Сhаpter 116: Rеsurrесtiоn Мurder
Howеvеr, beforе the two соuld rеасh thе prison еntrance, they enсоunterеd the hеаd соnstablе Jiаng Мing hаlfwаy.
"Lоrd Zhu, Lord Lu, where might уоu two bе heading?"
"We аre going tо the prisоn tо visit Маdаm Таng. We would trоublе Cоnstаblе Jiang tо leаd thе way," Lu Сhuiсhui reрlied.
Upon hеaring this, Jiang Ming’s ехрressiоn turned helplеss. "Surеlу yоu twо dоn’t susресt the nеw сasе is relаted to hеr agаin?"
Тhе two frоwnеd, аnd Jiаng Ming continuеd to explain, "Fоr all this time, I havе been guаrding her. I саn assurе you both that she has never left the prison. Moreover, recently she has not been acting crazy or causing trouble—she has been very quiet. The murderer cannot be her."
Hearing Jiang Ming’s words, Zhu Yan’s frown deepened. "Has she exhibited any unusual behavior lately?"
Jiang Ming appeared thoughtful. "Unusual behavior… I wouldn’t exactly call it unusual. When someone is locked up for a long time, their mindset naturally becomes somewhat abnormal. Every day, she either talks to herself or sits quietly in meditation, reciting strange incantations. Sometimes she also makes odd gestures with her hands. I think she might have become somewhat deranged from being isolated for too long."
Zhu Yan said nothing more, and Lu Chuichui also wore a puzzled expression.
It was as if a thick cloud of suspicion hung over everyone’s heads, lingering and unfathomable.
Zhu Yan turned around and began to think carefully. Although the serial murder case had already been solved, the appearance of fire moths in the new cases was consistent, and Madam Tang also had a fire moth on her. There must be some connection here. Coupled with Madam Tang’s strange behavior, it truly left one deep in thought and unable to understand.
It was as if Madam Tang’s case was not over, or perhaps this was all part of a grand conspiracy, with Madam Tang’s case merely being the beginning…
Thinking this, Zhu Yan couldn’t help but feel a chill spreading from the depths of her heart, enveloping her entire body. Everything was like Master Xuanzang’s journey to retrieve the scriptures—he had only reached the Five Finger Mountain, while ahead lay clouds and mist, obscuring everything from view.
Zhu Yan rubbed her forehead, feeling that the entire case was becoming increasingly complex.
Even with Shen Du by her side, she still felt a sense of helplessness and emptiness.
At that moment, a yamen runner hurried over. "My lords, Commander Xu has arrived with his men."
"He must have known you came to the Ministry of Justice and couldn’t wait to discuss the case with you," Lu Chuichui remarked from the side.
Zhu Yan said nothing more, only offering a faint, pale smile before walking with her toward the main hall of the Ministry of Justice.
"Madam Shen."
Accompanying Xu Xiangren was the Unrighteous Agent Jiang Langxing. Although he politely bowed to Zhu Yan, his gaze never left Lu Chuichui.
Lu Chuichui didn’t notice him, instead smiling brightly at Commander Xu Xiangren of the Unrighteous Agents.
Zhu Yan nodded slightly, ordered tea to be served, and everyone took their seats to discuss the case.
"Second Brother Xu, do you have any other clues regarding this case?"
Xu Xiangren frowned deeply, thought for a moment, and then shook his head slightly. "I have already written all the clues I investigated in the case file. I assume you have reviewed it. As for new clues, I haven’t discovered any yet. However, fire moths also appeared in some old cases from previous years. I brought Jiang Langxing with me to explain them to you."Upon hearing this, Zhu Yan immediately turned her gaze to Jiang Langxing. Jiang Langxing stood up, bowed to the two, and began to speak, "When Chen Huo'e committed the murders back then, I was still young. But because one of the victims was my relative, I remember that case vividly to this day, especially that fire moth—it left an indelible impression on me.
The killer's methods were extremely cruel, but the perpetrator has already been brought to justice. Now that the case has resurfaced, it is almost identical to the one from years ago. If the killer is the same person, it would be truly unbelievable. After all, that hunchbacked killer was already dealt with at the time."
Jiang Langxing's words plunged everyone present into deep thought.
What Jiang Langxing meant to convey was that the new case was likely the work of the same person as the old one.
But this was indeed hard to believe. The true culprit had already been punished—could they really come back to life and kill again?
It sounded like pure fantasy!
Xu Xiangren, the captain of the constables, found the matter particularly suspicious. Beneath his tightly furrowed brows, his eyes grew dark and somber, and he clenched his fists. "Before investigating this case, we must first determine whether someone is deliberately causing trouble or if it truly is as Chen Huo'e said before her death—that she would return from the dead."
"Did she also say before her execution that she would come back to life?" Zhu Yan was somewhat surprised. Such words seemed familiar, as if she had heard them somewhere before.
Jiang Langxing quickly nodded. "Yes, but no one believed it at the time. They thought it was just the ravings of a madwoman on her deathbed."
"But now that the case has reappeared, you have no choice but to reconsider Chen Huo'e, who was already executed, as a suspect."
Jiang Langxing nodded again, confirming Zhu Yan's speculation.
Zhu Yan frowned deeply. She had never believed in ghosts or spirits, let alone that someone could return from the dead.
At that moment, she also recalled that Madam Tang had once said she would not die—that even if she did, she could come back to life.
And Chen Huo'e had said the same thing back then. What connection could there be between them?
Madam Tang was fond of creating mysteries, such as making a corpse sit up back then.
Fortunately, with her master's help at the time, it was proven that everything was man-made.
They were all just deceptive tricks and illusions. How could the dead possibly come back to life?
Zhu Yan reaffirmed her belief: this must all be smoke and mirrors deliberately released by the killer to confuse their investigation.
Seeing Zhu Yan remain silent for a long time, Xu Xiangren asked, "Have you thought of something?"
Zhu Yan snapped back to reality and shook her head slightly. "This case appears bewildering and filled with too many eerie elements. But no matter what, I refuse to believe that a person can return from the dead. There must be something strange going on here."
"I also don't believe a person can come back to life," Xu Xiangren continued after Zhu Yan. "So we must investigate thoroughly to uncover exactly what methods they used to make a case from years ago reappear identically."
Even so, everyone still felt uneasy.
Although no one believed a person could return from the dead, the modus operandi of the two cases was indeed strikingly similar, as if carried out by the same person.
This matter cast a shadow over everyone's hearts—visible yet elusive."There's one more thing I don't understand." Zhu Yan suddenly stood up, her almond-shaped eyes filled with gloom. "Since we know this is the killer's smokescreen, yet we can do nothing about it, we can only move forward according to the killer's pace. But..."
"But even so, we still can't follow the trail to find substantial clues," Xu Xiangren continued. "Thinking about it this way, it's truly too dangerous. It's as if the killer always knows our every move. He is in the shadows, we are in the light—we can't see him, but he can see us."
Zhu Yan nodded in agreement.
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