Chapter 50

Chapter 50

◎Alley Murder Case◎

The alley was cordoned off, with numerous uniformed police officers moving about. This alley had surveillance cameras installed, but the bad news was that, like in previous incidents, the footage turned to static at crucial moments, seemingly affected by something unknown.

Surveillance footage from nearby areas was also being checked, but it was estimated that little useful information could be obtained, as this was not the first death in the area recently.

Female, alleyway, unusable surveillance footage, cause of death wasn’t asphyxiation or drugs, but cardiac arrest, with little sign of struggle.

A special task force had already been set up for this case, but unfortunately, whether investigating the victim's social connections, commonalities among the deceased, or even the geographical pattern of the incidents, there wasn’t even a clear lead to investigate.

Since the incident occurred not far from the school, many students passing by noticed the cordoned-off area, but before they could satisfy their curiosity, they were shooed away by the police on duty outside.

When Ji Nanxing walked into the classroom, his classmates were all talking about it, and even Xiao Ye looked unusually grim. Upon seeing him, Xiao Ye immediately said, "From today on, I’ll walk you to and from school. You can’t go alone."

Ji Nanxing was puzzled: "What's going on?"

The classmate sitting in front of Ji Nanxing turned around and said, "You live in Yuhua Mansion, don’t you? Last night, near Yuhua Mansion, in Wenxing Court, there’s a small alley that cuts through. Someone died there."

When Ji Nanxing heard the words "small alley," the first thing that came to mind was the day he was sent home by Xiao Ye's sister-in-law after visiting the hospital. They passed by an alley where it was said that someone had been robbed. He had noticed a sinister aura in the alley at the time and took a photo to send to the administrator of the Human World Network.

He wasn’t sure if the sinister aura in that alley had been dealt with.

Seeing Ji Nanxing silent, Xiao Ye thought he was scared by the news of the death and quickly comforted him: "Don’t worry. From now on, I’ll walk you to and from school. If you go out on weekends, make sure to call me. Don’t go by yourself. There are surveillance cameras everywhere now, and with all the identity verification, the police will surely catch the killer soon."

Ji Nanxing: "I'm not scared, and you don't need to go through the trouble of accompanying me. Was the victim from our school?"

The classmate said, "No, it seems to be a girl who had just finished her night shift."

Ji Nanxing looked at Xiao Ye: "Since it’s not a student from our school, why are you so worried? I thought there was a killer specifically targeting students."

Xiao Ye: "You live close by. You’ve got to be careful. Don't take it lightly. You've heard the saying, 'Better safe than sorry,' right?"

The classmate sitting in front said, "Brother Ye, you don't need to be so nervous. Alley murders aren’t new. The killer is a drifter, targeting only women. I saw this on the news yesterday, and I didn’t expect it to happen so close to our school."

Guo Can, sitting behind Ji Nanxing, said, "Speaking of which, the last time such a major murder case happened in our city was over a decade ago. Do you remember the family massacre case from over a decade ago?"

Zhang Yuan, whose father is a policeman, said, "The Butterfly Murder Case?"

Guo Can chuckled: "You know about it? We were just kids back then, and information wasn’t as readily available. I thought not many people knew about it."

Xiao Ye didn't know and asked, "What Butterfly Murder?"

Zhang Yuan: "Over ten years ago, an entomology graduate student extracted toxins from butterfly scales and poisoned his entire family of ten at night."

When this incident happened, it caused quite a stir. Ten family members, not a single one left, the youngest only five years old.

Everyone gasped: "How much hatred must there be? They were family. How could he do it?"

Zhang Yuan: "It must have been accumulated hatred over time. When he was taking the college entrance exam, his family changed his application without his consent, thinking that playing with bugs and butterflies all day was useless, and making insect specimens in his room every day was disgusting. So they forcibly changed his application behind his back. But after graduating from university, he still managed to get into his desired major for graduate school."

A classmate next to him: "And then? Didn't he achieve his goal by getting in?"

Zhang Yuan: "Not really. There must have been many disputes with his family. The day of the incident was during a family reunion dinner, and the whole family had returned. Before that, his sister's child had broken one of his butterfly specimens, and the whole family scolded and blamed him. They even took his specimen to give to the child to play with. The accumulated hatred exploded, and he extracted the toxins, poisoning the entire family during the reunion dinner."

While everyone was listening to the murder case from over ten years ago, Ji Nanxing was looking at the Human World Network app. The message he had sent to the administrator had already been posted as a case, and a Taoist had taken it on, but strangely, it hadn't been resolved yet.

Since he was the one who had informed the administrator, when he inquired about the progress, he received a quick response.

It is said that the evil aura there is due to a bound spirit looking for a substitute.

Bound spirits are vengeful spirits confined to the place where they died, endlessly repeating the process of their demise. They can either be encountered by a Taoist and taken away for deliverance, or luckily meet a ghost officer. If they are not fortunate enough for either, the only way to escape the bondage of a bound spirit is to catch a substitute.

Like many drowned people, they will grab a replacement in the water. After catching a substitute, those bound spirits can break free from their bondage and regain freedom.

The reason this case has not been closed yet is that the Taoist who took the case went to the scene and could detect the presence of a bound spirit, but the bound spirit was nowhere to be found, nor was the substitute. The malevolent aura in the alley has been dispelled, but the lingering ghost is missing, and without knowing its whereabouts, the case cannot be concluded.

The morning study bell rang, and the English teacher walked in wearing high heels, tapping the podium with a rolled-up book: "I could hear you chattering from a distance. Have you memorized the English passage? I'll give you ten minutes, and then I'll check your recitation."

While everyone groaned, Ji Nanxing glanced at the weather outside. The rain had stopped. He casually pulled out a charm from his bag, folded it in half and then in half again, and with a light flick of his fingers, the charm burned to ashes in his palm.

A wisp of yin energy flew out from his palm, transforming into the shape of a crane and flying away.

The small yin crane flew out of the school and quickly reached the cordoned-off alley.

The body had already been taken away, but the cordon was still up, and many workers were still collecting evidence at the scene.

Those were public officials, wearing uniforms with badges and insignias that yin entities dread the most. Even the yin crane couldn't stay close for long, so it only circled the alley twice before landing on the marked spot where the body had been, dissipating into a puff of smoke.

Ji Nanxing closed his eyes, withdrawing the borrowed vision from the yin crane, sensing the aura it had felt—an evil aura, carrying the presence of a bound spirit.

This suggested that the perpetrator of this serial murder case might not be human at all.

Ji Nanxing reported this discovery directly to the management bureau. Leaders such as Captain Mu Chun from the first team, Captain He Long from the second team, and Captain Ye Junxing from the third team all had experience collaborating with the police's special operations unit. Cases clearly involving supernatural elements could only be handled by the management bureau.

Soon, Cheng Yuan replied with a confirmation and told him to focus on his studies, as worrying too much could stunt his growth.

Ji Nanxing couldn't help but smile. He had just stumbled upon it; he wasn't worrying that much.

Xiao Ye suddenly leaned over: "Who are you messaging? You look like you're in a puppy love. Let me tell you, Nannan, no puppy love for you. You're too young, and getting involved with girls too early is irresponsible. A man shouldn't act like that."

Ji Nanxing put away his phone: "Then what should a man do?"

Xiao Ye: "First, you need financial independence. Second, you need a stable job. And finally, you need the firm determination to spend your life with someone. These three are indispensable. Don't listen to that nonsense about missing out if you don't date in your youth. Low-quality relationships are pointless no matter how many you have, while high-quality relationships are never too late."

Ji Nanxing listened with his ears but thought in his heart that he was already financially independent, had a stable job, and was a government employee. Even if he stopped hunting ghosts in the future, as long as he didn't break any rules, he could live off his basic salary and benefits until old age.

As for the last point, he hadn't met the right person yet, and even if he did, it would probably be a fleeting connection. So, he was destined to be alone and never experience love.

"Xiao Ye!"

The English teacher shouted from the front: "What are you whispering about? Would you like to share it with me?"

Xiao Ye coughed lightly: "Nothing much."

English teacher: "Nothing much? You were practically burying your head in your desk mate's area."

The class snickered softly, and even Ji Nanxing couldn't help but lower his head to stifle a laugh.

English teacher: "Ji Nanxing, tell me, what was he just saying to you?"

Ji Nanxing glanced at Xiao Ye, who was making faces at him, and said, "He told me to study hard and improve every day."

The class erupted into louder laughter. A student ranked in the dozens telling the top-ranked student to study hard and improve every day was just hilarious.

Clearly, the teacher didn't take Ji Nanxing's words seriously and said directly, "Well then, this student who advises others to study hard and improve every day, please come up front and recite the passage."

Fortunately, Xiao Ye's English was good, and he knew the passage by heart. As he left, he didn't forget to make a scrunched-nose face at Ji Nanxing.

The Bureau acted quickly. As soon as Ji Nanxing briefed Cheng Yuan on the situation, she sent Ye Junxing, the captain of the third team who currently had no urgent matters to handle, to the scene.

The head of the task force was named Peng Cheng, who held a fairly high rank; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been assigned to form a task force to investigate such a series of murders. He was somewhat familiar with the Mystic Gate Bureau, as his master had once collaborated with them, though he himself had not yet had the opportunity.

When Peng Cheng saw a team arrive with special badges, he was momentarily taken aback. He took a closer look at their badges: "From the Bureau?"

Ye Junxing, like Ji Nanxing’s senior brother, had long hair but naturally exuded an air of aloofness, giving off an unapproachable vibe.

After presenting his ID to Peng Cheng, Ye Junxing lifted the cordon and stepped right in, followed by his two team members. One immediately opened a laptop and started typing at lightning speed, while the other held what looked like a Yin Energy Detector, scanning the area.

Ye Junxing walked to where the victim had fallen, squatted down, placed his palm on the ground, and closed his eyes to sense the victim’s aura.

Peng Cheng’s deputy, watching the sudden arrival of the three, couldn’t help but ask, "Which unit are these guys from?"

Peng Cheng replied, "From the Mystic Gate unit."

The deputy exclaimed in surprise, somewhat disbelieving, "What Mystic Gate unit? Is there such a unit? Are you kidding me?"

He thought, isn’t this just feudal superstition?

Peng Cheng said, "Why would I kid you? I just got a call from above. This case isn’t simple; it’s probably hard to solve with just ordinary manpower."

The deputy was shocked, especially hearing that it was a direct call from above. Looking at the three, he was even more puzzled, "So what are they doing here?"

Zhang Xi, who was passing by with the detector, said, "This is a Yin Energy Detector."

The deputy exclaimed, "Wow, things are so high-tech now? I thought it would involve wearing Taoist robes, setting up an altar, and sprinkling tea and rice."

Liao Xin, who was typing on the laptop collecting Yin energy data, didn’t even look up, "You’ve watched too many movies."

Ye Junxing patted the dust off his hands and walked over, "The situation is somewhat complex. We’ll need to conduct a more thorough examination of the body, but based on the Yin and malevolent energy at the scene, it’s highly probable that a vengeful spirit is behind this. Once we’ve examined the body, we’ll file a report. Then you can choose to collaborate with us or transfer the case."

Without waiting for the report, Peng Cheng immediately said, "We’ll collaborate. Let us know what you need, and we’ll fully cooperate."

Opportunities like this don’t come around often, so since they’ve encountered it, they definitely want to collaborate. Moreover, he was eager to see what the legendary Bureau was all about.

Ye Junxing nodded. After gathering the Yin energy from the scene, he got ready to examine the body. Peng Cheng took the victim’s information and got into their car, "Let me fill you in on the victim’s details and the information from the previous cases to aid the investigation."

Ye Junxing gave him a somewhat surprised look and nodded, "Alright."

Peng Cheng glanced at Zhang Xi, "Your captain’s glance just now seemed quite telling."

Zhang Xi smiled, "Because it’s not often we find someone as cooperative and forthcoming as you. We’ve collaborated with units from other provinces before, and they either brushed us off or treated us like con artists."

When they inquired about the victims, they were told, "Aren’t you supposed to be able to divine? Figure it out yourself."

Hearing this, Peng Cheng couldn’t help but smile. If it weren’t for his master having told him about the Bureau, he probably wouldn’t have accepted it so quickly. His deputy was still eyeing them with skepticism.

Once in the car, Peng Cheng asked, "What’s your protocol for taking on cases? How did you know this series of murders involved a vengeful spirit and came here?"

Liao Xin saved the data, closed the laptop, and replied, "Usually, the head of the city bureau knows about the Bureau. If there are any particularly unusual or difficult cases, they issue tasks directly through orders from above. But today, it was because a Taoist passing by detected unusual Yin and malevolent energy and reported it to the Bureau, prompting our investigation."

Peng Cheng nodded, "Why didn’t the Taoist who passed by handle it directly?"

Zhang Xi gave him a strange look, "Would you hand over a series of murders like this to a local police officer?"

Peng Cheng thought, of course not. Police is just a general term; the internal structure is very detailed. Major cases have their own departments, minor cases are handled by local precincts, and for such major murder cases, a task force is formed.

Thinking this, Peng Cheng said, "So your internal structure is just as detailed."

Zhang Xi: "Although our departmental functions aren't as detailed as yours, we still have standardized management."

After some casual chat, the conversation in the car turned to serious matters.

In the past month, three victims have died in the alleys late at night. Initially, it was just robbery. Several people walking home through the alleys at night got robbed, but they only fainted at that time. When they woke up, the valuables in their bags and on their persons were gone, but their phones and bags were still there.

Peng Cheng: "Back then, it wasn't confined to one neighborhood. It seemed like random, roving crimes. The only unusual thing was that the first few victims suddenly fainted. Fortunately, they only lost some valuables and didn't suffer any physical harm. The local authorities were very concerned about this matter. Women being drugged and robbed late at night, and not just once, caused panic for a while. No one expected the situation to escalate from robbery to homicide."

Zhang Xi: "Are you sure the robber and the later killer are the same person? It's highly likely that the killer is a lingering ghost, but lingering ghosts kill to consume living souls. They have no use for the belongings of the living."

Peng Cheng: "But the methods are quite similar. The belongings of the subsequent three victims were also taken."

Liao Xinzheng speculated, "Copycat?"

Ye Junxing: "Do you have the information on the people who were robbed earlier?"

Peng Cheng: "Yes!"

Ye Junxing: "First, let's examine the bodies, then look into the earlier robbery victims."

As cross-departmental cooperation was in full swing, Ji Nanxing was sitting in the classroom, reading aloud with everyone. Cheng Yuan, worried he might be concerned, informed him that the third team had taken on the case.

Ji Nanxing replied with an OK emoji. The captain of the third team, Ye Junxing, is highly capable, nicknamed the "Cold-faced King of Hell." There's no case he can't crack.

Knowing that a lingering ghost was behind the murders, Ji Nanxing first informed his siblings in the family group chat (excluding his parents) about the situation, reminding them to carry talismans and protective charms, especially his sister. If she returns from the research institute, she should have a driver pick her up.

His older brother and sister quickly acknowledged the message, telling him to be careful outside. If he encounters the lingering ghost and can't handle it, he should run and not confront it directly. Then, each of them sent him a hefty red envelope.

Xiao Ye noticed him discreetly sending messages and glanced over: "Such a big red envelope. Who's it from? That's generous."

Ji Nanxing put his phone back in his desk: "From my siblings."

Xiao Ye: "Oh, as the youngest in the family, they must spoil you a lot, right?"

Ji Nanxing nodded: "Of course. Doesn't your brother spoil you?"

Xiao Ye chuckled: "He threw me into the river for ice swimming in freezing weather, dragged me out of bed for morning runs in the dead of winter, and made me stand outside doing horse stances in the scorching summer. Is that spoiling?"

Ji Nanxing: "No wonder you have such a good physique. It seems your brother has trained you well."

Suddenly hearing the compliment, Xiao Ye's ears turned red. He was happy but didn't want to show it too much: "My physique is just average."

Just a bit longer legs, harder abs, a bit more strength, and a bit more painful when hitting someone.

Seeing him clearly happy but trying to suppress his smile, Ji Nanxing propped his chin on his hand and smiled. Sometimes he seems mature and capable, but other times he's so childish that a simple compliment makes him happy. Silly.

When Xiao Ye once again insisted on sending him home, Ji Nanxing said: "Come upstairs with me. I have something to give you."

Xiao Ye followed him home without hesitation: "Another gift? You don't have to be so polite with me."

Ji Nanxing handed him several protective talismans: "This one is for your grandfather, this one for your brother, this one for your sister-in-law, and this one for Wang Ma. Protective talismans. Make sure they carry them with them."

Each talisman contained a Thunder Talisman, which could protect against evil spirits or lingering ghosts. Although his brother might not need it, it didn't feel right to leave him out, so he gave one to everyone.

Xiao Ye held four beautiful little pouches and was stunned for a few seconds before asking: "Where's mine?"

Everyone in the family has one, even Wang Ma, but not him?

Ji Nanxing: "Don't you not believe in this?"

Xiao Ye couldn't help but want to pinch this little ingrate: "Just because I said I didn't believe it, I don't get one? Well, I believe now, I want one too!"

Ji Nanxing: "But you just said not to be so polite with you."

Xiao Ye really couldn't hold back, he reached out and tucked the person under his arm, pinching his face: "Ji Naonao! You're really pushing it! After all the good I've done for you!"

Ji Nanxing casually pinched his elbow, and Xiao Ye's hand went numb instantly, letting him go.

Surprised by this move, Xiao Ye was amazed: "Wow, Ji Naonao, you're quite accurate at pinching the pressure points. Next time, I'll teach you some self-defense techniques, so if you can't pinch someone's pressure points, you can still break free."

Ji Nanxing casually smoothed his hair that had been messed up: "The bracelet on your hand is the best talisman, more useful than any other charms."

Xiao Ye then smiled with some satisfaction: "Oh, I see. Alright, I'll stop teasing you then. Go on in, get some rest, make sure to lock up before you sleep, and don't answer the door for just anyone, okay?"

Ji Nanxing nodded and waved at him: "You go back too, good night."

On the way back, Xiao Ye kept staring at the bracelet.

The streetlights and passing cars reflected his irrepressible smile. He used to think the color was a bit too flashy, but now he found himself liking it more and more.

Although he didn't know how a string of beads could protect him, in terms of sentiment, it surely meant more than a talisman. Clearly, in Ji Nanxing's heart, he held a special place.

Ji Nanxing, Ji Xingxing, Ji Naonao, how could he be so interesting.

He must attend the same university as him in the future. University would be so dull without Ji Nanxing around.

But thinking about Ji Nanxing's scores in the entrance exams gave Xiao Ye a headache, over a hundred points difference. He'll catch up eventually; with his smarts, he's bound to make it.