Chapter Five: A Clue Emerges

Xiaoting nodded and began to speak. “I was forced by life’s circumstances to become a bar hostess—what they call a high-risk profession—but I swear, I have always respected myself.” She paused, her voice trembling. “I remember that day—it was July twentieth. I took a job at the Night Passion Bar to accompany guests. After they left, I was getting ready to take a taxi home and rest, but suddenly, someone covered my mouth and dragged me into a van.”

Wang quickly scribbled down her words, but when Xiaoting stopped, his pen halted as well.

At this point, Xiaoting’s expression grew complicated, as though she wanted to say more but hesitated.

Everyone present could easily imagine the grim fate that befell a woman dragged into a van by strangers.

Nianxue gave Xiaoting an encouraging nod.

Gritting her teeth, Xiaoting continued, “There were three of them. They… violated me.”

The room felt a collective ache at her words.

Liang Lingzhi was so incensed that he cursed, “Those animals!”

Though Officer Li was equally filled with grief, his experience as a seasoned policeman kept his anger in check. “When they assaulted you, do you remember anything about their appearance or distinguishing features?”

Xiaoting shook her head. “It was very dark inside the van; I couldn’t see clearly. But I do remember—one of them had a large scar by his left eye, another had a bandage on his left arm, and the last one was bald.”

Officer Li nodded and guided her to recall more. “When the van was moving, did you hear anything from outside?”

Xiaoting thought for a moment. “When I was dragged into the van, the front was pointed toward Yongxing Road.”

“What else?”

“After we drove for a while, I heard the sound of water spraying, like a water pipe had burst.”

Officer Li encouraged her, “Very good, Xiaoting. You’re doing great. Try to remember—did you hear any other sounds?”

She pondered again. “Then, the van began to jolt violently. I heard an ambulance siren—yes, the 120 emergency alarm. After that, they blindfolded me and took me out. I remember smelling barbecue, and we walked for quite a while before stopping.”

Officer Li praised her once more. “Excellent! Xiaoting, you’ve given us very important clues.”

“Chief, I’ve got it.”

Yang pushed his laptop toward Officer Li. “Based on Xiaoting’s clues, if they started at Yongxing Avenue and she heard a water pipe burst, they must have passed through Yumin Road—right here. Then, the rough road matches Yuhua Road, which is in the same direction; it’s under construction during the day, so it’s very bumpy. I checked with all the emergency dispatch systems in the city’s hospitals. The only 120 call near Yuhua Road was from No. 21, Xinchang Street, just a few hundred meters away. Afterward, the smell of barbecue—that would be near the entrance to Tiansheng Village, not far from Yongchang Street, where there are many barbecue stalls.”

Officer Li nodded. “Good work, both of you. You have great potential.”

Ye Dong and the others were deeply impressed by how swiftly Officer Li and his team, using Xiaoting’s clues, had all but pinpointed where she was forced out of the van.

Nianxue comforted Xiaoting, “See how capable Officer Li and his team are? I believe they’ll solve your case.”

Tears glistening in her eyes, Xiaoting nodded and continued, “Afterward, I was locked in a small room. I don’t know how long I was kept there or how many times they forced water down my throat. Then, they cleaned me up and carried me to an operating table.”

At this, everyone shivered, instinctively reaching for their kidneys.

Seeing their reaction, Xiaoting bit her lip, her voice trembling with rage. “That’s right. They wanted to harvest my organs.”

Ye Dong’s fists clenched with fury. “Monsters! They’re utterly lawless!”

Sobbing, Xiaoting said, “At that moment, I thought—even if I died and became a ghost, I would seek vengeance on them, no matter what the cost!”

Officer Li’s own fists shook as he swore, “Those fiends! I, Li Wei, will bring them to justice, no matter what!”

Through her tears, Xiaoting went on, “They’re not human. After injecting me with some special anesthetic, they forced me to watch as they slowly cut open my abdomen and took out my kidneys, my liver—any useful organ, bit by bit.”

“My god!”

Everyone recoiled in horror, their stomachs twisting, gasping for air.

Ye Dong’s heart ached. “Imagine watching as they hollowed out your organs, powerless to stop them. How terrified and desperate must she have been?”

Xiaoting stared blankly ahead, her eyes wide. “That’s how I died—watching those butchers carve me up, knife by knife.”

Wang’s hand trembled so violently that his pen creaked in his grip, unable to write another word.

“Worse than beasts!” someone spat.

Both the elder and the younger among them were sobbing as they cursed, “I swear, I’ll help you get justice, even if it costs my life!”

Looking at Officer Li, Xiaoting said, “After I closed my eyes, I found myself, for some reason, floating inside Night Passion Bar. A powerful hatred surged in me, especially toward those men. That’s how I accidentally drew Liang Lingzhi’s soul, almost causing a terrible mistake.”

Liang Lingzhi was deeply ashamed. “I was just boasting with these two. Thinking back, it was my own fault.”

Clenching his teeth, Officer Li rose and bowed deeply to Xiaoting. “I, Li Wei, swear—even if it costs me my life, I will clear your name and avenge you!”

Turning, he strode toward the door, Wang and Yang bowing deeply in turn before following him out.

Soon, a covert operation was launched. Through day and night of relentless investigation, the police found the van and the three men who had kidnapped Xiaoting.

Strangely, while they confessed to kidnapping and assault, they seemed to have no recollection whatsoever of the organ harvesting. No matter what methods Officer Li employed, the three suspects remembered nothing of that part.

Later, reviewing surveillance footage from a mountain road, they discovered the van had gone deep into the mountains, emerging only after a considerable time. Officer Li, not willing to miss any opportunity, called in all available police dogs to search the area. His years of detective instinct told him—the van had gone up the mountain to dispose of the body.

Just as Officer Li suspected, after a day and night of searching, they found Xiaoting’s corpse. To the police’s shock, there were also twenty-two other bodies nearby, all with vital organs removed. Judging by the expressions on the corpses, they had all experienced unimaginable horror before death.

Only then did Officer Li understand why the number of vagrants and beggars in the city had dropped so drastically.

Given the gravity of the case, after reporting to higher authorities, the police kept the investigation under wraps to ensure its smooth progress.

For days, Ye Dong and his companions sat gloomily beside Officer Li. “Who would have thought Liang Lingzhi’s incident would uncover such a massive case? Officer Li, is there anything we can do to help?”

“There is,” replied Officer Li. “The thing that’s been puzzling me—is how those three suspects could forget everything that happened afterward.”

Nianxue offered, “I called my father about this. He said it’s very likely the suspects were under some kind of curse—what people call Gu or black magic.”

Liang Lingzhi asked, “You mean, the assault and kidnapping were deliberate, but what happened in that small room—they were manipulated? Is that really possible? I thought that only happened in movies.”

Nianxue shook her head. “As my father said, some things that can’t be explained—you may not believe in them, but you shouldn’t deny their existence.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Ye Dong asked, “When will Master Chen return?”

“He said he’s working on something important and won’t be back any time soon,” Nianxue replied.

Officer Li pressed, “Nianxue, do you have a way to break their curse?”

She hesitated. “There is a way, but I’ve never tried it, so I don’t know if it’ll work.”

Ye Dong said, “Given the situation, we should at least try. But if it doesn’t work, will it harm you in any way?”

Nianxue smiled faintly. “No.”

Ye Dong, ever perceptive, understood the underlying seriousness. He gave a wry smile. “So there is a risk, then.”

“But…” Nianxue tried to protest, but Ye Dong stopped her.

“Nianxue, teach me the method. I’ll break the curse. You know magic—if anything happens, you can protect me.”

She shook her head. “No, you don’t have the cultivation. If the curse backfires, at best it will harm your spirit; at worst, it could control you. That would be disastrous.”

“Let me do it!” Liang Lingzhi, who had been silent, exhaled a cloud of smoke and fixed his sharp gaze on the oil-paper umbrella where Xiaoting’s spirit lingered.