CHAPTER 258: CHAPTER 258 BACKLASH

Is the truth really so simple?

It turned out that I had overthought the situation. Jiang Yuan twitched his mouth, "I didn’t expect this old guy to know such a variety of things."

"Yeah, the little ghost Yin Fiends can’t enter the detention center, but the Curse that was originally on Jia Zongliang isn’t affected. Manipulating him to get out from the inside isn’t hard..."

Before she could finish speaking, Liu Qiang suddenly let out a roar, like a beast howling in pain, startling Chuci.

Liu Liting glanced back, "The backlash has come. Luckily, our benefactor helped disperse the Evil Energy from us sisters, otherwise the severe backlash alone would have made him bleed from all seven orifices and die terribly on the spot. Now it’s just right, he won’t die but will at least shed a layer of skin, and we can slowly torture him to vent our anger."

"Help! Someone help me!"

"Oh Celestial God, Lord Guan, all the deities in the sky, I deserve to die a thousand deaths, just give me a swift end!"

Liu Qiang, in unbearable pain, wanted to crash through the window and end it all, but the female ghosts giggled while lightly hooking their pinkies, rendering him immobile. He couldn’t even smash his head on the ground to dull the pain, he could only despairingly endure the torment of the backlash.

Every inch of his skin felt as if it were being pierced by steel needles, as if countless ants were crawling and biting inside his bones. His internal organs felt itchy and burning with discomfort, but all he could do was wail in agony.

The terrifying commotion and his earlier confession of crimes left the crowd silent, stepping back a few paces, but no one dispersed, all holding up their phones to record videos.

"It’s over~ it’s over~ it’s over~"

Police sirens wailed as they stopped first in front of the teahouse, followed quickly by an ambulance.

Downstairs, Liu Qiang’s pig-like howls could be heard. Many nearby shop owners, customers, and passersby gathered in a large crowd, all looking up and whispering.

"Officers, something terrible has happened! You should go take a look!" The hall manager rushed out, briefly recounting Liu Qiang’s shocking self-exposure and onset of illness.

The hall had surveillance, and the onlookers had videos from all angles. The oral confession of crime was so shocking that he had to be taken back for a thorough investigation.

If not for Liu Qiang rolling on the ground, wailing as if cut by a thousand knives, he would’ve been cuffed and taken away immediately.

The police, seeing the unusual situation, maintained order while letting the medical staff do an examination, and took moments to question the fat man and make notes.

As soon as those in uniform entered, the four female ghosts quickly moved aside, not daring to get too close.

Liu Qiang, almost fainting from pain, felt a tiny bit of relief at their retreat— as long as he could be taken to the police station, the fierce ghost Yin Fiends couldn’t enter; endure the backlash and rest a few days, and he’d be mostly fine.

Regardless, the extended life gained from nurturing those Fiends had ensured longevity. As long as he got through this tribulation, living healthily for another fifty or sixty years was no problem!

As for the cases he urgently reported, though they did exist, without evidence, who could convict him?

Modern law adheres to the principle of reasonable doubt. Even if detailed to the bone, lacking evidence, how could they convict him?

Moreover, one unsolved case shocks, two frighten, but a dozen or so piled together?

Ha, few would believe it!

No evidence, exaggerated claims— after investigation, at most he’d get a light three to five-year sentence.

Entering the police station, then transitioning to the detention center, then prison, by the time he got out, years would have passed, and those unsupported fierce ghost Yin Fiends would be long gone.

By then, he’d just start over somewhere else, for with money and real skill, there’s nowhere to fear going...

The plundered Life Energy, will to survive, and inner joy supported him to endure wave after wave of skin-peeling, bone-chiseling backlash pain.

Though it wasn’t fatal, the suffering was still immense; he clutched the medical worker’s hand, shouting with all his might, "Give me anesthesia! Sedatives! Painkillers, anything you have, please hurry...I’m in excruciating pain..."

Yet his well-maintained body bore no bruises or wounds, how could the medical staff find anything wrong?

Moments later, a doctor quietly advised the police, "Best to do a urine test. His body shows no issues whatsoever, healthier than many young men who stay up late. This could indicate drug use."

He paused two seconds, then added, "Or it could be psychological. He doesn’t seem to be faking it, severe mental illness can cause neurotransmitter disorders, leading to such unexplained body-wide pain."

"Mental illness? That’s a disaster." The police officer, initially thinking he’d make a major breakthrough, furrowed his brows, thinking if Liu was using illicit substances, it might lead to uncovering a big case, which would be ideal since the unresolved cases have yet to see light.

But if it was just a madman’s ramblings, then it might all be for nothing?

"Take him back for a urine test and statement, and apply for a psychiatric evaluation as well." After arranging the scene aftermath, he lowered his voice and cautioned, "Be careful not to get bitten, who knows if there’s a virus; also guard against self-harm or suicide, we have to quickly handle this to avoid any trouble."

Police cars and ambulances came and went swiftly. Even before the crowd outside the teahouse could disperse, videos were being uploaded to platforms.

"Shock! Multiple unsolved cases the work of one person!"

"Did Lord Guan appear? Murderer self-exposes!"

"The reformed gangster leader also has his day..."

...

Besides the terrifying unsolved cases drawing attention, Liu Qiang’s striking appearance and fairly contrasting identity, Lord Guan’s appearance, the affair-related murder, and the cuckolded husband— these viral factors all mixed together, causing an online uproar with no need for further effort.

Soon, all sorts of revelations followed. The original Jia Zongliang murder case was just a buzz for two days, but with Liu Qiang’s rampant self-exposure hitting the headlines, the dark stories of Wu Xiaolan being exploited by her family for debt, and the tragedy of marrying her debt holder, Liu Qiang suffering from Klinefelter syndrome, Jia Zongliang’s suicide from guilt, and so forth, all surfaced.

Due to the vile nature of the cases involved, the police swiftly conducted his urine test, ruling out substance use, and began a detailed investigation into the self-reported cases.

But Liu Qiang, lying flat on the ground, did nothing but scream in pain and refused to cooperate, and doctors couldn’t find any physiological issues, leaving only the options of him faking it or suffering from mental issues causing unexplained pain.

Considering Liu Qiang was already in his fifties and under intense scrutiny, the police had to let the psychiatric department conduct the most professional evaluation. If he was pretending, the experts would see through it immediately.

Liu Qiang was troubled; he merely wanted to hide from the Yin Fiends in prison, not truly atone. If he confessed to his crimes, he’d definitely face execution.

So, how to precisely reveal just enough to be sentenced without serving too long was a key concern during his time recovering from the backlash’s grueling "torture" laying in bed.

Yet the police refused to believe Liu Qiang’s genuine discomfort. Though the backlash had passed, its residual effects remained, and faced with continuous questioning, he alternately talked east or west but, fearing a heavy sentence, ultimately denied everything.

"The suspect requests a lawyer, clearly wanting to play it down." The case officer watched the monitoring footage and said in a deep voice, "We must arrange for him to meet with a lawyer within forty-eight hours, and if we can have the psychiatric assessment done before then, that would be best. Communicate with the evaluation department, dealing with so many serious cases, special requests take priority."