The Mystery of the Inner Demon

Chapter 234 Maple Tree and White Mouse
With a thud, Qi Fei fell off the sofa, muttering sleepily, "How did I fall asleep?"

Zhong Kui smiled slightly: "It's alright, I've already asked around. The game has already started, so we all need to be on our toes."

“My mother has already been killed by him, and my father cannot be harmed,” Qi Fei said.

"You've finally admitted he's your father," Lu Man said, moved.

“My dears, this is not the time for sentimentality. I know Xi He very well. He won’t waste any action, judging from what you’ve recalled.” Zhong Kui looked at Lu Man. “Rather than saying that you stumbled upon Xi He when he kidnapped Qi Dongjun, it’s more accurate to say that he was waiting for you to arrive after everything was arranged.”

"Waiting for me?" Lu Man was surprised.

"Are you saying that you, so insignificant, are not worthy of Xi He's elaborate scheme?"

Zhong Kui's words struck a nerve with Lu Man. She suddenly opened her eyes wide, her lips trembling as she was unable to speak.

Zhong Kui continued, "No wonder you're like this. You've been around him for too long. You're like a lab rat in his hands. He uses all sorts of manipulative methods to establish his authority in your eyes. But interestingly, he hasn't made you his accomplice; instead, he's made you play the role of a failed savior time and time again." She seemed thoughtful, then smiled at herself before turning to the bewildered Qi Fei and saying, "Xi He's messenger has arrived. Now it's up to us."

"What accomplice? Savior? I don't understand what you're talking about." Qi Fei looked at Zhong Kui with worry in his eyes. "Zhong Kui, at such a critical time, I can't just fall asleep for no reason." He only remembered that one second he was discussing with Zhong Kui how to treat Lu Man, and the next second he lost consciousness.

This feeling was familiar. He took a step forward, stood in front of Zhong Kui, and suddenly grabbed her wrist: "In Zhong Kui's memory, Xi He is a blank. Only Zhong Xiaoyu understands Xi He. When did you come back?"

The woman in front of him suddenly became a stranger to him.

"Qi Fei, I have always been myself." She suddenly sneered. "There is no Zhong Kui in this world. She is just like the characters in novels, except that I created her in a rather unique way."

Qi Dongjun only has ten days left to live.

If you want to save him, don't waste your time on this pointless question.

“I don’t know what happened between you two, but Qi Fei is right. The most urgent thing is to save President Qi. What should we do next?” Lu Man volunteered to be Zhong Xiaoyu’s wingman.

Zhong Xiaoyu's attention fell on Lu Man: "Every time Xi He plays 'games' with you, there's always a hostage. Where were those people controlled when he put you through the obedience test?"

“It’s different every time, but one thing is certain: he will make thorough preparations. Once the time comes, unless he decides to let the other person go, that person will definitely die,” Lu Man said, her eyes filled with fear.

However, Qi Fei scoffed: "No one in this world is omniscient or omnipotent."

“Unless he is Xi He,” Lu Man said without hesitation.

"You still haven't told me where you finally found the marbles?" Zhong Xiaoyu asked Lu Man.

"In the garden."

"Where in the garden?" Zhong Xiaoyu pressed closer.

"I...I don't remember. The rain was so heavy, I was searching frantically..." "No, you remember." The silver pendant appeared before Lu Man's eyes, swaying from side to side. Lu Man's gaze unconsciously followed the pendant back and forth, and her anxious expression relaxed.

She said, as if in a ghostly voice, "In the southwest corner of the garden."

"What's in that place?" Zhong Xiaoyu prompted.

"There's a maple tree there, and its leaves are very special; they turn golden yellow even in summer..."

Upon hearing Lu Man's words, Qi Fei's expression changed: "That tree, I know it, my mother planted it there, how did he know..."

Zhong Xiaoyu stopped holding the pendant abruptly and said in a deep voice, "As expected." Then she looked out the window and said, "The rain has stopped, Qi Fei, you should go home."

The sky was just beginning to lighten when the sound of police sirens shattered the tranquility of the early morning.

The morning mist grew thicker along the riverbank, enveloping the small white building and its modest garden.

"The news of Qi Dongjun's kidnapping must not be known to the outside world. Xi He has always desperately wanted attention, and once this matter is publicized, many of his actions will become unpredictable." Zhong Xiaoyu instructed everyone, especially Lu Man, "As for the company, we'll have to rely on you to keep this a secret."

"I've already sent an email informing Group President Qi that he's going abroad for a meeting, but we should be able to manage for the time being." Lu Man remained very professional when she was working.

Qi Fei had already headed straight for the small building.

Liu Tong watched his retreating figure and then approached Zhong Xiaoyu: "I heard that you are Zhong Xiaoyu, not Zhong Kui."

"Officer Liu, oh, no, Captain Liu, how have you been?" Zhong Xiaoyu spoke much more gently than Zhong Kui, but her words were sharp and witty, unlike Zhong Kui's straightforwardness. One could easily tell the difference between the two.

Liu Tong unscrewed the lid of the thermos and took a sip: "I heard you had a mental breakdown and couldn't take care of yourself, but it seems like that was just a rumor."

Zhong Xiaoyu put her hands in her pockets and took a breath of the crisp morning air: "I just need time. What about you? Most of your colleagues have resigned, and you're still a police officer. You're really something else."

"You're overthinking it. I don't have any other special skills besides this line of work. I'm just doing this because I have no other choice but to keep going." Liu Tong smiled slightly and tightened the lid of his thermos again. "Let's go. Since we're already here, let's see what this legendary madman is up to this time."

Just then, Qi Fei's shout came from deep within the thick fog: "There's something going on here!"
-
The thick fog thinned as the sun gradually brightened.

Beneath the towering maple tree, the soil that Lu Man had dug up had been washed away by last night's rain, turning into a huge pit. The tree roots were exposed, intertwined, and a section of white, bony trunk stood out starkly.

“These look like human bones,” Liu Tong said, bending down slightly to examine them. Then he turned to look at Qi Fei, who was already panicking. “What are you worried about? In such a short time, a person won’t turn into bones. This isn’t Qi Dong County.”

As a policeman, Qi Fei could certainly know this, but his face remained ashen as he murmured, "My mother said that she planted this tree herself the year I was born... herself..."

He and Liu Tong exchanged a glance, both knowing that the bones and tree roots indicated the bones couldn't have been buried afterward.