Chapter 49: He reappeared on the 49th day after quitting the circle.
Kong Xingyan's old boss Yan Jingrui lives in the suburbs of Xifeng District in northern Beijing, an hour's drive from Sang Qiqi's funeral service.
An hour is not a long time, but a lot of things happened in this hour.
Sang Qiqi followed Kong Xingyan into the car. As soon as Sang Qiqi's fingers pulled up the seat belt, Yan Jingrui called Kong Xingyan's cell phone, saying that the old man couldn't hold on and died three minutes ago.
"Xiao Kong, could you please contact Miss Sang, the woman you recommended?" Yan Jingrui's voice rang out through the phone's speakerphone in the silent car, his voice noticeably tired and hoarse. "Thank you for your hard work."
Kong Xingyan started the car and replied, "We've got someone here ready to come. Please accept my condolences."
The two said nothing more.
Kong Xingyan was driving, and Yan Jingrui, as the head of the family and the old man's only son, naturally shouldered all the trivialities of the funeral. He hung up the phone and turned to walk towards the old man's bedside. The old man lay quietly in his bed. In just two weeks, he had become so emaciated that he was unrecognizable. All that could be seen was his protruding cheekbones. As a son, this scene was not easy to bear.
But Yan Jingrui always had a stern face, and his ability to control his emotions was much better than that of ordinary people. In the end, his eyes only turned slightly red, and his breathing became a little heavier.
"Old Yan."
In silence, the door opened, and a middle-aged woman about Yan Jingrui's age walked in. She glanced at the old man, then at Yan Jingrui's profile, and asked, "Is the girl Xiao Kong recommended suitable? I heard she's only in her twenties."
"Xiao Kong is calm and experienced. He won't let down in such matters." Yan Jingrui didn't tell his wife that Sang Qiqi was different. Although the specific details of Sang Qiqi's case when she was helping the police with Wu Wentao and others were kept secret, Yan Jingrui was Kong Xingyan's mentor and a former leader of Fuping District. Whenever the two of them talked about it, Kong Xingyan always told him everything he knew.
Naturally, Talking mentioned the special features of Sang Qiqi.
"It's okay as long as you know it." Trusting the judgment of the two veteran criminal police officers, Kong Xingyan and Yan Jingrui, Yan Jingrui's wife briefly talked about the relatives who had already been notified. When she was about to ask whether to notify the old man's former students, she suddenly caught a glimpse of the old man's fingers hanging on the bed, which seemed to twitch slightly. Her expression froze on the spot, and she pressed her eyelids in some confusion.
The sudden stop of the sound made Yan Jingrui look back. Seeing his wife's strange expression, he asked, "What's wrong?"
Wife: "...Nothing, maybe I'm dazzled."
She put aside the strange thoughts in her head and continued what she had not finished saying, but she paused before she finished.
This time, without Yan Jingrui even asking, she gasped, suddenly raised her hand and grabbed her husband's finger. Meeting his puzzled gaze, she pointed at the old man's right hand and said in horror, "Grandpa's hand just moved!"
"How can—"
Before he could finish his words, there was a loud bang.
Yan Jingrui and his wife's eyes suddenly narrowed at this moment, staring intently at the old man who had already stopped breathing. He suddenly sat up from the bed, opened his tightly closed eyelids, and revealed a pair of turbid eyes looking at them.
The beating speed of his heart suddenly accelerated. The moment Yan Jingrui's wife screamed, the old man closed his eyes very quickly, and with another bang, his upper body fell back on the bed.
There were already neighbors outside the door who came to help. When they walked in and were about to look for Yan Jingrui, they heard screams first.
Without caring about politeness, three or four people immediately rushed to the source of the screams. They pried open the door and looked at the couple in the old man's room. The middle-aged man in the lead asked, "What's wrong?"
Yan Jingrui's wife was so frightened by what she had just seen that her heart almost jumped out of her throat and her legs were so weak that she could not stand. She leaned against Yan Jingrui, one hand on her chest, her face pale as she opened her mouth and said, "Just now, the old man..."
Her hand was gently pinched. Yan Jingrui's wife raised her head and noticed her husband's gaze, and suddenly came back to her senses.
The scene just now was so horrifying and unbelievable that it would be inappropriate to just talk about it directly.
Thinking of this, she could only shake her head, an awkward smile appeared on her pale face, and she said in a weak voice: "No, it's nothing, I just thought I saw a mouse just now."
The middle-aged man frowned: "Really?"
He looked around the old man's bedroom.
Yan Jingrui was known in the neighborhood as a filial son. When he was young, no matter how busy he was at work, he would always come back to visit his grandfather. Now that he was older, he had even more to worry about. This bedroom was spotless, not even a speck of dust to be found. How could there be a mouse? And if he heard correctly, the first thing Yan's wife said was the old man, not the mouse, right?
His gaze returned to the faces of the Yan couple and he found that they both had very ugly expressions.
Yan Jingrui had been a criminal policeman for many years. As soon as he saw the other party's expression, he knew that the old man did not believe his wife's words. He patted the back of his wife's hand gently. While pulling his wife out, he closed the door of the old man's bedroom, fearing that the old man would sit up again when they looked at each other and talked.
That would be the end of it.
The door clicked shut, and Yan Jingrui helped his wife onto the sofa. He turned to look at the middle-aged man, his voice a little hoarse: "Ah Hui, I'm sorry to have worked hard for you these past two days."
Ah Hui waved his hands when he heard this: "What's so hard about this? If it weren't for the old man, would I have the good life I have now? The old man is like half a father to me. Helping to deal with the affairs after his death is what I should do."
Ah Hui's real name is Xu Hui. He's the same age as Yan Jingrui, and they grew up together, along with a few other friends. Old Master Yan, a former teacher, often taught the children how to read newspapers and learn to read books, and he's considered their mentor. Not to mention, when Xu Hui was thirteen, his parents died in a car accident, and the compensation was completely robbed by his parents' brothers. If it weren't for Old Master Yan using his own salary to help, he probably wouldn't have survived.
Therefore, what he said, that without the old man, he would not have had a good life, was absolutely correct.
"By the way, Brother Yan, have you found the funeral attendant?"
"I found it. Xiao Kong helped me find it. It's on the way here now."
"Okay, then..." Xu Hui glanced at the couple and said, "You two should take a break first. I'll help you get someone to go."
After he finished speaking, he led his family to the living room, leaving Yan Jingrui and his wife alone on the sofa. Without anyone else present, Yan's wife finally gave up her composure. She tightly grasped her husband's hand and asked in panic, "Old Yan, we weren't dazzled just now, were we? You saw it too... What the hell is going on? Didn't the old man go? Why did he suddenly sit up? This is obviously not right."
It's not just wrong, it's outrageous!
Yan Jingrui's face darkened.
The old man had to lie in bed and suffer for the past two weeks after the fall, unable to even take care of himself. Even if he wasn't dead, it would be impossible for him to jump out of bed so suddenly and so quickly!
There must be something strange here.
Yan Jingrui took a deep breath, patted his wife on the shoulder and said, "Let's put what happened just now aside and pretend you don't know anything. Go and greet the guests first. I'll call Xiao Kong again."
Sister Yan wanted to ask what effect calling Kong Xingyan would have in this situation, but seeing Yan Jingrui had already turned around and walked towards the old man's bedroom with a sullen face, she opened her mouth and only said one sentence: "Be careful."
The conversation in the living room was getting louder and louder, which meant that people who had received the news of the old man's death had also arrived. She did not delay any longer, went to the bathroom to wash her face, and quickly walked towards the living room.
"Sister-in-law." When the neighbors saw Sister-in-law Yan appear, they greeted her and offered their condolences, "Please accept my condolences."
Mrs. Yan had a pale smile on her face. Her expression was really ugly, but no one thought much about it. They just thought she was sad because of the old man's passing.
"I heard from Xu Hui that the funeral attendant has been found? Why hasn't he arrived yet?"
"It seems like he lives a little far away, but Xiao Kong has already received a call and someone is on his way here."
"Hey, Brother Yan must be very sad that the old man is gone." The person who spoke looked up at the corridor leading to the old man. Just as he was about to ask about Yan Jingrui's condition, he suddenly heard a loud banging sound, like something was banging against the door. The sound was so loud that it instantly attracted the attention of everyone present, and their eyes were all focused on the corridor entrance.
Mrs. Yan's face suddenly changed and she stood up.
"What's going on?" Someone frowned and asked Sister Yan, "Do you want to go over and take a look?"
Mrs. Yan thought of the horrifying and bizarre scene she had witnessed in the old man's room. She swallowed hard, trying to calm herself down. She shook her head and said, "Nothing's wrong. I guess Old Yan is just packing up."
Mrs. Yan wanted to find an excuse to disperse the people gathered around so that they wouldn't keep staring at the old man's bedroom.
She racked her brains and looked at the several grown men beside her: "Hey guys, we have many relatives and friends. I guess quite a few people will come to see the old man. How about you help us see if we can build two more tents in the area outside?"
Once they got down to business, everyone immediately ignored the strange sound of banging on the door and got up and walked out.
Mrs. Yan glanced in the direction of the old man's bedroom and prayed in her heart that Yan Jingrui was okay.
On the elevated road.
After receiving a call for help from Yan Jingrui, Kong Xingyan turned to look at Sang Qiqi and briefly repeated the story of the old man's resurrection.
Sang Qiqi lowered her eyes, thought for a moment, and said, "A last burst of energy isn't that exaggerated. I'm still considering it as being possessed by a ghost."
Ordinary people are no match for ghosts. Yan Jingrui alone couldn't catch the ghost. And seeing as the ghost was taking advantage of the old man's death and trying to move around, it wasn't a sane ghost. It might even push the door open and run away with the old man's body. Most of the Yan family's relatives already knew about the old man's death. Seeing a dead man running down the street would be incredibly terrifying. It might even make the Beijing News the next day, making it known to everyone.
Kong Xingyan also thought of this, and he stepped on the accelerator hard, and the SUV roared forward on the empty road.
"Teacher, we still have twenty minutes to go. Please keep an eye on the old man. If you can't help, just tie him up."
Yan Jingrui rubbed his swollen and painful brows and said in a hoarse and tired voice: "It's been tied up."
Just now, he was dialing Kong Xingyan while pushing the door open and entering the room. Before he could look up, he saw a shadow falling. The old man on the bed had stood up at some point and was standing on the floor with his bare feet supporting his two trembling legs. He was hunched over, and his skinny arms hung at his sides and swayed slowly, a bit like those self-aware zombies in movies and TV dramas.
Afterwards, the old man burst out with amazing speed, and when Yan Jingrui was off guard, he kicked him head-on.
Yan Jingrui hadn't felt such a strong force from the old man in many years.
In the past, the old man could pick him up and beat him, but now that he is old and his hands are a little cramped, it is difficult for him to even lift a basket of eggs. This time, he almost knocked him down.
Yan Jingrui's back hit the door panel, and the thud-thud-thud sound shook his ears.
Seeing the old man trying to strike again, Yan Jingrui finally came to his senses and grabbed the old man's hand that was trying to strangle him. He subconsciously wanted to kick the old man's leg, but then he realized that the man in front of him was his biological father, the father who had worked tirelessly to raise him for many years. Given the fragility of the old man's leg bones, he estimated that a single kick would shatter the old man's leg into pieces.
There is no other choice but to change the kicking action to a lunge.
Throwing the old man to the ground, Yan Jingrui pressed his legs with one knee, pulled off the bed sheet, and tied the old man's hands tightly.
This is finally the end.
Only then did I have the opportunity to call Kong Xingyan.
During the twenty minutes he waited for Kong Xingyan and Sang Qiqi to arrive, Yan Jingrui first sent a message to his wife to reassure her, and then remained by the old man's side. He stood quietly, looking at the old man's face, which was as quiet as if he had died again, puzzled.
What is going on?
outside the house.
Several relatives had come to look for Yan Jingrui, but were all turned away by Yan's wife with excuses. During this time, she also knocked on the old man's door under the pretext of going to the restroom to ask what was going on with Yan Jingrui.
Yan Jingrui answered truthfully, which made Mrs. Yan's heart palpitate again.
She went outside anxiously and heard several young people excitedly discussing the funeral guests who were about to arrive.
"I heard from my mom that it was Sang Qiqi. I didn't expect Sang Qiqi to be so unconventional. She even took charge of Grandpa Yan's funeral."
"Yes, but I understand. Sang Qiqi has reported cases under her real name several times before, so she's probably quite familiar with the police."
"I watched her livestream and was really interested in her paper crafts. Unfortunately, when my mom heard I wanted to buy some, she practically sent me back to my mother's womb, asking if I was cursing my family members to die soon."
“Puff.”
Several people sighed with emotion, laughed and teased. After listening for a while, Mrs. Yan realized that they all seemed to recognize the funeral guest invited by Xiao Kong, so she walked over and asked, "Do you, a bunch of monkeys, recognize Miss Sang?"
"Of course I recognized her, Aunt Yan. Sang Qiqi is amazing. She could tell at a glance that someone was carrying a murder case! Now netizens are saying that she's a lay disciple from some incredibly powerful Taoist temple in China!"
Isn’t that a Taoist priest?
Thinking of the old man's situation and connecting it to Sang Qiqi's identity as a Taoist priest, Mrs. Yan's eyes quickly lit up. She finally understood why Xiao Kong strongly recommended that the young girl preside over the old man's funeral. She also understood why the first thing Old Yan did when he realized that something was wrong with the old man was to contact Xiao Kong.
Mrs. Yan's heart, which had been beating wildly since she saw the old man's resurrection, finally felt at ease at this moment.
She exhaled and prayed that Kong Xingyan would come quickly.
-
Twenty minutes later, Kong Xingyan finally arrived with Sang Qiqi.
Xu Hui and others also knew Kong Xingyan, and knew that Kong Xingyan was Yan Jingrui's favorite student and subordinate. When they saw Kong Xingyan coming, their first reaction was to go up and say hello.
Kong Xingyan pointed towards the inside of the house and said to Sang Qiqi, "Go into the living room and turn right. The second door is the old man's room. Thank you for your hard work."
Sang Qiqi said "you're welcome" and walked towards the old man with her long legs under the curious gazes of the crowd.
Xu Hui turned his head and looked at Sang Qiqi: "Xiao Kong, who is that..."
Kong Xingyan called out "Uncle Xu" and explained, "I invited him to attend the funeral."
Xu Hui was surprised: "Wow, so young."
He had just finished exclaiming in amazement when the young man next to him exclaimed, "Dad, what do you know? Sang Qiqi may be young, but she's quite capable. Am I right, Brother Kong?"
Kong Xingyan patted his head and didn't answer, but the meaning was obvious.
He turned to look at Mrs. Yan, whose face was filled with worry and she clearly wanted to say something, but because there were so many people present, she could only frown anxiously. He nodded gently at her and said soothingly, "Don't worry, Master's wife. Although Miss Sang is young, she is very experienced in handling matters like this."
When others first heard this, they just thought that Sang Qiqi had experience in handling funerals, but Mrs. Yan knew the true meaning of his words and nodded quickly.
Sang Qiqi pushed open the door to the old man's bedroom and glanced at the bed on the right side, where she saw the old man bound by the sheets. Yan Jingrui was standing nearby and immediately looked up at Sang Qiqi.
Although I already knew that Sang Qiqi was young, I was still shocked when I saw her with my own eyes.
He stepped forward and said, "Miss Sang, thank you for coming here. Please take a look at my father's condition."
Sang Qiqi said bluntly: "Take the sheet off the old man's hand."
Yan Jingrui was stunned: "Is it okay?"
Sang Qiqi shook her head: "It doesn't matter, that thing has already run away."
Just as Sang Qiqi had initially guessed, the old man was obviously possessed by a ghost before his death and was talking nonsense. He also did not escape the torment of the evil ghost after his death. The ghostly aura was very strong in this fairly spacious bedroom, but no shadow of the ghost was seen. If nothing unexpected happened, the ghost should have just run away not long ago.
Sang Qiqi frowned and couldn't help muttering in her heart that this ghost ran away a little too fast.
After looking around, Sang Qiqi quickly discovered that not only was the evil ghost that possessed the human body not present, but the old man's ghost was also gone.
She turned around to look at Yan Jingrui and asked, "Has the old man been staying in this room since he left?"
Yan Jingrui nodded: "Yes."
"Okay, then I'll tidy up the old man's remains first."
"I'll help you."
With Yan Jingrui's help, the bedroom was quickly restored to its original state. Sang Qiqi wiped the old man's face and found that the bones in his wrist were broken into pieces when she pinched them with her fingers. It was probably that the evil ghost tried to use the old man's hand to strangle Yan Jingrui, but the old man was old and his body was fragile, so his arm was broken in a few strokes.
While handling the old man's body, Sang Qiqi recalled what Kong Xingyan had said and tilted her head to look at Yan Jingrui, who had a resolute look and austere features. This uncle looked like a typical decent person. According to Kong Xingyan, he probably arrested many criminals during his years as a criminal police officer, and the possibility that he was resented by the criminals was extremely high.
"Captain Kong briefly mentioned to me the old man's nonsense. I wonder if he has ever expressed his thoughts in front of you."
Sang Qiqi guessed that there wasn't one.
After all, it was a bit too advanced to say that your father was possessed by a ghost in front of his son. According to Kong Xingyan's cautious character, he would probably just say that the old man was probably haunted by a dirty creature.
Sure enough, Yan Jingrui's next words confirmed her suspicion: "Xiao Kong said that the old man might be possessed by some evil spirit."
Sang Qiqi said bluntly: "I've been possessed by an evil spirit."
Anyway, Yan Jingrui has already seen the old man's resurrection with his own eyes, so it is not so difficult to accept that he is possessed by a ghost.
When Yan Jingrui heard the words "possessed by an evil spirit", his tense face twitched, he pursed his lips and said nothing.
Sang Qiqi didn't care and continued, "We both suspect that this might be a criminal you offended during a previous case. His ghost escaped after his death and is now looking for trouble with you."
"If you want to cause trouble for me, why don't you go after me?" Yan Jingrui asked coldly.
"Obviously, it can't." Sang Qiqi glanced at him. "People like you who are criminal police have very strong auras. This ghost hasn't cultivated enough. It's just dreaming if it wants to possess you. As for the old man, it's different. He's old and his spirits are not very good. He is the best choice for the evil ghost."
As the two were talking, Kong Xingyan, who had gotten rid of the group outside, finally strode into the house. Seeing that the old man had been taken care of, and looking at Sang Qiqi and Yan Jingrui who were clearly talking, he hurriedly asked, "Did you catch him?"
Sang Qiqi: "No, he ran away."
Kong Xingyan frowned when he heard this: "Run away? Did that ghost recognize you? Or did the phone call my teacher give me alert the enemy?"
Sang Qiqi touched her face. Although she was now quite famous in the funeral industry, she probably wasn't among the wandering evil spirits. It was more likely that the ghost recognized her than to alert the enemy.
She thought for a moment and said, "If he ran away, then he ran away. The fact that he could easily name so many criminals that Mr. Yan had dealt with proves that he must have a grudge against Mr. Yan. Even if he ran away today, he will come back later. The most urgent thing now is to help the old man deal with his affairs after his death."
After a pause, she looked at Yan Jingrui and chose to tell the truth: "I didn't see the old man's spirit in this room."
Yan Jingrui and Kong Xingyan frowned at the same time: "What do you mean?"
Sang Qiqi explained: "What this means is that the old man's soul either slipped away on its own, or was taken away or eaten by the evil ghost."
Yan Jingrui had a bad feeling in his heart and asked quickly, "What will happen if the old man's soul is taken away or eaten?"
Sang Qiqi: "I can't reincarnate in the underworld anymore. In other words, there's no next life."
boom--
This simple sentence was like a thunderbolt striking Yan Jingrui's head.
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