Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Hualala…
With water running near his feet, Zhao Yu quickly moved aside as he was nearly splashed.
“Motherf*cker!” Zhao Yu swore. He then got off the squatting pit and walked over to the basin to wash his hands.
Not only did the simple inn have no bathroom stalls, but there weren’t any bathrooms either. There were only traditional squatting pits in a public restroom, and there weren’t even any dividers between them!
Near the basin was a mirror full of cracks that was taped to the wall. Looking at himself in the mirror, Zhao Yu played with his newly grown hair.
Just as Section Chief Wang Fei had said, although there was stitching on the top of his head, due to his undamaged hair follicles, when his hair grew there wasn’t any trace of a wound. There was only a small scar on his forehead.
It had been more than a month and there was no scar on his face. The fractures of his collarbone, rib cage, and scapula had almost fully recovered. But perhaps because of the damp air caused by the rainy day, he still felt uncomfortable and tight all over.
The Tomb Murder Case!
Zhao Yu shook his head and sighed as he thought about the strange case again. Although the autopsy report had yet to be released, every branch that was involved in the joint investigation had started taking action.
But Zhao Yu was not being left behind. He had sent people to retrieve the surveillance video nearby, and asked about rumors among the clan from Blondie and the others!
What is the truth behind this case? In an ancient coffin chamber, there lies a modern corpse… Tsk tsk…
Just as Zhao Yu was thinking about this, a novel idea popped into his head. He had yet to finalize his thought, however, before the bathroom door was pushed open.
The one who walked in was the bushy bearded man, Fu Jianxing.
Although they had taken the same bus over, the police detectives had not officially introduced themselves to one another. When they saw each other they nodded, but did not converse.
After acknowledging Zhao Yu, Fu Jianxing took off his pants and squatted over the pit. He was holding some bathroom paper. Zhao Yu finished washing his hands, then pushed the door open and left.
After exiting the bathroom, Zhao Yu recalled Miao Ying’s warning. She had told Zhao Yu to be careful around Fu Jianxing, as he was extremely cunning.
Tsk tsk…
Zhao Yu was rubbing his chin while he was thinking. Why don’t I pull a prank on him to show my power and put him in his place? How should I toy with him? It is raining outside, and there’s nowhere for me to buy firecrackers….
Just as Zhao Yu was pondering outside the door, he heard Fu Jianxing begin speaking inside the bathroom. It seemed like he was on the phone with someone else.
Huh? Hm, why not listen to what he has to say.
Zhao Yu wanted to walk towards the bathroom door and eavesdrop, but he realized that there was a gap under the door, so the lights of the corridor would cast his shadow on the ground. Fu Jianxing would definitely notice.
Can I turn off the lights? No way! Turning off the lights would make the guy even more suspicious.
Zhao Yu looked around and suddenly fixed his gaze on the women’s bathroom next door! Besides the police detectives that were staying in the hotel in the remote mountain village, there was barely anyone else there. There shouldn’t be anyone in the women’s bathroom!
Zhao Yu quickly sneaked into the women’s bathroom. He looked around, and there was no one there. He fastened the lock properly and went to the divider between the men’s and women’s bathroom.
When he put his ear against the separating wall, Fu Jianxing’s voice was crystal clear,
“Let me tell you, Lao Li.” Fu Jianxing seemed to be covering his cellphone with his hands. His voice sounded muffled. “Do you remember the tomb that belonged to the Yongtai Princess? The tomb that was the size of your palm but had more than sixty robber entrances?! This tomb of a prefect only had one, and it was dug recently. What does that mean?
“It meant that the tomb of the prefect was not even found by the ancient grave robbers, which meant that it was well hidden! It also means that the one who came to rob the tomb was not just some nobody!
Hey?
Hearing that, Zhao Yu was suddenly interested. It seemed as if Fu Jianxing was discussing about the case with his colleagues from his branch! His colleague seemed to think the same way he did.
Zhao Yu listened even more closely.
“You’re asking me? I am in the bathroom! On a squatting pit! This ridiculous place!” Fu Jianxing continued, “How else could I call you? They had to arrange two people to share a room, and it is still raining outside. Where else could I make a call? Don’t worry, no one is eavesdropping; I’m the only one in the bathroom! There aren’t even stalls in the bathroom. Everything is out in the open!”
Zhao Yu laughed and thought to himself, Out in the open. Have you ever thought that the walls might have ears too?
“The tomb was unusual,” Fu Jianxiang said. “I looked into the prefects’ tombs in the other area. None of theirs were this big. Plus, the place is quite interesting. It’s hard to imagine that a commander of the border would ever bury themselves in such a remote area! I just find it a bit odd. It doesn’t seem to make sense!
“Mm… Right, right, right, maybe… I know, who doesn’t want to take the opportunity to step into the limelight? But there is no use rushing. The traces on the road were wiped away by the cars. We can only look at the surveillance control in Yunyang County! Right, tell our colleagues to hurry up. I’m afraid that there will be people that work faster than me!
“Oh, and from what I can tell, I reckon the deceased has been dead for about twenty-five days. But I couldn’t tell how the environment in the ancient tomb affected the corpse. It would be best to check all the vehicles that passed through Yunyang County in the last twenty to thirty days. Plus, a robbery of cultural relics would normally be done in the middle of the night…”
Fuck! Zhao Yu was shocked. It seems like this person is really an expert. Not only did he find such a crucial point, but he thought about it more thoroughly than I did.
“What? You meant the deceased? Yes, the forensic scientist from the municipal bureau is making comparison. I reckon that there will be n answer in three hours or so…
“No, no, no, I’m telling you, the deceased is definitely not a grave robber!”
When he said that, Zhao Yu was shocked again. He never would have guessed that the guy would have the same prediction he had!
“Let’s make a bet. A professional grave robbery organization would not have any internal conflicts!” Fu Jianxing voiced his well-thought-out plan, saying, “It’s pretty obvious judging from a few clues. This is too easy. I think even a detective could be able to tell!”
“No. Firstly, it’s his age. As far as I can tell, the deceased is at least sixty years old. He might even be seventy years old!” Fu Jianxing said. “There wouldn’t be any grave robbers that were that old and would still go into the tomb themselves! Plus, the deceased is not a grave robber!”
“Yes, sure! There was an operation scar above the collar bone of the deceased, which signified that he had an operation related to his thyroid gland. In addition, the sole of his right shoe had serious wear compared to his left foot, which indicates he had a walking problem. How could someone like that be a grave robber?”
“No, no, no. He definitely wasn’t dragged down from the robber’s entrance after he died…
“Yes! I have noticed that the sleeves on his shirt, his thighs, and his calves had traces of soil. It meant that the deceased climbed in through the robber’s entrance! If he was dragged down, there would be stain on his shirt…
“Judging off the wound on his head, the weapon the robbers used should have been a pickaxe. Such damage would definitely cause a splatter of blood. I haven’t found them, which means the kill took place inside the coffin chamber itself…”
My goodness…
Listening to Fu Jianxing’s analysis sent shivers down Zhao Yu’s spine. Who would have guessed that this person was so amazing! He even noticed very minor details. He was just like Sherlock Holmes!
Let me analyze the psychology of the murderer to you,” Fu Jianxing continued. “After the murder, he stuffed the person into the coffin and laid him over the ancient corpse, then put the cover of the coffin back on!
“That implies that the murderer was thinking about grave robbery all year long. This person is brutal, cruel, and unreasonable, and twenty percent of his mentality is twisted. He stuffed the dead into the ancient coffin without giving it a second thought; he just thought it might be fun!”
“T person would most likely have a criminal record, so hurry up and look. See if there are any suspects with these traits…”
Criminal record?!
Hearing that, Zhao Yu recalled his novel idea from earlier.
“Hahaha, alright, stop flattering me!” Fu Jianxing laughed. “This time, everyone who has come are elite. We can’t be careless! Especially the one from the Rongyang Branch. Even though he is the youngest, he solved the Mianlin Case. We can’t take him lightly. I heard that the guy is quite strange…”
He heard some information about himself, so Zhao Yu tried to listen carefully. But just as Fu Jianxing said that one sentence, someone knocked on the door.
Knock knock knock…
He then heard an old lady shouting from outside the door. “Hey, who locked the door? Open up! I can’t hold it anymore!”
