Blutiger Handabdruck - Kapitel 44
"Ouch," came the voice of a plainclothes officer.
A gunshot rang out.
The gunshots made the alarms of many cars go off frantically.
Xu Haicheng was nearly driven mad by the noise, his head throbbing, feeling as if the bullet was about to leap out of his skull. He dropped to the ground, scanning his surroundings. To his left, three or four cars away, a plainclothes officer was crouching against a vehicle, a puddle of liquid seeping at his feet, his right hand half-drawn out, blood trickling down the back of his gun. To his right, about four cars away, a man with a blackened lower leg slowly crouched down, his face turned to the side as he scanned under the cars. When he saw Xu Haicheng, he paused, then a hint of malice flashed across his face, and he raised his gun, pointing it at him.
Isn't this He Aimin?
Xu Haicheng inwardly groaned, instinctively rolling under the car. Just as he rolled over, one of the tires of the car where he had been hiding began to hiss and leak air. Not daring to let his guard down, he rolled over several cars in quick succession, finally reaching the plainclothes officer, and without a second thought, grabbed his gun.
At this critical moment, he had long forgotten his brain injury and the nerve damage in his right hand. He only knew how to aim and shoot. In a daze, he returned to the shooting competition at the police academy in 1998. With a bang, he hit the bullseye.
He Aimin stared in horror at his chest and collapsed to the ground.
Xu Haicheng was panting heavily, feeling a spasm in his right hand that made it impossible for him to hold the gun, which fell to the ground with a thud. Turning his head, he saw that the plainclothes officer was still alive and reporting to Curie on the phone. Relieved, he quickly ran to Lu Mingjie's side.
He sat with his eyes closed, leaning against the car, his face pale, a dark patch on the chest of his light gray sweater. Beside him lay a person, face down, their condition unknown, their identity unclear.
Xu Haicheng, not bothering to see who the person was, squatted down beside Lu Mingjie, pressing two fingers against his carotid artery; he could still feel the pulse. Lu Mingjie, probably sensing someone's presence, slightly opened his eyes, saw Xu Haicheng's lips twitch, and said, "It's you..."
Why do this?
“He told me…” Lu Mingjie’s voice was very soft, “He said he could break the witchcraft on my sister. My sister is so pitiful, I can’t let her live like this forever…” As he spoke, a tear rolled down his cheek.
Xu Haicheng didn't know who "he" referred to, but he roughly guessed that "he" was the person who helped Lu Mingjie recover, and Lu Mingjie had done something for "him" in return. Yu Congrong believed that Lu Mingjie was "his" accomplice, and killed him as a result.
Lu Mingjie's face was so pale it was almost transparent, and the bluish veins under his skin were clearly visible. Watching a life slip away, Xu Haicheng felt heavy-hearted and said, "Don't talk, the ambulance will be here soon." He then tried to see who was lying at Lu Mingjie's feet.
The moment he moved, Lu Mingjie grabbed him. For a person on the verge of death, the strength was astonishing. He said, "Fang Li..."
Xu Haicheng's heart skipped a beat. He asked, "What's wrong with her?"
"Where is she? That place... is hell..."
"What do you mean?" Xu Haicheng didn't understand at all; unease surged through him like a storm. Was that place hell? Didn't Yu Congrong say it was heaven? Were they talking about different places?
"To save you, she swore... to stay there for life..." Lu Mingjie's voice was already faint, barely audible. Xu Haicheng had to put his ear close to his mouth to hear the rest of his words. "That place... is hell, a place of deformities... freaks... two-headed people... snake people... a terrible hell." He breathed heavily, his eyes half-open, his gaze passing through Xu Haicheng, across thousands of miles, across the main peak of the Jingyun Mountains—Twin Peaks—and seeping in with the sunlight through the crevice between the peaks. Sifang Lake remained calm, occasionally a python coiled up, the water splashing like a dragon from legend; the temple remained tall and solemn, untouched by the vicissitudes of time; the corridors crisscrossed, connecting the residences of various clans. In the eternal darkness that had kept the sun away for thousands of years, perhaps a two-headed person sat there, perhaps a mentally challenged child who had grown up with pythons crawled across like a snake, perhaps a child giggled and waved four arms...
When their kingdom fell, nearly 100,000 Manxi people migrated into the deep mountains of Jingyun. Some were assimilated by other ethnic groups along the way, while others, unable to read or write, forgot their own people. Only the nobles, clinging to their noble blood, refused to submit to other tribes and were forced to continue migrating deeper into the mountains. By the time they reached Shuangjian Peak, their numbers had dwindled to less than 10,000. After several hundred years of cave dwelling, their numbers dwindled further, and inbreeding became increasingly prevalent. Finally, in the last twenty years, their genes began to malfunction, producing a series of monstrous births. They didn't know this was due to inbreeding, blaming it on Yu Congrong, who had abducted the witch, believing that the loss of the witch and divine protection was the root of the disaster. Therefore, they hated outsiders, killing anyone who dared to trespass and throwing them into the White Bone Gully. In Julong Cave, they originally intended to throw everyone into the dark pool to feed the pythons, but Fang Li swore a poisonous oath…
Xu Haicheng hadn't heard Lu Mingjie speak for a long time. He felt Lu Mingjie's pulse; it was barely perceptible. Looking at his face, he saw only ashen complexion, with a sliver of life remaining in his eyes, like the last rays of light before dusk were swallowed by darkness. [Qi17794.Com book] Suddenly, something occurred to him, a glimmer of light appearing in his eyes. His lips parted slightly, "Didn't persist..."
Xu Haicheng was utterly bewildered. "What?"
“He didn’t persevere… Lu… Xun.” Lu Mingjie’s pupils had already dilated, and the last glimmer of light had sunk into the darkness of death.
Didn't persist? Lu Xun? Xu Haicheng couldn't help but push him, "What?"
"Sister... Sister..." Lu Mingjie exhaled her last breath, a tear still clinging to the corner of her eye.
Another life has been lost.
Despite his frequent encounters with death, Xu Haicheng still felt a heavy weight on his heart. Staring blankly at the lifeless Lu Mingjie, his mind was filled with the words he had just spoken: "That place is hell. Fang Li swore to stay there for life. A deformed, two-headed freak. He didn't stick to Lu Xun's principles..."
The sound of hurried footsteps startled him awake. He looked up and saw the entire Criminal Investigation Team approaching quickly, with Deputy Captain Feng leading the way and Pan Xiaolu beside him. He stood up, nodded to them, and walked to the side to lean against his car. He felt an inexplicable weariness, and his temples throbbed.
Deputy Captain Feng turned over the man lying at Lu Mingjie's feet; it was Wu Dajun from the Tongluozhai Nuo dance troupe. His shoulder was stained with blood, and his face was somewhat pale, but his breathing was even, sounding like he was asleep. Everyone was stunned, wondering how he could still sleep. Only Xu Haicheng recalled the earlier scene, remembered the apology, and guessed that Lu Mingjie had asked him for a favor, but he had refused. He had probably been drugged by Lu Mingjie and hadn't woken up even after being shot.
On any other day, Xu Haicheng would have already begun his enthusiastic investigation of the scene, but today, Lu Mingjie's words had distracted him, and he felt uneasy standing there. He said to Deputy Captain Feng, "I'm leaving this to you." Without waiting for him to speak, he walked straight out of the parking lot, lighting a cigarette as he went.
The pungent smell of smoke filled his lungs, easing his unease. He stood at the parking lot exit, taking a deep breath. A sharp gong sounded, carried by the wind, brushing against his hair and fading into the distance. In the vast twilight, the stage for the opening ceremony of the cultural festival stood out, its lights shimmering and laughter faintly audible.
The opening ceremony of the cultural festival has begun.
Xu Haicheng heard a calm, unhurried voice amplified by the speakers, radiating in all directions. It was clear from the voice that someone had read too many central government documents at meetings. He strolled towards the opening ceremony venue, and someone quickly approached him from behind, whispering, "Team Leader Xu."
Xu Haicheng turned to look at Pan Xiaolu, frowning, "Why aren't you staying in the station? It's dangerous."
"No. I've been so bored these past two days. I'm not afraid of danger. I've seen it before, and I'm not afraid of it anymore," Pan Xiaolu said, stubbornly pursing her lips.
Xu Haicheng knew that further discussion was pointless. He figured it was still early and the place was bustling with people, so the murderer wouldn't commit the crime in such a public place. He decided to let her be.
Pan Xiaolu glanced at him and asked, "Captain Xu, what's wrong? You seem unhappy."
She is there, in hell, and she swore to stay there for the rest of her life to save you.
Lu Mingjie's voice rang in his ears again, and Xu Haicheng sighed softly, "It's nothing."
Seeing that he was in a bad mood, Pan Xiaolu quickly changed the subject, "Why would someone want to kill Lu Mingjie? Is he the mastermind behind it all?"
This question brought Xu Haicheng back to the case. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Xiao Lu, have you ever heard of 'not adhering to Lu Xun's principles'?"
Pan Xiaolu tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said, "Is it the Meijianchi?"
"It's just that I didn't persevere, what does that have to do with Lu Xun?"
Pan Xiaolu was certain that the three words Xu Haicheng said were different from her own. She smiled and said, "Captain Xu, you are really uncultured. You haven't even read Lu Xun's famous 'The Sword Caster.' Meijianchi is a character in 'The Sword Caster.'"
"Oh, what are you talking about?"
"There was once a boy named Meijianchi. Why was he called Meijianchi? Because the space between his eyebrows was a foot wide..." Pan Xiaolu wanted to amuse Xu Haicheng, so she spoke in the tone of a storyteller, "His father was a famous swordsmith who forged a peerless sword for the king. As a result, the king feared that he would forge swords for others, so he killed him. Meijianchi obeyed his mother's orders to kill the king to avenge his father, but because he was cowardly, a man named Yan Zhi'ao..." Her face changed drastically, and she couldn't continue.
"What's wrong?"
"Captain Xu, I understand."
Xu Haicheng looked at her, puzzled. "What do you know?"
“The Meijian Ruler, the wooden box contains the Meijian Ruler, the murderer is also the Meijian Ruler, what I saw is the Meijian Ruler.” Pan Xiaolu was so excited that she was incoherent.