The doctor who had cared for Dai Jing had a strong impression of her because, although there are many psychiatric patients, few commit murder.

“Someone also came to ask about Dai Jing’s situation in the first half of the year.” The doctor pulled up the medical records. “Take a look. Dai Jing committed suicide six months after being admitted. Our hospital indeed bears undeniable responsibility, but when the police came to investigate at the time, they had already clarified the situation. The nurse on duty failed to watch her properly. She ran to the rooftop on her own and jumped off.”

Ji Chenjiao nodded. There was no doubt about Dai Jing’s suicide. What he wanted to know more was how Dai Jing mentioned Luo Manchai during her treatment. Fu Chixun had mentioned this, but it was more of a speculation filled with subjective bias.

“That child, Dai Jing, was a typical case of someone suffering a trauma later in life, unable to overcome it herself, and delaying treatment, leading to a severe mental disorder,” the doctor said. “Her family has no history of genetic diseases. Her parents are both normal. Although the family isn’t wealthy, generally speaking, she grew up in a relaxed and pressure-free environment.”

“But after entering university, her living environment suddenly changed, and she also had a strong desire to improve herself and try a new life. That’s when the conflict arose. Her family couldn’t give her financial support, her parents were unsophisticated, and being with her classmates, she felt invisible pressure all the time.”

“According to my understanding, starting from her freshman year, her stress was accumulating constantly. By her sophomore year, she even started hallucinating. She told me that a devil kept whispering in her ear, telling her that it was useless for ants at the bottom to struggle. No matter how beautiful she was, she couldn’t compare to the daughters of rich families. Her efforts were just a joke in the eyes of others.”

Ji Chenjiao interrupted, “Are you sure that was just her hallucination?”

The doctor was stunned for a moment. “That’s what she said.”

Ji Chenjiao glanced at Ling Lie. That might not have been a hallucination, but Dai Jing sending a distress signal to the outside world. She seemed to have understood who caused her predicament, but after three years of manipulation (PUA), she subconsciously feared Luo Manchai and dared not speak that name.

Using the method of exclusion with the people around her, the devil must refer to Luo Manchai.

During the six months of treatment, Dai Jing seemed to receive meticulous care from the hospital, but actually, no one noticed the root of her illness. Her choice to jump off a building six months after admission was likely because she finally despaired of the future.

Ji Chenjiao asked some other questions, such as who had visited Dai Jing and which nurses Dai Jing had a good relationship with. The doctor answered one by one, but there were no breakthrough clues.

Only Ji Chenjiao and Ling Lie sat in the car back to the city area. Ling Lie had guessed the result long ago. “If someone really is avenging Dai Jing, the doctors and nurses in this psychiatric hospital wouldn’t escape either. Maybe there is no such person at all. Investigating the Fu family’s rivals, or Fu Huizhi’s rivals, holds more hope. Because people of that class have the capability.”

Back in Xiarong City.

The Serious Crimes Unit hadn’t encountered such a case for a long time. Even Liang Wenxian, who was always the most laid-back, was a bit confused at this time. “I feel like we might have fallen into some kind of trap. If we continue investigating, the case will become increasingly unsolvable.”

Shen Qi was young and didn’t understand the meaning. “Brother Liang, don’t back down. No matter how hard it is, we have to face the difficulties. There’s no such thing as a case that becomes unsolvable the more you investigate, only cases that become unsolvable if you don’t investigate.”

Ji Chenjiao said, “Brother Liang means that we are walking on a seemingly correct wrong path, and this is exactly what the real culprit hopes to see.”

“I don’t understand,” Shen Qi said. “Is there anything wrong with the investigation so far? Luo Manchai was a female star, murdered in a hotel while filming. The first stage should investigate the hotel and the crew members. We investigated all of them and found the tricks within—the killer cards, the life-exchange surgery—it’s just that Jiang Hui and the others aren’t the murderers.”

“Then we dug deeper and found Fu Chunxing and Zhuiting, but the murderer isn’t on this line either. Investigated again! Found the past events at Ningnan University.” Shen Qi hadn’t slept well, his eyes were red, looking very aggrieved. “Isn’t all this necessary to investigate? Where did we go wrong?”

Ji Chenjiao leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. “The investigation isn’t wrong, it’s just that the truth might run contrary to the direction we are tracking. The person who hired the killer might have no enmity with Luo Manchai.”

Shen Qi was shocked. “Then why kill her? Indiscriminate killing? But indiscriminate killing can’t be a hired hit!”

“Only when we investigate to this extent and conventional investigation has no way out will our thinking shift,” Liang Wenxian sighed. “Criminals are different; their thinking isn’t normal from the start.”

Xi Wan said, “Actually, one of the investigations we’ve done has already turned things around—Luo Manchai’s death benefits the Fu family’s competitors and Fu Huizhi’s rivals within the family. In these people’s view, Luo Manchai was just a pawn. She was going to die anyway, but whether it was suicide or homicide has a different meaning for them.”

Ji Chenjiao nodded. “This line hasn’t been completely cleared yet.”

Investigating up to now, the Serious Crimes Unit seemed to be pushed in a certain direction by an invisible force, and was constantly fed hope. Like Shen Qi said, they did nothing wrong at every stage.

But this kind of progressive, repeated pulling of seeing hope and then disappointment was extremely tormenting.

If the real culprit wasn’t seeking revenge, nor trying to intercept the Fu family’s plan, then why on earth did he want Luo Manchai dead?

While the Serious Crimes Unit was in a meeting, Ling Lie was rummaging for clothes at home. The weather was turning cooler, and he needed to check his autumn clothes. If he didn’t have enough, he would add some new ones.

Halfway through tidying up, he found a small gold-embroidered bag at the bottom of the closet. Without thinking, he knew Ji Chenjiao didn’t buy it himself. Opening it, he found about ten peace charms inside.

“Hmm?” Ling Lie picked up one and examined it closely, feeling it looked familiar.

After Luo Manchai was murdered, the Serious Crimes Unit also found a peace charm in her handbag. Such small items were very common; many people who travel often would ask for one to keep by their side.

Among the physical evidence collected at the scene, the peace charm wasn’t important.

Ling Lie quickly found the crime scene photos. Comparing them with the peace charm in his hand, he found that their pattern styles were similar, but the strokes were reversed.

“What is this?” Ji Chenjiao looked at the colorful peace charms on the dining table, confused.

Ling Lie: “I also want to ask, why is this stuff at the bottom of your closet?”

Ji Chenjiao was stunned for a moment, as if he suddenly thought of something. He strode into the guest bedroom and slid open the door with a clatter. Ling Lie followed him in and pointed to the first layer near the wall, where winter cushions were piled up. Unless one deliberately rummaged for things, it would be hard to find the small gold-embroidered bag hidden in the innermost part.

Ji Chenjiao frowned deeply. “I didn’t put it there.”

Ling Lie looked at Ji Chenjiao. Both had the answer in their hearts. Not many people could enter this apartment. If they didn’t put it there, then it could only be… Ji Chenjiao’s adoptive parents.

However, Zhou Yun had been murdered, and Ji Nuocheng was burdened with a murder case. This was by no means a pleasant topic.

Ling Lie sat on the edge of the bed and patted it, gesturing for Ji Chenjiao to sit too. “Why did they hide those charms here?”

Ji Chenjiao was silent for a moment, looking at that corner which appeared somewhat gloomy due to insufficient light, his voice heavy. “It should be Zhou Yun who put them there.”

“Hmm?”

“Zhou Yun became more and more superstitious over the years, always loving to look at those things about ghosts, gods, reincarnation, and praying for blessings. She said it was a hobby, not that she really believed it. I didn’t try to persuade her. Now…” Ji Chenjiao paused. “Why she was superstitious, there is already an answer. She once said she asked for some charms for me, keeping them on me could ensure safety. I said I am a police officer, police officers can’t be superstitious, so I didn’t take the charms. Maybe when she and Ji Nuocheng came to see me, she hid the charms in the guest bedroom while I wasn’t paying attention.”

Ling Lie returned to the living room, examining the charms on the table again, and suddenly said, “But are they really for blessing safety?”

Ji Chenjiao: “Hmm?”

Ling Lie raised his head. “What if these charms are meant to harm you?”

Ji Chenjiao’s eyes suddenly became very dark, his lips tightened into a cold, thin line.

“I know this is psychologically hard to accept.” Ling Lie stood up, hugged Ji Chenjiao, and patted his back gently. “Am I being cruel?”

Ji Chenjiao’s tense shoulders relaxed, and he simply rested his chin on Ling Lie’s shoulder. “You just voiced a possibility that flashed through my mind but was quickly suppressed.”

Hearing the fatigue and unwillingness in Ji Chenjiao’s voice, Ling Lie patted him twice more, held his shoulders, looked at each other for a moment, then leaned in to kiss Ji Chenjiao’s lips.

This kiss wasn’t intense, just pressing together, sharing each other’s breath.

After separating, Ling Lie said, “You don’t need to think, listen to my analysis. There are two possibilities for this charm. First, it is indeed a peace charm. Although their purpose in adopting you wasn’t pure, even full of malice, after years of living together, they might not necessarily wish you ill. They have developed feelings for you. Zhou Yun asked for peace charms for you. You didn’t want them, so she could only hide them in your home.”

“Second, this is an evil charm. As the saying goes, good and evil will have their retribution. The crimes committed back then were never reckoned. The older people get, the easier it is to believe in karma. Zhou Yun was afraid that one day retribution would fall on her head, so she transferred the disaster from a superstitious perspective. This could explain why the small gold-embroidered bag was hidden so secretly. This is the guest bedroom; you usually don’t come into this room at all.”

Ji Chenjiao sat on the sofa, a surge of resentment suddenly rising in his heart. He rarely thought of his adoptive parents recently. First, cases came one after another, making it hard to distract himself. Second, subconsciously, he didn’t want to review the twenty years living with Zhou Yun and Ji Nuocheng. The love was fake, the care was fake, the warmth was fake; only the malice was real.

Ling Lie put the picture on his phone next to a random charm. “Their overall designs are similar, but the patterns are reversed. This is the key. Luo Manchai’s charm was a peace charm she carried with her. The opposite of a peace charm is very likely an evil charm.”

Ji Chenjiao’s eyes suddenly became sharp, and he quickly grabbed the charm on the table.

“What if it’s the other way around? The ones Zhou Yun gave me are really peace charms?”

Ling Lie frowned slightly. “Luo Manchai carried an evil charm? Who gave her the evil charm?”

Ji Chenjiao took his phone. “I’m going back to the bureau.”

Ling Lie: “I’m going too!”

Serious Crimes Unit, Trace Analysis Area.

Xi Wan took out the charm in the evidence bag and compared it with the ones Ji Chenjiao brought. The similar characteristics and reversed patterns became even more obvious.

“Is there a problem with this peace charm?” Xi Wan said. “I found it in Luo Manchai’s handbag at the time, the same handbag where the Killer Card was found. The material of this charm can’t hold fingerprints. It was placed in the inner pocket of the handbag. Didn’t you ask A’Xi? She said she had seen this charm, and it might have been requested by Luo Manchai herself.”

Ji Chenjiao said, “Only A’Xi has seen it?”

Ling Lie said, “Yes, I was in the hospital at the time. I asked A’Xi with the picture.”

Xi Wan said, “Should I verify with other crew members again?”

Ji Chenjiao thought for a moment. “Can we find the origin of this charm and my charms?”

Xi Wan used image search and found a massive amount of similar charms. Many were small items wholesaled from small commodity markets and possessed no uniqueness.

“Captain, since you suspect there’s a problem with the charms, I’ll immediately test their materials and trace the source.”

Ji Chenjiao nodded, but Ling Lie took the evidence bag. “Ms. Xi, wait a moment. I’ll take this charm to an expert for interpretation tomorrow.”

Ji Chenjiao said, “A’Dan and the others?”

Ling Lie: “Yeah, so I won’t go with you to the detention center.”

Ji Chenjiao was surprised. “Detention center?”

Ling Lie smiled. “Whether the charms Zhou Yun hid are peace charms or evil charms, Ji Nuocheng should know the answer.”

Ji Chenjiao was about to speak, but Ling Lie pressed his shoulder. “You’re not going to handle personal affairs. Your charms have reversed patterns. If yours are peace charms, then Luo Manchai’s is very likely an evil charm. Who would actively carry an evil charm on themselves?”

Ji Chenjiao: “Then this charm is an important clue.”

Ling Lie hooked Ji Chenjiao’s chin teasingly and leaned in. “It’s uncomfortable having this matter blocked in your heart. Might as well take the opportunity to ask clearly.”

Too close, Ling Lie’s face wasn’t very clear, making his contours look exceptionally soft. Ji Chenjiao involuntarily grasped the back of his neck, unable to resist applying force.

Ling Lie understood him too well. He needed to get the truth from Ji Nuocheng’s mouth.

Xi Wan watched these two getting sticky even while discussing clues and chuckled softly. Ji Chenjiao then let go of Ling Lie.

The next day, Ji Chenjiao went to the detention center. Ji Nuocheng was waiting for his own judgment. When he saw Ji Chenjiao, he revealed a cramped smile.

Ji Chenjiao placed the small gold-embroidered bag in front of Ji Nuocheng and took out the charms one by one. Ji Nuocheng’s lips trembled slightly, obviously knowing their origin.

“These were found in the guest bedroom of my house. Did you put them there?”

“It was your mother… it was Zhou Yun. She said it’s dangerous for you to be a police officer, so she asked for charms for you. These are disaster-blocking charms, able to block disasters for you when you are in danger, so there are many. She originally wanted to give them to you herself, but you wouldn’t accept them. Since the charms were already requested, it was useless to keep them with us. Once when we went to see you, while I was playing chess with you, she put them in.”

Ji Chenjiao had no expression on his face, as if coldly watching Ji Nuocheng lie.

Ji Nuocheng sighed and smiled awkwardly. “You think we are hypocritical, right? Adopted you with malice, then played the role of good parents praying for their child? But this matter, it is indeed like this. Xiao Chen, Zhou Yun and I wronged you, wronged many people. We treated you as a tool for atonement and didn’t truly love you.”

Ji Chenjiao’s hand under the table clenched involuntarily.

“But how to put this?” Ji Nuocheng said. “You are indeed the child we raised, our only child. Especially Zhou Yun, at this age, her heart was even more uneasy and panicked. She told me she felt you were her biological child. She hoped for your safety, and that’s why she asked for the charms. If you don’t believe it, I won’t explain more. People like us indeed don’t deserve forgiveness.”

Ji Chenjiao had mixed feelings. Twenty years of upbringing and care couldn’t be easily stripped from life because of one party’s sins. Hearing that the charms were requested by Zhou Yun to block disasters for him, at that moment, he felt relieved in his heart, almost not wanting to question anymore.

Zhou Yun was gone. Since Ji Nuocheng said so, he chose to believe.

But soon, he calmed down and read a detail from Ji Nuocheng’s eyes—Ji Nuocheng’s explanation was out of fear that he would think they were hypocritical, with absolutely no intention of defending evil charms as peace charms.

Ji Nuocheng didn’t think in that direction at all.

Did that exactly prove that these were indeed good charms? They didn’t mean to hide charms to curse him?

Then Luo Manchai’s charm…

“Ow ow! Boss Ling is here!” Tu Wang saw Ling Lie arriving with groceries, drool almost falling. “A’Dan! Boss Ling is here to cook again!”

Ling Lie: “You surf the internet in our country and only learned ‘re’ [a particles used in internet slang]?”

Tu Wang: “I also know YYDS [eternal god/GOAT], and jue jue zi [absolutely amazing]!”

Ling Lie put the groceries in the kitchen. “Let me say first, you only eat after answering my questions today.”

A’Dan also came out, showing a very regretful expression. “Actually, we also have intelligence to give you. Why did you come so coincidently? Do you only want to cook one meal for two pieces of intelligence?”

Ling Lie: “Hmm? The layout of Rongmei?”

A’Dan pointed to Tu Wang. “You tell him. I’ll go wash the vegetables in the kitchen first.”

Tu Wang busily pulled Ling Lie into the inner room. That was the room he borrowed from A’Dan, decorated with exotic tablecloths and bedsheets, and filled with many strange little figures. The table was messy with printed papers. Tu Wang rummaged frantically. “I found that the layout of Rongmei’s architecture is very similar to an evil art circulated on a small island in the Pacific—of course, the locals think it is a blessing from God.”

Ling Lie took the drawings, which were full of incomprehensible symbols.

“This small island is still very primitive, and news of human sacrifice often spreads. I have been there; they really kill people,” Tu Wang said. “In their belief, the blood and pain of living people, after being baptized by fire, will become the eternal blessing of the tribe. Their altar looks like this.”

The altar of the island tribe was very simple and looked unremarkable at first glance, but Tu Wang handed over the structural diagram of Rongmei. Now it was much clearer; Rongmei’s overall structure was unexpectedly similar to the island’s altar.

“Didn’t you give me another structural diagram? The Yu family also built similar buildings in other counties. I found that over time, they show a progressive characteristic, but the core structure is consistent with the altar.” Tu Wang’s eyes shone. “The most critical factor is fire!”

“On the island, before building the altar, those wizards burned a group of islanders directly to death. This is the blood, pain, and fire of living people I mentioned earlier. The altar is built on the place of burning, with ashes and remains underneath.”

Ling Lie: “Rongmei was also built on the ruins of a fire. Although the remains of the victims have been properly handled, their blood and pain are real.”

“Exactly!” Tu Wang said. “Modern countries don’t allow superstitious evil arts to exist. It’s basically impossible to find living people to burn, but it can be done under the cover of a fire.”

Ling Lie’s heart suddenly became very heavy. Such evil, even though he had been sneaking in the darkness for a long time, still made him shudder.

“But there is one point I don’t quite understand,” Tu Wang said. “The number of people is wrong. According to the scale of the altar, this evil art requires a different number of people, not unified, but one point: it must be an odd number. But A’Dan and I checked the news; the number of people who died in the grocery market fire was an even number.”

Superstitious people wouldn’t compromise on such important elements. Ling Lie immediately thought of a possibility—there was another person unknown to the police who was added in!

Who was this person?

Ling Lie felt goosebumps on his back and raised his hand to unbutton the top button of his shirt.

Tu Wang moved the oscillating fan to blow on him. “This is all A’Dan and I found. If you believe us, you should investigate the founders of Rongmei. They definitely have problems.”

Ling Lie nodded. He initially asked Tu Wang to investigate Rongmei’s layout aiming at the Yu family. But today, he had another important matter.

“Help me look at this. What kind of charm is this? Is there any particular significance?”

Seeing the evidence bag, Tu Wang said excitedly, “This is your police evidence!”

“Yes. What is the difference between it and these other charms? Where do they come from?”

At this time, A’Dan also came in.

Tu Wang wasn’t very proficient with charms and asked, “Is this from your country?”

“No, looking at the pattern, it comes from those countries in the south.” A’Dan looked at the loose ones, then at the one in the evidence bag. A few seconds later, he turned pale with fright and threw the evidence bag away violently.

Ling Lie bent down to pick it up and dusted it off. “Why so agitated?”

“This is an evil object! Completely opposite to the disaster-blocking charms over there!”

Ling Lie didn’t believe in ghosts and gods at all, so the prayers and curses of ghosts and gods meant nothing to him. A’Dan’s conclusion hit right on his deduction. “What evil object? Elaborate.”

A’Dan was still irritable from touching the evil object. Ling Lie said, “There’s mouth-watering chicken today.”

Three minutes later, A’Dan sat back, looking serious. “Anyone who possesses this thing has to block disasters and pay with their life for others. Look at those disaster-blocking charms over there. Only when they are put together do they form a complete charm. The good side: wearing it can block disasters. The evil side: if you wear it, you are blocking disasters for someone else.”

Ling Lie thought for a moment. “Would anyone actively wear this thing?”

“What normal person would?” A’Dan said. “But average people don’t know it’s so insidious. At first glance, it looks like a peace charm. Some people have bad hearts, giving this thing to others, claiming it ensures safety. Boss Ling, if someone gives you inexplicable things in the future, you must never accept them!”

Ling Lie gained a lot from this trip. After cooking for Tu Wang and A’Dan, he didn’t eat himself and rushed back to the city bureau.

Ji Chenjiao also returned. Combining the clues from both sides, the answer was ready to come out—someone, driven by superstition, made Luo Manchai carry the evil charm with her.

But the evil charm couldn’t really kill people; this charm only served a ritualistic function.

Xi Wan questioned the crew members again and found that besides A’Xi, no one had an impression of Luo Manchai’s charm. This made sense; after all, the charm was kept in an inner pocket and wouldn’t usually be taken out for outsiders to see.

But what Xi Wan found strange was that when A’Xi answered questions about the charm, her reaction was different from last time.

Last time she said she had seen the charm because Luo Manchai took it out, but she didn’t ask, thinking that kind of charm was common. Having stayed in the entertainment industry for so long, she knew many stars were particularly superstitious. Compared to raising little ghosts and the like, carrying a charm was nothing.

But this time she said she couldn’t remember clearly if Luo Manchai had this charm. The time Luo Manchai took it out, she didn’t see clearly at all. When questioned, she subconsciously said it was a charm Luo Manchai carried herself. Whether it was or not, she didn’t know either.

“This A’Xi has big problems,” Xi Wan said. “Her testimony is inconsistent. And the murderer messing with the surveillance, I’ve thought about it over and over, it must be to hide the method of opening the door, not letting people see if the room card was A’Xi’s.”

“Wait a minute, I just thought of a possibility.” Ling Lie picked up the evidence bag again, holding it with his thumb and index finger against the light. “This charm might not have been in Luo Manchai’s bag for a long time. It could also be that the murderer put it in deliberately after committing the crime. Think about it, our line of thought has always been that the charm itself cannot kill, right? It merely represents a superstitious consciousness.”

Ji Chenjiao: “Of course. If a charm could really kill, why would a murderer be needed?”

“So putting the charm in Luo Manchai’s bag in advance, and leaving the charm after killing her, there is no difference between the two. Both express a sense of ritual, expressing that Luo Manchai paid with her life for someone,” Ling Lie said. “Have you heard of ‘Feng Shui Fish’?”

Xi Wan said, “Uh, I raised a few last year, and they all died.”

Ji Chenjiao knew about the tank of fish in Trace Analysis, but thought they were just ornamental fish, just like Shen Qi displaying dolls on his desk.

“My mom told my fortune last year, saying Old Zhou and I both committed evil spirits, telling me to raise some ‘Feng Shui Fish’ to block the evil spirits,” Xi Wan was a bit embarrassed. “It’s all folk customs. A fish dying equals blocking an evil spirit for me once. I don’t believe in those; I raise them for my mom to see, to make her feel at ease.”

Ji Chenjiao pondered. “So generally, people who feel they have a disaster, or disasters have already happened to them, are more likely to raise ‘Feng Shui Fish’?”

Xi Wan: “I don’t know much either. Should be?”

Ling Lie: “Ordinary people being a little superstitious can only raise small fish and shrimp as Feng Shui fish to block disasters for themselves, seeking psychological comfort. But someone wealthy and superstitious, plus a key condition—imminent disaster—he would use other people’s lives to block disasters for himself.”

Xi Wan felt a chill. “That’s too vicious.”

Ling Lie said, “Maybe Luo Manchai wasn’t the only victim.”

Xi Wan: “What!”

“‘Feng Shui Fish’, ‘Feng Shui Fish’, you wouldn’t raise just one when you raise them, right? So I guess, since someone dared to do this, maybe it will be more than once.”

Xi Wan slapped the table. “Incomprehensible, outrageous!”

Ling Lie was very calm. “This is just the evil that has surfaced. More of it, even people in uniform might not necessarily see.”