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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 166: Demonic Needle
Clearly, my words had infuriated Qin Jian. In a fit of rage, he grabbed my collar and shouted, "Why the hell didn't you tell me what happened? What about the fingerprints left in the room?"
Fingerprints? Hadn't I wiped everything clean? How could there still be fingerprints? A cold sweat broke out on my forehead. Under Qin Jian's aggressive demeanor, I revealed a thin needle—it was the Yin Yang Separation Needle.
"What is this?"
"This is the Demonic Needle. Whenever a Ghostly Being disguises itself as a human to deceive others, the Demonic Needle can distinguish whether it is a Ghostly Being or a human. When I arrived earlier, I saw her; she looked just as beautiful and charming as she did in life and even offered me a drink. Afterward, I realized she was an imposter, thanks to this Demonic Needle. Her doppelganger's body vanished, leaving the Demonic Needle behind. When I went to her bedroom, I discovered that she was already dead; today is her seventh night of returning to the spirit world."
Qin Jian examined the Demonic Needle seriously and said, "That's nonsense. Forensic experts determine that the time of death cannot exceed twenty-four hours; how can it be the night of her return?" Ignoring my astonished expression, he seemed eager to reach out and take the Demonic Needle.
No way! This item isn't something just anyone can touch. I didn't want any accidents. Just then, as the cigarette burned down to my fingertips, the pain made me loosen my grip, causing both the cigarette and the Demonic Needle to fall to the ground.
I picked up the Demonic Needle, but Qin Jian had already been called away to another location.
The one calling him away was Zhang Ke.
Zhang Ke was speaking with Qin Jian. Although they were talking to each other, they occasionally glanced my way, leading me to conclude that their conversation was likely related to me.
The time of death cannot exceed twenty-four hours.
Then I was wrong! After all, I'm not a forensic expert. But if the time of death was so short, how could there be such decomposition?
Qin Jian and Zhang Ke approached me.
The former glanced at Zhang Ke and squatted down to my level against the wall and asked, "The circumstances of the deceased's death are strange; it's not something we can clarify in just a few words. Brother Zhang's suggestion is that you come back to the station with us for a detailed discussion."
It was a bizarre death, and that had nothing to do with me. I sighed in relief, yet still felt troubled. Today was the Ghost Festival's fifteenth day, the most crucial one. For this reason, I couldn't understand why Qin Ye took Zhou Mengyao's soul away.
Logically, today was the day when the Ghost Gate swung wide open, allowing various spirits to come into the human world to receive gifts and expressions of longing from their loved ones.
Yet, Zhou Mengyao's soul was taken to the Underworld at this very moment.
After much consideration, I firmly refused, saying, "I can't go to the station; I still have many things to do."
Zhang Ke and Qin Jian exchanged glances. The former spoke sternly, "Ma Qi, considering your grandfather was once our old friend, we are being polite. As the primary eyewitness and with your fingerprints left at the scene, we could easily label you as a suspect. However, we haven't done that; instead, we've politely invited you to the station for a detailed discussion. You should weigh the gravity of this situation yourself."
Damn!
"Go! I guarantee you won't face any trouble. We just want to utilize your abilities in uncovering the truth," Qin Jian said, lowering his voice. Zhang Ke still heard him and discreetly smiled before walking away to a place where he couldn't overhear us.
"It's not that I don't want to go; I'm worried about something else."
"What is it?" Qin Jian asked with interest, a glimmer in his eyes as he spoke in a low tone.
"There’s someone who is neither human nor ghost, sharing a name with another—Li Gui. He specializes in wrongdoing; he’ll do anything to achieve his goals, including murder and theft."
"Where is this person?"
I shook my head. "I don't know." That was the truth; trying to find Li Gui in such a short time was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Moreover, I only suspected that Zhou Mengyao's tragic death was related to Li Gui; the exact circumstances would depend on how things unfolded.
Qin Jian was also getting anxious. The unsolved cases piled up like mountains at the station, each one a significant matter of life and death. Hearing my uncertainty made him lose his basic patience as he muttered angrily under his breath, "Don't know? Don't know my ass."
Zhou Mengyao's body was finally laid flat, but her fingers were still outstretched upwards, as if grasping for something unattainable.
“She looks like someone drowning, desperately trying to grab onto a life-saving straw. The sight of her death in this position is utterly terrifying. Poor woman…” Qin Jian's words were directed at me. Usually, I would call Zhou Mengyao "sister," and our relationship was naturally special. Now that she was dead, I appeared completely indifferent.
But who knew the pain I felt inside?
My grandfather once said that my fate lacked yin energy and brought misfortune to my kin. Perhaps my parents knew this and chose to abandon me. Zhou Mengyao and I shared a bond that transcended mere sibling ties; I admired her and longed to be close to her, eventually ending up in her bed.
There were personal feelings involved.
I liked her; I revered her.
A white cloth covered her body. As they carried Zhou Mengyao's corpse past me towards the Coroner's Van, no one expected her seemingly motionless hand to suddenly drop straight down—“Ah…” It startled not just me; Qin Jian jumped aside in shock, his face turning pale.
“Are you okay?” I asked, concerned for Qin Jian as I watched them load Zhou Mengyao's body into the vehicle. In the end, I agreed to accompany them to the Station.
To be honest, ordinary people are reluctant to come to this place, and so am I.
Although my grandfather used to have connections here, I no longer liked coming to this place. It always felt like the people at the Station looked down on those outside, including me. Qin Jian felt the same way. Their profession placed them on a pedestal, always viewing outsiders with a scrutinizing gaze.
Before we even reached the Station, I was drawn in by the vendor on the roadside shouting about Soy Milk and Fried Dough Sticks, my stomach echoing its agreement with a loud grumble.
“Qin Jian, I'm hungry…” I hoped he would stop so we could grab some breakfast and enjoy the refreshing morning breeze.
“We haven't eaten either. Wait a moment; I'll go buy something.”
"I'll go with you."
"Just stay in the car." Qin Jian got out and walked toward the roadside vendor, watching as the vendor packed tea eggs into a bag. With both hands full, Qin Jian picked up Soy Milk and Fried Dough Sticks. The vendor handed the tea eggs to the car door, and another police officer took them and passed them to me, urging me to eat first.
Seeing their actions made it clear they didn't trust me. Why wouldn't they let me get out? Did they want to imprison me or did they have doubts about me?
My stomach, which had been growling just moments ago, lost its appetite due to all the suspicions swirling in my mind.
I didn't take the bag that was offered to me and questioned Qin Jian, who was getting back into the car, "Do you suspect me?"
"You're overthinking it." Qin Jian replied bluntly, removing his gloves and grabbing a fried dough stick, taking big bites. The car was soon filled with a greasy smell as I listened to the sounds of chewing from inside. Outside the window, the lively streets were bustling with life, but my mind kept drifting back to Zhou Mengyao's limp arm falling down and her expression frozen on her face before her death.
I didn't eat anything, even though my hunger was gnawing at me. Just thinking about how Zhou Mengyao died made my stomach turn. I rested my head on my hand and closed my eyes slightly, trying to enjoy the gentle bumps from the car's movement and hoping to catch a little nap.
"Ma Qi, what's wrong with you? I bought this because you were hungry, and now you're not eating anything. What's going on?"
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