Chapter 206: Merchants of Yin Objects (2/2)

Xiaotao shot me a look and quietly asked if he had lied.

I stared at the middle-aged man for a few seconds. He smiled and seemed to be observing me as well. This was the first time I had come across someone who wasn’t shocked by the color change in my pupils caused by the Cave Vision. A few seconds later, he laughed, ”Your eyes certainly stand out from everyone else’s!”

This man had a strong aura but I couldn't say what it was. I turned to Xiaotao, ”He’s not lying. You can give the knives back to him!”

The middle-aged man took his knives and nodded appreciatively. ”Thanks!”

When they were leaving, the pockmarked man was still staring at Xiaotao. The middle-aged man pinched his ear and chastised, ”Keep looking. Just wait till I get back and tell your wife.”

The pockmarked man gave a cry of innocence. ”Can't I just look?”

Xiaotao asked me, ”What do you think these two do?”

I thought for a moment and speculated, ”They don’t look like fugitives, yet they have that Jianghu spirit. Yet they don’t seem like ordinary antique dealers either.” Suddenly, it occurred to me that the middle-aged man might be the master who had subdued the ghost.

But when I turned around, they were no longer there.

We went back the next day after handing over the interrogation and trial to the county bureau.

When we left, the mayor took me by the hand and thanked me profusely. Too embarrassed to admit the identity of his illegitimate daughter, the mayor simply said that we had eliminated evil for the people and he was duty-bound to help us if we needed anything in the future.

On the other hand, Director Feng looked rather conflicted. Although the case was solved, he was worried his position would be jeopardized once we reported the miscarriage of justice. There was no doubt that we would report the case, but I didn't think he needed to worry. The unlucky man in question was definitely Dr. Qin.

Bingxin went home with me. Before we parted ways, Huang Xiaotao patted me on the shoulder with “extra” care. ”Don't you dare do anything out of line, or I'll kill you!”

Bingxin made a face. ”Song Yang-gege isn’t yours. Who says you’re in charge?”

I suggested, ”If you’re worried, you’re welcome to join me for New Year’s!”

Xiaotao sighed, ”I would love to but I still have a lot of work to do. Instant noodles taste so good on New Year’s Eve!”

I said, ”By the way, let me take a look at the couple’s trial records.”

Xiaotao nodded.

A few days later, I received a copy of the trial records that Xiaotao had sent by express. Written on it were the words: Burn after reading. Do not share this with anyone.

There were several aspects I hadn’t expected. As it turned out, Li Qin's Dissociative Identity Disorder had basically recovered. She only suffered from mental instability and the occasional depression.

Once when she was busy in the kitchen, her sister put on her favorite red dress from her younger days and asked her with a smile. ”Jie, do I look like a young you?”

Li Qin suddenly lost her cool. In her head, she saw her sister turn into her younger self and mock her with all sorts of vitriolic words. She emptied the pot of hot oil on her sister's face. Her poor sister screamed and slipped to her death after bumping her head into a metal window frame.

At the time, Li Qin was terrified. After Zhang Qiang returned, she cried and offered to turn herself in. However, Zhang Qiang ended up dealing with the aftermath for her. Recalling the local folklore, Zhang Qiang threw his sister-in-law's body near the village, making it look as if she had been killed by a ghost. Later on, it was proven that this trick couldn’t fool the police.

After the body was discovered, the police had visited and investigated them. Since the couple had always been on good terms with Li Qin’s sister, they didn’t suspect them. That was because it wasn’t murder at all.

The red dress had originally been hung in their store. In an attempt to prevent its disappearance from being noticed, Zhang Qiang quickly made the same one overnight. The red dress hung in the store for two years until it was purchased by Xiaotao.

From then on, Li Qin's illness began to recur intermittently. The two personalities often quarreled with each other and very fiercely at that. The other personality would ridicule and insult her using abusive language, pushing Li Qin towards her breaking point.

One day, a customer in a red dress visited the store when it was already dark. Li Qin fancied her as her younger self and killed her. Being the loving husband he was, Zhang Qiang cleaned up her mess once again.

That incident prompted a brainwave, so he decided to simply pass himself off as a serial killer. The county police would never uncover the truth...

Zhang Qiang found that every time Li Qin killed a young girl dressed in red, her illness would improve for a period of time. So, he began catching the victims himself and let his wife do the rest. The third victim was a girl who came to them for help after being raped by Wu Mou. Unexpectedly, she had walked out of the frying pan and into the fire. Therefore, unlucky Wu Mou became the fall guy.

The couple gradually progressed from an accident to a path of no return, becoming skilled habitual murderers who learned various ways to obstruct the bureau’s investigation. From start to finish, Zhang Qiang had done it all for his wife, to improve her condition. He even murdered his buddy to protect his wife.

After reading the file, I couldn't help but surmise that love was really a selfish thing!

1. The ubiquitous yin-yang symbol holds its roots in Taoism/Daoism, a Chinese religion and philosophy. The yin, the dark swirl, is associated with shadows, femininity, and the trough of a wave; the yang, the light swirl, represents brightness, passion and growth. Previous ChapterNext Chapte