Chapter 569: The Words in Crimson Blood


    Thatwaswhy Ididnt think they werekilled byaspirit. Someone had murdered them. That murderer was so excellent that he didnt leave any evidence behind at the crime scenes.


    After listening to me, Xiao Quan pondered for a while. Then, he lowered his voice and said,I understand your idea. At first, wealsothought thatanelite foreign agent had caused trouble! However, those deceased experts and researchers didnt work at the same departments when they were alive!Thats not all. Not only were they experts indifferentfields,but some wereordinary office workers. Thats why wevedecided to eliminate the possibility of an agentmitting all the murders. Xiao Quan was talking fast, but his exnation was clear and orderly.


    I subconsciously frowned after listening to him. The victims had worked at different departments and their ranks were also different. They didnt even know each other when they were alive. The possibility of a group murder case was reducedbya lot


    However, we couldnt cross off the possibility yet. I contemted, then asked Xiao Quan to take me to the murder scenes.


    Our countryhad alwaystreated talented people generously, so they wereeachgiven a house, which is why all of the victims lived in Haidian District.This made thingsconvenient for us.


    Xiao Quan andI had visitedthe houses of five of the deceased in one morning. All the crime scenes were well-preserved. However, to prevent the bodies from dposing, they had sprayed formalin on them. I had to endurethepungentsmell of chemicals the entire morning.


    The situations were exactlyasXiao Quan haddescribed to me. All of the victims were dismembered.Some of them had their eyes opened wide in fright as it was thest facial expression they had right before their deaths.


    Idheard that peoples eyes could preserve the image of thest thing they saw before they died. With that thought, I loomed overthe headof a victim to take a close look. However, I didnt see anything.


    From the surface, there was nothing that couldbe considered evidencein the crime scenes. It was in line with the nature of a murder case done byaghost.However,I knew it wouldnt be that simple.


    In theory, after the spirit killed people and left, the wounds on the dead or the interior of the deads house would retain some Yin energy. Sometimes, there would be some unusual changes to the corpse. For example, molds and fungi could grow crazily within a short time. In some stranger cases, the deceaseds hair could grow longer.


    Inthe cases I had epted before, I knewsomeinformationaboutmost of the otherworldly items. And, I could investigate and solve the case based on the Yin energy leftbehind. I had never encountered such a situation before. For the time being, I had no idea what to do.


    Xiao Quan thought that I didnt want to put my best effortintothis. He said in a reprimanding voice,The fate of the nation is in the hands of the capable and responsible ones. The experts who contributed to the development of our country were murdered. Mr. Zhang, how could you just stand and


    Im not! I rudely interrupted him.Afterseeing the remains of the victims, I had kept thinkingabout how to find clues and how to help those dead victims rest in peace.


    It was the first time I had boldly snapped back while talking to Xiao Quan. Themanwas somewhat bewildered. Then, he changed his attitudeand talked in asofter tone to me. Im just anxious. Please forgive me.


    All right, I know you just want to solve the case quickly! I waved my hands and asked Xiao Quan to return to the base of his Special Operation Team. I would go to Panjiayuan,the biggest antique market in Beijing.


    Panjiayuan, also known asthe Dirt Market, was the biggest domestic antique trading market. It was likeaholynd to antique businessmen like us.


    There were so many vendor stalls in the Dirt Market, including minor ethnic vendors. It was said that eighty percent of the antiques here were fake. Idheard that the counterfeits in this market were so excellent that they could even trick the experts in the field. It was also the reason why when a new antique businessmanwanted to start his or her new career, they woulde to this ce to train their eyes!


    Of course, I wasnt here to look for something interesting. I wanted to collect some Five Emperors coins. The Five Emperors coinswere differently sized. They werethe coins cast during the times of Emperor Hanwu of Qin, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Zhu Yuanzhang. Unfortunately, since it wasso long ago, there werent many coins left. It was impossible to have arge coin collection.


    The small Five Emperors coins were the coins produced and circted during thereignsof Emperor Shunzhi to Emperor Jiaqing of the Qing Dynasty. There were many of them and the prices werent high, which made them a top exorcising tool.


    Anyway, people did make fake coins. I was lucky that my keen eyes were well-trained. After an entire afternoon, I had selected around one hundred coins of a bright bronze color. I called Xiao Quan to visit the victims houses one more time and ced a coin next to their dead bodies.


    Xiao Quan watched medothat and didnt have a clue.He doubtfullyasked, Mr. Zhang, its just a small antique coin. How could it know if theres something foul in this ce?


    Since we had no clue and I didnt know if itwasanevil spirit that hamittedthe murder, thatwasallthatI could do for now. As long as thespirit appeared, the bright light on the coins would be gone. At least, I could confirm ifaspiritwas behind the murders.


    After listening to me, Xiao Quan nodded. Then, he asked, Do you want to have someone watch the scenes?


    Theres no need.We arent even sure ifthere is aspirit.I then asked Xiao Quans driver to go back to their department.


    That night, I was amodated in the dormitory of the State Security Ministry.While lying on the bed, I reyed what Id seen today. Still, I wasnt sure ifaspirit had troubled them.


    To be honest, using those small coins was just a makeshift method. It waslike using a dead horse as a living one. I didnt have confidence in it.


    Perhaps it was because I was in a states dormitory, butI was restless andcouldnt sleep. Before midnight, I was still rollinginthe bed, trying to sleep. After midnight, I was weary but suddenly felt uneasy. It was a panicked feeling I couldnt name. My heart raced. The air around me suddenly stagnated. It seemed time had stopped at this moment.


    Subconsciously, I thought something foul hadenteredmy room. I got up and looked around. There was no wisp of Yin energy in the room. However, the temperature was so lowthat I was chilledto the bone!


    My thoughts wandered back to the fact that I found no wisp of Yin energy in the houses of those dead researchers and experts.Did that thing keep track of me?


    My heart sank at this instant. I felt a pair of sharpeyeslurking inadark corner, watching me. I gulped my salivaandinstinctivelyturnedin that direction. Eventually, my eyes stopped at the door.


    I grabbed the Sirius Whipfrom theside of my pillow. I stood and got a hold of myself. Then, with all of my courage, I walked to the door.


    It was thefirsttime Idfelt so much danger since I hadjoinedthis business.I hadnt seen that thingyet,butit had alreadybrought outfear from the depths of my soul!


    When Iapproached the door, I closed one eyeand focusedon the peephole from a distance. Although itwas a hassle,it made mefeelsafer. I was afraid that once Iwentclose to the door, the other party would suddenly attackand leaveme no chance to dodge.


    I squinted. My heart started to race when I found an eye gazing at me from the other side of the peephole! That eye was scarlet, justas if itwasbleeding. When it faced me, it looked arrogant yet hateful.


    Instantly, I confirmed that it was the murderer! But I didnt know why it looked like it hated me. That thing on the other side of the door gave me a dangerous feeling. It was the only clue I could graspat thismoment. I pulled myself together and opened the door. At the same time, Ished the Sirius Whip rightintothe void!


    Attackingfirst togainthe upper hand was a good habit I had formed.Moreover, this time, I had confirmed that thespirit was out there.I thought my whip could hit it. Unexpectedly, I hit nothing.


    The eye had disappeared. Instinctively, I retreated into the roomandcautiouslylookedaround. I was afraid that it would ambush me. I looked aroundbutfound nothing.


    Suddenly, I recognized that when the eye disappeared, the pressure and panic I felt had also disappeared.


    Phew I heaved a long sigh of relief. I slumpedtothe ground andrestedfor a long moment before I could pull myself together. Ireluctantlygotup.


    It was just a short encounter, but I knew that if I had to face that thing, I wouldnt be its equal opponent. However, I was skeptical as to why ithadetomy door.


    If it wanted to kill me, whydidn''t itenter the room? And,if it didnt want to kill me, whatdidit want?


    After thinking for quite a long time without any result, I felt tired. I went to the door to close it. I wanted to rest. However, I caught the sight of two blood streaks right outside my door.


    I was scared.When I finally got a hold of myself, I stepped forward to see. They were two big words written in blood. Oneword read,Loyalty, butitwas crossed by a dark streak of blood. The other wordread, Death!


    I looked at the two words for a long time as Iwasbewildered. I vaguely thought I could grab the purpose of the spirits current visit. He wanted toconveysome information through these two words. However, I hadnt figured out any possible clues with these two words yet!


    I helplessly closed the door and got on my bedas I triedto figure out something.I slowlydrifted into sleep until I waswokenup by someone banging on my door. I sat up and cleared my head.


    No matter what, Xiao Quan was a staff of the State Security Ministry with greatposure. If it werent something important, he wouldnt be insuch a panickedstate. I didnt have time to put on more clothesand askedhim, Whats wrong?


    Another person wasattacked


    What?! I hadnt expected that the spirit had gone to kill someone after a sudden visit to my room. Xiao Quan, what happened? Someone diedst night?


    Ugh, our target is not dead yet.Xiao Quan was stillin shock.


    I exhaled when he said that. Isignaled at him to continue talking.


    This time, it happened to a leader of the Weapons Research and Development Department. His name is Ye Weiguo.


    Last night, Ye Weiguo haddrunkwith his peer officials until it was almost dawn before going back home. However, as soon as he went through the gate of his house, he felt a strange chill wafting from inside the house. Being cautious, he didnt enter the house but asked his subordinate to go first.


    As soon as his subordinate went through the door, he screeched painfully and copsed. At the same time, Ye Weiguo feltawarm liquidsshon his face. He reached and wiped his cheek, then found warm blood all over his hand. His drunk head sobered up in that instant. He looked into the house and was frightened, as he saw his soldier being chopped intopieces!


    Ye Weiguo screamed. He turned and stumbled his way downstairs. Recently, people from different departments hadbeendiscussingthese serial murder cases. Of course, Ye Weiguo had heard something about this.After seeing the scene, he knew that thing had made him its next target.


    How could Ye Weiguo escape? The spirit didnt chase after him? I asked, thinking it was somewhat strange.


    Xiao Quan nodded and continued to talk.WhenYe Weiguo rushed downstairs, he felt a strange cold wind blowing behind him. His instinct told him that he was in an extremely dangerous situation. He knew that thing was after him. In that difficult moment, his witty brain worked well. He directly ran toward the military base which is next to the experts residential area. It was already dawn and he was luckyto seethe troopersdotheir morning exercises. He ran to them. Thats how hewas able tosave his life. When Xiao Quan came to this part, his face became serious. He asked,What should we do now?


    I didnt answer him. From the surface of the incident, it seemed the collectively strong Yang energy from the soldiers had forced the spirit to leave. However, after thinking about my short encounterst night with thespirit, I had a feeling that it wasnt afraid of the Yang energies of low-rankingsoldiers...


    Why did it leavest night?


    And, the spirit hadlocked ontome as soon as I had joined this case. Whatabout Xiao Quan and his Special Operation Teams members? Thespirit shouldhave kept an eye onthem, too.


    However, they had never told me anything aboutthat. From theway they talkedand their gestures,there was no indication that theyhad encountered any spirit before. It was thestrangestpointinthis case. Still, I didnt ask him to rifythe matter.