The Ming Dynasty's henchmen, working from nine to five

Chapter 47 The Contract of Sin

"A confession?"

The orange cat paused, looking bewildered, and asked, "What is that?"

Shen Lang ignored it, grabbed it by the neck, and headed towards the inner courtyard.

"Greetings, Lord Shen!"

Upon seeing Shen Lang, He Xiang, the personal maid of Princess Jing'an, curtsied.

Shen Lang asked, "Has the Princess Consort rested yet?"

He Xiang said, "Reporting to Lord Shen, Physician Jiang has arrived and is currently examining the Princess Consort."

Shen Lang nodded: "Please trouble Miss He Xiang to inform me that I have something to discuss with you."

"Please, Lord Shen, move to the flower hall and wait for a moment."

He Xiang called another maid to lead Shen Lang to the flower hall, while she quickly ran off to inform the others.

"Lord Shen, please have some tea."

A maidservant served a pot of tea and two plates of snacks.

Thank you for your trouble.

Shen Lang thanked him and said, "Could you please find me some writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, young lady?"

"Yes, sir."

The maidservant bowed and quickly brought him paper and pen.

Shen Lang casually tossed the orange cat to the ground, then spread out a sheet of Xuan paper and began to write with lightning speed.

After a short while, he put down his brush, blew on the still-wet ink, and asked the orange cat, "Can you read?"

"I am a great demon of profound wisdom, how could I not recognize you?"

The orange cat nimbly leaped onto the stone table, glanced down at it, and mumbled:

"The one who wears the robes... an orange cat; a hundred years old; a demon."

"On the 27th day of the fifth month of the Gengxu year, at the Black Kiln Factory outside the Jade Capital, I assisted flower thieves in staging the crime scene..."

"Everything I have said above is true."

"Now that I have been captured by Shen Lang, a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I know that my crimes are grave and I am filled with remorse. I am willing to accept my punishment and will never recant my confession..."

"The one who has been described is an orange cat."

"Witness: Princess Jing'an, Princess Changning."

The orange cat grew increasingly horrified as it read on; these were all things that the woman had forced it to do.

The time and place were exactly as described.

But Shen Lang didn't ask about these things just now, so how come he seems to know everything?!

This guy is truly unfathomable; just who is he?

Seeing the orange cat's strange expression, Shen Lang's gaze darkened, and he asked, "What, do you have a problem with that?"

The orange cat instinctively said, "My name isn't Orange Cat!"

"My name is the Ancestor of the Golden Clan!"

Shen Lang made slight modifications as instructed, then placed the brush and ink in front of it, pointed to the bottom line containing the petitioners, and said:

"Can you write?"

"Here, sign and put your fingerprint!"

The orange cat raised its hind paw and kicked its chin, a hint of struggle in its eyes.

Its intuition told it that something was off about the confession and it was best not to sign it.

But the pressure from Shen Lang was too great, so it dared not say anything more.

After hesitating for a moment, it stood up, held the brush in its two front paws, and hastily wrote the four characters "Golden Ancestor".

Immediately afterwards, he dipped his finger in vermilion ink and pressed it into a cat's paw print.

Shen Lang checked the document once and then put it away.

At this moment, Princess Jing'an, surrounded by her maids, entered the side courtyard, accompanied by Princess Changning.

Shen Lang stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Greetings, Your Highness, and Your Highness."

"I didn't expect the princess to be here as well. This saves me from having to make another trip."

Princess Jing'an yawned, looking listless, and said, "Shen Lang, what business do you have with me?"

Shen Lang handed her the confession and said, "Please sign and affix your seal, Your Highness."

After saying that, he turned to Princess Changning and said, "Princess, you must also sign."

Princess Jing'an looked down and saw a section of her jade-like neck. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she asked, "What is this?"

Shen Lang pointed to the orange cat: "After interrogation, this demon has now confessed and submitted to the law. This is the indictment I drafted for it."

"As a witness in this case, this document will only become effective after you and the princess sign and affix your fingerprints."

Princess Changning fanned her long eyelashes and asked curiously:

"Will the government accept a complaint signed by a demon?"

Shen Lang smiled and said, "There's no need to pay attention to the authorities. I'll accept it."

As he spoke, he laid the petition flat on the stone table, took out pen and ink, and made a gesture:

"Your Highness, Princess, please!"

Princess Jing'an blinked a few times.

She still didn't quite understand, but out of trust in Shen Lang, she didn't bother to think about it too much. She picked up a pen, wrote down her name, and then pressed her fingerprint on it.

Princess Changning did the same, glancing briefly at the contents of the petition before asking questions as she wrote:

"Lord Shen, has the flower thief been found?"

Shen Lang shook his head: "This demon is not the main culprit, and I have never seen the true face of the flower thief."

"However, I already have some leads and will be able to find out soon."

Mentioning this matter, Shen Lang's heart sank slightly.

The overall picture of the case has now been largely clarified, the truth is gradually emerging, and the killer's image is becoming increasingly clear.

Because of this, he had a new concern.

The murderer can command mysterious masters and powerful demons, and can even make the Ministry of Justice bow down and make way for him.

Such a person is probably more than just someone who holds a high position of power.

Even if there is sufficient evidence, can a conviction really be successfully obtained?

The water in the pool is getting deeper and deeper.

Originally, Shen Lang wanted the princess to help identify the origin of the jade pendant tassel and inquire about Huang Cuier's situation.

Looking at it now, something seems amiss, and he needs to investigate this matter personally.

"Tomorrow, I'll test the waters with that Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies. If he's alright, we can ask him for help."

"And that mysterious woman, we need to find her as soon as possible."

"This case is really complicated. If we only have the cat demon as a witness, it may not be enough."

While Shen Lang was deep in thought, Princess Changning had finished writing the last stroke, dipped her right thumb in vermilion ink, and gently pressed a handprint.

At that moment, the petition suddenly flew up on its own.

Floating in mid-air, a faint golden light shimmered on the paper, rippling outwards in concentric circles.

Seeing this amazing scene, Princess Changning's bright eyes widened slightly, and she couldn't help but move closer, her eyes full of curiosity.

Princess Jing'an trembled, swayed, and nearly fell to the ground.

"Princess, do not be afraid."

Shen Lang gently helped her up and said in a gentle voice, "This petition was drafted by me and has nothing to do with this cat demon."

As soon as he finished speaking, the petition suddenly moved again.

It transformed into a streak of light, "whoosh," and flew into the orange cat's forehead, disappearing without a trace.

The orange cat was shocked: "What did you do to me?!"

It raised its front paws and rummaged around in a haphazard manner, as if washing its face.

Shen Lang said calmly, "The contract of guilt has been formed. From this moment until the case is closed, you will stay in the Prince's mansion and protect the safety of the Princess and the County Princess, and atone for your crime through meritorious service."

"If you harbor evil intentions during this period and wish to commit acts that violate the law, the fire in your heart will ignite, and it will not be extinguished until you die."

"Did you understand?"

The orange cat's eyes widened in astonishment and disbelief. "Such methods are simply unheard of!"

"Are you really just an ordinary person?!"

Seeing its expression, Shen Lang frowned almost imperceptibly.

After the "Torture and Extraction of Confessions" skill was upgraded to LV15, two new features appeared.

One is the Demonic Eye of Truth, and the second is this 'Sin Contract'—

During the investigation, if an accomplice or major suspect confesses and signs a plea agreement, they can be used as a witness to cover up the crime and be employed by him to assist in the investigation.

Judging from the orange cat's reaction, the "Sin Contract" should not be a supernatural power of the demon race.

So the question is, where does this secret come from?