Chapter 190: The Ominous Aura and the Captured Killer

“What a pervert! He actually disfigured and gouged out this woman’s eyes. Is he planning to take them back to soak in wine too?” the investigating police officer muttered, unable to hide his disgust.

Old Man Zhang merely chuckled. “How could I? I simply noticed her facial features were askew and intended to straighten them out for her.”

“Facial features askew?” The police officers stared at him. It was *his* features that seemed distorted. They struggled to imagine how a normal person’s face could twist into such an expression.

“All of you look like crooked gourds and cracked jujubes to me. Why are your faces so strange?” Old Man Zhang remarked, scanning the faces around him. His eerie laughter made everyone feel an unsettling urge to check a mirror, to see if their own faces had become warped.

“Do not let his nonsensical ramblings pollute your minds! This man has gone mad!” The old Taoist priest’s loud warning jolted everyone back to their senses.

“This place truly has an ominous aura; the mind is easily contaminated or swayed here,” Yi Zhiqiu observed. “We should invite a Feng Shui master to examine it later.”

“Then let’s quickly evacuate everyone,” the police chief declared. “Furthermore, no one should spend more than an hour investigating here. Reconnaissance duties will be handled by rotating shifts.”

He then turned to the elderly woman. “Granny Ma, how are the soul-summoning efforts proceeding? Can we glean anything?”

Granny Ma filled a porcelain bowl with water, then carefully placed a bamboo chopstick upright in its center. When she released it, the chopstick remained perfectly balanced, standing in the middle of the bowl.

The police handed Granny Ma the names and details of the deceased ghost hunters. She called out each name in turn, but the water-filled porcelain bowl and the upright chopstick remained utterly still, offering no response.

Granny Ma shook her head. “It’s no use. I cannot summon any souls. They have either been utterly annihilated, or their souls have been imprisoned.”

“Since entering this residential area, I haven’t sensed the slightest trace of a soul,” the old Taoist said. “Even with my Heavenly Eye open, I can’t see any ghosts.”

“Daoist Priest, what do you believe is the reason?” the old woman inquired. “This old one wonders if someone is attempting to refine sinister cursed artifacts, detaining all the lingering spirits near this place?”

“I don’t think that’s it,” Yi Zhiqiu countered. “Upon entering this place, I felt a pervasive Buddhist light. I suspect someone might be continuously chanting Buddhist scriptures, liberating all the departed souls.”

“That must be it! Those bald donkeys! Always prattling about blissful rebirth, sending souls off to transcendence and interfering with our investigation! I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s an accomplice!” The old Taoist clearly harbored significant animosity towards the Buddhist faith.

“We shouldn’t speak that way,” Yi Zhiqiu responded. “Those who sincerely cultivate Buddhism are inherently compassionate; they couldn’t possibly be accomplices. Moreover, allowing tragic spirits to wander the world, enduring pain and torment, could also invite disaster upon the surroundings.” He held far less hostility towards Buddhism.

“Regardless, it’s worth investigating,” the sturdy man in the traditional jacket asserted. “The police should gather some information on her.” The group seemed to reach a consensus.

Supernatural investigations could not continue tonight. The police chief heeded the masters’ advice and stated that several diviners would be invited to investigate the site later.

Next came the crucial task of apprehending Old Man Zhang. The police had specially arranged an isolation chamber for him. He walked into it without offering any resistance.

Even after the iron door of the isolation chamber clanged shut, the old Taoist priest remained uneasy. He affixed dozens of talismans, all related to sealing, onto the chamber.

Only then did he allow the armed police to push the isolation chamber away, taking Old Man Zhang with it.

Witnessing those dozens of authentic Xuanmen talismans, I almost cried with envy. The Department of Paranormal Events had to carefully conserve every genuine talisman, and Xiao Qing and I were relegated to using printed ones. True masters truly possessed an abundance of resources.

And so, Old Man Zhang was taken away, isolation chamber and all, pushed into an armored vehicle. Afterward, the armed police also withdrew, the area was cordoned off, and the second basement floor was sealed and handed over to forensic investigators. Yi Zhiqiu and the other three masters also departed in their cars.

Tonight’s incident concluded, and the most terrifying serial killer was finally brought to justice. However, the police still had much to investigate. This residential area undoubtedly harbored many unclean secrets, and they had no idea how much darkness they would unearth.

I worried the police might eventually investigate me, especially since Liu Li had recently killed a wealthy man. But at this moment, moving items out of the house or fleeing myself would appear far too deliberate and conspicuous. For now, I could only abandon the idea.

Previously, I’d held a glimmer of hope, believing that with the old lady’s Buddhist radiance, there would be at least no malevolent ghosts in this community.

Even with a serial killer, no matter how ferocious, they were still human, after all. I had my two ghost parents, two蛊 worms, and the Pixiu anathema item. I could surely handle a few serial killers; at least they would be easier to deal with than invisible, intangible ghosts.

However, judging by Old Man Zhang’s performance today – his body standing impervious amidst a hail of bullets, even Yi Zhiqiu wary and unwilling to touch him – these serial killers were likely far more dangerous and troublesome. I absolutely had to prepare an escape route.

Again, I couldn’t sleep well all night, remaining in a state of high tension. Old Man Zhang’s smiling face with its distorted features, and the scenes of his frenzied killings, repeatedly appeared in my dreams. I was likely the only person who had witnessed the entire process of him annihilating the ghost-hunting team, and this spectacle had a profound impact on me.

Initially, I was filled with fear and dread, but after repeatedly dreaming of his killing process, I began to feel numb. This was followed by a strange, almost demonic excitement. I even had a peculiar sensation of constantly replaying, analyzing, and learning from his methods of murder.

Consequently, when I woke up the next day, I still felt a bit listless, my head buzzing. After going downstairs, I noticed that while the police had made a significant show during the arrests last night, their subsequent investigation was remarkably low-key. They had merely sealed off the second basement of Building 13 and Old Man Zhang’s home, with minimal impact on residents’ daily lives.

I didn’t even see any police officers or cars in the community. Perhaps they feared alerting others and intended to conduct a discreet investigation. Moreover, even if they uncovered something, they would most likely consider the psychological impact of paranormal events on people and opt for a ‘cold’ resolution, probably just announcing the capture of a murderer.

Upon arriving in class, Xiao Qing immediately approached me with concern. “Brother Xiao, why do you seem more and more listless? Are you really not sick?”

“No,” I explained. “It’s just that the perverted serial killer who sold snake and turtle meat finally exposed himself last night and was arrested by the police. It made me lose some sleep.”

Xiao Qing clapped her hands and smiled. “That’s wonderful news! At least Brother Xiao doesn’t have to worry about a serial killer nearby anymore!”

My mood was complicated. I didn’t know whether to tell her that my tenant was a murderer, that the little girl downstairs was clearly abnormal, and that who knew how many other hidden killers lurked within the community.

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