Ling Lie halted his steps. “‘Floating Light’…”

Ji Chenjiao said, “Not just his phone; the TV box in his home was also hacked. By tracking when he turned on the box, the hacker could deduce his daily habits and schedule.”

Ling Lie said, “So he fled because he realized he was being tracked and observed? He knew his phone might be traced, so he didn’t even bring it?”

Ji Chenjiao said, “It’s a possibility. But how did he suddenly find out? Shen Qi said the TV box was hacked as early as the end of last year. For a whole year, did the other party only observe without taking any substantial action, or did he just not notice? Why did he notice now? The killer took action, he fled, but still didn’t escape.”

Ling Lie punched his palm. “‘Floating Light’ wanted to kill him… He did help us greatly in the last case.”

Ji Chenjiao shook his head. “I don’t think that’s the logic.”

“Hm?”

Ji Chenjiao began to draw a mind map. “When we first learned of Xing Yongdan’s disappearance, didn’t we say he might have been exposed for meddling in the ‘Floating Light’ case? Is that why he ran? But hadn’t ‘Floating Light’ started observing him a year ago?”

Ling Lie fell silent and nodded.

“‘Floating Light’ might still be playing a tool-like role, just like in the ‘Pink Mask’ case,” Ji Chenjiao said. “The one who really wanted his life is someone else.”

Ling Lie pulled out a chair and sat down. “Someone posted a bounty on ‘Floating Light,’ asking for help to find A’Dan? But they found A’Dan a year ago; why act only now?”

Ji Chenjiao: “First, the person who took the task concealed it to increase the reward. Second, revenge isn’t easy. Combining with the Country L clue, perhaps entry was inconvenient? Or they weren’t ready?”

Ling Lie: “Since they can post a bounty on ‘Floating Light,’ why not hire a hitman? Isn’t hiring a hitman simpler than killing personally?”

Ji Chenjiao: “What about the thrill?”

Ling Lie opened his mouth, then propped his forehead. “Right, the thrill. The killer has a reason to do it himself, overcoming all difficulties and sparing no time to come personally.”

This killer from afar seemed to know Xiarong City very well. Not long after A’Dan went missing, before even the police knew he was on Guishui Road, the killer already knew? Or perhaps it was because A’Dan had long been exposed in his eyes, and the confrontation on the roof wasn’t their first meeting recently?

Ling Lie recounted the clues he found today one by one to Ji Chenjiao, focusing on A’Dan’s pouch and the fact that A’Dan seemed to have made enough money to return but refused to “return home in glory.”

While the two analyzed various possibilities, news came from the branch: the shell casing had been found. It was from a gun made in Country L, very popular on the international black market.

The Serious Crimes Unit collaborated with the East District Branch to retrieve all available surveillance footage around Guishui Road. The cameras captured Xing Yongdan, but no other suspicious personnel were found for the time being.

“I need to go to Jinxiang Village,” Ling Lie said. “Xing Yongdan didn’t dare to return home; there must be a reason.”

---

Xing Yongdan’s hometown, Jinxiang Village, was deep in the southern mountains. It had now merged with other villages to form Jianling Town, mainly engaging in fruit processing. Every household in the town had built a small villa, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of melons and fruits.

Ling Lie found out that although the villages had merged, people were still accustomed to living according to their past community divisions. For instance, the villagers of Jinxiang Village mostly lived in the south of the town, guarding the mountains and waters.

Strangers rarely came to the town. Fruit merchants and county leaders were all familiar faces. Ling Lie strolled around the town for half a day, attracting quite a few curious looks.

An older woman couldn’t help but step forward and ask, “Young man, who are you looking for?”

Ling Lie looked at her courtyard, guessing she was from Jinxiang Village, and smiled. “Sister, did our Jinxiang Village move here?”

A sweet-talking, handsome man was popular everywhere. The woman hurriedly said, “Yes, yes, we moved here long ago. You are…”

“I lived in Jinxiang Village when I was little. I haven’t been back for years. I’m on a business trip nearby and dropped by to take a look.”

“Oh! How come I’ve never seen you?”

“I’m not from the village myself; I came with my elders to visit relatives.”

Such things were common in rural areas. People visited relatives every few days. With doors left open, relatives would visit neighbors, and after a while, nobody knew whose relative was whose.

“It’s very different from back then,” Ling Lie said. “When I came, we lived in earthen courtyards surrounded by stone walls.”

“That’s right! We have money now!”

The woman chatted with Ling Lie for a while. Ling Lie subtly steered the topic to families surnamed Xing, saying the Xing family had borrowed money from his elders back then but the whole family ran away and disappeared.

The woman thought for a while. “We don’t have anyone surnamed Xing here?”

Ling Lie said, “Maybe I remembered wrong.”

The woman’s enthusiasm kicked in. “Come, I’ll take you to see the old village chief. Our Jinxiang villagers are honest folk. If they really owe your family money, we’ll definitely find a way to solve it for you!”

The old village chief had retired long ago and was currently making canned fruit in a workshop. But the woman said if there was anything concerning Jinxiang Village, asking the old village chief for help was never wrong.

“The Xing family?” The old village chief said. “That Xing family that died out?”

The woman was shocked. “What do you mean ‘died out’?”

“Don’t interrupt.” The old village chief seemed to recall something. “Back then, several groups of people came looking, saying Xing Yongqiang owed money and wouldn’t pay it back. Was your family here then too?”

Ling Lie went along with it. “We didn’t come specifically to ask for money. He didn’t borrow much. My elders mainly came to visit relatives and asked about the money in passing.”

The old village chief nodded. “There was such a thing, there was such a thing.”

Ling Lie asked, “Why, was Xing Yongqiang the only one in the Xing family?”

“Sigh, what Xing family? He was just scraping a living at Mr. Duan’s house.”

“Mr. Duan?”

The woman said, “Outsider, you haven’t heard of Mr. Duan, have you? That was a big family here! Local landlords, very rich!”

The old village chief hurriedly scolded, “What big family, what local landlord? After so many years of study and reform, why do you still hold onto feudal ideas?”

The woman shrugged at the scolding and smiled at Ling Lie.

Ling Lie simply asked about this Duan family. Seeing a lot of fruit waiting to be dried in the yard, he immediately took off his jacket and helped with the work.

This kind of workshop wasn’t like an assembly line factory in the city; people chatted while working. Staying silent meant you couldn’t fit in.

With someone helping and chatting, the old village chief was happy to tell Ling Lie about the history of Jinxiang Village.

There was a long part at the beginning unrelated to Xing Yongdan or the Duan family, but Ling Lie didn’t rush him, waiting for the village chief to get to the deeper parts.

Jinxiang Village had existed for over a hundred years. At that time, the vast majority of villagers were serfs, enslaved by the Yang and Cao families, living miserable lives. Later, the Duan family led a small group of villagers to revolt successfully. The Yang and Cao families either fled or died. After that, there were no more slaves in the village. The Duan family went outside to study and called on everyone to plant fruit. Jinxiang Village’s situation improved day by day.

However, the Duan family had killed quite a few people. When the legal system reached Jinxiang Village, the head of the Duan family was arrested. After coordination, some people were released. By then, the Duan family was already the wealthiest in Jinxiang Village and helped many poor fellow villagers.

Xing Yongqiang was one of them. His father’s generation was disappointing; while everyone else was planting fruit, they were gambling and whoring, quickly squandering the family’s savings and angering the women to death. Outsiders frequently stormed into the village to chase debts from the Xing family. To avoid debt, the useless men of the Xing family all ran away, leaving only Xing Yongqiang, who was just a few years old.

The child was small and pitiful, so the Duan family gave him a bowl of rice in charity. Later, he simply lived at the Duan’s, working for them. Because they were of similar age, he had a good relationship with the Duan family’s “Young Master.”

There were no “Young Masters” anymore, but the old village chief was still used to saying it.

Ling Lie heard regret in his tone, as if this Duan family was no longer around. “What about the Duan family now?”

The old village chief shook his head. “Gone.”

“How are they gone?”

The old village chief was silent for a long time, then sighed. “They broke the law after all. The Cao and Yang families kept reporting and suing them. Many people went to prison in those years. If the younger ones hadn’t run, they would definitely have been arrested too.”

Ling Lie asked, “Run? Run where?”

“Ran abroad, never to return. The ‘Young Master,’ his older brothers and uncles, they even took Xing Yongqiang with them.” The old village chief smiled. “I actually supported them running. I used to be a slave of the Cao family too; it was the ‘Master’ of the Duan family who gave me a way to live.”

Ling Lie said, “The world outside is so big. Do you know which country they went to?”

The old village chief said, “Hey, you kid, if you knew, could you chase after them? Let me tell you, it’s not a safe country.”

Ling Lie smiled and said, “Aren’t we just chatting? Which country isn’t safe? Country L?”

“Oh!” The old village chief was surprised. “You actually guessed it!”

Ling Lie pretended to be surprised. “Really?”

The old village chief nodded and sighed again. “Even if you dare to go, you can’t find them.”

“Why?”

“Probably gone long ago. Lost contact for so many years.”

Ling Lie asked, “Lost contact? When they first went over, did they still have contact with you?”

“Yes. In the early years, there were sometimes letters sent back. It took months on the road, but at least there was news.” The old village chief counted on his fingers but couldn’t keep track. “It’s been at least fifteen years without a word. Doesn’t the TV say Country L is always fighting? It’s only quieted down a bit in recent years. Since they went over to fight for others, they might have already… sigh!”

Ling Lie said, “They went over to fight for others?”

“I don’t understand it, but apparently fighting makes money. ‘Young Master’ didn’t want to go, but that kid from the Xing family got all excited when he heard there was money in fighting and insisted on going. There was no other way at the time; the Duan family had to leave, and they found a way to escape. They couldn’t go to good places, only places like Country L. Fighting for money seemed to be their only way out.”

Ling Lie held a fruit, the scene before his eyes suddenly dyed with the colors of the past.

Decades ago, the young people of the Duan family had to flee Jinxiang Village. The teenage “Young Master” took Xing Yongqiang—who later became Xing Yongdan—with him. The so-called fighting for money was actually going to Country L to become mercenaries. Even today, there are many mercenaries in Country L, forming an industrial chain.

Xing Yongqiang was used to hardship from a young age and considered his life cheap. Fighting for money had an extraordinary appeal to him; if he fought well, he might become a man above men. If he fought poorly and died, then he died. But “Young Master” grew up in luxury and naturally had more concerns.

This group of people still corresponded with their hometown after arriving in Country L, but why did it stop? The old village chief guessed they were all dead, but Xing Yongqiang was clearly still alive. He would rather change his name and sleep under a bridge in Xiarong City than return to his hometown. He wasn’t a Duan family member; prison wouldn’t be his fate.

Because he was afraid of being found.

Ling Lie asked, “Can I see those letters?”

The old village chief became a bit wary. “What use is it for you to see them?”

Ling Lie said, “No use, really. It’s fine if I don’t see them. Shall we continue chatting? Have you ever been to Xiarong City?”

The old village chief said, “So far away, never been. Big city. Have you been?”

“Actually, I came from there. To be honest with you, my family said they saw someone in Xiarong City who looked a lot like Xing Yongqiang, but he disappeared in the blink of an eye. That’s why I came to ask around.”

The old village chief’s eyes widened like a bull’s. “Xing Yongqiang came back? Then what about ‘Young Master’?”

Ling Lie said, “I don’t know either. How about this, you tell me ‘Young Master’s’ name? I’ll ask around properly when I go back this time.”

The old village chief became emotional. “His name is Duan Wande. The Duan family hoped he would have ten thousand virtues and do good deeds to accumulate blessings. Forget it, since you have connections, I won’t hide the letters. Come with me.”

Ling Lie followed the old village chief into the small villa. There was a study on the second floor with old bookshelves and yellowed books. The old village chief took a locked small box from the top of a cabinet and opened it; it was full of letters.

The old village chief put on his reading glasses and found three letters sent by the Duan family. “Only these three.”

The letters were well preserved. Ling Lie carefully unfolded them. The handwriting on the yellowed paper was vigorous and aesthetically pleasing.

The first letter talked about just arriving in a new place, the language barrier, and wandering destitute. The turmoil in Country L was more serious than imagined, and everyone hadn’t settled down yet, but asked the villagers not to worry.

The second letter was longer, saying they had found a place to stay and made local friends. Although daily life faced crises, everyone was working hard.

The last letter was sent a long time after the second, stating they had gained a firm foothold and the team was growing, so there was no need to worry.

“I thought they would get better and better, and in a few years, it would be no problem for them to come back. But this letter turned out to be the last one.” The old village chief looked at the sunlight outside the window. “They… will never come home again.”

Ling Lie noticed that all three letters were signed “Duan Wande,” and the place the last letter was sent from transliterated to Salingauke Town.

Salingauke Town.

Ling Lie knew of the Salingauke Region; it was a large region in the south of Country L, including Zhaan Town where Yu Qin went at that time—it was in Zhaan Town that Yu Qin and Shaman met, and Bi Jiang also met Shaman in Zhaan Town.

After photographing the three letters, Ling Lie thanked the old village chief. At this point, the old village chief became more talkative, urging, “If you really find Xing Yongqiang, don’t make things hard for him. His family owing money wasn’t his fault. His character isn’t bad. The Duan family took him in, and he would rather be a dog for the Duan family to repay them.”

“A dog?” Ling Lie asked. “How so?”

The old village chief explained that “dog” was an exaggerated term; he just wanted to express Xing Yongqiang’s loyalty to the Duan family.

Xing Yongqiang was just a child and wasn’t of much use. To make himself useful, he learned martial arts. Wherever “Young Master” went, he followed, never letting “Young Master” suffer any harm. He himself, however, suffered many injuries from practicing martial arts. The Cao and Yang families cursed him for being the Duan family’s dog, but he was proud of it, saying that even if he was a dog, he was a loyal one.

Ling Lie asked another question: “Was the Duan family very keen on Feng Shui and superstition in the past?”

The old village chief got a bit angry. “Where did you hear such nonsense? The Duan family was oppressed at the beginning too; they looked down on that stuff the most! They told us to believe in science long ago!”

Ling Lie said, “Then Xing Yongqiang shouldn’t have been exposed to that stuff either?”

“Of course not! How could he accept what the Duan family didn’t accept?” The old village chief huffed. “Not to brag, but our Jinxiang Village was the earliest to break away from feudal superstition. In the early years, village officials and university students came to guide us. Other villages didn’t cooperate, but we were even rated as advanced. This is all thanks to the Duan family!”

---

Bidding farewell to the old village chief, Ling Lie walked alone in the fields outside Jianling Town. It was the farming off-season; the fields were empty, weeds were spreading, and with a gust of chilly wind, the wild grass surged like the sea.

The Duan family members who fled to Country L lost contact with their hometown more than a decade or two ago. The old people in the village who remembered them thought they were already dead. But the Duan family’s “dog,” Xing Yongqiang, returned alone, living a life completely different from before and becoming a charlatan, the profession the Duan family looked down upon the most.

Was he hiding not from others, but from the Duan family? Did he think that by changing his name and making a living in an industry the Duan family would never approach, the Duan family wouldn’t find him?

Choosing Xiarong City was random. He couldn’t go to any city that might remind the Duan family of him, and of course, he couldn’t return to his hometown.

Did some conflict occur between him and the Duan family in Country L? Was the person who killed him a member of the Duan family? Or someone related to the Duan family? An enemy?