Chapter 62: Analyzing the Case

Wang Wenfang told them everything she knew.

The group still had no real leads, but for the moment, Zhong Houwang seemed the most likely suspect.

Back at the Pursuit Bureau, the coroner spotted them and handed the autopsy results to Fang Si Ting.

The group gathered for a small meeting, their attention turning first to Guo Dongying.

The rundown old office was cramped and stuffy, with a broken electric fan overhead. They sat around the redwood desk, holding clipboards and plastic fans from the Temple Fair to fan themselves.

Children’s playful shouts drifted in from outside the window, where fiery red maple leaves intertwined with the green and yellow ivy climbing the corner building’s wall. The afternoon light made the room shimmer with color.

As the maple leaves outside rustled, the light and shadow spots on Fang Si Ting’s head and shoulders—right at the front of the desk under the window—rippled faintly.

Xiao Fen’s clipboard slowed as he fanned.

He had always thought Fang Si Ting was handsome in a proper, classical way, but that was it.

Today, sitting here with the group—especially with Ou Yu, the entertainment industry’s acknowledged gentle and refined beauty—Fang Si Ting held his own without losing an inch.

His elegant and dignified features, his distinctly different aura, and the steady, commanding presence he exuded effortlessly made him the center of attention with every move.

“First, Guo Dongying’s actions earned him the hatred of the entire town,” Fang Si Ting said. “He was caught the night he pried open the boards sealing the Substitute Life Well. A year later, the day before yesterday—on Temple Fair night—he was killed. That raises our first question: where did the killer keep him imprisoned for that whole year?”

“The body was pulled out yesterday,” Qin Wensu said. “According to the autopsy, the victim had a homemade sedative in his stomach. It’s homemade because it contained a lot of impurities, but the dose was huge—enough to knock out someone Guo Dongying’s size, over 120 jin. The body and forehead had contusions from impacts, all inflicted before death. Combined with Teacher Tang’s trace evidence from the well’s edge, we can infer the victim swallowed a massive dose of the drug, passed out, and the killer dumped him into the well, leading to drowning. Time of death matches yesterday’s estimate: between 10 p.m. last night and midnight.”

Homemade sedative—no purchase records.

“This town really is full of talent,” Ou Yu said leisurely as he took a sip of tea. “Storytelling aside, now they’ve got people making this stuff too. The program crew really ought to recruit guests from here.”

“A lot of the older mountain folk lived off hunting and knew how to make knockout drugs and the like,” Zhang Jian said with an awkward laugh. “My dad could too—all from herbs picked in the mountains. Around harvest time, scatter some in the rice fields, and you could drug a wild boar by nightfall.”

“That’s an exaggeration.”

“Not total blackout—just enough to daze it so we could gang up and take it down. Otherwise, five or six strapping lads like us couldn’t handle one.” Zhang Jian explained.

Ou Yu smiled at the camera. “Wild boars are nationally protected animals in H Country, folks. If you run into one here, run. Beat it, and you’re in jail. Lose, and you’re its dinner.”

【Brother Ou Yu is so thoughtful.】

【Feels like hanging around Brother Fen too long rubbed off on him.】

【No worries, we can’t even see this guy right now anyway.】

【I wanna see Brother Fen take on a wild boar solo.】

【You from the Lu Family or what? Coming up with ideas like that.】

【If Brother Fen hadn’t reminded us, I wouldn’t be used to it. Hey, what’s Brother Fen thinking?】

【Dunno, looks like he’s zoning out and slacking.】

【Slacks off the second meetings start—classic him lololol】

The live stream chat burst into laughter, screenshotting for memes. The grim mood from the fatal case finally lightened a bit.

Qin Wensu pointed at the autopsy report. “Also, Guo Dongying was deficient in vitamin D, chronically malnourished. That fits your earlier deductions—he was imprisoned long-term in a place without sunlight.”

“The night he was grabbed, someone lured him out, saying the Five Directions Stream embankment was about to wash out from the rain,” Ou Yu said regretfully. “That person was probably the killer, but Tang Qin Xin didn’t know who. And there’s been no progress from her in the year since.”

“Then on Temple Fair night, Little Fen and I saw something strange.” He went on to describe the Bloody Eight Characters on the wall that night and the eerie laughter from the well.

At that, Fang Si Ting instinctively glanced at Xiao Fen.

Xiao Fen’s wandering gaze got caught by the man himself. He snapped to attention, straightened up, puffed out his chest, and shook his clipboard vigorously.

“What’re you looking at me for? I didn’t do it.”

Fang Si Ting’s profile and neckline blended into the warm honeyed glow. His stark black-and-white eyes fixed on him, cool with an indescribable shimmer.

“I thought I’d brought back an ancestor. Gotta pray three times before the spirit descends.”

“My brilliant brain was pondering the case.” Xiao Fen quibbled.

Fang Si Ting nearly let a smile slip. He propped his elbow, fingers interlaced under his chin, and prompted, “Pondering what?”

“That? Needs an on-site check.” Xiao Fen stood. “Coming along?”

Curiosity piqued by his teasing, the group followed him out of the Inspection Office.

The wind outside was stronger than in the office, but Tengcha Town was in the south—late October mountain breezes still carried summer heat.

The few pedestrians on the street spotted them and muttered under their breath.

The townsfolk’s gazes held more wariness and malice now.

Maybe just like how they once looked at Guo Dongying.

Xiao Fen crossed the caution tape to the Substitute Life Well’s edge.

“That night, we first heard operatic singing from the well, then a woman singing a nursery rhyme. Then I found a tape recorder with cassettes down there.” he said.

“No way that was set up on the spot,” Ou Yu said, puzzled. “Why’d it start right when we showed up?”

“I listened to the tape later. There were blank gaps between recordings—it was looping continuously. Played whether anyone was there or not.”

“Tape in the well? To create ghost stories?” Qin Wensu asked.

“Yeah, and scare off anyone out at night.” Xiao Fen said. “Town’s got no entertainment, so folks stay in after dark by custom. But since the show arrived, Inspector Fang had teams patrolling nights until my fake group disbanded. No more night patrols after. Maybe that’s what gave the killer his shot—brought the tape just in case to spook vice squad officers, but bold enough to commit the crime.”

“What about the blood writing on the wall?” Ou Yu asked. “It just… appeared out of nowhere.”

Xiao Fen approached the bluestone-brick wall where the blood had appeared, checked it over, and said, “Just as I thought.”

He beckoned the others.

“This wall’s ancient, all mottled and worn,” the coroner said, tapping it. “Solid brick.”

“Bricks are solid, but not necessarily what’s on top.” Xiao Fen pointed upward.

It was the side of a house, with an overhanging tile eaves extending a few dozen centimeters.

“Brother Ou Yu, that night the blood dripped from top to bottom. So between the wall top and the tiles, the killer had some setup—gone now, of course.” Xiao Fen pointed up.

Fang Si Ting had someone fetch a ladder. Soon, a vice squad officer set it up. He climbed and found a small groove—where the blood pouches had sat.

They spotted over a dozen such grooves along the wall top.

“But even with pouches up there, how’d he time the flow?” Zhang Jian asked.

“Even simpler. Remote-controlled devices are everywhere online. Modify one ahead, trigger it to puncture the pouch whenever, and down comes the blood.” The lady coroner laughed.

“But the characters? Blood flows straight down.” Ou Yu was baffled.

“Grooves on the wall, and wax.” Fang Si Ting said.

“You’re not helping.” Xiao Fen ribbed him, then got serious. “Those ancient-looking scrapes seem random, but they’re man-made. Control the flow, and blood follows the grooves. Fill some with wax ahead, and it spells out words. Looks like a miracle.”

Xiao Fen checked the wax remnants in the grooves—no fingerprints.

The tricks were basic. The issue: that night’s downpour washed everything away. No evidence.

After searching and questioning around, they couldn’t even narrow the suspect pool for Guo Dongying’s murder.

“To spook vice squad officers, this killer went all out.” Ou Yu said with a wry smile. “Scared us good in the end.”

“Waxing that wide an area takes time—not a quick job. More like for some purpose… or ritual.” Xiao Fen asked him. “Remember those characters from that night?”

Ou Yu nodded. “Yi Chou, Geng Chen, Wu Zi, Guihai.”

“That date lines up perfectly: 1985, April 19th, 9-11 p.m.”

Fang Si Ting was surprised. “Guo Dongying’s birthday?”

“Right.” Xiao Fen asked Zhang Jian, “Rain the night before last year’s body turned up at the Substitute Life Well?”

Zhang Jian shook his head. “Who remembers that?”

“Torrential rain,” Ou Yu said. “Tang Qin Xin told me.”

“You’re thinking last year’s case was this killer too?” Fang Si Ting asked.

“Not impossible.” Xiao Fen said. “Guo Dongying pries open the well boards, that night downpour, mystery body appears, he vanishes—case goes cold, rumors fly. This year, same stormy weather, killer puts in huge effort with the wall show. Looks like…”

“Inspiration from last year.” Fang Si Ting said coldly, face grave. “Perpetuating the rumors.”

“But Tengcha gets tons of rainstorms, especially July-August. Barely any after October unless a typhoon. Why risk it while we’re all here?” Zhang Jian objected.

“Who knows. Killer wanted a challenge maybe.” Xiao Fen elbowed Fang Si Ting’s waist, whispering, “Someone’s provoking you. React.”

Fang Si Ting shot him a look. “Forensics Team’s gear—all wrecked when the helicopter came last time. Without that, this case wouldn’t last three days.”

Hearing the equipment was busted, Xiao Fen’s eyes lit up. About to speak—

He heard Fang Si Ting lean in and whisper, “Don’t even think about exploiting that for tricks.”

“Like you can stop me?” He looked up, smug grin impossible to hide.

“What do you think I pulled you from the program crew for?”

Xiao Fen’s smile froze a bit.

“Keep you by my side—no chance to commit crimes.” Fang Si Ting strode toward the Inspection Office. “Told the program crew: your tasks wait till this case is solved.”

“Fang Si Ting, how’s a straight-laced guy like you getting sneaky?” Xiao Fen chased after. The alley was narrow; he fell half a step behind, tailing like a puppy.

Once bitten, twice shy.

Especially after losing to this guy more than once.

Fang Si Ting said, “Back there, question Zhong Houwang. No progress on Guo Dongying—we pivot to Lu Kaiyu’s disappearance, start with his connections.”

“Nope, not your subordinate.” Xiao Fen stopped, turning aside. His bright fox eyes drooped sulkily. “Weren’t you gonna keep me close? Here I am. Where you go, I go. Watch all you want.”

Seeing him pout, Fang Si Ting’s lips finally curved. He stepped right up.

Xiao Fen was annoyed, face turned to the opposite wall, ignoring him.

This guy never got mad no matter how many times he slipped up.

Fang Si Ting circled helplessly to the other side. “Out of my sight alone, and I can’t stop whatever you do.”

“So you’re just waiting here for some entrapment.” Xiao Fen suddenly realized it and irritably waved his hand to push him away. “Anyway, I’m not going. Let me tell you, you really invited an ancestor back home.”

Without even this much trust, what was the point of solo action?

“No, I thought you liked acting alone.” Fang Si Ting’s two hands hung awkwardly at his sides, and he wished he could grow an extra mouth.

Xiao Fen caught a glimpse of his expression from the corner of his eye, and the corner of his mouth curved up slightly.

“Yeah, I like acting alone, so the people you sent to tail me…”

Zhang Jian and the others caught up, and he bellowed in his booming voice, “Walking so fast—did you find something?”

He had nearly shaken off those Vice Squad Officers who had been tailing him near Sister-in-law Jinlan’s House these past few days!

Xiao Fen swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue and shot Zhang Jian a hostile glance.

Zhang Jian looked utterly bewildered. What? What did I do?