Chapter 44: A New Lead and an Unexpected Encounter

“Ahem, let’s get back to business. Didn’t you say you found a clue? Tell me, what is it?”

Interrupting the idle chatter, Bai Hao posed his question.

At his words, Gu Chen nodded swiftly.

“Yes, yes, yes! Didn’t Brother Hao mention last time that Echoing Malignant Spirits (TL Note: A type of vengeful ghost formed from individuals who suffered inhumane torture before death.) only form after someone has endured inhumane torture in life? So, I’ve been investigating death cases in this vicinity over the past few years.”

“Yesterday, I finally stumbled upon a similar situation, though it dates back five years…”

It turned out that five years prior, a young woman named Wang Qian had died in a household within this very residential complex.

Her death was exceptionally gruesome; her entire skin had been peeled off, leaving behind only a bloody corpse!

She had died in her own bathroom, and it was said that when her body was discovered, the walls were covered in bloody fingerprints, clearly indicating her desperate attempt to escape, only to find the door blocked by the killer, leaving her to weakly scratch at the walls.

The incident had caused quite a stir at the time, and although the police investigated for a long period, they ultimately failed to apprehend the culprit, leaving the case unresolved.

Wang Qian’s parents were heartbroken, and the family eventually moved away. Gu Chen’s family, having only moved into the complex four years ago, had been unaware of the tragedy until now.

At this point, Gu Chen looked at Bai Hao and asked.

“Brother Hao, my sister recently visited the public cemetery to pay respects to our parents, and Wang Qian’s grave is right next to theirs.

Do you think it’s possible that the young woman who was skinned alive could be an Echoing Malignant Spirit?”

Upon hearing this, Bai Hao pondered for a moment.

“It’s hard to say. Since she’s already been laid to rest, Wang Qian shouldn’t, in theory, have transformed into an Echoing Malignant Spirit.”

Hearing his words, Gu Chen’s spirits visibly deflated.

“That makes sense…”

“However, nothing is absolute. Given that Wang Qian died unjustly and suffered inhumane torment before her death, it wouldn’t hurt to investigate. After all, we currently have no better leads.”

Bai Hao’s tone shifted, his interest piqued by Wang Qian’s tragic demise.

***

That afternoon, the group first arrived at the ancient cemetery. Xia Zhiquiu placed the flowers she had bought before the tombstone, and from the portrait, it was clear the young woman had been beautiful in life.

Yet, at such a tender age, like a blossoming flower, she had been so cruelly murdered by a villain.

Bai Hao stood to the side, observing for a moment before shaking his head.

“It’s not here.”

Gu Chen couldn’t fathom why Bai Hao was so certain, but seeing Xia Zhiquiu also trusting his judgment, he refrained from asking further questions.

A sense of urgency gnawed at him, however, as his sister’s condition had been steadily worsening, with the walls of their home nearly hacked to pieces.

“Let’s go to Wang Qian’s home, the place where she died.”

At this, Bai Hao proposed.

Gu Chen nodded, then continued.

“Due to the tragedy, after Wang Qian’s family moved out, their house never sold, nor did anyone rent it. It’s currently listed with a real estate agent.”

“If we want to check it out, we can just tell the agent we’re prospective buyers.”

Bai Hao nodded in disagreement, for in his mind, rather than going through such trouble, it would be simpler to trespass.

This inclination might have been tied to his nature as a ‘Guǐ’.

The four then returned to the residential complex and found the agent. When the agent heard they wished to view Wang Qian’s former residence, a flicker of surprise undeniably crossed their eyes.

The agent, possessing a decent conscience, first outlined the property’s condition. Seeing that Xia Zhiquiu and the others still intended to view it, they then led them inside.

“Miss Xia, although this house has a history, its natural lighting and layout are superb, and it’s quite spacious…”

The agent chattered incessantly, eager to rent out the property. Consequently, the house’s renovations and some furnishings remained in excellent condition.

However, upon entering, Bai Hao’s gaze immediately fixed on a painting hanging in the living room.

It was an ancient ink painting, depicting an exquisitely beautiful woman. She sat poised within the artwork, a subtle, enigmatic smile playing on her lips.

The woman in the painting wore attire from a bygone dynasty, her hair styled in elaborate buns, adorned with pearls and jade. A long, rouge-red gown swept the floor, overlaid with a sheer, cicada-wing-like gauze robe.

Her posture was one of utmost elegance: one hand held a round fan adorned with a faint ink landscape, while the other rested lightly on a window lattice, through which a few brightly blooming peach blossoms were faintly visible.

Yet, such a painting seemed somewhat out of place in a modern living room. Xia Zhiquiu also noticed the artwork, finding herself admiring the woman’s beauty.

After all, she theoretically found women attractive now, so she naturally hadn’t lost her knack for appreciating beauty.

“Auntie Xia, you’re more beautiful than the painting.”

Bai Hao, noticing Xia Zhiquiu’s gaze, leaned close to her ear and chuckled softly.

Xia Zhiquiu paused, startled by his words, and then gave the young man a reproachful look.

“Enough nonsense. Have you forgotten the real reason we’re here?”

With that, Xia Zhiquiu moved to explore the house. Seeing this, Bai Hao shrugged and prepared to follow.

Before taking a step, however, he paused, then took out his phone and snapped a picture of the painting.

By the time the group reached the bathroom, the original crime scene, several years had passed, and naturally, no anomalies were discernible.

While others saw nothing amiss, the profoundly powerful Bai Hao detected a subtle wrongness, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint its nature.

“Let’s go. It seems this truly has nothing to do with Wang Qian.”

Gu Chen’s voice was tinged with disappointment, realizing their lead had vanished once more.

Gu Xin, sensing her brother’s low spirits, gently patted his shoulder in comfort.

“It’s alright, big brother. We still have time.”

Xia Zhiquiu, too, felt a surge of helplessness. Compared to these elusive ‘Guǐ’ that offered no clear direction, she much preferred those malevolent entities that simply came out to harm people, for at least those could be directly obliterated with brute force!

The group descended to the ground floor of the residential complex, where Xia Zhiquiu addressed them.

“Wait here for a moment; I’m going to buy some water.”

With that, Xia Zhiquiu walked to a nearby convenience store. It wasn’t until she stepped inside that she realized it was quite different from what she had imagined.

Beyond its elegant decor, a significant portion of the store didn’t sell everyday necessities but instead displayed exquisite ornaments, such as wooden figurines, mythical beasts, and other curios.

However, remembering that Bai Hao and the others were waiting, Xia Zhiquiu didn’t linger. She simply grabbed a few bottles of water and headed to the counter to pay.

“Is anyone here?”

Facing the empty counter, Xia Zhiquiu couldn’t help but call out.

“Coming!”

Just then, a captivating, alluring voice echoed, and an exceptionally beautiful woman emerged from a side door, pushing aside a curtain.

Xia Zhiquiu paused, momentarily stunned by the woman’s appearance, feeling an inexplicable flutter in her heart. What was happening to her?

At that moment, the beautiful shop owner’s eyes lit up upon seeing Xia Zhiquiu, and she greeted her warmly.

“Are you ready to check out, beautiful? Would you like to take a look at the ornaments I carved? They’re excellent quality and affordable!”

Xia Zhiquiu was slightly surprised by this.

“You carved all these ornaments yourself, boss?”

Not only was she beautiful, but she possessed such craftsmanship too?

The beautiful shop owner nodded at this, then glanced at the bottles of water.

“That’ll be fourteen yuan in total. Oh, and my name is Yingluo. What should I call you, beautiful?”

Xia Zhiquiu paid, then, without a second thought, replied.

“I’m Xia Zhiquiu.”