Chapter 123: Another Murder Case

Lin Fang was taken aback and replied, "The Haoting Hotel? Isn't that where the Mid-Autumn Festival gala is being held? Are you attending that as well, Master?"

"Don't ask questions. Send people over immediately. Something has happened here. Make sure you don't make a scene when you arrive; it must be a confidential operation."

Hearing my urgent demand for reinforcements, Lin Fang dropped his playful tone and became serious. "Understood, Master. I will dispatch men right away."

I grunted in acknowledgment and hung up. Li Muyang looked at me with confusion and asked my master, "Senior, who was that phone call to?"

My master shot him a look. "You ask too many questions, kid. With so many lives lost here, we obviously need the police to handle the aftermath. Do you expect the three of us to clean this up? Besides, we could easily be mistaken for the culprits. Better to let the police secure the scene while we focus on the investigation."

Having grown accustomed to such supernatural cases, my master accepted the necessity of police involvement with a resigned air. Li Muyang nodded, looking astounded. "Lin Xuan, you even know people in the police force? That’s impressive! Brother Xuan, I’m sticking with you from now on."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Drop the 'er' sound at the end of every word, will you? It sounds incredibly awkward."

"Hehe, sure thing." Li Muyang scratched the back of his head.

I chuckled, then heard him ask, "Hey, so who exactly do you know at the police station?"

Before I could answer, my master chimed in with a grin, "The person your Brother Xuan knows is just a small-time cop."

"How small?" Li Muyang asked, bewildered.

My master smiled again, lit a cigarette, and added, "Not that small. Just the Chief of Police."

Li Muyang froze, staring at me in shock. "The Chief? The Police Chief? Wow, Lin Xuan, you know someone that high-ranking? You call that a 'small-time cop'? Could you introduce me sometime?"

I blinked and looked at him. "Sure. He’s part of the Lin family. I’ll introduce you another day."

I went along with my master’s act, playing the part of the big shot to the end. Li Muyang was left speechless. I patted him on the shoulder with a smile—after all, everyone likes to show off a little now and then, right?

***

A short while later, I heard a flurry of footsteps outside. When the first person entered, I was surprised to see Captain Liu from the Criminal Investigation Division. He approached us with a smile, but his expression shifted abruptly when he saw the blood and corpses covering the floor. He frowned and walked over, asking, "What on earth is going on here?!"

My master stood with his hands behind his back and replied, "I don't know."

"You don't know? How can you be here and not know? You look awfully calm—are you sure you aren't the killers?" a junior officer behind Captain Liu blustered.

My master looked at him with an expressionless face. Captain Liu slapped the officer on the back of the head and snapped, "Is it your place to speak? Get to work and secure the scene!"

The officer retreated, looking sheepish, and joined seven or eight others in cordoning off the area. My master sat down on a nearby chair. Captain Liu looked at him, hesitating, before finally steeling himself. "Boqing, can you tell me what just happened? We need it for our report, and if we can't file a report, we can't investigate. You understand, don't you?"

My master looked at Captain Liu and waved a hand. "Captain Liu, just say what you need to say. No need to overthink it; I’m not a man-eating tiger."

Captain Liu nodded awkwardly. My master leaned back in his chair and said, "We were indeed on the scene before the incident occurred. We sensed something was off, but we were caught in a trap and pulled into an illusion. By the time we came to, it was already like this. You can leave the rest to us."

Captain Liu nodded again, though he asked, "What is an 'illusion'?"

"Oh, it's what you ordinary people would call a hallucination," my master said, gesturing toward his head.

Captain Liu seemed to grasp the idea. "Understood. If you need any help, just say the word."

My master smiled and agreed. A young officer jogged over, saluted Captain Liu, and reported, "Captain, there are fifty dead and twenty wounded and unconscious. We’ve called for ambulances. How should we proceed with the investigation?"

Captain Liu was about to speak, but my master cut in. "There are wounded?"

The officer nodded blankly. My master stood up and said, "Take me to them."

We followed the officer to the front of the banquet hall. Seeing a dozen or so people lying near the stage, my master crouched down to examine them, then frowned. "Call off the ambulances."

The officer and Captain Liu looked at him, stunned. My master stood up and said, "What you’re seeing is a facade—a 'death illusion' from our circles. These people may appear to have heartbeats, but they have already passed on. Calling an ambulance is a waste of time."

***

"A 'death illusion' from your circles? Sir, I don't follow," the officer replied.

My master smiled but said nothing. Captain Liu intervened, "Xiao Wang, go back to your duties."

Xiao Wang glanced between Captain Liu and my master with a puzzled look, but he nodded and walked toward the back.

"Boqing, what do you make of this case? These people are the backbone of our city's economy. If we can't find results, the whole country will hear about this. It will be a massive scandal, and the trouble will escalate exponentially." Captain Liu looked troubled.

My master stroked his chin, pondering for a moment. "I understand your concerns. I will do my best to uncover the truth. You focus on clearing the scene, and keep the hotel closed for the time being. Use whatever excuse you need; just stall for as long as you can."

My master patted Captain Liu’s shoulder, and the captain nodded, ordering his men to transport the bodies to the Criminal Investigation Bureau. As he left, he turned back, looking worried. "Boqing, where do you plan to start?"

My master shook his head. "Not sure yet. We’ll use the old-fashioned method—check the surveillance footage. You head back to the bureau and get me the autopsy reports as fast as you can. Remember, be meticulous. Don't miss a single detail."

"Understood. You have my word," Captain Liu replied.

My master nodded. We parted ways in the lobby, as the police had already cleared out the staff. We followed my master once more to the security room. He sat before the monitors and pulled up the footage. Everything looked normal until the very moment the lights in the banquet hall went out. There were no anomalies. Even when my master employed his 'Dao Sight,' he couldn't find a trace of anything supernatural. Apart from the lights in the hall, the rest of the hotel was fine, and there were no electrical faults to be found.

Confused, we left the security room and headed home. It was late, and there was little else we could do. To me, this case felt like a dead end. I could only hope my master had a plan. We discussed it at home and decided to visit Li Xin at the Chongqing Supernatural Intelligence Association the next day. Since it was my master’s idea, he must have had a lead in mind. My worries eased, and I went to my room to sleep.

The next morning, the three of us set out. According to my master, the Supernatural Intelligence Association was located on the top floor of the Jiefangbei Building. The space was massive, occupying almost the entire skyscraper. My master drove us there. Looking up at the towering structure, I asked, "Master, is this really the legendary Supernatural Intelligence Association?"

He looked up at the skyscraper and nodded. "Yes. While it's called the Chongqing Supernatural Intelligence Association, it houses confidential files and intelligence on supernatural organizations across the entire country, and even abroad. That’s why so many people in our circles come here—some to witness the legend, others to pursue their own agendas."

I nodded, feeling enlightened, and looked back up at the towering building.