Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 378 - 357: Zhang San’s Interrogation Technique

Chapter 378: Chapter 357: Zhang San’s Interrogation Technique

Zhang San didn’t beat around the bush and went straight to the point with his question.

"Han Yanqiu, are you trying to harm me?"

With a twisted smile, Han Yanqiu didn’t know how to answer that question.

"From now on, if you don’t answer, that means a denial. I’ll ask you again, are you trying to harm me?"

Knowing that one could not lie in front of a Xiezhi, because the Xiezhi could not only tell if you were speaking the truth, but more importantly, if you lied, it would gore you with its horn.

The wounds caused by a Xiezhi were extremely difficult to heal.

"Yes!" Han Yanqiu could only begrudgingly admit through clenched teeth.

Zhang San continued to ask, "Are you planning to join forces with the Crown Prince to frame me?"

Han Yanqiu knew that if he admitted it, it would be the same as betraying the Crown Prince.

But if he didn’t admit it, with the Xiezhi staring him down, he dared not lie!

"Yes."

Zhang San, seeing that Han Yanqiu hesitated every time, furrowed his brows slightly, glanced at the martial artists beside him, and said, "My neck is a bit uncomfortable today; it’s a hassle to look at Han Yanqiu like this. Trouble you to bind Han Yanqiu another foot higher."

Han Yanqiu cursed in his heart: It’s just an interrogation, what’s with all this fuss? Does binding me up a bit higher mean I’ll confess to everything?

However, as Han Yanqiu was bound a bit higher by two martial artists from the Town Martial Office, he keenly realized a problem.

Originally if the Xiezhi gored forward, he would probably have his intestines spilling out.

But not anymore.

Because now, if the Xiezhi gored forward, he would become barren!

"Zhang San! Do you have to be so cruel!? You’re despicable! You’re shameless! You lack filial piety!"

Zhang San, while flexing his neck, looked at Han Yanqiu and sneered, "You have the energy to talk, so continue answering my questions."

"Are you a man?"

"Ah? Ah... Yes, yes, yes!" Han Yanqiu, realizing that his hesitation seemed to prompt the Xiezhi to lunge forward, hurriedly affirmed.

Zhang San nodded in satisfaction.

Indeed, this Han Yanqiu was quick-witted, so one absolutely could not let him stay calm.

He must be panicked!

"You and the Crown Prince want to frame me, so there’s actually no reason for you to meet followers of the Heavenly Punishment Sect; after all, the fewer people who know about the Crown Prince and the Heavenly Punishment Sect, the better. Since they let you know, it must be because someone from the Heavenly Punishment Sect needs to see you, or vice versa."

After laying out his analysis, Zhang San looked at Han Yanqiu and asked, "Do you want to collude with people from the Heavenly Punishment Sect to weave crimes against me?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

"Do these crimes include accusations that I collude with the Heavenly Punishment Sect, or even that I, Zhang San, am part of the Heavenly Punishment Sect?"

Recalling someone from the Heavenly Punishment Sect mentioning that Zhang San was indeed a part of them, Han Yanqiu was about to shout it out, but seeing the Xiezhi seemingly ready to gore, he was frightened and could only bite his teeth and admit "Yes!"

"Did you ally with the Crown Prince in order to set me up?"

"Yes!"

"Does anyone from the Han Family know about your meeting today with the Heavenly Punishment Sect?"

"No one knows."

"Although you belong to the Han Family, you now have also allied with the Crown Prince, right?"

"Yes."

"You want to kill me, to avenge your brother, Han Yanxia, right?"

"I am even more motivated by the justice in my heart, because you, Zhang San, are part of the Heavenly Punishment Sect... Ah—"

Before Han Yanqiu could preemptively accuse Zhang San of being part of the Heavenly Punishment Sect, the Xiezhi gored him.

Thankfully, he managed to twist his waist in time; the Xiezhi’s horn only stabbed into the root of his thigh.

Zhang San turned to look at the Vermilion Bird Principal Officer standing by with an impassive face, made a respectful bow and said, "Vermilion Bird Principal Officer, this investigation is almost complete. It’s evident that Han Yanqiu sought out the Crown Prince to target me, and because the Crown Prince has been secretly in touch with the Heavenly Punishment Sect, that’s why he went to meet with them, hoping to ensnare me in false accusations."

The Vermilion Bird Principal Officer didn’t quite understand what was going on with Zhang San’s interrogation, as she was indeed very strong in combat but completely clueless about interrogation.

But just now, seeing Zhang San’s demeanor, her dislike for the man increased a bit more.

"Alright, I understand."

Zhang San was surprised by the Vermilion Bird’s response.

He took two steps forward, continuing, "Since we can confirm that Han Yanqiu did not actually join the Heavenly Punishment Sect, but was only implicated through his connection with the Crown Prince, and this has nothing to do with the Han Family, may I take Han Yanqiu back to the Han Family first?"

The Vermilion Bird didn’t immediately answer Zhang San because she also didn’t know whether she could let Zhang San take the man away.

It sounded like Zhang San’s reasoning made sense.

But she felt that whatever Zhang San wanted to do was definitely not good, so Vermilion Bird said coldly, "No!"

Zhang San’s mouth twisted as he pointed towards the Xiezhi, saying, "This, after all, belongs to Legalism and it’s not good to keep lending it to the Town Martial Office. I’ll be taking it with me shortly, and if Han Yanqiu doesn’t leave with me, would it not look bad if Legalism has aided yet the innocent has not been released?"

The Vermilion Bird also felt awkward, but since it was Zhang San who made the point, she still shook her head.

Zhang San said helplessly, "Then please ask the Chief to decide."

Just then, the space next to them was suddenly torn apart, and Li Moxian, clad in a straw raincoat and holding a fishing rod, stepped out from the space rift.

Third Miss Gan followed behind him.

Zhang San, knowing that Vermilion Bird was conducting the interrogation, had guessed that even if he could prove Han Yanqiu’s innocence, it was unlikely that Vermilion Bird would release Han Yanqiu. He had never anticipated that Chief Li would return at this very moment.

"I was fishing at Qu Pond Fang, so spit it out quick. I’ve got to get back to my fishing."

Zhang San frowned and spoke in a low voice, "Chief, do you spend every day loafing around? Doesn’t Emperor Kaihuang have any tasks for you?"

Li Moxian immediately put on an air of having serious business and said, "I am, in fact, fishing under orders!"

"What!?"

"Emperor Kaihuang previously told me not to always fish in the lake to the northwest of the city, so now I’m specifically fishing in the southeast part within the city!"

Zhang San was at a loss for words regarding Li Moxian’s divine logic.

But who could argue with Li Moxian, whose power was vast enough to single-handedly suppress the Heavenly Punishment Sect at one point.

Zhang San then gave Li Moxian a brief rundown of the interrogation that had just taken place.

Li Moxian noticed the Legalism’s divine beast, Xiezhi, by his side.

He knew that the Xiezhi was the Pharaoh’s treasured pet, which rarely left home, which showed how serious the Legalism was taking this matter. From the results of the interrogation, it seemed that the issue was at most Han Yanqiu’s personal act of revenge against Zhang San and not a collusion between the Han Family and the Heavenly Punishment Sect.

"It seems that Han Yanqiu is indeed innocent. You can let him go for now, but he needs to sign in at the Town Martial Office every day to ensure he hasn’t fled. As for the Han Family, they are innocent, and this matter will not involve them."

Zhang San immediately bowed to Li Moxian and said, "Please wait a moment, Chief. May I convey this decision myself?"

Li Moxian nodded.

Zhang San quickly left the jail and went to a small room outside where Han Mingshi was anxiously waiting.

Approaching the door, Zhang San rubbed his face, his expression shifting from smugness to seriousness and tension.

"Head of the Han Clan, I have returned. Let me have a drink of water first!"

Seeing Zhang San come back, Han Mingshi immediately poured him water and handed it over with both hands.

Zhang San took it and pretended to be utterly spent from talking, gulping down one bowl of water and then asking for another.

After downing three bowls in quick succession, he finally took a breath.

"Head of the Han Clan, take a look at this Feng Chengying, but since it involves confidential aspects of the interrogation, I can only show you parts of it."

As he spoke, Zhang San took out the Feng Chengying that showed Yun Shengxu’s confession about the Crown Prince’s plans to besiege martial artists from Town Martial Office and the evidence of covert connections with the Heavenly Punishment Sect.

Then, Zhang San brought out the scene where Han Yanqiu admitted to siding with the Crown Prince, as well as the moment when the horn of the Xiezhi hit him right in the thigh.

Upon seeing these fragmented pieces of information, Han Mingshi’s face turned green.

"Big Third Master, as a disciple of the Pharaoh, you’re a future leader in our Legalism; you can’t just ignore our Han Family—"

Han Mingshi immediately knelt in front of Zhang San, clinging to his thighs and starting to cry.

Zhang San patted Han Mingshi’s head. In that moment, Zhang San, this young man not even twenty, was like a grandfather comforting his grandson.

"I had Big Sister ask Chief Li Moxian to come back, and then I pleaded with him too. After all, this matter may or may not be significantly related to the Han Family. But with the Crown Prince targeting the Town Martial Office and Han Yanqiu helping out...I might not care, but the Chief won’t agree. So..."

"Is it money? Our Han Family is willing to give up half of our assets!"

Zhang San snorted and said coldly, "Why be so vulgar? Town Martial Office is directly commanded by Emperor Kaihuang himself. Do you think we lack money?"

Han Mingshi bowed his head, unsure of what to do next.

"However, after I begged Chief Li for half the day, he told me that Town Martial Office is in dire need of experts in interrogation. If the Han Family has experts in interrogation who join the Town Martial Office, then we’re all one family, and of course, we won’t let the Han Family suffer unjustly."

At that moment, Han Mingshi finally realized what the Town Martial Office was angling for.

But now, even with the realization, it was too late to change anything.

With all the leverage in someone else’s hands, they could straighten your leverage if they wanted, or bend it.

"My Han Family is willing to provide ten interrogation experts to join Town Martial Office," Han Mingshi said through gritted teeth.

Zhang San sneered and turned to leave.

"I’ll take my leave. Discuss this matter with the Pharaoh yourself. It’s beyond me."

"No no no..." Han Mingshi immediately clung to Zhang San’s thighs tightly and said through gritted teeth, "Twenty, surely twenty..."

"Forget it! When your Han Family is being raided, Town Martial Office can have as many interrogation experts as it wants. That’s it, I won’t involve myself anymore. You deal with it..."

"Thirty! Surely thirty..."

Zhang San kicked Han Mingshi away!

Out of fear, Han Mingshi scurried to the door on his knees to catch Zhang San.

"Big Third Master, I was wrong, forty, surely forty is enough!"

Zhang San looked down at Han Mingshi, mimicking the angry and icy expression Vermilion Bird had just displayed, and asked, "Are we haggling in a vegetable market? This is about buying your Han Family’s lives. The price increases by ten each time, how many more times do you plan to raise it?"

"I was wrong! Fifty-one! Fifty-one surely... I was wrong, I was wrong... Sixty then! My Han family has less than seventy martial artists and cultivators proficient in the Name Punishment Technique, only these left!"

As Zhang San turned to look at Han Mingshi, he covertly employed the Xiezhi Questioning the Heart technique.

Indeed, Han Mingshi wasn’t lying; there were really less than seventy.

"Why couldn’t you have been this straightforward earlier? Wait here, I’ll go plead on your behalf!"