So that was it. Once we understood the reason, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless of the circumstances, as long as I was alright, that was all that mattered. After treatment from the doctor, I felt much better, and my body was recovering quickly.
He Xin and Liu Yuning returned to the provincial department first. Since Er Junchi, who had disguised himself as Dan Calaby, had been apprehended, they had to interrogate him.
Speaking of this person, He Xiaoyu said, "Forget about work for now, Young Master. You should focus on recuperating!"
"I understand. I never expected he would impersonate Dan Calaby and hide within a painting, trapping me like that!"
"Sigh, at the time, we all thought you were as good as dead..." Mentioning this, He Xiaoyu's eyes seemed to turn red.
He Jinghui patted her on the back to comfort her, "Our Young Master is blessed with great fortune; he won't be in trouble that easily. Don't worry. Look how much better he is now! You can relax."
Of course, that's what they would say if nothing happened. If something had happened, I don't know what they would have done. They would probably live with regret for the rest of their lives, especially since the patriarch had repeatedly stressed their duty to protect me.
Once my body had fully recovered, I returned to the provincial department. I insisted on personally interrogating Er Junchi. Liu Yuning didn't stop me; after all, I was already healed and it didn't take too much energy. Otherwise, she wouldn't have waited for me to recover before proceeding with the interrogation.
"Er Junchi, did the organization offer you many benefits? Why did you meticulously plan this operation? Killing people using the markings of demon gods, was that fun? I reckon you've watched too many mythological stories and lost your mind!"
"I don't know what organization you're talking about. Yes! I like the 72 Pillars of Demons, so what? Do you have a problem with that? You people have no idea of the greatness of the demon gods!"
"You people always say the same thing when you get caught. This isn't the first time."
I took out the recorded testimonies of He Qing, He Qiming, and the others and played them directly in front of him. Er Junchi didn't seem bothered at first, but as it continued, he grew impatient. "What's the point of playing this for me? I don't even know these people."
"Heh, a stubborn duck with its mouth shut. We found quite a few dead victims' eyeballs at your residence, along with many of your past artistic creations. You kept them all as your collection items at home. Your fingerprints are all over the place!"
"You trespassed into my home. Isn't that self-defense?"
"Self-defense? You played tricks in a painting and nearly killed me. Would anyone commit self-defense like that?"
"I don't know what you're talking about. You shouldn't have come in!"
"Er Junchi, if we hadn't found evidence suspecting you, we wouldn't have come to your house!"
At this point, Liu Yuning presented all the evidence before him. By now, the evidence was overwhelming, yet he showed no fear and no intention of confessing. "I don't understand this stuff!"
"Heh, your lie is too far-fetched. Tell me, would a collector not understand such information?"
Affected by our relentless questioning, Er Junchi became increasingly fearful the more he listened.
Later, even his arms began to tremble. I said coldly, "You know your own reaction best. If you continue to resist, things will only get worse. Honestly, even if you escape from here, the people in the organization will probably cripple you. They don't want you to implicate them, so you have no other choice!"
Er Junchi closed his eyes, his head drooping. After an unknown period, he looked up again, facing us, and finally, unable to hold back, he spoke excitedly.
"That's right, I am part of the organization. Actually, I did this to avenge He Qing. If it weren't for him, I would never have taken this path. But if it weren't for him, I wouldn't be alive today. He pulled me out of the abyss.
I remember a few years ago, I was also a collector, but my business was doing very poorly. I collected junk, and it wasn't enough to sustain my life. So, my wife took the children and left. My life became even more decadent, and I even ended up owing a lot of debt. The debt collectors would come to my rundown house every day to harass me. I was beaten many times.
Later, I had no choice but to leave secretly. But when I went out, I had no money and could only wander around, gradually becoming a beggar.
One day, in despair, I wanted to jump off an overpass. I thought about my past, my child, and my wife. At that moment, I had no desire to live on. Just as I was about to jump, a hand from behind pulled me back forcefully.
It was a man filled with gentleness. His eyes seemed to soothe all the sorrows in the world. Even though I am a man, I was captivated by his gaze. He spoke to me in a uniquely relaxed tone: 'You can't just die like this, Er Junchi. You have a more important mission to fulfill.'
I didn't know how he knew my name. Anyway, at that moment, he pulled me out of my suffering and took me to a small town. I reinvented myself there and started a new life. Later, I began to use my collecting skills to earn a living. During that time, I also learned a lot of knife techniques and martial arts from He Qing. He Qing said these would be very useful for my future work. My fingers developed quite a few calluses from the training!"
As he said this, Er Junchi showed us his fingers. Observing the marks, I knew he must have handled knives frequently. I never thought all this was caused by my brother. I remember he hasn't been executed yet. After interrogating Er Junchi, I left the interrogation room. Liu Yuning would handle the rest. Now, I needed to see He Qing.
Otherwise, if I didn't see him, I wouldn't have another chance.
Knowing that I had come, He Qing seemed quite happy. He picked up the phone on the other side of the glass and said, "Brother, I didn't expect you to come see your useless brother!"
"He Qing, we've arrested another person. He said you brought him into the organization."
"That person? I've brought too many people in, I can't remember who is who."
"His name is Er Junchi."
"Oh? It's him, the collector? Did this fellow do something wrong outside?"