I reeked of the foul stench from the garbage dump, my hair completely drenched in sweat, looking every bit like a homeless man who had suffered the hardships of the world and ended up here.
As per routine, I was locked alone in the interrogation room for two hours first—a deliberate tactic to induce panic. Being confined alone in a room breeds loneliness and despair, making it easy to lose oneself when cut off from the world.
At three in the morning, as I dozed off while chained to the chair, the interrogation room door swung open. Shen Yihu, looking exhausted, exchanged a few words with the guard before being allowed in to see me.
Shen Yihu said, “Things are looking bad now. The scarred doctor hanged himself despite his injured limbs—clearly, someone intervened. Now they suspect you killed him. What’s worse, someone from your town reported that Bai Xuan’s death is linked to you, and that I took bribes to cover for you.”
I slammed my fist on the interrogation table and cursed, “It must be that bitch Ma Yan! I should’ve made sure she stayed terrified of me forever.”
Shen Yihu continued, “And Chong Lao Wu is in this very building right now.”
Feeling utterly hopeless, I whispered, “What are my chances of escaping?”
Shen Yihu shot me a warning glance. “There are cameras in here—don’t even think about it. The odds of escaping are less than zero. This whole building is crawling with cops. Even if you got out, the guards at the entrance would stop you.”
Glancing at the time, Shen Yihu leaned in and murmured, “Remember—admit to nothing, absolutely nothing. Wait for Chen Tutu’s autopsy results. If you don’t know what to say, say nothing at all. Clench your teeth… even if they beat you to death, don’t talk. I’ll go find help outside.” His words were so quiet only I could hear them.
Having been a cop for nearly a decade, Shen Yihu knew exactly what interrogation tactics they’d use.
Suddenly, he punched me hard in the stomach and shouted, “You damn bastard, dragging me into this! I ought to kill you!” Then he slapped me across the face, leaving a red handprint.
Something small and black slipped into my mouth.
I laughed bitterly. “Ungrateful bastard. Get the hell away from me!”
The two guards outside, surprised that Shen Yihu was blaming everything on me, rushed in and dragged him out.
The fat man chatting with Chong Lao Wu clearly outranked Shen Yihu—it was his call to suspend Shen Yihu temporarily.
Shen Yihu was right—the scarred doctor’s wounds were inflicted by the nameless shadow corpse. But no one in the police station would believe that. A corpse preserved in formaldehyde coming back to life to kill? That only happened in horror movies. No seasoned investigator would buy it, and even if they lifted fingerprints from the scalpel used on the doctor, they’d find nothing. Shadow corpses don’t leave fingerprints.
If the police believed the scarred doctor killed Bai Yu, Tian Han, and the shadow corpse, then who killed the doctor? It had to be one of us—Shen Yihu, Han Zongnan, or me.
Shen Yihu was the first to be cleared of suspicion, followed by Han Zongnan.
By noon the next day, I had been locked in the interrogation room for over ten hours. The fat man who’d been with Chong Lao Wu walked in.
Unlike the basic interrogation rooms, the one in Jiangcheng had an iron-bar divider and used computers for recording and typing.
The fat man entered alone, without the usual assistant to log the interrogation. Something felt off. He smiled warmly. “So, young man, ready to confess?” Noticing the handprint on my face, he chuckled. “Shen Yihu did that, huh?”
I sneered and spat. “Ungrateful bastards, all of you. And who are you to Chong Lao Wu? Why are you framing me?”
The fat man laughed. “Why would I frame you, kid? You killed Dr. Ye—the law won’t let that slide. Even if he was a murderer, you had no right to kill him. Now you’re the murderer.”
The scarred doctor was named Ye Zhun, a top graduate from an American medical school. He joined the city hospital after graduation but was later reassigned to our school following a medical accident where the patient’s family had powerful connections.
I glared at him. “You’re Wang Han, aren’t you? You killed Ye Zhun?”
The fat man suddenly stood up, laughing. “Long Youshui’s grandson isn’t stupid after all.”
My gut told me this grinning Wang Han was Chong Lao Wu’s elder brother. His pockets probably held strange insects, and he was more despicable than any criminal—cunning, ruthless, and adept at manipulation. Hidden within the system, he could crush me like an ant.
I scoffed. “Are you and Chong Lao Wu brothers? Why different surnames? How many fathers do you have?”
I expected him to lose his temper, but Wang Han’s patience ran deeper than mine. What was worse, he spoke openly in the interrogation room, his words shockingly brazen.
Wang Han asked, “Need to use the restroom?”
I knew what “using the restroom” meant—being dragged out for a beating. I hadn’t eaten or drunk anything in a day—why would I need to go? Before I could refuse, Wang Han decided for me, as if he’d already consulted my “little brother.”
Two officers outside opened the door and hauled me out. The handcuffs bit into my wrists. Officers in the hallway smirked and stepped aside, knowing exactly what was about to happen.
The officers kicked open the restroom door and barked, “Everyone out!”
I knew what was coming. Sure enough, they kicked me twice and snarled, “Our boss asked you a question, and you still play dumb? You looking to die?”
I grinned. “People don’t look to die—they look to live.”
“Fucking smartass!” One of them yanked me to the sink, turned on the water, and shoved my head under. When the basin filled, they held me down, drowning me. After a while, they yanked me up. “Ready to talk? Or do you want to choke to death?”
I gasped, “Go ahead, kill me. I didn’t kill anyone—I won’t confess.”
They dunked me again. Then the door opened—it was Chong Lao Wu. Seeing him didn’t surprise me.
Chong Lao Wu smirked. “Xiao Qi, long time no see. How’ve you been? Did you enjoy the toad I treated you to last time?”
The two officers quietly slipped out. Water dripped from my hair, soaking the floor. I didn’t bother wiping it off. “Chong Lao Wu, how do you plan to kill me this time? Make it quick—or once I’m free, your days are numbered.”
Chong Lao Wu chuckled. “You’re living well these days—raising a top-tier female ghost, keeping two pets, buying a car, opening a shop. I’m almost jealous.”
I lunged at him. “If you lay a finger on them, I’ll make sure you die without a grave, never to reincarnate!” But with my hands cuffed, he easily dodged.
Chong Lao Wu said, “After I got back, my brother gave me an earful. Those five bugs were nothing—what he really wants is that copper jar of yours. Hand it over, and we’ll call it even.”
His greedy eyes, like a snake’s, studied me—cornered and helpless. The smirk on his lips was that of a victor. I slumped to the floor, drained. This despair was worse than when I’d been locked up in town. Bai Xuan was a rabid dog, but Chong Lao Wu was a venomous snake—one bite, and I was done.
I forced myself up. “Fine, I’ll give it to you. But from now on, we’re done. You make sure I walk out of here unharmed, and you swear never to harm anyone connected to me.”
Chong Lao Wu said, “Hold out your hand. I’ll give you something.” Hesitantly, I did. He plucked a golden insect from his ear, its tail wriggling. “Try anything funny, and it’ll kill you.”
I scoffed. “Don’t you know I’ve already swallowed five of your precious bugs? Others won’t work on me. Why bother?”
Chong Lao Wu giggled. “Just eat it. It won’t hurt you—it’ll help. Once it activates, you’ll sleep with five sows in one go.”
Damn, that was brutal. Once it kicked in, I’d be drained to death.
The bug landed on my palm, morphing into a golden grain before burrowing into my skin.
The Golden Sand Ghost Bug.
I’d read about bug implantation in *The Compendium*. Bug masters raised insects aligned with their own elemental affinity, consuming large amounts of corresponding materials. Judging by the bug’s color, Chong Lao Wu was a metal-aligned bug master—probably gnawed on iron scraps to cultivate this shiny golden ghost bug.
Curious, I asked, “Are there bug masters who master all five elements?”
Chong Lao Wu bragged, “Mastering one is impressive enough. My brother’s an expert in earth techniques. In our history, there was one who mastered all five.”
I grunted. So Wang Han probably ate mud by the pound.
As we left the restroom, I asked Chong Lao Wu, “If I give you the jar, how will you clear me? And I need to know—how did Ye Zhun really die?”
Chong Lao Wu stroked his chin smugly. “We bug masters kill without a trace. Even if Ye Zhun couldn’t move, I made him stand. We’ll pin it on that college kid—he’ll confess. Just hand over the jar.”
Now I understood—Ye Zhun’s death was Chong Lao Wu’s doing, using bug manipulation from the shadows. “I don’t believe you. You really killed him?”
Chong Lao Wu laughed. “Let’s go. I don’t brag.”
I stopped. “Did you really kill Ye Zhun? I still don’t buy it.”
Chong Lao Wu snapped, “I killed him! Why would I lie?”
With Wang Han and Chong Lao Wu, we drove to retrieve the copper jar. Halfway there, I claimed I’d hidden it in a remote spot, not at home. Wang Han grabbed my throat. “Don’t play games, you little shit. I’ll kill you without blinking. Don’t mess with a bug master.”
We stopped at an abandoned building. “It’s upstairs,” I said. “I hid it there so you wouldn’t find it. If you’re too scared to go up, wait here.”
Chong Lao Wu smirked. “I’m decades older than you—you think I’m scared?”
Under the sunlight, his pale, handsome face reminded me—like the scarred doctor, he might be wearing someone else’s face. Who knew what decay lurked beneath? Pockmarks? Bug-eaten flesh? My stomach churned.
“What’s wrong?” Chong Lao Wu asked.
I grinned. “Just thinking about you old men clinging to your delusional vanity makes me sick.”
Wang Han, still smiling, slapped me. “You asking for death?”
I laughed bitterly. “Let’s go get it.”
I knew—even if I handed it over, I was dead either way…
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