Following Tang Qin Xin’s and Ou Yu’s lead, they walked from the town through a mountain cave and then, outside the cave, relied on vague impressions and the straight path through the grass. After several hours, they finally found the wooden cabin again.
They subtly closed in from all sides, and upon seeing the lock on the cabin, confirmed that no one was inside.
“Spread out and search,” Fang Si Ting ordered.
A group of vice squad officers began checking the surrounding ground and bushes one by one.
Tang Shen led two forensics team members in conducting a detailed trace inspection around the wooden cabin.
In the dim forest, when they reached out their hands, they could barely make out a vague silhouette.
It was too dark.
The high-powered lights carried by the team members were turned on, turning the surrounding black mist into a grayish white.
There was nothing different from other places.
“Boss, there’s a basement here.”
Fang Si Ting entered the wooden cabin, which had been forcibly unlocked. It was pitch black inside, filled with a nauseatingly thick bloody stench. In the center stood a long, dilapidated wooden table, with ropes on the walls that seemed meant to secure a person’s limbs.
Neatly arranged beside the table were all sorts of tools, sharp and clean, without a single drop of blood around them.
The entire cabin had no windows, like a slaughterhouse. Because the space had been sealed for so long, the stifling air carried a faint metallic tang.
What Tang Shen referred to was a pull panel on the ground to the right inside the cabin, which he had already opened.
Below was a hole, narrow enough that only one person could fit through—anyone even slightly overweight might get stuck.
A wooden ladder was set up under the hole. Climbing down it and awkwardly turning around, one reached a basement about four or five square meters in size, large enough for an adult man to stand in.
It reeked of strong urine and various fermented odors too foul to describe.
Fang Si Ting hunched over and followed the forensics vice squad officer around the space. He pointed to one spot and called Tang Shen over.
“Look at this.”
On the smoothed mud wall were tally marks of “正” characters, along with countless densely packed “Tang Qin Xin”s.
To resist the loneliness of endless years and prevent losing himself in countless dark, despairing days and nights, this name had become the only anchor in his barren memories that could bring him back to happiness.
Unfortunately.
Fang Si Ting climbed back up the stairs to the surface and stepped outside, where he finally let out a heavy breath.
The damp, rotten smell outside suddenly seemed far less repulsive.
“That pole is gone.” Ou Yu came around from behind the cabin, anxiously explaining, “There was a pole over there with a skin on it. We couldn’t see clearly and thought it was some animal hide that had been skinned. We didn’t pay attention… The kid passed out, and we were busy finding our way out… We really didn’t know… didn’t know… Sorry…”
His voice choked up, thick with guilt.
Tang Qin Xin slumped to the ground, unable to utter a word, her eyes glazed over and unfocused as she stared into the darkness ahead.
They could have saved Guo Dongying.
They had been so close.
If they had recognized it as human skin, if they had broken the lock, if they had entered the basement and seen the person locked inside…
Guo Dongying, and perhaps even Lu Kaiyu, whose time of death was later, wouldn’t have had to die.
No ifs.
They had simply left the forest like that.
“Sorry…” Ou Yu kept apologizing, constantly confessing to Tang Qin Xin.
The live stream chat was filled with heaviness.
【Maybe this is why Brother Fen had to punch him, even in front of the camera and the whole world.】
【Isn’t this just venting anger?】
【For the life of a flower-like young man, and for missing the chance to save someone, leading to such cruel treatment.】
【This hurts so much. I need to take a breather.】
【I’m going crazy. As one of the people there at the time, how did they not see it? Someone as capable as Brother Fen didn’t see it either!】
【Are you treating him like a god? Brother Fen only glanced at it quickly before checking on the kid. Who could tell what it was?】
【Based on what Xiao Fen has shown in past programs, he should have seen it!】
【Exactly. He should take responsibility for Guo Dongying and Lu Kaiyu’s deaths.】
【Skin hanging on a pole in that darkness—did you figure out what it was? Want to play hindsight now?】
【Honestly, I didn’t see it.】
【Me neither.】
【I didn’t either.】
The live stream chat was instantly flooded with tens of thousands of identical messages.
They came from all walks of life: doctors, lawyers, longtime slaughterhouse workers, tattoo artists, body paint artists, vice squad officers, and criminology experts like Lü Siming…
They had all been watching the live stream at the time.
They had glanced along with Xiao Fen’s quick look, or even lingered a couple seconds longer from other camera angles in different streams, and none of them had recognized it.
How could the people there at the time associate it with something so horrifying?
And the people on site like Ou Yu carried an even heavier guilt than the audience.
It all came down to the fact that they could have.
They could have done something.
They should have noticed.
But they hadn’t.
Tang Qin Xin stood dazed behind the wooden cabin, as if she’d lost her soul.
Peng Xiaoxiao had come along too and gripped her hand tightly, as if giving her silent strength.
“I should have saved him.” Tang Qin Xin’s expression gradually crumbled. Her trembling lips couldn’t form another word as she hugged Peng Xiaoxiao and burst into loud sobs.
Peng Xiaoxiao hugged her tightly back.
“There were others there at the time too, and none of them saw it.” Spreading the blame could lessen the guilt a bit.
“No, it was my fault. I came right here, I passed by, but I missed it.” Tang Qin Xin cried. “Why do I never see it?”
“You came here before bringing Ou Yu and the others, besides that one time?”
Tang Qin Xin nodded, tears streaming down her face. “Before old Guo went missing, I searched the whole area around here. Once, I accidentally entered this forest. I hadn’t gone far when I ran into the shaman. He was picking so-called immortal herbs here, so he was familiar with the place. He led me out and warned me never to enter the forest—it’s very dangerous. But since he walked in a straight line without even encountering beasts, I brought Ou Yu and the others through once…”
Her eyes suddenly lit up. “Was it the shaman? Was it him! He comes here often, but that time he never mentioned the cabin at all. He even hurried me away! In such a dark environment, he moved so familiarly! When I saw him, I glimpsed paper money in the bushes behind him, and the smell of burning candles! He claimed to be gathering herbs, but his basket was empty!”
A paranoid, ferocious expression appeared on her face. “He was afraid I’d wander around and find the cabin, so he ‘kindly’ led me away!”
Murderous intent burst from Tang Qin Xin’s eyes. Her thoughts had led her into a dead end, and no amount of persuasion from Peng Xiaoxiao could sway her.
The audience in the live stream chat couldn’t help but worry for her.
【So not only were Brother Fen and Ou Yu blind, but all several million of us in the live stream were blind too? Not even one person noticed and called the program crew?】
【What, now the blame is extending to the audience?】
【The odds are low. It’s impossible no one in the live stream at the time recognized it.】
【Even now, you’re blindly defending Xiao Fen and speaking up for him.】
【By that logic, was that little brat even more impressive than Brother Fen?】
【Exactly. The little brat went around to the back of the cabin, knew right away it was human skin, and fainted on the spot. He’s like a walking human-skin detector. Tang Shen should just hand over his seat.】
【Wow, even a little brat is better than Xiao Fen.】
【You’re all ganging up on Brother Fen, huh? There were others there besides him. Are you blind to them, or just too scared to call them out? Bullying Brother Fen because he has no one behind him?】
【This is a huge suspicious point. How did a kid recognize it as his sister with just one look?】
【Everyone stop arguing. Let’s use facts. I pulled up the first-person and close-up footage from guests Lu Jin, Ou Yu, and Xiao Fen at the time. This is all the footage of that pole and skin.】
【Lu Jin’s first-person view had the longest duration at eight seconds, then Ou Yu, who looked at the skin for six seconds before the little brat fainting drew his attention. Finally, Xiao Fen, who arrived at the scream, lingered on the skin for only one second.】
【Now let’s analyze the footage. First, was that skin human or animal?】
【According to analysis from professionals at our institute, it’s highly likely a hairless deer hide. Not defending Brother Fen—this has scientific basis.】
Then, animal experts from around the world began posting detailed analyses in the chat based on the limited footage.
【Then how did the boy say it was his sister?】
【No idea.】
【Kids often can’t distinguish reality from fantasy, especially after just seeing the Upside-Down Man image. Anyone would overthink.】
【No, from Ou Yu’s live stream footage at the time, based on Little Kid Bro’s head angle and eye direction when he went around the back, I infer his first glance wasn’t at the top of the pole, but at the stake fixing the pole.】
【What’s over there?】
【What’s the point of analyzing that? Want to be a detective? Join the show instead of wasting time here.】
【Out of your mind, just like Xiao Fen.】
A group of computer experts started frame-by-frame analysis, zooming in on details and adjusting resolution.
Soon, someone in the chat spoke up.
【There’s a colorful hand rope there, tied with other ropes between the pole and the stake, seemingly to secure it.】
【I remember when Xiao Fen broke the ghost wall back then, he took the protective bracelet off Little Kid Bro’s wrist. Some even said it was effective. They tied it roadside not long before reaching this cabin.】
【How is it here?】
【Could the killer have been following them and taken it after they left?】
【Don’t scare me. I feel like someone’s staring at my back—goosebumps.】
【Not the same one. One’s a bracelet, one’s a hand rope.】
【Either way, the kid definitely recognizes that bracelet. It’s from someone familiar. Seeing that skin, it’s easy to associate it with his sister becoming that skin, then fainting from shock.】
【It all makes sense now. He recognized his sister from that item. How would Xiao Fen and the others know the bracelet? They just thought it was an ordinary hunter’s place.】
【Who knew watching a variety show would give us detective thrills too.】
【Program crew, are you watching the live stream chat? Please pin these expert analyses and tell Ouyou Bro and Tang Qin Xin—this wasn’t their fault. They didn’t miss it.】
【Yeah, contact them quick. If not, go to Tang Qin Xin’s house and have Little Kid Bro confirm. Don’t just do nothing.】
【So worried they’ll be hit hard by this.】
【Already called the program crew. Tell them to explain ASAP.】
On this end, the group soon received a message through their earpieces. Hearing the staff’s words, Ou Yu squatted on the ground, buried his face in his hands, and burst into loud sobs.
Xiao Fen also received word from Wang Ze and stood stunned for a full five or six seconds.
Then, he looked at the camera lens and said slowly and sincerely, “Thank you all.”
【No need to thank us. Buck up and land a couple extra punches on that killer for us brothers.】
【Not used to Brother Fen like this.】
【Be your proud self and rub our faces in it again. No need to feel guilty about what you did—that wasn’t your fault.】
【Those gloating earlier don’t deserve Brother Fen’s thanks.】
【They don’t think the killer behind all this has no humanity, but push blame onto innocents. I say they’re potential criminals. Uncle Hat, keep an eye on them to prevent crimes.】
Though he didn’t know what they said in the live stream chat, Xiao Fen vaguely felt the care from strangers around the world.
Memories faded and got altered. He truly couldn’t recall exactly what he had seen back then. That one glance—he had thought it was animal hide at the time. But after deducing the killer, he suddenly remembered the unique black humus soil of Guiwu Forest, thought of that wooden hut, that piece of skin.
He easily made the connection: the skin hanging there was the Little Kid’s sister’s. The killer had likely imprisoned Guo Dongying there and carried out the skinning there.
Aside from this place that no one dared approach, even in one’s own home, it was unlikely to hold a living person for a full year without being discovered.
Fortunately, memories could err, but the cameras didn’t.
They had all faithfully recorded everything.
“Teacher Xiao, we know you feel bad about Guo Dongying, feel like you failed to save him in time, which is why you acted so out of character. Now you can hand the criminal over to us.”
“You’re negotiating with me?” Xiao Fen sneered.
Wang Ze hurriedly shook his head.
It had been over a dozen hours now—his hands must be sore.
“Even stepping back, even if I’m not wrong, does that mean he isn’t?” Xiao Fen exhaled a breath of stale air, his expression easing a bit, though he still couldn’t hide the desolate sorrow in his eyes. “Five people, five lives—what did they do wrong?”
Wang Ze was at a loss for words.
If this weren’t live, he would have supported Xiao Fen without hesitation.
But under the camera’s gaze, he lacked the courage to voice his support and could only reprimand him for being too extreme.
Why did Xiao Fen always do such highly controversial things? When would he realize how bad this was for his reputation?
“Don’t worry—even if he wants to die, I won’t let him.” Xiao Fen patted his face. “He still has his uses.”
“What use could he possibly have?”
“The Criminal Guest still has days before the second phase, right?” Xiao Fen smiled at him. “Now that the killer’s been dealt with, it’s time for me to carry out my crime task.”
“What do you think about me kidnapping the real killer?”
Wang Ze immediately felt his asshole clench.
