08 Devil Mountain

The next morning, Zhou Yun got up early. Because of her habit from military school, she was used to folding her blankets neatly and squarely. Standing in the center of the room, looking at the square on the bed, Zhou Yun's mind was filled with the image of that black square head.

She quickly grabbed her phone and glanced at the message box; it was the same text message from last night, with an address.

Zhou Yun stared at the address for a moment, then quickly got ready. She tied her shoulder-length hair into a high ponytail, revealing her bright, smooth forehead, with a few light wisps of hair falling down on either side. She looked at herself in the mirror; her eyes were double-lidded, not particularly beautiful, but bright and expressive; her nose was straight; her lips were slightly red, thin at the top and full at the bottom; and her chin was slightly pointed.

After going downstairs, she casually bought steamed buns and soy milk for breakfast. While eating, she walked out of the campus, hailed a taxi, got in, and gave the driver her address.

Looking in the rearview mirror, the driver's expression was somewhat strange. "Miss, are you really going to that place?"

Zhou Yun sensed something was amiss in the driver's words; it seemed there was something wrong with this place.

She asked, "What's wrong with this place?"

The driver shook his head, looking like he didn't want to say much. The car quickly started moving and headed towards the address.

**

No. 11 Pak O Hill is located in an affluent area of ​​Hong Kong Island. Coming from the bustling city streets, passing the bright and blue coastline, you soon arrive at a wide asphalt road. Both sides of the road are lined with locust trees, which are in full bloom at this time, and petals fall from time to time.

The surroundings were relatively quiet, and the driver's expression grew increasingly strange. He coughed a few times, "Miss, we're almost here. You... are you here to visit relatives and friends?"

Zhou Yun paused for a moment before replying, "More or less." She was somewhat wary.

The driver was a man in his thirties, with messy hair and a somewhat颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it conveys a sense of listlessness, apathy, and exhaustion) and tired appearance. He muttered to himself, "This place was on the news before. Several wealthy businessmen live here, and they're all quite rich. But even if you're rich, you still have to see if you're alive to enjoy it. Sigh..."

As he finished speaking, his voice trailed off, eventually falling silent. The driver opened the car window, letting in the whistling sea breeze.

Zhou Yun frowned slightly, feeling puzzled.

**

Soon, the car arrived at a hillside. At the entrance, there was a security room and barriers for vehicles to enter and exit. Security guards were standing guard inside.

The driver stopped in front of the security guard's office. The guard rolled down the window and asked a few questions. The driver gave the address, and the car was quickly let in. The driver continued driving uphill. On both sides of the road were large, golden trees with leaves that had turned yellow. As you went up the mountainside, the weather got colder, evoking the feeling of "stopping to admire the maple forest at dusk, the frosted leaves redder than February flowers."

There were signs indicating house numbers along both sides of the road. The driver turned from number 9 and arrived at house number 11 ahead. It was indeed a small villa, three stories high, with a front yard. Zhou Yun was genuinely surprised by Fang Chengjin's residence; the rent must be incredibly expensive.

Zhou Yun turned her head to pay the fare, but suddenly noticed the driver's nervous and uneasy demeanor in the rearview mirror. His face twitched asymmetrically, his eyes darted around, and he rubbed his hands together on the steering wheel. Psychologically speaking, this is a sign of having something to hide.

What is this driver afraid of? Ever since I got in the car, he seems very wary of... this address?

However, Zhou Yun didn't have time to think about all that. She quickly paid the fare, opened the car door, and before she could even stick her foot out, the driver spoke up.

"Miss, you...you must be careful!"

Zhou Yun glanced at him sideways, looking suspicious.

The driver coughed and fell silent.

**

After getting out of the car, the driver quickly drove away. Zhou Yun stood not far from the front yard of the villa, slightly raising her head to look at the villa. There was still a short uphill walk to the villa, and Zhou Yun observed the area as she walked up.

The sky was turning pale, the weather gloomy. From the outside, the villa's interior was obscured, only glimpses visible through the diamond-shaped iron gate. The walls were red brick and tile, with lush green vines creeping and twining, obscuring most of the view. A yellow tree in the yard was shedding its leaves. The villa's tiles were pale yellow; it was a three-story modern art building. From a distance, the entire building resembled a warm yellow streetlamp nestled within a gray-white painting.

Zhou Yun stepped forward and saw that the iron fence was not closed tightly; it opened with a gentle push. Wasn't this a concern about thieves getting in? Or was the security here quite good?

Zhou Yun muttered to herself, entered the courtyard, and closed the iron gate.

There were quite a few flowers and plants in the front yard, and they looked like someone had taken good care of them. Zhou Yun couldn't name many of them. She took a few steps closer and headed towards the gate.

The door wasn't completely closed, leaving a tiny crack, but Zhou Yun didn't push it open immediately. After all, he was her mentor; she couldn't be so impolite as to go in.

Zhou Yun stood outside the door and pressed the doorbell.

It rang three times, then remained silent for a few seconds before vibrating.

Zhou Yun turned on her phone and saw that Fang Chengjin had sent her a text message.

**

Zhou Yun had no choice but to push open the door. It opened smoothly with a gentle push, without any creaking or groaning; the door was of good quality. Zhou Yun turned and closed the door before taking a closer look at the villa.

The first floor is spacious and sparsely furnished, with only a few wooden cabinets against the wall. The floor reflects a glossy sheen, and a floor-to-ceiling window opens directly to the backyard, letting in sunlight and adding a touch of warmth to the otherwise empty space. Ahead are two forked staircases, one on each side, made of solid wood and spiraling upwards. In the center of the staircase hangs a large oil painting.

Zhou Yun took a few steps forward; she could even smell the subtle, understated fragrance of wood in the hallway. Reaching the oil painting, she stood beneath it, captivated by its beauty.

This oil painting is quite special; it's a massive canvas, measuring six or seven meters in width and height, and it's conveniently located on the wall of the staircase. The painting's color scheme is predominantly red, gradually fading from a deep red at the edges towards the center, culminating in a high-hanging circle at the opposite corner, resembling a sun, beneath which stretches an endless expanse of sand, tinged with orange. It's a magnificent painting, even evoking a sense of the desert.

But it was also a bit ostentatious. Zhou Yun never expected that Fang Chengjin would buy this oil painting, but it did match the magnificent villa quite well.

Zhou Yun looked at it for more than ten seconds, then turned around and went up to the second floor.

The view from the second floor was much brighter, with floor-to-ceiling windows letting in plenty of natural light, especially since it was a sunny day. The second floor resembled a living room, complete with leather sofas, tables and chairs, a television, and some tableware. Further on was a balcony, also filled with lush greenery.

Fang Chengjin was dressed in casual clothes, a dark green oversized short-sleeved shirt and dark black sweatpants. He sat cross-legged on the sofa, looking at the laptop on his lap, his hands occasionally tapping, looking busy.

Zhou Yun walked over and was about to greet him when Fang Chengjin noticed her arrival and looked up at her.

"Good morning, Professor Fang," Zhou Yun greeted politely.

Fang Cheng glanced at her, got up and walked to the table, poured a glass of warm water, then approached Zhou Yun and handed it to her.

"You must be tired from coming all this way. Have some water first."

Zhou Yun took the cup, raised it, and drank a few sips of water.

Taking advantage of the break, Fang Chengjin couldn't help but secretly take a few deep breaths, wondering: how did she come to have this fragrance?

As soon as Zhou Yun entered the courtyard, Fang Chengjin smelled the fragrance on her body. It was a fragrance that resembled lilies but wasn't quite the same.

After finishing her water, Zhou Yun held up the cup, somewhat at a loss. She had no choice but to take a step back, creating some distance between herself and Fang Chengjin, and then look up at him.

Their eyes met, and Zhou Yun suddenly tensed up, wondering how Fang Chengjin should be taught. What case was it today?

But in Fang Chengjin's view, Zhou Yun seemed a little uneasy. Fang Chengjin didn't quite understand what was making her uneasy, and after thinking for a moment, wondered if it was because of that matter?

He couldn't help but ask, "How did you get here just now?"

Zhou Yun exclaimed in surprise, puzzled, and replied, "Take a taxi."

Were you worried she'd spend too much money? Well, it's true, taking a taxi here is quite expensive.

Zhou Yun brought a large sum of money, which she had saved up over many years, with her to study in Hong Kong.

Fang Chengjin said "Oh," and then asked, "So you were scared?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yun was even more puzzled. What kind of riddle was this? She cautiously asked, "What does it mean?"

Fang Cheng frowned slightly. "You don't know about the murder case in this villa?"

Zhou Yun's pupils contracted slightly, startled. "You...you said a murder happened here?" No wonder the driver's expression was so strange; it must have been a big case that alarmed Hong Kong.

Fang Chengjin stood up: "Alright, as my student, you'll probably be coming here often to research. To put your mind at ease, let me first introduce this villa to you. Of course, if you feel it's inappropriate to run away after hearing this, you don't have to study for my master's degree; after all, it's a two-way choice. But you were once a criminal investigation team leader and have seen so many corpses, so I don't think you'll be afraid of such a small matter."

Zhou Yun blinked: "Don't worry, I've been in contact with corpses quite a few times." After all, it's not like she's sleeping here at night, so the ghosts of the wronged won't bother her.

**

Fang Chengjin led Zhou Yun downstairs to the lobby on the first floor, and then walked towards the backyard. They walked and soon stopped in front of a fireplace.

This is a wood-burning fireplace, with a small sofa and a few stools in front of it, and a bundle of firewood next to the fireplace. A little further ahead is a floor-to-ceiling window, outside which is a lush green willow tree.

The fireplace wasn't burning, but it was pitch black inside, clearly showing signs of burning.

Fang Chengjin stood in front of the fireplace, his eyes slightly narrowed, recalling the past.

Three years ago, this No. 11 mansion belonged to a wealthy businessman on Hong Kong Island. This businessman originally made his fortune with the help of his father-in-law. As he became richer, his first wife and father-in-law grew old and were no longer able to help him. He then began to despise his aging wife. In middle age, he abandoned his first wife and married a woman two years younger than him. That same year, she gave birth to a son. Unexpectedly, just one year later, the businessman mismanaged his company and lost all his money. His new wife argued with him constantly about money. One time, when he was drunk, he accidentally discovered that his son was not his biological child. His new wife was also planning to run away with the money, which enraged him. So, he decided to kill them.

Fang Cheng pointed to the fireplace in front of him and said calmly, "He first took advantage of his wife and son being asleep at night, picked up a kitchen knife and slashed their necks, then cut off the meat and threw the bones into this fireplace to burn."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yun looked at the black stains inside the fireplace and gasped.