“How long have they been dead?”
Looking at Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang, their bodies were covered in flies and all sorts of insects. Their corpses had started to decompose internally. There was also a gnawed opening on the left side of Zhao Fuyang's stomach…
It was estimated to have been bitten by stray dogs nearby. Their intestines and internal organs had spilled out…
Beneath a thick, brownish-black liquid, white maggots writhed in the decaying entrails and intestines, growing plump and fat. This scene, however, made many of the surrounding police officers feel nauseous. Niu Qiuling had already thrown up twice and now didn't dare to approach the bodies with Wan Yunting and Zhou Dong.
Even Wan Yunting couldn't help but cover his nose and mouth, his brow furrowed as he looked at the corpses of Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang. He felt like vomiting several times but managed to suppress it.
“According to our forensic analysis, both of them have been dead for four to five days!” Zhou Dong said.
“Four to five days?”
Wan Yunting paused and turned to look at Zhou Dong, saying in surprise, “That was the day we held the commendation ceremony, the 15th?”
Zhou Dong nodded and said, “To be precise, it was after midnight that day. Meaning, shortly after Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang met with you at Deyue Tower and left, they met their fate!”
At this, Wan Yunting's expression turned solemn, and his brow furrowed as he looked at the bodies of Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang. He asked, “Is this the primary crime scene?”
“It is the primary crime scene!”
The forensic doctor named Qin Bo stood up and said to Wan Yunting, Zhou Dong, and the others, “And this scene is a homicide with a ritualistic sacrifice!”
“Ritualistic homicide…”
Wan Yunting, Zhou Dong, Niu Qiuling, and the other police officers present looked astonished.
“Yes.”
Qin Bo, an experienced forensic doctor, pointed at the two bodies of Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang. “These two are sacrificial victims. Look at the runes on their bodies. They are sacrificial runes drawn by the killer. Then, using conical spikes in their foreheads, the killer murdered these two in a ritualistic manner to sacrifice to the gods they worship!”
Niu Qiuling, wearing a mask and still covering her nose and mouth, looked at the two corpses with disgust. “I’ve never seen such a murder case…”
Wan Yunting also nodded. Looking at the bodies of Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang, the runes drawn all over them were incomprehensible. He guessed that the killer probably believed in an evil organization!
But how did these two people get entangled with people from an evil organization?
“For cases like this, it might not involve grudges!”
Zhou Dong, as part of the criminal investigation team, although he hadn’t encountered such a case before, such ritualistic homicides were not uncommon in the 1970s and 1980s. Therefore, he had some knowledge of such cases. “The killer chose to kill for the purpose of sacrifice!”
Wan Yunting raised an eyebrow and said, “Meaning, they weren't killed out of revenge, but were just unlucky enough to run into the killer and were killed as sacrifices?”
“Yes, this is just my preliminary judgment for now.”
Zhou Dong nodded, then asked Forensic Doctor Qin Bo, “Forensic Doctor Qin, did you find any useful clues about the killer on them?”
“No, there are definitely no fingerprints or other clues.”
Qin Bo shook his head, pointing at the bodies of Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang. “However, the most valuable things are the runes and symbols on the deceased, as well as the conical spikes on their foreheads. As long as these two items are studied thoroughly, we will know which evil organization the killer’s worshipped deity belongs to.”
Wan Yunting, Niu Qiuling, and Zhou Dong nodded in agreement. This was also the only clue they had to proceed with the investigation.
“Yunting, can you understand these runes?” Zhou Dong asked.
Wan Yunting covered his nose and mouth, couldn’t help but move closer to the bodies of Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang, carefully observing the runes drawn with some kind of black pigment on their swollen, decaying bodies. They were strange and bizarre. He shook his head and said, “I don’t understand, but perhaps one person can understand them!”
“Who?”
Niu Qiuling and Zhou Dong hurriedly asked.
Wan Yunting turned to them and said, “Old Uncle Chang, the security guard at Huadu University!”
This was because Chang Wude was from the Wuliang Daoist Temple and had vast knowledge. Perhaps he could understand the meaning of these runes.
“Are you kidding us? A security guard can understand these runes?” Niu Qiuling’s eyes widened, and she said disbelievingly.
Wan Yunting gave her a sideward glance and said, “What do you know about the saying ‘the greatest masters are hidden in plain sight’?”
Niu Qiuling wanted to retort, but Zhou Dong stopped her and said, “Yunting, if you have time tomorrow, take us to meet him.”
“Around noon. I happen to be taking Manni to report to the school. I’ll show them to Old Uncle Chang then, perhaps he can really understand the meaning of these runes.” Wan Yunting nodded.
Then, another forensic doctor was squatting beside Fei Xiang’s body. Wearing gloves, he moved the carved conical spike on the deceased’s forehead. A black gas immediately surged towards him, startling the young forensic doctor, who’s eyes widened and he fell back onto the ground. Instantly, he felt an evil, chilling coldness that pierced his bones, making him shiver uncontrollably and goosebumps prickle all over his body…
“It’s just the decomposition gases from the rotting corpse. Look how scared you are.”
Qin Bo looked at his apprentice’s pale and terrified face and scolded him irritably. “Don’t pull out this nail yet. Wait until the corpse is transported back for further examination before pulling it out…”
However, Wan Yunting, who was watching from the side, looked at the black evil energy emanating from Fei Xiang’s forehead and spreading in the air, his expression changing dramatically. He muttered, “Such familiar evil energy!”
“What’s wrong?”
Zhou Dong noticed his abnormality. Wan Yunting frowned, looking at the bodies of Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang, and said solemnly, “I feel that the killer who murdered these two is not simple. It is very likely that another person is involved!”
Niu Qiuling, Zhou Dong, and everyone present were bewildered. They asked, “What do you mean? How could another person be involved?”
Wan Yunting’s expression was solemn. He turned to Zhou Dong and said seriously, “Perhaps you won’t believe me, but this afternoon, I treated a patient in the hospital who was possessed by evil. He was entangled by evil energy, and this evil energy is very similar to the aura on Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang now!”
…His words stunned Zhou Dong, Niu Qiuling, Qin Bo, and the other police officers on the spot. They looked at each other, completely unable to understand what he was saying.
“I know this sounds absurd to you. In fact, I’m not entirely sure myself.”
Wan Yunting waved his hand, frowned, and looked at the bodies of Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang. From the black evil energy that had dispersed just now, he found it very familiar, very similar to the evil energy on Tian Guofu this afternoon, which made him suspicious.
“You know it’s absurd too. This is feudal superstition.” Niu Qiuling scolded speechlessly.
Even Zhou Dong didn’t believe it. After all, they were police officers and never believed in superstitions or ghosts and spirits. When encountering ritualistic homicides like this, according to past cases, it was usually extremists who believed in evil organizations who did such things.
Wan Yunting remained silent. He knew that Zhou Dong and the others would not believe him if he said more now, so he secretly decided to go and confirm with Tian Guofu again later, to see if the evil energy on him and the evil energy on Zhao Fuyang and Fei Xiang were indeed of the same origin!