Chapter 76

◎The real murderer!◎

Even with Ji Ming's testimony, no one knew what exactly happened on the day of the incident.

Ji Ming can serve as a witness that Ji Tiancai was not in the hotel, but he cannot prove that Ji Tiancai was the one who killed He Xiuwen and her son.

Because everything is his one-sided statement, and it is basically impossible to confirm the truth of what he said happened more than ten years ago.

[He should know where Ji Tiancai is, right?]

[This beast must be brought to justice! ]

Liang Jun is so pitiful. He lived in a mental hospital for more than ten years.

I hope he gets better!

[Wow, brother must have gone out to work after getting married to protect his sister.]

[Damn Ji Tiancai! ]

[This is so abominable. Please send him to hell.]

【Liang Jun is truly a pitiful man.】

[Ms. Qianyang, please help them.]

After hearing Ji Ming's painful confession, Qian Yang was silent for a long time and asked, "Where is Ji Tiancai now?"

Ji Ming wiped his tears, raised his head from the ground, and said, "That beast died half a year ago."

"After he and his parents changed their names, he lived his whole life without children. After he was bedridden, there was no one to take care of him. He died in bed half a month before being discovered. This can be considered as his retribution!" Tears streamed down Ji Ming's face.

"Dead?" Xiaoshui frowned.

"This is too cheap for him!"

"He's dead, so no one knows what happened back then."

[Crap? Ji Tiancai is dead?]

[Then there's no way to prove that he was the one who killed He Xiuwen and her son?]

[Mom, why didn't you die earlier or later, but died half a year ago?]

【Ah ...

[Qianyang, can you please have the ghost messenger release Ji Tiancai? I want him to die again.]

【Oh my god! He died just like that?】

What about the souls of Ms. He Xiuwen and her child?

[How can we help Ms. He Xiuwen and her child reincarnate if we can't resolve the knot in her heart?]

Ah... How could this happen? Ji Tiancai is dead, Liang Jun has gone insane, and with only Ji Ming's testimony, I can't find the villagers who were involved in this incident, so there's no way to prove Liang Jun's innocence.

[Yes, without a complete chain of evidence and solid proof, poor Liang Jun still has no way to clear his name.]

Upon hearing the news, everyone felt heavy-hearted.

In this case, even if what Ji Ming said was true, it would be meaningless to anyone.

"Put your hand out." Qianyang stood up and walked in front of him.

Ji Ming didn't understand what he meant, so he stretched out his left hand. The lines on his palm were badly worn and could only be vaguely seen.

Qian Yang sighed almost inaudibly, "Ji Tiancai is indeed dead."

The bond between twins is deeper than that between ordinary siblings. By peeking into the horoscope of one, you can basically understand the other one, because their life trajectories are mostly similar.

"Master Qianyang, I feel really sorry for Liang Jun's family. He has been ill for more than ten years. I am willing to take care of everything he needs in life in the future. I just want to ask, will there be a day when he can return to normal?" Ji Ming asked with a sob.

The old dean said, "He has a mental illness. Medical treatment cannot help him recover. Perhaps if we can find the root cause of his mental disorder, there is still a glimmer of hope."

Qian Yang said, "If he is not the murderer, then he must have witnessed the brutal murder of He Xiuwen and her son, which caused him to become mentally ill due to the strong shock. It is basically impossible for him to recover."

He Xiumen and her son are dead, Ji Tiancai has also died of illness, and the factors that led to his mental disorder have all disappeared. There is basically no way for Liang Jun to recover.

Ji Ming knelt on the ground, tears still wet on his face. He lowered his eyes and sighed, "How could this happen..."

[Yeah, how could this happen?]

I didn't expect this to be the ending, but it seems reasonable. After all, more than a decade has passed and things and people have changed.

[Anyway, Liang Jun will have to live in a mental hospital for the rest of his life. The truth has been buried forever with Ji Tiancai's death. Sigh.]

What about He Xiuwen and the child?

[She can no longer find Ji Tiancai, how can she untie the knot in her heart? ]

[Ahhhhh, so annoying, you beast Ji Tiancai, in your next life, I hope you'll be eaten as a chicken or a duck!]

[No, he's not worthy of being mine. He might as well be an ant that I step on to death. I step on him every time he lives!]

[Isn't there a spell called "no rebirth"? It would be better to just let people like this be animals for generations, and then their souls will be scattered.]

[That makes sense! Genius, sisters!]

Ji Tiancai died, Liang Jun became mentally ill, and the truth of the matter has been completely buried.

No matter which of them was the murderer, there is no way to verify it.

"Oh, what a pity! I thought I could clear Liang Jun's name." Xiaoshui sighed.

Liu Yi said, "There's nothing we can do. It's been too long. Ji Ming's words are just one side of the story, and there's no way to verify their truth."

"Then what should He Xiuwen do?"

The office fell silent for a moment.

The old dean sighed and said, "Mr. Ji, since you are already here, go and see Liang Jun."

Ji Ming propped himself up on the sofa and sat up, saying, "That's exactly what I was planning."

So, the group went to Liang Jun's ward again.

When he arrived outside the ward, Ji Ming took out the hat and mask he had prepared in advance.

Qian Yang asked, "Every time you come to see him, do you wear a hat and a mask?"

Ji Ming nodded and said, "Yes, I don't want to irritate him."

Liang Jun was still sitting on the hospital bed, staring blankly at the white wall. Two tear marks appeared on his face, but his emotions had stabilized.

"Liang Jun's life is so pitiful. He worked so hard to earn some money and built a new house for his family. He was willing to treat the child as his own even though he was not his own. Why... Ji Tian and I were the ones who ruined his life!" Ji Ming sighed with tears in his eyes.

[Alas, I scolded him before.]

[Ignorance is not a crime. Who knew Ji Tiancai had a twin brother? ]

[Don't even mention us. This was a perfect crime. They even fooled the police. Furthermore, the scene had already been vandalized before the police arrived. Besides He Xiuwen, Liang Jun was the only one at home. They had no idea there might be a third person present.]

【It's too late to say anything now.】

The law can no longer clear his name, but at least we know in our hearts that he is a good brother who would do anything to protect his sister.

【Perhaps we should tell Aunt Liang that her son is innocent.】

【Yeah, at least let her know this. 】

After visiting Liang Jun, Ji Ming planned to leave.

"Let me take you there." Qianyang said.

I walked all the way back to the hospital lobby with him, and the nurse at the information desk called him.

"Mr. Ji, please fill in the visitor record."

In order to prevent any accidents when he came in, the nurse took him directly to the dean's office, skipping the visitor record step.

The young nurse explained with a smile, "Our hospital has quite a few mentally ill patients under police control. They check the visitor records every week, so we can't miss any."

"Okay." Ji Ming nodded in agreement, then took the pen handed to him by the nurse with his right hand and left his identity information on the visitor list.

After seeing Ji Ming off, Qian Yang and his group stood in the hospital lobby, not knowing what to do for a moment.

Liu Yi asked nervously: "Master Qianyang, then He Xiuwen and the child can't be sent away in a short time?"

Qian Yang said: "We can't let them enter the reincarnation cycle for now, but we can send them away from you."

Hearing this, Liu Yi sighed, "Although I want to help her, I am just an ordinary person after all, and my ability is limited..."

"Yeah." Qian Yang nodded, understanding what he meant, "I'll help you."

[There's really nothing we can do about this. Liu Yi has his own life too.]

Ji Tiancai is dead. He Xiuwen will never be able to untie the knot in her heart and will not be able to stay with Liu Yi forever.

[But... can we just drive her away? If we hand her over to the underworld, she'll never be able to reincarnate.]

"Yes, I remember Master Qianyang saying that if a resentful soul's obsession remains, even in the underworld, it will be unable to sever the karma of its past life, and therefore cannot be reincarnated."

【Wow, this story ended badly because of the murderer's death.】

[Life is unpredictable. Ji Tiancai died, and even Qianyang was helpless.]

The live broadcast program ended temporarily. It rained heavily that afternoon and the whole county was shrouded in gray. Considering that the mountain roads were difficult to walk on, everyone decided to rest for another night and return to Shuilian Village after the rain stopped to send the souls of He Xiuwen and the child back to their original place to prevent He Xiuwen from unconsciously bringing disaster to living people.

In the evening, after having dinner arranged by the staff, the rain stopped and Qianyang took Shunyi out for a walk.

Shunyi is a pastoral dog who doesn’t like to stay in the house every day. There is a large garden for him to play in the manor in Taihang City. When we go to other places, we take him out for a walk in the morning and evening to burn off his energy, otherwise he will not be able to sleep at night.

Xiaoshui was also unwilling to stay in the hotel. There were no particularly high-end hotels in the small county town. Not only were the sanitary conditions average, but the rooms were also not soundproofed. She could hear the sneezes of the people next to her clearly.

Although most of the people living around them were staff, there were many rooms on one floor, and there were a lot of guests who booked hourly rooms in the afternoon, and the entire corridor was filled with unbearable sounds.

The two of them and the dog walked slowly along the roadside. Xiao Shui couldn't help but sigh, "After living there for a day, I feel like I'm not clean at all."

Qianyang listened absentmindedly, "Really? I think it's okay."

"Ah." Xiao Shui sighed, "Master Qianyang, are you still thinking about Liang Jun?"

Qianyang admitted it without hesitation, "Yeah."

Xiaoshui comforted him, "Ji Tiancai is dead, and no one can know the truth. Don't think too much. Even gods can't know everything."

Hearing this, Qian Yang smiled helplessly, "You're right. Although I'm unwilling, I have no choice."

Qianyang wants to save people, but his ability is limited.

Since he couldn't clear Liang Jun's name, nor could he save He Xiuwen and her son, worrying about it would only affect his own spiritual resolve.

They walked around the hotel in a big circle and when they were about to go back, they passed by the small hotel they had stayed in yesterday.

The boss was still sitting at the front desk playing mahjong. He was lucky. When he walked to the door, he heard a "gang shang hua hua" from his cell phone.

For no reason, Qianyang stopped and walked back into the inn.

"Ouch!" The boss looked up at her and said, "Master, you are truly my benefactor. I've been arguing with you twice in a row!"

The boss smiled so hard that his teeth were showing and his face was beaming with joy.

Qian Yang said, "You continue to fight, I'll come over to find out something."

"Okay, go ahead and ask! Could it be about He Xiuwen again?"

Qian Yang shook his head and said, "No, I want to ask Ji Tian about the matter."

"Him? Just ask directly."

"Did you know him back then?" Qian Yang asked.

"Ji Tiancai? I know him. He often stayed at my hotel." The boss said casually, "I was about the same age as him back then. I helped my dad run the store all day. That guy would eat and drink to his heart's content with his friends all day long. I was so envious."

"Did he ever bring any girls back to the hotel?"

The boss frowned and thought carefully. "It seems that there really isn't any. After all, so many years have passed, and I can't remember clearly, but I don't think I've seen him bring any women back to the hotel."

"Who are his usual friends?"

The boss said, "Most of them are hooligans in town, and they just eat, drink and have fun all day."

Qian Yang nodded and asked, "Did you know that he has a twin brother?"

"Twin brothers? I don't know about that."

Qianyang handed him the photo in his pocket. Ji Ming seemed to have forgotten about the photo before he left, so Qianyang took it without reminding him.

"Oh my god? It's true!" The boss looked at the two people in the photo who looked almost identical. "They look so much alike. They even have the same mole on their faces."

"Do you recognize who among them is Ji Tiancai?"

The boss took the photo and, ignoring the urging of his fellow card players on the phone, examined it carefully. After a while, he pointed at one of the men and said, "He's Ji Tiancai."

Qianyang was stunned for a moment, "You recognize it?"

The boss shook his head and chuckled, "They look like they were cut from the same mold. How could anyone tell them apart? But look here, there's a scar on his left hand, right?"

Qianyang took a closer look and saw that the man standing on the left did have a shallow scar on his left hand.

The boss scratched his head awkwardly. "Because of this scar, I got beaten up badly! I'll never forget it."

"What do you mean?" Qian Yang asked.

"That day I was helping my dad watch the shop. He went to the front desk to make a bucket of instant noodles. I accidentally bumped into him and the water spilled on his hands... Well, after that, whenever he came to stay at my hotel, my dad would only let me charge him half price."

"Is your left hand injured?" Qian Yang asked.

"Oh, he is left-handed, and he uses his left hand to write and smoke. My dad often tells me that left-handed people are so smart, but how is Ji Tiancai smart? Really." The boss muttered to himself.

Perhaps because Ji Tiancai was beaten, he remembered everything about Ji Tiancai very clearly.

Qianyang fell silent as if thinking about something. When Ji Ming was in the mental hospital, his dominant hand for signing was his right hand. This was probably the only difference between him and his twin brother Ji Tiancai.

"Thank you, I understand." Qianyang thanked the other party, then left the hotel with Xiaoshui.

"Master Qianyang, where are we going?"

Seeing that Qianyang was not heading towards the hotel, Xiaoshui asked in confusion.

"County Public Security Bureau." Qianyang said.

"Public Security Bureau?" Xiaoshui was even more confused.

"I need to confirm something. You go back first."

"Ah...it's okay, I'll go with you."

Qianyang and his companion hurried to the County Public Security Bureau. On the way, they met several staff members. They noticed that Qianyang looked hurried and immediately anticipated something. They hurried back to the hotel to get their preparations and chased him all the way to the door of the County Public Security Bureau.

"You can't broadcast live." Qianyang reminded.

The staff member nodded immediately and said, "Don't worry, we are just recording it."

Qian Yang and his group walked into the gate of the County Public Security Bureau. The police officer on duty was stunned when he saw them and asked, "Master Qian Yang? What can I do for you?"

"Is Comrade Chen Xun here? I'd like to ask him something."

"Officer Chen? He hasn't left yet. I don't know what he's doing in the archives room. Please wait a moment. I'll call the archives room and ask."

The police officer on duty called the archives office and explained the situation to Chen Xun. After hanging up, he said to Qian Yang, "Master Qian Yang, please go to the lounge and wait for a moment. He will be here soon."

"good."

Qianyang and his group walked into the lounge opposite the duty room. Within a few minutes, Chen Xun walked in with a laptop and a stack of documents in a folder.

"Master Qianyang." Chen Xun nodded at her.

Qian Yang got straight to the point: "Officer, I'd like to know the autopsy data of the two victims."

Chen Xun nodded and said, "Master Qianyang, to be honest, I was also looking at the detailed information about this case before you came."

Qian Yang asked, "Did you find anything?"

Chen Xun nodded, "Yes."

"Please watch a video. This is a copy of the hotel surveillance footage from back then."

"good."

Chen Xun placed the laptop in front of her and played a blurry black and white surveillance video.

The time shown on the screen was eight o'clock in the evening, and a man whose face could not be seen clearly walked to the hotel front desk.

"He is Ji Tiancai." Chen Xun reminded.

It’s a pity that after so many years, I can no longer see what he looks like clearly.

"The reason I didn't suspect him back then was because he's left-handed. You see, when he was filling out the information at the front desk, his dominant hand was his left."

Although his appearance was blurry, his movements were still clear. Ji Tiancai wrote down the information with his left hand.

Hotels back then did not have computers to log check-in records like we do today, so customers had to write their own check-in records.

"However, when I watched the live broadcast this morning, I found that Ji Ming is not left-handed, so he might have lied."

Qianyang nodded, "I think so too."

Qianyang came to the county public security bureau just to confirm this.

"If Ji Ming lied about this matter, then everything else he said cannot be trusted." Qian Yang said.

Chen Xun opened the folder, took out a piece of information, and handed it to Qian Yang. "The most important point is that the forensic autopsy determined that the murderer's dominant hand was his right hand. Unless Ji Tiancai is ambidextrous, he can't be the murderer."

"That's why he was completely ruled out as the murderer."

Qianyang shook his head and said, "It's unlikely."

"After he entered the hotel, what time did he leave the next day?"

Chen Xun said, "According to the hotel surveillance footage, an hour after the incident, around six in the morning, people in the county town already knew that a murder had occurred in Shuilian Village."

"But Ji Ming said he would leave in the morning."

"Yes." Chen Xun nodded, "He is lying."

Listening to them analyzing the case one after another, everyone else in the room was a little confused.

"When he asked you in the dean's office whether Liang Jun's condition could be recovered, I suddenly thought of something." Chen Xun said in a deep voice.

Qian Yang pursed his lips and said, "He's not sure if Liang Jun's condition can be recovered. Even the dean is not sure about this. If the murderer is Ji Tiancai, why would he let Liang Jun, the only one who knows who the murderer is, live in the mental hospital? What if he recovers one day?"

Chen Xun said, "Moreover, in the murder cases I've handled, the murderer almost always returns to the crime scene afterward, admiring his own handiwork and feeling proud that he's escaped legal punishment."

Xiao Shui gradually came to her senses and said in astonishment, "So, Ji Ming's frequent visits to Liang Jun over the years might not be out of guilt, but... to confirm his condition and enjoy his pain?"

Qian Yang said, "If He Xiuwen and the child's death had nothing to do with the two brothers, he wouldn't have to make up such a story."

"So," Chen Xun said in a heavy tone, "I suspect the reason he exposed himself and Ji Tiancai's crimes in front of the camera is simply because after Ji Tiancai's death, he was the only one in the world who knew the truth, and his vanity wasn't satisfied. So, he let everyone be manipulated by him to satisfy his twisted psychology."

"What a pervert..." Xiaoshui said in shock.

"If the person who killed He Xiuwen wasn't Ji Tiancai and Liang Jun, then it could only be him. Most of what he said is probably true, but he deliberately switched his identity with Ji Tiancai."

Qian Yang said: “I even suspect that Liang Jun and He Xiuwen may not know who the real murderer is.”

Xiao Shuidao said, "So, he was the one who bullied He Xiuwen, and the person who stayed in the hotel that night was Ji Tiancai?"

"These are just our guesses. This surveillance video alone cannot prove that he is the murderer." Chen Xun said.

Qian Yang pondered for a moment and said, "Liang Jun probably couldn't tell the difference between the two brothers, so even if he regained consciousness, he would still think Ji Tiancai was the murderer. He Xiuwen would also have a stronger emotional reaction to hearing Ji Tiancai's name. So, the reason he was so sure about Liang Jun's mental state is probably because he was injured during the attack, leaving scars on his body, and he was worried that Liang Jun could use the scars to identify the real murderer."

"Then the scars on his body can be used as physical evidence!" Xiao Shuidao said.

"Master Qianyang, maybe He Xiuwen still remembers this incident? Can I communicate with her?"

Before she could finish, Chen Xun reminded her, "No, even though we believe in Master Qianyang, a dead person cannot be a witness."

"So... the only witness can be Liang Jun?" Xiao Shui deflated. "But he's been insane for over a decade, and his chances of recovery are slim. Doesn't that mean the real murderer will go unpunished?"

Upon hearing this, everyone present fell silent.

"Without a complete chain of evidence, we can't convict him even if we know it's him."

Qian Yang pondered for a moment and said, "If he just says it, it can be used as evidence?"

Chen Xun said: "If a mentally ill person makes a statement while being mentally normal and can prove that he has full civil capacity, his words may have legal effect."

In other words, only when Liang Jun's mind returns to normal can he become a witness.

Things seemed to have reached a deadlock again.

"Maybe there is a way." Qianyang said.

Everyone focused their attention on her.

Chen Xun asked, "Master Qianyang, do you have any solution?"

"He became mentally ill due to severe stimulation. There are serious psychological factors involved, which are not conditions that can be changed by medicine."

Qian Yang hesitated for a moment. "Although it's a bit cruel, if he could experience the same stimulation again, with two negatives adding up to a positive, there's a chance he could recover."

"What……"

Cheng Xun said in a deep voice: "There have been precedents like this before."

In fact, even if he didn't do that, Liang Jun's consciousness was completely stuck on the day when He Xiumen and the child died.

Over the years, he has been suffering from that pain and torment all the time.

"Also, even if Ji Ming isn't the murderer, as long as Liang Jun can regain consciousness, coupled with Ji Ming's testimony, he can at least clear his name."

Chen Xun thought for a moment, "This matter has more advantages than disadvantages."

Xiao Shuidao: "Yes, this may be the only chance to reveal the truth."

"Master Qianyang, do you have any solution?" Chen Xun asked.

Qianyang lowered his eyes and pursed his lips.

"I can share some of his memories."

"However, this process is extremely dangerous. If we are not careful, both my brain and his will collapse."

Chen Xun was stunned for a moment. "So, both you and he might go crazy?"

Qian Yang nodded and said, "Yeah."

Xiao Shui said worriedly, "Master Qianyang, this price is too high."

Several staff members also looked worried.

"yes……"

"If something happens to you, how are we going to explain it to everyone?"

"So, you have to record this. It was my own decision to do this." Qian Yang said.

Qianyang looked at Chen Xun. The only people she could trust here were the police and Shunyi.

"I want a completely safe place, and Shunyi must stay by my side."

Chen Xun looked hesitant, as if he was weighing whether Qian Yang's sacrifice was worth it.

Seeing him hesitate, Qianyang sighed.

"As long as no one interrupts me, I have an 80% chance of success."

【Author’s words】

This method has no scientific basis, so don't apply it to reality. Qianyang is different, she is the boss.

Thank you for your support, mua [Let me Kang Kang]