The body was almost mummified, but this mummified corpse was different from ordinary ones. After Cai Bei’s initial examination, he discovered that this body had not undergone natural desiccation. Typically, a normally desiccated corpse would take at least several months to dry, and required very strict environmental conditions.
It was usually in a well-ventilated and dry environment. However, according to the surrounding environment, this abandoned factory was the primary crime scene.
There were signs of a messy struggle around, as well as the victim’s clear footprints. The victim had died from stab wounds, having been struck several times, losing a lot of blood. The blood had flowed onto the ground, pooling in a small ditch.
The blood there had not even fully dried. Coupled with the fact that the old scavenger said he had been here yesterday evening to dispose of the scrap metal he collected that day, all these indicated that the victim’s time of death was no more than a day ago at most.
Let alone people like Cai Bei and Liu Keqiang, who often dealt with corpses, even an ordinary person could tell that a person could not have mummified to this extent within a single day after death.
This was more like…
As Cai Bei narrated, he pondered his choice of words.
This was more like an artificial or mechanical process for rapid desiccation.
For this reason, they had even consulted people who made dried and cured meat to inquire if there was any technique to desiccate a corpse into a mummified state within a day.
However, the answer they received was that it was impossible.
The corpse was so desiccated that its features were unrecognizable. Although the victim’s identity had not yet been confirmed and their family could not be contacted, based on the principle that all homicides must be investigated, Cai Bei conducted a meticulous autopsy on the body.
The final conclusion was that the victim’s true time of death was indeed the previous evening, less than twenty-four hours before the discovery of the body, a conclusion reached through examination of the victim’s internal organs.
But what troubled Cai Bei the most were the surface characteristics of the corpse. The skin and muscles were in a desiccated state due to massive dehydration. Only a patch of skin on the chest remained intact, on which was drawn a pattern resembling a pentagram. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
It was exactly the same as the one Ye Huohuo had drawn today.
Because the matter was extremely bizarre, very few people in the police force knew about the pattern. Apart from the chief and a few high-level leaders, only Captain Liu Keqiang and Cai Bei were aware of it among those handling the case.
Therefore, when Ye Huohuo mentioned the pattern on the corpse today, only Cai Bei and Liu Keqiang’s expressions changed.
Today, the corpse was located in a very damp place and had clearly exhibited bloating. Therefore, Cai Bei could not determine the time of death at the scene, nor did he have the opportunity to examine the corpse in detail.
He had originally thought it would be a common murder case, but since the corpse bore the same pattern, could this person’s time and cause of death be similar to the previous mummified corpse?
Liu Keqiang was already considering whether to consolidate the two cases for investigation.
After listening to Cai Bei’s account, Ye Huohuo and the other person finally understood why Liu Keqiang had called Ye Huohuo to question her alone.
This was indeed too bizarre.
“Miss Ye, do you think that today’s victim and the previous one were killed by the same person or organization? What does this pattern represent? Since you can draw it, you should have some understanding of it.
And could today’s corpse also have died only a day ago?” As Cai Bei spoke, he felt a chill down his spine and involuntarily shivered.
Ye Huohuo furrowed her brows, lowered her head, and traced circles on the rim of the paper cup. The water in the cup vibrated gently, creating ripples.
After thinking for a long time, she took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and then slowly raised her head to look at the three people around her.
The questions Cai Bei had asked coincided with those of the other two. The three of them held their breath, staring at Ye Huohuo. Any slight movement of her brows made their hearts skip a beat.
“What I’m about to say is just my own understanding. You can just take it as a story; I can’t guarantee it’s true.” Ye Huohuo wanted to chuckle lightly, but as soon as the corners of her lips curled up, the smile retracted before it could fully form.
Her brows were still knitted, so the smile turned into a bitter one.
“Go ahead, we… we’ll just treat it as a story!” Liu Keqiang glanced at Cai Bei, with a hint of unspoken suggestion in his eyes.
Although this person appeared rough, he was extremely meticulous. Even though no one had introduced Ye Huohuo’s profession, he seemed to already know.
Ye Huohuo nodded.
“I need to confirm one more thing: was the pattern on the previous mummified corpse on the skin of its upper abdomen, outside the liver?”
Cai Bei was even more astonished. He didn’t know what Ye Huohuo did. He had felt that Ye Huohuo was mostly guessing about the previous case, or at least the location was largely a guess. But he didn’t expect that for that mummified corpse, she had only heard about it, not even seen it, so how could she have guessed the specific location of the pattern?
It was even precise to the location of the organ. This… besides the murderer or an accomplice, he couldn’t imagine how anyone else could know. Doubt and vigilance resurfaced in his eyes.
Seeing his expression, Ye Huohuo knew her guess was correct. She continued, “As for today’s corpse, the pattern is said to be on the lower back, or more precisely, corresponding to the position of the kidney, isn’t it?”
“Liver, kidney? What does that represent?” Li Mochen seized on the key point in Ye Huohuo’s words.
Ye Huohuo cast him an approving glance. “Indeed, the positions where these patterns are drawn are indeed related to the body’s internal organs. I don’t know if you are aware, but the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth correspond to the internal organs: lungs, liver, kidneys, heart, and spleen.
Drawing these patterns in the corresponding positions is actually activating the five elements within the human body, accelerating their metabolism to achieve the effect the murderer desires.”
“What exactly is the murderer trying to do? What is that pattern, and why does it cause a person to desiccate so quickly when drawn on them?” Cai Bei found it difficult to comprehend.
“That talisman evolved from a formation diagram that activates the five elements. It…” As Ye Huohuo spoke, she closed her eyes, and a hint of pain seemed to knit her brow.
“I designed it based on the activation of the five elements. I mentioned before that I had seen it on animal carcasses, and it’s true. That was what I drew on animal carcasses.” Ye Huohuo gave a bitter smile.
“What? You said you designed it? Are you saying that the patterns on these two corpses were actually drawn by you?” Cai Bei’s stubbornness resurfaced.
Once he latched onto something, unless there was conclusive evidence, it was difficult to change his mind. He had already been suspicious of Ye Huohuo, and hearing her say this only made him more doubtful.
“Are you brainless!” Before Ye Huohuo could react, Li Mochen exploded. “If I’m the one who… would she admit it herself if she drew it on the corpses?”
“But she just said that the pattern was designed by her. Even if she didn’t draw it, it’s definitely related to her!” Cai Bei remained unmoved, arguing his case. In his agitation, his round face turned red, and sweat beaded on his forehead. “I said, if she didn’t draw this pattern, how could she possibly know it so clearly? Is she a deity or something?”
“I say, Old Cai, you’ve made up your mind that Ye Huohuo is the killer, haven’t you? Have you ever seen such a stupid killer? Someone who commits murder and wrongdoing, and then confesses it to the police.” Li Mochen was so angry that his hair seemed to be standing on end.
“Alright, you two, stop arguing. Let Miss Ye finish speaking. If you, Old Cai, speak nonsense again, I’ll have you thrown out!” Liu Keqiang’s face darkened, and the authority he usually displayed when dealing with criminals immediately emanated from him.
This immediately silenced the two who had been arguing heatedly. They sat down on either side of Ye Huohuo, regaining their composure.
Ye Huohuo was unaffected by their bickering; her expression and speaking pace remained unchanged. “The initial reason I designed this diagram was partly to help stray animals that died by the roadside to decompose quickly. The other half was due to my youthful curiosity. I thought it would be interesting and rewarding to design a new talisman, given my talent for drawing them.
But I didn’t expect that, while this diagram could indeed achieve the rapid decomposition of corpses, it also created a big problem… almost resulting in a fatality!”