, delivered to the capital, Tianqi City, through absolutely reliable channels. The person receiving the goods is...is from Minister Zhao's residence. The contact is a woman, whom Chief Liu mentioned privately, calling 'Miss Yun.' Each handover takes place in a highly secretive location outside the city, and the location changes frequently. I only saw her back once from afar; she was wearing a cloak, so I couldn't see her face, but her demeanor and bearing were unlike that of an ordinary servant."
"Miss Yun..." Lin Yan repeated softly, his mind flashing back to the tattered letter he had seized from Qian Lu, the last half of which was consumed by flames, leaving only a blurry stroke of the character "Yun". It really was her! This black chain, stretching from the border town to the prefecture and then all the way to the capital's Ministry of Rites, had finally clearly connected a key name at this moment.
"What about Lord Su Yuanshan?" Zhou Yan's voice suddenly turned icy, filled with suppressed grief and anger.
Zhao Kun trembled, his head bowing even lower: "Lord Su... Lord Su... he's too persistent and obsessive in his investigations. He kept the discovery of the Blood Crystal Stone in Black Stone Town, Black Wind Ravine, and even at the docks in mind, investigating them secretly. He seems... he seems to have realized that this lead ultimately points to the capital, to Minister Zhao. He probably doesn't want to implicate you, Chief Clerk Zhou, so he's been doing many things privately, even keeping the case files and notes extremely secret."
"Three years ago... about two months before the incident," Zhao Kun recalled, cold sweat dripping down his forehead, "Lord Su seemed determined to write a detailed report and send it directly to Tianqi City, bypassing certain people in Qingzhou Prefecture and the Demon Suppression Division headquarters. He stayed up for several nights in his study, writing and revising. One night, he was so tired from writing that he fell asleep at his desk. Coincidentally, his deputy, who was also someone that Captain Liu had already planted, went to the study to report something and saw the draft of the report spread out... It mentioned the flow of blood crystal stones, the possible protectors within Qingzhou Prefecture, and even... subtly pointed to Minister Zhao possibly knowing about it."
"That man immediately reported the news to Commander Liu." Zhao Kun's voice grew lower and lower. "Commander Liu panicked. He knew that if this report reached Tianqi City and fell into the hands of Zhao Shangshu's political enemies, or attracted the attention of His Majesty the Emperor, it would be a catastrophe! Not only him and Commander Liu, but even Zhao Shangshu would probably be implicated. So... so we had to shut Lord Su up, and shut up everyone who might know the inside story forever."
"So, an order was issued from above to hold Lord Su accountable for 'colluding with demons.' And that's why that night happened..." Zhao Kun's voice was barely audible. "Captain Liu used his connections in the city defense army to bribe the general guarding the east gate that night, temporarily disabling some of the small protective formations in the area. Then, from who knows where, he managed to summon several ferocious, already secretly captured and tamed, Tongxuan-realm demonic beasts, releasing them into the inner city to attack the Su residence... Afterwards, everything was attributed to 'accidental demonic beast attack' and 'negligence in city defense.' And those demonic beasts and the bribed general were quickly 'dealt with' afterwards..."
Inside the woodshed, there was a deathly silence. The only sounds were the occasional crackling of the torches and Zhao Kun's heavy, fearful breathing.
Zhou Yan closed his eyes, his chest heaving violently, the muscles on his gaunt face twitching slightly, clearly struggling to suppress the surging grief and pain within him. Brother Yuanshan… all because of this unfinished report, because he didn't want to implicate him, he alone bore such a devastating calamity! That sincerity, that sense of responsibility, that camaraderie—hearing it now, every word was like a tear of blood!
Lin Yan remained silent. Although he had suspected it, hearing the cold, cruel truth with his own ears, and recalling the tragic scene of Su Qingyao losing all her loved ones in the sea of fire that night, still filled him with murderous intent. Liu Xiong, Zhao Kun, and all the demons and monsters lurking in the shadows behind them, deserved to be torn to pieces!
After a long while, Zhou Yan slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with an icy calm, but beneath that calm lay a raging torrent of emotions and a resolute killing intent. He glanced at Zhao Kun, who was limp as mud, as if all his bones had been removed, and said to Lin Yan, "Take him away and keep him under strict guard. Record his statement in detail and have him sign it."
"Yes," Lin Yan replied, summoning guards who dragged Zhao Kun, who was almost unable to walk on his own, out.
Inside the woodshed, only Zhou Yan and Lin Yan remained, along with the mess on the floor and the faint smell of poison and blood lingering in the air.
"Lin Yan," Zhou Yan walked to the window, gazing at the thick, impenetrable night outside, his voice low, "Zhao Kun's confession is both a weapon and poison. Don't touch it for now. Liu Xiong will probably get wind of it soon. What should we do next…"
"Wait," Lin Yan interjected, his gaze fixed on the heavy ledger in his hand, his eyes sharp as knives. "Wait until they start to panic on their own. Wait until the 'snake' lurking in the shadows is startled by the stone we've thrown, and it reveals its weakness."
Zhou Yan turned around, looked at his young subordinate who had already displayed astonishing skill and shrewdness, and slowly nodded.
The autumn wind blew in through the broken windowpanes, causing the torch flames to flicker violently and casting the shadows of the two figures onto the mottled earthen wall. Their shadows intertwined and swayed, like a giant net quietly unfurling in the unfathomable night, waiting for the next prey to walk into its trap.
Beneath the deep waters of Qingzhou Prefecture, even more dangerous undercurrents have begun to surge.