“Good morning, Uncle, this is for you.”
“Auntie, you’re looking great today, here’s your gift.”
“Sister, that ring is beautiful! Your partner gave it to you, right? I can tell right away. When's the wedding? Remember to invite me; I’ll have my family’s Lao Tan help with the gift.”
Tan Yunlong, who had been leaning back in his office chair with his feet resting on the desk, was dozing off.
Suddenly, familiar voices stirred him awake.
Opening his eyes, he saw his son casually chatting with his colleagues while handing out breakfast.
Tan Yunlong had always known that his son had an outgoing and carefree personality, but at this moment, he felt something unfamiliar about him.
Although he seemed enthusiastic, there was an undertone of detachment that didn’t feel unpleasant.
The colleagues reacted interestingly; they weren’t as relaxed as they would be with other coworkers’ children, but instead, they showed a bit of restraint.
If one didn’t know better, they might think a high-ranking official had come to connect with the people.
The most surprising part was that this was the first time the boy had come to his new workplace.
“Here, Dad, this is for us.”
Tan Yunlong lowered his feet.
Tan Wenbin picked up a towel from the nearby rack and patted the desk before placing buns, fried dough sticks, and soybean milk down.
“Dad, why didn’t you sleep in your dorm? I went there this morning to find you and didn’t see you. I almost thought you had run off to enjoy yourself while mom’s away.”
“If you can’t speak properly, just be quiet.”
Tan Yunlong took a bite of a bun.
He had just been returning to his dorm to shower and change clothes lately, not managing to get a proper sleep, spending most of his time in the office this way.
“Dad, hasn’t mom taken care of her work yet? When is she coming to Jinling? It’s really not good for you without her around, look at you, so disheveled.”
“Let’s talk about that later. If your mom unexpectedly shows up here, she won’t know anyone, and there’s hardly anything for her to do. I won’t have much time to spend with her either.”
“Is it a housing issue? I could rent one for you.”
“Do you have a lot of money?”
“More than your salary.”
Tan Yunlong shot him a glare but didn’t say anything else.
He knew that neither his wife nor the grandparents would let their son know how much money they had sent him.
“What’s with the sudden early visit, is there something going on with Xiao Yuan?”
Tan Wenbin cleared his throat, holding up a fried dough stick as if proclaiming something, “By the decree of the Dragon King, it is ordered…”
Noticing that Tan Yunlong was still eating his bun, Tan Wenbin playfully continued, “You dare not kneel and accept the order?”
Tan Yunlong reached for his belt buckle.
“Dad, I have something to ask you!”
…
“I didn’t realize the dorm I’m living in used to be a female dormitory a few years back. No wonder the public toilet’s positioning on the floor seemed so strange, turns out it was built afterwards.”
While Tan Wenbin quickly flipped through files, taking notes, he felt he needed to since he didn’t possess his brother Xiao Yuan’s remarkable ability to remember everything at once.
Five years ago, this building was still a female dorm.
It had been converted to a male dorm by the school.
In the five years from ten years ago to five years ago, while it was occupied by girls, two notable cases occurred.
One was the case of Tang Qiuying’s disappearance.
The other was the suicide of Qian Meishu.
Tang Qiuying went missing while still enrolled, and both the school authorities and her family searched for her but found no trace.
Qian Meishu had committed suicide in her dorm by drinking pesticide, leaving a note that indicated issues concerning her love life.
Tan Wenbin tapped on Tang Qiuying’s photo.
If the ghost in high heels indeed had something to do with either of these cases, it was most likely Tang Qiuying.
Xiao Yuan had mentioned that the ghost's body was buried near the dorm, which had somehow limited her mobility.
As for Qian Meishu, she was definitely taken care of after her death.
It was a pity that when his brother Xiao Yuan interrogated the ghost in high heels that night, he hadn’t walked the shadows, or he would have seen her true form.
If that were the case, he could have matched it with the photo from the file.
Since both women were once university students, their ID photos were included in the records.
“Dad, should I take these two records home?”
“Just remember to return them on time.”
“Is it that easy to agree?”
“I’m doing it to solve a case.” Tan Yunlong paused and added, “If Xiao Yuan has any leads, remind him to notify the police promptly.”
“Understood, that’s a given.” Tan Wenbin craned his neck to scan the desk and asked, “What’s the progress on Qiu Minmin?”
Tan Yunlong handed him a bag. “This is the recent progress I discovered myself; it hasn’t been archived yet. Give it to Xiao Yuan.”
“Wow, Lao Tan, you’re impressive! I’ll petition the Dragon King to make you a Crab General.”
“Ha, and what about you?”
“I’ll be the Tortoise Chancellor, of course.”
Taking a deep breath, Tan Yunlong replied, “Hehe.”
As Tan Wenbin placed the files into his bag, he noticed another pile of files nearby.
He instinctively flipped through them and came across a photo.
The picture showed a water vat with a person standing inside.
The figure appeared unusually tall.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out the person was on stilts.
However, due to the water obscuring the view, the stilts weren’t very noticeable.
The person wore a white robe and high hat, with a pale face, holding two white lanterns, one labeled “Underworld” and the other “Guide.”
Tan Yunlong noticed his son's actions and said, “That pile is a set of files that someone just organized. They aren’t related to the two cases you’re looking for.”
“Dad, is that person imitating the White Impermanence?”
“That isn’t a person.” Tan Yunlong stood up.
He had helped a colleague look for those files, so he knew a bit about the contents. “That photo is of a clay statue propped up in the water vat.”
“Didn’t they say that clay idols can’t protect themselves across water? Why is this statue deliberately placed in a vat?”
“Why would you ask me such a question?”
“Who else could I ask but you? There’s no one else in this archive.” As he spoke, Tan Wenbin looked around, calling softly, “Hey, is anyone else here?”
Suddenly, the pages of the files in front of him fluttered.
Tan Wenbin’s eyes widened.
The archive door was closed, and the only window was a small skylight in the corner that couldn’t be opened.
Where could the wind come from?
He became very sensitive to such phenomena after joining this profession.
Xiao Yuan had mentioned that some malevolent spirits could manifest in ordinary ways to show their presence.
Could it be that an evil spirit really resided here?
What kind of evil spirit would dare stay in a police station?
Tan Wenbin tried to convince himself that he was being overly sensitive.
Tan Yunlong noticed his son’s odd behavior and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, nothing. I didn’t sleep well last night and got a bit distracted. Dad, what were you just saying?”
Tan Yunlong pointed again at the photo. “You should be more knowledgeable about such things than I am, right?”
“Dad, it’s like sending you to do evidence analysis and forensic dissection – we’re both police officers. Don’t you know how?”
“What about Xiao Yuan?”
“My brother Xiao Yuan is definitely different.”
“Why can’t you be like your brother Xiao Yuan…?”
“Dad, stop right there. I think if we continue this discussion, it might harm our strong father-son bond.”
To change the subject, Tan Wenbin looked back at the photo. “Dad, is that clay statue representing the White Impermanence?”
“No, based on the confessions from the criminals, they call it ‘Aunt Yu.’”
“It’s a woman?”
“Yeah, the criminals know they’ve done something heinous and worry they’ll be fried in oil after death. So they worship ‘Aunt Yu’ in hopes she will disguise herself as a ghost to take them away before punishment. However, not many people worship her; it hasn’t spread widely, and only a few criminals believe in it. We’re currently investigating leads provided by the statue maker.”
“What crime did they commit?”
“Human trafficking…”
In the study room, the one painting at the drawing desk today wasn’t a girl, but a boy.
Li Zhiyuan had learned painting from Ali.
But just like his chess skills, he relied on his smarts and quickly excelled.
However, reaching this level made him lose the motivation to continue deepening his studies.
After all, even the smartest person wouldn’t learn everything.
Moreover, once one reaches a certain level of familiarity with things, pushing for further improvement requires even more time and energy, making it not worthwhile in simple terms…
For the boy, he approached learning chess and painting just to enrich the activities he shared with the girl; he was not competing to win or lose.
Ali stood next to him, helping to mix colors and change brushes.
Without needing prompts, their interaction flowed seamlessly.
Finally, Li Zhiyuan finished his painting.
The character in the painting wore a white robe, high hat, and was on stilts, holding two lanterns.
He didn’t paint the words on the lanterns because he knew that wasn’t the original image; those words were there simply to provoke Ali.
The original lantern should have different characters.
Since he painted quickly, he needed to let the painting dry before rolling it up to take away.
The boy didn’t know who it was in the painting, and he couldn’t ask Grandma Liu either, as it would involve her in events beyond her control.
However, Li Zhiyuan had an impulse deep down.
When I didn’t know who you were, it didn’t matter.
But now that I’ve captured your image in my art… the river will push you right before me.
Just last night, he pondered whether he could change from being passive to being proactive, and today, this opportunity suddenly presented itself.
Li Zhiyuan enjoyed this sense of mystery, and he liked dismantling that mystery even more.
To him, walking the river could be seen as an exam.
Most students entered the exam hall filled with nervousness until they received the ink-scented exam paper, where they could start combating challenges based on their previous knowledge.
Li Zhiyuan didn’t like the student’s mentality.
He preferred to understand the examiner, treating every exam as a conversation with the one giving the questions, conjecturing their thoughts, and giving feedback.
Do I have to wait for you to give me questions?
Here, let me show you if this question I pose to myself is to your satisfaction?
Li Zhiyuan took a few steps back and sat down at the edge of his bed.
Ali spread a silk cloth, carefully wrapping the brush the boy had just used.
Her many collection boxes were left in the basement of that house, but since it was close, she could go back and see them anytime, so she didn’t bring them over.
However, this also marked a “clearing of collections,” enhancing the girl’s enthusiasm and joy for collecting anew.
Liu Yumei had purposely made two large collection boxes for Ali on the third floor, where the entry and river-walking ceremony were held yesterday, placing them under the offering table.
The intention was to facilitate Ali to put items in when she took care of the ancestral tablet.
The verbal explanation was that Ali had a habit of appreciating her collection before bed, so it was also a chance to let others peek into “Ali.”
Once Ali put away the brush, she looked at the scroll on the table.
Clearly, she wanted to keep this more than the brush.
“Ali, I need to take this painting. I have use for it,” Li Zhiyuan mentioned, recognizing her thoughts in advance.
Ali nodded, her fingertips still gently touching the scroll.
“I’ll bring the painting back to you after I’m done using it, as a gift,” he added, glancing at the drawing desk. “Don’t painters usually stamp their collection? Ali, you should carve one for yourself too.”
Li Zhiyuan had seen Ali’s craftsmanship; she could easily carve array patterns, so carving a stamp would be even simpler.
This was also a way to give the girl something to do.
Previously, Li Zhiyuan felt pained watching her painstakingly carve patterns on wooden flowers.
He thought it was tedious and tiring for a girl.
But since he learned yesterday that Ali was surrounded by such things, he realized perhaps having something she could focus on completely was a kind of ease and happiness for her.
Ali sat down, spread out a piece of paper, and picked up the brush to design the stamp.
The brush danced lively across the paper, reflecting her inner state.
Li Zhiyuan opened the curtain, allowing sunlight to bathe the room.
In the yard outside, Runsheng began his practice for the day.
His movements were faster and smoother than yesterday, clearly indicating he was slowly adapting.
It seemed he noticed Li Zhiyuan’s gaze as he smiled in that direction while practicing.
Then, Runsheng abruptly clapped his right hand against the back of his head, revving up his previously slowed motions once more.
Now, Runsheng didn’t need Uncle Qin to kick stones to keep himself alert; he could spur himself on.
In the corner of the yard, Uncle Qin was crouched down, his left hand holding a stone while the right held a trowel, repairing the cobblestone path he had accidentally broken yesterday.
“Time for breakfast.”
Aunt Liu’s voice sounded slightly hoarse.
Li Zhiyuan rolled up the painting and went to the dining table with Ali.
Yin Meng was already sitting there, her head down, motionless.
“Yin Meng?” Li Zhiyuan called out gently.
Yin Meng lifted her head, “Xiao Yuan Ge.”
Her eyes were completely black; as her pupils moved, one could barely see some light.
“Your eyes?”
“It’s fine; I’ll regain my sight after detoxing at noon.”
“Oh,” Li Zhiyuan nodded, not pressing further.
When Liu Yumei walked down the stairs and sat at the table, she asked, “Where’s Zhuang Zhuang?”
“Grandma, Zhuang Zhuang has something on in the morning.”
“No matter how busy he is, he should make time to come every day.”
“Don’t worry, Grandma, I’ll remind him.”
Mainly, everyone in the family had something to do.
If Zhuang Zhuang didn’t come, it would make Liu Yumei seem idle, and she wouldn’t even cook.
“Xiao Yuan, the books you wanted will arrive tomorrow. There are quite a few, so I’ll keep them at the original house. You can go pick them up whenever you need to read.”
“Grandma, I’ll first select a batch that I find useful and then move them to the shop’s basement.”
This way, it could minimize the causal relationship.
“That works; it’s up to you.” Liu Yumei pushed a bowl of soup toward Li Zhiyuan, “The military training should be ending soon, right? You’ll be in real classes then; you’ll have to get busy, make sure to take care of your health.”
This conversation felt reminiscent of the banter during their time at Great Grandpa’s house.
“Don’t worry, Grandma, I’ve prepared well for my studies. If I encounter any points I don’t understand, I’ll ask the teacher in advance.”
Liu Yumei smiled lovingly.
But inwardly, she thought: Why can’t I understand this child’s implications?
After their meal, Li Zhiyuan went back to his dorm.
While washing his hands at the sink, he ran into Lin Shuyou, who was washing a new costume.
Lin Shuyou reacted sharply upon seeing Li Zhiyuan, shrinking back slightly.
It wasn’t an act.
In fact, back when he and Tan Wenbin were showering at the sink, Lin Shuyou had naturally called him “Big Brother” with genuine feelings behind it.
Bingbing had told him that this guy might have multiple personalities.
“Hello,” Li Zhiyuan greeted him.
“Hello… Li Zhu… Xiao Yuan’s big brother.”
Since that time when he was beaten into the clinic, Lin Shuyou had basically stayed in the dorm to recover and hadn’t encountered Li Zhiyuan again.
He wasn’t showing his face now… No, even when he did, facing this boy seemed overwhelmingly pressuring.
“Lin Shuyou.”
“Present!”
Being suddenly called by his full name startled Lin Shuyou, making him bring out his military training stance.
“I just cast a divination, and it shows there may be some evil spirits causing trouble soon. Be cautious.”
“Okay, I understand.” Lin Shuyou nodded earnestly.
“If you notice anything unusual, feel free to inform me. While we might have had our disagreements, our goal of protecting the righteous path is the same. Don’t feel shy; just speak up if you need help.”
“Thank you.” Lin Shuyou nodded again, this time his eyes slightly reddened.
Such reconciliation scenes were most moving, especially for someone like him, who had been “treated roughly.” It also helped make up for his sense of defeat.
Li Zhiyuan wasn’t surprised by Lin Shuyou’s reaction; no wonder he could be easily coaxed into calling him “Big Brother.” When this guy wasn’t showing his face, he was easy to handle.
Considering that Runsheng and Yin Meng were both undergoing special training, Li Zhiyuan took the initiative to add a bit of pressure today.
He was uncertain when this pressure would ignite.
What if by then, Runsheng and Yin Meng were still undergoing their training? He wouldn’t have anyone available beneath him.
He believed Bingbing would stand firmly in front of him, but Bingbing was a bit fragile.
Lin Shuyou was a suitable choice.
Moreover, this guy served as a tool; if he broke, it wouldn’t bother Li Zhiyuan.
Li Zhiyuan shook his hands and headed out when Lin Shuyou found the courage to say, “Yuan Ge.”
“Hmm?”
“If you have any matters, please inform me too. Taking down evil and safeguarding is our duty.”
That was the phrase he was waiting for.
“You’re thinking too much; I don’t need you.”
With that, Li Zhiyuan returned to his dorm.
Beside the sink, Lin Shuyou felt embarrassed and vexed, realizing the other’s words were indeed right.
His emotions were so mixed that sweat broke out on his forehead.
Li Zhiyuan sat at his desk, setting the painting aside.
Then he opened his notebook, took up a fountain pen, and began recalling the contents of the “Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra” while exploring methods to activate potential through divination.
For instance, how could he force Lin Shuyou to summon officials he originally couldn’t plea with?
Though he claimed not to need him, he was indeed already strategizing on how to exploit his full potential.
Li Zhiyuan didn’t see anything wrong with this.
He now felt a hint of possessing a human-like persona, but only within his inner circle.
To outsiders, he remained indifferent.
Moreover, if he hadn’t been equipped with ancient texts and secret methods in his head, he might’ve been killed by that spirit of the white crane that night on the playground.
Not only did he not kill it, but even the medical fees were settled by Bingbing.
In the clinic’s bed, he flitted around with his vertical pupils.
Had Bingbing not shut them, he would have ended up dead at the hands of the corpse demon.
Putting it this way, he owed himself two lives.
So, losing a bit would only require that Lin Shuyou repay one of those lives.
That was very reasonable.
Li Zhiyuan suddenly halted his pen.
Had his previous line of thinking just resonated slightly with the “examiner”?
Just then, someone pushed the dormitory door open.
“Xiao Yuan Ge, I’m back.”
“So soon?”
“Mainly because my dad was very courteous.”
Tan Wenbin handed over the files and documents to Li Zhiyuan.
Li Zhiyuan accepted them, and upon opening the file, he saw Tang Qiuying’s ID photo and immediately knocked on it.
It’s her.
Tan Wenbin, seeing this, walked over by the windowsill and picked up his high heels, which he watered daily.
“You high heels, so your name is Tang Qiuying. Hello, senior, no wait, hello, aunt.”
Turning back, Tan Wenbin looked at Li Zhiyuan and asked, “Xiao Yuan Ge, but she’s missing, what now?”
“Now that I know her name, it’ll be much easier, especially since the files contain her birth date. I can track down her remains.”
“Xiao Yuan Ge, really? It’s a pity you didn’t become a criminal investigator.”
“After death, those who can transform into evil are still very few.”
Li Zhiyuan opened Qiu Minmin’s individual file and began flipping through the pages rapidly.
Hearing the sound of rustling pages, Tan Wenbin couldn’t help but blur out, “I’m envious.”
While flipping pages, Li Zhiyuan remarked, “Compared to Runsheng and Yin Meng, I’ve been quite slack.”
“Because you, Xiao Yuan Ge, are too smart. What they are spending now is just the price of chasing a genius.”
Tan Wenbin leaned against the desk, his task for the day completed, yet he returned to a state of confusion and discontent.
If only he could grit his teeth and drive nails into his coffin, or poison himself to test its efficacy.
But he knew the consequences of such actions would lead to his demise.
“Alas…”
The greatest sorrow of being a waste is that wanting to strive as others do, yet realizing you lack even the qualifications to compete.
As he lamented, Tan Wenbin casually picked up the painting scroll on the desk.
Everyone should play their part, like appreciating my Yuan Ge’s new work.
But once he unfurled the scroll, he froze.
“Xiao Yuan Ge, is this your painting of Goddess Yu?”
Li Zhiyuan immediately put down the documents in hand, turned to face Tan Wenbin, and seriously asked, “Bingbing Ge, do you recognize her?”
“What a coincidence! I just saw this photo in the archives this morning. It looks exactly like your painting, the only difference being the writing on her two lanterns, which you didn’t include.”
Li Zhiyuan set the documents down, leaned back in his chair, lifted his head, and a smile spread across his face.
“Xiao Yuan Ge, what’s wrong with you?”
In Tan Wenbin’s impression, Yuan Ge rarely exhibited emotional displays.
Li Zhiyuan gazed at the ceiling of the dorm while muttering, “Sure enough, it can be played this way. Come on, From now on, I’ll call out names one by one!”
—
With the first position about to be surpassed and those with tickets can vote accordingly, help us retain today’s top spot; thank you, everyone.
(End of chapter)