Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Multiverse Lake Murder Case

Chen Siqi was already terrified out of her wits. She squatted on the floor, clutching her ears and sobbing, but the woman in red only laughed coldly and said, “Four people aren’t fun enough. Let’s play with five, shall we? Heh heh.”

After she spoke, Chen Siqi stayed crouched, afraid to lift her head, and could only hear the terrified cries and pleas of several young men. Even brave Meijuan let out a scream. Everything in the living room crashed to the floor, and after a while, the noise stopped and the others fell silent. Petrified, Chen Siqi cautiously raised her head, but the sight before her eyes scared her so much that she fainted on the spot.

…

The ringing of my phone broke the silence as I was jogging along the path in the park. I stopped, wiped the sweat from my brow with the towel around my neck, and pulled out my phone. Seeing the caller ID, I realized it was my master. I answered, and his voice came through: “Boy, do you know what time it is? Why aren’t you back for dinner? Where on earth did you go?”

Startled, I glanced at the time—already past seven. I chuckled and replied, “Master, I’ll be back soon. I’m just out running in the park.”

“Oh, then hurry back when you’re done. I’m cooking tonight.”

“Alright, I’ll head back right away. Don’t wait for me, Master—please eat first,” I replied.

He grunted in acknowledgement, and after exchanging a few words, I hung up. I sat on a nearby bench to rest, gazing up at the sky and exhaling a long breath. I took my water bottle and gulped down several mouthfuls, finishing nearly half before setting it aside and surveying the park around me.

This place is nothing like it was three years ago. So much has changed; it’s even expanded. In these three years, I’ve experienced a great deal, and my abilities have grown considerably. Most of it involved supernatural events. After graduating, I officially stepped into society. Of course, all the rewards and commissions I earned from handling supernatural cases were handed over to my master. He wasn’t stingy, though—every month he’d give me an allowance so generous I couldn’t even count it on my fingers. I changed a lot as well. Outwardly, I’d built up a layer of muscle; inwardly, I’d grown more chivalrous and upright, always standing up for what’s right. That’s the influence of my master over these years—he used to say I was becoming more and more like him. I still don’t know if that was praise or a gentle rebuke.

My master and I still lived in the old place. After Chu Mengxi and I graduated together, our two families often visited each other. Chu Mengxi would come over whenever she was free, and I’d drop by her house as well. With so much back-and-forth, her parents grew quite fond of me. The key point was, Chu Mengxi had grown even more beautiful and fashionable. The dumpling shop across the street had been renovated into a high-end restaurant, drawing more and more customers. The owner was now an old friend, but I still only liked their dumplings—there’s just something about them.

As I reminisced about the past three years, a smile crept upon my lips. I looked around the park, picked up my water bottle and towel, and jogged home. Oh, one more thing—the third member of our family, Yoonah, had, over these three years, gotten involved with Senior Qiyuan. She’d left us behind to wander the world with Qiyuan the Ghost Deity. Qiyuan was doing well too. Ever since he defeated the Ghost King Qingchen, the underworld changed dramatically. Now, every vengeful spirit and ghost knew my master’s name, and order was restored.

Running home, I watched people strolling along the streets, feeling a rare sense of peace. Once home, I set down my water bottle and towel. My master, sitting on the sofa and wrinkling his nose, looked at me with a hint of disdain. “Boy, go take a shower—you reek of sweat.”

I grinned and nodded, picked out some decent clothes, and disappeared into the bathroom. A while later, with my hair still damp, I came downstairs. My master glanced at me. “Didn’t you dry your hair?”

I shook my head. “Too lazy—besides, the water keeps me cool in this heat.”

“You’ll know what a headache feels like when you’re older,” he chided.

I struck a bodybuilding pose and joked, “Do I look like someone who’ll get headaches?”

He gave me a light slap on the arm. “Enough, let’s eat.”

I nodded and joined him at the table. After a hearty meal, I dashed back to my room. My master, sitting on the sofa, called out, “Boy, here’s the commission fee you earned last time. No need to hand it over this time, or in the future. I’ve got a card for you—use it for your earnings from now on, but don’t spend recklessly. Go to the bank tomorrow and send some money back to your grandfather, understand?”

With that, he tossed me an envelope full of cash. I caught it, grinning, and he added, “The bank card is inside.”

Opening the envelope, I found an ordinary bank card and, to my surprise, a small black card with a human profile in the center. I turned it over curiously. “Master, what’s this black card? Can I use it to deposit money?”

He smiled and shook his head. “You’ll find out in the future.”

I shrugged and put both cards away. I’d heard that sort of answer from him countless times already and no longer cared to ask. I wished him goodnight and returned to my room. He stayed in the living room, sipping tea, glancing at the clock, and muttering under his breath, “Goodnight my foot—it’s only eight thirty. As if I don’t know what you’re up to…”

Once in my room, I counted the cash—fifty thousand. I tucked it away and climbed up to the roof. Over these three years, the rooftop had become my favorite retreat. Whenever I felt tired or troubled, I’d lie there, feeling the wind and gazing at the stars. It was my only way to decompress, for as I grew older and more mature, there were things I simply couldn’t say aloud, burdens I had to digest on my own.

After reflecting on life for a while, I climbed back down, returned to my room, turned on the air conditioner, and fell asleep. The next morning, I woke at nine. My master had been up for some time, watering flowers in the back garden. I yawned and teased, “Master, you’re living more and more like a retiree.”

He glanced at me. “Enough nonsense. The dumpling shop owner across the street brought over some fresh dumplings—go eat them while they’re hot.”

I nodded and sat down at the table. The owner was so close with us that he always brought new dishes for us to try first. I was used to it by now. After breakfast, I lounged on the sofa and turned on the TV. My master finished his chores, dusted off his hands, and sat beside me. I flicked through the channels, bored—nothing caught my interest.

Suddenly, my master said, “Hey, go back to the previous channel.”

Puzzled, I glanced at him, and he pointed at the screen. “Go back, the one you just skipped.”

I complied and realized it was the Chongqing Satellite Channel. “Master, what’s so interesting about this channel?” I asked.

He made a shushing gesture, deepening my confusion. Then a news anchor’s voice came on: “We interrupt with breaking news. The night before last, a major homicide case occurred at Duoyuan Lake Community. Three male victims and one female victim were found yesterday morning. The police are now investigating. A woman was found at the scene, taken to the hospital with no external injuries and normal vital signs, but she appeared to be in a state of shock and unresponsive. The police have already identified a suspect. If any citizens have seen this person, please call the hotline on the screen or contact the police immediately.”

A blurry profile appeared on the screen, seemingly a woman in red. I turned to my master. “Master, why are you watching this? How did you know there was a homicide?”

He tapped his forehead. “Intuition! Can you rewind this?”

I was speechless. “Master, this isn’t a DVD—you can’t rewind live TV.”

He laughed awkwardly. “Alright, fair enough.”

“Why are you interested in this? Aren’t Lin Fang and his team handling murder cases like this?” I asked.

My master shook his head and pointed at the TV. “Didn’t you notice anything just now?”

“Notice what?” I replied.

He slapped me lightly. “Have your senses dulled these past years? Didn’t you see the ghostly aura drifting in the footage?”

“Ghostly aura? Master, are you sure you weren’t seeing things?”

“Am I ever mistaken? There’s something off about this case. Call Lin Fang in a bit and ask him about it. If it involves the supernatural, then it’s our business.”

I nodded and went to the back room to call Lin Fang.