Lao Ji stared blankly at Chen Nan.
His left eye was blank, devoid of any emotion.
But his right eye was filled with astonishment.
As if he hadn't expected Chen Nan to ask such a question.
Recovering himself, he smiled and shook his head, "Constable Chen, you are young and promising, and highly regarded by Magistrate Han. How could you possibly have had enough of life?"
Chen Nan sighed, his eyes filled with sorrow, "I am a member of the Chen family. I previously became a live-in son-in-law to the Leng family. While I couldn't say I lived in luxury, I never had to worry about making a living."
"But now, not only have I been divorced by the Leng family."
"I've even been kicked out of my own home by the Chen family."
"In this vast Tongcheng, I don't even have a place to call home."
He tilted his head to gaze at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, as if possessed by a dramatic actor, a hint of crystalline tear glistening at the corner of his eye, "Tell me, what's the difference between this and being cast into the abyss from the heavens?"
Lao Ji hesitated for a moment, then said, "But you have been heavily relied upon by Magistrate Han."
"Heavily relied upon?" Chen Nan chuckled, "Perhaps to outsiders, I've been given an important task by Magistrate Han, but is that truly the case?"
He shook his head dismissively, "Everyone knows I've just arrived at the county office, and I'm a constable who hasn't officially taken his post, with very little experience in handling cases.
"In this situation, why would Magistrate Han hand over the investigation into Hu Ning'an's murder to me?"
"You must understand, this is the first case he has handled since he took office as magistrate in Tongcheng."
"It concerns whether Magistrate Han can establish himself in Tongcheng and gain the trust of the common people."
"Do you believe he would entrust his future to me?"
As he spoke.
A cold sweat suddenly broke out on Chen Nan's back.
He hadn't thought about it before, but now that he analyzed it, he was suddenly startled.
The fact that Han Zongyuan handed this case to him was inherently unreasonable.
He then thought.
If he were one of Yuan Zun's men, then everything would make sense.
He continued, "The only reason Magistrate Han did this is because he wants to find an opportunity to suppress me."
"After all, I was once a favored subordinate of Magistrate Yuan."
"'A new emperor, a new court,' as they say. How could he tolerate me continuing to hold a position in the county office?"
"However, as the magistrate of Tongcheng, even if he wants to suppress me, he needs a legitimate reason."
"Otherwise, he would be criticized."
"Therefore, what appears to be his heavy reliance on me is actually a tactic of feigning retreat to advance, a way to put me on the spot."
Chen Nan, with tears in his eyes, took a bite of his cornbread, "Now, the case of Hu Ning'an's murder is causing a great stir, known throughout the city."
"If I don't find the killer, won't he have a justifiable reason to suppress me?"
"This is the key to his 'heavy reliance' on me!"
Lao Ji chuckled, "I believe Constable Chen will definitely be able to find the true killer of Hu Ning'an."
"Even I don't have that confidence, how can you say I can find the killer?" Chen Nan shook his head, "I know my own capabilities. Please, old man, don't flatter me."
"I've already made up my mind. While I'm still alive, I'll do some things I've never done before."
"I want to make some money."
"Whore around!"
"Visit brothels one after another!"
His eyes sparkled with anticipation, his face full of yearning.
Lao Ji nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Others whore around in terms of individuals.
You, on the other hand.
You're doing it by brothel.
"Lao Ji, I've said all this. You shouldn't hold back anymore," Chen Nan said. "Everyone knows you're intimately familiar with all the streets of Tongcheng. You must know a way to make money."
"As long as I can make money, I don't care about losing years off my life. If I can make money, I'm willing to die tomorrow."
"Don't worry, if I can make money, I'll definitely arrange for two brothel girls for you, so you can enjoy some youthful company." He gave him a knowing wink.
Lao Ji's old face blushed, "No, no, no. I'm already an old man. That's not appropriate."
Chen Nan's eyes lit up, and he suppressed his excitement, whispering, "Is there really a way to make money?"
"You've found me, so shouldn't I try to think of a way for you?" Lao Ji grinned, knowing there were several usury lenders in Tongcheng.
Yes.
He was not being immodest when he said he knew Tongcheng like the back of his hand.
After all, he had been a night watchman in Tongcheng for decades.
He did have some connections.
Chen Nan said excitedly, "Lao Ji, I'm twenty-three this year, strong and healthy, I don't smoke, I don't drink, and I have no bad habits. You tell me, it's not difficult for me to live to eighty, right?"
Lao Ji hummed, "It's not difficult to live to a hundred either."
Chen Nan said, "Let's not even talk about a hundred. Let's just go by eighty."
"Eighty minus twenty-three equals fifty-seven. Tell me, how much is my fifty-seven years of lifespan worth?"
Upon hearing this.
Lao Ji's pupils trembled violently, as if he hadn't expected Chen Nan to say such a thing.
Before he could react.
A rushing sound came from behind.
Song Yunfei drew his saber and threw it at him.
In that instant.
The previously dispirited Lao Ji seemed to transform into someone else.
He exuded a powerful aura.
Like a drawn sword, radiating a sharp and cold aura.
He leaped into the air, like a hawk.
Instantly appearing on the jujube tree nearby, he dodged Song Yunfei's fatal blow.
"Lao Ji, you've been hiding your true strength very well!" Song Yunfei's face was filled with madness, "If I hadn't seen you leap onto the jujube tree several meters up, I would have thought you were someone else."
The others also became extremely vigilant.
They all drew the sabers from their waists.
They had never expected that Lao Ji, who had always seemed to have no presence, was actually a super master.
The skills he had just displayed alone.
Were not something ordinary people could achieve.
He was at least a strong practitioner of the Soul Gathering Realm.
Lao Ji glared at Chen Nan, his eyes filled with coldness, "So, you've been testing me all along? You suspected me from the beginning, didn't you?"
Chen Nan nodded obediently, "Yes!"
Lao Ji gritted his teeth, "When did you start suspecting me?"
Chen Nan took another bite of his cornbread, "I've always suspected you, because I don't believe that someone who is naturally low-key and humble would curse you for your ugly appearance, or even argue with you in the middle of the night on the street."
"When you said that, you were trying to lead us by the nose and disrupt our investigation into the case."
"Especially last night, when Wang Dale left Ruyi Tower, and you happened to be on duty nearby."
"At that moment, I was certain that you were the murderer of Hu Ning'an and Wang Dale."
"It's just that we lacked evidence."
"But now it's different. You've delivered the evidence to us."
Lao Ji let out a cold snort, "You've certainly made me see you in a new light. However, even if you know that I killed Hu Ning'an and Wang Dale, so what? With just you ants, how can you possibly capture me?"
A cold voice followed as Han Zongyuan walked out with one hand behind his back, "They indeed cannot. But can this official capture you?"