Transmigrated into a minor official in a county government, with children at home waiting for rice t

Zhang Sanlang sat at his desk, his fingers resting on the pen.

The rain outside the window stopped sometime ago, but water is still dripping from the eaves.

The rhythmic dripping onto the blue bricks brought him into calm contemplation.

He repeated the name Kong Youan over and over again, then suddenly a fierce glint appeared in his eyes.

He stood up and paced around the room a couple of times. His steps were slow, but firm.

But then he suddenly remembered someone.

Feng the Scarface.

This person has been on the run.

The two murders of Kong You'an and the several dirty deeds of Chen Youde were all committed by Scarface Feng.

Once we find Feng Bazi and get him to talk, Kong Youan won't be able to turn the tables, even if he has three heads and six arms.

Even if Kong Youan wasn't behind Shen Jue's actions, Feng Bazi could still bring up his past misdeeds.

The two confirmed murder cases he knew of alone—the killing of Ma Dashou and the drowning of Huo Laogen—were enough to give Kong Youan a run for his money.

Where is Feng the Scarface?

If he wasn't silenced, he must be hiding somewhere.

Zhang Sanlang walked to the window and pushed it open. The puddles in the yard reflected the sunlight, shimmering brightly.

The two people most likely to know are Qian Laohei and Lv San.

Donkey Three was Qian Laohei's right-hand man, and he had done dirty work with Scarface Feng. One was a thug in the open, and the other was an assassin in the shadows. He knew Scarface Feng's background, and might even know where he was hiding.

Qian Laohei is currently managing the warehouse for Clerk Feng. He works at the docks during the day and sleeps at the office at night. This man is cunning and may not tell the truth. Besides, he also holds the warehouse's accounts, so Clerk Feng won't let anyone touch him.

Donkeys are three different things.

He was serving his sentence in the county jail, where he faced high walls and iron bars every day, ate prison food, and slept on straw. After several months inside, he was no longer the scoundrel who used to roam the streets with impunity.

This kind of person, if given a chance, will seize it.

Donkey Three surrendered himself to the authorities last time to save his life. He confessed to Kong You'an and Chen Youde's illicit dealings, but that was to bring Kong You'an down and secure his own survival.

As for Feng Bazi, everyone was focused on Kong Youan and Chen Youde at the time, and no one deliberately pursued his whereabouts. The two of them, Lv San and his companion, did not bring it up on their own initiative.

Having thought it through, Zhang Sanlang closed the window and left the room.

When the servants in the corridor saw him come out, they quickly moved aside.

He first went to Fang Zhong'an to write a note requesting his release, then walked through the main hall, around the signing room, and towards the east side of the outer courtyard of the county government office.

The county jail was located at the far eastern end of the passageway leading to the main gate of the county government office, right next to the archers' barracks. It had a heavy jujube wood door with iron nails nailed to the door. Two jailers stood at the door, wearing gray cloth uniforms, with hemp ropes tied around their waists, and each carrying an iron ruler in their hands.

Both prisoners knew Zhang Sanlang.

The older man, surnamed Zhou, was in his early forties and had a scar on his face from a fight he got at the docks years ago.

The young man, surnamed Liu, was in his early twenties, tall and thin, and grinned when he saw Zhang Sanlang.

"Zhang Qianxing, what brings you to this filthy place?" Zhou Yuzi tucked the iron ruler under his arm and cupped his hands in greeting.

Zhang Sanlang smiled. "Brother Zhou, I'd like to mention someone. Lü Sanlang, the one serving time here."

Zhou Yuzi paused for a moment, then turned and glanced at Liu Yuzi.

Liu, the prison warden, scratched his head. "Zhang Qianxing, Lü? Oh, Lv San is from the criminal investigation department. You mentioned him..."

"I told Fang Qianxing that the interrogation room has his confession that needs to be verified."

Zhang Sanlang pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve. It was a note that Fang Zhong'an had just jotted down. "This is a note from the torture chamber."

Zhou, the prison warden, took the note, glanced at it, and handed it back, his smile fading. "Zhang Qianxing, it's not that I'm being unreasonable. Donkey Three is a serious offender; getting him out requires Warden Ma's approval. Please wait a moment, I'll go in and inform him."

He turned around, pushed open the jujube wood door, and squeezed in sideways.

A damp, musty smell wafted from the crack in the door, mixed with the stench of straw and excrement, making Zhang Sanlang frown.

Before long, Zhou Yuzi came out, followed by a dark-skinned, thin man in his fifties. The man wore a gray cloth robe with worn-out cuffs, and a bunch of keys hung from his waist, jingling as he walked.

This was Zhang Sanlang's first time meeting Warden Ma. The man had a fierce appearance, like a demon crawling out of hell. He coldly sized Zhang Sanlang up and down a few times, then clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute. "Zhang Qianxing, Warden Zhou said you wanted to bring Donkey Three?"

Zhang Sanlang handed over the note.

Warden Ma took the document, glanced at it, and nodded. "Donkey Three is in cell number C. I'll have someone bring him out."

Zhang Sanlang forced a smile. "I've been in the county government for many years, but I've never seen the county prison before. May I come along?"

Prison Chief Ma nodded and gestured with his chin toward Prisoner Zhou. Prisoner Zhou took a bunch of keys from his belt, picked one out, pushed open the jujube wood door, and led Zhang Sanlang inside.

The county prison was small, with a narrow corridor and five cells on each side. The corridor was dimly lit, with only a small skylight overhead through which sunlight filtered down, casting a dark green glow on the damp brick floor.

The air was filled with a musty smell.

Zhang Sanlang walked in and stepped on something soft and squishy. Looking down, he saw a small, blackened lump of unidentified meat.

He suppressed his gagging and dared not look closely!

Zhou Yuzi walked ahead, his footsteps heavy, thumping on the brick floor. He reached the end of the corridor, stopped in front of an iron gate, inserted the key into the lock, and turned it twice before the door opened.

An even stronger stench emanated from inside.

Zhang Sanlang was so overwhelmed by the fumes that he instinctively took half a step back.

Zhou Yuzi stood at the door and called out, "Donkey Three, come out!"

The sound of chains dragging on the floor could be heard from inside.

A man in a gray prison uniform emerged from the darkness. His hair was disheveled, and he had several scars on his face, with a large bruise around his left eye. He wore wooden shackles on his hands and dragged iron chains on his feet, which clanged as he walked.

Donkey Three looked up, saw Zhang Sanlang, and was stunned for a moment.

Zhang Sanlang glanced at him, then turned and walked out.

Zhou Yuzi gave Donkey Three a push and followed behind.

The three men walked through the corridor, out of the cell, and into the interrogation room next door.

The interrogation room was a small, dark room with a long table, two chairs, and several leather whips and wooden sticks hanging on the wall. An oil lamp sat on the table, its wick charred black, emitting a pungent smell of oil smoke.

Zhou Yuzi pressed Donkey Three into a chair and stepped outside to stand.

Zhang Sanlang sat down across the table, looking at Donkey Three, and asked, "Do you know where Scarface Feng is hiding?"

Donkey Three shrugged. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Zhang Sanlang leaned back in his chair. "You've done so much work with him, would he not tell you?"

Donkey Three fell silent.

The room was quiet for a moment, with only the occasional crackling sound of the oil lamp wick popping.

"Kong You'an wanted to kill you to silence you, which is why you ran back from the prison camp. You know in your heart that Scarface Feng is his knife, and so are you. The only difference is that you haven't taken any lives, so you can still be saved."