Even Liu Yuning was captivated by her archery skills, rushing to her side as if to seek advice. I, however, casually shot my bow and arrow, but eventually managed to hit a bullseye and received some rewards. Then I moved on to the balloon shooting area.
I only managed to win very ordinary prizes, while He Xin had already taken all the big prizes as soon as she arrived. Seeing the dejected face of the owner, I felt like laughing. He Xin smirked and whispered in my ear, "I really didn't come here to bring bad luck!"
Leaving the archery range, we came to a fish scooping pond. Many parents were there with their children, trying to catch fish and turtles. Since we were all grown up, we just watched from the sidelines. But He Xin paid the money and, like a child, started scooping with a net.
I noticed her movements were very skilled, as if she did this often. I couldn't help but lean closer and ask, "Do you often do this at home?"
"Definitely not. This kind of skill isn't hard to master if you're not an idiot!"
As soon as she said this, an older woman nearby, who hadn't caught anything, gave her a black look, as if her sore spot had been poked. Liu Yuning and I immediately stood up and pretended not to know He Xin, moving towards a popcorn vendor nearby.
After buying some snacks, He Xin had returned. She snatched the popcorn from my hand and started eating it herself, giggling. It had been a long time since I had seen her laugh so freely. Over the years, the pressure of our work had kept us constantly on edge. It was rare to have such a relaxed and playful time.
No matter how many years passed, we would still remember this day.
However, as we were sitting at a public table, admiring the surroundings, a hoarse cry suddenly echoed from not too far away in the fairground!
Years of work had sharpened our senses, and we immediately stood up, looking towards the source of the sound. It seemed to be coming from the back mountain of the fair. We exchanged glances and quickly moved in that direction.
The fair was surrounded by countless hills, with blue-green railings and flowerbeds everywhere. The environment was elegant, the air fresh, and a lush green mountain stood behind it, from where the sound seemed to originate.
We approached the source of the sound. In front of a stone tablet on the back mountain, there appeared to have once been a protruding valley. Now, the earth in the middle had been artificially carved out to create the shape of a chair. A man sat upright in that spot, his hands resting on the armrests. However, his palms had been pierced by two steel needles.
His fingers were also severed, and his face was smashed beyond recognition. The only difference was that there was only one victim here.
There were no places nearby to hide another person, so it was likely there was no female victim this time. wΑp.kanshu伍.net
Near the mud next to the man, a series of crooked runes appeared. These seemed to be ancient carvings, not left by the killer.
Blood seeped from some of the cracks. The man's fingers and toes were stained with blood, likely splattered during the dismemberment.
Judging by the extent of the blood splatter, it appeared to have been a single sweep across the man's front. The cross-section of the wound was very neat, just like before. The killer was most likely the same person. Given the victim's angle, I had to look up to see his current condition.
Liu Yuning was already calling for backup. I took out the rubber gloves I carried and pressed on the victim's skin. Based on rigor mortis and the surrounding environment, the time of death was about an hour ago, meaning the killer had only left not long ago.
Facing the man's bloody and mangled face, He Xin beside me covered her eyes, unable to bear to look.
It was a face that had its eyeballs gouged out, a face that could be described as being cut into a thousand pieces.
Fortunately, the support team arrived quickly. I had called Captain Guo earlier, and he brought my forensic kit. Once I had my tools, Ling Xiaotao and others helped me move the body from the seat.
During the process, we discovered that his ankles were locked by something. I looked down and saw chains piercing into the victim's ankles and lower legs. Because they were inserted from the back, I hadn't noticed them before.
To move the male corpse, we had to pull out each chain one by one.
"This is too bizarre. The killer's methods seem even more brutal with this male victim. Why would he do this?" He Xin asked, puzzled.
Liu Yuning analyzed, "It's possible the killer hated this person even more. But piercing the chains into his lower legs and ankles, doesn't that resemble some kind of punishment?"
"This is the first time I've seen such a punishment. Compared to the methods of the eighteen levels of hell before, this seems to be the killer acting on personal preference."
"So, the chains pierced the victim's feet? Could it be because he hated his feet?" He Xin said to the corpse.
I shook my head, "Let's not speculate too much. Let's look at the body!"
Using various tools such as a shadowless reflector, auscultation hammer, and autopsy umbrella, I conducted a simple examination of the body. I quickly determined the cause of death, which was actually the wounds on his feet. That area had the most blood loss. I also discovered that the chains were inserted one by one into the victim's lower legs, without any pause. If this action had taken place at the fair, the victim would have cried out incessantly.
Unless he was drugged, but the killer wouldn't do that. Based on the amount of bleeding at the scene, this likely wasn't the primary crime scene.
I also found traces of the victim having been refrigerated, just like before.
This killer liked to lock onto his target, take them to a place for punishment, and only discard the body outside when he had tired of it.
I wondered if this place represented some kind of Song dynasty poetry.
I looked around. By chance, I discovered the inscription "Xun Xun Mi Mi" carved on the stone tablet. I turned to Captain Guo and asked, "Is there any significance to this back mountain?"
"This place? It's called Leng Qing Shan (Cold and Clear Mountain)."
"Oh? I see. So it's Xun Xun Mi Mi, Leng Leng Qing Qing, Qi Qi Can Can Qi Qi!"
"What?" Captain Guo didn't understand my meaning for a moment.
Liu Yuning, with a confident smile, walked over, "Isn't this a work by Li Qingzhao? Combined with the tragic death of the victim, isn't this exactly Xun Xun Mi Mi, Leng Leng Qing Qing, Qi Qi Can Can Qi Qi."
"'When the weather is warm and then cold, it is hardest to rest. With three cups and two bowls of light wine, how can it withstand the strong evening wind?'" As Liu Yuning finished reciting, He Xin immediately continued.