Transmigrierte Kaiserinnen (männlich und weiblich)

Kapitel 22

Suddenly, Li Zhengzhen leaned closer and said in a strange tone, "I know who you are, you are... the Guide to the Underworld!"

"No, I'm not, I'm your classmate from the dorm next door!" Song Xiaomo said angrily.

"Haha, my classmate is already dead, and I'm going to die too!" The mental hospital was filled with Li Zhengzhen's shrill, desperate screams. The sound echoed against the white walls and floor, and in the gloomy sky. Suddenly, several other patients shouted in unison, "I'm going to die too! I'm going to die too!"

Immediately afterwards, the wind began to rage and the rain began to pour down. The world seemed to be shrouded in a wet, black cloth, making people feel even more oppressed and suffocated.

For a moment, only Song Xiaomo and Li Zhengzhen remained in the large courtyard.

A bolt of lightning flashed, illuminating most of the courtyard.

"Ah..." With a startled cry, Li Zhengzhen collapsed to the ground, his face ashen, as if he had seen something terrifying.

"Is something wrong?" Song Xiaomo asked anxiously. He could even hear the sound of Li Zhengzhen's teeth chattering, which made his heart beat faster for no reason.

"A ghost...a ghost!" Li Zhengzhen scrambled to a window.

"Ghost? What ghost?"

“A female ghost, a disheveled female ghost…” Lee Jung-jin pointed stiffly toward the courtyard gate, his teeth chattering. “Did you see her?”

Song Xiaomo glanced quickly towards the courtyard gate, but the wind and rain outside were still raging, obscuring the sky and sky, making it impossible to see anything. He shook his head blankly, "There's nothing there, are you hallucinating?"

"No...it's impossible!" Li Zhengzhen calmed down a little, but he was still shaken. "I saw it clearly, a female ghost in white, with disheveled hair and a face covered in blood, just floated past the door..."

Song Xiaomo felt a chill run down his spine after hearing Li Zhengzhen's words. He opened his eyes wide and looked at the gate again, but it was pitch black outside and he couldn't see anything. He helplessly shrugged.

"Impossible!" Li Zhengzhen rushed towards the gate, looking around. Just then, another bolt of lightning flashed, tearing through the darkness once more. Li Zhengzhen clearly confirmed that what he had seen before was not an illusion. Hanging from a camphor tree in front of the gate was a white, gooey object. He took a few steps closer and froze—hanging high in the tree was a woman with long hair covering her face!

Suddenly, the woman's face emerged from her hair; it was a deathly gray color, and the lightning illuminated her blood-dripping red lips and gleaming white teeth. Especially striking was her gaze, filled with murderous intent, fixed intently on Li Zhengzhen, as if she wished she could slowly tear him to pieces with her eyes.

Li Zhengzhen stared at her in horror, his face contorted with extreme fear. He grabbed Song Xiaomo, who had just caught up, and stammered, "Quick...look, she...she...a ghost..."

"Where?" Song Xiaomo's gaze followed the direction he was pointing, but the lightning had passed, and the world was plunged back into darkness, with nothing in sight. Although she couldn't see anything, Li Zhengzhen's expression still sent a chill down Song Xiaomo's spine.

"I remember now, it's Shin Mi-hyun! Shin Mi-hyun!" Lee Jung-jin screamed hysterically, "She's finally back..."

(29)

The air in the office was so stuffy that not a breath of air could be felt. An Qiqi leaned against the desk, her brows furrowed in worry. Xiao Nan and several police officers sat in chairs, their faces grave.

After a long silence, An Qiqi spoke up: "I'm so sorry, but there's still no progress on this case, and the search is making no progress at all. Team Leader Jin has started to doubt our efficiency. Has anyone had any new leads lately?"

Seeing no one speak, he continued, "...Why was the method of both crimes the brutal act of severing the victim's head? Why did the victim always receive that ghost doll before each incident? Is this a startling coincidence, or a planned murder? If the killer is the same person, the ghost doll is something that must be left behind. So, I can assume that the ghost doll is undoubtedly a ritualistic object for the killer, like a procedure that must be followed. Or perhaps he wanted to express his views through it—whether towards the world or towards the victims he killed. However, after we discovered these items, we couldn't find the killer using them, and the killer carefully erased all traceable clues, yet left these behind. Doesn't this signify a coded message?"

"code word?"

"Yes. My analysis might convey the message, 'Look, this is why I killed them.' A reasonable interpretation of these things might lead to new clues, but finding the meaning behind the code could be quite difficult, or it might not even have any investigative value, but merely represent a statement, a 'reasonable' explanation for the crime."

Can you decipher this code?

"No, not yet. To be honest, I'm increasingly feeling that this thing is sinister..."

Xiao Nan carefully considered An Qiqi's words and said, "Do you remember what the administrator said when we went to the girls' dormitory last time?"

"What?"

"A curse...the curse of the ghost doll!"

"No, impossible!" An Qiqi shook her head and said, "This is too unscientific! If someone is already dead, how can they still kill others?"

Chapter 107: The Doll Murder Case (107)

Xiao Nan hesitated for a moment, then said, "I once learned from a book by an American scientist that there are many forces in the world that are far from being understood by us humans. For example, the mystery of the disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle... According to the law of conservation of energy, it is hard to deny that the energy a person possesses disappears after death, but it may remain through some medium and affect the thoughts and even lives of others..."

"So you mean Shen Meixuan's spirit and will have been infused into these ghost dolls? Or rather, her soul has possessed them?"

"Sorry, I was just saying it casually, just letting my imagination run wild. How can we police officers be misled by such things? It was just a joke for fun!" Xiao Nan grinned.

"I think you deserve a beating!" An Qiqi punched Xiao Nan and said seriously, "Now, based on the few clues we have, let's make an analysis and hypothesis. Who do you think is the most suspicious?"

"Song Xiaomo!"

“You and I have the same suspicion; I also believe Song Xiaomo could be the murderer. But this is only based on the timing of the crime. As for the motive? Moreover, judging from the second murder, we can be certain that the perpetrator is an intelligent criminal. He could have easily controlled the timeline to ‘clear’ the suspects of suspicion…”

"What about Song Yoon-ah? There are also many suspicious points about her."

"But strangely, we can't find any information about this person, so we don't know where she came from."

"Yes, who exactly is this mysterious person? Also, I forgot to tell you, the preliminary test results for the black powdery substance we found at the cemetery last time are in. The lab technician confirmed that it didn't contain cremated remains, but rather ash left from burning coarse cotton fabric. The label with the '4' is still under further investigation..."

"Then what's the point of Song Yun'er burying this?" Xiao Nan scratched her head and sighed heavily. "This isn't enough... Without further clues... we can't even begin the investigation!"

“Don’t be discouraged. We might be able to find a breakthrough with Song Xiaomo. At least I have a feeling that he is connected to this murder case… We…” An Qiqi was about to say something when she was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"It's me, Kim In-bin!"

Team Leader Jin walked in, glanced around, and then stared directly at An Qiqi: "Just now, the relatives of the deceased, Cui Zhenyang, accused us of failing to solve the case properly and forcibly took the body to the crematorium, saying that according to their family tradition, after a person dies, they must be cremated within a certain time, otherwise they cannot be reincarnated in the next life... I outwardly agreed, or rather, it was due to pressure from the deceased's family. So... I hope you will hurry up and investigate, and don't let me down!"

"Alright, I'll go to the crematorium now and see if I can find any more clues!"

Chapter 108: The Doll Murder Case (108)

The city at midnight appeared even more dim and yellowish. Under the lights, dirty dust filled the sky, and the outlines of the roadside buildings tore the night sky into countless fragmented lines. There weren't many cars on the road, but they were all moving very fast. An Qiqi was a skilled driver, overtaking several cars in succession as she headed towards the crematorium. Xiao Nan's snoring filled the car with a quiet melody.

An Qiqi's phone suddenly rang.

"Hello, can I talk to you?" He Zhiying's voice came through.

"Hi, long time no see. Why did you suddenly think of me today?" An Qiqi said with a smile.

Are you busy right now? I'd like to talk to you in person!

"Now?" An Qiqi felt a strange impulse rise in her heart, but quickly said, "Unfortunately, I have some official business to attend to right now!"

"Okay then, I won't bother you anymore, goodbye!" He Zhiying said and hung up the phone in the blink of an eye.

An Qiqi was taken aback, wondering to herself: What exactly does He Zhiying want to talk to me about? Has she discovered something? Could there be some hidden story behind this?

"Look at your expression, did that Miss He Zhiying call you?" Xiao Nan woke up from his dream.

"Yes, it seems like she wants to say something to me?"

"Then why don't you go find her? What a great opportunity!"

"No, I still need to go to the crematorium to look for clues later, otherwise it will be difficult to explain to Team Leader Jin!" An Qiqi was in a dilemma when a shadow suddenly appeared in the rearview mirror. It seemed to be a very familiar figure. He stuck his head out and saw He Zhiying standing on the overpass.

"Huh, how come I ran into her here?" An Qiqi rubbed her eyes. Yes, it was He Zhiying.

The Hyundai car came to a smooth stop on the side of the road.

He Zhiying turned around in surprise, the fear in her eyes seeming to emanate from the depths of her bones, making An Qiqi suddenly feel uneasy.

"Looks like I'm superfluous. I'll get off the bus. You guys have a good chat! As for that case, let's go tomorrow. It's pretty scary to sneak into the crematorium at night!" Xiao Nan said as she got off the bus.

An Qiqi didn't stop him, and said to He Zhiying, "Get in the car. If it's on your way, I can give you a ride!"

"Thank you!" He Zhiying tossed her long hair and slowly climbed into the car.

"You don't look well. Did you have insomnia last night?"

He Zhiying didn't answer her, her gaze fixed on the scenery outside the car window. After a while, she asked, "Cui Zhenyang died on this overpass, didn't he?"

“Yes.” An Qiqi found it strange that He Zhiying brought this up. “I was at the scene of the accident that night, it seemed… it seemed to be the spot you were just standing in. The media reported that it was an accidental traffic accident, but… we searched every corner for the missing head, but to no avail…”

"Oh." He Zhiying listened intently, then suddenly asked, "Can I see his body?"

"Why? You came to see me today just for this?" An Qiqi looked at her with suspicion.

"Yes, I want to see how he died?"

Chapter 109: The Doll Murder Case (109)

"Is there... a problem?" An Qiqi stared at her, puzzled, and said with a serious expression, "Didn't the newspaper report it clearly? His motorcycle went out of control and accidentally crashed into a small truck transporting steel plates, and then..."

"No, I don't believe it's that simple!" He Zhiying interrupted him.

"So what's your opinion?"

She avoided An Qiqi's gaze, hesitated for a long time, and then forced out a few words through her teeth: "It's... a ghost... that... killed... people!"

An Qiqi's body stiffened involuntarily. He suddenly realized that He Zhiying's face was far too pale, almost deathly pale in the evening light. He felt as if the girl in front of him had become a completely different person.

"I know you probably think I'm talking nonsense. But do you know what? I've been haunted by a ghost lately... My mother told me that I was haunted by a ghost when I was very young. I was six years old then, and I had a serious illness with a persistent cough. One night, my mother woke up in the middle of the night and suddenly saw my deceased grandfather come to see me. A dark figure appeared on the wall; it was the figure of a ghost. My mother begged my grandfather not to frighten the child... After hearing this, my grandfather left, and immediately my illness was cured..."

An Qiqi frowned; he couldn't understand He Zhiying's words at all. He knew very well that he was a policeman; how could he believe in ghosts and gods?

He Zhiying was silent for a moment before saying, "Do you still remember that female administrator and the ghost doll?"

An Qiqi paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "Of course I remember. Cui Zhenyang's death might also be related to that thing!"

"Do you remember that saying that circulated on campus? People who receive ghost dolls will die!" He Zhiying said.

An Qiqi nodded: "This is clearly a blatant lie that is spreading rumors and misleading the public!"

"Don't you find it strange? Considering these two things, do you still think it's a coincidence? Some things don't necessarily come from nowhere!"

An Qiqi paused for a moment, then stared intently at He Zhiying and said, "What exactly do you want to tell me? What's wrong with you today? Why did you bring up these things?"

Tears welled up in the girl's eyes, and she said softly, "Because... I just received... a ghost doll!"

(30)

The night sky was as black as ink. Dense raindrops pounded on the trees, making strange sounds. The hills behind were undulating and deep black, with occasional flashes of lightning. The seemingly distant forest suddenly loomed closer, as if hideous demons were hiding within, dancing with the lightning.

The Hyundai car drove into the crematorium and stopped at the entrance of the management office. An Qiqi held the black umbrella over He Zhiying's head and gently helped her out of the car. Because they had informed the crematorium in advance, the staff at the management office were very cooperative when they heard that the police were there to handle a case, and even specially assigned a young man to guide them.

Chapter 110: The Doll Murder Case (110)

In the dead of night, gazing at the towering, dark chimney, An Qiqi felt a surge of indescribable emotions. Although he had been to many such places and dealt with many dead people, this was the first time he had come to such a place with a girl. It was truly an absurd and terrifying experience. He could have refused He Zhiying's request, but for some reason, his heart softened when he saw the sorrow in her eyes. After much consideration, he decided to bring her to see Cui Zhenyang, at least to prove to her that the deceased wasn't killed by a "ghost"! However, who could distinguish between a ghost killing someone and a human killing someone?

The rain suddenly stopped.

A lonely path stretched into the black night, seemingly growing narrower and narrower. Almost no one was around, except for the occasional trolley pushing a body, rumbling past and disappearing into the unfathomable darkness. This terrifying night made An Qiqi momentarily transported back to a few years ago, when he and Park Eun-hee were in high school. One day, they ran into the morgue, and in the dead of night, they suddenly heard hurried footsteps inside…

"We're here!" the young man said, pointing to a bungalow. "That's the morgue. There's a key here, and the names and numbers of the deceased are on the morgue cabinets. Go in yourselves."

"Aren't you coming with us?" An Qiqi asked.

"No...I'm not going!" the young man said evasively, as if he had some concerns.

"What is it? You're a crematorium worker, what are you afraid of?" An Qiqi found it amusing.

"It's too late. We usually don't go in around midnight. Only Uncle Park is on duty inside. He just happened to be off today. I'm sorry, I really can't help you!"

"Uncle Park, aren't you afraid?" An Qiqi lit a cigarette to confirm his identity and courage. He thought, I must remain calm and not show any fear or timidity, otherwise I'll lose face in front of He Zhiying when we go in.

“He’s not afraid at all! He’s worked here for over twenty years and has seen all sorts of bizarre things.”