Chapter Seven: The Mystery of the Homicide

I laughed and said that the common people all say that Huang Laoya bullies others with his power, is there really no trickery involved

"How is his mother now?" I continued to ask. The blind old man sighed, "Alas, what can be done? Fortunately, there is the young lad taking care of her; otherwise, she would have died long ago in these two years." "Young lad?" I asked curiously. The blind old man told me that the young lad was the one from earlier, who had some distant kinship with the Wang Baosong family, so he often provided them with assistance. For the past two years, it was the young lad and his family who helped take care of them, allowing the two members of the Wang Baosong family to survive.

Then we continued walking. Ma Haibo asked me what I was doing. I applied cow's eye tears to my eyelids and said there was nothing.

The blind old man set down his smoking pipe, his white eyeballs rolling around, and he groped for the stool beside him to beckon me: "You must be a government official visiting the village, right? Come, sit, sit." I took a seat, and he said: "Alas, indeed, Wang Baosong has gone mad now." I asked, "Wasn't he mad before?"

His tone was gentle, and his expression was kind. However, the young boy still regarded us warily for a moment before calling into the house, "Grandma, someone has come to see you." After saying this, he led us inside. I took a look at the desolate yard, which was devoid of even weeds, and said nothing, simply following behind Ma Haibo.

He bowed his head while speaking

I always felt something was off, so I ran to ask the blind old man: "Grandfather, was that person just now insane?"

No, he used to be the great filial son of the village, nearly forty years old, still living off this land with his elderly mother. Unfortunately, two years ago, he found a large lump of gold in the mountains, thought he had struck it rich and took it to sell, but ended up being accused of fraud. He was imprisoned for over a year before being released, and now this is how things are. There is no money for treatment, and no one to care for him. His mother is already half in the grave, and she cannot take care of him either

When I came out, I saw Wang Baosong huddled in the corner of the main room, and I felt that his disheveled hair was filled with the scent of blood

After passing through Qingmeng Township, the road conditions deteriorated significantly. The surface was strewn with loose stones, and the bumpy ride to Segai Village made me feel dizzy. However, by this time, my health had improved, and I kept silently reciting the Heart Sutra, which made me feel less fatigued. Upon arriving in Segai Village, the atmosphere remained tense, with a sense of unease among the people. The special task force from the Public Security Bureau stationed in Segai Village had not withdrawn; they were still conducting investigations. A police officer in his forties asked Ma Haibo a few questions but did not pursue further inquiries.

After a short while, we arrived at Wang Baosong's home

As I passed by a family's livestock shed, I couldn't help but stare at the old water buffalo inside.

Because I have applied the tears of a cow to my eyes—cows rarely cry, and the saddest moment in their lives is likely when they are taken to the slaughterhouse. They are kind-hearted and hardworking, yet they are often regarded as animals capable of communicating with the spirit world. In ancient times, in the Miao and Dong villages, cow heads were typically used for sacrifices, which were divided into two types: live sacrifices and cooked sacrifices. In some places, cows are revered as deities, such as in Hinduism, and among the Bouyei and Gelao ethnic groups in the southwestern region of our country, there are festivals like "Cow God Festival," "Respect for the Cow King Bodhisattva Festival," and "Worship of the Cow King Festival." In summary, by applying cow tears, one can see different things (for those who do not believe, they can try applying a little during a funeral to see for themselves)

I recalled the matter my uncle mentioned to me, and to my surprise, it turned out to be this madman I encountered.

Many people say that the countryside is simple and pure, the last paradise for humanity. Those who say this probably have not spent much time in rural areas; in fact, it is the same everywhere. I cannot speak for other places, but in the rural areas I have lived in and encountered, it is common to witness brothers splitting up due to disagreements, widows being mistreated, or incidents of petty theft... In times of prolonged illness, there are no filial children, let alone those who are only slightly related by blood. At such times, anyone who steps up to provide care can be considered a good person who does charitable deeds.

How did these gases come about? How can I discern them?

The young man and the water brought from the library, the bowl used for holding water was dark and full of grease. I held it in my hand but did not drink. However, Ma Haibo and that village official did not mind the appearance and took a couple of sips. Wang Baosong's mother was coughing continuously. She saw me and asked, "Young man, why do I find you a bit familiar? Where are you from?" I replied that I was from the area of Dadunzi Town. She said, oh, looking at me weakly. I then focused on her inside the mosquito net and said that my grandmother's name is Long Laolan. She saw me again and asked, "Young man, why do I find you a bit familiar? Where are you from?" I replied that I was from the area of Dadunzi Town. She said, oh, looking at me weakly. I then focused on her inside the mosquito net and said that my grandmother's name is Long Laolan.

This is an old wooden house, with two side rooms and a kitchen at the back, half of which has already collapsed. Wang Baosong sits in his messy yard, staring blankly ahead, where rolling mountains and terraced fields lie. A clear little river winds like a silver ribbon into the distance. Upon seeing Ma Haibo in uniform, Wang Baosong immediately jumped up, kneeling in the mud in panic, and shouted: "Report to the government, I did not lie, it is really gold, it is really..."

Ma Haibo said, "Little student, we have come to see Wang Baosong and his mother"

I have walked quite a distance, yet I feel as if there are a pair of eyes in that dilapidated little house staring at me, bright like a flashlight in the night, chilling and causing a shiver down my spine

At that moment, Ma Haibo came to find me, saying he wanted to take me to the scene of the first murder. I asked him if there were any clues there. He replied that there were, but they had all been sent to the bureau for testing. I said, then what am I going for? I'm not a deity. He chuckled and said that while I wasn't, I was close enough. I mentioned to him what I had just heard, and Ma Haibo said he was aware of it. Although it wasn't handled by him, he had reviewed the case files; it was a solid matter, with no room for doubt.

A disheveled man came over from the village and saw several children playing in the mud. He ran over, laughing, and said, "Come, let me show you, I found a lump of gold, haha, I found a lump of gold..." The children scattered in a rush, shouting as they ran, "The madman is coming, the madman is coming..." The man, bare-chested, with a crooked face and slanted eyebrows, ran past me, saying, "I'm not lying to you, this is not cow dung." A boy about fourteen or fifteen ran over to support him, saying, "Uncle, uncle, why did you come out again?" As he ran, he shouted, "The madman is coming, the madman is coming..." The man, bare-chested, with a crooked face and slanted eyebrows, ran past me, saying, "I'm not lying to you, this is not cow dung." A boy about fourteen or fifteen ran over to support him, saying, "Uncle, uncle, why did you come out again?"

However, what I am concerned about is not these matters; having wiped away my tears, I am able to see even more extraordinary things: the entire room is shrouded in a swirling darkness, with a faint, sour stench lingering in the air, particularly in a compartment beneath the bed, where a heavy aura of death resides. The old man on the bed resembles a corpse more than a living person, while the young servant beside him, serving tea and water, also exudes a fierce and menacing energy from his forehead

Somewhere in my heart, a joyful song is singing, as if a green sprout has just emerged from fertile soil, soft and weak, cautiously connecting with me, like a small pet, or like an abandoned child yearning for the care of family—damn it, how could I have such a feeling? Is it possible that this life-bound Gu has already been subdued by me? How could that be? The book states that the golden silkworm Gu takes at least six months, or as long as ten years, requiring daily prayers and nightly chants to gradually transform and be claimed as one's own. Yearning for the care of family—damn it, how could I have such a feeling? Is it possible that this life-bound Gu has already been subdued by me? How could that be? The book states that the golden silkworm Gu takes at least six months, or as long as ten years, requiring daily prayers and nightly chants to gradually transform and be claimed as one's own.

In the car, Ma Haibo expressed his gratitude towards me, stating that this case had a very negative social impact and that the higher-ups were pressing for results. They, being mere subordinates, were busy to the point of being frantic, yet they had no leads at all. Fortunately, I, a remarkable individual, was there to assist. I sensed that since yesterday, after I had cast and then lifted the curse, his attitude towards me had begun to change, becoming quite ingratiating. I remained silent, nodding to indicate my understanding, neither affirming nor denying, while squinting my eyes in contemplation. I felt that since yesterday, after I had cast and then lifted the curse, his attitude towards me had begun to change, becoming quite ingratiating. I remained silent, nodding to indicate my understanding, neither affirming nor denying, while squinting my eyes in contemplation.

Ma Haibo's expression was extremely unpleasant. At that moment, there was a loud knocking sound from inside the house. A young man, referred to as Qing Yazi, ran out. He looked at the three of us with a wary expression and asked, "Who are you? What do you want?" He was wearing a faded yellowish-blue school uniform, with the emblem of Qingmeng Primary School embroidered on the left chest. He appeared quite spirited, though his ears were a bit large, characteristic of a prominent ear.

When a person is poor, their ambitions are limited; when a person is afraid of poverty, what can they accomplish

I understand that although I was able to instruct it to drug Yang Yu yesterday, it was largely due to the strong influence of the books.

The only similarity is that both individuals were cut into dozens of pieces and discarded in the wilderness

She fell silent, and the atmosphere became tense. Ma Haibo suggested that it was time to leave. I took out one thousand yuan from my pocket and placed it beside the pillow

He saw that I did not believe him and said he would go back to show me the case files, with conclusive evidence; it was indeed a solid case. As he spoke, he recalled something and mentioned that the case files he showed me yesterday were about the mysterious death of a seven-year-old girl. Her father is Huang Laoya, and this boss is also unfortunate; not only did his daughter meet a tragic end, but he himself has also suddenly fallen ill and is now estimated to be on the verge of death. He also told me, "Do you remember that beautiful girl Huang Fei from yesterday? Her uncle is Huang Laoya." He himself has also suddenly fallen ill and is now estimated to be on the verge of death. He also told me, "Do you remember that beautiful girl Huang Fei from yesterday? Her uncle is Huang Laoya."

The next morning, I called home again to report my safety, and then, accompanied by Ma Haibo, I visited my uncle who was still receiving treatment in the hospital. At noon, we took that dilapidated police car to Qingshanjie

Ma Haibo was called to attend a meeting, while I wandered around the village. This is a poor little mountain village, where eighty percent of the houses are dilapidated wooden structures, scattered haphazardly. In the mountain hollow, some houses are to the east and others to the west, creating a disordered appearance. By the village path, several children in split-crotch pants are playing in the mud, with no one to supervise them. An old blind man is sitting in his courtyard, drying grains in the sun and puffing on a pipe.

The old water buffalo was grazing. It had aged and was eating with great difficulty. When it noticed me watching, it lifted its head to look at me. We stared at each other for a while, and I felt as if I were entranced, unable to hear Ma Haibo calling me. The old buffalo gazed at me, and suddenly, its bright, glistening eyes shed tears as large as beans. I reached through the fence to touch its face, and it did not move, so I collected a small handful of its tears.

He is a good person, I thought

Ma Haibo grasped my hand and said, "Have you noticed something?" I stopped and asked him, "What is it?" Ma Haibo's face turned somewhat pale, and he told me that the second victim was the son of that family. At that moment, I suddenly realized that everything I had done earlier seemed to have been done in an unconscious state

Yet deep down, there is a voice telling me: Go there, go there...

I surveyed the room; apart from some decades-old furniture, it was truly bare.

Is it the golden silkworm poison within my body that is influencing my consciousness

The young man supported the man as they walked towards the back of the village, while the man muttered to himself, "This is not cow dung, it's a golden lump!"

That night was the last time I got drunk in my life

It is evident that Ma Haibo holds considerable prestige within their team

Inside the room, there was a musty smell, a blend of old cotton and decayed wood, with the air stagnant. In the dimly lit room, there was a bed where I saw a gaunt old man lying on his side, wearing a brownish-red woolen hat, and the mosquito net had turned a grayish-black. "Young lad, turn on the light," the old man said weakly. With a click, the light came on, a 30-watt incandescent bulb, casting a dim yellow glow. "Young lad, turn on the light," the old man repeated in a feeble voice. With another click, the light illuminated the room again, still the same dim yellow. The young lad brought over a few stools, and Ma Haibo sat at the head of the bed, exchanging a few insipid pleasantries.

Ma Haibo laughed heartily and said there is no trick at all

I suddenly felt a wave of discomfort in my heart, and I told him that I wanted to visit the madman's house. Ma Haibo glanced at me and asked if I felt sympathy. I smiled and replied that I didn't know, I just suddenly wanted to take a look. Ma Haibo agreed and called over a village official to take us to Wang Baosong's house behind the village. I felt as if I were a bit unhinged, my mind was in a chaotic state.

Two dismemberment cases occurred at night. The first victim was a thirty-two-year-old idler from Sege Village, who made a living doing odd jobs at construction sites. However, he was too lazy to achieve much and enjoyed mingling and fighting; a few dozen yuan along with a good meal and drink would suffice to entice him. The second victim was a young man who had just returned from working away; he had no enemies and simply enjoyed a drink. The two victims were located at opposite ends of the village—one at the east and the other in the fifth group at the west—having no connection whatsoever.