Chapter 5, Asking Passersby

Furthermore, why did that long-haired boy run to the art studio after the lights were turned off? The police searched everything in the art studio, but found nothing.

Please take me there

During the day, he wandered around the police station, using his connections to inquire about the autopsy details. It was reported that the deceased had indeed died from blunt force trauma to the throat, consistent with the initial assessment. However, it was rather strange that the victim's trachea had been severed without any signs of struggle, and his face bore the eerie smile characteristic of someone who had frozen to death

Later, during the autopsy, it was discovered that his feet were twisted at a horrifying angle, the flesh on his calves was as hard as stone, as if he had experienced severe spasms while in the water. However, the person had been dead for a night, yet these signs had not disappeared, and the body was swollen, as if it had been dead for several days

At this point, it was of no significance for Bao Datong to linger at the police station; he might as well spend the whole day wandering around the Fine Arts Academy. It is important to note that the appearance of the malevolent spirit on campus cannot be without reason. During the day, he could move about freely here, using his date with the campus belle Zhao Yinyin as an excuse, but at night, he had to be more discreet. After all, his investigation was of a private nature and had not been commissioned by anyone.

This is quite easy to explain for Ba Datong, as the murderer is a malevolent spirit, a very powerful malevolent spirit. What is there that she cannot accomplish? However, why did she choose to kill this young man? Was it a random selection or was there a purpose behind it? Why does she want to control the corpse to paint? At that time, when he examined the corpse of the long-haired young man, he found that his soul was already gone! Was it bound or was it consumed? At that time, when he examined the corpse of the long-haired young man, he found that his soul was already gone! Was it bound or was it consumed?

According to the investigation, that pen is the murder weapon, yet it bears only the fingerprints of the deceased. Could it be that he inflicted the fatal wound upon himself? Although the oil painting brush is the largest size, it is still made of wood. The fatal injury to the deceased penetrated the entire neck, which would require significant force and rapid speed. From the trace analysis on the pen, it is evident that it penetrated his throat in one swift motion, without any hesitation; this is not something a person committing suicide could achieve.

What is strange is whether the malevolent spirit has always been hidden within the campus or if it is an outsider. If it has existed for a long time, why has it not revealed itself until now? Who has released it? If it is an outsider, a soul without an object of attachment would not stray far from its burial ground, so how did it come here? Previously, when he was pursuing Zhao Yinyin, he had not heard of any unusual occurrences at the Fine Arts Academy.

Zhao Yinyin knows what he does, and therefore cooperates quite well. He never hides his identity from others. Although he is currently the owner of a magazine, in order to maintain normal expenses, he often works as a professional fortune teller, known as Master Bao. This side job has not led to him being looked down upon; rather, it has attracted those beautiful women who approach him out of curiosity

The death of that girl was even more mysterious. Ever since the boy died, she has often been in a state of fright. When someone speaks to her, she screams: "I don't know, don't follow me! I don't know!"

There was a long row of sinks, and the floor was flooded due to a broken water pipe, making it possible to submerge one's feet while walking through. Above the sinks, an electric wire was hanging, temporarily installed by the cafeteria to test a new dough press. She simply walked over, stood in the water, watched her parents smiling foolishly, and then pulled the wire down.

After this incident, the school has witnessed a death every year for five consecutive years, with varying causes of death. One was due to poisoning, another from a fall, one was a car accident, another resulted from a fatal fight, and the last one was particularly bizarre. A male student returned from outside, running quickly due to an urgent matter, but he did not notice that the main entrance of the teaching building was closed. The enormous glass door, overly bright in the sunlight, was virtually invisible. He crashed into the glass, severing all the major blood vessels in an instant

Later, her mental state deteriorated increasingly, and she could not even sleep soundly, which caused great distress to her classmates. Consequently, the school notified her family to come and handle her leave of absence, hoping she would return home to recuperate for a period. On the day the leave of absence was processed, it was already noon, so she took her family to the school cafeteria for a meal. While her family was buying food, they saw her standing in a corner, murmuring to herself, and then she suddenly walked over to the wall. On the day the leave of absence was processed, it was already noon, so she took her family to the school cafeteria for a meal. While her family was buying food, they saw her standing in a corner, murmuring to herself, and then she suddenly walked over to the wall

The wire, as thick as a little finger, was effortlessly snapped by her, resulting in her immediate death. It is uncertain whether those who die from electrocution will vomit blood, but she spewed it all over the wall, creating a mist of blood that could not be removed. Eventually, they simply scraped off the wall surface and replastered it, which is why the color of the wall by the cafeteria sink differs from that of the other walls

For the police, this is inexplicable; how could a strong young man remain completely unresponsive when attacked head-on? Even if it were a sudden assault by an acquaintance, how could he not struggle at all when he was having difficulty breathing?

It continued to create a commotion for six years, until a new principal was appointed four years ago

On a night ten years ago, a couple was walking along a path. For some reason, a woman in white was following them with her head down. When they walked quickly, she walked quickly; when they walked slowly, she also walked slowly, always maintaining a distance behind them. The couple became annoyed and asked her what she wanted. She then inquired for directions.

From the on-site investigation, it appears that the art studio is the first crime scene, but there are no signs of a struggle. The deceased is holding a broken shoelace in his hand, and the sole of his shoe has wet mud. His muddy footprints were found on the outer wall of the studio, indicating that he came from the tree-lined road in the western area of the school. However, the blood footprints inside the studio remain a mystery, an unsolvable enigma

The only piece of physical evidence is a pen held in the deceased's hand

Other phrases have undergone several versions in circulation, but this particular line has remained unchanged. Shortly after the incident, the couple met with a tragic end.

In his view, such a malevolent spirit would not cease its actions after killing just one person; it resembles an obsession that recurs repeatedly. However, the art academy is vast, and he cannot ascertain where the spirit might appear, so he can only wander around several major suspect locations while also being wary of the campus security. After his abilities were inexplicably sealed, the power of the talismans he drew has also diminished. The prospect of invisibility is out of the question, and even the tools and talismans he usually found cumbersome must now be carried with him.

His personal charm also made him popular during the investigation. After all, chatting with young girls would only make people think he is flirtatious, and they would not suspect that he is conducting an investigation. He has never been concerned about his reputation.

He is not as striking as Ruan Zhan, nor does he possess the charisma of Wan Li, but once women get close to him, very few do not find themselves drawn to him. In fact, there is no woman who does not like him, and many will even fall in love with him. Especially when he displays his unbeatable smile, which is a bit mischievous, a bit rogue, and a bit charming, it endears him to all women.

According to classmates who witnessed the scene, the boy's face appeared very serious, his eyes wide open as if he were reprimanding someone, his body pale and swollen, resembling a pile of moldy tofu accentuated by the black swimming trunks.

After a few days like this, he finally managed to gather some different news

The current clues available to the police are limited, and according to procedure, the next step is to investigate from the most fundamental aspects, such as the last person the deceased met while alive, the deceased's interpersonal relationships, identifying suspects, followed by extensive and detailed investigative work

A male student worked part-time at the school's swimming pool during his spare time, responsible for cleaning the pool. Shortly after a reported incident, he was found drowned in the pool by a teacher who was swimming. Strangely, he was an excellent swimmer and had placed in swimming competitions, so how could he drown in the pool? Furthermore, the swimming pool was securely locked from the outside, and the lights were turned off, suggesting that he had left after completing his cleaning duties. But how could he have ended up back in the facility? Who locked the door and turned off the lights?

The appearance of this malevolent spirit was too sudden. What is the reason for this?

Bao Datong initiated an investigation action

It is said that although the tree-lined path appears somewhat eerie, the actual occurrence of the "stranger asking for directions" incident took place ten years ago