“What? What do you mean by that?” The Man froze, taken aback.
“Ah, I wasn’t speaking to you, of course. I was making a promise to the one who has already passed away.”
“You are merely a phantom now, a spirit with an empty shell. While you possess memories from life, you’ve made quite a few mistakes.”
“The simplest flaw is this: given The Man’s personality, he would undoubtedly have been curious about this ‘girlfriend’ I mentioned, especially since I brought a different ‘girlfriend’ when I first met him. Yet, you showed no reaction at all.”
“Secondly, while your story was decent, your delivery was too stiff. And you handed over your daughter’s keepsakes to two strangers without a moment’s hesitation, as if following a pre-set script.”
“And based on *that*, you’ve concluded I’m dead?” The Man chuckled, a wry, hollow sound.
Luo Tianchen shook his head. “Of course not. All that was just nonsense.”
“The crucial factor is the girl beside me. She is… a Witch Hunter!”
As his words faded, Xia Luohua lunged forward, her hand transforming into a blade that pierced The Man’s chest.
There was no gruesome spray of blood.
The Man looked at Luo Tianchen, a relieved smile gracing his lips, before he disintegrated into scattered dust, leaving behind only a pile of clothes.
“Spirit Evocation, one of the Western witches’ favorite spells,” Xia Luohua explained, turning back to him.
“It allows them to bind the spirit of someone who has recently died. While the spirit appears indistinguishable from a normal person, it’s incredibly fragile and cannot be exposed to sunlight. That’s why the curtains in this room were drawn, I presume.”
She had warned Luo Tianchen upon entering that the room reeked of dark magic, though he couldn’t detect it himself. Given the circumstances, a trap seemed highly probable.
“So, should we go back?” he whispered.
“No need,” Xia Luohua said, brimming with confidence. “Isn’t there a saying? ‘To catch a prey, one must prepare the appropriate bait.’ At least this bait won’t be fake.”
“Besides, I’ve been eager to witness the power of the dark witches lurking in this city.”
‘Hey, hey, isn’t that a classic villain’s death flag? Will she really be alright?’
Ultimately, they entered the teahouse, and Luo Tianchen received the envelope meant as bait.
“But will this thing be genuine?” he asked.
“It should be,” she replied. “The envelope’s seal is genuinely enchanted with a witch’s power. Even dark witches cannot replicate a witch’s magic, as they can’t decipher it. So, they probably just used it as bait.”
“Alright, since we have the bait, what’s our next step?”
“Go straight to the police station,” Xia Luohua instructed. “My maid is there; she’s an expert in breaking seals. Just hand the envelope to her.”
“As for anything else, didn’t you ask a certain police officer to conduct some investigations yesterday? Feel free to use the police station’s resources. I trust that you, of all people, will uncover the truth.”
“Hey, hey, what’s with this tone, like you’re dictating your last wishes?” Luo Tianchen asked, a hint of worry in his voice. “You’re not going to be in trouble, are you?”
‘After all, anyone with eyes could see this was a trap specifically designed for Xia Luohua. I’m just a minor accomplice at best.’
“Relax,” Xia Luohua said with an air of nonchalance. “A barrier trap of this caliber can be broken in an instant. However, if you don’t leave soon, you might have to stay and keep me company. And in that case, I can’t guarantee your safety.”
“Then goodbye, and take care!” Luo Tianchen quickly bolted out of the teahouse.
Xia Luohua paused, then shook her head with a soft, mirthless laugh.
‘What a decisive and ruthless person… But, it was a wise choice.’
“Well then, next…” She lifted her gaze, looking towards a shadowed corner of the now chilling teahouse. “Things might get a little bloody, wouldn’t you agree?”
****
After fleeing the teahouse, Luo Tianchen turned back, driven by a flicker of concern. To his astonishment, the spot where it had stood was now occupied by an abandoned building, effectively cutting off any path for his return.
Should he even be surprised anymore? Ever since encountering Xia Luohua, his life had been thrown into utter chaos.
The resurrected Yao Xinchang, his own transformation into a girl, bizarre suicide cases, the white-haired, red-eyed nun-loli, and now the vanishing teahouse—these were all paranormal phenomena beyond the wildest imagination of ordinary people.
He felt as though he was drifting further and further from the mundane life he yearned for.
However, this was no time for such thoughts. He had to quickly deliver what Xia Luohua had acquired through her sacrifice (Xia Luohua: “Hey, I’m not dead yet!”) to that peculiar maid.
He sprinted all the way to the police station, only to find an unnatural calm pervading the interior. There were barely any people in sight, and absolutely none of the urgency one would expect when dealing with a serious case.
‘What was going on? Had all the police officers collectively resigned out of dissatisfaction with Xia Luohua’s rule? Or had they been silenced for knowing too much about the underworld?’ His mind raced, spinning through possibilities.
“How rude,” a girl’s indifferent voice suddenly echoed beside him. “It’s merely a temporary dismissal of some useless individuals to their homes.”
“Wouldn’t you prefer a few highly skilled individuals over numerous mediocre employees?”
Startled, Luo Tianchen stumbled back a few steps. Only then did he realize that the maid had somehow materialized beside him.
“Well, I presume Master sent you here for something?” she asked. Her demeanor remained imperious, yet her tone was significantly less hostile than when Luo Tianchen first met her.
Connecting this to the few police officers he’d just seen, an uncontrollable thought sparked in his mind: ‘Could this maid be…?’
“But, speaking of elites, why are all the officers here female?” Luo Tianchen cautiously probed.
“Huh? What are you babbling about?” the maid retorted, her expression utterly self-righteous. “How could those vulgar, incompetent, despicable swine possibly be allowed where Master is?”
‘I knew it! This maid is an extreme feminist! No wonder she disliked me so much at first!’
While Luo Tianchen reeled in shock, the maid critically scanned him from head to toe, muttering, “Although Master already mentioned it, it’s still quite unbelievable… Never mind. Since you’ve seen the light, there’s nothing more for me to say. Does Master have any instructions?”
“Ah, she said to give this to you to unseal,” Luo Tianchen quickly said, retrieving the envelope from his clothes and handing it to her.
‘It always makes my shoulders ache, but at least my chest kept it from falling out. Good chest! Wait, did I just sound like a pervert?’
“Is that so? I understand.” The maid took the envelope directly and strode towards what used to be Luo Tianchen’s Uncle’s luxurious office.
“Feel free to find a place to sit.”
“Ah, right, that, maid…”
“Just call me Lili.”
“Huh? Then, Lili, your Master is trapped, aren’t you going to help her?” Luo Tianchen confessed, he was still quite worried about Xia Luohua. She was alone, and he couldn’t help, so he could only appeal to Lili.
“No need. My Master isn’t afraid of a few small fries like that,” Lili declared unequivocally. ‘Such unwavering confidence—master and servant were truly alike.’
However, if even she said so, then it must truly be fine, right? Given her loyalty to Xia Luohua, if anything were to happen, Lili would undoubtedly be the first to rush to her aid.
Now, it was time for Luo Tianchen to attend to his own business.
“Ah, here are the depositions and files you requested.” The police officer Luo Tianchen had asked yesterday handed him a stack of documents. “Everything you asked for is here.”
“Ah, thank you.” Luo Tianchen took the files and found a random spot to sit down and flip through them.
First, he reviewed the statements from the individuals Li Qiqiao had met before her death.
The first person was Ji Zhilan. She had met the deceased around 12:40 PM. Witnesses saw them arguing in the women’s restroom before they parted ways.
From 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, Ji Zhilan studied in the library, and after 3:00 PM, she remained alone in her dormitory.
The second person, named Nian Hanmei, met the deceased around 12:50 PM. She apparently saw Li Qiqiao frantically borrow a key and rush off, not even noticing when her own hairpin fell.
Nian Hanmei picked it up, intending to return it later, but then learned of Li Qiqiao’s suicide. According to her, she was in class from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM, a fact corroborated by her classmates.
The third person was Deng Gaoda, reportedly one of the boys involved with Li Qiqiao, and currently the prime suspect. He refused to disclose his whereabouts or activities that afternoon.
However, because the case was classified as a suicide, he couldn’t be formally interrogated. It was said that he approached Li Qiqiao around 12:00 PM, only to exclaim, “What? Did I get it wrong?” before leaving. No one knew where he went afterward.
“So, has Li Qiqiao’s body been claimed by her family?” Luo Tianchen asked.
“Yes, it appears they’ve placed her in the crematorium’s mortuary, and she’s scheduled for cremation and burial today.”
“That’s too fast, isn’t it? And her parents had no reaction at all?” Luo Tianchen frowned.
“That’s right. They seem to have fully accepted the fact of their daughter’s suicide and haven’t sought any compensation from the school.”
‘How strange. Would anyone be in such a rush to cremate their daughter? It’s almost as if they’re trying to hide something.’
“After all, their daughter committed suicide due to an accidental pregnancy, so perhaps the family felt ashamed and wanted to dispose of the body quickly?” the officer suggested.
“Furthermore, we examined the deceased’s body, but because she fell so severely, we didn’t obtain much useful information. However, at the point where the rope broke, we discovered traces of artificial cuts.”
“So, someone cut the rope?”
“Yes, but only a small portion was cut. The larger part broke naturally,” the officer confirmed. “And as you mentioned, there were indeed bloodstains along the rooftop’s edge. A comparison with Li Qiqiao’s blood from her physical examination confirmed it was hers.”
“Additionally, the area near the rope’s break point appeared to have been soaked with water.”
‘A rope cut halfway, water, and bloodstains…’
“This is a murder case.”
“Huh? Huh? Huh?” The female police officer jumped, startled by Luo Tianchen’s muttered realization.
He had already grasped the method of murder in this case, yet the most crucial piece of the puzzle remained elusive.
“Huh?” Suddenly, a photograph slipped from the folder.
It was a picture of two girls posing in front of a brightly lit building, their faces beaming with happy smiles. On the back, written in marker, were the large words: “You are my best friend.”
“Ah, this photo was also found in Li Qiqiao’s backpack,” the female police officer chimed in, leaning closer. “It seems to be a picture with Ji Zhilan from their first year of high school. They really had a good relationship, didn’t they? Ji Zhilan must be very sad about what happened to her friend.”
“Do you know who took the picture?” Luo Tianchen inquired.
“Huh? I’m not quite sure about that. Probably another friend or someone like that.”
‘Everything was connecting.’
‘So, this was how it was?’
‘If his guess was correct, then the killer must be…’
“Right, lend me the phone for a moment.” Luo Tianchen sidestepped the female officer and, relying on memory, dialed a string of numbers.
After a pause, a cheerful voice answered from the receiver: “Hello, this is Xiao An Hotline! How may I help you?”
Although he knew that if Bingying was fine, it meant she should have successfully escaped, a knot of apprehension remained in his heart. Hearing her usual cheerfulness, however, finally allowed him to relax.
“Is that An Yueyin? It’s Luo Tianchen.”
“Huh? Huh? Huh?! You finally remembered to call me?” An Yueyin exclaimed. “We’ve already… done that, and you only thought to contact me now?”
“I’m not in the mood for jokes right now!” Luo Tianchen interrupted. “Please, can you quickly help me investigate a few names and their information? I need it urgently!”
“Huh? Well, that’s no problem, but wouldn’t it be better to ask the police for something like this?”
“It’s a wonder you even have that much common sense… No, I should say, only you can do it!”
“Really? Then I’ll do my best!” An Yueyin cheered, her voice fading as she apparently ran off. Faintly, Luo Tianchen could hear shouts of “Dad, Dad” from her end.
‘Honestly, she could at least remember to hang up the phone.’ He shook his head helplessly and returned the receiver to its cradle.
Now, all he had to do was wait… Huh?
A wave of dizziness washed over his mind.
‘Wait, wait a minute, what’s going on?’
He couldn’t. He couldn’t muster any energy at all. His eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand catties, pressing down, preventing him from opening his eyes.
“Honestly, even with a witch’s seed, you’re still just a mortal,” the maid’s voice seemed to murmur in his ear. “After forcefully breaking through that barrier and working for so long, it’s no wonder you’re tired.”
‘So, he was just tired?’
‘No, there were still things to do…’
“Don’t worry,” the maid’s voice continued. “I’ll take care of things here for now. You should rest.”
‘…’
‘Is that so?’
‘Then… I’ll leave it to you…’
He sank into a deep sleep.