Der umwerfende Premierminister

Kapitel 15

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Yue Ling sat in the car, chain-smoking. His earpiece was quiet now; the three had been gone for about ten minutes, and he could only faintly hear Li Hong's panting, which made him feel uneasy. His four colleagues and the team leader were nowhere to be seen; he knew they were protecting "Falcon" not far away. It was now completely dark; only a few lights were on in the hotel, and a few staff members were chatting near the entrance.

"How much further?" It was Li Hong's voice in the earpiece, asking the suspect. Since the suspect also had the right to remain silent, Tian Weiguo didn't have a communicator, so Yue Ling couldn't hear the answer.

"It might be about 10 more minutes," Li Hong informed everyone through the earpiece after a while.

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The road was dark; with the help of her flashlight, Li Hong could only see about five meters around her. Tian Weiguo walked in front, flashlight in hand, the flickering beam casting eerie, strangely shaped shadows of the surrounding trees. Zheng Zhihao followed behind him, also constantly observing his surroundings. He remained silent the entire way, seemingly lost in thought.

The soft rustling of three footsteps echoed around them. With an earphone plugged into her right ear, Li Hong couldn't hear the sounds clearly. She carefully examined the terrain, trying to see if anything felt familiar.

To be honest, when requesting Tian Weiguo's arrest, Li Hong wasn't sure he would surrender easily, much less agree to lead the police to find the body. Without a body, Tian Weiguo could simply deny the crime, and Li Hong lacked conclusive evidence to prove he had killed anyone—Ya Chaolan's diary could only serve as circumstantial evidence in court. This made her somewhat confused as to why Tian Weiguo had made things so simple; her original plan was to bring the suspect in and then use Ya Chaolan to get him to confess.

Perhaps he was tormented by his conscience, Li Hong thought, or perhaps the ghost field of Ya Chaolan indirectly affected him, putting him under great psychological pressure. In any case, as long as he admitted it, that was enough.

"Did you use the axe in room 104?" Li Hong quickened her pace and followed Tian Weiguo a short distance behind.

“I didn’t use an axe at 104. I strangled her first, and only when I was burying the body did I realize she was still alive,” Tian Weiguo said in a thick Jiaodong accent. Perhaps thinking of Ya Chaolan’s eyes before she died, his voice trembled slightly.

"Did she open her eyes?" Li Hong couldn't help but ask, recalling how Mengya Chaolan looked when she opened her eyes.

Tian Weiguo stopped in his tracks, clearly surprised, as he had never told anyone these details before.

"Keep walking, don't talk," Zheng Zhihao urged.

Tian Weiguo hesitated for a moment, then continued walking forward. He stopped talking and just kept looking for a way to go.

"What's wrong?" Li Hong asked Zheng Zhihao in a low voice. "I want to know some details."

“Now is not the time,” Zheng Zhihao said in a low voice. “I’ve hypnotized him. We’ll talk about it after we get to the destination. I don’t want to delay.”

Li Hong's mouth dropped open. So that's how it is. No wonder Tian Weiguo was so obedient. Indeed, without this method, it would take at least a day to pry him open, but using such means seemed legally unacceptable. She nervously touched the communicator again; the tape inside was slowly turning.

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"Did Falcon 2 hypnotize the pigeons?" the captain's voice came through. "What's going on? Lao Yue, do you know?"

“I don’t know,” Yue Ling replied. “We also never left Falcon 2 and Pigeon alone.”

Who is Falcon 2?

"I don't know, all I know is that he's not a policeman."

"Okay, let's see what kind of show he'll put on."

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Tian Weiguo's body was trembling. He stood there, staring blankly ahead, his flashlight hanging limply, shining at his feet.

"The pigeons aren't leaving," came voice number 3. "Have they arrived yet?"

"Falcon 1, have we arrived at the location?" the captain asked.

“We’re almost there; he’s identifying it,” Li Hong replied.

"Number 1, continue reconnaissance ahead. Numbers 2 and 3, approach Falcon. Number 4, prepare your weapons."

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Because a year had passed and the vegetation in the forest had grown much more lush, Tian Weiguo could hardly recognize the original burial site. He now only felt a chill running through his body, and a growing sensation of someone gripping his heart was becoming increasingly intense.

“Tian Weiguo, is this the place? Relax (release the hypnotic command).” Zheng Zhihao said slowly.

Li Hong saw Tian Weiguo's body tremble, and the flashlight in his hand fell to the ground, rolling down a small embankment. The beam of light shone forward, vaguely showing the small open space from his dream. His body shook even more violently, as if he had completely lost his mind.

Li Hong slowly walked over. Now, that chilling feeling finally came over her; she knew Ya Chaolan was nearby. However, she wasn't sure if Tian Weiguo had stopped and was trembling because of this.

"Falcon 1, don't get too close to the pigeons," the captain's voice came through the headset. "Have Falcon 2 take the pigeons to the exact location. Mark it and return immediately."

Li Hong didn't answer. She instinctively moved closer to Zheng Zhihao, only then realizing he already held the soul bottle in his hand. Li Hong's mind was a mess; she didn't know what Zheng Zhihao would do, nor where she should stand. She then looked at Tian Weiguo. His body was trembling violently.

“Ya Chaolan is talking to him,” Zheng Zhihao said softly. “Didn’t you hear her?”

"No." Li Hong's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately sensed how terrified Tian Weiguo must be at that moment.

"Spare me!" Tian Weiguo suddenly shouted, startling Li Hong and Zheng Zhihao. He suddenly ran to the open space and knelt down on the ground. "Spare me! Great Immortal..." he said, kowtowing repeatedly.

Li Hong was about to chase after them when Zheng Zhihao stopped her: "They still have something to say, let's go later. But Ya Chaolan won't let him off the hook, do you want to save his life?"

"Of course! Don't let Ya Chaolan hurt him!" Li Hong urged immediately.

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"It seems they've run into someone else. I can't see anything from this spot, it's too dark." That was Number 3's voice.

"Number 3, move your position closer. What did Number 2 see?" the captain asked.

"I can't see anything clearly either. There are many trees and it's dark. It seems like the pigeons are quite far away from them; I can only see their outlines." — Number 2's voice.

Did you see a fourth person?

No, it seems not.

"Keep monitoring. We all move closer. Number 4, don't fire without my order. You'd better find a high spot."

"clear."

Listening to the conversation in his earpiece, Yue Ling suddenly felt inexplicably tense. Who was Ya Chaolan? Li Hong and the mysterious man seemed to know him quite well, so why didn't they finish marking him before leaving? Was there a trap?!

"Hey! I can see it more clearly now, the pigeons are bowing their heads in the open space." - Number 2's voice.

"Kowtowing?" the captain asked.

"It looks like it to me, and the pigeons are still making some noise, but I can't hear them clearly."

"What about number 3? What did he see?"

There was no answer, only a soft rustling noise.

"Number 3, Number 3, respond when you hear me," the captain asked again.

There was still no answer.

"Is Number 1 here? Come closer to me."

"Number 1 understands."

"Number 2 is approaching Falcon 1. Protect it."

"Number 2 understands."

"Number 3, Number 3, respond."

There was still no response.

Yue Ling climbed out of the car, his hands sweaty, unsure of what to do. The sudden appearance of Ya Chaolan had completely disrupted the plan, and Li Hong seemed to have anticipated her arrival. "Why didn't they warn us beforehand? It's infuriating."

"Ya Chaolan, I've brought him here, but I beg you not to harm him," came the mysterious man's voice from the earpiece.

Then there was a moment of silence.

"Number 2, Number 2, I'm going to crawl out and see who's there. You stay where you are and protect Falcon 1." It was the captain's voice.

"Received on the 2nd."

"Number 3, Number 3, where the hell are you? What the hell are you doing?!"

There was still no sound from number 3.

Suddenly, a piercing noise rang out, and Yue Ling gritted his teeth as he quickly pulled out his earphones. He rubbed his ears, trying to hear what was happening inside, but the sharp noise kept going on and on.

Something's happened! Yue Ling's heart tightened. He threw down the communicator, grabbed a flashlight and holster, and ran into the woods.

50. The Soul Returns (Volume 1, Final Chapter)

"Ya Chaolan, I've brought him here, but I beg you not to hurt him," Zheng Zhihao said loudly from behind Tian Weiguo.

Ya Chaolan floated in the center of the open space, displaying an image emitting a ghostly blue light. Her long hair obscured her face. Since this was her burial site, her soul energy hadn't diminished; a powerful force swept through the withered leaves, swirling and echoing around her. Hearing Zheng Zhihao's words, Ya Chaolan lowered her head, looking at Tian Weiguo kneeling before her, trembling. The desire for revenge intensified, and the image grew brighter and brighter.

“No, he has to die,” Ya Chaolan said coldly. “You hand him over to me, and our exchange will be complete. If you stand in my way, you will all die.”

As Ya Chaolan's voice faded from their minds, the earphones immediately emitted a piercing noise. Li Hong and Zheng Zhihao quickly removed their earphones. Zheng Zhihao turned to look at Li Hong, who was standing not far away, rubbing her aching ears. She had seen Ya Chaolan now too; anyone who entered the open area could see this enraged spirit. Zheng Zhihao knew this was a critical moment. If Ya Chaolan suddenly attacked Tian Weiguo, Li Hong behind him, and the five policemen around them, he might not be able to save anyone. The soul bottle was in his hands, but he wasn't confident he could succeed in one strike. The decomposing corpses buried in the ground provided a large amount of energy to Ya Chaolan's soul field. If the attack failed now, everyone present could die—eight lives!

“He can’t escape punishment.” Zheng Zhihao controlled his emotions and said slowly, “He will definitely be punished by law. Hand him over to us, and you can rest in peace.”

"No!" Ya Chaolan roared, her ghost suddenly blazing with bright blue flames, air currents swirling around her, even her hair fluttering. After waiting a year, her enemy had finally appeared before her. Even ordinary people find it difficult to quell their anger, let alone a ghost wielding the power of life and death, unbound by any human law. Revenge became Ya Chaolan's sole objective—although she was wary of Zheng Zhihao, fearing he might intervene, she believed she could still succeed—even if she were absorbed by the soul bottle and her soul scattered, so what? Now she had lost everything, only hatred remained; she needed liberation.

Images of Ya Chaolan when she first left home began to flash through Zheng Zhihao's mind: her and Xiao Hei huddled under the eaves in the pouring rain, shivering with cold; looking at the sesame seed cakes on the street, but having no money, they could only swallow their saliva frantically; Xiao Hei struggling in his hands, whimpering in pain, but ultimately being stuffed into a dark pit... The images sped up, recalling Ya Chaolan's short and painful life scene by scene, finally freezing on Tian Weiguo's crazed and twisted face, his hands gripping Ya Chaolan's neck, his eyes frighteningly red...

"Ah!" A terrifying scream rang out, and Tian Weiguo, who was kneeling, suddenly scrambled to his feet. Seeing his crimes flash through his mind, he knew he was doomed today, but his survival instinct made him unwilling to die. Since hiding far away meant he wasn't afraid of being haunted, he decided to run now!

"Stop!" Zheng Zhihao turned and shouted at Tian Weiguo. This sudden turn of events caught him off guard, and Tian Weiguo's desire to escape only made things worse. Sure enough, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ya Chaolan's ghostly flames suddenly intensify. In an instant, she was behind Tian Weiguo, a pale hand reaching out to him, her five fingers shimmering with starlight.

Without hesitation, Zheng Zhihao abruptly opened the soul bottle, pointed his left hand at Ya Chaolan with a sword gesture, and shouted loudly, "Return!"

Like lightning striking the small bottle, a burst of brilliant light erupted, accompanied by the wailing cries of the spirits. Countless blue, ribbon-like streaks of light appeared within the white light, instantly coiling around Ya Chaolan like shooting stars. Powerful energy swirled around the fallen leaves, and Zheng Zhihao also emitted a ghostly blue light, blowing his hair and illuminating his face.

Although it all happened in the blink of an eye, Zheng Zhihao's movements were still a beat slower than the ghost's. Ya Chaolan's five fingers had already pierced through Tian Weiguo's body, and his soul was being gripped by the five fingers, struggling painfully outside his body.

With only a few seconds left, Zheng Zhihao's brain raced. Tian Weiguo's pitiful soul energy would soon be torn to shreds by Ya Chaolan. If he wanted to save his life, he had to put in even more effort.

"Soul...return..." Zheng Zhihao cried out through gritted teeth, using all his strength to retrieve the soul bottle with his right hand, while his left hand's sword technique continuously emitted streaks of blue lightning, which, together with the meteor spirits, entwined and pulled Ya Chaolan back towards the soul bottle. This powerful force slowed down Ya Chaolan's life-stealing right hand, and Tian Weiguo's soul returned to his body.

"You bastard!" Ya Chaolan screamed, her desire for revenge driving her completely out of control. Her face, previously hidden, was finally revealed through her flowing hair, her eyes, only the whites visible, turning blue in the eerie light. Her right hand didn't release her enemy; instead, she dragged him to the ground, pulling him step by step towards the ball of furious rage. "You're going to die!"

Tian Weiguo struggled, his hands flailing wildly at the ground. His soul was about to be dragged out again, and every blade of grass on the ground became his lifeline, until his hands firmly grasped something—the handle of an axe. Without hesitation, he whirled around and threw it backward with all his might, hoping this desperate blow would drive away the vengeful spirit.

The rusty axe, left behind last year and stained with Ya Chaolan's blood, drew a graceful arc in the air, spinning as it flew behind Tian Weiguo, passing through the image of Ya Chaolan's ghost without any obstruction, and arriving in front of Zheng Zhihao...

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When the flash of blood appeared before her eyes, Li Hong was stunned. The jet of blood, which still seemed to be steaming, shot out and transformed into bright red flowers in the air. The axe was striking Zheng Zhihao's neck, interrupting the blood flow in his carotid artery and spurting out a stream of blood that instantly stained Zheng Zhihao's light-colored shirt red.

Li Hong's first thought was: He's been hit by an axe...

The next second, Li Hong thought: He can't die...

In the third second, Li Hong finally realized the importance of the person collapsing before her in her life. She let out a mournful cry, reaching out her hands as if to embrace him. She staggered towards him, tears streaming down her face, blurring her vision…

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His energy was rapidly draining away, and the warm blood gushing against his neck felt as comforting as taking a bath. Zheng Zhihao felt like a leaf breaking free from the tree trunk, slowly drifting towards the ground. Was this what it felt like to be dying? Could his body become so light?

He slowly turned his head and saw Li Hong, her face streaked with tears, reaching out her hands towards him. He smiled with satisfaction—he had thought he would die alone, but now he would not—he was going to fall into the arms of the person he loved and smell her fragrance one last time.

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