American variety show world begins with subduing Jason

Chapter 248 Another Murder?

The blonde witch tightened her pretty face, formed a strange hand seal with her ten fingers, and spoke rapidly.

"The situation has changed! The result of the ritual is different from what was expected. This is not a ghost, but a wisp of remnant spirit on the remains. It will dissipate after at most one minute or three answers!"

It struggles to understand any complex information and can only provide simple yes/no answers. You'd better hurry and think of what to ask!

Zhu Mingyao's thoughts raced like lightning; discarding all details, his first question went straight to the heart of the matter:

"Did the owner of the woolen hat, that one-armed old man, kill you?"

The green-flame ghost face stared blankly for a moment, its empty eyes wide open, then slowly nodded. Specks of eerie light scattered, and its form dimmed slightly.

"faster!"

The girl urged him anxiously, pouring her spiritual energy into the ritual to maintain its stability.

"Secondly, were you murdered here?" Seeing the ritual swaying precariously, Zhu Mingyao didn't dare waste any time and quickly asked the second question.

The blurred green fire ghost face trembled, froze for a few breaths, then slowly shook its head. Another large chunk of viscous spiritual matter collapsed, then turned into phosphorescence and disappeared into nothingness.

As if a cold wind had blown by, the lingering remnant began to distort violently, even losing the shape of its human face, as if it would disintegrate and disappear in the next second.

"Ok!"

Madison's beautiful eyes widened, and a layer of fine white sweat appeared on her fair skin. She bit her lip and let out a heavy snort, clearly extremely anxious.

"The murderer is still in the area..." Just as Zhu Mingyao was about to ask the last question, a sudden thought flashed through his mind, and he changed his words on the spot:

"That murderer had accomplices, didn't he?"

Under the tense gaze of the three, the lingering spirit, which had already turned into a hazy green light, swayed slightly up and down, and then with a whoosh, it shattered into a firefly the size of a pinhead and disappeared without a trace.

"Huff, huff..." Madison's chest heaved up and down as he took a few quick breaths, then pulled out a delicate cotton handkerchief to wipe his face.

"It's really strange. I summoned the ghost of the victim, so why did only a trace of his lingering spirit arrive? According to the forensic doctor, the victim was murdered more than half a month ago, so his soul shouldn't have completely settled into the underworld yet."

"Perhaps it's because... someone destroyed his soul?" Zhu Mingyao said thoughtfully.

Zoe put away the divination brazier, raising her beautiful long eyebrows. "You mean, this Texas Chainsaw Massacre killer is also a superhuman?"

The clues pointed to a very clear conclusion, and they had essentially accepted the identity of the murderer.

"That's not right. According to the records, because there were so many victims back then, the authorities even had a professional psychic examine the case, but they didn't find any trace of supernatural power," Madison questioned.

"Even if the elemental tides had not yet fully arrived at the time, and the crime scene was just a small border town with people of average skill, they should not have made a mistake on such a simple matter."

Stepping on the creaking floorboards, Zhu Mingyao led them back to the living room, pondering as he answered:

"There are two possibilities...

The first possibility is that this old serial killer recently became a superhuman; the second possibility is that he has superhuman accomplices.

“That’s why you asked your third question the way you did.” The two little witches exchanged a glance, both of them understanding.

Zhu Mingyao nodded slightly and looked out into the deep darkness. In the distance, red and blue police lights flashed and gradually approached. The two police officers sped up and finally arrived at the scene.

Regardless of the school of thought, the cultivation of extraordinary powers generally begins in youth. Even those with innate supernatural abilities usually do not awaken before the age of forty. By the time they reach their fifties or sixties, even if they practice some harmful and selfish evil practices, it is very difficult to achieve anything.

Therefore, considering the other person's age, he was actually more inclined to the second suspicion.

In life, birth, aging, sickness, and death are inevitable. Even heroes are no longer as valiant as they once were, and this applies to a cruel serial killer as well.

No matter how strong and fierce the suspect may have been in the past, he is now just a frail old man with weakened bones and muscles. Without assistance, it would be difficult for him to commit another crime.

Selecting a target, hunting it down, and cleaning up the mess – the whole process is not as easy as it is depicted in movies and TV shows.

"The person has been on the run for more than half a year. Can your tracking and divination still find any clues?" Zhu Mingyao asked, clinging to a sliver of hope.

Madison pouted her bright red lips in displeasure. "What do you take us for, Nostradamus the prophet?"

“If it were an ordinary person, they could probably get a vague direction,” Zoe said hesitantly.

"But now the target himself or his accomplices even know how to destroy the victim's ghost to avoid being tracked, which shows that they are quite knowledgeable about the relevant knowledge. Such a long time is enough for them to erase the traces of the occult. If we want to get some useful information, we will probably need the help of a [Lord] or even a higher-ranking prophecy specialist."

Zhu Mingyao clicked his tongue, feeling that this trip was a bit unlucky.

I thought he was just an ordinary serial killer, a piece of cake to catch. Who would have thought it would be so complicated? Am I going to have to return empty-handed?

"Buzz—" His phone, which was on vibrate mode, suddenly started vibrating, interrupting his thoughts.

"...What, another new victim?" His expression turned serious as he addressed his companion.

"Go, go back!"

The two police officers had just parked their car and were running through the woods, when they heard the handsome young consultant say something, then he and his two beautiful female companions boarded a flying carpet and sped away again.

Go back...

The two officers, still catching their breath, stared blankly at each other for a moment before finally letting out a sigh and dejectedly driving off to follow.

Sigh, being inexplicably ordered around by superiors—that's probably the fate of all grassroots workers!

……

……

"Is the time of death confirmed?"

Upon receiving an affirmative answer at the entrance to the Alphaton Police Department's forensic lab, Chief Andrew accepted the autopsy report with a grim expression.

Back in the office, the host and guest sat down for the second time, and the atmosphere became slightly somber.

Andrew frowned and rubbed his temples with both hands.

"The new remains were found in an abandoned slaughterhouse by a group of homeless people looking for a place to spend the winter. They originally intended to keep it to themselves for fear of getting into trouble."

Fortunately, because we posted a reward notice some time ago to solicit relevant information, Mr. Franklin on the green paper finally overcame those unnecessary worries.

He gave a wry smile. "We also got some crucial new information from this—that guy will probably commit another crime in the next couple of days."

The clerk came over with freshly printed documents and distributed them to Zhu Mingyao and the other two.

"The remains were still dismembered with a chainsaw, but the murders occurred about 23 days earlier. Therefore, we infer that the killer likely committed the murders within this timeframe!"

Chapter 249 Fishing Law Enforcement

"Why are you so sure? Has the level of forensic autopsy expertise reached such precision?"

Zhu Mingyao stroked the A4 paper that had just come out of the printer, feeling the lingering warmth on it, and calmly raised his question.

"I'm sorry, I was in too much of a hurry and didn't explain clearly," Director Andrew said apologetically, slapping his forehead in realization.

"The newly discovered remains are not from just one person, but to be precise, from three young women who went missing on several roads in the vicinity over the past two or three months. The police have received requests for assistance in the search of them."

"Among them are other body parts from the latest victim. It seems the killer used the abandoned slaughterhouse as a collection room!" He tapped the documents on his desk, clearly having just thoroughly analyzed them with his subordinates.

“There was a heavy rain more than half a month ago. The sewers of the abandoned slaughterhouse are connected to the stinking ditch where the remains were found last time. Part of it must have been washed out at that time. This makes sense!”

Andrew sighed with sorrow, "Poor young man, he must have suffered great fright and torment before he died..."

“Each victim was a single woman who was passing by late at night, and the intervals between their disappearances were all 23 days. Combined with the approximate time of death of the bodies, the perpetrator’s modus operandi becomes quite clear!”

"Boom!"

Andrew's eyes blazed, and he slammed his fist on the table with excitement. "This cunning devil has finally shown his true colors. According to the date, tomorrow night is the day he will commit his next crime!"

He clenched his fist excitedly, his knuckles cracking with force. "Judging from the traces at the scene, the perpetrator only returned there when committing the crime and dismembering the body; otherwise, he hid in other places."

After discovering the clue, we didn't make a big fuss, but quietly left the surveillance area. He probably hasn't realized he's been exposed yet. Now, we just need to wait and see..."

"Stop! Are you just going to wait for him to come back at the crime scene? Are you going to abandon people who might be killed in order to solve the case?" Madison asked angrily, her eyebrows furrowed.

Despite being spoiled by her privileged upbringing and becoming somewhat arrogant, the girl's moral standards are still much higher than those of most so-called upper-class people in her circle.

“Miss Consultant, you’ve misunderstood…” Andrew waved his hands repeatedly, somewhat amused and exasperated. “How could the police possibly let a murder happen right under their noses!”

"Actually, we devised a plan to lure the snake out of its hole..." he said enthusiastically.

"We secretly coordinated with checkpoints upstream and downstream on several highways, instructing all single drivers attempting to pass to detour. Then, several of our female police officers disguised themselves as travelers and slowly made their way through, while the rest of us set up multiple ambush points along the highway!"

I just spoke with a criminologist from the state police department, and there's a high chance the killer will fall for it.

Chief Andrew's lips curled up as he thought about how the terrifying legend that had plagued the local residents for decades was about to end in his hands. Not only would he be able to perform a great service, but he would also eliminate a notorious and vicious criminal. Both publicly and privately, this made him extremely happy.

"I have an opinion."

He looked up in surprise and saw the young special advisor holding up one finger.

"The police's plan was excellent, but it had one flaw—their target was a crippled old man clinging to life, not a super killer with special abilities!"

Amidst the other party's astonished expression, Zhu Mingyao quickly recounted the results of their magical investigation.

Andrew opened his mouth wide in surprise, almost enough to swallow a whole egg.

Fortunately, since he knew how to apply for the assistance of a special advisor, he naturally had some understanding of the existence of supernatural powers. After regaining his senses, he slumped his shoulders in frustration and touched the telephone receiver with his fingers.

"Okay, I'll inform them that the plan is canceled..."

“No need to cancel—” Zhu Mingyao interrupted him with a smile.

“Just a few minor modifications and enhancements are needed…” He stroked his chin, smiling as he turned his gaze to his companion.

"If a small fishhook made of bent wire can't catch a great white shark, then we should replace it with a professional device made of alloy steel!"

……

……

Patches of fiery red clouds, like flames, open their gentle embrace, trying to hold back the setting sun, lingering on the horizon even after it resolutely sinks below the horizon.

However, the power of nature is ultimately the supreme law of this world, and the clouds' infatuation serves no purpose other than obscuring the crescent moon and creating yet another night without light.

As the temperature drops and the air convections occur, a chilly autumn wind arises, swirling up wisps of withered fluff from the wilderness. These fluffs brush against the dark asphalt road, gradually forming fist-sized clumps of grass.

"call!"

Two beams of white light swept over, and the wheels relentlessly drove past, leaving behind a flattened yellow pancake.

Inside the slightly worn, gray-blue Citroën sedan, a young woman in a loose-fitting black leather coat swayed her head to the energetic jazz music playing on the car radio.

Even though her thick bangs and exaggerated makeup covered most of her face, one could still see some of her original beauty, making one's heart itch and want to lift her hair to see her in full.

If a kind-hearted local resident saw a woman traveling alone at night, they would probably break out in a cold sweat for her. The number of missing persons cases in recent months is quite frequent, even in Texas, a state known for its tough people.

Travelers seemed unusually scarce tonight. Since passing through a checkpoint, the Citroën hadn't encountered anyone except for brushing past a patrol car.