"Xiao Yuan, this is all I know. I didn't look through that stack of files in detail at the time. I just happened to catch sight of that photo, and then my dad mentioned it briefly to me. How about I go to the precinct now and borrow that stack of files from my dad?"
Li Zhuiyuan tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, quickly sorting through his thoughts.
Without a doubt, "Granny Yu" was the issue he had chosen to tackle.
The river truly had pushed her to him, just as he had envisioned.
Normally, his utmost priority should be to investigate, analyze, plan, and resolve this sinister case.
However, there were two hidden threads that needed addressing first.
Tang Qiuying, the murderer of Qiu Minmin, was one; the other, though it seemed less significant, had yet to come to a conclusion, meaning it still held the potential for the unraveling of deeper troubles.
The most terrifying scenario would be these two cases exploding simultaneously as he dealt with Granny Yu, catching him off guard.
So, he needed to resolve them quickly.
"Bin Bin, call Uncle Tan and ask him to come to school. Make up a reason or suggest he bring along the files related to Granny Yu."
"Xiao Yuan, my dad would definitely be willing to help you. Is there any need for subtle hints? Just say it plainly."
"This is for your dad's sake too, keeping him focused on solving the case and bringing the criminals to justice. That way, he won't be affected."
"Okay, I know. Xiao Yuan."
"Tell Uncle Tan that we found Tang Qiuying's remains."
"You figured that out already?"
"I can't just sit and calculate things here. After you make the call, we can start looking for her remains. It's all within this dormitory building's vicinity."
"Got it, I'm off to call now."
"Remember to bring back the incense burner that you left at Runsheng’s."
"Understood."
Tan Wenbin dashed out of the dormitory.
Li Zhuiyuan took out the high heels and placed them on the desk.
He then opened the drawer and withdrew a sheet of yellow paper, using a brush to write Tang Qiuying's name and birth date.
After completing this, he began to contemplate the latest findings provided by Tan Yunlong regarding the Qiu Minmin case.
Tan Yunlong was undoubtedly an exceptional police officer.
His investigation revealed that before Qiu Minmin’s death, she had been promised a position at a favorable allocation unit that seemed quite good at the time.
However, given her average grades and her family's conditions, it was unlikely she had the connections to facilitate such an opportunity.
Additionally, through re-interviewing Qiu Minmin's former roommates, it emerged that she appeared to be in a relationship but had kept her boyfriend’s identity secret.
Li Zhuiyuan had “read” the letter written by Ran Qiuping to her daughter, Qiu Minmin.
In the letter, she had mentioned wanting her daughter to date the boy from Mao Zhushan once she revived.
Given the extent of Ran Qiuping's delusions then, had she known her daughter had a boyfriend before her death, she certainly wouldn’t have reacted calmly.
At the very least, she would have hounded that boy or mentioned him in her letter.
Thus, it suggested that Qiu Minmin had concealed this matter from both her roommates and her mother during her life.
If the perpetrator was likely someone from the school, this mysterious boyfriend could very well be the killer.
Furthermore, it could be deduced further, considering that this individual likely had the ability to influence job allocations and that Qiu Minmin had preferred to keep this identity hidden, leading to a weak person seeking violent revenge in the confines of the toilet...
That individual must have been an older, married staff member from the school.
Seven years have passed, and he should be retired by now.
If luck ran a bit short, perhaps he might have even died already.
If the true killer had indeed died of old age or illness, it would be good news for Li Zhuiyuan, as it would mean that thread had already been cut.
However, if he were still alive, he needed to be tracked down, because even if he were just an ordinary person, the currents of the river could connect him to something significant for Li Zhuiyuan.
It was like certain math problems that start with students named Xiao Ming and Xiao Jun, leading to various types of scenarios later.
Li Zhuiyuan stood up, fetched water from the bucket into a basin, and wet a towel to wipe his face.
He began to reflect on his past actions.
The incident with Qiu Minmin originated from a confrontation with a faceless spirit attacking Runsheng, initiated by the spirit itself.
There was no escaping it.
The issue was that his revenge should have been straightforward; he shouldn't have brought that accursed book back with him.
Because of this evil book, Qiu Minmin's case remained tied to him so uneasily.
Evaluating the book's worth, he reasoned that picking it up was not a loss since it could aid him in deducing techniques and cultivation methods later on.
Yet, the choice to keep Tang Qiuying's high heels indicated poor judgment on his part.
When she became entangled with Lu Yi, he should have eliminated her right then.
It was proven that keeping her on as the dormitory watchdog had been ineffective.
Ordinary people did not need her protection, and someone like Lin Shuyou was beyond her capability to guard against.
Li Zhuiyuan even suspected that Tang Qiuying's high heels had already drawn calamities upon him.
That night, Lin Shuyou had intruded into the dormitory because he wanted to gauge Li Zhuiyuan's defenses after their encounter in the teaching building.
He had intended to rest unarmed.
He would have entered through the window, only to be halted by the high heels, discovering Li Zhuiyuan's affinity for spirits, it had prompted him to seek the White Crane Boy.
Li Zhuiyuan hung up the towel and sat back down at the desk.
Previously, he was bored and often sought to interact with spirits, but now he had confirmed his immersion in the currents of the river, having also obtained the Attendance Register from Ali.
His next course of action would predominantly focus on "self-selected questions," striving to avoid any potential karmic entanglements in reality.
Turning his body slightly, he glanced at the pile of documents on Tan Wenbin's desk, which still included "The Chronicles of the Jianghu."
The book by Wei Zhengdao was filled with personal opinions.
Reflecting upon it now, it felt as though his perspective mattered significantly to this premise, the notion of voicing grievances or seeking justice had shifted in meaning.
Even though Tang Qiuying might have been wronged, positioning himself as someone who witnessed a spirit harming someone allowed him to uphold a righteous standpoint, dissociating himself from the subsequent cause and effect.
No wonder Wei Zhengdao emphasized how every mention of a spirit followed by his explication either in "The Chronicles of Jianghu" or "The Righteous Path to Exorcism" saw each case conclude with the phrase, "Disposed of by the righteous path."
To be "disposed of by the righteous path" — this was a sort of disclaimer.
Li Zhuiyuan flipped open a notebook and picked up a pen.
Understanding these principles and guidelines was not sufficient; he needed his entire team to grasp them.
Thus, Li Zhuiyuan resolved to write a "Guideline for Jiang Movement Operations."
Engaging with the river currents was currently the primary conflict.
The main focus should be how to better carry out operations concerning these movements in light of actual circumstances.
In daily life, making efforts to avoid karmic ties was indeed right, but it did not mean he should cease living.
Maintaining normal social interaction, activity, and life was also necessary.
Once the currents of the river began, realities of horror would inevitably surface before him.
If he locked himself away entirely or sought a secluded mountain peak to hide, the spirits would knock on his door directly.
However, possessing a social network, coupled with Ali’s Attendance Register, provided a sort of cushion to soften any impacts.
The fact that Wenbin had seen the photo of "Granny Yu" in the police archives was a perfect example of this.
In this way, Li Zhuiyuan had already "seen" her first, preparing while seeking her out, instead of finding her appearing at his dormitory door in the dead of night, lantern in hand, saying, "Dodo dodo... child... Granny has come."
The pen spun in his fingers, hesitating to write.
Li Zhuiyuan noticed that while understanding these concepts was easy, translating them into something others could understand posed quite a challenge.
It was akin to how Liu Yumei wrestled with translating techniques, turning abstract interpretations into concrete descriptions.
After mulling it over, it seemed that examples were the most suitable method.
Once the incident with "Granny Yu" concluded, assuming he was still alive, he would document these experiences along with "Granny Yu" as case studies, summarizing and analyzing the patterns afterward.
However, if this were to happen...
Li Zhuiyuan turned to look at the stack of ancient texts on Wenbin's desk: Would he too have to write a book like Wei Zhengdao? What title would that book have?
At that moment, the dormitory door pushed open.
Tan Wenbin walked in carrying a bag.
He placed the tortoise incense burner on Li Zhuiyuan’s desk and said, "Xiao Yuan, I just called. My dad said he would come right over."
"Good, let’s go find the body location first."
"How do we find it?"
"Bin Bin, I’m going to need you to wear these high heels."
"Uh... Huh?"
"It's not suitable for others, and inexperienced laypeople might cause complications. The only one with experience here is Lu Yi."
"Then I’ll wear them; there's no need to find Lu Yi. I've already eaten a lot of his red sausages."
Yin Meng and Runsheng were both in special training; whether they could wrap their heads around the current situation was uncertain, and in Li Zhuiyuan’s plan, both needed to undergo this training fully to maximize their potential in navigating future Jiang movements.
Halting their training just to start again later would mean Qin Shu and Liu Yi would suffer second-tier karmic repercussions, a double cost not worth it.
Tang Qiuying feared him; during their last session, she had been afraid to even touch his hand, meaning he couldn’t wear them either.
Lin Shuyou was an even poorer choice; who knew what would happen once he donned those heels?
Tallying everything up, only Tan Wenbin proved adequate for this task.
"Xiao Yuan, should I put them on now?"
"Yes."
"Then... can I wash my feet first?"
"Sure."
Tan Wenbin, grinning at the heels on the desk, said, "Look at this, Xiao Yuan, am I treating you well?"
The high heels lightly swayed, as if responding.
Tan Wenbin switched to slippers and grabbed a bar of soap before heading to the sink to wash his feet.
After he returned and settled down by the bed, he began drying his feet with a dry towel.
Li Zhuiyuan then brought the high heels to him.
"Yo, Xiao Yuan, I really can't accept this!"
After thoroughly drying off, Tan Wenbin slipped his feet into the heels.
"Oh, Xiao Yuan, wait, they're a bit small! I can't fit in; pass me that carving knife on the table; I need to carve my feet to fit."
"Smack!"
The carving knife landed on Tan Wenbin's bed.
Tan Wenbin picked it up, barely believing it, "Wait, bro, are you serious about this?"
"You asked for it yourself."
"I was just joking; I'm not Cinderella's stepsister!"
"Just carve the tops of the shoes."
"Oh, okay."
Li Zhuiyuan handed him a newspaper.
"What's this for, Xiao Yuan?"
"It's daytime; there are many people in the dormitory. You really want to walk around in high heels like this?"
"Oh, right, right, right!"
Tan Wenbin promptly bent down, ensuring to wrap his calves along with the heels, securing everything with tape.
Though it looked quite unusual, at least it wasn't monstrous.
Li Zhuiyuan tossed the yellow paper inscribed with Tang Qiuying's name and birth date into the incense burner and calculated with the compass for a while, selecting three sticks of incense to place in the burner’s corners.
Finally, he found a cardboard box, carved a hole in it with the knife, placed the incense burner inside, and handed it over to Tan Wenbin.
"Xiao Yuan, you’re really considerate."
"Bin Bin, I’ll now break the seal of the high heels. Don’t resist them; let her possess you."
"No worries, bro; I feel like resisting would be pointless anyway."
"Being fully possessed by a spirit is different from when last time, where it only clasped your hand while writing in the sand table. It will cause some damage to your fortune and health."
"However, I can help you out with the full possession, while the latter... Just eat more, and you can recover."
"Also, this could make you more sensitive to dark objects, effectively enhancing your success rates with Jiang affairs."
Tan Wenbin replied excitedly, "This could be a blessing?"
"Alright, it's starting."
"Okay, I'm ready."
Li Zhuiyuan released the seal.
The incense smoke rising through the box transformed from white to black.
Tan Wenbin felt a chill rush from the soles of his feet to the back of his head, instinctively opening his mouth wide.
"Cracker..."
He shrank slightly.
Originally resting on the tops of the heels, they expanded to fit him now.
Li Zhuiyuan wasn't surprised; after all, Lu Yi, a hulking man from the Northeast, managed to wear them effortlessly last time.
Now Tan Wenbin's features softened a bit, his demeanor gradually suggesting another style.
He twisted his neck lightly and exclaimed:
"Stinking little brother, call me 'senior sister!'"
Tan Wenbin was gleefully washing his feet, but he also remembered the "grudge against the senior sister."
Yet, one could observe it was different from the last possession experienced by Lu Yi; this time, Tang Qiuying clearly exhibited a conscious awareness of her transformation since Li Zhuiyuan had already set "who she was" within the incense burner.
"Tang Qiuying, go find your remains now."
Upon hearing the cue, the initially petty resentment in Tan Wenbin’s gaze was gradually overwhelmed by a burgeoning hatred, and his expression began to warp.
Li Zhuiyuan remained calm, declaring: "You're going crazy, just in time for me to eliminate you and sever the cause and effect."
Tan Wenbin shuddered, his hateful expression shifting to one of grievance and fear.
She had been suppressed by him directly as a boy and believed wholeheartedly in his capacity to destroy her effortlessly.
"Do you remember who harmed you?"
"I only remember who I am and where my remains are. I don't recall anything else. My head feels empty... but I feel certain that once I find my remains, I will know who ended my life. I don’t know why, but I just feel that way."
"Good, then go."
Li Zhuiyuan grabbed a plastic bag and placed Tan Wenbin's sneakers inside, then opened the door to the dormitory.
Tan Wenbin "dodoed" as he carried the cardboard box outside.
After Li Zhuiyuan closed the dormitory door, he followed behind.
Descending the stairs and arriving outside the dorm, they spotted Lu Yi entering with a bag of food while holding a book.
"Bin Bin, I just finished class. I’m delivering lunch to Ayou, and then I’ll swing by the store; I might skip this afternoon's class to calculate for a bit."
Tan Wenbin looked at Lu Yi with a smile.
Lu Yi paused, a tad confused, "Bro, what's with you? What’s wrapped around your legs?"
"Your guitar skills are really good. I love listening to you play."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yi's face initially showed bewilderment, then something seemed to click and he stumbled back, ultimately tumbling down.
He dropped the book, but the bag of food remained intact, miraculously keeping its contents safe.
That tone instantly reminded Lu Yi of a nightmare he’d had recently, in which a girl repeatedly told him how she adored his guitar playing.
Tan Wenbin turned to Li Zhuiyuan, pleading, "Can I hear him play a song again?"
Without looking up, Li Zhuiyuan replied, "If you want to die, just say so."
Tan Wenbin’s expression turned pitiful, but he dared not express anger toward the boy, only stealing another glance at Lu Yi as he clutched the cardboard box, walking out of the dorm.
Lu Yi, now sitting on the ground, looked at Li Zhuiyuan, his lips parting to speak yet failing to find the words, only managing to simulate the sound of "ghost."
"Lu Yi."
Li Zhuiyuan’s voice steadied Lu Yi’s anxious heart; he had been to the General's Temple with Li Zhuiyuan and was aware of the boy's special skills:
"Shentong Ge, Bin Bin...”
"Everything is alright now. You should deliver your lunch."
With that, Li Zhuiyuan stepped outside the dorm and followed.
Lu Yi picked up his book and began to ascend the stairs, his pace gradually slowing.
Because that familiar feeling had emerged again.
It was her, it was her.
His eyes began to mist.
Tan Wenbin led the way, with Li Zhuiyuan trailing behind.
They exited the dorm lot and made their way to the shaded path along the back wall of the dormitory.
Few people walked this narrow path, mainly just students from the dorm going outside for physical education classes.
The narrow way was lined with sycamore trees that weren’t particularly old.
Tan Wenbin stopped in front of the tallest and stoutest one, kneeling down and beginning to dig with his hands.
"Stop! I’ll get someone to come to dig."
Tan Wenbin ignored the call to stop and became even more vigorous in his digging.
"I’m right in here! I’m right in here!"
Li Zhuiyuan took out a Clear Heart talisman from his pocket and pressed it to Tan Wenbin's forehead.
Tan Wenbin’s body trembled; the paper beneath his feet rustled as the high heels slipped off his feet, tumbling to the ground.
"Xiao Yuan... I feel a bit cold... Is there a warm coat in the dorm?"
"Just sit in the sunlight for now; it'll be fine."
"Okay."
Tan Wenbin sat beneath the tree, rubbing his arms up and down while shivering, taking deep breaths.
Li Zhuiyuan removed the talisman from Tan Wenbin's forehead; the paper had turned black.
Ali's talismans delivered immediate results, unlike his own drawings which only resulted in color changes.
After a while, noticing Tan Wenbin had recovered somewhat, Li Zhuiyuan handed him the plastic bag containing the shoes.
"Xiao Yuan, you’re really thoughtful."
Tan Wenbin happily donned the shoes and jumped in place, feeling the cracks in his bones from stiffness.
"Bin Bin, go see if your dad has arrived."
"Okay."
Tan Wenbin ran off, lifting his leg high as he reached the entrance.
He maintained the leg-up posture while waving, "Dad, right here, right here!"
Tan Yunlong came striding over in his police uniform, a few colleagues behind him.
Seeing his bouncing son, Tan Yunlong frowned, "What's going on with you?"
"Body cold, just exercising."
"Where's Xiao Yuan?"
"Over there."
Tan Wenbin pointed, then shifted his gaze to the paper bag his father was holding, "Dad, I'm going to change clothes in the dorm."
"Here are some snacks for you. Take them home."
"I love my dad!"
Tan Wenbin received the paper bag and ran back to the dorm, opening it to discover it contained the files on Granny Yu.
Yet, lodged in the seam of the bag were two bars of chocolate peeking out.
That brand was quite expensive, surprising Tan Wenbin that his dad was so generous.
He opened one package and eagerly popped a piece into his mouth, intending to reserve the second for Xiao Yuan.
Then, rummaging through his bag, he found the cotton coat he had brought for winter at the start of the semester.
Once he wrapped it around himself, he felt tremendously better.
At that moment, someone knocked on the dormitory door.
Tan Wenbin opened it to find Lu Yi standing there with a guitar slung over his back.
"Let go of my bro! I'm coming!"
Tan Wenbin was flustered by the boisterous shout that echoed loudly yet lacked real power.
"Wait, what are you doing?"
"Uh?" Lu Yi scrutinized Tan Wenbin carefully, "Bro, are you alright?"
"What's wrong with me? Oh! Haven't you modified the wiring in your dorm? You need to boil some dumplings for me. Don't just toss them; I want broth, and throw in some red sausages too!"
"Okay, got it."
Tan Wenbin dashed over to Lu Yi’s dorm.
Lin Shuyou was perched on the edge of the bed, eating, and upon seeing Tan Wenbin, set down his chopsticks, "Big guy, have you gone crazy?"
Lu Yi initially wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, and then quietly sliced another red sausage into the pot.
Suddenly, shouts rang out in the hallway.
A student from the dorm barged in, flinging his books onto the bed, urging, "What are you all doing? The police are out back digging for a body! Hurry and take a look!"
Calling in an excavator required time, and the heavy machinery could easily damage the site.
Thus, the best method was to excavate manually, like an archaeological dig.
A significant workforce was essential for this.
Fortunately, young college students were full of vitality and willing to labor.
As long as they weren’t stuck in class, they were keen to participate in anything.
Soon, a group returned, sweaty from borrowing shovels, though the final shovel must be saved for themselves.
Tan Yunlong began directing the excavation, while his colleagues managed order outside.
Even students from rural backgrounds hadn’t handled manual labor in a long time, growing fatigued after just a bit of shoveling.
The city dwellers were much worse.
But this was alright; outside, many folks were calling out, even begging, "Classmate, please, just let me dig a scoop."
The police hadn’t revealed the reason was to dig for a body; it was merely the students talking among themselves.
But in this instance, the rumors were accurate.
With an endless influx of energetic laborers, before the school leaders arrived, a significant hole had been unearthed.
Tan Yunlong signaled for everyone to stop, carefully digging the last bit himself.
A decaying corpse gradually came into view.
Under normal circumstances, in this environment, buried so long, the remains should have turned to bones.
However, due to tree roots piercing through the remains or the surrounding soil and wind conditions, Tang Qiuying was still in a decomposed state.
As soon as the corpse appeared, the surrounding students grew more agitated.
The three officers trying to maintain order could barely control the situation with their shouts.
The windows of the upper dorms were jammed with curious onlookers; some nearly dangled out of them, and one misstep could result in a new body down below.
Fortunately, assistance summoned by radio came through, which helped restore order.
Layer after layer of leaders from the school popped up like whack-a-moles.
Tan Yunlong put on a new pair of gloves; he noted that the corpse's right fist was clenched tightly.
Bending down, he attempted to pry it open but was unable to budge it.
Just as he was preparing to concede, the hand suddenly opened on its own.
Clutched within was a name tag from work, displaying the name: "Wang Chaonan."
Tan Yunlong promptly exited the pit and moved toward the school administrators, inquiring who Wang Chaonan was.
His intention was merely to throw out a line, hoping to see if any leads can be drawn from years past.
Yet, the odds were indeed favorable this time.
This area was a living quarter, and the first to gather were staff from the logistics division.
As they mulled over the name, one inquired, "Is it 'Zhao' from 'Chaoyang' and ‘nan’ from 'south'?"
"Right, exactly."
"He used to work in logistics, managing the school’s greenery..."
"Where is he now?"
"He's on holiday today."
"Where's his home?"
"I... I..."
At that moment, another spoke up, "I know where his home is! I had a drink there during the housewarming. It’s just across from the grain depot in Xinqiao Town."
Tan Yunlong quickly assigned some colleagues to continue excavating the body while he took others to apprehend the suspect.
If he truly was the murderer, failing to snag him immediately risked the chance he would learn of the events unfolding at the school and opt to flee.
However, amid this hurried arrangement, Tan Yunlong's sights landed on Li Zhuiyuan, who had been standing with a plastic bag nearby.
There were too many people, and with the news that a corpse lay below, Li Zhuiyuan had lost interest in examining the scene closely.
Still, seeing Tan Yunlong’s gaze direct toward him, Li Zhuiyuan nodded and followed, carrying the bag.
Whether in Shigang Town or Jinling, Officer Tan had a steady hand in these matters.
He cared only about capturing the perpetrator, being indifferent to whether the individual was a child or not; he was a structured man who didn’t sway much from his morals.
Tan Yunlong gestured for his colleagues to speed in with police cars while signaling comrades from the local station.
He himself chose a motorcycle parked nearby; the owner had intended to watch the commotion but ended up surrendering the vehicle.
Li Zhuiyuan had experienced Tan Yunlong’s expertise on a motorcycle firsthand, and now, sitting behind him, he positioned the plastic bag with the high heels between his back and Tan Yunlong’s, grabbing onto his waist and lowering his head.
What followed was a whirlwind ride.
The wind whooshed past his ears, making dialogue impossible between them.
Xinqiao Town was not far from the school; the speed of the local police would likely not outpace Tan Yunlong racing directly on the motorcycle.
The police escort had long since disappeared on the route.
Upon reaching their destination, they arrived at a two-story building situated across from the grain depot in Xinqiao Town.
The surrounding area consisted of self-constructed homes, and given the spacing from the fields, misidentification was unlikely.
As a newly transferred officer, Tan Yunlong exhibited remarkable familiarity with the geographical layout, proving he had done his homework prior.
This trait somewhat mirrored his son Wenbin, who had once been quite irresponsible but demonstrated great resolve when he did take matters seriously, showing reflections of his father’s style.
At Wang Chaonan's home, there sat a middle-aged couple in their forties and a boy of around three years old, all in the midst of lunch.
Tan Yunlong drove the motorcycle right into their yard.
"Daddy, Mommy! Motorbike! Vroom vroom!"
The small boy bounced excitedly, pointing at the motorcycle.
If it were a pair of grandparents, it wouldn’t seem odd, but parents at this age were somewhat rare.
Almost immediately, the man eating at the table, seeing a police officer on a motorcycle bearing down on him, threw his utensils to the ground and sprinted away without hesitation.
Experienced police officers often have swift instincts to determine when someone is lying.
In this scene, even a young officer just starting out could see through the facade; there was a problem presented here.
Such a reaction was akin to a confession.
Li Zhuiyuan jumped down from the motorcycle's back seat.
Tan Yunlong followed suit, abandoning the bike as it fell, pursuing Wang Chaonan.
Wang Chaonan clearly demonstrated panic, his fleeing lacking thought—he stumbled as he leaped from his yard and tumbled again into the farmland.
Before he could rise, Tan Yunlong lunged and had him handcuffed without hesitation.
As Li Zhuiyuan remained at the spot, wary of the woman, she simply tightened her embrace around the boy, suppressing her sobs, repeatedly muttering: "Yongyong is our son, our Yongyong."
This made Li Zhuiyuan uneasy.
No matter what her understanding of her husband's wrongdoings was, such a reaction did not seem appropriate.
It seemed as though she believed the police were here to take away her son.
Li Zhuiyuan began examining the boy and woman’s features; if they were truly mother and son, their traits and characteristics should share some resemblance.
Yet no similarities were apparent; more so, the woman had what could be recognized as an infertile facial pattern, which meant having children was exceptionally difficult for her.
Of course, this was not an absolute certainty—the study of facial characteristics is just that, a study.
When Tan Yunlong returned with Wang Chaonan in custody, Li Zhuiyuan reconsidered the last assessment.
Wang Chaonan was revealed to also possess an infertile facial trait, even stronger and more pronounced than his wife’s—an exemplary case in "The Detailed Analysis of Yin and Yang."
Li Zhuiyuan wasn’t blindly credulous about facial readings but believed in probabilities.
Therefore, this boy named "Yongyong" was likely not their biological child.
At that moment, a police car rolled into view.
Once his colleagues arrived, Tan Yunlong handed over the suspect.
After Wang Chaonan was pushed inside the police vehicle, the plastic bag in Li Zhuiyuan’s grip began to tremble slightly, an ethereal black smoke, invisible to ordinary eyes, started to ooze forth.
The killer who had taken her life was captured, and she finally attained a sort of release.
Within the black mist, Tang Qiuying expressed gratitude to the boy.
"Thank you... Truly..."
"Go away."
Li Zhuiyuan's opinion of this senior sister had plummeted; as an entity, if she claimed that losing her life for too long caused her to forget herself, it would be understandable.
However, the fact that even in death she continued to exhibit behavior that vexed him was unbearable.
He got angry with Runsheng the last time he had made a mistake, but it was necessary to endure her presence.
He had to carry these high heels around, afraid to discard them out of concern that the issue might resurrect, leading to further entanglements.
Currently, the boy felt no satisfaction in "avenging a spirit" or "doing a good deed," but rather a sense of relief—finally stepping away from this foolishness.
In contrast, he preferred the black cat from that other tale; it was not only clever but also obedient.
So, that night, he willingly embraced it, allowing it to dissolve slowly beside him.
Tan Yunlong had just pulled out a cigarette and lit it when he saw the boy walking toward him.
Yu Shu had once asked him if he believed in fate, later changing to asking if he believed his son could thrive.
At that time, he wasn’t thinking about his own boy; he was considering Li Zhuiyuan instead.
It all traced back to the day a ten-year-old boy swung open his office door to share the case details, when he earnestly listened without pretentiousness or avoiding responsibility.
Choices are reciprocal; had he treated the boy as merely a child by showing distrust and impatience that day, it wouldn’t just have jeopardized his transfer to the provincial capital—it would have robbed his son of a top student to accompany him.
"Xiao Yuan, thanks again this time."
"Policing is about the bond with the people."
"Cough cough..."
Tan Yunlong choked slightly on the smoke, "Right, exactly. It’s about collaboration between the police and the community, combating crime and creating a harmonious society."
He didn't grasp the reason, but he knew how to cooperate.
"Uncle Tan, may I borrow your lighter?"
"Here, this was given to me by your aunt long ago. It wasn’t cheap, consider it a gift."
"No need, I don’t smoke."
"Using it occasionally is fine; didn't I see on TV how it is used to light candles, incense, or even yellow paper?"
"Snap!"
Li Zhuiyuan placed the high heels beneath the flame, only to burn slightly without igniting.
"Uncle Tan, giving it back to you."
Tan Yunlong received the lighter, and the boy pulled a piece of talisman paper from his pocket, flipping it on the spot.
It ignited spontaneously.
This was one of Ali’s dispelling talismans.
Using this to ignite was excessive perhaps, but to Li Zhuiyuan, it was no waste, as it effectively severed a connection.
He stuffed this talisman into the high heel, which immediately caught fire, while the other heel ignited as well despite lacking a talisman.
"Pop!"
Li Zhuiyuan tossed both shoes into the fields, watching them consume into ash.
When it was over, Li Zhuiyuan clapped his hands, turning to meet Tan Yunlong's gaze.
"Uncle Tan, it was a flashy magic trick, using white phosphorus."
"Quite a dazzling performance. Can Bin Bin do such magic?"
"Not yet learned."
"Then bear with him; his brain is a bit slow and he tends not to focus on studying."
"Bin Bin has helped me a lot."
Li Zhuiyuan understood that Tan Wenbin had been slightly depressed over the past few days, feeling increasingly like a burden.
However, even though he couldn’t specify what Zhuang Zhuang's value was, his presence was irreplaceable.
What Liu Yumei referred to as the “call from the prow,” might involve not just people but matters as well.
"Officer Tan, I want to report something."
Tan Yunlong immediately readjusted his police hat, "Little comrade, go on."
"I suspect this boy from that family is... illegally adopted."
"Bought?"
"Uncle Tan, you might want to check if they possess legal adoption papers."
"I understand; I’ll investigate right away."
Tan Yunlong approached some colleagues to discuss.
Typically, considering the child needed someone to look after him at such a young age, they would only need to take the suspect Wang Chaonan back for questioning, but given this allegation surfaced, police would ask questions of the woman.
The moment she learned the news, her demeanor turned her into one of startled hens; she screamed at the officers surrounding her:
"This is my son! My biological son! Meat of my own flesh! None of you can take him away! I'd rather drop him to the ground than give him to you!"
As she spoke, she lifted her child defensively, prompting officers to rush to protect the boy, simultaneously subduing her.
Afterward, another officer was assigned to ask inquiries of the nearby villagers and the village head.
Usually, villagers would keep one another’s matters private; even knowing a family's child came from questionable origins, they would remain silent, unwilling to be honest even in the presence of police.
In this instance, however, as law enforcement hinted at Wang Chaonan’s implication in murder and hiding the body, villagers grew less reserved and quickly divulged the truth—they had indeed sold the child.
In villages like this, the information wasn’t exactly a secret; the couple, now aging, had long struggled to conceive before opting to buy one from human traffickers.
The woman was also led off to the police vehicle.
Tan Yunlong had arrived on a motorcycle, instructing a colleague to return it to the school while discussing the gas and wear.
He himself held Yongyong’s hand, escorting the child to the police car.
"Xiao Yuan, need a ride back to school?"
"Uncle Tan, Bin Bin said he misses his dad and wants to have a late-night snack with you tonight."
"Let's go to the police station so I can bring you back to school for late-night snacks together later."
"Sounds good."
Li Zhuiyuan joined Tan Yunlong in the police vehicle, sitting in the back along with Yongyong.
Yongyong displayed no fear but rather appeared excited.
"Police car! Siren! Zhi doo zhi doo!"
"Uncle Tan, do you have any paper and pen in here?"
"Sure, here you go."
Tan Yunlong passed the supplies from up front.
Li Zhuiyuan eagerly took the pen and started drawing on the paper.
Gradually, Yongyong became intrigued, leaning closer in curiosity.
"Brother, what are you drawing?"
"You'll see shortly. If you guess right, I'll buy you candy!"
"Okay! Okay!"
As Li Zhuiyuan depicted the elements of a water tank, stilts, a high hat, and two lanterns, Yongyong's eager expressions shifted into ones of forgotten but deeply ingrained fear.
Once he completed the drawing, he held it before the boy.
"Ah!"
Yongyong squealed, bursting into tears.
"Wah wah wah... Beibei, good... beibei be good... Granny Yu won’t hit me..."
Li Zhuiyuan capped the pen and turned the drawing over.
At this moment, a vision painted itself in his mind.
In Ali's "view," Granny Yu stood at the threshold, where the two lanterns displayed deliberately penned insults:
【Kill parents to become a whore】
Fine,
I’m coming to find you now.
I will keep writing, and there’s another chapter coming tomorrow morning.
Don’t wait for it; check back after you wake up.
We’re still number one today!
You all are amazing! Please keep the monthly votes coming!
(This chapter ends)