Зал астрологии с плотью и кровью

Глава 15

Everything has a cause.

It's all because the world is corrupt.

Buried deep in the dust,

One breaks, one shatters.

This is just a seemingly ordinary limerick, but what shocked me was the signature: Gu Zhaodi. Yes, it's her again, the fourth victim in the Xinhu murder case. The poem seems to be trying to tell someone something, but it doesn't specify where to look. Another question is, why was this small piece of paper tucked inside the book cover? Was it Gu Zhaodi's random act, or was there a deeper meaning? Holding the paper in my hand, though it's only small, it felt incredibly heavy. If all of this was pre-planned by Gu Zhaodi, then this small piece of paper must hold clues to guide us to the truth.

I glanced at the clock; it was 7 p.m. I hoped that going to see Fang Lei and the others at this time wouldn't disturb them. I didn't even bother with dinner anymore; I grabbed the book and rushed out the door. After all, the wisdom of the masses is great.

Before getting into the taxi, I had already called Li Yang and Fang Lei. Li Yang also happened to have something to say, so it seems that he and Cao Ying must have had some unexpected gains this afternoon!

※※※

"Li Yang, what did you and Cao Ying find?" I asked impatiently as I took off my shoes. I was also the last person to arrive at Fang Lei's house. I didn't know when Cao Ying had moved in from the hotel, but after a few days, the two beauties had become inseparable, practically sworn sisters. What surprised me, however, was that Li Hai had moved in with Li Yang. I seriously doubted whether they could get along peacefully.

“We investigated Gu Zhaodi’s hometown, and now only one of her cousins still lives there. We spent a long time talking to this old man and finally found out some things that might be useful,” Li Yang replied.

"What do you mean by 'maybe it will be useful'?" I asked.

“Because her cousin said that his cousin did act strangely for a while before she hanged herself, but he couldn’t quite explain what was going on. He just felt that Gu Zhaodi was acting mysteriously during that time, as if she was investigating something. Out of curiosity, he asked Gu Zhaodi what she was busy with. But Gu Zhaodi seemed to be wary of someone and didn’t say it outright, only mentioning things like revenge and the murderer.” Li Yang continued, “What puzzled him even more was that his cousin suddenly bought an urn while she was still alive and repeatedly told him that if anything happened to her, he must use this urn to put her ashes. She even made her cousin swear that he would definitely follow this instruction.”

I didn't say anything after listening, but simply took the piece of paper out of my pocket and handed it to them. Li Hai quickly took it, and after they read it, they were both completely confused, looking at me with bewilderment. So I recounted what had happened after Li Yang and the others left that afternoon.

"You really are just lucky!" Li Yang said with a sigh. I rolled my eyes at him and ignored his teasing.

"I always felt that Gu Zhaodi was not simple," Fang Lei said, looking at the piece of paper. "Her boyfriend died in Heart Lake. If I were her, I would definitely be resentful, and it would be natural for me to investigate Heart Lake. But what exactly did she find out?"

“I think she must have researched the Kunqu Opera ‘The Peony Pavilion’ just like us, and even found something. But for some reason, she didn’t have time to disclose it before she met with misfortune.” Cao Ying tilted her head and thought for a while before continuing, “Moreover, I believe that she didn’t just write that piece of paper for fun.”

"That's for sure. Who has the time to write such strange poems and then carefully tuck them into the book cover? If I hadn't happened to tear the cover today, I doubt anyone would have seen it even in another ten years or so." I took the book out of the bag and handed it to Cao Ying.

"I think she must have found something, but she doesn't dare to reveal it to the public. Think about it, the thing that might reveal the truth is hidden in such a suspicious place, a place that might never be found. Why do you think she would do that? She must be afraid that the murderer will find out that she already knows something, afraid that she will die before she finds out the whole truth, or perhaps she has already realized that the murderer has noticed her and that she may die at any time. In order not to let the truth be buried forever, she came up with this way of leaving clues." Li Yang's deductive talent was fully displayed at this time, and he was practically rambling on and on.

"Women should never be underestimated. She probably anticipated that future generations would discover 'The Peony Pavilion,' and perhaps someone would borrow a book about the play, so she slipped the piece of paper inside beforehand. I think only those who have discovered 'The Peony Pavilion' would likely touch the book, while others who haven't reached that point wouldn't even look at it. Even those who accidentally find the paper and have no concept of the Heart Lake murder case would at most assume it was a spur-of-the-moment thing and wouldn't pay any attention. This way, those with a clue can continue their investigation, while those completely unaware can remain uninvolved." I continued Li Yang's words, and the image of this intelligent and incredibly strong woman gradually appeared before my eyes. What kind of belief supported this seemingly weak woman to bravely pursue the investigation, and even knowing her own death, she didn't give up, still trying to leave clues for future generations? I think she must have deeply loved her boyfriend; her unwavering love for him gave her courage. With a girlfriend like that, what more could a man ask for? It's a pity that Mao Aijun didn't have that blessing.

"So, what does this piece of paper mean? What is she trying to tell us?" Li Hai asked a question that we all wanted to know, and for a moment no one spoke.

I closed my eyes. I always like to close my eyes when I'm thinking about something; it allows me to concentrate completely. Yin Xue always said she loved it when I was deep in thought because then she could look at me freely without worrying about me seeing her. Yes, she was always such a shy girl; even after becoming my woman, she remained as pure as a virgin. I loved her clean face, her slightly fragrant body, and especially her eyes, clear as a lake, the eternal home of my soul. I sighed. I knew now wasn't the time to think about her, but I couldn't help it; a sudden surge of longing for her welled up from the bottom of my heart. Gu Zhaodi's sincerity and persistence towards her lover caused an inexplicable pain in my heart. Yin Xue, I know your death wasn't simple, but I didn't investigate like she did, didn't risk my life to investigate. I'm a cowardly and incompetent man; I'll never reach your shore. I strained, the pain of my nails digging into my fingers holding back the possibility of tears. I'm not used to crying in front of others.

“I have an idea.” Cao Ying’s voice broke the silence and pulled me back from my thoughts of Yin Xue. “I think, could we interpret her poem like this: buried deep in the dust, broken and shattered. Does it mean that she buried the truth in the soil, and we need to dig it out?”

"You mean...?" Li Yang pointed at Cao Ying, his eyes shining as he shouted, "That urn?"

“Yes!” Cao Ying’s eyes gleamed as she said, “She suddenly bought an urn. Think about it, who would buy something taboo before they die? She must have put something in it beforehand, and then left this poem. Isn’t an urn something buried in the dust?”

Fang Lei, Li Hai, and I exchanged glances. Indeed, if Cao Ying's statement is true, it is entirely possible. And most people wouldn't bother checking the contents of an urn; it is indeed a good place to hide things.

"So now what are we...?" I had a bad feeling and asked tentatively.

"Simple, find her grave and dig out the urn containing her ashes," Cao Ying answered crisply, even making a digging motion with her hand.

Wow, what a powerful woman!

Book One: Tales of Three Ghosts in the City, Chapter Thirty-Five: Grave Digging and Jar Excavation

Book One: Tales of Three Ghosts in the City, Chapter Thirty-Five: Grave Digging and Jar Excavation

The following evening, the five of us were on our way to a cemetery in the suburbs. The power of beautiful women is great; after Cao Ying chatted with Gu Zhaodi's cousin for three hours, they finally managed to find out the location of Gu Zhaodi's grave, and we naturally formed a grave-digging team. Sigh, this is digging up someone else's grave—it's bad karma! But looking at the group around me, they had no such mental burden whatsoever, acting like a bunch of excited children going on a spring outing. Sighing again, mourning my own accomplice, I asked Li Hai, who was sitting in front of me, "Didn't you say there was something wrong with that Black Forest bar? How's the investigation going?"

“Don’t even mention it,” Li Hai waved his hand and said, “I thought finding the original owner of the bar would give me some clues, but it turns out he didn’t know anything either. He only said it was a woman, quite pretty, who gave him a considerable sum of money. And he just happened to want to quit anyway, so he agreed, and that’s all he knows.”

"Didn't you investigate further?" I asked.

"We don't have time! You guys have been having car accidents and ghost sightings lately!" Li Hai replied.

So I just said "oh" and didn't ask any further. Indeed, too many things had been happening lately, and I simply didn't have the energy to focus on anything else. Now I almost hoped that the Black Forest bar was just a prank by someone who liked postmodern styles; this city already had enough strange and unusual places.

The car drove into increasingly remote areas, eventually entering a road so narrow that only one car could pass at a time. There were no streetlights on either side, and the only light coming from the car headlights illuminated a section of the road about a meter ahead. Even more absurdly, the trees on both sides were incredibly tall, completely blocking out the moonlight. This forced Li Yang, the driver, to drive extremely cautiously and slow down.

"Damn it, why is this road so narrow? Cao Ying, are you sure this is the road to the cemetery?" Li Yang asked as he drove.

"That's a question for you. Wasn't it you who was driving?" Cao Ying's words left Li Yang speechless, so he could only offer his own greetings to the people who repaired the road. But then again, this road wasn't really suitable for driving at night, but the problem was, who would be so bored as to drive to a remote cemetery so late at night? Of course, it was a last resort for us.

Lost in thought, the car suddenly stopped. It was parked in front of a stone archway, and by the headlights, I could see the three red characters "Eternal Rest Garden" carved on it. Perhaps due to years of neglect, the original iron fence was now practically nonexistent; only the stone gate retained any semblance of its former self. Was this the cemetery? I felt that "botanical garden" would be a more fitting description. Rows of pine trees stood tall within, a dark, dense expanse as far as the eye could see. Beneath their shadows were crooked tombstones, each telling a poignant story. Death truly makes everything vanish; even the only place where one could be remembered was dilapidated, as if it had just been ransacked. This desolate scene was completely at odds with the city's prosperity; it seemed like a corner forgotten by time and people, left forlornly in the stillness of time.

"Where is Gu Zhaodi's grave?" Fang Lei asked Cao Ying, who was standing right next to her. Although these two women were incredibly brave, they were still girls, and on such a dark and windy night, they were inevitably a little uncomfortable.

"I don't know," Cao Ying replied.

"Huh? What should we do then?" I asked, not wanting to have come all this way for nothing.

“Let’s search one by one. We have all night anyway.” Li Hai pointed at me and said, “I’ll team up with you, and the rest of you can team up. If we split up, it should be faster.”

"What?" Li Yang and I almost shouted at the same time. To spend so much time in this godforsaken place is truly a form of torture.

"Stop yelling, let's go!" Li Hai didn't care how pitiful my cries sounded in this place, and pulled me away. I had no choice but to resign myself to following behind Li Hai and carefully searched the tombstones. For some reason, some of the names on the tombstones were still in traditional Chinese characters. When I looked more closely at the dates on the graves, I realized that some of them had been buried before the liberation! Through the faint moonlight, the moss that had grown on the tombstones due to dampness was a sinister, withered green, making one feel uneasy, and even the occasional chirping of insects around us sound desolate.

I don't know how much time had passed, but just when I thought I was going to give up, I suddenly heard Fang Lei's voice calling out: "Found it, come quick!"

The tombstone was chipped, overgrown with weeds, and even the small stone platform that was originally used for offerings was only half intact. If you called this a tomb, probably no one would believe it, but it was indeed Gu Zhaodi's tomb—how pathetic! Below the tombstone was a small raised platform; presumably, the urn was buried there. The platform was covered with a stone lid, which seemed to be sealed with cement. We looked at each other, unsure where to begin.

"What do we do next?" I nudged Li Yang and asked.

"Find a way to open it!" Li Yang said, rolling up his sleeves in a very good stance, but unexpectedly, Li Hai pulled him back.

"Wait a moment." With that, Li Hai took out several talismans from his pocket, holding one in one hand and forming a sword incantation with two fingers of the other. With a soft "poof," the talismans burst into flames, golden light flickering. The scorching heat made me frown, but seeing that others didn't seem to care, I hesitated for a moment, but ultimately remained silent, only subconsciously taking a step back.

"The sky is clear and the earth is bright. Under the true fire, all evils retreat." Li Hai raised his hand, and the ball of fire immediately leaped to the front of the tombstone and turned into a golden powder, which was scattered into the night air. The gold in the darkness was very beautiful.

"What are you doing?" Cao Ying asked.

"I was just performing a small ritual. After all, we're digging up someone's grave, so we have to be polite!" Li Hai said with a smile. Li Yang immediately rolled his eyes at him, clearly disapproving of such things. I privately tugged at him, telling him not to argue with Li Hai at this moment.

Looking at the grave, I noticed that the cement around the stone cover had peeled off, probably due to the recent ritual. I stepped forward and lifted the stone cover, revealing an urn, still vaguely recognizable as bluish-green, filled with ashes. I carefully lifted it out, and its touch was icy cold; a chilling aura immediately surged from my palm to my limbs. Accompanying this were a multitude of emotions welling up from the depths of my heart: sorrow, resentment, bitterness, and anger. My fingertips stung as if pricked by needles, and the face of Yin Xue at the moment of her suicide flashed before my eyes. I shook my head vigorously, trying to banish all of this from my mind, but when I looked up, I suddenly saw many ethereal figures floating out from every grave around me, their bluish-black faces with empty black eye sockets. So many ghostly figures all drifted towards me at once, and everything seemed to return to that night at Fang Lei's house after I had just met Li Hai, the faces outside the window overlapping and separating with the shadows I saw now. In a panic, I threw the urn in my hand away with all my might, but then I felt completely drained and collapsed onto the ground. The already cold cement floor was even colder at night, and it felt like I was sitting on a giant block of ice. With a shiver, I returned to normal. The ghostly figure in front of me vanished without a trace, replaced by Li Yang's strange face.

"What are you doing? How can you make such a mess just by picking something up? You've broken everything." Li Yang pointed to the shards on the ground.

"There seems to be something!" Just as I was about to explain, Fang Lei's cheers drew our attention. We saw her pull a flat package out of the fragments.

"What is that?" I immediately scrambled to my feet, forgetting all about the ghostly figures from before, and went closer.

Volume One: Tales of Three Ghosts in the City, Chapter Thirty-Six: Lin Yuyan

Volume One: Tales of Three Ghosts in the City, Chapter Thirty-Six: Lin Yuyan

The package was wrapped in oilcloth. I carefully opened it and found a stack of yellowed newspapers inside, which felt damp and musty to the touch. Unfolding it, I was immediately struck by a picture of a woman on the cover, which made me dizzy. The mysterious woman in green was smiling at me with a radiant smile, and although her face still bore the makeup of a theatrical performance, it was strangely familiar.

"What's wrong?" Cao Ying asked with concern as she helped me up as I swayed.

“That woman, it’s her!” I was almost incoherent. The woman’s face was still exceptionally clear even on the yellowed and old newspaper. I could almost see the lividity on her face and her bleeding eyes.

"Could she be the Ghost Woman of Heart Lake?" Li Hai said, quickly looking at the reports around the picture and reading them aloud: "The Kunqu Opera 'The Peony Pavilion' was a great success in our city, and Lin Yuyan, who played the female lead Du Liniang, was very popular."

Lin Yuyan? Another person with the surname Lin. I took a deep breath, feeling as if things were both beginning to make sense and becoming even more complicated. If the first victim on Cao Ying's list of victims in the Xinhu murder case was actually her, then many things would be explained. But the question is, why would she kill those women, if she did? And she also has the surname Lin—could she be connected to the hospital director who was burned to death, or is it just a coincidence of surnames? Gu Zhaodi hid these seemingly ordinary newspapers so well, even sacrificing her own life—what was she trying to imply? Thinking of this, I quickly said to Li Hai, "Are there any other related reports?"

Li Hai nodded and quickly turned the page. This time, Li Yang, quite simultaneously, shone the flashlight on him. The outward beam of the flashlight illuminated Li Hai's face, revealing a look of utter surprise on his face. Was there something else? I urged him to tell everyone. Li Hai hesitated for a moment before looking up at us and saying, "The next day's report said Lin Yuyan is missing!"

Sure enough, something happened. Looking at Li Hai, I felt a chill run down my spine and couldn't help but shiver. My throat went dry, and I swallowed hard. In a rather hoarse voice, I asked, "And then?"

"That's all, it seems." Li Hai flipped through the newspaper again, his deep voice no longer magnetic, but like a summons from hell. I could clearly feel Fang Lei's body trembling beside me. For a moment, no one spoke. In fact, no one knew what to say. We had thought that finding the urn containing Gu Zhaodi's hidden secrets would reveal everything, but now we had only seen a corner of the truth. The many more secrets, like icebergs in the sea, were hidden beneath the surface. Everything around us fell silent. Even the slight chirping of insects disappeared. The heavy breathing was clearly audible, and I could even hear my own heartbeat. A strange, throbbing sensation in my fingertips made me clench my fists, but perhaps due to excessive tension, I didn't even have the strength to hold my hands together.

"Let's go back first!" Li Yang broke the silence. We nodded weakly and turned to leave the cemetery. I walked wearily at the back, and no one spoke the rest of the way. As I silently reached the car, a gust of cold wind swept past me from behind. I could feel it seep into my body through my collar and neck, and a chill instantly shot up my spine and into my head. Inexplicably, I looked up and saw a wisp of what appeared to be green smoke floating in the cemetery. The smoke seemed alive, gradually forming a ghostly face that was grinning menacingly at me. My mind went blank. Perhaps it was because of my profession, which had made me accustomed to seeing the dead, but I didn't faint from fright. Instead, I quickly turned and got into the car, collapsing onto my seat.

"What's wrong? Are you very tired?" Fang Lei asked with concern, reaching out to place her hand on my forehead. "You're so cold. Is your injury still not healed?"

I practically curled up, looking up at the rearview mirror. It was completely silent; I could only vaguely make out a grove of trees, nothing else. Relieved, I shook my head with difficulty at Fang Lei and said, "It's nothing, maybe I'm just too tired!"

Once everyone was in the car, Li Yang immediately stepped on the gas, and the car sped off, disappearing from Yongxi Garden at breakneck speed. I think Li Yang must have been a little scared, he just didn't say it. Actually, everyone must have felt a little uneasy, more or less! I closed my eyes; I need to rest properly!

*********

I went to work the next day anyway, because I always felt that if I wanted to find a missing person, what place could provide more clues than the police station?

Walking towards the morgue, I hesitated for a moment. I didn't know if it was fear; I really didn't want to see those freezers storing bodies again, after all, it brought back unpleasant memories. But as a forensic pathologist, I couldn't be afraid or back down. If I were, it would mean the end of my career as a forensic pathologist. And I couldn't give up yet; there were still many things waiting for me to do. When my hand gripped the doorknob, I felt a sense of tragic grandeur for the first time.

I opened the door, only to find Chen Kai already waiting for me inside. Suppressing my curiosity, I asked in a very formal tone, "Captain Chen, is there something you need?"

"Oh, I heard you came back to work today, so I came to see you. Why didn't you rest for a few more days? How's your injury healing?" Chen Kai asked.

"Nonsense, would I come if I wasn't injured? I'm not that kind of person to come to work injured!" I chuckled and said calmly, "I'm almost fully recovered. Didn't you want to get back to work as soon as possible?" Hmph, trying to pull those official act on me? You think I'm not good at it?

"Oh, then work hard, but don't overwork yourself!" Chen Kai came over, patted my shoulder, and walked out of the room, but I felt like he was an old fox coming to wish a chicken a Happy New Year.

Donning my white coat again, I threw myself back into work. Just as my university mentor once said, the deceased is gone. As a forensic pathologist, your role isn't to grieve or be afraid; continuous investigation and examination are the primary considerations. Perhaps not all truths in this world can be verified by forensic scientists—at least judging from recent events—but never giving up is always the right thing to do. The truth will always be revealed; it's just a matter of time.

Having only been working for a short while, Xiao Ren suddenly ran over and asked, "Lin Xiao, the case of the skull in Heart Lake is almost over, but according to the murderer, he also threw the rest of the remains into various places in Heart Lake, so we need to go there to look for them now. Do you want to come with me?"

"Okay!" I quickly put down what I was doing. Anyway, it was broad daylight and we were going with a group of people, so there shouldn't be any problems, right? Thinking of this, I sighed helplessly. I never thought that I, who am usually so bold, would be scared. If my older sister knew, she would laugh her head off!

"Then pack up and hurry up!" Xiao Ren said, closing the door and leaving. I took a deep breath, took off my white coat, and prepared to head towards Heart Lake again.

*******

Author's note: I originally planned to write more tonight, but writing this kind of thing alone at home makes me a little nervous. I'll do it tomorrow! Hehe, don't laugh at me for being a coward! :)

Volume One: Tales of Three Ghosts in the City, Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Soul-Locking Array

Volume One: Tales of Three Ghosts in the City, Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Soul-Locking Array

I looked up at the sky. The grey-blue sky, seen through the dense foliage, seemed almost within reach, oppressive and suffocating. I had thought that with so many people around, there wouldn't be any problems, but in reality, I still felt a chill run through me. The trees were so numerous and tall that I felt incredibly small in comparison. Figures moved swiftly behind the foliage, appearing and disappearing, their faces indistinct, which only fueled my anxiety. I touched my chest and used a branch to push aside the thicket. Now I understood why Xiao Ren had been so eager to bring me along. Searching for remains in this eerie place was no pleasant task; I had truly brought trouble upon myself!

After searching for a long time, all I could hear was the rustling of bushes being moved. Actually, this wouldn't have been so difficult. Several police dogs had been specially brought in for this search, but as soon as we reached the edge of the woods near Heart Lake, the dogs started barking incessantly. No matter how hard the handlers dragged them out of the car, they couldn't be persuaded. Even their favorite dog biscuits couldn't entice them. The handlers were so embarrassed they felt like they were going to die of shame. In the end, we had to resort to a manual search. Sigh, this place really is cursed. Aren't dogs supposed to be very intelligent animals? How did I end up being tricked into coming to a place even they wouldn't want to go? I'm so regretful I want to bang my head against a tree!

"Damn it!" I lashed out, flinging the branch I was holding. I glanced casually at where it landed. It was strange; in such a dense forest, there was a clearing of about ten square meters. Even stranger, not a single blade of grass grew there, while the area around the clearing was overgrown with all sorts of wild grasses, as if they had received a "No Entry" sign. Looking closer, the clearing was circular. It couldn't have formed naturally; it was too perfect, as if someone had trimmed it. I looked around; there were no other colleagues in sight. Suddenly, everything fell silent, and the sky seemed to grow even darker. After a moment's thought, I finally walked towards the center of the circle. As soon as I stood at the center, the surrounding scenery began to spin, faster and faster, until I almost collapsed. My consciousness blurred; it seemed as if countless wisps of smoke drifted from behind the trees, forming ghostly faces with red liquid churning in their dark eye sockets. Everything before me was spinning rapidly, as if I were standing on a constantly rotating platform. The shadows of the trees gradually turned into a green curtain due to the rotation, and on this curtain, I could clearly see an old-fashioned Western-style house emerging before me, as if the house were right behind this grove of trees. It was No. 77, Ancient Locust Street; I was absolutely certain of that.

My whole body felt ice-cold, and I could feel my body temperature gradually dropping. The ghost face rapidly approached me, and its enlarged shape instantly filled my mind. The jade pendant on my chest suddenly became scorching hot, burning my skin painfully.

"Ahhhhhh!" I couldn't help but scream out loud.

"Lin Xiao, what are you doing? Your screaming is scary, you know?" Xiao Ren's voice came from behind me, as if pleading for help. Turning around, I saw him standing behind me, looking terrified. My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly looked down. The open space, the barren landscape—it was all gone. I was standing on the grass, and I could even see the dewdrops. Looking around, the scenery seemed to have changed a lot, yet nothing seemed to have changed at all. The grass was still grass, the trees were still trees, only Xiao Ren was there. Taking a deep breath, I was certain I was safe.

"Are you alright?" Xiao Ren looked at me strangely. "You shouldn't force yourself to come to work when your injury hasn't healed. Looking at you now, if I didn't know you, people would think they'd seen a ghost. Your face is so pale!" As he spoke, he took something out of his pocket and threw it to me.