Ewige Nacht

Kapitel 8

Like maple leaves carried by the wind)

Xu Xian pondered quietly for a while, then said to Li Ke and Zhang Xiaodi, "It seems we need to split up. Xiaodi, go to the street right away and buy a few flashlights, and also prepare some candles, sandalwood, and yellow paper. Finally, prepare a few square pieces of red cloth. Li Ke and I will go find someone who can help us."

Zhang Xiaodi was reluctant to part ways with them, but when Xu Xian added, "Everything must be finished before dark. We'll meet up at the dorm later and start our operation together tonight," she was moved.

Xiao Di knew that Xu Xian must have his reasons for doing this. Besides, these items weren't easy to find. So, without saying anything more, she turned and ran towards the school gate.

Xu Xian watched as Zhang Xiaodi ran out of the school gate, but remained standing still.

Li Ke found it strange and asked, "Aren't we going to find someone? Shouldn't we hurry up and leave?"

Xu Xian suddenly turned around and stared intently into Li Ke's eyes: "Do you know what I just saw?"

Li Ke felt that Xu Xian's gaze was really strange, and he felt a chill run down his spine. Perhaps he was frightened by Xu Xian's expression, and for a moment he forgot what to say.

Xu Xian stopped looking at him, turned around and looked at the window again, and slowly said, "I see a person, a lamp..."

Li Ke stared at Xu Xian in astonishment. How could this be? Although he had considered the possibility of someone being inside, it was only a fleeting thought; he simply didn't believe anyone could be there. It was truly perplexing—there were lights, so how come they didn't see any when they went in?

Before he could even ask, Xu Xian slowly said, "It's Wu Xi..."

When Xu Xian reached the door of the archives room, he was surprised to find that there was another small room inside. A dim light shone from a small door, and a person was sitting at a table in the room—it was Wu Xi.

√叫硐械男鹗觯羁顺跃恼糯罅俗彀汀?

Before Xu Xian could react, he suddenly felt a bone-chilling cold air assaulting him. He struggled against it, only to find that the cold air had penetrated his skin and was seeping deeper into his body. Xu Xian used all his strength to fight back, then immediately turned and pulled Li Ke and Zhang Xiaodi outside.

Xu Xian lowered his head and touched the broken jade on his chest, saying with emotion, "I didn't expect its power to be so strong. Even the protective jade that my master gave me was shattered."

It was only then that Li Ke truly realized: "You mean, the real culprit was Wu Xi." This conclusion was truly astonishing. Although everyone found some of Wu Xi's behavior strange, they would never have imagined that he would be the one pulling the strings in the end. Having lived together for so long, Li Ke felt an indescribable sadness in his heart.

Xu Xian shook his head and said, "I feel that the power did not come from Wu Xi. There may be other things in the room, but strangely, it does not seem to have any malice towards Wu Xi."

Li Ke felt a little relieved, but the whole situation was still a headache. "So what should we do now?" Li Ke asked.

Xu Xian turned around and looked at Li Ke, saying with a wry smile, "I originally thought that with my magic power, even if I couldn't subdue it, I should be able to protect our own safety. I didn't expect its power to be so strong."

Li Ke finally understood why Xu Xian had let Xiao Di go alone; he was afraid Xiao Di might be in danger. From the very beginning, Xu Xian hadn't mentioned being afraid, but now it seemed their opponent was truly formidable.

Xu Xian looked at Li Ke and said, "Zhang Xiaodi was once separated from his soul, so his yang energy is weak. That's why I let him leave first. I've calculated your birth chart. Your life force is strong, so you should escape danger. However, this time we are facing something truly terrifying."

Li Ke firmly stated, "No matter what happens, I will definitely investigate to the end."

Having gone through all of this, the two of them have mustered tremendous courage and are ready to face all challenges.

"Wait!" A voice stopped Xu Xian and Li Ke from their next move.

They both turned around at the same time and saw Zhang Xiaodi running towards them, panting heavily.

"Didn't I tell you to prepare things? Why haven't you gone yet?" Xu Xian frowned as he looked at the person who came.

"Yes... I was planning to go, but on the way I met... uh... met..." Xiao Di stammered.

"Who did you meet?!" Li Ke asked nervously. Xu Xian looked at him with suspicion as well.

"What do you think?" At this moment, someone appeared behind Zhang Xiaodi, surprising both Xu Xian and Li Ke.

"Jiang...uh...Captain Jiang?! What brings you here?" Xu Xian and the others exclaimed at the same time, then all looked at Zhang Xiaodi to the side.

"It wasn't me, it wasn't me, I didn't call the police." Zhang Xiaodi looked at them innocently and waved her hands frantically.

"It wasn't him who said it. I just happened to have something to discuss with you, and I received a report that you're planning to do something very dangerous. It's related to the previous bizarre murder cases." Jiang Yu's "I know everything" expression made Xu Xian suddenly realize something.

"You sent people to spy on us?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

“Because…” Jiang Yu’s face darkened. “This is a long story. Can we talk about it back in your dorm? I have some things to show you.”

“But… Wu Xi…” Li Ke blurted out worriedly, but was immediately stopped by Xu Xian’s gaze. However, Jiang Yu, who was on alert, still noticed Li Ke’s words and Xu Xian’s expression.

“You don’t need to hide anything from me anymore. I know Wu Xi is in that basement. But I can guarantee he’ll be absolutely fine.” Jiang Yu’s confident tone left Xu Xian and the other two feeling somewhat incredulous.

"Are you sure?" Li Ke was very uncertain.

"If you're willing to go back to your dorms and talk, I think I'll tell you why I'm sure."

“Okay, let’s go back.” Xu Xian used his mind-reading ability to read Jiang Yu’s thoughts at that moment, knowing that Jiang Yu was not someone who would do something without certainty. So at this moment, he chose to trust her.

So they returned to their room, 509.

An unusual silence fell over room 509. Everyone stared at Jiang Yu, who was sitting on Li Ke's bed, waiting for her next move.

Jiang Yu shifted her body, finding a more comfortable position, seemingly having had a long talk. She glanced at everyone present. At this moment, only Xu Xian, Li Ke, and Zhang Xiaodi remained in the room, while the other three had entered that mysterious and eerie basement, their fates unknown. The three remaining were deeply worried about the other three.

"Alright, now let's take a look at what we have to say." Jiang Yu's words broke the suffocating silence in the room.

"I think you're fully aware of our every move," Xu Xian said, looking at Jiang Yu sitting opposite him with a serious expression.

“Yes.” Jiang Yu got up and rummaged under the desk in front of her, then pulled out something about the size of a button battery and put it on the desk.

"What's this? Oh, it's not a bugging device, is it..." Zhang Xiaodi joked.

“Yes, it’s a bugging device.” Jiang Yu did not deny it.

"Ah...you even used a bugging device. I didn't even know when you put it there. Did you also have a hidden camera?" Xiao Di stuck out her tongue, surprised that she had guessed correctly by accident.

"What do you all think?" She got up again and took a small, slender object from the crack by the door.

This made Zhang Xiaodi and Li Ke, who were inside the room, somewhat uneasy.

Zhang Xiaodi is a simple-minded person; his first reaction was, "Oh no, they've seen everything."

"You...uh...when did you put it on? We didn't even notice." Li Ke, the dormitory head, blamed himself for his carelessness for a long time.

"You must have put it up right after the house was renovated, right?" Jiang Yu was impressed by Xu Xian's composure and nodded in affirmation of his correct guess.

"Before I explain all this, I want to show you something," Jiang Yu said, quickly steer the conversation back to the main topic, and took a thick stack of papers from her briefcase and placed them on the table.

"These are some data and pictures I found in the bureau's archives and the city library's historical archives. I think they contain what you're looking for, and I believe they also hold the truth of the whole matter."

"Why are you helping us?" Xu Xian ignored the documents on the table and stared intently at Jiang Yu. He was absolutely certain that Jiang Yu was genuinely trying to help them, but he couldn't quite figure out her motives. What were her true intentions? This was something Xu Xian desperately wanted to know.

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The cold moon has no light

Jiang Yu remained silent for a moment, and the expression on her face told Xu Xian that Jiang Yu must be related to this strange incident. As for what kind of relationship, he believed she would tell them soon enough.

“You guys… take a look at this now…” After a moment of silence, Jiang Yu pulled out a slightly yellowed photo from the stack of documents and handed it to them.

"This is...this is a photo of Liu Ye before her death!?" They exclaimed in surprise as they took the photo. It's no wonder they were so surprised; among this series of deaths and gestures, they had obtained almost all the data they could, except for Liu Ye, whose information was pitifully scarce. Now, to have a photo of her before her death was undoubtedly a very rare thing.

“Yes, this is a photo of her when she was 20 years old. Not long after this photo was taken, she… hanged herself.” Jiang Yu’s voice was choked with emotion.

"She has a little sister with her, she's quite cute. Is she her sister?" Zhang Xiaodi asked.

“Yes, she was only 10 years old that year. Do you know who she is?” Jiang Yu asked, head down.

"You look so familiar, like...like...ah...like you!" Zhang Xiaodi exclaimed loudly.

Jiang Yu raised her head, her face already streaked with tears. Her voice trembled as she uttered an unexpected answer.

"You guessed right, that's me. I'm her younger sister."

"How could that be? Aren't you surnamed Jiang?" Li Ke considerately handed a tissue to Jiang Yu and asked, puzzled.

“That name was changed after my sister died.” Jiang Yu, being a seasoned police officer, quickly calmed herself down. “My name should be Liu Yu. My parents were both miners, and they both died in a mine collapse when I was five. My sister was only 15 that year. She single-handedly supported the family with the meager pension from our parents and the help from relatives. Later, she was admitted to this university with excellent grades and received a full scholarship and tuition subsidy. Three days before she hanged herself, she took me to have this photo taken. She also told me that she now…” She didn't want a boyfriend because she didn't want others to look down on her. She said she would make sure I had a good life and support me through college. We talked about many, many dreams. But unexpectedly… unexpectedly… three days later, the school notified relatives that my sister had committed suicide because of a breakup. Because of a breakup? Ha—ha—that's impossible. A girl who stubbornly supported her family even after both her parents died, a girl with so many unfulfilled dreams, a girl who had never even considered dating, a girl with a young sister to support—would she commit suicide because of a breakup? Is it possible? Do you think it's possible? From that moment on, I vowed to become a policeman and uncover the truth behind my sister's suicide. That's why I accepted Jiang's father's adoption. He's been incredibly good to me and fulfilled my sister's dream of sending me to university. After becoming a policeman, I knew I needed certain authority to truly investigate this matter, so I quickly rose to my current position. While investigating this long-standing "suicide" case, I discovered things weren't as simple as I initially thought. I always believed it was a deliberate conspiracy, never imagining it was a series of bizarre murders. Until the recent two sudden deaths and the dismemberment case in your dormitory, your actions caught my attention. As a policeman, my intuition told me that by following you, I could uncover the truth. However, there are some things I can't directly intervene in. So, I used some of my personal power, which makes me uneasy. But to find out the true cause of my sister's death, even if it means going to jail, I'm willing to do it. I hope you can understand my feelings and accept my decision to investigate this matter with you.”

After Jiang Yu finished speaking, she looked at Xu Xian with questioning and expectant eyes, because she knew that Xu Xian was now the most persuasive leader among these children. As long as he agreed to her joining, the others would definitely be fine too.

Xu Xian remained silent for a long time. Then, he solemnly said to Jiang Yu, "Do you believe in the existence of ghosts? Have you considered that this whole thing might not have been done by humans, but by vengeful spirits? Have you thought about the potential danger to your life if you get involved in this?"

“First, I don’t really believe in ghosts, but there are too many inexplicable things in this world. I won’t make a hasty judgment about whether they exist or not. As long as it is proven to exist, I will try to accept it. Second, when I was investigating the whole matter, I found many inexplicable mysteries in this case. Whether it was man-made or not, I should uncover them; it’s my duty. Third, as a police officer, my life and death are not something I can decide for myself. Moreover, my purpose in living is to find out the truth behind my sister’s ‘suicide.’ If I give up the investigation because my life is in danger, then there is no meaning to my life.” Jiang Yu’s firm and affirmative answer made Xu Xian suddenly realize that a woman’s determination and decisiveness in the face of danger could be so astonishing.

“It seems you’ve made up your mind. Alright, let’s face this unavoidable danger together.” Xu Xian stood up and extended his right hand to Jiang Yu, who grasped his hand tightly. The other two also reached out and shook hands at the same time. At this moment, the four people standing in 509 displayed extraordinary courage and determination, and the three seemingly young and impetuous boys had also transformed into more mature individuals.

What awaits them may be death, but even more so, it is the hope for life, and the courage and determination to save their friends at all costs.

After the previous incident, it was already past 5 PM, almost dinner time, and everyone said they didn't have much of an appetite. However, Xu Xian said that there might be a tough battle to fight later, so everyone needed to conserve their energy and had to eat. So, reluctantly, the four of them went to the student cafeteria and ate dinner as quickly as possible.

“Alright, let’s go back and study the stack of documents Captain Jiang brought.” Xu Xian said, while calculating something on the side.

"Oh no... what about the three of them still in the basement? Are they in danger?" Li Ke asked anxiously.

"They should be alright for now. I just calculated that the connection between the six of us isn't over yet." Xu Xian maintained his usual cheerful demeanor. In fact, it was this confidence and cheerfulness that allowed him to naturally display a convincing presence throughout the entire affair.

"Let's hurry back then. I need to explain some parts of those data to you." Jiang Yu patted Xiao Di and Li Ke, nodded to Xu Xian, and the three of them returned to the dormitory together.

Jiang Yu, as expected of the captain of the criminal investigation team, had thoroughly researched the entire stack of documents she brought, from the history of the city to the chronology of the school's history after its establishment, and there were also some pictures and data.

"This school was founded in 1932. Before that, this area consisted of scattered small villages and towns. During the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China period, these villages and towns were all under the unified control of a family surnamed Peng. In other words, most of the land around the school belonged to this family. Therefore, this family held the greatest power in the area. However, in 1912, this powerful family completely declined for unknown reasons. Later, this area came under the unified jurisdiction of the Republic of China government. Originally, this land was intended to be used to build the mansion of Lu Shaohuai, the most powerful warlord in the area, in 1922. However..." On the very night the mansion was completed, Lu Shaohuai's wife and children all died mysteriously. Because of this murder, the house was abandoned. It wasn't until the September 18 Incident in 1931 that Japan, intending to use the site as a safe military base, used the abandoned mansion under the guise of "investing in education" to renovate and establish a school. Later, after Japan's defeat, the school was officially taken over by the Nationalist government, which began adding dormitories and other facilities to the original structure. After decades of changes, it became the campus we see today.

The cold moon has no light

Jiang Yu gave a brief overview of the school's history in one breath. Zhang Xiaodi, standing to the side, looked completely bewildered, and was also surprised that Jiang Yu could recite this history so fluently.

"Wow, we have such a glorious history here. Ah... why did you hit me!" Zhang Xiaodi had just finished expressing his feelings when Li Ke gave him a sharp rap on the head.

"There's something I'm curious about. What happened to Lu Shaohuai? It doesn't seem like it was mentioned that he died. Also, is that eerie mansion still at our school?" Li Ke, as expected of a top student being groomed for special attention, listened so attentively to the story and even took notes. But then again, this data might be the key to unraveling the whole mystery, so of course he had to listen carefully.

"When I was researching this history, I also found Lu Shaohuai very strange. Later, I specifically investigated this person. The investigation showed that Lu Shaohuai was not at home on the day of the incident, so he did not die in the murder. Besides him, there was another survivor in this murder case, which was his eldest daughter, Lu Lianying. So only Lu Shaohuai and his eldest daughter were spared because they were visiting friends and were not at home. However, three months after the murder, Lu Shaohuai and his daughter also disappeared. Therefore, some people speculated that he actually killed his wife and children, and the reason was that his wife had an affair with his adjutant, and even his son was not his biological son. Moreover, his wife colluded with his adjutant to secretly report him for colluding with the Communists. So in a fit of anger, he killed his wife and children. There are two theories about his whereabouts. One is that he went into hiding and became a bandit, and the other is that he changed his name and joined the Communists. But no one knows where he went." Jiang Yu's expression at this moment was as if he were analyzing a criminal case.

"Have you investigated Lu Shaohuai's historical background?" Xu Xian, who had been silent until now, suddenly asked this question.

"What's the point of investigating him?" Zhang Xiaodi asked curiously, then half-jokingly made up a story. "Could he be the mastermind? No way, it's been 80 years already. Even if he was only 10 years old then, he'd be 90 now. Besides, he's definitely older than 10. And why would he kill those people when we had no grudge against him?"

“I’ve done my research. That’s the main point we need to make now.” Jiang Yu ignored Zhang Xiaodi’s lame joke, and Zhang Xiaodi stuck out his tongue and remained silent. Jiang Yu continued:

"Lu Shaohuai was born in 1894. He was 30 years old in 1922 when he disappeared. He joined Duan Qirui's army at the age of 20. Later, due to his military achievements, he gained Duan Qirui's favor. It is said that because this area was Lu's ancestral home, Duan Qirui assigned this area to his jurisdiction. However, according to my investigation, there is a problem with this."

Jiang Yu glanced at the three men, seeing that they were waiting for her to continue, then took out three photocopies of photos from the stack of documents and handed them to the three of them.

"Take a look at this first."

"This is the first one." Jiang Yu pointed to the first photo, a family portrait. In the photo, a handsome and dignified man in military uniform sits idly, but without a trace of a smile. Behind him, to the left, stands a woman who looks young but is dressed as a young married woman, holding a baby in her arms. Her heavily made-up face displays an affected smile. Next to the woman stands a young girl dressed as a student, very pretty, especially her smile, which appears the most genuine in the entire photo.

"This person sitting here should be Lu Shaohuai, right?" Li Ke asked.

“Yes. Standing behind him are his wife, son, and daughter,” Jiang Yu added.

"No way, his daughter looks at least ten years old, but his wife looks no more than twenty. How could they have a daughter that old?" Zhang Xiaodi finally found a chance to speak, and she raised a very important point of doubt.

"Yes, judging from the photo, this girl couldn't possibly be Lu Shaohuai's daughter with the girl standing behind him," Xu Xian and Li Ke thought simultaneously.

"Take a look at the second one." Jiang Yu didn't explain, but handed over another photo. It showed a little girl, about ten years old, wearing a cheongsam and holding a kite. Behind her stood a boy, also about ten years old, dressed in a cloth jacket and short coat, looking like a farmhand.