Chapter 034: Puzzled, Let Me See You Pick a Lock

The distance between Xiaomei and me was not particularly far; I could even see that enigmatic, slightly eerie curve at the corner of her lips. As soon as I caught sight of Xiaomei, she suddenly withdrew, vanishing swiftly behind the wall at the street corner. I was still cradling the little spirit in my arms; gritting my teeth, I hurried after her.

When I reached the corner, Xiaomei had already run a considerable distance. She stood in the distance, slowly waving at me, her movement weak and listless, as if her soul had been drawn out of her body. Xiaomei stood beneath a streetlamp, the dim yellow light casting a spectral glow on her white gown, making her look somewhat uncanny.

My eyesight is excellent; from afar, I saw that Xiaomei was wearing the old silver bracelet I had acquired from the narrow path at Sansong Temple. As expected, Xiaomei had secretly taken the bracelet. Still holding the sleeping little spirit, I gave chase once more, but Xiaomei disappeared again at another street corner.

When she reappeared, she was once again beneath a streetlamp, waving at me in that same strange, slow manner. I tried repeatedly to approach her, but each time, Xiaomei would vanish quickly, only to reappear at a distant street corner. It seemed Xiaomei knew I couldn’t run fast while carrying the little spirit, so she kept repeating the same trick.

Eventually, the little spirit woke up in my arms, rubbing her sleepy eyes and asking if I was chasing someone. I nodded, and she struggled gently, signaling me to put her down. After setting her down, I looked for Xiaomei, but she was nowhere to be seen. Unlike before, this time Xiaomei did not reappear.

With the little spirit, I searched the nearby blocks thoroughly, but found no sign of Xiaomei. Helpless, I took the little spirit’s hand and returned to the hotel. On the way, I kept thinking about Xiaomei. I didn’t know who she was, but every time I saw her, a heaviness settled in my heart.

I couldn’t understand why Xiaomei chose to approach me in such a way; she sent a chill down my spine.

Back at the hotel, the little spirit suddenly tugged at my hand. “Brother Fang Han, are you thinking about that sister?”

I nodded and asked her if she really hadn’t seen Xiaomei before. The little spirit thought carefully, then shook her head with certainty. I sighed and lifted her onto the bed, covering her with the quilt. By now, I had almost no doubts or reservations about the little spirit, but I still kept my guard up.

The little spirit soon fell asleep again. Keeping her with me was never a long-term solution. After bringing her back, I had Chen Fan investigate her identity, but nothing came of it. The little spirit and Xuan Yi looked remarkably alike; they were likely father and daughter, or at least closely related by blood.

But what was incomprehensible was why Xuan Yi raised the little spirit as if taming a wild beast, why he made her believe she was a ghost and behave so strangely, and why he placed her in a place of vice and pleasure. All my hopes rested on Luo Feng, who had already sent mainland brothers to look for Xuan Yi.

Sleepless through the night, early next morning Chen Fan came to the hotel to find me. He told me everything was arranged—I could see Yun Qing and the short-haired woman. Chen Fan looked guilty, but I didn’t blame him; some things were simply beyond his control.

On the way to the police station, Chen Fan told me the specifics about the interrogation of the short-haired woman. The police believed the case was about to be solved and depended less on Chen Fan than before. He couldn’t see the interrogation records, and what he told me came from chatting with the police and offering them good cigarettes.

The short-haired woman had confessed. She said she drugged Old Nine and the others, took them to an old house in the countryside, and about three days later, killed them and moved their bodies to the site of the Ghost Banquet. I asked Chen Fan if she had described her methods.

Chen Fan shook his head. She described in detail how she lured Old Nine and his group to the place of vice and then drugged and transported them, but when it came to the actual murders, she was vague and glossed over it. I sneered coldly; there were many contradictions in her confession.

She lured Old Nine and the others, drugged them, and took them away—these facts she described clearly. But the killings were definitely not carried out by her; even she didn’t know how the murderer did it.

I quickly determined that the short-haired woman was merely an unwitting accomplice.

I called her unwitting because she only helped lure Old Nine and the others; otherwise, she seemed unaware of everything else. There was also the bizarre fact that she suddenly conspired with Yun Qing to align their testimonies.

“If Yun Qing and the short-haired woman coordinated their stories on Yun Gao’s orders, then Yun Gao is increasingly likely to be the murderer,” Chen Fan said, looking troubled. “But Yun Gao has an alibi. If he isn’t the killer, why go to such lengths? Won’t this only make us suspect him more?”

I replied, “Is suspicion useful? We’ve been investigating Yun Gao for days. Without evidence, the police are powerless. He’s not clever, but he isn’t stupid. Check if Yun Gao has someone he's especially close to. Maybe he’s shifting suspicion onto Yun Qing to protect someone else.”

Chen Fan was shocked, asking what kind of person could compel Yun Gao to frame his own sister to protect them.

When we arrived at the police station, it was lunchtime. I quietly instructed the little spirit to stay put and not make trouble. She nodded obediently, and I went into the meeting room. Chen Fan used his usual tricks to secure a private meeting with the two women.

First was Yun Qing. It was already difficult enough that Yun Qing agreed to see me. But clearly, her demeanor had changed completely from before. I had prepared a recording device in secret, but Yun Qing was cautious, saying little no matter what I asked, as if afraid I would coax more information out of her.

This was the third time I’d seen Yun Qing since her arrest. Once more, I stood over her from behind the bars, gazing down at her ashen face.

“What did Yun Gao say to you?” I asked.

Yun Qing remained silent.

“I miscalculated. I thought you wouldn’t see him, but I was wrong. You care for your brother more than you seem; you’re not as cold as you pretend. Unfortunately, he only sees you as a tool, framing you to protect someone else, though I don’t know who.” I said to Yun Qing.

She still said nothing.

My brows knitted tightly. The Ghost Banquet case had dragged on so long. Though Yun Qing and the short-haired woman couldn’t clarify the details of the crime, a suspect’s confession was still the king of evidence. Coupled with public pressure, the police would likely close the case soon.

I had hoped to find a way for Yun Qing to recant, but now, not only had she refused, she had indirectly coordinated her testimony with the others. I’d never encountered such a thorny situation; the Ghost Banquet case was strange enough, and so many people had muddied the waters midway, leaving me feeling at a loss.

But I quickly regained my composure. As I turned to leave, Yun Qing softly called after me, “Fang Han, this is the last time I’ll see you. Once again, I urge you: leave the port district as soon as possible. Don’t lose your life.”

I glanced back at Yun Qing; her head was bowed.

“Take care of yourself. I don’t know why you’re listening to Yun Gao, but if there’s something wrong with him, I’ll personally make sure he ends up in here,” I replied.

Yun Qing’s voice trembled: “You’re not a policeman; why are you so involved!”

“That’s right, I’m not a cop,” I sneered. “But I have my own reasons. I’ve found that each of you seems to know something, yet none will speak. When I’ve figured you all out, I’ll sit down and talk with you— including the person I’m looking for!”

After leaving the meeting room, Chen Fan immediately came up to me. The officer took Yun Qing away and told us to wait while he brought over the short-haired woman. Chen Fan coughed violently, saying he’d smoked so many cigarettes while currying favor at the station that the mere smell now made him nauseous.

Soon, the short-haired woman was brought into the meeting room. Chen Fan sighed, lit another cigarette, and dragged the officer outside. The short-haired woman seemed fearful when she saw me, but after glancing at the bars between us, she relaxed a little.

I asked why she had framed Yun Qing. The short-haired woman was shrewd, as if she knew I was recording her; she retorted, “Everything I’ve said is true—how is that framing?”

From her demeanor, it was clear she hadn’t intended to get caught and sent to the station. I guessed her attitude was to evade if possible, and if not, to coordinate her story with Yun Qing. As for why, I hadn’t figured it out yet.

“What’s your relationship with Yun Gao?” I asked.

She replied, “Who is Yun Gao?”

I snorted coldly, and her shoulders trembled, but she quickly met my gaze boldly.

I narrowed my eyes. “Do you think that now, here, I can’t do anything to you? You’re terrified of dying. You think that confessing will spare you? I have many ways to ensure you die without a trace.”

Her lips quivered. I told her that lying was useless, and I would soon uncover the truth. She was momentarily stunned, as if about to ask how, but swallowed her words before speaking.

I tossed her a lock, mocking, “Taking Old Nine away from the place of vice, killing Fei Ji—all required unlocking doors. Show me how you open a lock.”