Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 585 Son
"Could this be... the reason for the serial murders?"

Lin Ge was a little skeptical, because the gossipy old woman... she had no use for this thing!

However, it is clear that this portrait is indeed linked to the serial murder case, and the gossipy woman is definitely a suspect.

"You two stay right there and don't come in!"

Suddenly, the voice of a gossipy old woman came from outside.

Lin Ge's expression changed, and he quickly looked for a place to hide.

"Cat?"

The gossipy old woman went to the leftmost room first and found nothing unusual.

Although the door was slightly ajar, the gossipy woman, who usually lived alone, didn't pay much attention to whether the door was closed properly. The room was completely open, and after a careful look but not finding the cat, she closed the door and went to another room.

After searching all three rooms, they still couldn't find the cat the client had brought. The gossipy woman looked impatient.

But the customer was too big, and the balance on the phone that they had just seen was too tempting to pass up. The gossipy woman could only patiently lead Li Siyu and Li Yiduo to continue searching, calling out as they went, and quickly searched the entire Taoist temple.

"Did he/she run outside?"

Looking at the open doors of the dojo, Li Siyu suggested a possibility.

"It's normal for a city cat to be unaccustomed to my rural environment. Besides, I helped it expel the evil spirits from its body, so it's understandable that it's reverting to its animal instincts and running around everywhere."

The gossipy old woman put on a stern face and stared at the two of them warily, saying, "But let's make this clear first: once you're outside, you'll have to find it yourselves! Even if you don't find it, it's not my fault. It's just that fate has no chance for you; it has its own destiny."

"Of course!"

Seeing that Li Siyu was about to argue, Li Yiduo quickly tugged at her and said with a smile, "I've already witnessed your skills, Auntie. How could I trouble you with such a small matter? Besides, a cat isn't worth much money, so let it go! Hmm... about what we were talking about earlier, when do you think would be a good time to perform the ritual? To be honest, the method you suggested makes me a little embarrassed, as if it's blasphemous to the gods. Is there any other way?"

“There is definitely a way! But the fairy sees all beings as equal, so why would she care about your mortal actions? Yin and Yang are the way of Heaven, what is there to be ashamed of?”

The gossipy old woman flicked her whisk, a hint of resentment flashing in her eyes, but she still patiently said, "You've all seen my 'Hehuan Bed'! It was once the meditation bed of the Pure Yang Immortal Lü Dongbin, possessing the pure Yang true energy left behind by the immortals, guaranteeing the birth of a son. As for the fairy image at the head of the bed, that was to reverse yin and yang, removing the yin fetus in one's destiny. After all, He Xiangu and Lü Dongbin were husband and wife, and she is the main deity worshipped at my Jingyue Nunnery, so it's not surprising that she has this ability. Alright! I don't want to say any more. My Jingyue Nunnery has fulfilled the wishes of countless lay Buddhists over the years, allowing them to hold their own children, and this is all proof. If you don't believe me, then leave, lest I blame you for not appreciating my kindness!"

"Oh! Oh! It's not that I don't believe you! Of course I believe in your abilities, you gossipy old woman. I just wanted to ask a few more questions... just a few questions. You see, I'm just an ordinary person, so it's understandable that I might think a little more, right?"

Upon seeing the gossipy woman turn hostile, Li Yiduo quickly compromised.

As for Li Siyu, whose face was flushed behind him, the gossipy old woman grew increasingly displeased. This girl was clever and pretty; it was such a good thing that old bastard got her!

Thinking of something that upset her, Gossip Girl grunted and turned back to the Emperor's Palace.

The so-called "Hehuan Bed" was located in a small hut behind the Emperor's Hall, beyond which lay the lush green mountains surrounding the Taoist temple. The hut had no windows or lights, only many red candles arranged around the bed, all showing signs of burning, most reduced to mere stubs. The bed appeared to be just an ordinary carved wooden bed, except for the portrait of He Xiangu at the head of the bed, which seemed somewhat out of place. Li Yiduo peered inside from the doorway, sensing something very strange about the portrait, but unable to quite put his finger on it. The room itself was also strange; it felt colder than the Emperor's Hall, though he couldn't quite pinpoint the reason.

"You all pray and wait in the Human Emperor's Hall outside, and pray to the Human Emperor with your innermost thoughts. I will call you back after I have arranged everything in here. Then we can get right to work."

The gossipy woman turned around to close the door.

"Um... is it okay if I don't go during that time these days?"

Li Siyu was so embarrassed that she could only continue to stall for time. Mimi still hadn't returned, and she didn't know if the cat had any plans, so she could only wait as long as possible.

"With a god's abilities, would she care about such a trivial matter? She would send her son into your belly!"

For some reason, the gossipy woman's expression grew increasingly worse, and she turned around and directly retorted to Li Siyu.

Li Siyu and Li Yiduo were stunned for a moment, but to avoid alerting the cat, and because they really didn't know where that bastard cat had gone and had left them here in this situation, they could only laugh awkwardly and go back to the dirty Emperor's Palace.

"It's all your fault! Why did you have to bring up having a son!"

As they walked back, Li Siyu pinched Li Yiduo hard on the ribs.

"hey-hey……"

Li Yiduo just smiled, but didn't struggle.

Meanwhile, the gossipy old woman waited until Li Siyu and Li Yiduo disappeared from sight before quietly sitting on the edge of the bed, remaining motionless for a long time.

Looking up at the jarring portrait, a shadowy glint flashed in her eyes. But with something weighing on her mind, she remained silent for a moment before pulling a cell phone from her sleeve, finding a number, and dialing it directly.

"Hey!"

"Is something wrong?"

A hoarse voice came from the phone; it was a man, and he sounded quite old.

Since the gossipy woman had made up her mind, she didn't hesitate any longer and said urgently, "Someone else has taken the bait. This time it's a couple who want a child. The girl is very beautiful and young, even more beautiful than the man you had your eye on last time. You and your son should come back quickly, don't miss this opportunity."

"Tsk tsk! If you say it's beautiful, then it must be extraordinary. Haha... I'll take my son back right now, you hurry up and get everything ready. Hey! May the gods bless us, my Guan family will definitely have an heir this time! Even if it's not my son, it'll be mine!"

"This opportunity is the closest we can get to the sacrificial offering, there shouldn't be any problems!"

A hint of excitement flashed in the gossipy woman's eyes. No longer considering the old bastard's other thoughts on the other end of the phone, she hung up and started setting up in the room.

Instead of immediately lighting the candles around the bed, she went to the nearby cabinet and took out a set of red bedding, replacing the dusty set on the bed. Then she pulled a red tray from under the bed, on which rested a wine jug and a ring of wine glasses. She manipulated it slightly, and a faint ticking sound came from the jug. Then she took a small medicine bottle from her sleeve, poured in something resembling single-crystal rock candy, and then pulled the ticking mechanism again, concealing the jug so it was no longer visible from the spout. Having done all this, she sat on the edge of the bed, stroking the bedding, seemingly lost in thought, a slight, seemingly pleased smile playing on her ugly face.

Five more minutes passed, and the person still hadn't arrived.

Lost in her imagination, Aunt Ba didn't notice the passage of time. Meanwhile, the two people inside the Emperor's Palace were getting impatient and began to softly call out Aunt Ba's name.

"What's the rush? The auspicious time hasn't arrived yet, just wait patiently!"

After giving Li Yiduo a couple of sarcastic remarks, the gossipy woman returned to her room. She vaguely sensed that something had changed, but she wasn't in the mood to think about it. With her eyes closed, she began to mutter what seemed to be a prayer for resurrection.

A cat's head peeked out from under the bed, and Lin Ge finally understood what this Jingyue Nunnery was also doing!
This place is actually a brothel!
They lured a woman who was praying for a son to this room, then substituted the man for her, and then harmed the unfortunate woman who had been drugged.

Judging from what the gossipy woman was saying and what she said on the phone, her goal was to have a child for her hidden son, to continue the so-called 'Guan family' bloodline.' Of course, there was no guarantee that the child would be a boy or a girl, but when people came to fulfill their vows or question her, the truth would be clear.

When the time comes, whether it's murder or theft, I'll get what I want.

The reason why having a son has become so complicated is because the gossipy woman's son is mentally challenged and born without understanding matters of the heart. Even if she were wealthy, what respectable family's daughter would marry a Taoist nun's illegitimate son who is not only mentally challenged but also congenitally castrated, and then be expected to bear a son? In addition, the gossipy woman's lover harbored the ugly thoughts of 'increasing the probability through quantity' and 'if the son is unusable, then I can benefit from it,' which led to the current situation.

"So the monster being worshipped was a 'spirit'! No wonder it looked so strange! The serial murder case that lasted for twenty years was actually using human lives as sacrifices in the hope that his son could be brought back to life?"

Lingo finally understood the whole story, or rather, a certain possibility.

Whether the murder twenty years ago was committed by the gossipy woman and her lover is still uncertain.

The only thing we know for sure right now is that the murders five years ago and this year were indeed committed by the three of them. The people who carried out the acts and kowtowed were the gossipy woman's husband and her mentally challenged son.

As for the purpose, there's no need to elaborate.

"Should we say she had a hard time castrating her mentally challenged son, or should we say she's worse than an animal? What do human lives mean to them? Just because they believe in superstition that offering sacrifices can bring the dead back to life?"

Lin Ge sighed deeply.

It's a pity we can't alert her yet, otherwise Lin Ge really wanted to call Nie Guoqiang right now and ask him and the police in Baiyan City to come over quickly and arrest this damned woman.

Of course, before that, it would be best to capture the entire family of three in one fell swoop.

Their sins went far beyond murder.

According to the gossipy woman's prayers, it seems she has already harmed several ignorant and superstitious women through this method. Unfortunately, her son is ultimately useless, and these women all ended up with her bastard husband.

Or perhaps it was divine retribution, or perhaps it was simply bad timing that prevented them from conceiving. In any case, all the women who did conceive gave birth to daughters, which were naturally ignored by their family.

"It's worse than a beast!"

Lin Ge grumbled unhappily. Just then, the gossipy woman's phone rang, and the voice of that wild man came through when she answered.

"I've brought my son, and we're hiding outside! Hurry up, he's getting impatient!"

The gossipy old woman glared at him and said in a low voice, "You're the one who can't wait, aren't you, Guan Er! Don't use your son as an excuse to say these things. I'm warning you, this woman must be left to our son. You're not allowed to lay a hand on her!"

"Hmph! Stop bastarding at me! You gave me a son who's an idiot, and you have the nerve to interfere in my business? If you could give me another son, would things have gotten this bad? Damn it! Just looking at your ugly face makes me want to vomit, and you still have the nerve to yell at me here! I'm warning you, don't talk nonsense to me. I'm your man and the head of the family, so you should listen to me! If you keep nagging, do you believe I'll beat you up?"

"..."

The gossipy woman fell silent.

Lin Ge, hiding under the bed, flicked his ears.

Soon, the gossipy old woman calmed down again, took a deep breath, and resumed her identity as a Taoist nun. On the surface, she showed no signs of anything amiss. She dusted off her Taoist robe, stood up, pushed open the door, and went out to call Li Siyu and Li Yiduo over again.

"How to do?"

Looking tense and conflicted, Li Siyu asked Li Yiduo with her eyes.

"It's alright! Mimi hasn't shown up yet, she's definitely ready to make her move. Let's see how things go, we can't really take advantage of you in such a boring place."

Li Yiduo chuckled as he spoke.

Then Li Siyu pinched him again.

The two were both worried and unconcerned. While the gossipy woman was inside, Li Yiduo had used Li Siyu's body as cover to inform Nie Guoqiang of the situation and had received a response.

It shouldn't be long before reinforcements arrive.

Moreover, it seems that Boss Nie knows more than he expected, and it looks like Mimi has successfully completed its mission.

In this way, the two people providing cover wouldn't need to worry about anything. They could simply wait for the police to arrive, and that would be enough.

Then the gossipy old woman came in carrying a bottle of unopened liquor, but it was white liquor instead of red wine. She poured the liquor into a wine jug, didn't shake it much, and put it back on the tray, then took it to the bedside.

"Drink the nuptial wine, and yin and yang will unite in harmony."

After speaking softly, the gossipy woman squatted down and began to slowly light the candles. There were more than a hundred candles around the bed, and she lit them very slowly, muttering to herself as she did so, creating a solemn atmosphere.

"..."

Li Siyu looked at Li Yiduo and asked, "Do you want to drink this wine?"
"hey-hey……"

Li Yiduo chuckled.

He had already spotted the cat hiding under the bed as soon as he entered. The cat seemed to be playing with something round in its paws, most likely some ingredient that the gossipy woman was using to perform a ritual with the wine.

So Li Yiduo smiled jokingly at Li Siyu, ignoring the gossipy woman's slow candle lighting, and poured wine into two glasses, handing one to Li Siyu.

Li Siyu reluctantly took the wine glass, wishing she could splash it on Li Yiduo's face.

But the important matter at hand was that, and when the gossipy old woman lit the candles on the other side of the bed, Lin Ge casually crawled out from under the bed on this side, nodded to her with a spider web on his head, and she felt a little relieved.

Li Siyu glared fiercely at Li Yiduo, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw that although the gossipy old woman was lighting candles, her gaze was fixed on her. So, Li Siyu could only link arms with Li Yiduo and drink the wine.

"Sit on the bed and wait for me to finish the ceremony. The rest is up to you."

The gossipy woman spoke calmly, her worries finally subsiding.

"In other words, we'll most likely faint or lose the ability to resist before the candles burn out, right? Otherwise, it would be too ridiculous if we actually went out and were halfway through doing our business before we started acting up."

Li Yiduo pondered to himself, patiently waiting for the gossipy woman to light the last few candles, his gaze frequently drifting in this direction.

"This wine...it makes my head...so dizzy..."

With a trembling mouth, Li Yiduo covered his forehead and began to act, his body relaxing and becoming limp, swaying precariously.

"I……"

Li Siyu was rather clueless; it wasn't until Lin Ge tugged at her pants under the bed that she realized what was happening, and she quickly tried to act like she was acting strangely.

"hiss……"

Taking a deep breath, Li Yiduo fell backward, pulling Li Siyu down onto the bed in the process.

The two groaned a few more times and then remained still.

"..."

The gossipy woman stood up and quietly looked at the young couple, her eyes flashing with a strange, even somewhat hesitant, light.

But he was not a good person after all. She took a deep breath to calm herself down, and since she was standing at the head of the bed, she knocked on the wall next to the statue of the god.

'Boom boom! '

The wall made a wooden sound, which startled even Lin Ge, who had never expected that there was a wooden window behind the portrait.

Sure enough, upon receiving the signal, the portrait creaked open; it had been securely affixed to the window frame. A dirty, ugly man, whose face was contorted with lewdness and barely concealed impatience, peeked out, bringing with him a breath of fresh air from outside.

"Haha! I fell for it! I've been waiting impatiently! Let me see...tsk! Just as you said, she's a stunning woman! Damn, how can she be so beautiful!"

As he spoke, a man named Guan Er climbed in through the window, revealing a fat, ugly, and simple-minded fool following behind him.

He looked to be around thirty years old, with some dirty drool foam at the corners of his mouth. He was wearing overalls and a gray jacket. Seeing his father climb inside, he quickly followed and climbed in as well.

"Get out! She's my son's!"

As soon as Guan Er entered the room and was about to touch Li Siyu's face, the gossipy old woman slapped Guan Er's arm.

"What's wrong with letting me inspect the goods first?"

Guan Er glared fiercely at the gossipy old woman and said, "This kid is so stupid, how do we know if he can do it? Isn't it only right for me to give him a demonstration? You get out and guard the door, and come back in after we're done."

"you……"

The gossipy old woman had long anticipated letting the wolf into the house, but when she turned to look at her foolish son who was so stupid he didn't even know to fight with his father, she still felt a heart-wrenching pain.

If it weren't for her son, why would she do all these things?

Over the years, besides swindling money, she has spent her time taking her son all over the country seeking medical treatment. However, no matter the city or the specialist, everyone is helpless regarding her son's condition. A congenitally disabled person hoping to continue his bloodline—isn't that just wishful thinking?

But... when I get old and die, my mentally challenged son will need someone to take care of him, right? Is there anyone more filial than my own son?
Otherwise, if the son is mentally challenged, no matter how much money he earns, he will only be swindled out of everything.

Left with no other choice, she had to resort to the evil path!

Since this path has already been proven to be feasible, we don't need to worry too much about other things.

"She's my son's!"

The gossipy old woman refused to leave and once again blocked Guan Er's way.

Thank you to Dark Night Chant for the 100-coin reward.

Thank you to reader 20220720100649429 for the 200 Qidian Coins reward.

Thank you everyone for your support.


(End of this chapter)