Chapter 228. Lin Nianci——A Woman Burdened With Sin

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TN:- Sorry for not updating nowadays. Suffering from gritty dry eyes. So, I am taking a break from screen this week. I will update asap.

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Chapter 227. Irreparable

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Although the Tianshui Sect is the foremost sect in metaphysical society, its criteria for accepting disciples are extremely stringent. Individuals of flawed character or limited innate talent are invariably turned away, leaving behind only the elite of the elite. As a result, the Tianshui Sect has very few disciples, even if everyone in the entire capital city and surrounding areas were gathered, there would only be twenty-one.

Having learned Taoist art and wielded a formidable power that ordinary people could scarcely imagine, even over the course of an entire lifetime, these disciples were all arrogant. After arriving, they did not obey the police’s orders, and did not even look at Chief Yan. They simply gathered around Chang Sheng and waited for him to speak.

Chief Yan’s impression of the Tianshui Sect plummeted further. After holding his breath for a while, he said, “Let’s go. I’ll take you to the place where those girls disappeared. Ma You’s space was originally immovable, so the missing people would definitely be trapped in the place where they disappeared, we just couldn’t see them. But now it’s different. Ma You seems to have mastered the method of moving space during his escape, and can transport the bodies of people he killed elsewhere to Xingfu Square. So we don’t know where those girls are now. He’s grown to this level thanks to Master Chang Sheng.”

Chief Yan couldn’t help but make a sarcastic remark. He was a former soldier, and what he hated most in his life were people who lacked a sense of the big picture and discipline.

Chang Sheng and Lin Nianci’s reckless actions truly violated his taboos, turning a case that could have been solved smoothly into a tragedy of the century. Now, the entire capital city is shrouded in a terrifying cloud, with various speculations and rumors circulating online, causing widespread panic.

Because of this, Chief Yan was frequently reprimanded by his superiors, and the heavy burden on his shoulders was almost crushing him. Even a tough man like him couldn’t help but cry after arriving at Xingfu Square. Therefore, when he saw Chang Sheng and the others who indirectly caused this tragedy, the disgust on his face was impossible to hide.

Chang Sheng silently endured his sarcasm, but one of the Tianshui Sect elites, unable to stomach the insult, immediately retorted, “What the hell does Ma You going mad have to do with my ShiXiong? To put it bluntly——it’s your damn good fortune that we even showed up, if we hadn’t wanted to come, you could have begged us on your knees and we still wouldn’t have budged! If you keep up with that snide, passive-aggressive bullshit, I swear to God we’ll walk out of here right now! My ShiXiong was kind enough to try and save someone, and *this* is the thanks he gets——you people turning around and resenting him for it?”

The Tianshui Sect is known for its tough style within metaphysical society, so its disciples were all incredibly arrogant. They don’t consider themselves ordinary people at all, but rather a more detached existence, so they will curse anyone they want, regardless of whether the other party is a high-ranking official.

Chief Yan didn’t need to argue with a junior. Firstly, he felt that these people were both arrogant and apathetic, and discussing the big picture with them was like casting pearls before swine. Secondly, there were still many people in need of rescue, and he couldn’t waste his time on such a meaningless matter.

He merely twitched his face before falling silent, but his eyes held a fierce glint. This Tianshui Sect was nothing short of a malignant tumor. Once Ma You’s matter was settled, he would definitely give the Tianshui Sect’s secular strongholds a thorough overhaul!

Chang Sheng knew he was in the wrong and stopped his junior brother, but he didn’t explain the reason clearly. It was obvious that their master hadn’t told them the specifics, only that they were to clean up the mess for the police, without telling them that the mess was actually caused by the disciples of the Tianshui Sect.

As the head disciple of the Tianshui Sect, Chang Sheng valued his reputation. After pondering for a moment, he ultimately said nothing. Since he didn’t explain, the ashamed Chang Zhen, Lin Nian’en, and Lin Nianci also chose to remain silent.

To rescue everyone as quickly as possible, Chief Yan deployed a helicopter. When he brought the group to the nearest location where a woman had gone missing, the liaison officer called, his voice urgent, “Chief, the video of Ma You’s murder has spread across the internet. The public is panicking, rushing to supermarkets to buy food and daily necessities. Some supermarkets have been vandalized and looted, chaos has broken out outside! Chief, should we activate a wartime emergency?”

The government only activates a state of wartime emergency and imposes city-wide control in the event of a large-scale terrorist attack or an extremely serious incident involving death. However, such control can only prevent people from entering the city, it cannot prevent the elusive Ma You from escaping unpredictably.

Knowing it would be futile, Chief Yan still agreed. Unable to deal with Ma You, he could only make some arrangements for the public to prevent further unrest. He reported the situation to his superiors, who approved it. Then, after he hung up the phone, sirens wailed throughout Beijing.

There was no smell of gunpowder in the air, yet the atmosphere was tense enough to suggest an imminent battle. Walking in this atmosphere, Chang Sheng’s back grew increasingly hunched, until he couldn’t even lift his head. Only then did he realize the terrifying weight that Fan Jialuo’s words, a sinner throughout eternity, truly carried.

Chang Zhen kept glancing at his senior brother, his eyelids trembling. Lin Nian’en and Lin Nianci supported each other as they walked forward, their faces calm, but their eyes were already brimming with tears. Still so young, they simply couldn’t withstand such inner torment and trials.

Chief Yan quickly walked to the entrance of a residential area, pointed to the steps in front of him, and said, “One of the women disappeared here. Can you see if she’s still here?”

Lin Nianci had no spiritual power left, so she could only look at her senior brother, who was also a cultivator. That person was the elite disciple who had previously confronted Chief Yan.

“She’s still here, hasn’t moved yet.” The disciple reached out and sensed for a moment, his tone full of arrogance, “I’ll draw an array, and I can rescue her in less than an hour.”

Chief Yan nodded and sincerely thanked him. He was willing to set aside his pride at any time to save lives.

The disciple took out a piece of yellow paper and began to draw the formation on the spot, with several fellow disciples assisting him. Their movements were swift. After the formation was finished, their foreheads were covered with sweat, and their eyes showed signs of fatigue, demonstrating that even just drawing lines was an extremely demanding task.

Seeing that the disciple had just put down the cinnabar brush and was about to input spiritual power, Chang Sheng immediately reminded him, “Activating this kind of formation requires a huge amount of spiritual power. The cultivation of the four of us has been drained. You need several people to work together to support it.”

The disciple shook his head, his tone arrogant, “ShiXiong, let me start it first and see. If it doesn’t work, they can fix it.”

Chang Sheng gave him a deep look and said no more. He suddenly realized that pride, arrogance, stubbornness, and obstinacy had become the prevailing values of the Tianshui Sect. He was like that, Chang Zhen was like that, and Lin Nian’en and Lin Nianci were also like that. Although these junior brothers and sisters were not good at cultivation, they were no less arrogant than them.

When did the Tianshui Sect become like this? Chang Sheng lowered his head, lost in thought. At the same time, the disciple threw the yellow paper with the array drawn on it into the air, and activated the formation with a flick of his palm.

A blinding white light flashed, causing everyone to instinctively raise their hands to shield their eyes. When the light softened and everyone lowered their hands, the disciple was found to be emaciated, with snow-white hair, and trembling as he knelt down.

How long does it take to raise and lower a hand? At least a second, at most two seconds. Yet, in those brief two seconds, this once robust disciple became weaker than a frail old man, lacking even the strength to cry for help. A disciple standing behind him immediately rushed over, placing his hand on his shoulder to offer his full support.

But that wasn’t enough. The two of them together only managed to hold out for five or six seconds before the formation, radiating brilliant white light, began to flicker, as if it were about to fail at any moment. Then a third person joined in, stabilizing the nearly extinguished formation, but that only lasted for a dozen seconds. Then came the fourth, the fifth, the sixth……

Chang Sheng and his three companions were very strong, but the others were not bad either. Six of them went up at once, surely that would work? Just when everyone thought they could definitely open that alternate space this time, the door formed by the lines of the array began to fade slowly again, as if it was about to disappear.

“A few more go up.” Chang Sheng’s voice trembled.

Two more disciples joined in, but they only kept the door in mid-air and did not solidify it further.

“Go on!” Chang Sheng’s throat sounded like it had been branded with a hot iron, every word cracking.

Two more disciples placed their hands on it, only to have their cultivation drained instantly. The disciples who remained standing looked at each other, too terrified and afraid to go forward again.

Lin Nian’en exclaimed in disbelief, “This isn’t right! Are the cultivation levels of those ten people really lower than the four of us? The four of us were able to open the door, so why couldn’t they?”

“Can’t you see? The murderer has become stronger!” Chang Sheng said through gritted teeth.

He had barely finished speaking when Chief Yan received a phone call. The liaison officer reported in a somber tone, “Chief, we just discovered the bodies of twenty-two adult men in a workers’ shed at a construction site. All were strangled, and the body parts were very neatly arranged, confirming that Ma You was responsible. Thirteen women are also missing, one of whom is named Du Shasha, a social media influencer with 40 million Weibo followers. She has a huge following and considerable influence. She was abducted by Ma You while livestreaming herself singing on the street, and 200,000 viewers witnessed the incident. Chief Yan, our public relations department can no longer suppress public opinion. What do you suggest we do?”

Chief Yan was about to explode. He roared into his phone, “If you can’t suppress it, then stop! First, calm the public down! Issue a notice immediately, telling citizens to stay home as much as possible and not go out until the murderer is caught!”

The person on the other end readily agreed. Chief Yan forcefully hung up the phone and dialed another number. His tone, which had been sharp and aggressive just a second ago, softened into a gentle and persuasive one, “Hello, is this Teacher Fan? How’s the progress on your end? Okay, okay, I understand. Of course, we need to find out the truth. Only by finding Ma You’s weaknesses can we capture him. I understand that. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle! I understand, don’t worry, we’re still in control of the situation. Okay, okay, goodbye, you’re busy.”

Chief Yan put down his phone and saw the Tianshui Sect members still struggling to hold up the seemingly real door, and couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on.

Chang Sheng also had a splitting headache. Seeing that the door was almost completely solidified, he hurriedly urged, “One more person up! The formation is about to be fully activated!”

The remaining disciples stood hesitant, undecided. Their current strength was the result of unimaginable tears, sweat, and even blood. No one’s cultivation comes easily, even a slight loss is painful, let alone being completely drained in an instant. If one’s mental state is perfect, three to five months of meditation can restore it, if one’s mental state is flawed, progress may stagnate for three to five years. Three to five months is already precious, let alone three to five years?

Upon realizing this, the remaining disciples fell silent.

Glancing at Chief Yan, who was shaking his head repeatedly with disdain, Chang Sheng’s pale face slowly turned purplish-red. He had never felt so humiliated. The sect that had once brought him endless glory now shamed him. No, it should be said that he had first shamed the sect, and then these people had smeared even more humiliation and disgrace upon the sect’s prestigious plaque. From now on, what would the Tianshui Sect use to govern the metaphysical society? And what would it use to establish itself in the mortal world?

“Go! Go quickly!” A few drops of blood splattered from Chang Sheng’s throat as he roared almost desperately, “One more of you go up there——otherwise, every single one of you will be immediately expelled from the Tianshui Sect!”

Chang Zhen clenched his fist in anger, but was restrained by the sect rules from hitting these people in the face.

Lin Nianci couldn’t resist taking a step forward, wanting to join the group, but Lin Nian’en grabbed her sleeve. He shook his head and said silently, “You can’t go anymore, you’ll die if you do!”

Having killed so many people, Ma You’s strength has become unimaginable even to cultivators like them.

The disciple who first activated the formation coughed up blood. His once young and handsome face withered away, and he was on the verge of being annihilated and shattered to pieces. Two disciples who were close to him finally rushed forward and joined the ranks of those activating the formation.

With the help of these two people, the seemingly real door finally opened a crack, revealing a dark, green space. The space was narrow, cramped, and rusty, trapping a woman inside who was crying uncontrollably. Seeing the crack in the door and the people outside, she immediately rushed towards them, calling for help.

The door opened incredibly slowly, as if it weighed a ton, and a tremendous force seemed to be pushing against the dozen or so people behind it. The disciple at the back of the line shouted hoarsely, “It’s bad! Ma You seems to have noticed our movements! He’s closing the space! Quick, quick, a few more people come to help!”

Chang Sheng swayed slightly for a moment, as if he was about to faint, but he managed to stand up straight by holding onto Chang Zhen’s shoulder and decisively ordered, “All of you, go together and push the door open in one go!”

Most of the disciples standing by and watching harbored selfish motives. They didn’t participate at first, they didn’t participate later, and now they’re even less willing to participate. The situation has already deteriorated to this point, what use would they be if they went up? It would only be a waste of their cultivation!

One of them immediately offered an excuse to cover up, “ShiXiong, if we all perish here, who’s going to catch Ma You? You have to leave a few people to help, right?”

“I don’t need backup, I just want to save people! Get them!” Chang Sheng completely erupted, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he shouted these words.

Chang Zhen cried out in fright, while Lin Nian’en and Lin Nianci rushed forward to support their swaying senior brother. Just as they were talking, the door slammed shut with tremendous force, and the formation of white light abruptly went out. The Tianshui Sect disciples who had been supporting the scene with all their might collapsed. The one at the front was on the verge of death, several in the middle had completely white hair and faces etched with deep wrinkles, the last few looked alright, but had lost all their cultivation.

Before even opening a single door, the Tianshui Sect had already lost twelve elite disciples. Taoist Zhifei had only sent out twenty-one disciples in total, and the remaining nine were either weak, cowardly, or selfish, making them unsuitable for any important task.

Chang Sheng looked at the yellow paper hanging in the air, gradually burning to ashes, then at his junior brothers and sisters whose cultivation was completely destroyed or whose lives were in danger, and finally at the group of fellow disciples who refused to lend a helping hand. His heart ached.

Lin Nianci hid behind him and looked around in a panic, covering her mouth with her hand to stifle the sobs that almost escaped her lips.

But that wasn’t the end. As the yellow paper with the array drawn on it fell to the ground and gradually burned to ashes, a torrential rain of blood suddenly fell from mid-air, extinguishing it completely. The girl who had just been shouting for help through a door was now a neatly arranged pile of body parts.

Ma You knew they were resisting him, so he gave them a profound warning with life and blood.

Upon seeing this, Chang Sheng finally coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground. Lin Nianci, who hurriedly caught him, burst into tears and repeatedly apologized.

However, the most useless words in the world are probably “I’m sorry” after making a mistake, because they can’t undo anything.

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Chapter 226. Go On A Killing Spree

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!!!WARNING—— Gory Scenes!!!

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Before Wang Wan was torn to pieces by the shattered space, numerous disappearances had already occurred on the streets. Before the police could investigate them all, even more tragedies occurred after her death.

A young man who went for a night run vanished into thin air right before his companion’s eyes. One moment he was laughing and talking, the next, only a broken water bottle lay on the ground. Before his companion could recover from the shock, a torrent of blood poured down from above, followed by neatly cut pieces of flesh——a scene straight out of a terrifying nightmare.

The people around didn’t react at all, not because they were used to it, but because they were terrified.

Ten minutes later, another jogger on the street vanished into thin air, only to reappear as dismembered body parts. Then, a couple running ahead of him also perished. When the police arrived after receiving an emergency call, the entire street was stained with blood, from one end to the other, from the main road to the intersection, finally ending abruptly at a subway entrance.

Police patrolled the hellish streets in their patrol cars, following the trail of blood, and it wasn’t hard to discern the killer’s movements. He killed wherever he went, acting with impunity and without restraint. The lives of these dead became fertilizer for him, making him grow ever stronger.

Initially, he could only control one space at a time, and once released, it couldn’t be retrieved. But now, he can control two spaces simultaneously, and with a single thought, he can shatter them, demonstrating remarkable control. The couple dismembered into pieces is the best proof of this.

He was growing, and at an astonishing rate.

After fleeing to other places via the subway line, the killer launched another massacre. This time, his target was a group of middle-aged women dancing in the square. He grabbed them two by two, pulled them into a space, and then smashed them up and splashed them on the square. As the surviving women screamed and scattered, he set his sights on a family of three watching the fountain by the square——a father, a mother, and a little boy under three years old.

They vanished into thin air, then transformed into a rain of blood that fell into the fountain, staining the clear water a glaring red before shooting high into the sky. Everyone in the square witnessed this scene, and the visual and emotional trauma they suffered was indescribable. If it weren’t for the aching in their legs from running, and if their hearts weren’t still pounding, they would have thought they were having a bizarre dream.

When the police arrived at the square, it had been turned into a mountain of corpses, a scene of utter horrific carnage. Even seasoned veterans felt their legs go weak and almost couldn’t stand when they stepped into the crime scene, let alone the younger officers. They cried as they took photos and collected evidence, and a few of the more timid ones even fainted in pools of blood, clutching their heads.

Forensic experts from all over Beijing rushed to the small square. They roughly pieced together the body parts and then reported an even more horrifying piece of news to their superiors, “The number of bodies doesn’t match up. It’s not that there are too few, it’s that there are too many. We’ve reviewed the surveillance footage. He apprehended about nineteen people in the square, mostly elderly women, but there are thirty-six bodies at the scene, representing people of various genders and ages.”

Chief Yan rubbed his head and asked, “Where did the extra corpses come from?”

The forensic doctor took out a stack of photos and said with red eyes, “We just compared them, and they are the people who were previously reported missing. Of course, this is not the total number of missing persons. Almost all the young and beautiful women have been imprisoned by him somewhere, but we can’t see them and we can’t rescue them.”

Chief Yan suppressed his raging anger before making a call to Chang Sheng.

Forensic doctor Zhou was examining the body in the ward. Wang Wan’s parents initially grabbed Chang Sheng and the others, tearing and hitting them wildly, but eventually they were exhausted and just slumped on the ground, sobbing silently. The belated remorse eroded their hearts like a poison, causing them unbearable pain.

As they cried, they began to blame each other.

Father Wang said resentfully, “Chief Yan told us to wait three more hours during the day, why didn’t you agree? If you had, the murderer would have been caught long ago, and our daughter wouldn’t be dead!”

“Just because I didn’t agree, does that mean you did? Who was it that knelt and kowtowed to those Taoist Priests? It was you!”

“How was I supposed to know the consequences would be so serious! Chief Yan didn’t explain it to me clearly!”

“I was with you, and I didn’t know either! If I had known earlier, would I have been unable to wait even three hours?”

As they continued their cursing, the two realized what had happened and pounced on Chang Sheng, launching into another fight while yelling and shouting, “You stinking Taoist Priests, you must have known the consequences, right! Chief Yan couldn’t possibly have failed to make it clear to you!! Why didn’t you stop us? Why didn’t you try to dissuade us? Why did you scare off the killer? Why?! Did you deliberately want to get Wanwan killed?”

People are always like this, the more serious the mistake or misfortune, the less they look for the cause within themselves, and the more they use blaming others to divert their inner pain and guilt. But the words they blurted out hit the nail on the head regarding Chang Sheng and the others’ ulterior motives.

Fan Jialuo and Song Rui had repeatedly described the consequences of recklessly rescuing people and scaring away the killer, and they knew that such a possibility existed. However, they both hypnotized themselves with the thought, these people definitely won’t find the elusive killer, what difference does it make whether I rescue them first or later?

Harboring a sense of wishful thinking, they proceeded to rescue the person first——ostensibly on the noble grounds of refusing to gamble with a human life, but in reality, merely to spite Fan Jialuo. Their darkest and most stubborn thought at the time was—— Why should we listen to this traitor? Why should we do as he orders? We must prove through our actions that we are right and everything he has done is wrong!

As Fan Jialuo exposed, their act of saving people was not out of a sudden surge of kindness, but rather driven by selfish desires. The word “noble” has absolutely nothing to do with them, in fact, their actions were somewhat despicable and foolish.

Having embarked on the path of enlightenment, Chang Sheng was by no means someone lacking in wisdom, thus he understood the importance of self-reflection. In the process of self-reflection, shedding prejudice and hatred, he finally realized that he had been wrong from the very beginning. He had made a simple matter increasingly complicated, turning a good deed into the worst possible outcome.

Chang Sheng sat frozen in place like a stone, letting Wang Wan’s parents beat him mercilessly. He wished they would beat him harder, even take half his life. Although Wang Wan was killed by the murderer, he was undoubtedly an accomplice. He bore undeniable responsibility!

Seeing that his senior brother hadn’t dodged the attacks from Wang Wan’s parents, Chang Zhen silently sat down to the side too. Lin Nian’en’s soul was still locked in that torrential rain of blood, unable to perceive the outside world, and naturally couldn’t help. Lin Nianci couldn’t bear to watch any longer, and staggered to Wang Wan’s parents’ side, bowing to them to apologize.

“I’m sorry, I activated the formation without permission. If you want to hit, then hit me.” Her eyes flickered, and she explained, “When I saw you crying and begging for your daughter, I couldn’t help but think of my parents, and I went over on impulse. At that time, I only thought about bringing Wang Wan out safely, and I didn’t think about anything else. I’m sorry, I was wrong.”

But was her impulsive act truly triggered by the sight of the scene? Or was she driven by ulterior motives? Was it not an attempt to provoke Fan Jialuo?

No one knew this except herself. Chang Sheng and Chang Zhen would not harbor any ill intentions towards this innocent junior sister.

Her personality was exactly like that of Martial Aunt Enci, she couldn’t bear to see injustice in the world and always wanted to take all the responsibility upon herself, making it her mission to save all living beings. Given this nature, it is entirely understandable that she would go to any lengths to save Wang Wan?

Seeing that Wang Wan’s parents were indeed tearing apart his junior sister, Chang Sheng, who was filled with remorse, finally rallied and separated the two sides.

After a brief commotion, Wang Wan’s parents succumbed to exhaustion, supporting each other as they walked to the end of the corridor, weeping silently. Chang Sheng stared at the tightly closed door and the bloodstains beneath it, his voice heavy with grief, “You all heard it just now. Besides Wang Wan, more than thirty other people are missing. The situation is spiraling out of control. We did indeed let the murderer escape, and we’re now entangled in this karma. When Wang Wan’s accident happened, my cultivation suddenly stalled. If I don’t settle this score, this is the end of my life.”

He lowered his head, looking at his weak and powerless hands, a deep sorrow filling his heart. Now, his cultivation was almost completely gone, he was a cripple.

Chang Zhen said in a trembling voice, “ShiXiong, it is the same for me. It seems something has gone wrong with my Dantian, I can’t circulate Qi.” If the dantian doesn’t circulate, Qi can’t flow, and if Qi doesn’t flow, cultivation will never recover.

Chang Sheng’s facial muscles twitched slightly, then he silently looked at his junior brothers and sister.

Lin Nian’en gradually came to his senses, and after examining his dantian internally, his expression suddenly changed. Without a doubt, his cultivation had also encountered a problem.

Lin Nianci silently felt the effects of it all, and before she could even open her mouth, tears streamed down her face. Others who couldn’t restore their cultivation could still live as ordinary people, but she had to live with this prematurely aged face. For a woman who had once been so beautiful, this was undoubtedly the cruelest punishment in the world.

Chang Sheng patted her shoulder, his voice filled with pity and determination, “Don’t worry, ShiXiong will find a way.”

Lin Nianci nodded, but her tears fell even more heavily.

As the group comforted each other, Chief Yan called, his tone extremely firm. Chang Sheng felt a sense of foreboding and was about to ask for clarification when the call was already disconnected, meaning refusal was not permitted.

Chang Sheng wanted his junior brothers and sister to stay at the hospital while he went to investigate alone, but his request was met with refusal. Left with no choice, he hurriedly set off for Xingfu Square, taking the three of them along. On the way, he had envisioned every conceivable scenario and devised corresponding countermeasures, yet, upon arriving at the scene and witnessing the unspeakable horror unfolding before his eyes, he realized just how impoverished his imagination truly was.

Before him lay a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, in his mind, a death knell tolled. He had barely reached the edge of the square when his knees slammed heavily to the ground. It turns out that when fear reaches its peak, a person really does instinctively kneel down, not to beg for mercy or repent, but simply because their legs go weak.

He was a formidable figure in metaphysical society, having captured countless vengeful spirits, yet he had never witnessed such a horrific scene. In a daze, he felt as if he had stepped into hell. Before him lay blood, pools and puddles, deep enough to submerge his ankles. To flood such a large square with blood, how many lives must have been lost?

Chang Sheng dared not even think about it.

Chang Zhen, who was following behind him, collapsed to the ground with a thud, his finger trembling as he pointed ahead, stammering, unable to utter a complete sentence, “How…how could this be?”

Lin Nianci and Lin Nian’en were terrified. Their bodies remained standing in place, but their souls longed to escape this horrific inferno.

Chief Yan strode over through the blood-soaked ground, his voice stern, “Taoist Chang Sheng, do you see this? This is the consequence of your arbitrary actions! Didn’t you say you’d save one person, and a hundred? Fine, I’ll give you a chance to make amends. Teach that Bagua Formation to Teacher Fan, and let him rescue the rest. These aren’t all the corpses here. We’ve roughly estimated that at least seventeen or eighteen women are still trapped in Ma You’s space. And this is just the data we’ve gathered after receiving the report, we don’t know how many more missing persons have gone undiscovered and therefore without a police report! Taoist Chang Sheng, you can’t just turn a blind eye this time, can you?”

Chang Sheng raised his head, his eyes red-rimmed, and looked at Minister Yan. After a long while, he said in a hoarse voice, “I’ll make a call to my Shifu.”

He scrambled to his feet, hid aside to make a phone call, first inquiring about his master’s situation. Learning that the grand master was still in seclusion, he briefly explained the current situation. The person on the other end refused without hesitation, ordering, “Give the phone to Chief Yan, I’ll talk to him.”

Chief Yan had interacted with Taoist Zhi Fei several times and had a good impression of him. In his memory, this Taoist had had always been a benevolent soul——a virtuous man dedicated to aiding the weak and upholding the fallen——who frequently spoke of the imperative to save all sentient beings. Now, presented with a task of a magnitude comparable to saving the world, it was simply inconceivable that he would refuse.

Chief Yan assumed that Chang Sheng and the others’ refusal to hand over the formation was due to the juniors’ ignorance or inability to make decisions, rather than their being heartless. However, he did not expect that Taoist Zhi Fei would also say decisively on the phone, “We will not pass on the formation to outsiders. Chief Yan, you don’t need to force my disciple. Our Tianshui Sect’s rules have been passed down for thousands of years and will not change.”

Chief Yan nearly ground his teeth to powder, and said sternly, “I’ll turn on the camera and show you what’s going on before you talk to me!”

Taoist Zhi Fei’s attitude was firm, “My disciple has already told me, I don’t even need to look to know what kind of scene it is.”

“Then why don’t you save them? Is your Taoist Association just a bunch of shit-eaters?” Chief Yan wanted nothing more than to drag the old man out of the phone and force him to reveal how to draw the formation. He had actually already given Teacher Fan the video of Chang Sheng and Chang Zhen drawing the formation, but Teacher Fan said that in addition to the visible lines, the formation also had countless hidden lines finer than a hair. Only by alternating between the visible and hidden lines could a complete formation be formed. It couldn’t be learned just by looking, one had to have someone teach them step by step.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have associated with Chang Sheng and his ilk anymore. To put it bluntly, the Tianshui Sect is already on the government’s blacklist, and once this matter is over, the higher-ups will definitely crack down on them.

Taoist Zhi Fei sensed that Chief Yan’s patience had reached its limit and immediately changed the subject, “The trouble was caused by our Tianshui Sect, and we will clean it up ourselves. We will not teach that formation to outsiders, but we will send other disciples to activate the formation to rescue people. They will arrive soon, Chief Yan, you can order them around as you please.”

Chief Yan’s tense face finally relaxed slightly.

Taoist Zhi Fei then commanded, “Chang Sheng, if you want to settle this karma, you must personally apprehend the murderer and stop him from continuing his evil deeds. This merit should offset the sins you have committed.”

Chang Sheng lowered his head and said firmly, “Shifu, we understand. We will definitely capture him ourselves!”

At the same time, Fan Jialuo also said to Song Rui, “This person’s abilities are terrifying. To prevent his jade pendant from falling into the wrong hands and causing further trouble, I must capture him myself.”

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Chapter 225. You Reap What You Sow

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Mother Wang had thought that as long as she held her daughter tightly, the murderer couldn’t possibly take her away. But as it turned out, she was far too naive. The strangeness of this world was beyond the comprehension of an ordinary person like her, no matter how hard she tried. She could only stare in terror at her empty arms, letting out a pitiful wail.

“My daughter, my Wanwan, she’s gone! Why is she gone! Ahhhhhhh……” Her mind had lost the ability to think, her hands flailing wildly in the air, scratching and clawing, as if trying to pull her daughter back from the void.

Father Wang was stunned. After a long while, he rushed over, pulled back the covers to check, and then crawled on the floor to inspect under the bed. He thought what he had just witnessed was some kind of magic trick or illusion, and that his daughter was actually still there.

Several police officers aimed their guns in all directions, but couldn’t find their target. They knew Wang Wan was still in the room, yet not in this space. It sounded convoluted, but it was the truth. Guns couldn’t intimidate the killer, and naturally, they couldn’t save Wang Wan, she was now left to fate. A deep sense of powerlessness washed over the officers, making their hands tremble as they held their guns.

Meanwhile, Chang Sheng and the other three were also trembling, seized by a common terror. They flung out their talismans, but they only missed, burning in mid-air and having no effect whatsoever. The murderer was human, and their methods were only suitable for dealing with evil ghosts and spirits.

When Wang Wan’s parents saw the talisman reduced to ashes, they immediately remembered the array that had flashed white light earlier. They clung to Chang Sheng’s arm, pleading, “Master, please draw a Bagua Array (Eight Trigrams Formation) to rescue my Wanwan! Hurry!” As bystanders, they only witnessed the four of them working together to rescue their daughter in less than five minutes, completely unaware of the price they had paid. Those who stand on the sidelines never understand the pain they endure.

Chang Sheng looked embarrassed, and Lin Nianci hid behind him, fearing that Wang Wan’s parents would grab her legs and beg her.

Chang Zhen cruelly shattered their hopes, “We exhausted all our strength to save Wang Wan earlier, and now, we can’t even draw a complete formation. I’m sorry, we are powerless to help.”

Wang Wan’s parents didn’t believe them at all, pointing at Lin Nian’en and shouting, “But he just said that if you could save Wanwan once, you could save her twice!”

Lin Nian’en, confronted and questioned, instantly lost all color in his face. He spoke without thinking. As a Taoist cultivator with top-tier strength from the Tianshui Sect, he was accustomed to being high and mighty, and having everything go his way. He always believed there was no problem in the world that he and his sect couldn’t solve, completely unaware that in just a few years since he left the mountain, the capital city had drastically changed. The city was no longer ravaged by ghosts, but by demons transformed from humans.

He thought he could, but that wasn’t the case.

He raised his hand like a surrendering soldier, his voice trembling with guilt, “Aunt, I’m sorry, we really can’t save Wang Wan.”

“How could you not save her? You rescued her so easily before!” Mother Wang grabbed Lin Nian’en by the collar and shook him hysterically, “Draw the formation! Draw it now! Didn’t you just say you could save her?! I don’t care, you have to take responsibility! You must save my Wanwan!”

With no clues or solutions, Mother Wang could only cling to Lin Nian’en’s words and force him to comply. She knew she was making unreasonable demands and engaging in moral blackmail, but so what? These Taoist priests had voluntarily taken on the responsibility, and they should hold up to what they said!

Lin Nian’en explained again and again, “Aunt, it’s not that we don’t want to save her, but that we’re powerless. You only see how high the planes are flying in the sky, but you don’t know how much fuel they consume with each flight. We’ve already exhausted our power after rescuing Wang Wan, and it will take us three to five months to recover! Even if we risk our lives, we can’t open that formation again! Look at my ShiJie, she’s aged ten years in an instant, her hair has turned completely white, and she’s suffered severe internal injuries. We’ve paid a heavy price to save Wang Wan, please be considerate!”

Mother Wang scratched his neck raw with her nails, shrieking, “I don’t give a damn about being considerate! You must rescue my daughter! How do you know you can’t rescue her if you don’t risk your lives? Give it a try!”

Lin Nian’en’s initial guilt gradually transformed into an indescribable rage. His fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly, but he ultimately refrained from striking Mother Wang’s face, passively enduring her tearing and scratching. Lin Nianci tried to intervene, but was forcefully pushed away by Father Wang. The couple seemed to have the Taoist priests completely under their thumb.

Lin Nian’en, whose head felt as if it were about to be shaken right off, could only look tearfully toward his senior brothers. Chang Sheng’s face turned livid with rage, yet he was utterly helpless. Chang Zhen wanted to attack Wang Wan’s parents several times, but remembered the sect rules and held back.

The two groups got into a scuffle, making a mess of the ward. Fortunately, the police arranged a private room for Wang Wan to make it easier to take her statement, otherwise, it would have terrified the other patients in the room.

When it comes to tantrums, Lin Nian’en was no match for Mother Wang. His face was covered in bloody scratches, stinging painfully. He seemed to have reached his limit, grabbing Mother Wang’s hands and sternly demanding, “Don’t be unreasonable! Did we do something wrong by saving your daughter?”

“It’s your fault for not considering the bigger picture.” Song Rui pushed open the door and entered, speaking calmly.

“Wang Wan is in trouble?” Meng Zhong asked breathlessly as he rushed in.

“Yes, Director Meng, she suddenly disappeared.” Recalling that bizarre scene, several police officers couldn’t help but touch the goosebumps on their arms.

“If you want to save her, teach me the Qiankun Shifting Array.” Fan Jialuo strode into the ward.

The group locked in combat froze. Chang Sheng was the first to react, declaring decisively, “Don’t even think about it!”

Fan Jialuo reached out and probed the empty space above the hospital bed, saying in a deep voice, “She’s here. As long as you teach me the formation, I can release her. Which is more important, a human life or a formation?”

Chang Sheng barely needed to think, “Of course, the formation is more important.”

“Many more people will be killed in the future, dozens or even hundreds of lives. Compared to that formation, which is more important?” Fan Jialuo asked again.

Chang Sheng hesitated for only a second before gritting his teeth and saying, “The formation is important.”

Fan Jialuo’s hand, suspended in mid-air, slowly clenched into a fist. His gentle profile revealed a rare coldness and sharpness due to his overly tense emotions, “So, the first rule of the Tianshui Sect——human life is more important than heaven——has been abolished, is that right?” He turned to look at Chang Sheng and the others, his pupils flashing with an extremely dangerous light.

Suffocated by his piercing gaze, Chang Sheng pressed his pounding heart and gritted his teeth, saying, “It’s precisely because human life is paramount that I won’t entrust it to you. If you go against the natural order, it won’t just be one person dying, but hundreds of thousands, even millions.” Ultimately, they still didn’t trust Fan Jialuo’s character. Human life is important, but the value of human life is directly proportional to its quantity——a fact everyone must acknowledge.

Fan Jialu remained silent for a long time, but Mother Wang could no longer bear it. She grabbed Chang Sheng’s hair and roared hoarsely in his ear, “Isn’t my daughter’s life a life in your eyes? Hand over the formation right now! How can you say that the formation is more important than human life! Are you animals?! What kind of bullshit sect are you Taoists from?!”

Chang Sheng stood still and took the beating without fighting back, thus preventing his junior brothers and junior sister from stepping in to help. He didn’t deserve the beating from Wang Wan’s parents for not saving her.

Lin Nian’en’s worldview was crumbling, and he asked in a trembling voice, “Are you really not going to save her? That’s a human life!”

Chang Zhen silently shook his head, while Lin Nianci’s eyes were red from staying up all night. They knew how powerful that formation was, and naturally they also knew what kind of disaster it would cause if it fell into the hands of someone with ulterior motives.

Fan Jialuo closed his eyes and said, “When you transmit the formation, I will attach a forgetting spell to it. After saving the person, I will naturally forget about it.”

Chang Sheng gritted his teeth and refused, “Who knows if your forgetting spell is real or fake? What if you’re just putting on an act? We’ll become sinners throughout eternity. Don’t waste your breath here, we won’t teach you the formation!”

Having said all that, Fan Jialuo had no choice but to give up. He knew that sects would place a layer of restrictions when passing on their inheritance to disciples to prevent evil people from searching their souls. Even if he devoured all their memories, he wouldn’t get what he wanted.

He shook his head, as if he had something to say, but then shook his head again and remained silent. At this moment, the words “Tianshui Sect,” which always shone with golden light in his mind, and the majestic mountain gate towering above the clouds in his memory, finally lost their sacred aura and became a dilapidated picture.

“No need to wait until later.” Fan Jialuo stared straight at Chang Sheng, then looked around at Chang Zhen, Lin Nian’en, and Lin Nianci, and said in a deep voice, “You all are already sinners throughout eternity.”

Lin Nian’en and Lin Nianci lowered their heads to avoid his gaze, while Chang Sheng and Chang Zhen curled their lip in disdain, scoffing at his words.

“Chang Zhen, call the sect and have them send a few experts to activate the Qiankun Shifting Array! We can save people even without you, Fan Jialuo!” Chang Sheng said proudly.

This is the source of his confidence to repeatedly say that formations are more important than human lives. The rules of the Tianshui Sect have not changed, its members have not fallen into depravity, and they have never treated human life as worthless. He dares to defy the world by saying such things because he has enough strength to turn the tide. Although Taoist sect is currently lacking in talent, it is still easy for them to send a few experts to activate the formation.

Mother Wang, who had been tearing at him with all her might, stopped and revealed an expression of ecstatic joy.

Fan Jialuo’s expression, however, was even more somber. His hand remained suspended in the air, his clenched fist slowly opening as if sensing something, then slowly closing again and retracting. He turned his back, lowered his head, and closed his eyes. Song Rui, who knew him best, also turned his back, looking at the snow-white wall.

Meng Zhong was wondering why they were facing the wall when suddenly a shower of blood rained down from above the patient bed, followed by large chunks of severed limbs. A human head rolled off the bed and landed at Chang Sheng’s feet, face up, revealing Wang Wan’s still terrified face. She was dead! The body had been neatly cut into dozens of squares, the cut surfaces extremely smooth, as if it had been placed on a machine tool and thoroughly processed.

The murderer killed her by shattering the space, he never intended for her to live even a day longer. Chang Sheng’s so-called confidence, strength, and escape route never existed in the first place.

Everyone froze, their gazes fixed on the blood-soaked, mangled hospital bed. No, it was no longer just a bed, it was a true reflection of hell! Their hearts trembled, their pupils throbbed with pain, yet they couldn’t tear their eyes away.

Only Fan Jialuo and Song Rui, with their backs to the hospital bed and facing the wall, avoided this extremely shocking scene.

As the nauseating stench of blood filled the ward, Fan Jialuo finally broke the deathly silence. His voice was icy, each word piercing the heart, “I’ve said it before, you all are already sinners throughout eternity.”

Chang Sheng stood frozen in place, his bloodshot eyes bulging as if they were about to fall out of their sockets. He had never imagined that Wang Wan would die so quickly and so tragically! He had thought that this time, like last time, he would have three days to save her, he thought he was in control, so he was fearless, he thought that one phone call would solve everything……

He had too many “assumptions” and “certainties,” but he never expected that in the blink of an eye, these self-righteous ideas would be washed away by the surging blood!

A sticky yet icy sensation rose from the soles of Chang Sheng’s feet, seeping into his bones and slowly penetrating his marrow. He shuddered violently, then felt an inexplicably chilling energy brewing in his dantian. His slowly recovering cultivation was blocked by this energy, completely stagnating.

The karmic retribution for his misdeeds has finally reached him, he was now tainted with sin…..

Fan Jialuo had never deceived them from beginning to end, they had indeed let the murderer escape, and just now, their resolute refusal to provide assistance had directly cost another life. The disciples of Tianshui Temple were required to dedicate themselves to saving all living beings for generations——didn’t that rule now sound like a joke?

Chang Sheng’s legs buckled and he knelt down. Chang Zhen, Lin Nianci, and Lin Nian’en also sensed the stagnation or even regression in their cultivation, and their expressions turned bewildered.

Wang Wan’s father was paralyzed with fear, while Wang Wan’s mother, after only a moment of dizziness, began to scream and wail at the top of her lungs. She lunged at Chang Sheng, tearing at him and calling him a beast. Then she went to punch and beat the police, roaring, “How can you police be so useless? You can’t even save one person! We pay so much tax every year to support you, and this is the kind of useless bunch we raise? You have to pay for my daughter! You must save her life!”

How can the dead be brought back to life? Isn’t that just nonsense?

Meng Zhong supported Mother Wang, a helpless expression on his face.

Song Rui turned around, staring calmly at Wang Wan’s corpse, and said coldly, “Stop shouting. You all bear an inescapable responsibility for Wang Wan’s death. Do you know what a sense of the big picture is? A sense of the big picture means that each of us holds a plank and we fill in a suspension bridge made of steel cables in our respective order. When each person crawls down to place a plank, their back will be trampled by the person behind them. Pain is inevitable, but as long as we endure this pain and fill in every plank, everyone can cross this chasm.”

Song Rui stared straight at Mother Wang, “You couldn’t bear the pain of being trampled, so you pulled away the planks from your hands, creating a hole in this bridge. Then everyone who walks behind you, including yourselves, will fall into an abyss.”

“Do you know that when you were so eager to rescue Wang Wan, we were just one step away from catching the murderer? If you had waited ten more minutes, Wang Wan would still be alive and well.” Song Rui shook his head and sighed, “Just ten minutes more and everyone’s lives could have been saved. So wake up, stop shirking responsibility. It wasn’t anyone else who killed Wang Wan, it was your selfishness.”

He opened the door and said coldly, “Let’s go. There’s nothing more we can do here.”

Fan Jialuo nodded and left the blood-soaked room, looking exhausted.

Meng Zhong released Mother Wang, who immediately collapsed into a pool of blood, weeping bitterly and filled with remorse.

Zhuang Zhen ordered his men to guard the door, preventing anyone from approaching. Then he took out his phone to notify Forensic doctor Zhou, to come and perform an autopsy. Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Li’s voice came again, shouting anxiously, “Captain, something terrible has happened! So many people have disappeared! In the elevator, on the street, in broad daylight, so many people have disappeared, just like Wang Wan and the others, vanishing without a trace. My initial estimate is at least thirty or forty people! Ma You has really gone mad this time, he hasn’t even tried to cover it up. Our police station’s phones are practically ringing off the hook with calls from citizens!”

Because Zhuang Zhen had the phone on speakerphone, everyone in the ward naturally heard what he said, and their expressions all changed.

Chang Sheng, who had barely managed to stand up while leaning against the wall, instantly collapsed to his knees again. Chang Zhen, Lin Nianci, and Lin Nian’en were even more terrified, their minds blank and drenched in cold sweat. At that moment, the words of Fan Jialuo echoed in their minds simultaneously——No need to wait for later, you all are already sinners throughout eternity.

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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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Chapter 223. The Worst-Case Scenario Has Occurred

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TN:- Senior Officer and Chief Yan is same person and these titles may appear more often. Don’t get confused.

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Seeing the messy and empty room, Meng Zhong was so angry he almost kicked over the coffee table. Fortunately, he still retained a sliver of reason and knew he had to protect the crime scene.

Zhuang Zhen picked up the still-warm instant noodle and said confidently, “He just left not long ago.”

“Left in such a hurry, it seems he sensed something. We certainly wouldn’t have leaked anything, so could there be something wrong with the elevator?” Song Rui analyzed.

“I’ll make a call and ask.” Meng Zhong slammed his phone screen, his tense face filled with resentment.

Fan Jialuo paced around the room, then slowly walked to Ma You’s bedside.

Seeing his serious expression, Song Rui immediately asked, “Did you find something?”

“There’s a lot of yin qi here.” Fan Jialuo raised his chin.

Song Rui put on gloves and began searching the bed, eventually finding a black plastic bag under the mattress.

“What is this?” The task force members immediately gathered around.

Song Rui didn’t answer, but slowly untied the knot in the plastic bag, revealing its contents to the light. An extremely strong, fishy stench assaulted their nostrils, almost suffocating the task force members. They all turned their heads away to gasp, then turned back to examine it closely, their expressions a mixture of horror and anger.

The bag was filled with bloodstained fingernails. That beast Ma You actually took them home as trophies and slept with them every day. Is he even human?

As everyone was gripped by unspeakable anger, Meng Zhong, who was on the phone with his superior, walked over and was stunned when he saw what was in the bag.

Senior Officer repeatedly asked, “Are you sure Ma You is the murderer? Do you have any evidence?”

Meng Zhong decisively ended the call and switched to video, and said coldly, “See for yourself!”

The camera was pressed against those bloodstained fingernails by Meng Zhong. Some fingernails were painted with nail polish and studded with small diamonds, clearly showing how wonderful their owners had once lived, others had some dried bits of flesh stuck to them, obviously pulled off the body with pliers, and it was not hard to imagine the pain their owners had suffered.

Seeing this, Senior Officer, who had initially clung to a sliver of hope, was suddenly left utterly speechless. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then a wave of regret choked him. He never imagined that in the blink of an eye, those Taoist priests would have sabotaged the police’s plans to such an extent!

“Chief Yan, did you see that? We were just one step away from catching him, really just one step away!” Meng Zhong was so angry that his voice became hoarse.

After a long silence, the person on the other end asked in a similarly hoarse voice, “Is it possible to catch him again?”

Meng Zhong couldn’t answer this question, but Fan Jialuo spoke for him, “We can’t catch him, he and we exist in two different spaces.”

This statement is clear enough, unless the police can break down the dimensional barrier, catching the killer will remain a dream. The murderer can freely enter and exit two dimensions, appearing and disappearing wherever he wants, killing whomever he pleases, he is utterly unrestrained. Even if a police bullet were fired, he could vanish the instant he is hit. He has completely transformed from a human into a ghost, he can be omnipresent!

Realizing the consequences, Senior Officer felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. Behind him, Wang Wan and her parents embraced and wept, this heartwarming scene of reunion now chilled him to the bone. Just ten more minutes, and the murderer would have been caught. Only ten minutes!

Senior Officer walked to a more distant corner and asked in a deep voice, “Teacher Fan, what will the murderer do after he escapes?”

Fan Jialuo shook his head and said, “I said I saw death, one after another.”

Song Rui stepped into the frame and said coldly, “The situation is completely out of control, and no one knows what will happen next. But the only thing I’m sure of is that Ma You won’t stop, he’ll only kill more people.”

Fan Jialuo added, “You should have seen Xiao Yanling’s secret file, right? Ma You and she are the same kind of people. The more people they kill, the stronger they become. In other words, right now he can only trap and kill one person at a time, but in the future he may be able to trap and kill multiple people at a time.”

Song Rui continued, “He may have already discovered this secret, so in the future, he will not only treat killing as a pleasure, but also as a necessity. He is an extremely insecure person, and the more insecure a person is, the more they crave power. So you should be mentally prepared, because he will go on a killing spree next.”

Upon hearing these words, Senior Officer collapsed onto the steps.

Fan Jialuo guessed, “Is it because the people from the Tianshui Sect took it upon themselves to rescue people, thus alerting the murderer?”

Senior Officer was filled with remorse and said dejectedly, “It was them. I just went out to make a phone call, and when I came back, they had rescued the person.”

“Then stop them and don’t let them leave.” Fan Jialuo instructed.

“What are you going to do?” Senior Officer asked, forcing himself to stay alert.

“I want them to teach me how to draw the Qiankun Shifting Array. Their spiritual power has been depleted, and they can’t save more people, but I can.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll keep them here for you. Come back quickly. No more deaths, absolutely no more deaths.” Senior Officer immediately stood up and strode towards Chang Sheng and the others. He was now filled with regret, and his expression towards these Taoist priests was anything but pleasant. If he had known that the two advisors Meng Zhong had invited were also experts in this field, he wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble.

After hanging up the phone, Meng Zhong immediately assigned tasks, “Did everyone hear that? Teacher Fan is going back to learn that rescue formation. Captain Zhuang and I will take him to the apartment building first. You guys stay here and continue searching Ma You’s house to see if there is any other evidence.”

Song Rui helped Fan Jialuo walk out, reminding him, “Xiao Li, now that you have Ma You’s phone number, you can check his call history and social media to see if he has any close friends. He’s a human being, he gets thirsty and hungry. He’ll definitely come back to reality. His friends, who are keeping watch, might just manage to catch him.”

“Okay, Dr. Song.” Xiao Li immediately opened his laptop and started typing away.

The group hurried back. Meanwhile, Senior Officer had already locked Chang Sheng, Chang Zhen, Lin Nianci, and Lin Nian’en in a conference room, strictly forbidding them from leaving without permission. Normally, how could a door possibly stop them? But now, their cultivation had been completely drained by the formation, they could barely manage to sit upright, let alone muster the strength to resist.

The worst off was Lin Nianci, her jet-black hair had turned completely white, and fine lines had appeared on her face, making her look more than ten years older in an instant. She paid a very heavy price to rescue Wang Wan.

Lin Nian’en grabbed her shoulder and shouted towards the door, “What do you mean by locking us up here? Can’t you see my ShiJie is very weak and about to faint? She needs treatment!”

Chang Sheng yanked on the doorknob and shouted, “Chief Yan, this is really unfair of you! You asked us to rescue people, and we did, so why are you arresting us instead? Chief Yan, release us now, or I’ll complain to your superiors!”

Chief Yan personally stood guard outside the door, unwilling to engage in any communication with them. He repeatedly pleaded with them to wait a moment and not to be impatient, but they couldn’t even wait for a phone call. This case could have been resolved smoothly, but it has escalated into this uncontrollable situation, and the responsibility lies entirely with these Taoist priests.

How many people will die in the future? There are already six, will there be six more, then twelve more, then eighteen?

Until the murderer is caught, the entire Beijing city will be shrouded in the shadow of a serial killer.

Imagine innocent civilians happily stepping out of their homes, only to mysteriously vanish one by one, reappearing as corpses, while the police can’t even catch a glimpse of the killer. The more people he kills, the stronger the killer becomes. To achieve this goal, he will become addicted to slaughter, never stopping. He will bring endless death and terror to the city!

Chief Yan covered his face, unable to think any further. The thought of being held accountable by his superiors chilled him to the bone. He wanted nothing more than to punch his past self from two hours ago. Why couldn’t he have kept a constant eye on things instead of running out to make a phone call? It was just a momentary lapse in attention……

Chief Yan went to a secluded corner to report the situation to his superiors and took full responsibility. It was his fault, and he had to bear the consequences.

At the same time, Chang Sheng shouted through a door, “Chief Yan, did we make a mistake by saving people? What do you mean by locking us up?”

“There is nothing wrong with saving lives, but if I were to give you a choice, what would you do?” Fan Jialuo pushed open the door and entered, followed by Song Rui, Meng Zhong, and Zhuang Zhen. Hearing the noise, Chief Yan immediately ended his call with his superior and entered the conference room.

Chang Sheng was forced to retreat repeatedly by Fan Jialuo’s cold aura, and then slumped onto the sofa.

Fan Jialuo walked to the opposite side of the group, looked at them indifferently, and continued, “Now I’m giving you a choice. Here is one person, and here are a hundred people. Which side do you choose to save?” He stretched out his left and right hands.

Chang Sheng scoffed, “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Fan Jialuo turned to look at Chang Zhen, Lin Nian’en, and Lin Nianci. Although the three of them clearly didn’t want to talk to him, they couldn’t control their mouths. Captivated by his deep eyes, they answered in unison, “We need to save both sides!”

“It seems your thoughts are noble, but why do your actions contradict them?” Fan Jialuo slowly sat down, his voice suddenly turning cold, “When you opened the space, the murderer sensed it and escaped, while we were right outside his door, just one step away from capturing him. Do you know what the consequences of that one step are? Endless killing! The murderer will wreak havoc in this city. You saved one person, but caused the deaths of a hundred.”

Lin Nian’en and Lin Nianci’s faces turned ashen. Chang Zhen’s lips trembled slightly, unsure of what to say. They truly hadn’t expected the police to actually find the murderer, nor had they anticipated the timing would be so unfortunate.

The most stubborn Chang Sheng gritted his teeth and retorted, “A hundred lives are precious, but one life isn’t? As long as it’s a life, we must save it!”

“Well said, whether it’s one person or a hundred, I think the same way you do.” Fan Jialuo clapped lightly, his tone questioning, “But when we left, we clearly told you that if you just waited three more hours for us to catch the murderer, then this person and the hundred people who might be killed in the future would be saved. There was a perfect solution right in front of you, why did you ignore it?”

Chang Sheng was speechless.

Song Rui glanced at him, ripping off his hypocritical mask, “Because your eyes and thoughts can only reach the small area around you, you can’t see further, nor can you think of deeper realms. You can only see what’s in front of you, not the big picture. If the government hadn’t spent a lot of money to invite you, you wouldn’t have come at all. In fact, one person’s life and a hundred people’s lives are not life to you. To you, helping them is an act of grace, refusing to is your prerogative.”

Chang Sheng immediately retorted, “You’re talking nonsense! We came here specifically to rescue people!”

Chief Yan nodded and said, “Yes, you came all the way here to save people for four million. One million each, I’ve even given you the check.”

Chang Sheng’s face contorted for a moment.

Song Rui continued, “Lin Nianci and Lin Nian’en got involved in this case a long time ago. After they left, four more people were murdered. If you really wanted to get involved, you wouldn’t have waited until now. So just drop it. Don’t use the word “noble” to glorify yourselves. To you, no one’s life truly matters. You’re only in a hurry to save Wang Wan because you’re afraid of taking responsibility.”

“You’re talking nonsense!” Chang Sheng was trembling with anger, unable to find a single word to refute. Yes, they knew about the case before the government came knocking, but they never considered getting involved because Fan Jialuo was a police consultant, and they didn’t want to associate with him. Their eventual arrival to rescue the people was indeed for money, they couldn’t deny that.

Seeing that her senior brother was speechless, Lin Nianci had no choice but to stand up and bow, “I thought Wang Wan was about to die, which is why I took it upon myself to rescue her. I didn’t expect the murderer to be scared away by us. I’m sorry.”

“Can an ‘I’m sorry‘ really make up for all the mistakes?” Fan Jialuo’s sharp gaze seemed to pierce through the much older Lin Nianci, “Looking at it this way, you really are very similar to Song Enci. Your personalities are practically identical, you both like to do evil in the name of kindness. She sows sins on earth with the delusion of becoming a god, while you, in the name of saving people, put more innocent people in danger. When the situation deteriorates to the point of being out of control, can you bear this responsibility?”

Lin Nianci’s body began to sway, and her voice became choked with sobs, “I……I’m sorry, I’m really sorry, I didn’t expect things to turn out this way.”

Fan Jialuo shook his head and said, “You didn’t fail to anticipate it, you deliberately ignored it. Because I’ve already laid out the outcome before your eyes. I clearly told you what would happen to the murderer if we acted prematurely. And it’s precisely because I showed you that outcome that you’re even more resistant. Saving lives isn’t your real purpose, opposing me is. If making you wait is gambling with one life, then your disregard for the bigger picture and reckless actions are gambling with a hundred future lives. I’m 100% certain of my bet, are you?”

Lin Nianci was rendered speechless by his interrogation, then suddenly hunched over, clutching her chest as if she were about to have a heart attack. The ugliest thoughts in her heart had been stripped away by this man and laid bare under the light of day.

Lin Nian’en grabbed her shoulders and roared, “What do you mean if one person lives, a hundred people will die? Don’t exaggerate! My ShiJie saved people, and that merit is real. And no one has died yet, that’s a fact too. Even if someone does die in the future, it has nothing to do with her, it’s the murderer’s fault.”

“This is very significant. You are cultivators, yet you don’t even understand cause and effect. You saved Wang Wan, scared away the murderer, and allowed him to escape a calamity. You have thus created a karmic connection with him, and you will certainly share in the evil consequences he sows. Each of you must bear his sins.”

Fan Jialuo looked around at everyone and abruptly changed the subject, “Do you know why Song Enci fell halfway to godhood?”

His words froze the faces of the furious Chang Sheng and the others, who then stared intently at him. As cultivators, defying the heavens and becoming gods was the dream of every one of them.

“Because she has saved too many heinous people, directly or indirectly. Their sins have piled up on her head, exhausting her merits.” Fan Jialuo said, word by word, “She thinks she is doing good, but in reality she is creating evil. If she doesn’t die, who will? The so-called Holy Maiden of Zezhou is nothing but a mortal with no wisdom, utterly foolish, and ignorant. If she can become a god, it would be a joke to the whole world.”

“Stop talking! My mother wasn’t like that!” Lin Nianci swayed, nearly fainting from the shock. Her mother’s image in her heart was incredibly revered. In the sect, everyone told her how great her mother was, a being worthy of the name of a god, a flawless perfection.

She was immensely proud of her mother, but at this moment, Fan Jialuo shattered that pride completely. He brutally tore away her backbone, turning her, and even her mother, into pathetic wretches.

Lin Nianci’s vision went black from the shock, and she felt a dull pain in her chest and abdomen, which had caused serious internal injuries.

Chang Sheng slammed his fist on the table and roared, “Fan Jialuo, you’re spouting nonsense!”

Fan Jialuo glanced at him and slowly said, “Whether I’m making false accusations or not, the truth will come out once I find Song Enci. You can leave, but please hand over the Qiankun Shifting Formation. The murderer has been enraged by you and will kill more people in the future. I can use the formation to rescue these people and alleviate your sins.”

Chang Sheng was slightly taken aback, then suddenly realized, “So, after all that you’ve said, you just want to steal our Tianshui Sect’s inherited formation! You wish! We will never teach it to you!”

“Even if many people die outside, you still won’t teach?” Fan Jialuo coldly pressed.

Chang Sheng hesitated for a moment, then said decisively, “I won’t teach it. That formation can reverse yin and yang. Who knows how many people it will kill if it falls into your hands.”

“Whether I would harm anyone is uncertain, but many lives are already hanging over your heads. It seems that human lives are indeed not worth much in your hearts.”

“You say the murderer will kill many people, but does he really kill? I could say he’ll stop! Don’t exaggerate. I will never pass on the Tianshui Sect’s legacy to you! Our Shizu didn’t even teach you the basics back then, precisely because you were too wicked, and he was deliberately keeping an eye on you. It turns out he was right. You can even kill your Shishu, who was like a father to you, what else are you incapable of doing?”

Upon hearing him mention his martial uncle, Fan Jialuo’s calm face twisted for a moment. For a split second, he couldn’t suppress the surging emotions within him, causing his magnetic field to erupt violently, nearly crushing everyone. Apart from Song Rui, no one perceived the deadly threat emanating from him.

Song Rui grasped his hand and said in a barely audible voice, “No matter what others say, I will believe you unconditionally.”

Fan Jialuo gripped Dr. Song’s hand tightly, his voice hoarse, “When I joined the sect, Shifu told me that as a disciple of the Tianshui Sect, it was my inescapable responsibility to help the world, uphold justice, and vanquish demons. If I disregarded this responsibility, I would not deserve to be called a Tianshui disciple. Now, only a hundred years later, you can treat human life like dirt. This has truly opened my eyes. Did I betray the sect, or did the sect betray me?”

He opened his eyes and pressed again, “Can you really turn a blind eye to the victims in the future? If so, please leave, I won’t stop you.” He pointed to the open door.

Chang Sheng helped Lin Nianci up and left without hesitation. Chang Zhen and Lin Nian’en immediately followed without looking back.

Fan Jialuo slowly walked to the door, looked at their backs, and said in a cold tone, “The Tianshui Sect has fallen this low. Is there any point in its continued existence?”

Chang Sheng paused, feeling a chill run down his spine.

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Chapter 222. Lin Nianci, Who Rescued People Without Authorization

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!!!WARNING:- Animal Cruelty!!!

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Meng Zhong led a team to investigate the earliest two elevator entrapment cases. In the car traveling at high speed, Song Rui briefly profiled the suspect, “The victims were all women, so the most likely suspect is male. Since the murder was committed by trapping the victim, the suspect is probably introverted in real life, doesn’t like to talk, and is not very strong. To be more precise, he would be a bit weak.”

Song Rui opened the notebook with frayed edges, his voice hoarse, “Every serial killer fantasizes about their methods of murder from a very young age, and immerses themselves in these fantasies every day until they are strongly stimulated and can no longer suppress their inner desires, ultimately turning their fantasies into reality. Therefore, the killer’s age should be between twenty-five and thirty, which is the age when fantasies mature, desires are most intense, and execution ability reaches its peak.”

He coughed, his throat so dry he couldn’t speak. Fan Jialuo immediately unscrewed a bottle of mineral water and handed it to him, looking at him with a hint of encouragement in his eyes.

Song Rui drank most of the water from the young man’s hand. Not only did his voice become gentler, but even his tired eyes seemed to regain some luster. He turned to the next page of his notebook and continued, “As I just said, the murderer would have fantasies about a certain method of killing very early on. Do you know how early that is?”

“Some children’s abnormalities will become apparent when they are five or six years old.” Meng Zhong gave Song Rui a meaningful look.

Song Rui calmly said, “That’s right. Around the age of five or six, individuals with these specific psychological anomalies begin to exhibit certain warning signs. These individuals exhibit the classic triad of fire-setting, persistent enuresis, and animal abuse. The suspect in our case found the greatest pleasure in trapping and killing, so he must have experienced this pleasure in his childhood, otherwise he wouldn’t have been so obsessed with it. What would be the object of a young child’s abuse?”

Hu Wenwen quickly raised her hand, “It’s a small animal!”

Song Rui nodded, “That’s right, it’s small animals, so I guess the suspect in this case has a habit of abusing small animals since childhood, and his main targets should be stray cats or stray dogs. You can focus on this aspect during the search for him.”

Everyone nodded and took notes.

Song Rui summarized the key words, “So, the person you are looking for is a man, around 27 or 28 years old, introverted, not good at socializing, physically weak, and has a habit of abusing cats and dogs. People with this kind of personality generally do not take on jobs that are too technical or require a lot of interpersonal communication. Judging from his methods of killing, observing from the shadows is probably his source of pleasure. When looking for a job, he will try to align it with his interests.”

“Hiding in the shadows and observing?” Zhuang Zhen frowned and blurted out, “Could he be a security guard? Security guards need to observe the people coming and going at all times, and they can also monitor the entire community or building through surveillance cameras.”

“It’s highly likely.” Song Rui closed his notebook and waved his hand, saying, “Follow up on these leads.”

Everyone responded in unison and split up to carry out their tasks. Although the case had long since passed, the individuals involved still remembered it vividly and provided numerous leads. The developer of the apartment complex——which was still under construction——summoned all the security guards and asked them to recount the details of the case.

One of them quickly distanced himself from the situation, “None of us were on duty that day, so we really don’t know how it happened. Logically, there should be someone guarding the monitoring room, but no one went to check it that day, they were all hiding outside playing cards.”

“No, I heard Old He say it’s not that they weren’t on duty, it’s that the computer in the monitoring room was broken, the screen was completely black, and we couldn’t see anything.” Another person explained, “Old He is the security team leader who was fired before. He was unlucky and happened to be assigned to be on duty that day.”

“Could you give us a copy of the information on the dismissed security guards?” Meng Zhong asked the person in charge.

“Okay, I’ll have the personnel department send it over right away.”

A few minutes later, Meng Zhong received a stack of employee information and photos provided by several security guards who came to take his statement.

Song Rui took the information and instructed, “Send a copy of these people’s photos to Zhuang Zhen and ask him to see if there are any familiar faces at the senior living facility.”

Meng Zhong did as instructed, while Song Rui carefully examined the photos. After a few minutes, he pointed to a young man with fair skin, effeminate features, and a thin build and asked, “Are you familiar with this person?”

Several security guards shook their heads repeatedly, “We don’t know him. We only know that his name is Ma You, and he is from the same hometown as Old He. He doesn’t talk much and doesn’t hang out with us.”

A security guard, as if recalling something, said with disgust, “That guy’s no good! Once, I was on duty with him, and a stray cat wandered into the construction site. It was quite cute, so I wanted to take it home and keep it. He said he wanted to keep it too and asked me to give it to him. I thought he looked clean and gentle, like a considerate person, so I agreed. But the next day, I found the kitten’s body in a section of cement pipe. All four paws had been chopped off, and it was wrapped in rope all over. It died a horrible death! I immediately took the kitten’s body to confront him, but he firmly denied it, constantly arguing that this cat wasn’t the same one as before. I asked him to bring over the previous one, but he kept whining and refusing, which infuriated me.”

The security guard gritted his teeth and said, “I know that the dead kitten was the one I wanted to keep. That bastard Ma You is ruthless!”

Song Rui and Meng Zhong exchanged a glance, and a suspicion began to form in their minds. Tying a cat with a rope was a way of restricting its freedom, and chopping off its claws and removing its nails had something in common. This Ma You is very suspicious.

Fan Jialuo held Ma You’s photo in his palm and sensed it, then slowly said, “I see a dark heart and endless killings, it must be him.”

Meng Zhong’s spirits lifted, and he immediately picked up the employee files to look up Ma You’s address. Just as he was getting some leads, Zhuang Zhen called to report some exciting news, “Director Meng, there’s a former security guard at the senior living facility who has left. He used to work as a security guard at the Jinshawan development, called Ma You. Guess how he was fired?”

Meng Zhong bolted upright and cried out, “What else? Residents trapped in the elevator as usual!”

Zhuang Zhen’s tone was very excited, “That’s right, every time he was fired it was because someone was trapped in the elevator. This time and twice, it can’t be a coincidence, right? I guess he is the murderer we are looking for. I have his address, let’s go and arrest him now.”

Meng Zhong, “I also have his address. Let’s check and see if he has moved out.”

The two immediately checked and discovered that despite the two serious accidents, Ma You was still living in the same place. He was truly skilled and daring! Was he relying on the folding space to avoid being bothered by the police?

“Catch the hell out of him!” The two said in unison.

Fan Jialuo warned, “Catching him won’t be easy. Once he’s startled, he’ll immediately hide in his spatial dimension, and none of us will be able to do anything about him.”

“What should we do then?” Meng Zhong suddenly felt a headache coming on.

“I will first set up a magnetic field trap. You will have to figure out a way to lure him into my trap. My magnetic field has the power of isolation, which can prevent him from escaping into space.” Fan Jialuo conceived a rough plan.

Song Rui immediately helped him refine the suggestion, “We can buy a kitten on the way and put it in front of his house. He’ll come out when he hears the cat meowing. People like him can’t change their ways.”

Meng Zhong clapped his hands and said, “That’s the plan!” Then he shouted into the still-connected phone, “Captain Zhuang, did you hear that? It’s a bit far from here. Go buy the cat first, then lie in wait for us downstairs.”

Zhuang Zhen agreed, panting heavily, and sounded like he was running. He could vaguely hear excited shouts all around him, such as ‘hurry, hurry, go buy a cat, the murderer is Ma You!’ Meng Zhong had made a major breakthrough, and Chang Sheng and Chang Zhen had already finished drawing the formation. They had only waited for half an hour at Senior Officer’s request.

When Wang Wan’s parents saw that they were not doing anything, they became anxious and cried out, “Master, please save her quickly!”

Senior Officer reassured them, “Wait a little longer, we’ve already sent people to catch the murderer.”

“How long will it take?”

“Just wait two more hours, I promise the master will rescue the person in two hours.” Senior Officer also felt that this request was a bit excessive, and his expression was naturally very awkward.

Wang Wan’s parents quickly estimated the situation in their minds, and then their vision blurred, “Why do we have to wait another two hours? Our Xiao Wan has been locked up for almost two days! Without water to drink, a person will die if they’re locked up for just three days——do you people even realize that?!”

Cold sweat broke out on Senior Officer’s forehead. This was, after all, a matter of life and death, he couldn’t afford to be careless. No one knew what would happen to Wang Wan within two hours. He was gambling with a life——was such a gamble really worthwhile? Wouldn’t something terrible happen?

Senior Officer pondered the situation repeatedly, unable to make a decision, so he took out his phone and said, “Let me make a call and ask. Please wait a moment. It’s not that we police officers are unwilling to rescue people, but the situation is quite complicated. You need to understand that if we rescue Wang Wan without catching the murderer, the murderer might go berserk and kill even more people. We are doing this for the sake of the public……”

Before Senior Officer could finish speaking, Wang Wan’s parents began wailing and shouting, “We can’t care about others, we just want our daughter to live! If we wait until the murderer is caught before our daughter is released, how long will that take? Are you prepared to sacrifice our daughter’s life? How can you be worthy of being police officers? Look, look carefully, a life is slipping away before your eyes, can you bear it? If our daughter dies, you are the murderers! Master, please rescue our daughter immediately, we beg you!”

Both of them grabbed hold of the police officer and engaged in a violent scuffle, but then turned around and knelt down at Chang Sheng and Chang Zhen’s feet, begging for mercy.

Senior Officer was torn and battered, but he didn’t get angry. He had children too, and he understood the anxiety of parents. However, as a police officer, protecting the lives of the public was his inescapable duty. He couldn’t bring himself to save only the person in front of him and ignore the lives of others. If everyone could be saved, that would be the best outcome.

He waved to the two policewomen, signaling them to calm Wang Wan’s parents down, and then went outside to make a phone call.

Wang Wan’s mother clung to Chang Sheng’s legs, wailing, “Master, my daughter has always been weak, easily catching colds and fevers. Others can last three days, but she might not! What if she’s been starving for days before getting into the elevator? She’s been on a diet and hasn’t eaten her fill at all, she can’t last three days! Master, I beg you, please get her out of here quickly!”

These days, losing weight has become a trend. No matter how thin a girl is, she talks about losing weight all the time. She eats less than a kitten. If she were really locked up, her life might be in danger in a day or two. It’s been almost two days now, and Wang Wan’s condition is definitely not optimistic.

Thinking of this, Chang Sheng and Chang Zhen’s already wavering resolve became even more shaky.

Lin Nianci looked at the kneeling parents, their eyes red with tears, and then, thinking of her own background, she made a decision. She walked to the formation, placed her right hand on the key point of the array, and slowly channeled spiritual power into it. Lin Nian’en, who always supported her unconditionally, immediately put his hand on her shoulder and transferred his own cultivation power to her.

Sensing the fluctuations of spiritual energy behind them, Chang Sheng and Chang Zhen immediately went over and placed their hands on Lin Nianci’s shoulders, transferring all their cultivation to her. The formation had already been activated and was irreversible, they had wanted to save her anyway, so what was there to hesitate about now!

Meanwhile, after learning about the case from Meng Zhong and that the murderer would soon be caught, Senior Officer walked in excitedly, only to be shocked to find that the Taoist priests he had invited had taken it upon themselves to start saving people.

“Hey, what are you doing? Stop right now!” Senior Officer rushed over and shouted repeatedly, “Our comrades are already on their way to arrest him! Stop right now, don’t alert him! If you scare him away and cause more deaths, can you bear that responsibility?”

Lin Nianci and the others completely ignored him, instead increasing their input of spiritual energy. The blood-red lines that originally formed the formation began to glow with white light, eventually merging into one and manifesting the phantom of a door. The phantom slowly solidified, as if it would open with a gentle push.

Seeing this, Senior Officer knew it was all over, the police’s plan had been ruined!

Lin Nianci’s spiritual energy was completely drained, and even with the support of the three people behind her, she felt increasingly strained. Her jet-black hair gradually turned frost-white, and the color drained from her face. Just as her soul power began to become unstable, the formation finally absorbed enough spiritual energy, opened its door, and revealed a rusty space filled with eerie green light.

Wang Wan lay in this space, licking the blood from her hands. In her desperate situation, she had actually come up with this extremely painful way to survive, barely managing to endure the previous dozens of hours. Seeing the wide-open door and her parents outside, she immediately got up, staggered out, and then collapsed into Lin Nianci’s arms.

Contrary to what her parents had imagined, she was still conscious and had the strength to save herself. After running out, she kept calling for water. Her parents rushed over, hugged her, and fed her water, tears of joy streaming down their faces.

As the family of three reunited, a kitten, still nursing, was curled up in a dimly lit stairwell, meowing incessantly, but it couldn’t lure the neighbor across the hall out. Fan Jialuo silently approached the door, placed his hands on it to sense its movement, then shook his head and sighed, “No one’s inside. He’s already escaped.”

“How could that be?” Meng Zhong questioned this judgment, because they had checked the surveillance footage when they entered the community and confirmed that Ma You had already gone home from work and had not gone out again.

“The building across the street can see what’s happening here. I’ll go take a look.” Zhuang Zhen took a pair of binoculars and ran to the building across the street to scout. After a while, he ran back and kicked open Ma You’s door without saying a word.

Sure enough, no one was in the house. A bowl of steaming instant noodles had been spilled on the floor, the soup and noodles spilled everywhere, making it filthy. The television had a hole smashed in it by an ashtray and was sparking with electricity, which showed how angry Ma You was when he ran away.

The worst-case scenario that the police had anticipated still happened.

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Chapter 221. Conflict Between Fan Jialuo And His Sect

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Although Teacher Fan said checking the surveillance footage was useless, and Dr. Song said waiting for the killer to come to them was useless, Meng Zhong still sent people to try these two clumsy methods, but to no avail. They lay in ambush around the building every day, waiting for the killer. Fan Jialuo would also take the time to come and check. After four consecutive days of coming, he waved to Meng Zhong, “Go back, everyone. The killer won’t come. Just now, that space collapsed.”

Even the space itself collapsed, so the so-called trophies were gone, and the murderer certainly wouldn’t come back. Meng Zhong could only lead his team back, his face so black it could squeeze out a bottle of ink.

Eighteen days later, a third body was found. It was also a shy, introverted woman, her hands stained with blood, her body curled up on the floor, her head slightly tilted back, staring intently at the walkie-talkie. There was no doubt that the killer had communicated with her.

This time, the police still couldn’t find any clues and could only watch helplessly as the victim disappeared in the surveillance video and then reappeared as a corpse.

Although he knew it was futile, Meng Zhong still lay in ambush outside the apartment building, and Fan Jialuo would come to check on him every day. After three consecutive days, he sighed, “You can leave now, the killer’s space has collapsed.”

Meng Zhong kicked the trash can next to him hard, his face full of resentment.

Fifteen days later, as everyone expected, the fourth body appeared, slumped against the corner of the elevator wall, staring unblinkingly at the intercom. Fan Jialuo had visited that day and immediately told the task force members to stop waiting, because that folded space had collapsed the moment the body appeared.

Meng Zhong was on the verge of losing control. Seeing the person disappear from the surveillance video, he almost smashed his tablet. The other officers were also seething with anger, wanting to find a place to vent, but they were helpless.

Beyond their overwhelming rage, their hearts were also filled with an extremely chilling fear.

This serial killer can hide in another space and move freely, unseen and untouchable, yet he can freely monitor, stalk, and even kill anyone. Perhaps he’s watching smugly from the sidelines while the police analyze cases, perhaps he’s lurking around the victims at all times, spying on them as they work, eat, and sleep, before they’re even imprisoned.

He was less like a human and more like a demon, feeding on the fear emanating from humans, taking pleasure in their despair, and then taking their lives without hesitation. If he could be captured and brought to trial, shooting him a hundred times over would be no more than he deserves!

Meng Zhong was furious, anxious, and terrified, clumps of hair began to fall out. Without a doubt, this was the most difficult case he had ever encountered in his life, and the most difficult killer to apprehend. That folded space was enough to allow the perpetrator to evade anyone’s search.

However, before catching him, protecting innocent civilians became an urgent issue. After several discussions, the higher-ups finally decided to announce the existence of the serial killer to the public, but concealed the most bizarre aspect of the case. They only said that the killer’s targets were single women, and that he hid in high-end apartment buildings. They asked people renting in these places to be highly vigilant, and also asked those who knew such women to show them more concern and call them frequently to check on them.

The announcement appeared on television, online, and on social media, reaching a wide audience and having some effect. Six days later, the police received their first call reporting a missing person. The caller was the missing person’s mother. After reading the announcement, she felt that her daughter’s profile closely matched the killer’s target and immediately tried to call her, but the call could not be connected.

After waiting anxiously for over an hour, she grew increasingly uneasy and dialed 110. Normally, the police wouldn’t handle a missing person case that hadn’t been reported for at least 24 hours, but the higher-ups took these cases very seriously and immediately dispatched Meng Zhong’s special task force to investigate.

Xiao Li quickly pulled up the building’s surveillance video and then reported bad news, “Six hours ago, Wang Wan was indeed caught by the killer.”

“We need to find a way to save her quickly, Wang Wan will be in danger in three days.” Meng Zhong stood in front of the empty elevator and called Fan Jialuo and Song Rui.

Half an hour later, the two arrived, looking travel-worn. Without exchanging a single word of greeting, they began to inspect the scene.

“I can’t save her.” Fan Jialuo shook his head and sighed, “I can only sense that space, but I can’t open its door. If I forcefully use my magnetic field to collide with it, Wang Wan will shatter along with the space.”

Meng Zhong’s bright eyes dimmed, and the hopeful police officers’ eyes reddened. They knew where the victim was, and they knew that deadly danger was approaching her, but they were powerless to save her. What’s worse, they had to stay here every moment, waiting for her body to appear. Such an experience was undoubtedly a sharp knife, leaving wounds on their hearts that would never heal.

“This is too cruel!” Hu Wenwen and Liao Fang collapsed to the ground, hand in hand, tears streaming uncontrollably down their faces.

“What kind of person could be so cold-blooded!” Sun Zhengqi pounded on the wall, his face contorted with hatred.

Zhuang Zhen and Liu Tao were both veteran police officers, and their mentality was more stable than theirs, but their eyes were filled with anger.

Only Song Rui took out a notebook and silently flipped through it, occasionally jotting down a few notes.

Just like the previous five times, the killer left no trace, and the surveillance video only captured the moment Wang Wan disappeared. The police couldn’t save her or catch the killer, and could only stand outside the elevator waiting. They stared intently at the ever-open elevator with bloodshot eyes, taking turns, one shift after another, none of them willing to leave.

The person who was replaced didn’t go home, instead, he wrapped himself in a military overcoat and lay down in the stairwell to rest.

They waited from afternoon until evening, and from evening until the next morning. Before they knew it, a day and a night had passed. In the absence of food and water, every minute that passed meant the passing of life. What was Wang Wan doing at that moment? Perhaps she was frantically scratching at the door, or perhaps she was shouting for help, but no one could hear her cries, and no one could see her.

But it is precisely because one cannot hear or see, and can only imagine in one’s mind, that feeling was even more unbearable.

Hu Wenwen and Liao Fang cried several times. Sometimes, just looking at the open elevator doors would bring tears to their eyes without them even realizing it. The male police officers didn’t show their emotions as much, but they all looked haggard and had red eyes.

Of all the people, Fan Jialuo was the one closest to Wang Wan. He could hear the cries for help that others couldn’t hear, and he could see the struggles that others couldn’t see. So he didn’t close his eyes for almost the entire night, but stood straight at the elevator entrance, staring at the void with a dark gaze.

Song Rui hadn’t slept all night either, and the notebook in his hand was almost worn out from being used so much. As dawn broke, he suddenly said, “Why would a murderer have the urge to trap and kill a woman in an elevator? There must be a trigger, right? Every serial murder case has an initial point that triggers the killer’s murderous intent. What was the trigger in this case? If we find that point, will we be able to uncover the killer’s real-world identity? After all, he wasn’t nearly as mature back then as he is now, he couldn’t have done something so flawless.”

Song Rui’s words attracted everyone’s attention, even Fan Jialuo, who was staring intently at the void, turned to look at him.

“Before Jiang Keke’s body was discovered, the murderer must have committed similar crimes, otherwise he wouldn’t be so skilled. Murder methods are also developed through practice, so what was his practice? So-called practice means immaturity, and immaturity means leaving clues.” After a day and a night without rest, Song Rui’s voice had become very hoarse.

Meng Zhong slapped his forehead and hurriedly shouted, “Xiao Li, go and check if there were any similar cases in Beijing before Jiang Keke’s body was discovered!”

Song Rui pointed out, “The keywords are elevator, woman, trapped.”

Xiao Li quickly opened his laptop, accessed the police database, and entered keywords. The results came back quickly. Before Jiang Keke’s body was discovered, there had indeed been two similar cases in Beijing. The victim in the earliest case was a woman who went to look at apartments in an unfinished building alone, without any sales staff accompanying her.

The building’s elevator was newly installed and had not undergone quality or safety inspections. It was clearly stated that it was not allowed to be used, but she took a chance and pressed the button for her floor, only to get stuck halfway out.

There were no residents in the building, and she was completely helpless. She dialed the emergency intercom, but no one answered. Her phone was also dead, leaving her to die in the elevator. Fortunately, she had told her husband about her plans before leaving, and when he found out she hadn’t returned home all night, he brought the police to rescue her. They barely managed to pull her out of the elevator, as she was on the verge of unconsciousness.

The building was unfinished, the property management hadn’t moved in, and there were no staff on duty in the monitoring room, so it was normal that emergency calls couldn’t be made. All the problems stemmed from the resident’s unauthorized trespassing, but even so, the developer dismissed all the security guards on duty that day after the incident.

The second case occurred in a senior living apartment. The victim was an elderly woman in her seventies who died of a heart attack after being trapped for only three or four hours. Before she died, she dialed the emergency intercom, but no one answered, and she missed the best time for rescue.

Both cases involve women trapped in elevators, isolated and helpless, and no answer on the intercom. These two cases seem so similar to those of Jiang Keke and others, yet both were classified as accidents by the police and not filed. Are there any undiscovered details? Are there any commonalities? Are there any recurring suspicious individuals?

After a moment’s thought, Meng Zhong made the decision, “Go and investigate immediately!”

The officers readily agreed, looking quite energetic, it was impossible to tell that they had barely slept all night.

However, before they could split up, a high ranking official led four people dressed in Taoist robes into the apartment building. Two of them were familiar to everyone, namely Lin Nian’en and Lin Nianci from before. The other two middle-aged men seemed to be their elders, walking with their heads held high and exuding an imposing aura.

Meng Zhong immediately went up to him and reported the details of the case.

Senior Officer encouraged them, “Good, we can’t overlook any clues, go and investigate.”

“They are?” Meng Zhong looked at the four Taoist priests with suspicion in his eyes.

“These are experts from the Taoist Association, they have a way to rescue Wang Wan.” As Senior Officer spoke, two middle-aged men strode to the elevator and ordered, “Have someone close the elevator doors, we need to draw a formation.” They turned around, their cold gazes fixed on Fan Jialuo’s face, their pupils burning with hatred, yet also with restraint and suppression. Before their grandmaster arrived, they had promised him they wouldn’t act rashly.

Fan Jialuo nodded to them with an air of elegance.

They gritted their teeth and could only look away.

Senior Officer immediately ordered the technicians to close the elevator doors. The two men took out cinnabar, chicken blood, ink lines, a compass, and other materials and began to draw an array on the door, explaining, “This is the Qiankun Shifting Array, which has been passed down from ancient times by our Tianshui Sect. It can connect Yin and Yang, and naturally it can also open up an alternate dimension to rescue people.”

Senior Officer nodded repeatedly, showing a great deal of trust in them.

Fan Jialuo raised an eyebrow and said, “How come I don’t know about the formations that have been passed down from the Tianshui Sect since ancient times?”

Chang Sheng and Chang Zhen responded with a cold laugh.

Fan Jialuo pondered for a moment and understood, shaking his head and remaining silent. He didn’t know the Tianshui Sect possessed such a formation because his master had never taught it to him. Why didn’t he teach it? Naturally, it was because he had never considered this disciple as the true successor of the Tianshui Sect. He had kept it a secret.

No one can force everyone to like them, but if you don’t like someone, you can say so, refuse, or even kick them out. So why accept them on one hand and suppress them on the other, treating them differently in every way? Is he really that repulsive?

Fan Jialuo gazed into the void, his eyes flickering and shifting. Recalling the past was torture for him, so he never allowed his thoughts to dwell on it. Feeling Dr. Song’s hand gently brushing his back, he immediately suppressed some unpleasant memories and looked back at Chang Zhen and Chang Sheng.

Song Rui asked in a deep voice, “How long will it take you to rescue them?”

“About an hour,” Chang Sheng replied proudly.

“No.” Song Rui said decisively, “Can you wait three hours before rescuing her? We’ve just found some clues, and we might be able to catch the killer by following them. If you break through his spatial barrier, he’ll sense it and escape immediately, making it difficult for us to catch him again.”

“Can you guarantee you’ll catch the murderer within three hours? What if you can’t? Wang Wan has been trapped for over thirty hours. If she were even slightly weaker, she might already be on the verge of death. Can you take responsibility for her life? We desperately want to rescue her as quickly as possible, yet you’re asking us to wait another three hours. What are you thinking? Are you treating human life like a game?” Chang Sheng angrily accused Song Rui, his eyes fixed on Fan Jialuo.

Fan Jialuo stepped forward and slowly said, “I can guarantee that Wang Wan will not be in any danger for the next three hours because I can see her. But can you guarantee that saving her won’t kill more people? Your impatience is pushing things in the worst possible direction.”

Chang Sheng sneered dismissively, “Saving someone is saving someone, why all this nonsense! We just met with Wang Wan’s parents, and we’ve assured them that we’ll take Wang Wan home in an hour. People like you can’t understand the pain of losing a loved one.”

He looked at Lin Nianci and, sure enough, noticed that her eyes were red. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret.

Song Rui’s tone was even colder than Chang Sheng’s, “Do you know the consequences of rescuing Wang Wan before catching the murderer?”

“I know. Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. We are accumulating good karma.” Chang Sheng turned back and continued drawing the array, his speed noticeably increasing.

Knowing full well that these two old fogies wouldn’t listen to reason, Song Rui still finished speaking, “You’re provoking the murderer. Once provoked, he’ll immediately trap another person.”

Fan Jialuo shook his head and said, “It’s not just trapping one person, it’s trapping many people. The speed at which his space is collapsing is getting faster and faster, from four days to three days and then to one day. This is not because his ability is weakening, but on the contrary, it shows that his ability is increasing. He can now freely control the expansion and contraction of space, instead of passively supporting it. The bloodlust in his heart is causing him to mature rapidly, and the absorption of each life is also increasing his power. I suspect that he may have already acquired the power to continuously create space, or even create multiple spaces simultaneously.”

Song Rui immediately added, “In other words, as soon as you rescue someone, he will immediately create another space to trap another victim, or even trap multiple victims at the same time.”

Chang Sheng and Chang Zhen were still drawing the array, completely ignoring the two of them.

Senior Officer waved his hand dismissively, “It’s alright, no matter how many people the murderer has trapped, these masters can rescue them.”

Song Rui immediately retorted, “Can you guarantee that every trapped person will be discovered and reported in a timely manner?”

Fan Jialuo shook his head in denial, “It’s impossible to save them. Although I don’t understand this kind of formation, I do know the commonalities of all formations. A formation with such heaven-defying power requires an enormous amount of spiritual energy to activate even once, it would require draining the cultivation of all of them. In other words, after they save one person, they will be unable to save a second one for at least three months.”

Chang Sheng and Chang Zhen abruptly stopped drawing the array. Lin Nian’en and Lin Nianci instinctively avoided everyone’s gaze, their expressions revealing worry.

It seems that Fan Jialuo really hit the nail on the head.

Song Rui said in a deep voice, “The murderer waited half a month after his first success before committing another crime, but after his second success, excluding the time spent in the spatial collapse, he only waited ten days, then eight days, then five days. His lust is growing infinitely, but his patience is gradually running out, and he is on the verge of complete madness. Once he is provoked, his methods will only become more radical. We have now grasped a strong lead. Giving us three hours to prevent more tragedies from happening is not an unreasonable request, is it?”

“If you rescue Wang Wan without catching the murderer, the consequences will be dire.” Fan Jialuo said with his eyes closed, “I saw death, one after another. The path beneath our feet disappeared into a black mist, and despair filled the air around us.”

With Fan Jialuo’s notoriously accurate prophecies combined with Dr. Song’s well-reasoned deductions, no one could resist being persuaded. Senior Officer, sweating profusely, quickly waved his hand and said, “Then you’d better go investigate immediately. I’ll give you three hours!”

“Thank you, Chief!” Meng Zhong immediately led his team away.

Chang Zhen whispered in Chang Sheng’s ear, “Are we really going to wait for them for three hours?”

Chang Sheng scoffed, “Wait my ass! We’ll rescue her as soon as the formation is finished. Do you think the murderer is so easy to catch? If we wait until the murderer is caught before rescuing her, what if Wang Wan dies? Whose responsibility will that be? We’ve already sworn an oath to Wang Wan’s parents to take on this responsibility. If Wang Wan dies, her family won’t bother the police or Fan Jialuo, they’ll only come after us! So we must bring her back safely.”

“But what they said seems to make some sense.” Chang Zhen looked hesitant.

Chang Sheng’s tone grew increasingly disdainful, “Didn’t you understand? What they’re saying is all speculation, not necessarily accurate, but the fact that we can actually get the people out——that’s what really matters!”

In the midst of their conversation, Wang Wan’s parents suddenly rushed into the apartment building, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing repeatedly. Lin Nian’en and Lin Nianci rushed over to help them up, but they grabbed their legs and begged them relentlessly, their words and actions utterly pitiful.

Chang Zhen and Chang Sheng exchanged a glance and finally made up their minds. They would save the person as soon as the formation was completed, they couldn’t delay any longer.

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Chapter 220. Second Victim Appeared

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The video Xiao Li sent was very short, only one minute and thirty-six seconds long, and the date showed it was from six days ago at 7:48 PM, which was the busiest time in the apartment building. A group of people dragged their tired bodies after getting off work toward the elevator, and Jiang Keke walked among them, carrying a black plastic bag in her hand.

There were many people at the elevator entrance, roughly thirteen or fourteen, and they rushed in as soon as the doors opened. Jiang Keke was very petite and inconspicuous among them. After entering the elevator, she was completely blocked by two burly men, with only a sliver of her dark head visible.

If it weren’t for Xiao Li constantly marking her location with a red arrow, almost no one would have noticed her presence simply by watching the video. The elevator continued its ascent, and before it even reached the lowest floor, the black hair marked by the red arrow vanished right before everyone’s eyes.

“Was I seeing things just now?” Meng Zhong raised his phone, “At the eighteen-second mark, didn’t Jiang Keke disappear?”

Hu Wenwen and the others nodded, their faces pale, “Director Meng, you’re not seeing things, the person really is gone!”

Meng Zhong gritted his teeth and continued watching the video.

One by one, the floors everyone pressed reached their destinations, and as people left, more space cleared, the cramped confines of the elevator seemed to expand ever so slightly. The two burly men who had been blocking Jiang Keke’s way left, revealing the area behind them——just a cold metal wall, nothing else. Jiang Keke hadn’t stepped out at all, yet she had truly vanished, and those who had been in the elevator with her had never noticed this terrifying phenomenon.

They went home, eating and drinking as usual, but one person in the world quietly and inexplicably disappeared, forever and ever.

After watching the video, Hu Wenwen couldn’t help but hug herself tightly. How terrible would it be if she encountered such a thing? Just imagine, there’s someone lurking next to you who can capture you anytime, anywhere, or silently trap and kill you. They can also hide behind surveillance cameras to watch your desperate struggles, and even occasionally give you a glimmer of hope before ruthlessly pushing you back into the abyss of despair.

If there truly is a more horrific form of torture than slow slicing, then this is undoubtedly it. It’s not just physical harm, but also psychological devastation!

The more Hu Wenwen thought about it, the more horrified she became. She murmured, “Is this murderer even human? I feel like he has no humanity at all!”

Song Rui said something that horrified her even more, “Only humans could do something so inhumane.”

Yes, only humans can subvert humanity. Humans are the only species on Earth that would kill their own kind for amusement. Thinking of this, everyone fell silent.

“This video proves that Jiang Keke was trapped in the folded space of the elevator six days ago, but it’s not very valuable otherwise.” Song Rui said, pointing to another photo, “What I’m more concerned about are these fingernails on the ground. Think about it, Jiang Keke’s body and all her belongings were released from the space by the murderer, but the bloodstained fingernails were left behind. Why? It can’t be that he forgot, right? If he didn’t forget, but did it intentionally, what use would he have for leaving the fingernails?”

Meng Zhong slowly uttered three words, “Trophy of hunt.”

Hu Wenwen and the others’ eyes lit up, but then a chill ran down their spines.

Song Rui nodded and said, “I also guessed these were his trophy. He might even be planning to enter that space to collect the fingernails and take them back as a keepsake.”

Fan Jialuo frowned and said, “But I destroyed the space, so he should be able to sense it and won’t come back. It seems I ruined your chance to catch the murderer?”

Song Rui quickly reassured him, “This has nothing to do with you. If you hadn’t found that space, we wouldn’t have seen what was inside, we wouldn’t have guessed the murderer’s psychology, and we wouldn’t be here waiting for him. So how could we have caught him? These two things are not causally related at all, so don’t overthink it. It’s because you found the space that we were able to see the whole picture of this case and find this clue.”

He reached out and patted Fan Jialuo on the shoulder, and Fan Jialuo’s solemn expression gradually relaxed.

Meng Zhong:……

There’s definitely something fishy going on between these two!

Song Rui edited his guesses into text and sent it to the investigation group. Zhuang Zhen and others who were conducting investigations outside replied with ‘Received’.

The investigation into Jiang Keke’s interpersonal relationships quickly yielded results. She had never been in a romantic relationship. Due to working from home all day, she didn’t have any particularly close friends, and she hadn’t made any enemies at work. She was a very withdrawn person with a pitifully simple social circle, making it hard to imagine that anyone would hate her so much that they would try to kill her with thirst.

The trail went cold with her, indirectly confirming Song Rui and Fan Jialuo’s suspicions. She appeared in the wrong place at the wrong time and was chosen by the killer.

Song Rui carefully reviewed the investigation results sent by Zhuang Zhen and then offered a new clue, “Have you noticed that Jiang Keke is an ideal target for a trap? She has a small social circle and an introverted personality. Even if she disappears for many days, no one will notice. So I suspect that the killer didn’t choose her randomly, but rather that he knew her to some extent. He must have observed her for a while.”

“I’ll have Xiao Li check the surveillance footage from an earlier period right away to see if any suspicious individuals have been following Jiang Keke.” Meng Zhong said while editing the message.

“Well, that’s all the clues we can provide for now. Follow them and let us know if anything comes up.” Song Rui looked at Fan Jialuo, as if asking if he wanted more information. Fan Jialuo shook his head and said softly, “Let’s go home.”

Look at them——constantly saying ‘we/us’ and maybe cohabitating, they’ve latched onto each other for good! Meng Zhong’s eyes flickered, his mind in turmoil, but then he heard Song Rui say naturally, “Going home at this hour isn’t really appropriate. We’ll have to rush out to pick up the child from school soon after we get back. Let’s find somewhere outside to sit and kill some time.”

Fan Jialuo nodded and said, “That’s fine, let’s go to People’s Park to feed the ducks then.”

Song Rui chuckled softly, his voice filled with an indescribable intimacy, “Okay, I’ll buy you an extra bag of corn kernels today.”

Fan Jialuo’s lips curled up uncontrollably, and he looked very happy. The two walked away chatting about trivial things, their lives brimming with warmth and contentment.

Watching their retreating figures, Hu Wenwen sighed, “I thought Teacher Fan and Dr. Song were the kind of people who were particularly aloof. I didn’t expect them to go to People’s Park to feed the ducks. I want to go sometime too.”

Meng Zhong slapped his forehead, shaking off those gay thoughts, and said irritably, “What are you sighing for? Let’s get the case straight first.”

He had just left the Rose Gold Apartment when Sun Zhengqi called, sounding very regretful, “Director Meng, the lead on the emergency intercom has gone cold. I checked with the maintenance center, and they haven’t received any alarm calls about elevator malfunctions in the past few months. The telecommunications bureau has also provided us with call records, so it’s definitely true.”

Meng Zhong said with a headache, “In other words, the emergency call Jiang Keke made in that space cannot be received by our space’s maintenance station, only the murderer can connect.”

Sun Zhengqi guessed, “It should be.”

After a long silence, Meng Zhong wearily spoke, “Then let’s go back to the station for a meeting and go through the case again. You can notify the others.”

Sun Zhengqi agreed listlessly.

After a long day of work, all the clues they found had gone cold. The murderer was hiding in a corner no one could find, like a ghost that appeared and disappeared without a trace. The method of the crime was so mysterious and unpredictable that some officers even began to doubt Dr. Song and Teacher Fan’s judgment——was the murderer really human? Could a human do something like this?

Meanwhile, Fan Jialuo and Song Rui, sitting in the car, were also discussing this issue.

Song Rui, “The murderer should be human, right?”

“He’s human. I didn’t sense any yin qi in his space.”

“This ability is very strange. Could it be related to the jade pendants you collected?”

“I sensed his intense bloodlust, and this bloodlust should be the main reason that led him to have special abilities.”

“So he’s most likely involved with that jade pendant?”

“Yes.”

“Why did that jade pendant break into so many pieces?”

“Because of the good deeds of the Holy Maiden of Zezhou.” Fan Jialuo looked out the window, his tone solemn, “Sometimes, you think you are doing good, but you don’t realize that what you are doing will cause unimaginable disasters to the whole world.”

Seeing that he evaded his question, Song Rui did not press further. Instead, he sighed and said, “I understand what you mean. You mean that some good deeds are not necessarily meritorious, but may even be sinful. For example, if you save a heinous person, and he survives and kills millions of people, those millions of lives will be attributed to you.”

“That’s roughly the idea, but her sins go far beyond that.” Fan Jialuo shook his head and closed his eyes wearily.

Since he didn’t want to talk about it anymore, Song Rui didn’t press him further. The elevator murder case remained a cold case. Half a month had passed, and the police investigation hadn’t made any breakthroughs. Jiang Keke hadn’t been followed by any suspicious individuals before her death, and that lead had gone cold. Fortunately, the higher-ups knew that this kind of case wasn’t something an ordinary person could solve, so they didn’t put pressure on the special task force. Instead, they focused their efforts on suppressing public opinion.

However, a week later, just as Meng Zhong was about to give up the investigation, a call to the police made him realize that the situation was heading in the worst possible direction. A female corpse inexplicably appeared in the elevator of an apartment building, in exactly the same situation as Jiang Keke’s case. Both corpses had their eyes wide open, staring intently at the emergency intercom, clearly filled with deep resentment.

Meng Zhong rushed to the scene, where Forensic doctor Zhou, and others were squatting beside the body conducting a preliminary examination.

Xiao Li, holding a tablet, said, “Director Meng, this is footage from the surveillance video. Please take a look while I go find the video from the day she disappeared.”

Zhuang Zhen said familiarly, “I’ll go check the residents in the building.”

After extracting the liver thermometer from the deceased’s body and performing some calculations, Forensic doctor Zhou said, “She has been dead for approximately twelve hours or more.”

“Jiang Keke was released more than a day after she died, but this victim appeared in the outside world only twelve hours after she died. The murderer seems to have become more impatient,” Meng Zhong analyzed.

A deep voice came from behind him, “It’s not that he’s become more impatient, it’s that he’s become more skilled. With each murder, the killer learns from the experience, so the wasted time is getting shorter and shorter. Her fingernails are gone too.” Song Rui, dressed in a sharp suit, walked to the elevator entrance and pointed to the victim’s bloodied and mangled hands.

Meng Zhong subconsciously asked, “Why isn’t Teacher Fan with you? Aren’t you two inseparable?”

Song Rui raised an eyebrow and looked at him meaningfully.

Meng Zhong gave himself a quick smack on the mouth. Oops, I shouldn’t have said that!

Song Rui waited until he finished smacking himself before chuckling, “Teacher Fan is parking the car in the back and will be here soon.”

Meng Zhong instantly felt as though he had slapped himself for nothing. Damn it, Song Rui really knows how to play tricks! However, he is starting to seem more human this way.

As if on cue, Fan Jialuo walked over unhurriedly, his voice tinged with worry, “That man really did develop into a serial killer?”

Meng Zhong shook his head and said, “This is only the second victim, and it’s still unclear. What if the deceased and Jiang Keke knew each other and were enemies of the murderer at the same time? We haven’t investigated their backgrounds from their school days yet, so perhaps the motive for the murder is hidden in their past. In short, there are all sorts of possibilities in these two cases, and we’ll have to wait for the investigation results before we can say anything.”

Zhuang Zhen arrived quickly with the background check results and shook his head, saying, “The deceased’s name is Lü Le. She was an online writer with a closed-off personality, a narrow social circle, no enemies, and had never been in a relationship. It was common for her to stay indoors for two or three months at a time, at most buying some daily necessities at the small supermarket downstairs. She was from out of town, and her life had no connection with Jiang Keke.”

Song Rui looked at Meng Zhong and shook his head, saying, “Your guess has been overturned. Lü Le and Jiang Keke had no connection whatsoever, so it’s impossible for them to have offended the murderer at the same time. Did you notice that her and Jiang Keke’s lifestyles are the same? This is definitely not a coincidence, but the result of the murderer’s careful selection. Without a doubt, he is moving towards becoming a serial killer. Once there is a first and a second victim, there will be a third and a fourth.”

Meng Zhong wiped his face, realizing the seriousness of the problem.

“Do you think the killer took her fingernails?” Song Rui gestured with his chin toward the female corpse in the elevator.

Forensic doctor Zhou said, “There were no fingernail fragments around the body. I guess the murderer left them in the folded space. As for whether he took the trophy, none of us can know the answer unless Teacher Fan opens the space. But once it’s opened, it’s meaningless. The murderer will give up after sensing something.”

Meng Zhong’s eyes lit up, “How about I send police officers to stake out this area and wait for them to come to us?”

Song Rui shook his head and said, “Last time he arrived a step too late and lost the trophy, so he must be resentful. This time he released the body so quickly, I bet he took the trophy. But you can wait and see if you want, since you don’t have any other options right now. However, I suggest you check the surveillance footage from the time the victim died until the body was discovered. The camera might have captured the murderer coming to retrieve the fingernails.”

Meng Zhong’s spirits lifted, but he was quickly dampened by Fan Jialuo’s enthusiasm, “Since he dared to come, he must have disguised himself well. I can use a magnetic field to conceal my presence and move around freely, and he can similarly use another dimension to envelop himself and wander around. I think the chances of finding his trail in the surveillance video are slim, but you don’t have any other options right now, so give it a try.”

Meng Zhong nearly suffocated, unable to catch his breath. Damn it, have these two infected each other? Why are they talking so similarly? Is it fun to make his emotions fluctuate so wildly?

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Chapter 219. Is The Murderer Human, Ghost Or God?

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The once clean and bright elevator lobby, under the powerful magnetic field vibrations of Fan Jialuo, resembled a painting within a painting, slowly peeling away its surface colors to reveal another face. It was filled with a ghostly green light, giving people an infinitely oppressive feeling, there was no flowing air, no extraneous sound, only a mottled and deathly silence.

Just by glancing around from outside the door, Meng Zhong and the others felt an indescribable sense of suffocation. What kind of fear and despair must those truly imprisoned feel?

No one dared to go inside to check. Even Lin Nian’en and Lin Nianci, who had received high service fees, stood pale-faced in a corner of the corridor, not daring to approach. Song Rui wanted to go in, but his body was blocked by an invisible magnetic field. He could only call the technicians at the elevator maintenance center and ask them to remotely close the elevator doors, hoping that the surveillance camera could capture the situation inside the doors.

Fan Jialuo used his magnetic field to firmly lock down this folded space, yet he also sensed its precarious state. The collision of the two magnetic fields was like two bullets colliding, no one knew which bullet would explode first, nor did they know which bullet would deviate from its trajectory.

However, it was clear that Fan Jialuo’s magnetic field was much stronger, as he seized this space, the immense pressure he exerted caused it to collapse. In the little time he had left, he continued to sense, then slowly described, “As Miss Jiang gradually walked towards death, the murderer was also here.”

Hearing his words, Lin Nianci felt strangely comforted. At least her psychic abilities weren’t entirely wrong, even though she had lost all face.

“Yet it has no physical form.” Fan Jialuo immediately added, “It is an evil thought, a pair of prying eyes, a mouth that drives people mad. I can feel its pleasure, as Miss Jiang’s suffering and despair deepen step by step, its pleasure also rises. It is communicating with her——”

Fan Jialuo’s perception abruptly ceased, replaced by regret and sighs, “I didn’t have time to find out what he had to say before this space collapsed.”

As soon as he finished speaking, that morbid shade of green——riddled with mottled rust and streaks of blood——began to fracture. Through the fissures, an all-consuming dark void and a searing white light that incinerated everything burst forth, forcing everyone to avert their gaze, shield their eyes, and dare not look directly at it.

This sudden change happened silently, yet it seemed to carry the crisp sound of shattering glass and the roar of a collapsing skyscraper. In the blink of an eye, it vanished without a trace, and the elevator lobby returned to its former cleanliness and brightness.

Everyone stared in disbelief, completely dumbfounded, unable to process what had just happened.

Song Rui immediately went inside, examined the various areas, and calmly analyzed, “I tried to go in to take pictures just now, but I was blocked by an invisible wall. This shows that the space and this space are completely isolated. Everything that happens in that space will not leave a trace in this space.”

The technicians, who were stunned, didn’t know how to describe Dr. Song’s dedication. How did he manage to stay focused on the case in the face of such a bizarre and terrifying situation?

Even Forensic doctor Zhou who firmly believes in science, was humbled by Dr. Song.

Meng Zhong wiped his face, slowly pulling himself out of his shock, and offered a counterargument, “Since the two spaces are completely isolated, why was Jiang Keke trapped inside? And why did her corpse appear out of nowhere? I think there must be a passage between these two spaces.”

Song Rui nodded, agreeing with his statement.

Fan Jialuo added, “The person who created this space has the ability to open this passage at will.”

“Teacher Fan, you can also open the passage,” Sun Zhengqi said immediately.

“I can’t.” Fan Jialuo shook his head, “I just forcibly captured this space, pulled it into reality, and made it reappear. In the squeezing and collision of the two spaces and the two magnetic fields, the space that was created is more fragile, so it will collapse. I can’t open a passage to put people in or take them out, I’m just violently demolishing it.”

Sun Zhengqi suddenly realized, but also became even more acutely aware of just how powerful Teacher Fan was. How impressive is someone who can create an alternate dimension? The answer is undoubtedly yes, yet under Teacher Fan’s influence, the space only lasted for less than four minutes.

The property manager, who had always been critical of Fan Jialuo, suddenly became extremely respectful and obsequious, “Teacher Fan, thank you for your hard work! What did you mean when you said you dismantled that space? Did you mean that such terrible things will never happen in our building again?”

Fan Jialuo ruthlessly shattered his hopes, “I can’t guarantee it, because the killer hasn’t been caught yet, and he has the ability to recreate a folded space anywhere. In fact, the probability of two bombs landing in the same crater is still quite high.”

Noticing the cold sweat on the property manager’s forehead, he added, “However, we haven’t figured out the killer’s motive yet. He may have a grudge against Miss Jiang Keke. Killing Miss Jiang should stop him from committing crimes.”

The property manager slowly exhaled, bowing repeatedly in gratitude and offering sincere apologies. His humble attitude was a stark contrast to his previous arrogance.

Lin Nian’en and Lin Nianci, who appeared in the spotlight as Taoist sect disciples, became superfluous and were collectively ignored by everyone.

Lin Nianci stared at Fan Jialuo, her face extremely pale. Lin Nian’en tugged at her sleeve and whispered to comfort her, “ShiJie, don’t overthink it. You have to know that Fan Jialuo is an old monster who has lived for nearly two hundred years, and he was the most powerful Holy child of our Shizu’s generation. How old are you anyway? It’s normal that you can’t compare to him.”

Lin Nianci wanted to smile, but she couldn’t manage to curl her lips into a smile.

The property manager pulled out a check for two million and handed it to them warmly, saying some words of thanks, but the sincerity in his eyes was far from genuine. His deep regret was so intense that it was impossible to hide, and Lin Nianci easily sensed it. He was probably thinking——I spent so much money only to hire two useless quacks, this deal was a huge loss.

Lin Nianci’s pride prevented her from accepting the check, but Lin Nian’en took it as a matter of course. In his view, his senior sister had also contributed, sensing the truth, and although not everything, she had helped the police and those in charge. It was only right and proper for her to take the money.

Lin Nianci glared at him reproachfully, and he quickly whispered, “We’ll donate half of it to charity later.”

Lin Nianci couldn’t persuade him otherwise, so she had to give up, but she felt as if a huge rock was pressing on her heart, making her very uncomfortable.

After dismissing them, the property manager also prepared a check for two million, which he respectfully presented to Fan Jialuo with a sincere and enthusiastic smile.

Fan Jialuo avoided the check, saying casually, “I’m a police consultant, and it’s my duty to find out the truth. I get my salary from the police station.” He entered the elevator and whispered with Song Rui, Meng Zhong, and the others, his attitude of not accepting a penny was tactful yet firm.

The property manager, far from feeling the joy of saving money, actually wanted to slap himself. Damn it, when the CEO told him to find a master to exorcise the evil spirit, how could he have overlooked this incredibly popular online medium? It was all because of his negative preconceived notions about internet celebrities and online popularity, he thought those who became famous online were just hype and had no real skills. Little did he know that this Teacher Fan was a hidden gem, capable of handling any task!

Officials are officials, the people they hire can’t be wrong. Thinking this, the property manager could only curse himself for being short-sighted and blind.

Lin Nianci, left standing to the side, felt as if she had been slapped hard across the face when she saw Fan Jialuo’s indifferent demeanor, her face turned red and stung. Lin Nian’en, who hadn’t felt anything was wrong with taking the check, now belatedly realized that the thin piece of paper was actually burning hot to the touch.

“Fan Jialuo was definitely doing it on purpose! He put on such a high and mighty attitude just to make us look bad and narrow-minded.”

“That’s enough, stop talking, let’s go.”

Lin Nianci lowered her head and quickly left. Lin Nian’en hurriedly followed, and when he reached the door, he saw a trash can nearby and immediately tore the check to shreds and threw it away.

“Come on, everyone, take a look at the photos I took.” Song Rui uploaded the photos from his camera to his phone and then sent them to the group chat.

Meng Zhong raised his chin and said to Sun Zhengqi, “Dr. Song didn’t take a picture of the inside of the door. Xiao Sun, go to the monitoring room and see if the camera captured it.”

“Alright!” Sun Zhengqi rushed off.

Everyone looked down at their phones, silent. Undoubtedly, the folded space found by Teacher Fan was the place where Jiang Keke was trapped, but more mysteries arose. Who trapped her, why, and how? Could the police identify him and arrest him?

“I think we should start by investigating Jiang Keke’s interpersonal relationships, focusing on those who have had conflicts with her,” Meng Zhong analyzed.

“This is the most basic thing.” Song Rui nodded in agreement.

“Then I’ll call Zhuang Zhen right away and have him investigate the people around Jiang Keke.” Meng Zhong took out his phone.

Fan Jialuo entered the elevator, sat cross-legged on the gleaming floor, and closed his eyes in meditation. He tried hard to recall everything he had sensed in that long-broken space, and slowly narrated, “His malice did not contain the hatred of unrequited love——”

Everyone who had been talking in hushed tones stopped what they were doing. Even the technician and Forensic doctor Zhou, stared intently at the young man, eagerly awaiting his answer. Having witnessed the miracle this man had created, they couldn’t help but believe him. If they had known the real Teacher Fan was like this, they would have done everything in their power to defend him when he was subjected to cyberbullying, instead of secretly watching him and gloat.

Song Rui made a mark on the notebook and pondered, “So we can rule out the possibility of a crime of passion.”

Only then did Meng Zhong and the others belatedly begin to take notes of the key points.

Fan Jialuo slowly spoke, “——It’s not a grudge from being provoked either.”

Song Rui, “Revenge killings can also be ruled out.”

“There is no greed for profit.”

Song Rui, “Killing for money or hiring someone to commit murder are also ruled out.”

Everyone quickly took notes.

Meng Zhong:……

These two are so in sync when it comes to solving cases. There’s definitely more to these two than meets the eyes!

Fan Jialuo opened his eyes, frowned, and said, “His murderous intent is pure evil——a malignancy that feeds and thrives upon the suffering of others. When Miss Jiang Keke’s agony reached its absolute limit, I could sense that the killer’s delight, too, had reached its zenith.”

Song Rui remained silent for a while before saying, “Then his motive for killing was simply to satisfy his bloodlust. In that case, he is very likely to commit the crime again, because the pleasure and satisfaction of killing humans will eventually disappear, and he will become more empty than before. The emptiness will urge him to continue to create similar tragedies.”

Song Rui took off his glasses and said cautiously, “He might become a serial killer.”

Hu Wenwen and the others gasped in shock. Oh my God, a murderer who can create alternate dimensions is already terrifying enough, but if he kills merely for pleasure, how many more horrific crimes will he commit in the future? This modus operandi is virtually impossible to guard against——the police wouldn’t be able to save anyone, even if they tried!

Meng Zhong asked incredulously, “Are you sure?”

“That’s just my guess,” Song Rui replied cautiously.

Meng Zhong then looked at Teacher Fan.

After a moment’s thought, Fan Jialuo replied, “I can only tell you that he enjoyed the process.”

This statement indirectly supported Song Rui’s point of view, causing Meng Zhong a sharp pain in his head. He kept pressing his temples, pondering various countermeasures. Although Teacher Fan could sense the space created by the murderer, Beijing was so vast that asking him to investigate place by place would be like searching for a needle in a haystack, not to mention they had no idea when the murderer would strike again. Furthermore, the clues left by the murderer might have been destroyed when the folded space collapsed, making it impossible for the police to gather any evidence about him. He seemed to be everywhere, yet also seemed to exist nowhere——how could the police possibly investigate?

After much thought, Meng Zhong finally asked the most thorny question, “What do you think the murderer is? Is it a person, a ghost, or a god?”

Fan Jialuo remained silent for a moment before shaking his head and saying, “It’s definitely not a god, but the other two options are possible.”

Meng Zhong cursed under his breath, feeling an even greater headache.

The other investigators and the building manager looked utterly terrified. To drag someone into such a terrifying space, it seemed more likely to be a ghost!

Sun Zhengqi rushed back and posted a surveillance video in the group, excitedly saying, “The camera captured the situation inside the door very clearly.”

When everyone opened the door, they saw bloodstains on both sides of the elevator door and pieces of fingernails scattered on the floor——the marks left by Jiang Keke as she desperately pried open the door to escape. Aside from rust, bloodstains, fingernails, and bloody footprints, there was nothing else in the elevator, yet it was still a horrifying sight.

Meng Zhong sent the surveillance video to the forensic technicians and instructed them, “Analyze the footprints later to see if anyone else has gone in besides Jiang Keke.”

The technician glanced at Fan Jialuo furtively, then mustered his courage and said, “Director Meng, can I join your investigation group?”

“Once our forensic department has the test results, I can notify you as soon as possible.” Actually, his main purpose was to get Teacher Fan’s WeChat account.

Forensic doctor Zhou hurriedly squeezed in, shouting, “Count me in too!” He needed to have a proper discussion about quantum mechanics with Teacher Fan. Jiang Keke wasn’t just a victim, she was Schrödinger’s cat!

The property manager shamelessly stepped forward, “Let me join your group too, that way, it will be easier for you to get in touch whenever you need my cooperation with an investigation in the future.” If he got Teacher Fan’s contact information and gave it to the CEO, a promotion and raise wouldn’t be far off! Besides, since ghosts and monsters actually exist, he was even more determined to forge a good relationship with this expert.

Meng Zhong pulled in the technician, pulled in the forensic doctor Zhou, and finally kicked the person in charge out. All sorts of people want to join their investigation group——does they think this place is a marketplace?

Song Rui gathered his thoughts and instructed, “Xiao Hu, did you bring what I asked you to prepare? Let’s simulate the crime scene.”

“Okay, Dr. Song, I’ll arrange it right away.” Hu Wenwen immediately carried a snakeskin bag into the elevator and placed her small handbag, lipstick, ballpoint pen, sanitary napkins, and other items in the spot where the body was found. Song Rui took out a photo to compare, then slowly walked to the spot where Jiang Keke had been slumped over, sat down in the same position, tilted his head back, and looked at the place she had looked at before she died from the same height and angle, finally spotting an emergency walkie-talkie.

Before she died, she had been staring at the walkie-talkie, hoping that her captors would have a shred of pity and release her. She had called out to it again and again, pleading for help, but all she received was cold mockery.

“The murderer communicated with the victim through this. His voice came from here,” Song Rui said, pointing to the walkie-talkie.

Fan Jialuo pointed to the top of the walkie-talkie and added, “He’s looking at Miss Jiang Keke through that monitor, those are his eyes.”

The two concluded in unison, “It takes technological means to monitor the deceased’s every move. Clearly, he was neither a god nor a ghost, but a person who accidentally acquired some kind of special ability.”

This was undoubtedly good news for the police. The person in charge who had been eavesdropping nearby couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

“Follow the operator on the other end of the walkie-talkie, we might find the killer.” Song Rui gave the most important clue.

Meng Zhong immediately dispatched Sun Zhengqi to investigate.

At the same time, Xiao Li called, sounding very excited, “Director Meng, I know how Jiang Keke disappeared! I’ll send you the surveillance video right away!”

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