Lu Zheng and Zhu Yushan exchanged glances.
They had intended to intervene and teach the constable a lesson, but they hadn’t expected the Supernatural Affairs Office to be involved, already uncovering the truth behind the murders.
However…
“Who silenced him?” Li Hanyu asked.
“How would I know?” You Che replied indifferently. “No traces were left. It’s untraceable.”
You Che turned to the head constable. “Constable Jin, send someone to Liu Zhongling’s home. Ask where he’s been frequenting over the past six months.”
“Yes, sir!”
Constable Jin acknowledged the order and stepped out to give instructions.
Seeing Constable Jin leave, You Che turned to Lu Zheng and his group. “You came here to give Constable Jin a hard time?”
Lu Zheng shook his head. “No, we’re just involved in this case, so we wanted to see if we could help find the culprit sooner and clear our names.”
“You’re not really suspects.”
As You Che spoke, Constable Jin pushed the door open, hearing the comment and looking visibly embarrassed.
“These people were killed by an evil technique called Soul-Devouring Art. It’s not widely known. You likely wouldn’t know it.”
You Che continued calmly, “Even if you did, you probably wouldn’t use it.”
“Why not?” Lu Zheng couldn’t help but ask.
“Does this evil technique have side effects?” Li Hanyu, more knowledgeable, inquired.
“Soul-Devouring Art consumes the target’s spirit and memories. If you’re not afraid of polluting and damaging your true spirit or suffering memory distortion, feel free to try it.”
Li Hanyu shuddered, and Liu Qingyan clung to Lu Zheng’s arm.
Lu Zheng asked, “What’s the point of it, then?”
“It strengthens the true spirit and soul, absorbing the target’s memories and experiences,” You Che explained, looking at Liu Zhongling’s body. “For this scholar, absorbing others’ insights into literature would naturally increase his chances of passing the juren exam.”
They all understood. It was like combining the efforts of several people to answer one exam paper. No matter what, the result would be better than working alone.
Lu Zheng looked at Liu Zhongling’s corpse. “So, he was likely deceived?”
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been silenced.
You Che nodded. “The culprit probably taught Liu Zhongling a simplified version of Soul-Devouring Art that relies on external aid. Liu Zhongling used it to kill and absorb spirits. The culprit then absorbed Liu Zhongling’s spirit, reducing the impact compared to absorbing all four directly. Soul-Devouring Art isn’t easy to learn. Liu Zhongling must have frequently consulted the culprit, so they would have met often.”
…
Moments later, the men Constable Jin sent out returned with information.
Liu Zhongling, being young, didn’t frequent many places aside from home. There were only three:
Xiuyun House.
Lincui Pavilion.
Yangming Academy.
The first two were brothels, the third was Liu Zhongling’s academy.
“The academy?” Lu Zheng felt he was onto something.
You Che issued another order. “Find out if any scholar has been particularly close to Liu Zhongling recently.”
Constable Jin immediately said, “Xiao Liu already checked. The scholars closest to Liu Zhongling at the academy were these three.”
“Hidden quite well…” You Che paused, then asked, “How many people are at the academy?”
“Over two hundred.”
You Che fell silent, seemingly pondering how to identify the culprit among them.
“Why not have the academy teachers assign an essay?” Lu Zheng suggested suddenly. “With a flood of new insights in their mind, it’d be hard to write exactly as they did before.”
As someone who’d taken countless exams, Lu Zheng knew how difficult it was to disguise copied work.
You think you’ve made changes?
Teachers can spot it instantly!
You Che immediately turned to Constable Jin. “Are all the academy students present today?”
“After yesterday’s murder, all the students returned to the academy,” Constable Jin replied.
You Che nodded. “Perfect. Have the teachers arrange an essay under some pretext. Collect the submissions, then gather their previous essays for comparison.”
“Yes, sir!”
This wasn’t just about gathering information, so Constable Jin had to go to the academy himself.
After Constable Jin left, You Che turned to Lu Zheng. Though his ghost mask hid his expression, his voice carried clear approval. “Good idea. Interested in joining the Supernatural Affairs Office?”
“No interest!” Lu Zheng shook his head firmly.
You Che shrugged, unbothered, and the room fell silent.
An hour later, Constable Jin sent word that the academy had completed the task.
You Che nodded, turning to Lu Zheng. “I’m heading to Yangming Academy. Are you coming?”
“Yes!” Lu Zheng nodded. This was what they’d agreed on earlier.
“Let’s go, then,” You Che said calmly, heading for the door.
The group exchanged glances and followed You Che.
Leaving the yamen’s constable room, You Che cast an illusion to make himself invisible to ordinary people.
Well, his appearance was too unusual. Lu Zheng and the others had no such issue.
…
They arrived at Yangming Academy, where the students had finished their essays, and the teachers had completed their comparisons.
“Any results?” You Che asked.
Constable Jin glanced at Lu Zheng, nodded, and replied to You Che, “Yes.”
You Che nodded and pushed the door open.
…
“Feng Jin?”
“He’s taken the autumn exams three times, each time just missing the juren rank,” an academy teacher added, a hint of regret in his eyes.
Though Feng Jin had tried to hide it in his writing, certain details gave him away to the teacher’s keen eye.
“One transition in the essay is a technique Duan Xian often used. While Feng Jin has used it before, it was never this seamless.”
In the room, besides Lu Zheng’s group, You Che, Constable Jin, and the teacher who spotted Feng Jin’s slip, the academy’s dean was also present.
The dean, a man in his sixties, remained impassive. After hearing the teacher’s analysis, he didn’t question it, only saying, “Bring him in.”
“Now?” the teacher asked, surprised.
The dean nodded, turning to You Che. “The students are still studying. Please, Lord You, keep the disturbance minimal.”
“A small matter.”
…
Moments later, a young scholar, not yet thirty, was brought in.
Upon entering and seeing You Che and Constable Jin, Feng Jin’s pupils contracted, but he quickly regained composure, bowing to the dean. “What does the master call me for?”
The dean didn’t respond, looking to You Che.
You Che asked calmly, “Where did you learn the Soul-Devouring Art?”
Seeing You Che, cloaked in black with only a ghost mask visible, Feng Jin swallowed hard but maintained his composure, asking with feigned confusion, “What Soul-Devouring Art?”
