Chapter 5, The Golden Silkworm

Let us start from Tian Shu, which is the first household on the west side, instructed Yi Shiqi

What should we do about the golden silkworm?" Yi Shiqi asked while lying on the bed

We ... ... '' Yishiqi was at a loss for words

At the end of the Hai hour, the two of them quietly slipped out of the inn

It will wait for me," Yigu said with a yawn

Yigu was taken aback and exclaimed, "There is something strange outside the courtyard." He then hurriedly picked up the porcelain bottle from the ground and took a detour to exit the courtyard, with Yishiqi closely following behind

The door opened, and Yishiqi and Yigudu were brought in

Yishiqi squinted his eyes to discern and finally saw that these were two police officers in uniform

The golden silkworm lay in the middle of the courtyard, and the insects that had originally hidden among the corners of the walls and the branches suddenly ceased their chirping. The moonlight was gentle, and all was silent.

Suddenly, two beams of light illuminated the entrance of the yard, shining directly into their faces, making it impossible to open their eyes. Shortly after, a low voice was heard beside them: "Stop, do not move!"

Igu also chuckled foolishly, keeping a watchful eye, and did not inform the police about the Golden Silkworm, as it might be confiscated

The police all laughed; the concept of witchcraft is merely a superstition in folklore, lacking any scientific basis, and no one has ever witnessed it firsthand, especially as it is entirely excluded from the judicial practices of our country

"Come, accompany us back to the station to assist with the investigation," the police said in a firm tone, pushing and shoving the two individuals towards the town's public security police station

Please allow me to take a look at the body of my classmate Li Xihua, " Yi Shiqi requested.

You two may return to the inn to rest for now, and are not allowed to leave Shanyang Town as further assistance is needed for the investigation said the officer while instructing them to press their fingerprints on the record

Perhaps there will be some new clues discovered, " Yi Shiqi said sincerely

Next, Tianxuan, the essence of Yin; Tianji, the essence of the True Person; Tianquan, the soul of Xuanming; Yuheng, the spirit of Danyuan; Kaiyang, the vein of the North Pole. The last farmhouse occupies the position of the Yaoguang star, which may belong to Li Xihua's family, as it is the Gate of Heaven, also known as the Break Army.

The case was at a standstill when it was suddenly discovered that someone had stealthily approached the crime scene in the dead of night, which sparked a glimmer of hope in everyone's hearts

"Alright, then come here tomorrow morning, and I will accompany you," the officer nodded and said

The two police officers from the police station initially escorted the two of them back to the inn, repeatedly advising them not to run around

At present, all possibilities have been ruled out, and there is still no progress

Under the moonlight, the golden silkworm slowly poked its head out of the bottle, looked around, and then leaped out onto the ground

A waning moon hangs over Xishan Peak, its light flowing like water. In Shanyin Village, a thick haze envelops the air, as if a chilling wind is blowing, causing Yi Shiqi to feel a shiver run down his spine

Yishiqi skillfully opened the computer and accessed his NetEase inbox

Yishiqi knew that the "Xuanwu Seven Evil Formation" was created by Guiguzi from the pre-Qin period and is one of the three major demon-confining formations of ancient China. However, in this small village of Shanyin, it was unclear what it was intended to suppress at that time. These houses appeared relatively new, and the construction date should not be very old.

Seven deceased individuals (five males and two females) showed no signs of external injuries, poisoning, or suicide. They also did not share any similar illnesses or common adverse habits. The drinking water, food, and vegetables in Shanyin Village were tested immediately and confirmed to be completely normal. Even more perplexing is the time of death and the expressions on the faces of the deceased; each of them died on the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, the night of the full moon, and they all passed away with smiles on their faces

The officer hesitated.

Of course, do you have a computer here? I can see it immediately by opening my email" replied Yi Shiqi

The hour of Zi is the time of day when the yin energy is at its peak; if there are any strange occurrences in Shanyin Village, it is most likely to happen during this hour. Yi Shiqi explained while continuing to pack his equipment

The golden silkworm suddenly leaped, soaring to a height of approximately three meters. Its golden-yellow figure undulated several times before it reached the top of the wall, and then it jumped out beyond the wall

Everyone looked at each other in disbelief, how could this be possible? ... Li Xihua had already died seven days prior to this ...

The forensic and autopsy experts from the provincial department and the ministry were also unable to find any useful clues

Igudu looked at those devices, shook his head, and seemed rather unconvinced. He then took out a porcelain bottle from his bosom. He carefully removed the cork and respectfully placed the porcelain bottle on the ground.

During the day, Yishiqi discovered that the farmhouse in this small village was arranged according to the "Xuanwu Seven Killing Formation" based on the positions of the Big Dipper. From a distance, the first farmhouse coming down from the western mountain is located at the position of the Tian Shu star, which is the head of the Seven Killing Formation, representing the soul of Yangming, also known as the Greedy Wolf, and is the central and crucial point of this formation.

This coincidence is entirely unreasonable and cannot be explained

The police station located in the center of the town is brightly lit, and the investigation team for the unexplained death case in Shanyin Village is based here. Experts from the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ministry of Public Security and the Criminal Investigation Division of the Provincial Public Security Department, along with leaders from the municipal and county public security bureaus, are still holding a meeting in the conference room late at night to study the case.

In another room, the two-meter-tall Yigu sat on a chair, his long horse-like face drawn out, repeatedly asserting that he was a famous Miao doctor, having met Teacher Yi on the train, and was invited to this place to provide medical treatment because a friend of Teacher Yi might have been afflicted by a curse.

***

Since the first death occurred six months ago, there have been consecutive deaths in Shanyin Village every month, with no clues available. The city and county leaders, fearing that this might cause public panic and affect social stability, have maintained a news blackout. It was not until the renowned CCTV host Li Xihua became the seventh victim that the Ministry of Public Security sent personnel to oversee the case. This prompted the urgent assembly of a task force composed of the province's key criminal investigation personnel to form a special investigation team for Shanyin Village, with a mandate to solve the case within a specified timeframe

Yishiqi activated the infrared camera, which is a passive infrared device that does not require an infrared light source, but instead images based on the minute infrared radiation emitted by the object being captured

Yishiqi and Yigu were isolated and interrogated separately

The police first looked at Li Xihua's first email, remaining silent. The subsequent second email contained only the words "Come quickly," and was sent on September 14 at 10:59 PM

They crept stealthily along the mountainside and approached the wall of the farmhouse to the west, listening carefully for any other sounds. Finding none, they then slipped into the courtyard

***

Yishi Qi truthfully recounted to the officers that he was a lecturer at Shenzhen University, how he received an email from his former classmate Li Xihua, and how he rushed over to find out the truth after learning of the death. However, he concealed the matter of the golden silkworm and the poisonous spider from last night, as generally, people would not believe it unless they saw it with their own eyes

"We are from the police station. What are you doing here in the middle of the night?" the short and stout police officer questioned

A flashlight is indispensable, and the infrared camera was specifically purchased for nighttime operations. Although the 0.01 lux low-light starlight camera is much cheaper, in the end, for the sake of insurance, I still chose the infrared option, which consumed more than two months' salary.

The officer waved his hand, and someone brought over a laptop, which had a wireless network card plugged in, with the antenna standing upright

The amiable officer asked in confusion: "Are you saying that on September 14, Li Xihua sent you an email? Are you sure you didn't remember incorrectly?"

The indoor air was thick with the swirling smoke of cigarettes, and when the report mentioned that uninvited guests were secretly visiting Shanyin Village at night, everyone ceased their conversations, their gazes turning towards the two strangers.