Chapter 294: The Expert, Zhang Jiulin (2/2)
”I'm not interested in online novels,” I retorted. “I’m here to listen to a detailed explanation of what a Yin object is!”
He explained that a Yin object was any item that contained the resentment or obsession of the dead. As an example, he described how he had received the pipe Ji Xiaolan personally used for a lifetime. It then fell into the hands of a man who ended up smoking himself to death.
”You might as well tell us you received Lu Bu’s famed halberd and Yang Guifei's mirror,” I quipped.
”I actually did come across both of those things,” laughed Zhang Jiulin.
I couldn’t help but doubt the man’s reliability with all that big talk. ”You should already know why we’re here,” I said, cutting to the chase.
”I understand,” he nodded. “You need my help. What a coincidence! I was going to look for you too. Don’t you think we’re connected by fate?” he continued to ramble. “Pockmark Li and I don’t know anyone in these parts. It’ll be convenient having a police consultant for assistance in a case involving so many murders.”
”You don’t have to butter up to me,” I mocked. “It's just a temporary cooperation between two people who can help each other. As soon as we solve the case, we’ll each go our own way.”
”Why do you have to sound so rude?!” interjected Pockmark Li. “Is this how you usually speak? How does your girlfriend stand that bad temper of yours?”
Red in the face, Xiaotao clenched her fist and slammed the table, causing the teacups to overturn. She stood up and pointed at Pockmark Li, spitting with fury, ”Watch how you speak! Don't forget that you still have a criminal record with us.”
Caught off guard, Zhang Jiulin swept a look of inquiry at Pockmark Li and asked in a low voice, ”Were you at the massage parlor again? You were arrested?”
Pockmark Li hastily refuted, ”Of course not! Why would I step into that sort of place? I helped an old lady cross the road but was treated as a troublemaker. I swear I’m more innocent than Dou E!”
I didn't bother to uncover his lies. Zhang Jiulin flicked his gaze up to meet mine and solemnly said, ”Xiao Song Yang, we can't cooperate if this is the sort of attitude you have. You have to understand one thing–you need our help but we’re not your subordinates.”
He squinted at me through hardened eyes, trying to pressure me with that stony expression of his but I met his gaze without weakness or submission. ”Tell me what you know!” I demanded.
”Look, here we go again,” sneered Zhang Jiulin. “Is this how you speak to people?”
Perhaps his identity as a Jianghu man led me to subconsciously speak in the same tone I used with Baldy and his gang. However, my intuition told me he wasn’t at all like those gangsters so I softened my tone, ”Let’s exchange information. I'll tell you what we know first.”
”That's the way!” nodded Zhang Jiulin.
I told him all the information we had gathered so far and reminded, ”These are all police secrets. Don’t speak a word of it.”
”Not bad, kid! You actually deduced that the murder weapon is a musical instrument,” he commended. “Well, here’s a fair exchange. I'll tell you what I know.”
He explained that he was actually entrusted by a client to collect a Yin object, though the client’s identity had to remain hidden. He assured us his client had nothing to do with the case. They traced the object all the way to Nanjiang City where he had an unexpected encounter with the police and was wrongfully accused of being a suspect.
The Yin object, known as the Heartbroken Xun, was made from the skull of an ancient bandit. Playing a special tune with it would plunge the listener into a state of depression and eventually induce them to commit suicide. Having discovered the identity of the man in possession of the Yin object, Zhang Jiulin and Pockmark Li were saved from a lot of investigation work.