Chapter 10, The Perfect Illusion

I extended my finger to measure the footprints on the ground, estimating that the person's height definitely exceeds 1.75 meters. This aligns with the height of the individual who carried Lin Weiye into the bamboo forest, and matches the height we speculated for the murderer, making it highly likely that they are the same person

The clan leader hesitated for a few seconds before responding, turning around to walk back and communicate with the villagers. Xiao Ma emerged from the crowd of villagers, limping as he approached me and said, "Are you alright?"

Love can change a person, and similarly, I have handled many similar cases where the less conspicuous are often the culprits. Of course, there are at least two perpetrators, one of whom has already revealed a flaw. Based on the information currently available, the perpetrator is over 1.75 meters tall and wears size 42 shoes. At the time of the crime, he was wearing a water shoe with a small piece missing from the inner side of the right foot. Many of our colleagues are on their way here now; you should gather the people and have those over 1.75 meters tall stand up. Look for those wearing size 42 water shoes, and conduct live evidence collection for comparison on-site. The perpetrator will have nowhere to hide.

I said: "Dozens of eyes are watching; do you think everyone is mistaken? Without further ado, let us split up and search. Do not overlook any clues. Bai Bai and Xiao Ma, you go downstream, while the rest go upstream"

White recalled: "At that time, you asked me to call Xiao Ma to bring Jin Man Zai back. There was no one else around, except for you, me, and Chief Jin. No one else knew about this matter. Could it be that Chief Jin is the murderer?"

Bai Bai took the car keys from Zhang Zichen and left. I felt uneasy, so I asked Xiao Ma to catch up with her and return to the county town together. Xiao Ma could also go to the hospital for a check-up. Jin Man was in such a serious car accident, and Xiao Ma only had a bleeding forehead and was walking with a slight limp. It didn't seem likely, but we shouldn't rule out the possibility of internal injuries that he might not be aware of. If not addressed in a timely manner, it could become very serious, so going to the hospital for a check-up is the safest option

The clan leader Jin pondered for a few seconds and said: "Are you sure the murderer is someone from the village? As far as I know, the skill of summoning spirits is only possessed by the old lady; there is no one else who can do it. It could possibly be Eighteen, after all, he is her grandson. Could it really be Eighteen?"

Hearing the commotion, Zhang Zichen, who was responsible for finding clues upstream, also came over and walked with me towards the location of Baibai and Xiaoma. It was a small dirt slope, about sixty meters from the river bridge. On the slope, two very distinct footprints were visible, along with a small piece of spirit paper and three incense sticks that had already burned out. It appeared that they had been burned for less than an hour, which perfectly coincided with the time of Xiaoma's accident.

Bai Bai and Xiao Ma immediately sprang into action, while Zhang Zichen hesitated for a few seconds before also mobilizing his team. I leaned against the bridge railing, pulled a cigarette from my pocket, lit it, and began to smoke, staring at the charred remains in the car that were nearly reduced to bones. My mind was racing with thoughts: was this fire a result of spontaneous combustion after the crash, or was it set intentionally? To be honest, I lean more towards the latter; otherwise, I wouldn't have sent them to look for clues. If my suspicions are correct, what is the motive of the murderer? Does Jin Man know who the killer is? To be frank, I am more inclined to believe the latter; otherwise, I wouldn't have sent them to search for clues. If my guess is right, what is the killer's objective? Could it be that Jin Man is one of the murderers? Is this a case of infighting among accomplices?

I must not be afraid; instead, I should feel joy, because I believe that the chilling screams are equivalent to the murderer betraying themselves. I said to Baibai: "Baibai, the murderer is a person, it must be a person"

I nodded vigorously and said: "What we see are ghosts, but ghosts are probably not what we think. The murderer must be human. Do not be afraid, recover yourself, and we will uncover the murderer."

Bai Bai Dao: "We can still conduct live evidence collection. There are twelve forensic experts from the bureau on their way here, and they should arrive soon. I won't wait for them any longer; I will head back to the bureau immediately to analyze the spirit paper and incense bones to see if I can find any fingerprints"

I believe in ghosts, but there is certainly an element of human manipulation involved. Ghosts originate from the depths of the human heart. Have you ever heard of summoning spirits or invoking spirits? Surely you have seen it in movies and television

I do not know about https://m.hetushu.com, but what can be confirmed now is that the old lady is already dead, and Jin Man is also dead. It is highly likely that Jin Man was the one who killed Zhang Jie. The whole situation seems to suggest that Jin Man had an affair with Zhang Jie, and after Jin Man went to work, Zhang Jie got involved with Jin Shiba. As a result, Jin Man discovered this, so he took advantage of the old lady's death and the panic of everyone to poison Zhang Jie, making it appear as though it was the old lady's doing.

I said: "Call the bureau and the police station, and have them come in."

Does this mean that the murderer is actually human? Then how do we explain the ghosts we see

After the car had driven far away, I went to find Elder Jin and pulled him aside, saying: "Uncle Yu, the matter is almost clear. It is indeed the ghost of the old lady that has returned, but it is being manipulated by someone. You know about summoning spirits and inviting souls, right?"

The patriarch Jin immediately instructed as I wished, selecting eight individuals to return with eighteen gold pieces, while the remaining individuals were to wait in place

Therefore, we need to find evidence to confirm my suspicion. We will focus on the males in the village who are taller than 1.75 meters and either wear size 42 water shoes or possess size 42 water shoes, and interrogate them one by one

Bai Bai Dao also measured the footprints and said: "These are water shoes, approximately size 42, with a small piece missing from the inner side. Given the depth, it seems someone has been standing here for quite a while, which is why the footprints are particularly clear"

Bai Bai fell silent for a few seconds, slowly leaving my embrace. Her condition gradually improved, her eyes regained their usual sparkle, and her body stopped trembling. In fact, this situation was primarily a psychological response; as long as one overcomes the deep-seated fear within, one can unleash boundless strength

We walked towards the bridge, and by that time, the fire had almost completely burned out. The entire vehicle was left as a charred shell. We stood by, watching, all feeling a deep sense of pain. This amounted to a loss of public property caused by us, and we were still uncertain how we would be penalized by our superiors. However, the most important thing now is to identify the true culprit. I said to Ma, the one with the book, "It seems the test report was burned in the car, right? Had you seen it before?"

I glanced at his bandaged forehead and said, "You seem to have something going on."

Twenty minutes later, I faintly heard the distant sound of police sirens, along with the sounds of gongs and firecrackers from behind me, accompanied by deafening shouts. I turned around and saw several hundred men approaching quickly, all dressed in dark clothing. Leading them was Patriarch Jin, who, upon reaching me, eagerly asked: "Is what the messenger said true? Did Grandma Eighteen really appear?"

I glanced at Bai Bai and Xiao Ma; they were as anxious as Zhang Zichen. If I didn't reveal the answer soon, I estimated they would strangle me, so I hurriedly said: "I believe the murderer has been watching our every move. When I was talking to Chief Jin, the murderer was hiding in the shadows, and when I asked Bai Bai to make a phone call, the murderer was also lurking in the dark."

The patriarch Jin was finally astonished: "How is this possible? Jin Man is not that kind of person"

I turned my head to look at the explosion site, but the old lady was no longer in sight; all around was a scene of devastation. I focused my gaze, my mind filled with the events that had just transpired: the old lady's grotesque face, the piercing scream that seemed to have come from her during the explosion, and the raging fire. Suddenly, I realized that this was not the case; things were definitely not as we had witnessed. The eyes can sometimes be very deceptive, and the ears even more so.

This is the evidence we were looking for. I revealed the first smile since the beginning of this case, asking, "Why does the old lady's ghost appear here? To kill Xiao Ma? No, I am certain that if Xiao Ma had not brought Jin Man back, nothing would have happened. Therefore, the one the murderer wants to kill is Jin Man. The murderer and Jin Man know each other; it is possible that Jin Man is one of the murderers. This is a case of murder to silence.

It was said that he is not the leader of the Jin clan

I said: "Who told you that the murderer is a ghost? And who informed you that the Jin clan and the librarian are the murderers? What I am referring to is the manipulation of ghosts by humans, the art of summoning spirits, and the tricks employed by the murderer to confuse the audience and evade responsibility"

But this is merely your speculation, where is the evidence

I believe that the sound came from the old lady, as I think there were no other people present at the scene. This is an illusion, a perfect illusion, including the deaths of Lin Weiye, Zhang Jie, and now Jin Man, all of which are illusions. It appears that ghosts are committing the crimes, but why are there traces of other people having been present at the crime scene? I do not deny the existence of ghosts, but the most significant ghosts reside deep within the human heart. But why are there traces of other people having been present at the crime scene? I do not deny the existence of ghosts, but the most significant ghosts reside deep within the human heart.

I nodded and said, "Alright, you take the police car and return as soon as possible with the results"

Both Bai Bai and I fell to the ground at the same time. Bai Bai was unresponsive, and I held her in my arms, repeatedly slapping her face. Only then did she slowly wake up, her eyes dazed and hollow, her body still trembling. She clung to me, too afraid to move. I imagined her mind was in turmoil, thinking, "I've seen a ghost, I really have seen a ghost. There are indeed ghosts in this world," a thought she wanted to deny but could not.

The little horse looked at me with a gaze as if it were observing a monster: "How do you know?"

Are you referring to the technology of the Jin Clan Leader?

The little horse exclaimed in terror, "Is it really true that someone can control ghosts?"

It has indeed appeared. I do not deny what I have seen with my own eyes, but both sites have shown that besides ghosts, there have been human presences as well. The ghosts are under human control. However, until I find concrete evidence, I cannot disclose this to Chief Jin. This is not entirely the truth; I will clarify the specifics and inform you later. Please persuade the villagers not to strike, not to set off firecrackers, and not to approach the scene of the incident. I will provide everyone with a satisfactory explanation.

The patriarch Jin's expression remained unchanged, showing no signs of surprise. It gave me the impression that he was not unfamiliar with these anti-scientific matters. In fact, his words provided the answer: "I know, and I also know that the old lady possesses these skills. Did she teach them to others? For instance, did she teach Eighteen? Is the fierce one and the bookkeeper Eighteen?"

I said: "For now, let's not talk about it. Find a few people to bring the eighteen here."

Xiao Ma Dao: "I have seen it. The two types of spiritual paper are made from different materials. Residual essence and liquid were indeed extracted from the mat. The time of death remains unchanged, consistent with the previous test results. As for those organ tissues, they indeed belong to Lin Weiye"

Zhang Zichen said: "Wait a minute, I'm completely confused. What exactly are you talking about? Isn't the murderer the ghost of the old lady? How did it turn into a person, and moreover, the head of the Jin family? This must be a mistake"

He responded with a brief acknowledgment and took out his brick-like mobile phone to make a call

Isn't it too coincidental? From my experience, the more coincidental something is, the less credible it becomes. It's quite simple: if I were the murderer, I would definitely not appear at this critical moment. However, regardless, this is good news. First, Jin Shiba did not lose his life. Second, if Jin Shiba is not the murderer, it indicates that the real murderer has begun to lose their composure. We are getting closer to the truth.

That fire was due to the burning of spirit paper; there was spirit paper at Lin Weiye's death scene, and someone had seen a flame. Now that spirit paper has also been found here, what does that indicate

Zhang Zichen became increasingly agitated: "Is it a person or a ghost? This is driving me crazy"

Staring at me blankly, with a weak voice: "Is it a person? Then what did we just see?"

I continued, "Before the collision, did you first see a mass of red and green flames, and only then see the elderly lady?"

As he was speaking, the police car from the precinct had already arrived at the scene. Zhang Zichen and three police officers got out of the car. Zhang Zichen immediately asked me: "How did it come to this? Are you sure you didn't misjudge the situation?"

I was speaking with Chief Jin when suddenly a woman ran out from the crowd of villagers, panting heavily, and said: "Chief Jin, eighteen... eighteen... he has returned to the village."

While I was smoking half a cigarette, I suddenly heard Xiao Ma's shout: "Xiao Yu, we have a discovery"

Both Chief Jin and I were momentarily stunned, and then Chief Jin was the first to react, saying to me: "Isn't Eighteen the murderer?"