Chapter Five: The Three Absolutes and the Three Yin

Let’s not talk about it for now, it’s time to sleep. You can sleep in my room, and I will sleep in my sister's room. This case is getting bigger, and I estimate that the leaders will put pressure on us again tomorrow. We need to maintain a good mental state to cope with it

Cheng Huaihuo said: "Based on the testimonies of the four witnesses just now, do you think it is possible to consolidate the cases?"

Indeed, especially over a decade ago, snakes were everywhere, so essentially everyone in the village possessed the skill to catch snakes

What about using herbs to make poison

Cheng Huaihuo asked in confusion: "Great Immortal, is there anything wrong with me?"

I do not deny that conventional thinking and logic are of little help in solving cases; rather, it is precisely because of this that we break away from conventional thought processes. We must not confuse ourselves from the very beginning, understand?

Iron Daxian had long been observing, his gaze primarily fixed on the area surrounding the grave pit. After a long while, he shifted his attention to the entire bamboo forest. Then, he casually scooped up a handful of soil from the ground, examined it, and sniffed it. His head shaking and nodding gave a chilling impression. His tone of speech was not the usual rhythm, appearing extremely strange: "Are you sure you want me to speak the truth?"

I shook my head and said: "It should not be the same case. Although the methods of committing the crime are roughly similar, the details differ significantly, mainly in two aspects. First, while both victims were disemboweled, the weapon used to disembowel Lin Weiye, the so-called Master Lin, was an unknown object, whereas Zhang Jie was disemboweled by a common sharp instrument. Second, Lin Weiye was not poisoned, while Zhang Jie was poisoned. I believe this resembles a framing case more closely, as the murderer of Zhang Jie seems to want to shift the blame onto the murderer of Lin Weiye. This line of thought is more reasonable."

Cheng Huaihuo's expression was strange as he said: "Seeing the houses here makes me feel uneasy. How about we sleep together?"

It is possible that this is the case; the murderer had a good plan, but it was precisely because the plan was too good that it revealed a flaw

This cursed place of yours is truly eerie

Why didn't your father just shoot you against the wall back then? You were born so timid

What do you see

"Hey, is this a snake town?"

Extreme Yin

The more than one hundred strong men were divided into four teams, each led by a police officer from the local precinct, responsible for searching in four different directions. Due to the fact that three sides of the village are surrounded by mountains, which are quite primitive and rugged, the difficulty of the task is indeed considerable, so they need to carry provisions as they set out. There is no other way; the work must proceed in this manner. Chief Jin also wishes to solve the case as soon as possible to restore peace to the village, as this is his responsibility, not merely a favor granted by Cheng Huaihuo in agreeing to organize the villagers' assistance.

Are you suggesting it is a ruse? A trick played by the murderer?

In the mountains, the application of herbal medicine is profound. Different types of snake bites require specific herbal remedies for treatment. Each type of herb has its own effects, toxicity, and medicinal properties. The Miao herbal medicine is renowned across the nation; do not think it is merely a gimmick. These remedies are derived from ancient formulas collected from various Miao villages, developed based on different diseases, pathologies, and conditions. Throughout my life, I have never seen a qualified doctor in the village. When someone falls ill, they do not seek outside help; they mostly handle it themselves. My father would prepare medicine for himself when he was sick, and when I was ill, he would prepare it for me.

You are merely speculating as well; why do you consider your speculation to be possible, while mine is deemed impossible

Such matters do indeed exist, and we must acknowledge them

Iron Immortal said: "Extend your left hand."

As the police car drove away, I hurriedly took Tie Daxian towards the bamboo forest in the west. Along the way, I continued to press Tie Daxian about what had happened to Cheng Huaihuo. Tie Daxian still gave the same answer: the secrets of heaven must not be revealed. This sense of mystery made me feel quite uneasy, as I thought of two possibilities: curses and witchcraft. Only these two things could instill fear in those within their circle. More accurately, this fear is actually a kind of rule; those who can understand the signs must show utmost respect to all things in heaven and earth. The more one knows, the more one understands the need for reverence, and the more one understands reverence, the less one dares to speak.

Uncertain, disregarding the test results of the ash we found, to my knowledge, there are no more than three women who smoke in the village, and they are all elderly. Based on their description of the elderly woman's walking pace, it should be a younger person. Therefore, it is more likely that it was a joint crime, meaning that there are at least two perpetrators.

In the past, they were called pharmacists, not doctors; there were no doctors, only medicine. The illnesses back then were simpler, and one could generally assess them at a glance. Since one could discern the general condition, it was possible to know the basic medication. I extinguished the cigarette that had burned down to the filter, patted my slightly aching forehead, and continued, "As for who is the most formidable, if we are to discuss knowledge of toxicity, I can only say that if my mother claims the second place, no one would dare claim the first."

In the end, we could only choose to send Cheng Huaihuo to the town hospital, with Xiao Ma and Zhang Zichen responsible for the transport. I need to go with Tie Daxian to study the area of the bamboo forest. It is not that I do not care about Cheng Huaihuo's life or death, but Tie Daxian has limited time and is unwilling to wait for us to deal with Cheng Huaihuo before showing us the land. I can only handle matters here before rejoining them.

Where are you, you homosexual?

You are not mistaken; this place is surrounded by mountains on the east, north, and west, forming three peaks that are shaded and oriented in a specific direction. In terms of feng shui, it is referred to as the land of the Three Extremes and Three Shadows, with the central peak being the most shaded. This location happens to be situated beneath the central peak, looking northward at the mountains that form a curved shape, with the opening facing south, gradually descending to this point, known as the Xuanwu Devouring the Moon. In the northeast, there is a stream flowing out from the mountains, winding and coiling like a fan spreading its feathers. The water level is associated with the yin element, converging into a lake, which in feng shui is referred to as the Zhuque Drinking from the Yellow Spring. To the east, the mountain range extends southward into several small hills, continuing without interruption, known as the Dragon's Mourning, which in fact corresponds to the Qinglong Avoiding the Sun in feng shui. The ridge on the west side has a lower elevation, known as the Tiger's Roar, which in feng shui is the White Tiger Roaring to the Heavens. Although this place encompasses all four symbols, it is entirely a land of extreme yin, with protective sand on both sides, encircled and guarded, and the stream diverging, resulting in the accumulation of yin energy that does not dissipate throughout the year, leading to the soil becoming dark and foul-smelling. It is indeed a highly inauspicious place, where burials here will lead to extinction within three generations.

I nodded solemnly and said: "Indeed, I have some research in this area as well, but my study is not deep enough, and I am afraid of making mistakes, which is why I invited someone as esteemed as yourself to come here."

Cheng Huaihuo mechanically extended his left hand, and Tie Daxian pinched a few times at his wrist before pushing him from behind.

Cheng Huaihuo did not quite agree with my viewpoint. He said: "How can the old lady explain it when four witnesses all saw it? What is the likelihood that all four witnesses are mistaken?"

After I finished washing up, I made two breakfasts before waking up Cheng Huaihuo. This fellow was in particularly poor spirits, showing little appetite even during breakfast, and he just ate a bit casually before mechanically following me out to the home of Chief Jin. Chief Jin had already gathered the personnel, over one hundred strong men, each holding sticks, hoes, sickles, and other farming tools, ready to set off to search for the old lady's body, as well as Jin Shiba's body. We could only assume that Jin Shiba had already met with misfortune. Chief Jin had already gathered the personnel, over one hundred strong men, each holding sticks, hoes, sickles, and other farming tools, ready to set off to search for the old lady's body, as well as Jin Shiba's body. We could only assume that Jin Shiba had already met with misfortune.

So who is the most formidable? Surely you have your own doctors here

Because we are the police, we will not make assumptions like - illustrations - do. Do you still need to investigate the case further based on such assumptions? What does the state require of you?

In the end, I still slept in my own room, filled with a myriad of emotions. In my own room, I still had to sleep on a chair, but I want to say that I am grateful for this, for otherwise my fate might have taken a different turn

With a disordered state of mind, I arrived at the edge of the bamboo forest and said: "Iron Immortal, it is this piece of land; please take a look and speak honestly."

Does that mean the murderer is a woman

The next day at nine o'clock, I got up and opened the window, discovering that it was no longer raining outside, and there was a faint hint of sunshine. My mood was exceptionally refreshing

After the four search teams set out, Xiao Ma arrived from the county town, bringing not only the results of the poison tests but also various evidence test results, as well as a master named Tie. Master Tie, who is around sixty years old, is dressed in ethnic attire, with a sprig of lush green wild grass inserted into his headscarf, giving him an air of mystery. Strangely, as soon as he got off the vehicle, he focused his attention on Cheng Huaihuo, circling around him and observing.

Cheng Huaihuo was taken aback: "Your mother is that impressive? Then what does she know about the habits of snakes... Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying your mother committed a crime; isn't she in the mountains? There was no time to commit the crime, but she could be of help to us. She probably knows something about the poison involved."

I said with a bitter smile: "The reason I didn't answer you just now is that in the corresponding village, there are many people who are skilled in using poison, who not only understand the habits of snakes but can also catch them in large numbers."

"Alright, alright, even your farts smell good, I can't argue with you." Cheng Huaihuo appeared quite gloomy, taking several deep puffs of his cigarette before continuing, "Let's organize this murder case according to your line of thinking. You believe it was a joint crime, and that there were at least two perpetrators, most likely one male and one female, with the male smoking. From the traces left at the scene, it seems the murderer must have been lurking in the victim's home beforehand, waiting for the victim to fall asleep before striking, correct?" Seeing me nod, Cheng Huaihuo continued, "So, our current investigation direction mainly has two points: First, we need to investigate around the victim. Who did the victim offend? Who had grudges against her? Who wanted her dead? Whose interests would be best served by her death? We need to examine the time of the crime, the conditions, and the motives one by one. Second, we need to find the source of the poison, but you haven't told me if there are any known poisoners in the village."

We all looked on in confusion, unsure of what trick Iron Master was playing. What was frightening was that as soon as he withdrew his hand, Cheng Huaihuo spat out a mouthful of black blood and then collapsed to the ground. I asked him what happened to Cheng Huaihuo, and he said that the secrets of heaven must not be revealed. What does that even mean? It's too terrifying, isn't it? I had no time to clarify, busy trying to wake Cheng Huaihuo, but all my efforts were in vain. I didn't even know how to describe his condition; was he awake or not? If I said he wasn't awake, he kept mumbling; if I said he was awake, the content of his mumbling was completely incomprehensible. I had no time to clarify, busy trying to wake Cheng Huaihuo, but all my efforts were in vain. I didn't even know how to describe his condition; was he awake or not? If I said he wasn't awake, he kept mumbling; if I said he was awake, the content of his mumbling was completely incomprehensible.

I retorted, "Have you ever seen a ghost? Then why can four witnesses see it? Think carefully about that."

I am truly afraid. I see that your room is quite spacious. Why don't you move the chair inside and sleep on the chair?

There is no other way; in remote mountainous areas, poverty prevails, and those afflicted with diseases have no money for treatment. Apart from utilizing local resources, there is no alternative. Testing poisons on oneself and trying various herbs should not be taken as a joke; it is a reality.

At three o'clock in the morning, in my living room, Cheng Huaihuo and I were smoking, drinking tea, and conversing. It's strange, isn't it, that Xiao Ma isn't here? This is because the plan has changed; Xiao Ma has returned to the provincial capital with Chen Xiaochun, and tomorrow they will bring the test results along with a highly respected master to help examine the land.