The Mystery of the Inner Demon

Chapter 302 Night Trial
As Zhong Kui spoke, she picked up the piece of paper that Song Yun had thrown away and slowly read the contents of it: "Hello, familiar stranger. My name is Lin Yu. I am a resident on the 18th floor of Building 26. I have been following you for a long time. We are the two people who turn off the lights last in this community. I want to know who you are. If you see this note and think it is worth getting to know, please add me on Instagram. Here is my account."

After she finished speaking, her eyes were as clear as autumn water, staring straight at Song Yun, like a wildcat eyeing its prey, ready to devour her at any moment.

"No, I burned that paper, it's impossible." Song Yun shook her head violently, her already messy hair now streaked across her face in the night wind, mingling with her tears, making her look a complete mess.

“If you’ve ever been to Sanwu Town, you’ll know the name Zhong Kui. You should have heard of the medium. I know you burned that piece of paper. These words were rewritten by the deceased Lin Yu who possessed me. So, do you miss him? I can have him possess me and have a good talk with you.” Zhong Kui approached Song Yun, his seemingly gentle tone full of threat.

In the dead of night, faced with such a gloomy scene, Song Yun was truly terrified. She subconsciously looked across the street, at Wu Weiwei's house. This subtle expression did not escape Zhong Kui's eyes.

"They've been taken away and won't be coming to rescue you. Wu Weiwei confessed to everything. You know that Ma Ziqiang went to her house and raped her after getting drunk one time."

Fan Xin had borrowed money from Ma Ziqiang, who then harassed and extorted him, causing chaos in his family.

As for you and your father-in-law, Ma Qingfeng, it goes without saying that Ma Ziqiang's so-called drunkenness was not simply intoxication, but a potentially fatal level. Those bumper strips in your house weren't for preventing the children from falling, but rather to protect you adults from being pushed over by Ma Ziqiang, weren't they?

Every night, while everyone else can drift peacefully into sleep, only you are left to face this real nightmare.

Fan Xin, Wu Weiwei, Chen Zhuo, and your father-in-law Ma Qingfeng, you are all victims of Ma Ziqiang. You know there is only one way to end this endless nightmare—kill Ma Ziqiang.

Tell me, you and Ma Ziqiang have been married for over twenty years, why did you suddenly become unable to tolerate it anymore? Resentment can accumulate, so what was the final straw?

As Zhong Kui recounted the story, Song Yun's anxious face gradually calmed down. When a person completely accepts their fate, everything else seems less important. She said a few words listlessly: "It's a medical examination report."

"who?"

“Ma Ziqiang. You're right, I've long hoped he'd die soon. I thought his daily alcoholism would eventually take its toll on his health, and once he died, our whole family would be free. But year after year, my in-laws and I have become increasingly ill, yet Ma Ziqiang continues his antics without showing any signs of weakening. He's like a vampire, sucking our lifeblood, draining our very being!”
I would urge him to have a physical examination every year, not to confirm how healthy he is. I so wish that the report would show that he has liver cancer, or any kind of cancer, as long as it would kill him quickly! Song Yun said through gritted teeth, then felt disillusioned. "But I saw this year's report, and his health is better than last year's. Not only is he not going to die, but he looks like he will live longer than any of us."

Why? Why is fate so unfair? It torments people and they don't die. I've always wanted to be a good wife, a good daughter-in-law, and a good mother, but I'm left with a body full of illness. I refuse to accept this! You're right, I'm the one who harmed those people. I'm the one who brought them upon myself.

In this world, no one knows better than me who hates Ma Ziqiang the most, and everyone he has hurt needs my comfort. Ma Ziqiang can pretend he remembers nothing every time he sobers up. Only I am the one who bears all the negative emotions.

I know these people, like me, wish him dead.

"This is really interesting. The people you found are practically a perfect criminal gang. Fan Xin works in circuit planning, Chen Zhuo works in surveillance systems, and as for Wu Weiwei, she has the same habit of exercising as you, and they have similar builds. There's also a witness who is least likely to be an accomplice—Ma Ziqiang's biological father, Ma Qingfeng."

The entire timeline, starting from the barbecue restaurant, was orchestrated. The person having late-night snacks with Fan Xin at the barbecue restaurant was merely dressed as Ma Ziqiang; the real Ma Ziqiang was already dead, lying in the greenbelt long ago. Once the origin of this event is proven false, all your so-called alibis will no longer hold true.

The person 'killed' in the street surveillance footage wasn't Ma Ziqiang, and the person who exercised and went home at 9 PM wasn't you; it was Wu Weiwei. All the people and events are tangled up in a mess. Your arrogance is understandable because your plan was indeed ingenious, almost flawless, making it difficult for the police to find sufficient evidence to convict you. But…” Zhong Kui changed the subject, “You never imagined that someone in the building across the street was constantly watching your every move.”

Upon hearing this, Song Yun's hands, which were supporting her on the ground, almost embedded themselves into the hard floor tiles.

Zhong Kui's tone was devoid of any pity: "If killing Ma Ziqiang was his own fault, then what about Lin Yu? What excuse can you give yourself to make yourself at peace? Oh, right, I almost forgot you know Xi He... Such a brilliant plan couldn't have been devised by you alone, could it?"

Upon hearing the name "Xi He," Song Yun instinctively shifted back, unable to conceal the deep-seated fear she felt.

"What did you offer him in exchange? Whatever it is, believe me, it will ruin you forever. In this world, only I can save you." Zhong Kui said to Song Yun solemnly. Of all the alarmist words, only this one seemed particularly true, making Song Yun believe her without her even realizing it.

"Ever since I received Lin Yu's letter, I've panicked. If the murder of Ma Ziqiang is exposed, not only will I be finished, but everyone I dragged into this will be ruined. Then, that person appeared, saying he would help me get rid of Lin Yu in exchange for my soul. I thought, what is this? My soul was already torn to pieces by that drunkard, it's worthless. I don't believe in the existence of souls. I just want Ma Ziqiang to disappear from my life." Song Yun's seemingly delicate face revealed a hysterical expression. The woman who had been pretending to be a virtuous wife and loving mother had truly broken down.