Chapter 224. Murderer’s Revenge

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TN:- 1. Shimei= Junior Sister, 2. ShiShuzu= Grand Martial Uncle

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After leaving the apartment building, Chang Sheng and Chang Zhen helped Lin Nianci into an SUV. Lin Nian’en hurriedly climbed into the driver’s seat and used the navigation to search for the nearest hospital. Seeing the police rushing around in the rearview mirror, he thought with resentment——Aside from ShiJie’s hair turning completely white and her face having aged significantly, it appeared that she had also sustained a very severe internal injury. She paid such a heavy price, what right did these people have to blame her!

But at the same time, his heart was occupied by a lingering worry.

Chang Zhen had the same thought as him and asked anxiously, “ShiXiong, what if the murderer really goes on a killing spree?”

“Once we get back, I’ll have Taoist sect people catch him.” Chang Sheng patted the front seat and urged, “Drive! What are you waiting for!”

“Oh, oh!” Lin Nian’en started the car, a question stuck in his throat, but he didn’t dare ask it. However, Chang Zhen asked, “What if we can’t catch him?”

In fact, this is the most probable scenario, possessing such an alternate space, the killer could survive in any corner of the world. Unless he suffers a sudden lapse in judgment and voluntarily steps forward to turn himself in, the likelihood of his capture is less than 0.1%.

Chang Sheng’s face darkened at the question, and he said irritably, “Then let’s talk about it when the time comes.”

Lin Nian’en felt increasingly uncertain as he listened, and couldn’t help but ask, “ShiXiong, if the murderer really killed many people, will we bear his sins? Does bearing sins mean going to hell after death?”

Chang Sheng was stunned and remained silent for a long time. Chang Zhen rubbed his temples and said dejectedly, “The karma sown by ordinary people will be settled after death, but we are cultivators. The karma we sow will have a reaction in this world because our cultivation is against the will of Heaven, so Heaven will impose various restrictions on us. The karma on our bodies will be reinforced and amplified. You know about the Five Defects and Three Deficiencies, right?”

Lin Nian’en felt a chill run down his spine and said in a hoarse voice, “I know, it means widower, widowed, orphaned, childless, or disabled and poverty, short lifespan, or lack of status.”

Chang Zhen sighed and said, “We Taoists believe in cause and effect. As the saying goes, every cause has an effect, and every effect has a cause. The way of Heaven is clear, and cause and effect are cyclical. Once the cause and effect we are entangled in begins to operate, we will be in a worse situation than those fortune tellers. At least they can live, but our cultivation may stagnate or regress. That is why many Taoists live in seclusion, because seclusion can avoid cause and effect to the greatest extent possible.”

Lin Nian’en’s throat was so dry that he could barely speak, “Then, then what will happen if our karmic connection with the murderer starts to work?”

“Our cultivation level may never improve in this lifetime, unless we can use merit to offset these sins.” Chang Zhen was straightforward and said whatever came to mind.

But Chang Sheng couldn’t listen anymore. He patted the trembling Lin Nianci while scolding, “What nonsense are you talking about? Who knows if what Fan Jialuo said today is true or false? I suspect that he didn’t find the murderer at all. He’s just deliberately making things difficult for us to shirk responsibility and seize the Qiankun Shifting Array. Whether this cause and effect has been formed is still uncertain. Don’t panic.”

Lin Nian’en chuckled dryly, “I think he’s definitely lying to us. The murderer isn’t that easy to catch! He’s spouting all sorts of nonsense, isn’t he just trying to shift the blame onto us? I almost believed him.”

Chang Sheng originally only wanted to say a few words to appease his junior brothers and sisters, but unexpectedly he gradually convinced himself as well, and his tone softened, “Hmph! Anyone who believes him is a fool! He has the nerve to bring up our Tianshui Sect’s rules and even insult us for not being worthy of being Tianshui disciple. He killed our ShiShuzu and Enci Shibo, he is no longer worthy of being a Tianshui disciple!”

“That’s true. You can’t believe anything someone like him says who has no principles.” Chang Zhen patted his forehead, and his emotions immediately calmed down.

Lin Nianci mustered her strength to hear this, and then she fainted peacefully.

But they clearly forgot that since Fan Jialuo appeared in this world, every word he spoke has been proven true, and every prediction he made has come true. Why did they repeatedly ignore his warnings? Were they eager to save people, or were they simply trying to contradict him?

Chang Sheng and the others didn’t realize that their mindset was flawed, but after they left, Fan Jialuo pointed out incisively, “Their hearts for cultivating the Tao are narrow-minded, unable to encompass the vastness of heaven and earth. Without understanding heaven and earth, they will never attain enlightenment. That’s all they’ll ever be. The Tianshui Sect is truly getting worse with each generation.”

Song Rui waved his hand and said, “You don’t need to worry about them. Everyone has their own destiny.”

“Yes, everyone has their own destiny.” These words touched a chord in Fan Jialuo’s heart, plunging him into a long silence.

Chief Yan stood up and assured him, “Teacher Fan, if things really get out of control, our government will pressure the Tianshui temple to hand over the formation. Tianshui temple has been very prosperous in recent years and has been seeking expansion. This project is currently on my desk, and I can put pressure on them. Teacher Fan, thank you so much for your help today. Please bear with me if anything happens. I need to go back and report to my superiors now. I’m sorry, I must take my leave.”

“Please go ahead.” Fan Jialuo stood up to see him off, then looked at Dr. Song and sighed, “The murderer hasn’t been caught. We’re not going home today. Shall we continue the investigation?”

Song Rui said naturally, “You go back to the station with them to rest for a while, I’ll go to the school to pick up Yangyang.”

“I’ll go with you.” Fan Jialuo put his hand on Dr. Song’s shoulder.

The two walked away hand in hand, making Meng Zhong’s eyelids twitch. For some reason, the two of them looked like a perfect couple from behind——

More than an hour later, Fan Jialuo, holding Xu Yiyang’s little hand, and Song Rui, carrying a brightly colored schoolbag, pushed open the door and walked into the office.

“Do your homework here,” Fan Jialuo said, choosing the cleanest desk.

Song Rui took out disinfectant wipes to clean the table, then arranged the things on the table neatly before patting Xu Yiyang’s head and gently praising him as “good boy“.

Xu Yiyang took out his workbook with a sweet smile and began to write, looking very well-behaved.

These three people are clearly unrelated and have no blood ties, yet they get along more happily and harmoniously than an ordinary family of three.

Meng Zhong stared at them for a long time, almost forgetting about solving the case. Just as he was lost in thought, Xiao Li suddenly slammed his fist on the table and cursed indignantly, “Damn Ma You, he’s gone mad!”

“What’s going on?” Meng Zhong immediately snapped back to reality.

Song Rui put a noise-canceling headset on Xu Yiyang’s head and played soothing music before walking with Fan Jialuo to Xiao Li’s desk and looking at his computer screen.

“Ma You’s phone number is linked to several social media apps. I checked his online activity and found that he just posted a lot of things. Take a look, is he crazy?” Xiao Li had already circled Ma You’s comments in red so that everyone could understand them at a glance.

As the case’s impact continues to grow, unscrupulous journalists have obtained CCTV footage of the body’s discovery and released it online, causing public panic. Many netizens firmly believe these cases are the work of a vengeful ghost, and have even fabricated the ghost’s origins with logical and convincing explanations.

Ma You would leave a comment whenever he saw a similar one——【They weren’t killed by a ghost, but by a God! 】

【How could a ghost possibly have the ability to dominate space? 】

【Only God would do that. 】

【Universe is unkind, it treats all creation like straw dogs. And so, they are but straw dogs to be discarded 】

【You are all just straw dogs. 】

【All the people in the world are plaything in God’s hands. 】

【Your value lies in bringing joy and power to God. 】

【I am God, and I will rule this world! 】

【I will be selecting some divine servants and offerings. Are you ready? 】

His comments were drowned out amidst a sea of bizarre and outlandish remarks, even if someone did happen to spot them, they would likely do no more than scoff at his “chuunibyou” delusions, attracting no further attention. Yet, to the members of the special task force, every single word struck them as deeply alarming.

“Once they acquire incredible power, humans always consider themselves Gods.” Fan Jialuo spoke in a deep voice, “What gives them such a misconception?” His aversion to the word “becoming a god” was growing day by day, and the facts proved just how terrifyingly destructive those words were.

He paused for a moment, his tone becoming even more solemn, “What is the mindset of God? It is to despise all life, and you can’t imagine how much indifference and cruelty is contained in those four words, ‘despise all living beings.’ It actually has another synonym, ‘apathy.’ Ma You is now heading in the direction of despising all living beings and becoming apathetic.”

Song Rui said with certainty, “He will definitely go on a killing spree. He will trapped people indiscriminately, keep those he likes as slaves, and kill those he doesn’t like to strengthen his power. This is what he calls divine servants and offerings. He is not joking.”

The members of the task force turned pale upon hearing this.

Xiao Li was still searching through Ma You’s comments when he suddenly gasped in horror upon seeing something. When he circled the latest comment in red, everyone’s faces contorted in shock.

He then shared the news of Wang Wan’s rescue on Weibo and declared: 【God’s offerings cannot be taken away by anyone, this woman is doomed! 】

“Get to the hospital quickly, Wang Wan is in danger!” Song Rui reacted immediately.

Although he knew it would be futile, Meng Zhong immediately took out his phone to call his colleagues who remained at the hospital. No one could stop Ma You, he saw himself as a god, and his abilities indeed allowed him to take anyone’s life as easily as a god.

The members of the task force rushed towards the door, and Song Rui and Fan Jialuo only had time to tell Xu Yiyang before they hurriedly left.

Xiao Li furiously typed on the keyboard, his voice hoarse as he cursed, “You bastard, I’ll catch you!” He tried to track Ma You’s phone, but failed each time. Ma You’s frantic posts appeared online one after another, but his exact location couldn’t be determined, his online presence even blocked phone signals——

Meanwhile, Chang Sheng, Chang Zhen, and Lin Nian’en were by Lin Nianci’s bedside. She had indeed suffered internal injuries and needed to be hospitalized for observation.

Seeing that everyone’s expressions were increasingly solemn, she smiled and comforted them, “ShiXiong, Shidi, don’t worry. Once my spiritual power recovers a bit, I can get better quickly.”

“Can these hair turn black again?” Chang Sheng asked worriedly, stroking his junior sister’s white hair.

“Of course.”

“These wrinkles……”

“The wrinkles will definitely disappear. They’ll be fine after ten or fifteen days of meditation. Don’t worry about it,” Lin Nianci said dismissively, waving her hand.

Chang Zhen shook his head and said, “What I fear most is that the murderer will kill people outside. If he kills, we will be tainted by evil, which will definitely affect our cultivation. What if Shimei’s cultivation stagnates and her spiritual power doesn’t increase?”

Lin Nianci’s smile froze on her face.

Chang Sheng immediately rebuked, “What nonsense are you talking about! What does it have to do with us that the murderer killed someone outside? It’s not like we let him go!”

“ShiXiong, are you really sure?” Chang Zhen took out his phone, “I’m still a little worried. I’ll find someone from the Taoist sect to discuss how to catch the murderer.”

Although Chang Sheng was dissatisfied with his questioning, he also felt that catching the murderer was the best way to solve the problem once and for all, so he waved his hand and said, “Go outside and make a call, don’t upset your Shimei.”

Chang Zhen went outside and came back a few minutes later carrying a basket of bananas, “ShiXiong, Wang Wan is also in this hospital. I just met her parents. They offer this to Shimei.”

Both had internal organ damage and were hospitalized for observation. Wang Wan and Lin Nianci were naturally in the same department and on the same floor. Thinking of this connection, Chang Sheng took a carton of milk from the cabinet and said, “Let’s go see them. After all, we saved them, so we should see them through to the end.”

“I’ll go too.” Lin Nianci pulled back the covers.

“What are you doing? Rest.” Lin Nian’en pressed down on her shoulder.

“I feel uneasy when you’re not around.” Lin Nianci felt extremely uneasy for some reason.

Seeing her pale face and bewildered eyes, Chang Sheng knew she must have suffered a lot of stress today, so he had no choice but to agree to let her come along. In fact, her serious injuries were not only due to barely activating the formation, but also because of the slanderous words Fan Jialuo had uttered against her mother.

“Don’t take today’s events to heart. Don’t believe a word Fan Jialuo says. He only became a Holy Child by deceiving our ShiShuzu with sweet words.” Chang Sheng gently patted his junior sister’s shoulder.

Lin Nianci nodded, her expression softening slightly.

As the four of them reached the ward door, several police officers rushed towards them, shouting, “Make way! Make way!”

The four people immediately ran inside, stepping aside to make way for the police. When the police rushed into the ward and saw Wang Wan lying on the bed watching a tablet, they breathed a sigh of relief. Wang Wan’s parents asked in confusion, “What is wrong with you people?”

“Ma You made threatening remarks online, saying he was going to trap Ms. Wang again. We came to check it out.” Several police officers spoke while drawing their service pistols and cautiously observing the surroundings.

Wang Wan froze in fright. Her mother quickly hugged her and said bluntly, “Can you please watch your words? My Wanwan was just rescued and is still very emotional. This time, the murderer will probably switch to someone else. My Wanwan isn’t that unlucky! I’m holding her, let’s see who can take her from my arms!”

For Wang Wan’s parents, other people’s lives were nothing, only their own daughter’s survival mattered. This is understandable, and while the police found it unpleasant, they couldn’t really criticize her.

Lin Nianci, trembling with fear, pressed on, “He’s not done yet?”

“He’s a serial killer, he’ll definitely kill again before he’s caught.” A police officer answered her question, his expression clearly displeased. If these people hadn’t disregarded the bigger picture, the police wouldn’t be in this chaotic situation.

“Here we go again. You police officers love to exaggerate and scare people! Is it fun to frighten my ShiJie?” Lin Nian’en sat down by Wang Wan’s bedside and sneered, “I’ll stay here and see if he dares to come! If we can save Wang Wan once, we can save her a second time.”

Chang Sheng and Chang Zhen also silently walked to the bedside, each taking out talismans and magical artifacts, ready for battle.

Surrounded by these reclusive masters, Wang Wan and her parents quickly regained their composure and began to express their heartfelt gratitude. They felt extremely safe now, even if they were captured, they could be rescued quickly, what was there to fear!

However, the smiles on their lips had barely bloomed when Wang Wan, who was being protected in the center, vanished, so suddenly and unexpectedly! Mother Wang, who was holding her tightly, felt her arms suddenly go empty, and then let out a terrified scream.

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