Geisteswissenschaftliche Fakultät

Kapitel 30

"So... will you leave again this time?"

Luo Jian smiled. Why does everyone ask him this question?

"I've improved the Three Lives Mirror, you know. I bet it will reveal your past life this time."

A past life? I already have one. My past life was Akagi, the Akagi who almost destroyed the entire Pomeranian community after losing her lover. Have you forgotten? Luo Jian thought to himself.

Despite his thoughts, he still gave the same answer he used to Zhou Yi: "I haven't decided yet."

"Oh, anyway, it would be best if you stayed a few more days. Everyone misses you."

"I'll think about it. I'm leaving now; I still need to go see Yanxiang and the others."

"Yanxiang went out today!" Zhao Jian called out, following in Luo Jian's footsteps.

"What a coincidence! Is it even time?"

"They're not here either."

Luo Jian thought for a moment. He had been away from Bomei Village for over a thousand years, and these were the only few of the older generation he knew. Besides them were Wei Ming and Mu Ling, who deeply resented his actions a thousand years ago and probably wouldn't want to see him. Although his purpose in coming today was definitely not to visit relatives and friends, there was no need for him to go looking for trouble. As for Lao Shou and Che Xuan, their temperaments were too eccentric, and he had never had a close relationship with them before, so it was inappropriate to bother them. Oh right, there was one more person.

"Is Lu Li here?" Luo Jian thought of the pretty woman. When she first came to Bomeiji, he had helped her find accommodation, and they later became neighbors.

“Yes, go see her.” Zhao Jian called out from behind him, “Don’t forget to check on your own territory when you come back. Lu Li will still clean up your ‘bone mishap’ regularly these past few years.”

Luo Jian was stunned. He had thought that there would be no trace of his existence in this Pomeranian Collection anymore. It turned out that all the evidence of Chi Jian's existence was still preserved.

“It’s not just Lu Li, Yan Xiang sometimes goes there too… even when she’s playing hide-and-seek with Xiao Que.”

"Little Sparrow is..."

“Yanxiang’s maid, oh, you had already… already left when she came.” Zhaojian’s voice lowered. “You can come and see them again when you have time. Xiaoque is very capable; only she can control Yanxiang.”

"I understand, thank you." Luo Jian waved his hand behind him. Okay, let's go to 'Bone Mistake' and see the place where I used to live.

Bypassing the iconic large tree stump of Nanshudu, Luo Jian saw the shop he once owned. The large red padlock guarded the door as always, the shop was tightly closed, and the sign with the words "Gu Cuo" (meaning "bone mishap") still hung cleanly and upright above the door, as if the owner of this shop had only temporarily left.

Luo Jian bent down and gently stroked the large crimson lock, unable to articulate his true feelings. With his touch, the lock clicked crisply, the bolt shifting. Luo Jian stepped forward and gently moved a few door panels aside, releasing a pungent smell of metal.

He stepped into the shop, where sunlight, already tinged with orange, streamed in from the removed door panels, illuminating a corner of the store. Luo Jian lit the lamp above the counter, and in an instant, shelves and locks filled the room with locks and keys, as if time had turned back a thousand years.

"I am Bian Qiujie from the Bian Family Locksmith Shop," the girl dressed in men's clothing said, taking off her backpack and placing it on the counter.

"Master...Master...Master, please accept Jie as your disciple!"

"Master, I like you so much!"

In the empty room, it seemed as if the voice of the girl from years ago could still be heard. Luo Jian closed his eyes, thinking, "Those who have abandoned me, yesterday's days cannot be retained."

When he opened his eyes again, his face showed no emotion. "Let's go check the backyard," Luo Jian said, walking through the shop.

Behind the "Bone Mistake" shop is a small courtyard, which looks very clean and is obviously regularly maintained. Various kinds of flowers bloom in the courtyard, and the grapevines on the side are covered with tender green leaves. Except for the deep hole that would probably surprise everyone who sees the courtyard, I believe no one would disagree that this courtyard is a pleasing place. However, after this hole was added, the appearance of the courtyard was forced to change 180 degrees.

Luo Jian crouched down to examine the pit. Within three meters in diameter, the walls were almost vertical, and the bottom was nowhere in sight. A cool breeze blew from the pit. He picked up a small pebble and tried to drop it down the pit wall to test its depth. The pebble rolled for a short while before falling straight down the nearly vertical wall, and he couldn't hear the sound of it hitting the bottom for a long time.

Good heavens, this is more powerful than dynamite!

Luo Jian expressed his sincere admiration for the pit he had created more than a thousand years ago.

More than a thousand years ago, Chi Jian lost his mind after losing his lover. He transformed his grief and anger into hatred for Pomerania, detonating his primordial spirit in an attempt to destroy the entire Pomerania.

"I hate this place, I hate this identity, I hate all of you!" Chi Jian, his eyes turning crimson, bared his fangs and roared at everyone who came to stop him. It was Elder Mu, the most respected elder in the entire market, who intervened and saved Chi Jian's primordial spirit from its madness. However, as the price, Elder Mu himself suffered the destruction of both his primordial spirit and his soul, turning into a pile of scattered sand.

"Guess who I am?" A pleasant voice suddenly rang out behind Luo Jian, followed by a pair of fragrant hands covering Luo Jian's eyes. Then, with a howl, Luo Jian fully displayed his formidable fighting skills as a Chinese criminal police officer. The unidentified object was smashed through the crater like a shooting star and crashed heavily to the ground.

A cloud of smoke rose up.

"Young master, young master!" A girl dressed as... Luo Jian tried hard to recall the girl's attire. RIKKU! Yes, RIKKU, RIKKU from FF10... Come to think of it, why is there a girl cosplaying a game character here? Luo Jian wondered. He only knew about cosplay because he had been in charge of security at a certain anime convention. How come there's cosplay here?

"555555, Little Sparrow, I was hit by Red Key, 55555555" After the dust settled, a tall woman in a wedding dress... no, it should be said that a man got up crying, "Look, my clothes are all dirty, 5555555."

“Young master, don’t cry, don’t cry. Little Sparrow will scold him for you!” The girl dressed as Rikku took a deep breath, bravely stepped forward, and pointed her little finger at Luo Jian, scolding, “How could you bully our young master! Do you know how much effort I put into making this wedding dress for Yuna! Now you’ve ruined it all! I know our young master has a bad temper and is lazy, but he’s not without his good points, look at him…” The girl grabbed the still-crying “bride,” “This face is at least somewhat useful, isn’t it? What a beautiful face! How could you almost disfigure him?”

Luo Jian's lips twitched slightly, because he seemed to vaguely recognize the face in front of him, which was stained with tears and mud.

“Yan… Yan Xiang…” Luo Jian said in frustration. The next moment, the tall bride immediately broke free from the “RIKKU girl’s” hand, ran over excitedly, and hugged Luo Jian, who was about the same height as her.

"Akagi, Akagi, I missed you so much, 5555555555" she cried while rubbing against Luo Jian's clothes.

"Huh? This...this is Brother Akagi..." The "RIKKU Girl" was suddenly at a loss. "I...I'm sorry, I didn't know you were Brother Akagi."

"You damned young master, you stinking young master, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I clearly said I was hit by Akagi..."

You're being too lenient!

"Yan... Yanxiang..." Luo Jian struggled to pull away the person clinging to him, "Didn't you go on a long trip?"

"They just wanted to give you a surprise, look!" Yanxiang wiped her face and snapped her fingers.

In an instant, colorful lanterns lit up all around, and Luo Jian saw an incredibly spacious courtyard. Flowers of all colors bloomed in abundance, their reflections shimmering in the lanterns, creating a beautiful and vibrant scene. It seemed as if the space had been extended. Not far away, a group of people sat around a table.

Canglong, Gengke, Luli, Old Master, Zhaojian, Yanshang...

Luo Jian called out to the familiar yet unfamiliar faces one by one, while many strangers watched him with smiles.

"Come and have the reunion dinner." Mingdu coughed and beckoned to Luo Jian, "Everyone is waiting for you."

"We've waited for over a thousand years," Zhou Yi sighed.

“That’s called a once-in-a-millennium event,” Yan Shang added.

Luo Jian smiled and nodded, then quickly walked to the table and sat down.

"Come on, let's drink to Akagi's return!"

"cheers!"

Dozens of cups were raised into the air, making a crisp clinking sound.

“Chijian, I remember you said that you would never set foot here again, life after life, unless it was to destroy Bomeiji.” Canglong said, patting Luo Jian’s back as he held up a large wine cup.

"Yes, I did say that." Luo Jian smiled and took a sip of the wine in his glass. "Good wine!" he exclaimed.

"Of course, it's Miss Mi's skill that's unmatched."

Amidst the booming voice of the Azure Dragon, a young woman whom Luo Jian had never seen before gave him a faint smile.

"So, have you changed your mind now?" Mingdu, sitting across from me, asked casually.

"Not yet," Luo Jian replied.

There was a brief moment of silence, but then the people started making noise again. Some were playing drinking games, some were guessing riddles, and others were competing in drinking contests. Luo Jian's answer was like a pebble thrown into the bottomless lake, disappearing without a trace with a splash.

"Then drink a few more cups, you might not be able to drink again~~" Yanxiang leaned over and poured wine into Luo Jian's cup, "Drink, Chijian!"

Luo Jian raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp, then turned the glass upside down and placed it face down on the table.

Snap—

The sound was faint, but in an instant, everyone fell silent. Those who were playing drinking games and guessing riddles all stopped what they were doing and slowly put down their glasses.

Luo Jian pulled a notebook from his suit pocket and began to read: "On May 13, 1999, Jiang Linzi, a famous opera actress from Kuntian City, collapsed and died on stage for unknown reasons. Her body decomposed rapidly. An autopsy confirmed that Jiang Linzi died of malignant intestinal cancer. However, what is puzzling is that, according to the examination of her physical condition, Jiang Linzi should have died a month earlier. According to Jiang Linzi's friends, she mentioned the name 'Bomeiji' several times before her death. On November 5, 2002, the famous porcelain master Chu Zhengyu reported that his daughter, Chu Yuan, had gone missing three days prior. After nearly a month of investigation, based on eyewitness testimonies, blood was detected in the clay urn frequently used by Chu Zhengyu, and hair and bone fragments containing Chu Yuan's DNA were found. A business card with the words 'Bomeiji' was found in Chu Zhengyu's home, becoming the breakthrough in the case. By the way, I am in charge of all the following cases, including this one..."

Luo Jian turned the page and continued reading: "On July 22, 2004, rising star Han Qingyin committed suicide out of guilt for helping her mother murder several young girls. According to the perpetrator's testimony before her death, it was confirmed that she was not Han Qingyin at all, but Bai Mei, a famous movie star who was once very popular in the 1930s but was disfigured and disappeared. Bai Mei claimed that she regained her appearance by taking drugs provided by Bomei Group, but she also had to bear the serious aftereffect of having to take the blood of young girls every twenty years; On March 20, 2006, the murder case at Villa No. 3, Modang Road, the famous sculptor Wei Ziru was found dead in his home, his flesh and blood devoured, leaving only a skeleton, missing his left hand. According to the investigation, Wei Ziru had been in a car accident a year earlier, resulting in a disability in his left hand, but he suddenly made a comeback eight months later. According to witness Wei Jianyu, Wei Ziru had mentioned before his death that Bomei Group had given him a second chance..."

Luo Jian closed his notebook: "These are all the cases I have investigated. I believe there must be other cases caused by Bomei Group in places I am unaware of."

"Have some water." Chong Tuan handed over a cup of tea.

"Thank you." Luo Jian took the tea and sipped it. "Good tea."

"What do you want to say?" Yanxiang asked, a large crab dangling from her mouth. "You want to arrest us."

“That’s right, I’m going to arrest you.” Luo Jian stood up. “I’m very grateful for the good food and wine you’ve enjoyed. Unfortunately, I’m not the person you’re waiting for. I’m not Chi Jian, I’m Luo Jian, the captain of the first criminal investigation team of the homicide division of the Chaohe District Public Security Bureau.”

"Chijian is Luo Jian!"

“No, I only have Chi Jian’s memories, but that person isn’t me,” Luo Jian answered Yan Shang’s question. “Just like I know you used to pester Shuju for stories when you were little…”

Yan Shang blushed.

"But in fact, I don't know you or Shuju at all."

Luo Jian recalled how he felt when he first regained his memories, and intense emotions filled his heart.

"Bian Qiujie, wait for me, I'm going to bring everyone to hell to accompany you!" Chi Jian's words echoed repeatedly in his mind. The emotions of a man driven mad by the loss of his lover struck Luo Jian's heart heavily. But whether it was Bian Qiujie or Chi Jian, when Luo Jian calmed down, he found that everything was actually unfamiliar to him.

"I've never been here before, I've never experienced anything like this, how do you expect me to get familiar with you?" Luo Jian spread his hands. "That's why I came to come and see for myself. Now I'm sure of it, I don't know any of you, but you are criminals, and it's the duty of the Chinese People's Police to arrest criminals!"

"Luo Jian, are you giving a political lesson to your students?" Old Shou put down his wine glass.

"Yeah, what kind of idiot cop are you? Do you think you can beat us?" After finishing the crab, Yanxiang started gnawing on a chicken leg.

"People's police are all fearless in the face of danger; one who is afraid of death should not be a people's policeman!" Luo Jianhao's heroic spirit soared to the heavens.

"Tch, while you're risking your life, I bet a lot of officials are taking bribes, engaging in speculation, keeping mistresses, and gambling in Las Vegas," an old man Luo Jian didn't recognize said disdainfully as he ate. "That's just how people are, they've been the same disgusting bunch for years!"

"Don't you dare insult us humans!" Luo Jian roared. "Not everyone is so shameless. Those people will get their comeuppance sooner or later!"

"Retribution? What is retribution? You, who once lived here, still believe in retribution? If retribution really exists, then we are the next level above those who punish them, the messengers of God that you call them."

"No, the retribution I'm talking about isn't some vague, ethereal cycle of justice. The one who can punish criminals is definitely not some so-called messenger of God. I believe that only human beings themselves can eradicate evil. This is my justice, Luo Jian's justice, and you are just creating crime."

"Luo Jian, what books have you read that have turned you into this? Do you think you're some kind of champion of justice?" Mu Ling mocked him coldly.

"You can laugh at me all you want. This is my belief for over twenty years. People's problems can only be solved by themselves. You don't need to interfere."

“We didn’t interfere; we were just doing business,” Geng Ke smiled. Today, he was dressed as a mature 30-year-old man, with only one thing unchanged: black hair and black eyes. He still looked as bold and playful as ever.

"You haven't even applied for a business license!"

"Why don't you apply for it for us?"

"Then please provide me with the necessary information. As long as it's a legitimate transaction and the goods come from legitimate channels, I can certainly apply for it for you."

"You're just looking for trouble!"

"I am acting in accordance with the law."

"What is law? It is a weapon established for the ruling class. Only ignorant people believe in law."

"The existence of law must have its rationale. Nothing in the world is perfect, and we will continue to do better."

"Don't advertise here!"

"You guys are still advertising for Pomeranian at the end of every chapter, aren't you?"