I discovered a world bug.

The world is far more complex than I imagined.

Lin Shu first had this idea when she had just verified the effectiveness of the "yarrow stalk and tortoise shell divination" ritual.

The second time was when I was looking up at the starry sky in a mass grave.

And the third time is now.

However, this time the feeling was completely different from the previous two.

The first two times I simply marveled at the "rules of the world," but this time, I questioned the "social rules under the rules of the world."

If the authorities truly understand and master the rituals, it proves that they live within a carefully crafted system of isolation.

They control the knowledge of rituals and prevent this knowledge from flowing through the world.

Isn't this a form of... dictatorship?

But upon closer inspection, that doesn't make sense either.

If they truly already knew everything about the rituals, then they should have also long ago developed a mature and comprehensive method for handling "ritual incidents."

They shouldn't have made it so obvious—at least they shouldn't have characterized Xu Changshun's case as murder, arousing suspicion among all those in the know.

So in conclusion...

At this moment, the official stance seems to be in a state of confusion, just like when they first encounter something new.

The only difference is that their information sources are broader, and they may have already obtained information on many similar cases.

Perhaps they even mistook these inexplicable "similar cases" for some new type of crime and investigated them together...

Combined with Li Yu's speculation about the "great chaos"...

That's right, that's the most reasonable explanation.

Thinking of this, Lin Shu breathed a slight sigh of relief.

At least in this context, the official side hasn't become the villain yet.

Otherwise, it's safer for me to just lie down...

What are you thinking about?

Sitting on the sofa, Xie Yuchi looked at Lin Shu curiously. Lin Shu snapped out of her reverie, coughed, and said:

"No, I was just thinking about Xu Changshun."

"Do you think it's possible that the police will request an exhumation and autopsy?"

"That's certainly possible."

Xie Yuchi nodded.

"But that's none of your business anymore—like I said, you should stay out of things that aren't our concern."

"Okay, I'm leaving now."

"Are you free tomorrow night? How about we have dinner together?"

"A date?"

Lin Shu made a witty remark, and Xie Yuchi rolled her eyes.

"Ask me a minute, what kind of talk is that? It sounds a bit like incest."

"...We're not related by blood."

"Oh......"

Xie Yuchi stood up.

"Your mom does want to set us up; she's mentioned it to my mom several times."

"What, you really want to make our family even closer?"

"...It's not entirely impossible."

Lin Shu smiled slyly and said:

"Don't let the good stuff go to outsiders."

"...Get lost. I'm leaving."

A barely perceptible blush flashed across Xie Yuchi's face. Without waiting for Lin Shu's reply, she pushed open the door and left.

Watching her retreating figure, Lin Shu pouted.

She acts like a big sister all the time, but isn't she still just as thin-skinned...?

He sat back down at his desk and turned on the phone Li Yu had left behind.

Upon entering the software, all chat history in the chat box had indeed been deleted.

After hesitating for a moment, he typed a few words into the input box.

"The person ran away; I'll find another opportunity."

"This guy is really good, we need to pay him more."

......

Meanwhile, inside the Criminal Investigation Department office of the Linchuan City Public Security Bureau.

A dark-skinned man named He Cheng was sitting at his desk, carefully reading the case materials that had just been delivered to him.

He frowned from time to time, and the long scar on his face twitched and looked ferocious and terrifying.

Of course, those who truly know him probably wouldn't find this scar terrifying.

After all, behind this scar are three lives he saved with his own hands.

"Why......"

He Cheng sighed deeply.

"These bullshit cases are completely unsolved."

"Three cases, three martial arts masters, all with the cause of death being sudden cardiac arrest, yet we can't find a single flaw in the investigation..."

"Chen Zhu, has the autopsy report for the Li Shui case come out yet?"

The girl standing opposite him shook her head.

"No, Captain He."

"The family's initial reaction was quite strong, and it took some time to persuade them."

"The body was just transported to the city's forensic identification center this morning. Old Liu just stayed up all night yesterday, so the autopsy is not expected to start until tonight."

"However, according to the family members, the details of this case are basically the same as those of the case at the Second Hospital."

"The deceased had relatively complex social relationships, but had a good reputation and was well-liked, so there was no apparent motive for revenge killing."

Similarly, it couldn't be for financial gain.

"There was no direct connection between the victims in the three cases. The victims in the Lishui and Linchuan cases had contact with each other before their deaths, but that was four years ago, and they only met once."

"Overall, the three cases that were merged seem more like random, indiscriminate killings, but the targets are remarkably consistent."

"In short... it is indeed very complicated."

"yes......"

He Cheng looked up at the ceiling, his face showing worry.

This is probably the most complex case he has handled in recent years.

But what's complicated isn't just the details of the cases, but also the reactions from all sides involved.

For example, in the case of Xu Changshun in Linchuan, after he died suddenly in the Second Hospital, the doctors present had already determined the cause of death to be cardiac arrest.

For a man in his seventies, cardiac arrest is an obvious cause of death.

The death certificate has been issued, the family has taken the person back, and the body has even been buried.

But just at that moment, an order came down.

"The investigation into Xu Changshun's death will be reorganized and handled together with the cases in Lishui and Qucheng."

At first, I didn't understand the command at all.

Why combine these cases? Aren't these just three accidental deaths?

If every accidental incident is to be investigated as a single case, then all the numerous car accidents that happen in a day, should they all be assigned to the Criminal Investigation Department for joint investigation?

Isn't this a complete waste of police resources?

Of course, this was just my initial thought.

As the consolidation process truly began, I also realized that these three cases were unusual.

Based on my intuition from years of handling cases, I can tell that there is indeed some connection between them.

However, I still can't find where this connection lies.

After a brief silence, He Cheng continued, asking:

"What about Xu Changshun's family? Did they agree to an exhumation and autopsy?"

"Still chatting."

Chen Zhu replied:

"The chances of persuading them are very slim...and this family's attitude is the strangest."

"We have already raised the possibility that it may be murder, but the deceased's son, Xu Feng, has reacted very calmly."

"He didn't seem surprised at all and immediately agreed with our guess."

"But even so, he did not agree to exhumation and autopsy, nor did he agree to further investigation."

"I find him very suspicious... Is it possible that he's hiding some clues? Like clues about the killer?"

"Um....."

He Cheng nodded, and said as if talking to himself:

"He might just be the murderer..."

The atmosphere in the office instantly turned cold.

After a moment, He Cheng raised his head and said:

"Let's investigate. Let's dig out Xu Feng's social connections and investigate them."

"Especially around the time of Xu Changshun's death, we meticulously listed out who he met and what he did, investigating each and every one of them!"