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Noticing the bandaged middle finger, she asked, "Did you nourish the Peach Blossom Array with your essence blood?"

Nourishing an array with essence blood was an arcane practice. Such an array would perpetually regenerate, even if it were momentarily destroyed; it would revive once its designated time arrived.

Therefore, only Li Zhirong's essence blood could serve as the medium to truly dismantle the array.

Chu Yuening yawned. "You really went too far, making me come to Chongzhong High School early in the morning."

Without waiting for Li Zhirong's response, she plucked a talisman from her pocket with two fingers, focusing intently as she chanted the incantation.

In the next instant.

The talisman shot out with a whoosh, glowing red as it circled around Li Zhirong's middle finger.

The bandage on his finger unraveled, and the talisman sliced a small opening in it.

Despite being a mere shallow cut, it seemed to have inflicted a severe wound. Li Zhirong released the peach blossom, howling in agony as he clutched his finger.

A drop of crimson blood dripped from his middle finger onto the peach blossom. Instantly, the vibrant flower withered into dust.

Chu Yuening gazed at the three swirling masses of black gas hovering in mid-air. They continuously grew stronger, relentlessly attacking Li Zhirong, only to be repelled just as they seemed to succeed.

It was as if there was an invisible shield protecting Li Zhirong.

She leaned forward and asked, "Do you believe in ghosts?"

"Ghost?" Li Zhirong tried to grab Chu Yuening, but she stepped back slightly, evading his grasp. He let out a wicked laugh. "I've killed people; if ghosts really existed, they would have come for me long ago."

"Is that so?" Closing her eyes, Chu Yuening recited a spell. Immediately, Li Zhirong's screams echoed as he watched in horror as the yellow talisman hanging around his neck burst into flames.

"Since you don't believe, there's no need to wear that amulet anymore."

With that, she turned and left.

Li Zhirong's eyes reddened as he felt the oppressive force on him lift. He rose to grab the dagger on the iron plate, his eyes bloodshot. "You think you can leave after coming in? It's too late!"

Before he could stand fully, the three masses of black gas enveloped him tightly. One shadow choked his neck, another inflicted upon him the humiliation he had endured in life, and a third compelled Li Zhirong to hold the dagger and plunge it into his own lower body with ruthless efficiency.

"Aaaahhh!" Li Zhirong screamed in excruciating pain.

His hands moved beyond his control.

The torture he was enduring now was the same that he had inflicted upon those slain girls. Back then, he had felt only exhilaration and thrill. So, those girls had been in such agony when they begged him to stop?

As blood drained from his body, his mind grew increasingly lucid...

At this moment, Li Zhirong felt trapped in hell, unable to escape or die.

When Chu Yueqing saw the light again, she considerately closed the metal door, sealing off the cries from the tunnel.

A butterfly landed on her finger, its vivid vitality on full display.

Meanwhile, Li Zhirong's life had just begun its countdown.

Chapter 14

A police car screeched to a halt in front of Chongzhong High School.

Four CID officers stepped out of the vehicle.

Chu Yuening had just arrived at the food cart, brushing past the four of them.

Zhou Fengxu glanced at her before looking back, "Uncle Zhong, you take care of the back entrance. Don't let any suspects escape."

"No problem," Luo Qizhong patted his shoulder reassuringly, "You can rely on me for this."

"Justice is bound to prevail. Even if the suspect has wings, they won't be able to fly away," Gan Yizu said eagerly as he wiped his hands, eager to get into action. He was finally going to solve a case himself in the police department.

The thought of apprehending the suspect excited Gan Yizu.

Shi Boren, on the other hand, scanned his surroundings before focusing on the girl at the nearest dessert cart. He quickly called out to her.

"Hey, miss, wait a moment."

Chu Yuening pushed the cart and actually stopped, looking at Shi Boren as she blinked in confusion, "Want some dessert? I'm not selling anymore, the stall's closed."

Shi Boren's expression gradually turned pained. He bent over, holding his stomach, "No, no, I just wanted to ask if you have any toilet paper. Nature calls!"

Chu Yuening's gaze shifted downward, took a look, then looked up and shook her head, "I don't have any."

With a thunderous rumble in his stomach, Shi Boren's expression froze in astonishment.

Seriously? There was actually a food vendor who didn't carry any tissue?

"I... what should I do? Miss, can you lend me some?"

Chu Yuening retrieved a newspaper from beneath the food cart and offered it. "Will this do?"

"Something is better than nothing." Shi Boren took it and happened to catch sight of a bold headline on the paper: Fortune-Telling Master Predicts Scumbag's Three-Way Debauchery.

...

"Wait for me!" Shi Boren grabbed the newspaper, looking anxiously at the three figures that were almost out of sight. With his cheeks clenched and hands covering his bottom, he dashed over while grumbling, "Gan Yizu, Gan Yizu, always getting in the way. If someone's overly attentive for no reason, they're either up to no good or have ill intentions. That cup of milk tea was more poisonous than ten pounds of purgative!"

After his tirade, Shi Boren slapped his own mouth. "I told myself not to be so greedy, but I just can't help it."

Two hours later, warning tape cordoned off the entrance of Chongzhong High School. Students were informed to go home early, and a multitude of media outlets arrived on the scene.

With a newspaper tucked in the back pocket of his jeans, Shi Boren discussed the case with Luo Qizhong, his tone tinged with defeat. "We thought we had the culprit nailed with Su Yinyin's testimony. Who would've thought the murderer would take their own life?"

During Su Yinyin's testimony, she mentioned that the murderer's voice sounded familiar. It wasn't until she recollected her memories that she recalled hearing it before in the cafeteria during a large meal.

With the breakthrough almost within reach, everyone's exhaustion from the overnight work vanished, replaced by an intense eagerness. However, the murderer's suicide was like a bucket of cold water poured over their enthusiasm.

"Lets look at it from another perspective," Luo Qizhong, with his years of experience, offered a more balanced view, "It's for the better that they're gone. Society is rid of one more scoundrel."

"The problem lies in the fact that they died before facing justice. And it hits Brother Xu the hardest." Gan Yizu glanced cautiously at the silent man beside him, "You didn't see the look on Brother Xu's face when he saw the murderer's body. It was terrible."

As the three black-shrouded stretchers were carried out, the mortuary staff commented, "Inspector Zhou, there's indeed another skeletonized corpse down in the tunnel."