5: Chapter 5 The Case of the Well Eating People

The news of Pockmarked Liu's public beheading swept through all of Qingyang County like a hurricane in just half a day.

In the county yamen, the way the constables looked at Lin Feng had completely changed.

If before it was envy and jealousy, thinking he was just a lucky rookie...

Then now, that look had turned into deep wariness and a trace of imperceptible fear.

A disagreement, a drawn blade, a life taken.

And the one killed was a Hall Master of the Black Tiger Gang, a local tyrant with a reputation.

This ruthlessness and decisiveness was something that not only the new constables, but even the old hands who had been around for years, knew they couldn't match.

"A madman, he's truly a madman!"

"Chief Li really kicked a steel plate this time. He wanted to give the kid a show of authority, but the kid just flipped the whole table over."

"The Black Tiger Gang certainly won't let this go. There's going to be a good show to watch."

In Chief Constable Li Gang's office, the atmosphere was oppressively heavy.

His face was ashen as he paced back and forth without a word, the fury in his chest nearly erupting.

It was out of control!

Things had completely spiraled beyond his grasp!

His original intention was to have Pockmarked Liu humiliate Lin Feng to break his spirit, let the boy know who the boss of the yamen was, and make him a submissive dog in his hands.

Who could have imagined that Lin Feng wasn't a dog, but a lurking tiger instead!

With one strike, he had directly bitten through Pockmarked Liu's throat!

What gave him an even bigger headache was that he couldn't even openly cause trouble for Lin Feng.

Pockmarked Liu was a fierce bandit, and Lin Feng was an officer of the law.

An officer killing a bandit was perfectly justified by heaven and earth.

If he dared to punish Lin Feng for this, he wouldn't be able to get past Magistrate Zhao Dehai.

"Fine, fine, fine... Lin Feng, you're ruthless enough!"

A trace of malice flashed in Li Gang's eyes. "Since you like showing off and playing the hero, I'll give you a chance to be a hero!"

...

The next day, as soon as Lin Feng arrived at the yamen, he was stopped by Li Gang.

"Lin Feng."

In a complete reversal of his usual attitude, Li Gang had a warm smile on his face, as if yesterday's conflict had never happened. "You did well yesterday. You removed a pest for the people and brought honor to our Qingyang County yamen."

Lin Feng sneered inwardly, but remained expressionless on the surface. "It was my duty. I don't deserve the Chief's praise."

"Ah, merit should be rewarded, and faults should be punished."

Li Gang patted Lin Feng's shoulder affectionately and handed over a case file.

"There's a case here that the people in the south of the city have been buzzing about lately, and everyone is in a panic. Normally, a difficult case like this should be handled by me personally or by an experienced old constable. But I thought about it, and young people should train more and take on more challenges. I'm putting you in full charge of this case. How about it? Do you have the confidence?"

Lin Feng took the file and opened it.

[Willow Alley, south of the city. An anonymous dried-up well. Three people have disappeared within half a month, all of whom were drawing water at night. Rumors in the streets say a water ghost is haunting the well.]

The case description was simple, but a sense of eeriness permeated between the lines.

Lin Feng immediately understood Li Gang's sinister intentions.

This case was clearly tainted with something supernatural; it was likely another demonic incident.

Such cases had always been the most troublesome hot potatoes in the yamen, and no one wanted to take them.

Winning brought little credit, but losing could cost one's life.

This was an open scheme by Li Gang, wanting to use a demon's hand to get rid of the thorn in his side.

"What? Scared?"

Seeing Lin Feng's silence, Li Gang intentionally goaded him. "If you feel you're not up to it, there's no shame in saying so now. I can change—"

"No need."

Lin Feng closed the file and said calmly, "Thank you for the cultivation, Chief Constable. I'll take this case."

"Good! You have spirit!"

Li Gang was overjoyed, already calculating in his mind how to collect Lin Feng's corpse.

"Go then. Whatever manpower or equipment you need, go to the warehouse and get it."

"No need, I'm enough on my own."

Lin Feng turned and left, leaving Li Gang with a sharp, decisive silhouette.

He knew this was a trap, of course, but what did he lack most right now?

critical hit points!

The opportunity to increase his strength!

In his eyes, this 'water ghost' was an experience gift pack that Li Gang had personally packaged and delivered to his door.

It would be a waste not to take it!

Arriving at Willow Alley in the south of the city, Lin Feng immediately felt that something was unusual about this place.

Despite it being broad daylight, the entire lane felt eerie and cold. Every household had its doors and windows tightly shut, and not a soul could be seen on the street, forming a sharp contrast with the noise of other parts of the southern city.

At the end of the lane was a crooked willow tree, and beneath it was an ancient well partially covered by a stone slab.

Before even getting close, Lin Feng felt a bone-chilling coldness seeping out from the well's mouth in wisps.

He didn't rush forward, but first conducted an investigation in the lane.

At first, the residents stayed behind closed doors, filled with wariness and fear toward him as a constable. But when someone recognized him as the 'ruthless man' who had cut down Pockmarked Liu yesterday, their attitude changed immediately.

A trembling old woman gathered her courage to open her door and whispered to Lin Feng.

"Officer, that well... that well is unclean! Do not go near it at night! Zhang the Butcher, Li the Tailor, and the Wang family's second boy—they all went there to draw water at night and never came back..."

"Old madam, have you seen anything unusual?"

Lin Feng asked.

"I... I didn't dare look. But in the middle of the night, I can always hear a woman's crying coming from the well, and... and it sounds like iron chains are rattling in the water. It's terrifying!"

With these clues, Lin Feng had a general idea of what was going on.

He went to the edge of the ancient well and examined it carefully.

Relying on the keen five senses of the Body Tempering Realm, he immediately discovered several faint, slimy drag marks on the stone slab at the well's edge, extending into the interior of the well.

A faint, lingering stench of fish and decay remained in the air.

"It seems there really is something down there."

Lin Feng didn't alert the enemy. Most demons and ghosts are most active at night when the Yin Qi is heaviest. It was currently daytime and Yang Qi was abundant; the entity was likely lurking deep at the bottom of the well.

He decided to wait for the 'ghost' to come to him.

As night fell, a waning moon hung in the sky, casting a cold, pale light over Willow Alley.

Lin Feng sat alone cross-legged on a rooftop not far from the ancient well, restraining his aura like a rock blending into the night.

Time passed minute by minute.

It was the hour of the Rat, the moment of the day when Yin Qi is at its peak.

"Wu... wuuu..."

A sobbing woman's cry suddenly drifted out from the ancient well, sounding exceptionally clear in the silent night, as if it could pierce into one's marrow.

Then came the sound of splashing water, as if something was slowly floating up from the bottom of the well.

It's here!

Lin Feng opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing briefly.

He didn't move, but continued to wait for the other party to completely let down its guard.

He took a waterskin from his robe and, pretending to be a thirsty traveler in the night, staggered toward the well while humming a tuneless little ditty, acting as if he were about to draw water.

Just as he bent down and approached the mouth of the well!

A sudden change occurred!

Whoosh!

Two pale, bloated ghost hands with pitch-black nails shot out from the dark well like two venomous snakes, grabbing Lin Feng's ankles!

A bone-chilling Yin energy surged through him, and a massive pulling force tried to drag him into the bottomless abyss!

Beneath the well's opening, a woman's face, swollen from the water with distorted features, stared fixedly at him, her mouth curling into a bizarre grin.

It was the life-taking water ghost!

However, facing this lethal ambush, there wasn't a hint of panic on Lin Feng's face; instead, a cold smile appeared.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time."

His feet were like roots planted in the ground. The power of the Third Stage of Body Tempering erupted, and no matter how hard the water ghost pulled, he remained motionless.

"Want to invite me down for tea? You'll have to see if you have the ability first!"