Ji Chenjiao took a tube of ointment from the drawer—aloe vera based, for treating sunburn in the summer.

A cool sensation suddenly covered the red and painful spot between Ling Lie’s thumb and forefinger. Ling Lie flinched, but Ji Chenjiao grasped his finger tightly. “Don’t move!”

The burning pain gradually disappeared, replaced by a coolness that penetrated deep into the skin, feeling very soothing.

After treating the burn, Ling Lie said, “I’m going to the East District Branch.”

Ji Chenjiao wanted to say he would go too, but there were other matters at the Serious Crimes Unit, so he had to let Ling Lie go alone. “Contact me immediately if anything happens.”

When Ling Lie arrived at the East District Branch, he almost bumped into the squadron leader in the corridor. Seeing it was him, the squadron leader hurriedly said, “Teacher Ling, I was just about to look for your Serious Crimes Unit! We did a DNA comparison as soon as the body was brought back. Guess who the deceased is?”

Ling Lie already had the answer in his heart and spoke in unison with the squadron leader: “It’s Xing Yongdan.”

The squadron leader choked. “You knew?”

Ling Lie strode towards the forensic identification room. “Thanks to the scene photos you sent.”

The squadron leader followed, slapping his forehead. “Oh right, there were photos. No wonder you came over before I even notified Captain Ji!”

In the forensic identification room, the autopsy was underway. A’Dan lay on the dissection table. Half of his head was shattered, there was a bullet hole in his right forehead, multiple fractures all over his body, and ruptured internal organs. As a victim of a fall from height, he was lucky that his limbs hadn’t been severed.

Ling Lie thought back to the last time they met. A’Dan was a lively, cunning old man. Even on the phone a few days ago, his voice had been quite cheerful. In the blink of an eye, he had become this body, stripped of all dignity.

Human life was so fragile.

Ling Lie’s gaze swept over the body and noticed an irregular ring of strangulation marks on A’Dan’s neck, seemingly caused by the repeated friction of a rope-like object.

A’Dan always wore a triangular pouch on a silver chain. Ling Lie had noticed it the first time they met. Very few adults wore such pouches; usually, children wore them containing longevity locks or talismans. Adults used pouches because they were afraid of losing the items if worn directly.

Ling Lie had asked what was inside the pouch back then, and A’Dan said it was his secret.

A secret?

Ling Lie asked, “Where is the thing that hung around his neck?”

The forensic doctor looked up. “There was something on his neck?”

Ling Lie gestured to his own chest. “He used to wear a pouch hung on a silver chain. It wasn’t found at the scene?”

The forensic doctor frowned deeply. “No. When I arrived, he wasn’t wearing any jewelry.”

Ling Lie pressed his latex-gloved hand on A’Dan’s neck. “The pouch is missing, and the strangulation marks show vital reaction. He had a physical conflict with the killer, and the killer forcibly snatched the pouch from his neck.”

The squadron leader pondered. “So what was inside the pouch? Something very valuable? Was it a robbery?”

Ling Lie shook his head. “They even used a gun just to rob an old geezer like this?”

Squadron Leader: “Hey, I don’t know what was in his pouch. What if it was some incredible treasure?”

It wasn’t impossible, but Ling Lie felt that the item in the pouch might not be valuable in monetary terms, but held some significant meaning.

But what was that meaning?

He looked at the body again. perhaps only after a person died, shedding all disguises, could they truly show themselves in their original form.

When A’Dan was dressed and wrapped up tight, the knife and gunshot wounds on his body were perfectly hidden. He mingled in the marketplace, looking no different from any other bottom-tier citizen of Xiarong City. The only special thing about him was that he was a charlatan. And perhaps being a charlatan was just another disguise to hide his true self.

Looking at the gunshot wounds on the body’s waist and legs, and a long knife scar on the chest, Ling Lie’s eyes grew colder.

They were all old wounds from a long time ago. New skin had grown over them, making it hard to see at a glance what this body had endured. Even if A’Dan went shirtless while alive, ordinary people wouldn’t be able to tell what kind of wounds they were; they could easily be explained away as “surgery” or “accidents.”

But they couldn’t escape the eyes of the forensic doctor and Ling Lie.

“These wounds are at least twenty years old,” the forensic doctor said. “The deceased was no simple character in his youth. I’ve dissected similar bodies before; they were all former gang members. I haven’t seen a body like this in years.”

Ling Lie connected this to A’Dan having lived in Country L for a long time. His identity was likely not as simple as a domestic gang member.

Ling Lie walked around to the head of the corpse and looked down carefully at the bullet hole. “Has the shell casing been found?”

The squadron leader said, “Still looking. The sweep is also ongoing.”

Identification of ballistics and bullet type wouldn’t be ready immediately. After the forensic doctor began toxicology tests, Ling Lie left the identification room.

---

Guishui Road had been bustling all morning, and the onlookers had finally quieted down. Police tape surrounded the unit building where the incident occurred, and the roof was completely closed off to the public.

Ling Lie parked across from Guishui Road and walked in. There were many utility poles in this area, branching out messily. Residents had also set up wooden poles on the upper floors and roads for drying clothes. The spacing between houses was already small, and with these additions, the space appeared even more cramped and oppressive.

Ling Lie observed as he walked, pondering why A’Dan had died here. A’Dan lived far from Guishui Road, not even in the same district. Did he come here voluntarily? Or was he forced here by the killer? Was there anything special about Guishui Road?

Ling Lie arrived in front of the police tape. The bloodstains on the ground were shocking. He slowly raised his head to look at the top of the unit building. In the early morning, A’Dan had fallen from there.

The old houses on Guishui Road had a characteristic—common to many old buildings—where there was a half-flight of stairs above the eighth floor. Opening the door led to the topmost platform. The residents of the eighth floor had claimed the platform as their own, planting flowers and vegetables, and even building a gazebo. From a distance, it looked vibrant, like a hanging garden.

The platform had already been surveyed. There were footprints belonging to A’Dan, as well as destroyed residual footprints. Dust had been wiped off one side of the cement platform, which had spattered and smeared bloodstains.

Ling Lie stood by the cement platform, imagining the scene before A’Dan was killed.

The killer pointed a gun at A’Dan, forcing him step by step to the cement platform. A’Dan begged for mercy in fear, his hands clawing at the cement. The killer didn’t kill him immediately but grabbed his collar, hooking a finger around the silver chain.

A’Dan instinctively tried to stop him, but a gun was pressed against his forehead. The killer wanted the pouch, and the silver chain was in the way. Lacking the patience to untie it properly, he ripped it off rudely, leaving marks on A’Dan’s neck.

Having obtained the pouch, the killer also spoke with A’Dan. What would they talk about? Was it related to the old wounds on A’Dan’s body?

With the pouch taken, A’Dan thought the killer only wanted the pouch. He knelt, begging only to be spared. But the killer lifted him up again. This time, there was no hesitation; a bullet pierced his skull. The killer let go, and A’Dan became a pool of blood on the ground.

The crime happened in the dead of night when people were fast asleep. The killer used a silenced gun. Coupled with the sound of A’Dan hitting the ground, if anyone heard anything, they should have heard two muffled thuds.

Daring to commit a crime in such a densely populated area using a gun suggested the killer didn’t care much about the noise. Even if someone heard the sound and rushed out, he didn’t care—worst case, he’d just kill another person.

But to say the killer had zero counter-reconnaissance awareness wouldn’t be accurate either. At the very least, he knew there were few surveillance cameras and many blind spots here. He had cleared his footprints after the crime. Moreover, high population density had pros and cons for committing crimes; although discovery was easier, if used well, the masses could become a natural shield.

The branch was conducting a sweep, with the residents of the eighth floor being the primary focus. There were four households on this floor. Two were elderly people who had lived here all their lives and went to bed before 9 PM. One unit was uninhabited, with dust settling on the iron gate. The last one was a family of three living directly below where the fall occurred.

The wife was pale with fright, and the husband said nervously, “I, I did hear a sound. I even woke her up to listen, but she said not to meddle.”

Ling Lie asked, “What sound? Describe it.”

“Like running, thud-thud-thud,” the husband said. “I didn’t hear a gunshot, but I heard the sound of falling. But I didn’t know it was a person falling back then! I’ve never heard what a person falling sounds like before!”

Ling Lie said, “I heard that these platforms belong to the top-floor residents by default, meaning it’s your territory.”

The husband thought for a moment, realized the implication, and waved his hands repeatedly. “No, no! It has nothing to do with us; we don’t know that person either! And let me put it this way, our family didn’t get any benefits from the roof. You saw those vegetable gardens and gazebos, right? They belong to those two elderly households. We can’t compete with them, nor do we dare. At most, we go up to dry clothes!”

The wife added, ” The hooligans nearby all know the roof isn’t under our control, and the old folks can’t manage it at night, so they often come here to fight and smoke. Hearing footsteps is too common, so I told him not to meddle; we can’t afford to provoke them. I… I thought it was just hooligans fighting last night too.”

This was a lead. Ling Lie asked again, “Is it like this on other roofs too? Do you know which hooligans?”

The husband and wife looked at each other, uncertain. “Our situation might not be common. Usually, the roof platform is shared by four households and kept locked, with each family having a key. Here, the two elderly families are very domineering. Once the garden was built, they wanted to show it off to the neighbors, so they didn’t lock it. As for which hooligans… sigh, aren’t they just from the vocational school nearby? They watch too many TV dramas. The arcades and pool halls aren’t enough for them; they insist on going to the rooftops.”

Ling Lie could understand the mindset of these hooligans. The rooftop was indeed like a sanctuary for them, especially since there were few buildings left in the city with direct roof access. If the hooligans asked around, they could find out which places were easy to get into.

By the same logic, the killer could find out, and so could A’Dan.

Later, the branch confirmed that among the unit buildings on Guishui Road, there were three in total with easy roof access. The team members found some of the hooligans. According to them, everyone in the area knew which buildings could be accessed. They went to the other two buildings more often because those two were straightforward and unsupervised, making trouble less likely.

A team member said, “You guys know whether it’s easy to get into trouble? Then why is that building prone to trouble?”

The hooligans didn’t want to say, but finally pushed one forward to explain. “Aren’t there a few old fogies living there? They dare to hit us, but do we dare to hit them? We don’t even dare to go near them, okay!”

“In other words, everyone knows this place is accessible, and people have been up there, but they don’t come often,” Ling Lie mused. “Of the three buildings, this is the one they visit the least.”

The team member simply called a few hooligans over to Ling Lie. Ling Lie took out A’Dan’s photo. “Have you seen this person?”

“Ah, it’s him?” one of the hooligans exclaimed.

Ling Lie: “You know him?”

Hooligan: “Don’t know him, but I saw him twice in the last few days.”

“When? What was he doing?”

“Just the morning before yesterday and in the evening. I don’t know what he was doing. I was walking in front, and he was following me. I thought the guy had issues, so I turned around and cursed at him. He didn’t say much.”

“He was following you?”

The hooligan scratched his hair. “Tsk, maybe not following. But I grew up in this area. Even if I don’t know someone, I’d recognize their face. His face was unfamiliar, and he was acting all sneaky, so I kept noticing him. Was he the one who fell to his death?”

Soon, some residents successively said they had seen A’Dan, but didn’t know what he was there for. Approaching the end of the year, there were many thieves, and some residents thought he was one.

Ling Lie looked at the calendar on his phone. A’Dan appeared on Guishui Road the morning before yesterday and died early this morning. had he been on Guishui Road for the past few days he was missing?

Then where did he live? Where did he hide?

There was a vacant unit on the eighth floor of the incident building. What about other floors, other units?

Ling Lie immediately had the branch investigate vacant properties.

Night fell, and Guishui Road became lively again. People returning from work joined the discussion. A’Dan’s identity as a charlatan was gradually dug up, and rumors became increasingly bizarre. People said all sorts of things, the most common being that A’Dan played with spirits and finally suffered a backlash.

Ling Lie returned to the Municipal Bureau, and Tu Wang had also been brought over. His eyes were red, and upon seeing Ling Lie, he rushed over. “Officer Ling, is A’Dan really gone?”

Ling Lie said, “I am now going to formally investigate you.”

Tu Wang was mentally prepared and wiped his eyes. “I’ll cooperate, I’ll do whatever you say!”

At this time, Xi Wan was surveying A’Dan’s home and had also retrieved surveillance footage. Tu Wang’s movements had been restricted; he hadn’t left since returning home. He couldn’t have killed A’Dan.

But he might be able to provide important clues.

Ling Lie asked, “Did A’Dan ever mention Guishui Road to you?”

Tu Wang nodded. “We’ve been there. He took me there a few times.”

“To do what?”

“To eat. That place has no other merits, but the stuff is cheap. A’Dan said when he first arrived in Xiarong City, he had no place to live and even slept under a bridge near there.”

“When was the last time you went?”

“September? Anyway, it was when you guys were investigating that case. We went to eat baked cakes. Those baked cakes are only available there.”

Ling Lie narrowed his eyes. Slept under a bridge, ate baked cakes, familiar with Guishui Road. So when running for his life, he also hid on Guishui Road?

“There were many injuries on A’Dan’s body. Did you know?” Ling Lie asked again.

Tu Wang was stunned. “Injuries? I didn’t know. I never showered with him.”

“Then when he told you about his experiences in Country L, did he mention gunfights, mercenaries, or the like?” Ling Lie said, “If you’re interested in Country L, you should know that guns are rampant there and gangs are everywhere.”

Tu Wang nodded like a chicken pecking rice. “But A’Dan said he just went over to collect bodies and pray for blessings, and never touched a gun. I know they fight wars all the time there, so many people die. A’Dan was basically a mortician, right? Praying and then cremating. He said that line of work was quite popular over there, but I don’t have the guts.”

Ling Lie asked, “Did he say why he quit?”

Tu Wang said, “He didn’t say explicitly, but I think he made enough money. Country L isn’t safe after all. Selling your life for a few years and coming back to enjoy retirement, isn’t that good?”

Incorrect, Ling Lie thought. If he made enough money to retire, why was his first stop Guishui Road? And sleeping under a bridge? Also, A’Dan’s hometown isn’t in Xiarong City at all. Why didn’t he return home in glory?

A’Dan returning to the country might have been to avoid calamity. But after many years, did the calamity still find him?

Did the calamity come from Country L?

The questioning ended, but Ling Lie leaned by the window in a daze. Now, whenever Country L was involved, his nerves would tense up, even more so than when thinking of “Floating Light.” The secret of Ji Chenjiao’s origins lay there. When victims or suspects related to Country L appeared around Ji Chenjiao, he would feel an intense sense of crisis.

“After all, this is my first time having a boyfriend.”

Ji Chenjiao came to find Ling Lie and heard him muttering but didn’t catch the words clearly. He tapped Ling Lie’s head. “What spell are you chanting?”

Ling Lie snapped back to reality. Meeting Ji Chenjiao’s eyes, he understood that Ji Chenjiao hadn’t come for a chat. “Found something?”

Ji Chenjiao nodded and led Ling Lie to the technical investigation office area. “Didn’t Xing Yongdan leave without his phone when he went missing? Shen Qi just found out that there were signs of intrusion on that phone, and the source is ‘Floating Light’.”