Chapter 197: The Woman with the Red Mask

The sarcophagus was open, and the person who stood up inside was none other than Xie Xiaoyu, looking dazed and innocent, breathing normally. She climbed down from the sarcophagus with practiced ease, smiled, took the rose from my hand, grabbed my left hand, and bit it fiercely.

Shen Yihu said, “Hold me for a second, bro. I can’t take it—lack of oxygen. What the hell is going on here?”

As Xie Xiaoyu landed, I endured the pain of her bite and patted her head. Under the moonlight, she still looked radiant and beautiful.

I asked, “How did you get here?”

I had seen Xie Xiaoyu turn into a wisp of light before the Buddha’s relic with my own eyes. Yet, the Xie Xiaoyu before me was still the same Xiaoyu, with the same familiar presence. I knew this was the real Xie Xiaoyu.

What was going on?

My phone rang. It was a call from the monk Hua Changsheng.

“Xiao Qi, the Xie Xiaoyu who was with you never disappeared. What happened before the Buddha’s relic was just an illusion. Elder Changbai had her stay before the Buddha for a while, and she transformed into a pure Jade Corpse,” Hua Changsheng explained.

I said, “Hua Changsheng, why are you only telling me this now?”

Hua Changsheng replied, “Because it would have been painful for her, so we had to keep it from you. Xue Youniang was the one who brought her back. Have you seen her and Xiaoyu yet?”

I glanced around but saw no sign of Xue Youniang. On the distant bridge, there seemed to be a shadow, but it was too far away. I took out the fireworks I had, lit them, and held them in my hand.

In an instant, the night sky was ablaze with dazzling colors.

The city was hazy, and the figure standing in the cold wind resembled a lone black rose.

By the time Shen Yihu rushed over, there was nothing left. No trace of Xue Youniang at all.

Xie Xiaoyu’s sudden return, purer than before, emerging from the sarcophagus as if through some strange ritual, was likely Xue Youniang’s doing. She must have replaced the contents of the sarcophagus, orchestrated that bizarre coffin-carrying procession, and returned Xie Xiaoyu to me in this manner.

Of course, before Xie Xiaoyu’s return, there was also He Qingling, the black cat.

It seemed that just when I thought everything had been resolved, it was merely my own wishful thinking. The seven corpses had been recovered, but the culprit behind their theft remained unknown.

The sarcophagus was transported back—now there were two of them. I had Shen Yihu pull some strings to retrieve them, and I rented a spacious house in the suburbs of Jiangcheng to store both sarcophagi. They were nearly identical in design, pattern, material, and size, clearly crafted by the same person.

Xie Xiaoyu grew even more beautiful and even more sensible. Perhaps she was the only zombie in existence who had cultivated before the Buddha’s relic, making her one of a kind in all the heavens and earth. The only regret was that she couldn’t speak, so I never knew what was on her mind.

I often felt like I had become a father, raising a somewhat unruly daughter.

Some say a daughter is a father’s lover from a past life. I don’t know if that’s true or not.

…

After the corpses were returned to the hospital, routine checks revealed no unusual damage. The families were notified and took them away. Old He from the morgue was still drinking when I kicked the door open, with Shen Yihu following behind. Shen Yihu slammed his gun onto the table and pulled out a chair to sit on.

I asked, “Old He, tell me again what happened back then.”

Old He laughed. “Are you kidding me? The police have asked me at least twenty times. Why don’t you just go read the transcripts?”

I slapped him. “Old He, this is your last chance.” I threw seven iron pieces onto the floor.

Old He sneered. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Shen Yihu stepped forward and kicked Old He in the stomach.

“You’ve been lying to me for a month, and I’ve been running around like crazy. Let me tell you—your fingerprints are on these iron pieces. What else do you have to say?” Shen Yihu gritted his teeth.

I pulled Shen Yihu back. “You’re a cop. If you hit someone, they’ll report you. I’m different. Let me see if this old drunk has any strength left.”

Old He retreated two steps, watching me crack my knuckles. “What are you doing? What are you doing?!”

I shrugged. “I don’t want to hit you. You’re forcing me to.”

Old He tasted bitterness in his mouth as two of his teeth were knocked out. “Help! Help!” he screamed.

Shen Yihu laughed. “Who’s going to help you? This is the morgue.”

Old He sighed. “You two are devils. Pour me a drink, and I’ll talk.”

Shen Yihu poured him a glass. Old He spat out blood, took a sip, and smiled. “I did it willingly. I was the one who put the iron pieces inside.”

As he said this, a strange light flickered in Old He’s eyes.

The only things that could make a drunkard act willingly were money or women.

“Who paid you?” I asked coldly.

Old He drank, his face slightly flushed. “I, Old He, was once a skilled man who treated money like dirt.”

“Then why? Who was it?” If not money, then it had to be a woman.

Old He said, “After an accident, I was assigned to the morgue. My wife divorced me and took my son away. The women at the hospital never treated me like a human being. I never cared much for fame or fortune, so when I came here, I thought I’d left the city behind. Reading books and occasionally dreaming about the future made life bearable.”

I nodded. “Not bad. A positive outlook—no matter the job, you’re contributing to society. Then what?”

Old He continued, “But after I met her, she treated me like a person, like a man. She made me realize how pathetic my life had been. Officer Shen, let me ask you something. The Bai Yu case went unsolved for ten years. When it was finally cracked, did you know the doctor involved?”

Shen Yihu grinned. “We were the ones who solved it. The doctor was Ye Zhun, same name as Ip Man’s son.”

Old He laughed bitterly. “You might never know the truth. He was my apprentice—full of ambition when he first arrived, a handsome young man. He and I both took the fall for that accident.”

The Bai Yu decapitation case had gone cold for a decade. Only when Bai Yu’s vengeful spirit returned after ten years did we uncover the truth, leading us to the scarred doctor, Ye Zhun.

Old He said, “It wasn’t really our fault. Ye Zhun and I were called in to replace another surgeon mid-operation.”

Shen Yihu and I gasped in unison. “That really happened?”

Old He nodded. “Yes. I took the blame for someone else. Anyway, after meeting her, I realized how meaningless my past ten years had been. Her gentle words encouraged me to have faith, to believe in love. She loved me—my scars, my silent endurance.”

I asked, “Who was she?”

Old He sighed. “You’ll never know her name. Neither do I. She told me her name was Xiao Lian. Every time we met, she cared for me like a mother would a child. With her, I felt human again.”

Xiao Lian.

Xiao Lian again. The same name that appeared in the diary of the disgraced Shaolin monk, Master Yuantong. Xiao Lian was Xue Youniang.

I asked, “Did she tell you to put the iron pieces in the corpses’ mouths?”

Old He nodded. “Yes. I did it willingly. None of this was her fault. I did it all myself.”

Curious, I asked, “Did you sleep with her?”

Old He cursed. “Don’t think so lowly of people! I love classical poetry, and she discussed it with me. Ours was a spiritual love. I never even held her hand.” There was a hint of regret in his voice as he said this.

Shen Yihu stood up. “Let’s go. I’ll have someone draw a sketch.”

I stopped him. “It’s useless. Even if we draw it, it won’t help. A man would take the fall for the woman he loves, especially if it’s a spiritual connection. Would he talk? Old He’s suffered enough—he’s borne the guilt for ten years. The bodies are back. If there’s no major crime here, just let it go. Lock him up for a couple of days and be done with it.”

As I was about to leave, Old He called out, “I haven’t seen her in so long. Will she come back to me?”

I smiled. “You’re no longer useful to her. She won’t come back.”

Outside, Old He began singing, “Bring in the wine, don’t stop the cup…”

In the end, Shen Yihu took Old He back to the station for questioning. I returned to the flower shop. Brother Jun’s auto repair shop, which had closed for half a day, was open again. Brother Jun sat inside with his injured leg, warming himself by the heater. Liu Jibao and Tie Niu, mostly recovered, couldn’t afford to sit idle, so they got back to work. With the year-end approaching, many people were getting their cars serviced for the trip home, so business was good.

Brother Jun occasionally scolded Liu Jibao for his lack of focus. Liu Jibao threw his wrench to the ground. “Master, Uncle, Black Dog makes thirty grand a month and just hooked up with a flight attendant. When will I ever make it in this repair business?”

Brother Jun, his leg bandaged, fumed. “You ungrateful brat! Fine, I’ll take you to see for yourself.” He called Long Qishan and arranged to meet for tea on Sunday, ostensibly to thank him for his help last time. Long Qishan respectfully agreed, saying his men would be there.

Brother Jun said firmly, “There’s a guy named Black Dog. Bring him. I want to meet him. Heard he’s dating a flight attendant—bring her too.”

Seeing me outside, Brother Jun called, “Xiao Qi, come with us.” I nodded. Back at the flower shop, Yu Yuwei was gone. My mother was handling sales. I decided to hire another helper after the New Year. Xiao Jian and the kitten sat on the floor—my mother had laid out an old coat to keep them warm.

The phone rang.

“Boss Xiao, the flowers ordered yesterday need to be delivered to ‘Romantic Life’ across from Weiyang Hotel by 8 p.m. tonight.”

I paused. The garden next to “Romantic Life” was a popular spot for certain gatherings. “Romantic Life” itself was more for gentlemen seeking company.

“This is Xue Youniang.” The voice shifted—now unmistakably a woman’s.