Alma Espejo Antigua

Capítulo 27

After a brief moment of shock, the nine men fled the den of heads in terror, returning to their camp to find themselves covered in blood. They couldn't recall how Song Duo had died, only a vague feeling that it was connected to them. They huddled around the fire, shivering, not a single person speaking, spending the night in fear. The next day, they reluctantly returned to the den of heads. Song Duo's body was stiff and cold, the blood congealed black. His head was presumably in one of the square holes in the den, among the other heads.

Finding a single head among tens of thousands of heads was too difficult, and they were completely terrified. They carried out Song Duo's headless corpse, sat on the gently rippling grass, and looked back at the ancient and dilapidated altar. It still felt like an eternity, only this time it was a somber, timeless atmosphere.

Ultimately, everyone decided to bury Song Duo's body and abandon the archaeological research on the Head Cave.

The group left the ancient altar at Tongtianling in a hurry, returning only to lie and say that Songduo had fallen off a cliff. Everyone kept quiet about it, but the nightmare did not let them go. Countless nights they relived that scene: the wizard descended from the sky and said, "Only offerings from the gods can appear here."

Section 51: Chapter Nine, Part Two of the Cataclysm (3)

The speaker was Zhu Beichen. After he finished speaking, he let out a long sigh. This matter had been like a fishbone stuck in his throat, keeping him awake at night. Today, he finally got it off his chest, and he felt an indescribable sense of relief.

His words reminded Xu Haicheng of an old incident, and he was momentarily lost in thought. Then the door was gently pushed open, and Pan Xiaolu stood in the corridor waving at him. He went out and closed the door behind him.

Pan Xiaolu asked, "Have you recruited anyone here?"

Xu Haicheng gave a brief explanation, and Pan Xiaolu looked surprised, saying, "It's the same as what that person said, but I think they might have made it up, and they probably agreed on the same story beforehand."

Xu Haicheng lit a cigarette and said, "They weren't lying."

Pan Xiaolu didn't believe it. "Then who killed Song Duo? Did a wizard really descend from the sky?"

Xu Haicheng shook his head: "No, it was those nine who killed them. They know it in their hearts, but they just don't dare to admit it."

Pan Xiaolu's eyes widened, a look of disbelief on her face. "Why?"

"They've been poisoned and fallen into a hallucination."

Pan Xiaolu frowned. "No, they were all wearing gas masks."

"Skin breathes too. It's alright for a while, but being exposed to toxic fumes for ten hours a day accumulates over time. That's why they keep having nightmares. What you think about during the day, you dream about at night. They're obsessed with the human head sacrifice, so that's what they dream about. The painting in the end gave them the best hint." He couldn't help but recall a year and a half ago, when Fang Li went mad after inhaling too much of the corpse poison from Zhong Dongqiao's house, digging at the tiled floor with his fingers, his hands covered in blood. It was this incident that made Xu Haicheng understand what Fang Li's deepest inner conflict was, leading him to find Jiang Meihui's body buried under the canna lily. So much time has passed, yet it feels like it happened yesterday.

"So..." Pan Xiaolu was horrified. "Then how do you suggest we handle this case?"

"Let's record all the statements first, then write a report and let the higher-ups decide."

"Okay, but this lead has nothing to do with our 'Ghost Face Murder Case'," Pan Xiaolu said with a headache. The "Ghost Face Murder Case" was what everyone privately called this serial murder case.

"This lead is irrelevant, but there will be other clues, don't worry. As long as the case continues, clues will keep emerging. I'm leaving this to you; go home and rest after you're done." Although Xu Haicheng comforted Pan Xiaolu like this, he was actually quite troubled. This case already had very few clues, and now his only hope was that Detective Wu would make a discovery in Songlang Village.

After signing the papers, the three archaeologists left dejectedly. They had gone to the Tongtianling altar with high hopes, but it turned into a nightmare, forever altering the course of their lives.

Nothing in life is more unpredictable than this.

Xu Haicheng vaguely regretted being too harsh on Fang Li in the past. Who can say they haven't made mistakes in their life? Wasn't he the same? He hadn't been able to stop the gunfight, and his hands were still stained with the blood of innocent soldiers. At this moment, he suddenly longed to see Fang Li, to speak to her as a friend. Over the years, he had unintentionally blurred the lines between work and life. Perhaps she didn't want to see him because he was no longer the orphanage friend, Da Xu, but the policeman Xu Haicheng.

Thinking this, Xu Haicheng reached for the signed statements of the three archaeologists on the table. His heart wavered; he knew that if he submitted the report, although the nine people might be acquitted, their lives would be ruined. If he didn't submit it, the truth about Song Duo's death would be lost forever, leaving his parents and grandfather heartbroken. He racked his brains but couldn't find a way to satisfy both.

Seeing his changing expression, Pan Xiaolu couldn't help but ask curiously, "Captain Xu, what's wrong?"

"Xiaolu, keep Song Duo's death a secret for now. We'll talk about it after the cultural festival." He sighed, took the statement back to his office, and put it in a drawer. He made himself a bowl of instant noodles and casually opened the email report sent by the technical department.

The email stated that the IP address of the threatening email from the organizing committee was an internet cafe in Jingyun City, and the internet cafe had already sent over the list of attendees for that day, which was attached. Xu Haicheng opened the attachment, about to check the list, when Pan Xiaolu rushed in, shouting loudly, "Team Leader Xu, Team Leader Xu, the plainclothes officers from the Chengnan Branch have spotted someone who looks like Lao Tuhao!"

Xu Haicheng perked up, tossed aside his chopsticks, pulled on his coat, and said, "Let's go. Where did we find it?"

He was tall and had a long stride, so Pan Xiaolu had to jog to keep up, panting heavily as she answered his questions: "It's around Shixin Road in the south of the city."

Xu Haicheng paused slightly, remembering that there were many budget hotels in the Shixin Road area, something he should have thought of earlier.

"This plainclothes officer is following them without being detected."

"Tell him to be careful and not to reveal himself before we get there."

Section 52: Chapter Nine, Part Two of the Calamity (4)

"I've already reminded him."

Xu Haicheng tilted his head and gave her an approving look.

Although it was only a glance, Pan Xiaolu felt an indescribable sense of comfort and warmth from the bottom of her heart.

The two hurried towards Shixin Road. The Municipal Public Security Bureau was a bit far from Shixin Road. Along the way, Pan Xiaolu kept in touch with the plainclothes officers, planning to ambush them from both ends. As they approached Shixin Road, Pan Xiaolu began to rub her hands together, saying that she was going to personally capture the guy who had left a cold smile in her head and leave her hard fists on his body.

Xu Haicheng couldn't help but laugh at this.

However, their joy lasted only a few minutes. As the car approached Shixin Road, they saw a long line of cars ahead. The two were startled. It was 8 p.m., well past rush hour. Could there have been a car accident? They quickly jumped out of the car and walked forward. They saw that the entire intersection was blocked by cars, and many drivers were honking and cursing at a person lying in a spread-eagle position at the intersection.

Xu Haicheng and Pan Xiaolu initially thought it was a car accident, but there was no vehicle involved. They exchanged a surprised glance, walked to the intersection, and saw that the person's eyes were open, their chest rising and falling as they breathed—clearly a living person. Looking closer, their expressions changed; the shirt the person was wearing underneath was clearly one of the standard uniforms issued by the Public Security Bureau. Outsiders might not notice, but the two of them wore it every day and knew exactly what it was.

To confirm, Pan Xiaolu dialed the plainclothes officer's number. The cell phone in the man's pocket started ringing, but he was oblivious, looking at the sky with a smile in his eyes.

"What should I do?" Pan Xiaolu was at a loss for what to do after this unexpected turn of events.

Xu Haicheng didn't answer, but scanned his surroundings. Based on his intuition, the old bumpkin couldn't have gone far. Sure enough, he saw two people not far away. Judging from their backs, they were vaguely the old bumpkin and his daughter.

"Xiao Lu, this person is yours." Xu Haicheng squeezed through the crowd and quickly walked in the direction where Lao Xiaotu had left.

Shixin Road is located in the old city area. The road is narrow and winding, and the roadside facilities are dilapidated. For example, half of the streetlights are not working, and many of the trash cans are vandalized, giving off a musty smell. Xu Haicheng's tracking skills are excellent, and the two country bumpkins seem completely unaware, walking ahead at a leisurely pace.

Xu Haicheng did not lower his guard. Although he did not know what kind of people these two were, he knew from their ability to hypnotize Pan Xiaolu instantly that they were dangerous. This danger was not blatant, but it was sinister and insidious, like a venomous snake lurking in the dark, making it impossible to guard against.

After walking through several streets, Old Countryman and Little Countryman were still strolling around. Xu Haicheng felt uneasy, sensing a hint of arrogance in their attitude. The wind carried the faint sounds of bustling activity ahead, and the night was illuminated by lights in the distance. He suddenly remembered a famous night market near Shixin Street, seemingly just ahead. A wave of panic washed over him. Once Old Countryman and Little Countryman entered the night market, they were like fish in the sea; finding them again would be quite a task.

With this thought in mind, Xu Haicheng drew his sidearm and rushed forward, his footsteps echoing through the street.

The old man and the young bumpkin in front finally quickened their pace, but how could they, one old and one young, compare to the strong and burly Xu Haicheng? When they were five or six steps away, Xu Haicheng shouted, "Stop, or I'll shoot!"

The old country bumpkin and the young country bumpkin stopped cooperatively and slowly turned around. They were still wearing the same clothes as a few days ago. The young country bumpkin had indeed covered most of his face with a scarf, leaving only his eyes showing. They were quite handsome and had a familiar air about them. They were carrying a small bag, but there was no wooden box in sight.