Chapter 71

The Final Case 3, Fathers' Mistakes

"What mistakes?" Mo Fei asked.

"Our thoughts change with our surroundings," Anger explained. "For example, if we find a house's front door open and the living room in disarray, our first thought is that a thief broke in. We continue inside, find an old lady dead in the bedroom, and think the thief may have killed her. Going further, we see the back door open and guess the perpetrator escaped that way."

Mo Fei and Jiu Yi nodded, recognizing the common reasoning.

"But if we entered from the back door first and saw the dead old lady, we would think she was killed by an intruder. Then, finding the living room in disarray, we might conclude the intruder was searching for something," Anger continued. "The first thing we see often becomes the cause of what we see next!"

Mo Fei and Jiu Yi both frowned, nodding in agreement.

"The police and everyone investigating the case first found a mass grave of women and children... and later found Black JK's father buried alive, leading them to believe he was the perpetrator, punished by the victims' enraged relatives. A very human response. But what if they had found Black JK's father's body first?"

Mo Fei and Jiu Yi paused, Mo Fei stroking his chin, "Anger, you mean... it might be possible to link the case together now."

"Summarize it for me," Jiu Yi said, not fond of intense mental labor, preferring straightforward analysis and clues, "Just tell me the facts, no need for excessive analysis. I'm already quite confused."

"If I were to summarize the truth of the past events," Anger began, "My deduction is that Mo Fei was originally one of the unknown murderers. They had agreed to commit crimes that night, but something changed, making Mo Fei change his mind. He didn't kill his wife and son but used a method to let them escape. In other words, Mo Fei betrayed the other murderers."

"Of course, those murderers were people from the village, killing their own relatives, causing massive uproar and fear. The villagers organized to protect their families. As days passed, they grew restless, and Mo Fei needed to move his 'dead' family before burial revealed everything."

"Mo Fei's actions likely exposed him, raising suspicions about his identity. Meanwhile, the actual murderers might have noticed the inconsistency, making Mo Fei the prime suspect. We saw earlier, Mo Fei's house seemed more destitute than others, making him stand out. Angry villagers began to act, some pursuing him, others staying to protect their families."

"Thus, the murders escalated. Killers were among those guarding the families and those pursuing Mo Fei, leading to continued slaughter."

"They killed other men guarding the women and children, then slaughtered the women and children, bringing the bodies back home. Why stage the crime scene like that? I think it's due to a primal reason."

"Money?" Mo Fei asked.

"Exactly!" Anger nodded. "One thing that doesn't add up is that these families seemed to have hurriedly moved out, taking their money but leaving behind other valuable items, like gold candlesticks or antique artifacts."

"That doesn't make sense," Jiu Yi remarked. "If they were packing their own belongings, they wouldn’t forget these items, unless those packing weren’t familiar with the home."

"Correct!" Anger agreed. "This wasn't a case of moving belongings; it was more like outright theft."

"Those who went chasing Mo Fei with the murderers probably also met with misfortune," Jiu Yi speculated.

"That's where the murderers showed their cunning," Anger said. "During the chase, they must have acted together, but also spread out."

"Right," Jiu Yi nodded. "Chasing someone through the woods means you act together, but once the prey is spotted, it's easy to get separated, making them vulnerable to ambush."

"So, there were more deaths among them?" Mo Fei inquired.

Anger nodded, "Bodies in the forest are easier to dispose of, especially if someone really wants them gone."

"And in the end?" Jiu Yi asked. "They caught Black JK's father and buried him alive, then on their way back, they were ambushed by the real killers? The murderers then slaughtered everyone, destroyed the bodies, looted the village, and fled?"

"That's a comprehensive deduction," Mo Fei acknowledged. "It explains almost everything."

"Seems detectives need a rich imagination," Jiu Yi shrugged. "So... did those same killers murder the priest? Did they return?"

Anger smiled slightly, thoughtfully saying, "Hmm... there’s been one question that’s been troubling me since the beginning."

"What question?" Mo Fei and Jiu Yi looked at him, puzzled.

"My mother was very beautiful," Anger suddenly said.

Jiu Yi and Mo Fei exchanged glances, nodding in agreement. If she resembled Anger, as Emma said, she must have been strikingly attractive.

"She was also an incredible artist, pursued by many men," Anger continued.

"Is this a change of topic?" Jiu Yi asked.

Anger smiled and didn’t respond, simply continuing, "Yet, my mother rejected them all, except she seriously considered one man’s proposal."

"Was that man very well-off?" Mo Fei and Jiu Yi asked.

"Not at all, just an ordinary man, a kind philanthropist passionate about education, gentle and cultured."

"There are many people who fit that description," Jiu Yi remarked, looking up thoughtfully.

"The man himself isn't important, but rather the reason my mother considered him is," Anger said with a slight smile. "My mother wasn't in good health."

Mo Fei and Jiu Yi understood, "Oh... because he said he could take care of you in the future?"

"Exactly," Anger nodded. "I had Emma to care for me, but she was elderly and also not well. As a mother, especially one gravely ill and uncertain about her time left, her only worry would be her child, unless she was heartless."

Mo Fei and Jiu Yi looked at Anger, somewhat confused as to why he suddenly brought up this topic.

"Jack's mother had no other relatives, and her health was far worse than my mother’s. You saw, despite being poor, her house was well-kept; she wasn't a foolish woman... And their poverty might have been due to her medical expenses," Anger explained. "She would have inquired about Jack's father’s fate. If she knew he was dead, besides being heartbroken, I think she would have found someone to care for Jack."

After hearing this, Mo Fei and Jiu Yi furrowed their brows. Jiu Yi thought for a moment and said, "But... it seemed she didn’t really love Jack, and they weren’t close."

"No." Mo Fei shook his head and said, "It's precisely because we're not close that I can see how much she loves Jack."

Jiu Yi was puzzled.

"She had a contagious lung disease," Anger said. "A mother with such an illness can't be around her child often, or she might infect him."

"Oh…" Jiu Yi nodded, then paused and asked, "Could she have failed to find someone?"

"At the least, she would have found a relative or a decent family to adopt him," Anger said. "Many people in that era were childless, and Jack was a handsome, sensible boy, especially since he lost his memory. If there was no one to care for him, I think as a mother, she wouldn’t have allowed herself to die."

"Anger..." Mo Fei suddenly looked up at him, "What are you trying to say?"

Anger smiled slightly and said, "Everyone in the village, except for the murderers, died, right?"

Mo Fei and Jiu Yi both nodded.

"...Heh, don’t you find writing in blood on a coffin too dramatic?" Anger shook his head. "There’s no concrete evidence that the person who died was Black JK's father."

Mo Fei and Jiu Yi looked at him with widened eyes.

"And Black JK is a cautious man," Anger continued. "I think he would definitely have done a DNA comparison with his father's exhumed body."

"Then… what was the result?" Mo Fei asked.

"There must be many reasons for creating this Serial Killing Paradise," Anger asked Mo Fei. "If you were Black JK’s father, what would you do?"

Mo Fei frowned and said, "If I were still alive, I would track down those murderers to the ends of the earth and kill them."

"Where would you go to do that?" Anger asked.

"Back to my hometown."

"What if your hometown is about to be demolished?"

"I would preserve my hometown as much as possible before its demolition," Mo Fei looked up, "if I had the power to do so."

"Black JK has that power," Anger said with a faint smile. "Additionally, his father would probably seek out another person to trouble."

"The detective?" Jiu Yi asked, "The one who was blamed for the murders?"

"What if the detective is hiding?" Anger asked with a smile. "And only the detective’s son is found?"

Jiu Yi and Mo Fei were startled, then suddenly understood.

"Anger, could your father be in danger?" Mo Fei asked.

"Right now, the two might be settling their scores in the depths of the forest. Once Black JK's father has executed the former murderers, the last remaining enemy would be my father," Anger remarked, picking up his teacup and taking a sip.

"Let's go and see!" Jiu Yi urged, anxious. "How can you still think of drinking tea?"

"I don't think we have a chance to escape before their final showdown," Anger gestured towards the window.

Jiu Yi and Mo Fei rushed outside to see that their house was already surrounded by actors playing the roles of the living and 'dead' villagers.

At their doorstep was a white chair, with Black JK sitting on it, intently gazing into the distant woods.

"Anger?" Mo Fei looked at Anger.

"I really want to help, Mo Fei," Anger said earnestly. "But ultimately, these are the mistakes of our fathers, and as men, they have their own way of resolving it. The reason we're here is probably so we can understand the truth about the past, and the unfortunate one among them can hear their final words firsthand, right?"

Mo Fei listened, frowning, when suddenly... the sound of sirens echoed from a distance.

"Oss and the others are probably arriving," Jiu Yi had barely finished speaking when they heard two gunshots.

"It came from the woods!" Mo Fei said.

Anger frowned.

"Anger, are you really not going? If you don’t, I’m afraid you’ll regret it for the rest of your life!" Mo Fei said.

Anger hesitated, glancing at Mo Fei.

"Sometimes the elderly can be stubborn," Jiu Yi remarked, pulling up a chair and grabbing a black cloak from the wall. "We can't indulge them too much." After donning the cloak, he smashed a window with the chair and leapt out, running towards the distance.

Jiu Yi’s actions caught the attention of the people surrounding the house. Black JK hesitated for a moment, then nodded, signaling for everyone to chase after him.

……

Soon, the crowd around the house dispersed, and Black JK stood up.

At that moment, the door opened and Mo Fei, pulling Anger along, came out and exchanged a glance with Black JK.

Black JK looked at Anger and sincerely admired, "I didn’t expect you to unravel the truth of the past with just a few clues. I’ve been investigating for over a decade; it’s really infuriating."

Before Anger could speak, Mo Fei hurriedly pulled him into the woods, with Ais leading the way. The dog had already picked up the scent of gunpowder and blood.