Hexe

Kapitel 13

"Then that's it." Luo Fei nodded in satisfaction. "Only he could do that."

"Director Luo, what do you mean..." Kong Jing seemed to realize something, but didn't quite understand.

"Don't ask me now." Luo Fei waved his hand to interrupt him. "No one knows more about this than him. Let's go find him together."

Since returning home in the early hours of the morning, Shunping has not come out. The commotion in the yard was so great, yet he was nowhere to be seen, which is quite unusual for him.

Even after Luo Fei and Kong Jing knocked on his door, there was still no response from inside the house.

Under these circumstances, Luo Fei no longer hesitated and kicked open the flimsy wooden door.

Luo Fei had initially thought Shunping might have already fled, but to his surprise, Shunping was not only inside the house, but also sitting cross-legged on the bed, seemingly practicing martial arts, though he was facing the wall. When Luo Fei and the others entered the house, they could only see his back.

"What are you doing? Why don't you open the door?" Kong Jing rarely displayed the authority of an abbot, speaking to Shunping in a stern tone.

"You...don't come near me!" Shunping said in a hoarse voice.

"What?" Kong Jing seemed a little angry. He wanted to step forward, but Luo Fei grabbed him. Now that he knew Shunping possessed martial arts skills, he naturally had to be wary of Shunping's sudden, vicious attack.

"Don't come any closer!" Shunping emphasized again, then said, word by word, in a desperate and terrified tone, "I'm possessed by a demon."

"A demon?" Luo Fei replied coldly, "I'm afraid it's your own inner demon!"

Shunping's shoulders trembled slightly: "What do you mean?"

"What 'demon' and 'ghost'? They're just lies to deceive people. What truly ravages is the demon in one's own heart. You went to great lengths, cleverly devising your own sins. You must have been very disappointed when the snow stopped this morning, right? Perhaps if it had snowed for another ten minutes, your footprints on the roof would have been completely covered, but fate just wouldn't have done that for you."

Shunping was silent for a moment, then sighed: "You finally found out. But at least I managed to fool you back then. Just because fate wasn't on my side doesn't mean I lost to you."

"So, you really were the one who killed Shunde?" Kong Jing pointed at Shunping's retreating figure, her hand trembling slightly with anger. "Why did you do this?"

“Now that things have come to this, there’s no need for me to hide anything from you anymore. I took all the antiques that were lost from the temple. The pilgrims who came recently were buyers I had arranged. Abbot, when you stopped letting the pilgrims stay at the temple, was that because you followed Shunde’s advice?”

"Yes, is it because of this that you hold a grudge and want to kill him?"

“Of course not,” Luo Fei interjected. “By then, he had already succeeded, so whether the temple allowed overnight pilgrims or not would have no impact on him. However, the fact that Shunde could make such a suggestion suggests that he must have known something.”

“That’s right.” Shunping confirmed Luo Fei’s guess. “That kid Shunde didn’t sleep well at night and stumbled upon my good deed. Although he’s timid, he’s very clever. From then on, he’s been hanging around the abbot all day long. Although I can’t do anything about him, I know he won’t dare to say anything.”

Luo Fei pondered for a moment, a look of regret appearing on his face: "I'm afraid I'm partly to blame for Shunde's death. You saw that he was in close contact with me the other day, which is why you decided to kill him, isn't it?"

Shunping nodded: "Shunde is cunning and says whatever comes to mind. What he wouldn't dare say in front of Kong Jing, he might dare say in front of you, Director Luo."

"He's still a child, you...you're so cruel!" Kong Jing had a deep affection for Shunde, and at this moment, two turbid tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.

Luo Fei gently patted Kong Jing's shoulder, signaling him to control his emotions.

“Alright, now tell me what you did,” Luo Fei said to Shunping. “This will be your first statement from now on.”

“Now that you’ve discovered my footprints on the roof, it’s not hard to guess what happened next.” Shunping paused for a moment, seemingly recalling the scene, then continued, “Late last night, I first entered Kongwang’s room, lowered his body from the noose, then changed into Kongwang’s monk’s shoes, carried the body to Shunde’s bedroom window. There, I put the shoes back on Kongwang’s feet, then pried open the window, stacked the body on the windowsill, creating the illusion that I was about to climb in. When Shunde heard the noise and got up, I had already leaped onto the roof and returned to my room through the connected roof ridges. Director Luo, does what I’ve said differ from your expectations?”

"They all match up pretty much. Actually, the reason I was fooled by you last night was largely because I thought it was impossible for an ordinary person to climb onto the roof silently in such a short time—the roof is at least 3 meters above the ground, right? Although there are some places on the wall that you can use for leverage, it would still take me at least three to five minutes, and I would definitely be discovered by Kongming, who was the first to arrive in the courtyard. However, after I learned that you are skilled in martial arts, this problem is not hard to explain. In fact, even if the heavy snow really covered the footprints on the roof, I can deduce from this that only you could have committed such a crime."

“But then you can only guess, without any evidence.” Shunping’s tone was tinged with regret, as if he were complaining about the injustice God had done to him.

"You...you still say such things? You are truly unrepentant. Good and evil both have their origins, cause and effect, and retribution are the natural order. Where have you learned all this Buddhist teaching?" Kong Jing could not contain her anger and asked excitedly, "Then what about Junior Brother Kong Wang? And what about those two dead guests? What did they do to offend you? And what methods did you use to deal with them?"

Shunping lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought. After a moment, he asked in a somber tone, "Director Luo, is that what you're asking me too?"

“Yes,” Luo Fei replied earnestly. “As you know, I don’t believe in any talk of ‘evil spirits’ or ‘mysterious powers.’ But the maze you’ve set up has indeed fooled me; I still can’t figure it out. I hope you can tell me the truth, and I’ll admit defeat.”

“Heh…heh…heh…” Shunping suddenly chuckled dryly, his laughter filled with despair and fear, sounding more like a sob, which was chilling.

“You’re wrong,” he said in a hoarse voice. “You think those were also illusions I set up? No, they have nothing to do with me! The demon is in this temple, and it has already entangled me. You…you don’t worry, it will come for you too!”

"What are you saying?" Luo Fei sensed that Shunping was losing control of his emotions. He stepped forward, pulled Kong Jing behind him, and shouted, "Turn around!"

"Do you think I'm just sitting here putting on an act? I'm channeling my inner energy; I'm going to fight it. I won't give up like this!" Although Shunping's words were forceful, his tone revealed a dying sorrow.

“But I can’t escape it in the end, and neither can you!” After a pause, he said this and slowly turned his head.

Luo Fei and Kong Jing exclaimed in surprise at the same time and took a step back.

Just like the deceased Hu Junkai, Shunping's face was also swollen and two thin lines of blood seeped out from his bloodshot eyes!

Zhou Ping's investigation on the periphery had entered a crucial stage. After confirming that the man who died in the pit at Zhou Xiuying's house was not Wu Jianfei, Zhou Ping had a new hypothesis about the events of 20 years ago. However, based on the information currently available, while this hypothesis could explain some of the exposed facts, it also contained many illogical points. Zhou Ping strongly felt that his understanding was missing a crucial link, a link that played an irreplaceable role in connecting all the known clues.

Eager to understand what was going on, Zhou Pingxing walked faster on the snowy path leading out of the mountain than when he had entered the mountain that morning. Before long, Xu Lijie could not keep up.

"Can you slow down a bit?" She finally lost her temper. Although it was early winter after a snowfall, beads of sweat were already forming on her forehead.

Seeing her embarrassed state, Zhou Ping couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her. He stopped and smiled apologetically, "Let's take a break!"

Xu Lijie nodded, then suddenly her eyes lit up with excitement as she pointed to the distant mountains behind Zhou Ping: "Look over there!"

Zhou Ping turned around and looked in the direction Xu Lijie pointed. He saw that in the originally gloomy sky, a red sun was stubbornly peeking out. The brilliant sunlight pierced through the gaps between the mountains and gilded the snow-covered land with a magnificent golden coat.

"So beautiful!" Xu Lijie completely forgot her fatigue and exclaimed softly.

Bathed in the long-awaited sunshine, Zhou Ping felt as if he had entered another world, and his mood instantly brightened. If this good weather continued, the blocked mountain road should be able to be cleared soon, and then the cases hidden on and off the mountain would surely be exposed in this all-pervasive, brilliant light.

Their mood brightened, and the two chatted and laughed all the way, their steps seeming much lighter. Around 4 p.m., they returned to the Nanmingshan Police Station at the foot of the mountain.

Most of the officers in the station went with Deputy Director Wang to clear the mountain path, leaving only Jiang Shan and Duan Xueming at their posts. Once they learned of Zhou Ping's return, they all gathered in the criminal investigation team's office.

Xu Lijie met with her old friends from the institute and greeted each other happily.

After exchanging pleasantries, Zhou Ping and the others immediately steered the conversation to the main topic: "Are those family members still at the station?"

“Everyone else has gone back to rest for now and will come back once the mountain path is clear,” Jiang Shan replied. “Only Wu Yanhua refuses to leave; she insists on waiting to see her husband.”

Zhou Ping nodded. The person he most wanted to see right now was Wu Yanhua: "Where is she now?"

"She fell asleep in the reception room; she didn't sleep a wink last night."

Her father died mysteriously on the mountain, and her husband's condition was unknown. Even the strongest woman would find it difficult to bear such double psychological torment. Zhou Ping was wondering whether he should let her rest a little longer when Wu Yanhua came in from outside.

"Captain Zhou, is there any news now?" Her soft voice now sounded weak. Although she tried hard to force a smile, her exhaustion was still evident in her disheveled hair and slightly pale face.

Even under these circumstances, the youthful and beautiful Xu Lijie couldn't help but be captivated by the classical charm emanating from this woman who was more than 10 years older than her, and a hint of jealousy even surfaced in her envious gaze.

“There’s still no contact from up in the mountains, but there are some new developments I need to ask you about.” Zhou Ping gestured to the sofa opposite his desk. “Please sit down and tell me.”

"Thank you." Wu Yanhua nodded politely, sat down gracefully, and then looked at Zhou Ping with wide, worried eyes.

Zhou Ping paced back and forth in front of Wu Yanhua a few times, seemingly considering where to begin, before finally asking, "Your father was rescued by Hu Junkai in 1972?"

"yes."

"When did you go looking for him and find he had disappeared?"

"1976, I think."

This matches the records showing that he was presumed dead in 1978 and registered as missing in 1976.

"Hmm." Zhou Ping stepped forward, his eyes shining. "Why did it take so long?"

Wu Yanhua frowned slightly and remained silent.

"Is that your wedding ring?" Zhou Ping suddenly changed the subject, asking a question that caught everyone present off guard. The distinctive silver ring on Wu Yanhua's slender left middle finger was certainly eye-catching, but what did it have to do with the topic of their discussion?

Wu Yanhua looked at him with even more surprise, but she still nodded in response.

“I noticed that your wedding date is engraved on it, October 1975.” Zhou Ping organized his thoughts and continued, “Actually, the persecution of cultural figures had already stopped in 1974. You should have gone to bring Wu Jianfei back immediately! Why did you wait so long? And you had already held a wedding before that, which seems a bit inappropriate, doesn’t it?”

After Zhou Ping's analysis, Xu Lijie and the others began to understand. Indeed, with the whereabouts of their elders unknown, the couple's hasty marriage instead of searching for them was undeniably unusual. Everyone couldn't help but cast questioning glances at Wu Yanhua.

Wu Yanhua pursed her lips, remained silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "This is my idea: get married first, and then go find my father!"

"Why?" Zhou Ping was not surprised by this answer; he was more concerned with the underlying reasons.

"It's actually quite simple," Wu Yanhua said with a wry smile. "Because my father doesn't approve of our marriage."

Zhou Ping nodded thoughtfully, steadily moving towards the answer he was seeking.

The deserted temple was quiet in the afternoon, and the bright sunshine seemed unable to dispel the gloom that hung over it.

About half an hour ago, Shunping stopped breathing. Until his last moment, he remained seated and practicing his internal energy. Although he had long since given up hope, Shunping never gave up his life-or-death struggle with the "invisible demon" he had described. His strong and tenacious character earned him some favor from Luo Fei in the final moments of his life.

After several hours of perseverance, Shunping finally succumbed. Due to his high reputation and status within the temple, Shunping's death caused panic among all the monks, and the legend and "demon" he had described seemed to become even more real because of his death. In everyone's imagination, the "demon" seemed to be brazenly overlooking the isolated temple in the mountains, searching for its next prey.

In order to control the situation, Luo Fei ordered everyone to return to their dormitories and not to visit each other or go out without special reasons. The deserted temple instantly became deathly still.

After dealing with all this, Luo Fei went to Abbot Kong Jing's bedroom. He sat upright at the table, staring intently at the pile of "headless grass" that Shunping had brought over, lost in thought.

Kong Jing sat on her bed at a distance, looking uneasy. She wanted to speak several times, but was worried about disturbing Luo Fei's thoughts.

After a long while, Luo Fei picked out the most robust plant from among the others and examined it closely. Although it had been out of the water for more than ten hours, its stems and leaves were still bright green, exuding a vibrant vitality with a slightly eerie quality.

"A headless weed from 'Death Valley'," Luo Fei murmured to himself. "Are you truly an invitation from the devil?"

Kong Jing, who was standing to the side, finally couldn't help but speak up: "Director Luo, it's best not to touch this thing anymore. Shunping died under mysterious circumstances..."

Luo Fei understood the subtext in Kong Jing's words. Originally, Shunping's fright to death in Shunde should have been just an interlude in the whole incident. But Shunping's mysterious death afterward, combined with the legend, couldn't help but make some connections: Shunping attracted the demons in "Death Valley" precisely because he came into contact with these "headless grasses".

Luo Fei put down the plant in his hand and looked at Kong Jing: "If you're really scared, I'll help you take these things back to Kong Wang's room later. Anyway, I've already touched them."

Kong Jing, worried that Luo Fei might be displeased, shifted uncomfortably and said with a troubled expression, "Director Luo, please don't blame me for being nosy, but this matter is indeed a bit mysterious right now, and it's hard to say whether those legendary factors are involved." He paused, looked at Luo Fei, and asked tentatively, "When you were in Shunping's room just now, did you smell anything?"

Luo Fei nodded; he knew what Kong Jing was talking about. When Shunping breathed his last, both of them had checked his breathing. Like Kong Wang and Hu Junkai's bodies, Shunping also had a faint, strange odor. It seemed Kong Jing had noticed this as well.

“The moment I smell that scent, I’m reminded of what happened 20 years ago. Back then, Kong Wang was like she was possessed by a demon, and now, that demon has returned.” Kong Jing’s eyes flickered, revealing the fear in her heart.

"A demon from 20 years ago?" Luo Fei picked up where Kong Jing left off, gently stroking his chin. "So how was this demon subdued 20 years ago?"

Kong Jing paused for a moment, then murmured, "Perhaps only my master knows that the demon was sealed in the painting, but now it has been released."

At this point, Kong Jing shook his head. Although these were his guesses, he himself felt that such an explanation was too bizarre.

Luo Fei remained silent, continuing along his own train of thought. The mysteries that had been shrouded in a thick fog finally revealed a small glimmer of hope, a glimmer of hope that seemed to illuminate the whole picture. But this glimmer was veiled by several layers of thin gauze, appearing and disappearing intermittently, elusive and difficult to grasp.

Suddenly, Shunhe rushed in through the door, interrupting Luo Fei's thoughts.

"You should go and see..." he said breathlessly, "Shunhui and a few of my senior brothers are trying to sneak down the mountain."

Kong Jing immediately stood up: "Go down the mountain? Why?"

"They said...they said we can't just stay in the temple and wait to die." The little monk said, glancing at Luo Fei with some fear.

Luo Fei frowned: "Where are they now?"

"We've arrived at the front yard."

"What a mess!" Kong Jing hurriedly walked towards the door. "Director Luo, don't worry, I will definitely call them back."

Luo Fei also stood up and quickly caught up with Kong Jing, while Shun He jogged ahead of the two to lead the way.

Soon, the three passed through the main hall and arrived at the front courtyard. Shunhui and two other young monks were standing at the temple gate, looking around.