"Bullshit!" the young policeman slammed the table and shouted, "Catching ghosts? Why don't you say you are Zhang Tianshi? Tell the truth!"
I said calmly, "I have always been honest, but you just don't believe me. If you think I have broken the law, then let me ask you, when was the time of death of the dead man in the studio? When did the surveillance camera at the entrance of the community capture the scene of us entering the studio? Haven't you studied investigation?"
Although I have never studied detective work, I can roughly calculate from the state of blood coagulation that the man has been dead for at least four hours.
The young policeman slammed the table and stood up: "Talk to me about investigation? Who are you teaching?"
"Okay! I believe him." The old policeman who spoke was probably in his forties. His slightly gray temples showed a hint of vicissitudes, but his eyes were bright and energetic.
The young policeman was anxious: "Captain Du, do you believe his lies too?"
Captain Du waved his hand and said, "The facts prove that he didn't have the time to commit the crime. Except for the coffin nail he pulled out, there were no fingerprints on the other nails. Besides, it's impossible for him to nail a person almost one meter above the ground. He is not the murderer."
The young policeman said: "Even if he is not the murderer, he still looks suspicious!"
Captain Du said seriously: "I believe what he said, and I also believe that he is a ghost catcher."
"Captain Du, why are you in the same old trouble again?" Although the tone of the young policeman was not good, Captain Du did not seem angry. Instead, he said to me, "My name is Du Zhengming. I believe there are ghosts in this world, and I also believe what you said. However, I hope you can help me solve the case."
When I looked at the other person, I followed a gesture, which, according to Mr. Dongbei, meant to ask if the other person was a warlock.
It is often said in the art of magic: There are no magicians in the government.
In fact, it means that there is no sorcerer heritage among officials, because the official aura itself can suppress evil, and the official's palm carries the seal of the country's destiny, which is enough to ward off evil. Moreover, officials will not deal with ghosts and gods openly, so there is a saying that "there are no sorcerers in the government."
However, it is not entirely true to say that there is no sorcerer inheritance in the public sector. There are at least four types of people in the public sector who are inextricably linked to the sorcery, including the constables, coroners, executioners, and jailers. Although these four types of people have changed their names, the ancient inheritance has not been cut off. Many people abide by the rules passed down by their ancestors, but they just keep it secret from outsiders.
Lao Du shook his head and said, "I don't understand your gestures, and I'm not a practitioner of the art. It's just that I've been in the government for a long time and have seen some things that can't be explained. Which school do you belong to?"
I said bluntly, "Mr. Northeast."
Mr. Dongbei is a member of the art of magic, or a sorcerer. However, in the eyes of real people in the art of magic, Mr. Dongbei's inheritance is complicated and cannot be put on the stage.
Lao Du's eyes lit up: "Are you really Mr. Da? I don't doubt you, I just want to confirm it."
I nodded and said, "Mr. Northeast, you are the real deal. I can help you solve the case, but you have to provide me with some convenience."
Lao Du made a prompt decision and said, "Deal! Xiao Li, take off his handcuffs."
Xiao Li hesitated and said, "Captain Du, will this work? They are now..."
Lao Du waved his hand and said, "I will personally explain this matter to the director. Moreover, I will follow them during this period of time. If any problems arise, I will be responsible."
"Okay then!" Seeing that he was determined to do so, Xiao Li nodded and agreed.
Lao Du said again: "Release the three people as well, and later..."
“No need!” I waved my hand and said, “Put all three of them in one interrogation room. Don’t remove their handcuffs. I have something to ask.”
Lao Du hesitated for a moment before saying, "Do as he says."
A moment later, Lao Du took me into an interrogation room. When Chen Liuyi saw me, he immediately shouted, "Brother, what's going on? Didn't you kill the man in the room? Police comrade, I've already said that I didn't go into the photo studio. Only Xiao Wu went in. We can confront each other now!"
I crossed my arms and sneered, "I came here to confront you face to face. Why did you want to harm Wang Shiyu?"
Chen Liu was stunned: "Mr. Wu, what do you mean? Don't talk nonsense! You want to make a contribution, so you bite people randomly? Police comrade, he framed me!"
Lao Du slammed the table and said, "Shut up! Just tell him what he asks you! He is our specially hired consultant now."
Chen Liu Lao was speechless for a long time: "Mr. Wu, what do you want to do?"
"I should be the one asking you this." I ignored Chen Liu's shouting and asked slowly, "Since the day you were haunted by a ghost, I have been wondering, how could a half-baked fortune teller like you go and help others catch ghosts? Are you trying to save your life?"
Chen Liu shouted, "What's wrong with me going to catch ghosts? Didn't I do it just to make a little extra money? Besides, there are so many people doing this, what's the point of missing me?"
There are so-called great gods and fortune tellers in many places in the Northeast, but eight out of ten are fake. The employers can't see ghosts and gods anyway, so they go there and cheat and get the money.
Generally, people who ask for favors from celestial beings or fortune tellers have a deep faith in ghosts and gods. Even if they find out they have been cheated, most of them will not ask for a refund out of fear of ghosts and gods. This is the way of survival for half-baked fortune tellers.
Chen Liu's statement can explain it.
I sneered and said, "I remember I asked you guys before I took action whether you had never seen the ghost outside the door, and you all said yes. Then how come your leg meridians were invaded by the Yin Qi?"
"How would I know what happened?" Chen Liu denied it outright. "I just stayed at Wang Shiyu's house for one night and this happened."
"Well!" I pressed on, "Last night, I blocked three ghost-beating money in front of the bed, but you were possessed by ghosts without any warning. I want to ask, what's going on?"
"How should I know?" Chen Liu shouted, "Your own magic doesn't work, but you blame it on me!"
I continued, "While we were in the hospital, the ghost was following us the whole time, but it was obviously not trying to kill us, but to buy time."
"Don't you think I didn't see it? The one blocking the security door is actually a yang soul who wants to steal life, but she doesn't have the ability to do so. Would such a yang soul dare to stop a living person?"
The so-called yang soul by the sorcerers is different from the Taoist view. It does not only refer to the soul that has left the body after successful cultivation, but also refers to the soul that has left the body before a living person dies.
The yang souls of some people in the hospital leave their bodies and squat in the corridor waiting for strangers to pass by, asking them for help. If the passerby grabs them, the other person will borrow some of their yang energy, or even their lifespan, and the yang soul's body will live longer.
The Yang soul that blocked the road that day obviously did not have this ability.
I stared at Chen Liu and said, "That day, you were the only one who went out once. You were the one who arranged for Yanghun to block the road, right?"
Chen Liu roared, "Mr. Wu, you don't need to slander me! If you can't provide evidence for what you said today, I will never let you go!"
"I really can't produce any evidence." I smiled and waved my hand, "You can go! But I have to remind you that Mr. Dongbei doesn't necessarily need any evidence to do things. Besides, it's not illegal for ghosts to kill people."
Chen Liu's face turned pale: "Comrade police, he threatened me."
Lao Du waved his hands and said, "Verbal threats do not constitute a crime. Besides, he just said 'it's not illegal for ghosts to kill people', and he didn't say he wanted to kill you. It's impossible for you to apply for police protection for such ghost stuff. Even if you file a report, it will be regarded as a joke."
Lao Du paused for a moment and said, "I think this is the way to go! I will keep Wu Zhao in custody for another 24 hours, and you go first!"
Lao Du winked at Xiao Li, who stood up and uncuffed Chen Liu: "Go!"
Chen Liu just walked to the door of the interrogation room and turned back. He knelt on the ground with a "thump" and slapped himself several times: "Brother Wu, I am not a human being. I am guilty. Please forgive me! No... Please save me! I don't want to die!"
I said in a calm voice: "Tell me, what is going on?"
Lao Du lifted Chen Liu to a chair, took out a cigarette and handed it to him: "Take a puff first, and then talk slowly."
Chen Liu took the cigarette with trembling hands, took two deep puffs, and then said, "My family actually has some tricks, and we use a tricky way."
The so-called ghost communication is a branch of the medium lineage. They are good at using some kind of magical instrument or themselves as a medium to communicate with ghosts. They use the invited ghosts to gain insight into the fate of their employers, or negotiate with the ghosts that haunt their employers.
Sorcerers who are good at using ghost communication usually worship ghosts themselves. However, I can't see any trace of long-term dealings with ghosts and gods in Chen Liu.
Seeing that I didn't believe him, Chen Liu quickly said, "My ancestors did worship the big ghost. At that time, the Chen family was quite famous in Sanxi. Later, the skills were lost when it came to my grandfather's generation, and the big ghost also left. Now my generation can only make a living by talking."
"Although my family lost the job given by our ancestors, my grandfather also left us something. I can use the soul-calling incense to attract ghosts and ask them to do some small things for me. The soul-calling incense was made by our ancestors. The less you use, the less you have. I usually don't use that thing unless I encounter a big deal."
Chen Liu stopped talking here, and I said, "Show me your soul-guiding incense."
Chen Liu asked Xiao Li to get his backpack, took out a square spice the size of a soap from it, and handed it to him with both hands.
I took it and read it carefully, and immediately believed what he said. (To be continued)