Siheyuan: Hang Jia Dongxu, smash Banggeng to death!

Director Li sighed and lowered his voice, "Old Qin, what do you think about this?"

I've been a policeman for half my life, and I've never seen anything like this. Could Jia Zhangshi be like the other victims...?

We need to be prepared for both possibilities, otherwise... there will be another victim.

Qin Ming lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and the smoke blurred his furrowed brows.

His heart was also in turmoil; he had already made up his mind.

But he couldn't show it; he was the captain of the criminal investigation team.

"Old Li, whatever it is, we have to follow the procedure first."

Qin Ming exhaled a smoke ring. "However, what you said makes sense. Go ahead and do whatever you want. I'll turn a blind eye."

You go to exorcise the evil spirits, and I'll come and catch you.

You let Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui go, didn't you, Lao Li?

At that moment, the police station door was suddenly kicked open.

Officer Xiao Wang scrambled in, his face ashen, his eyes filled with terror.

He was running too fast and tripped on the threshold, almost falling, but was caught by a police officer next to him.

"No...it's terrible! Captain Qin! Chief Li! Something terrible has happened!!!"

I heard the familiar shouts.

Everyone had a sense of foreboding.

This is a very bad situation.

Qin Ming's heart skipped a beat. He stubbed out his cigarette and ran out of the small dark room with Director Li, rushing into the hall.

"Calm down! Explain yourself! What's wrong?"

"Another...another person has died!!"

Xiao Wang was panting heavily, his chest heaving violently, and he could barely speak.

Another person has died!

How long has it been since things calmed down?

Didn't four people die in one day?

Today, Liu Guangfu, the deaf old lady, Wang Cuilan, and Xiao Dang have all died. Who is the fifth one?

The image of Jia Zhangshi's mean and terrified face flashed through Qin Ming's mind in an instant, and he almost instinctively blurted out:

"Who? Is it Jia Zhangshi, who vanished into thin air?"

Xiao Wang suddenly looked up, staring at Qin Ming with a look of utter disbelief, and stammered, "Qin... Captain Qin, how... how did you know?"

You guessed it!

Qin Ming and Director Li exchanged a glance, both seeing the horror in each other's eyes.

They're not missing, they're dead.

And the body was discovered so quickly?

How did she manage to die outside the police station's dark room?

"Where is the body? How did he die?" Qin Ming forced himself to calm down and asked in succession.

Xiao Wang swallowed hard, his face still showing terror: "He died...died on that old crooked tree outside the courtyard at No. 95, hanging from the tree, but...but..."

"But what?" Director Li asked anxiously.

It's driving me crazy! They're keeping me in suspense even though someone's dead.

"But... there's only a head, Jia Zhangshi's watermelon head, the body... the body is gone!!!"

Officer Xiao Wang finally finished speaking, and he was almost completely exhausted.

Whoosh—!

A collective gasp filled the police station.

Only the head?

Hanging on a crooked tree outside the courtyard house?

The body has disappeared?

The image is chilling to even imagine, especially since it looks exactly like Wang Cuilan.

Qin Ming's face turned ashen. He immediately ordered, "Seal off the scene immediately. Forensic doctor, technical department, come with me to courtyard number 95. Old Li, you continue..."

He hadn't finished speaking—

"ah--!!!"

A piercing scream rang out from inside the police station, coming from the direction of the small dark room.

Everyone turned around in shock.

A young police officer scrambled out from the depths of the corridor, his face even paler than the officer who had brought the news, his eyes unfocused.

"Chief! Captain Qin! Something terrible has happened! Jia...Jia Zhangshi! Jia Zhangshi...she's dead!! Her...her body...has...reappeared in the dark room out of nowhere!!!"

What?!

If the previous news was a thunderclap, then this sentence is like a bolt of lightning striking the top of everyone's head.

It blew everyone's minds into a blank.

Qin Ming suddenly grabbed the terrified police officer, his grip so tight it almost crushed his shoulder:

"What did you say? Say it again? The body is in the dark room?"

He had just escaped from the small dark room with Director Li, and in just a minute, the body was back?

The police officer was trembling with fear, tears welling up in his eyes. He pointed towards the small dark room and said, "It's...it's true, Captain Qin. I was just searching when I smelled a strong stench of blood, so...so I peeked through the small window."

Then I saw…I saw on the ground…a pool of…a pool of…minced meat, and…and pieces of clothing, the clothes Jia Zhangshi was wearing today.”

The body... appeared in the small, dark, sealed room that had just been confirmed to be empty?

And it was chopped into minced meat?

Is its head sticking out of the tree with its neck tilted?

This is completely beyond the scope of any common sense explanation; the head and body are practically worlds apart.

A chill ran from the soles of everyone's feet straight to the top of their heads.

Several young police officers rushed over and immediately began to gag after just one glance, while the veteran detectives turned pale and their hands trembled slightly.

The police station was deathly silent, save for heavy breathing and the officer's suppressed sobs.

Qin Ming walked to the door of the small dark room, his body swayed, and he felt a wave of dizziness, not just from staying up late and being tired.

Missing in a locked room…

The bodies were found in two different locations at the same time…

One part of it even "returns" to the origin in such a bizarre and cruel way...

This is something that cannot be done by human beings.

The Master did not associate with strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits.

Go to the special code.

"Seal off the small dark room; no one is allowed to approach."

Qin Ming gave the order in a hoarse voice, his voice dry, "Forensic doctor... first... first go for the autopsy... never mind, no need."

Minced meat is worthless.

"Old Qin," Chief Li's voice trembled, his hand gripping Qin Ming's arm icy cold, "What...what do we do? This case..."

He was scared.

If I had known, I wouldn't have listened to Director Yang and helped him out.

Qin Ming took a deep breath, forcing his almost scattered rationality to regroup.

Looking at the fearful and bewildered eyes of the officers around him, he knew he absolutely could not act rashly.

"What should we do?"

"Follow the procedures. The small dark room is the second crime scene, and the crooked tree outside the yard is the first crime scene. Conduct an on-site investigation immediately."

Collect all possible traces and physical evidence, perform an autopsy! My brain... is better suited for forensic examination to determine the weapon used in the crime.

"Also, Lao Li, I'm leaving the investigation of the courtyard house to you. I don't want anyone else to die."

I didn't want to either.

I don't want to die either.

If my political career is over, what's the point? I'm afraid my ball will be hanging on a crooked tree.

"Old Qin, let's split up."

Director Li readily agreed and then left with the officers from Hongxing Police Station.

Qin Ming stood there, watching the police officers busy themselves, his gaze fixed on the deep night sky outside the police station.

Night fell.

When will it be dawn?

He felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness and chill.

The murderer—if he can still be called a "murderer".

Not only are its methods cruel and bizarre, but it also challenges their bottom line and the rules of this world in an almost mocking way.

And that eight-year-old child, Lin Tian…

The overly calm, childlike face resurfaced in Qin Ming's mind.

Does he really know nothing?

Did you really not participate?

Looking up towards the direction of courtyard house number 95, in the darkness, the firelight illuminates half the sky.