Before returning to the shore, Gu Zhisang set up a temporary formation in the pavilion in the middle of the lake to break and offset the ingeniously designed "ladder to heaven" in the pavilion.
I don’t know if it was my illusion, but Ge Liaochan felt that a few minutes after the formation was formed, the air circulation around me became much smoother, and there was no longer the cold feeling as before.
She asked, "Sangsang, can this solve the problem of the resentment in the lake leaking out?"
Gu Zhisang said: "I just temporarily blocked this lake pavilion. The master who set up the formation went to such great lengths to do so, which means there must be something in this 'Goddess Lake'.
It’s not that easy to completely resolve the issue of grievances.”
She walked towards the speedboat docked at the pavilion and said, "Let's go back first. There's nothing to see here."
When the two drove the speedboat back to the shore, the members who were worried that something might happen to them breathed a sigh of relief:
"How's it going, boss? What did you and Coach Gu find out?"
Ge Liaochan told the team members present about Gu Zhisang's discovery and speculation. They looked at each other in disbelief: "Just... some ordinary plants, flowers and grasses, can they play such a big role?"
Gu Zhisang looked up at the distant mountains and the peaceful 'Goddess Lake' and said:
"One flower, one world. Feng Shui luck was originally formed by these inconspicuous plants and ornaments in nature. Often, this kind of formation that is set up without the help of external objects or tools can better reflect the skill and exquisite means of the person who sets up the formation."
Several people agreed: "This is true. If it weren't for you, Coach Gu, who noticed the problem, we really wouldn't have known that there was such a big hidden danger here!"
"Yeah, this is too embarrassing..."
Such a sinister formation was set up right under their noses. They had come to the lake to investigate several times, but found nothing.
On the one hand, several team members felt a little embarrassed, but on the other hand, they couldn't help but admire Gu Zhisang's vision. They surrounded her and whispered to her various metaphysical questions.
Ge Liaochan interrupted, "Alright, alright, once the "corpse sinking case" is solved, I will help you convince Director Gu to hold a Q&A forum just for you. Now let's get down to business first."
"According to Sangsang's deduction, it was the 'ladder to heaven' constructed by these plants that connected the land and the bottom of the lake, allowing the resentment of the water ghosts to overflow. According to the torture of Yao Fang not long ago, she began to be sleep-deprived and constantly entangled by the ghost three months ago;
This means that the time when the ladder to the lake pavilion appeared was very likely three months ago."
Gu Zhisang nodded. "You are familiar with this place. Plant scenery appeared out of nowhere in the lake. There must be residents who saw it and knew about it. Can you ask them?"
Several team members responded, "Don't worry, Coach Gu, we'll figure this out within half an hour!"
As they talked, several young men and women started to look for channels, and sure enough, they made some progress soon.
A female mystic said:
"Coach Gu, I have some contact with the salvage fleet on the lake. I just called to ask, and they said that the vegetation scenery around the pavilion in the middle of the lake was indeed specially laid out more than three months ago.
Because three months ago, a murder occurred in the Shennv Lake, and their fleet helped salvage the body for several days, so they remember the incident very clearly! "
"According to them, the murder case at that time was also quite strange and caused panic among the people. The master performed a ritual in the lake in order to calm the case. Afterwards, he also had people plant various plants in the lake..."
This was soon confirmed by another team member.
The man hung up the phone and said to Gu Zhisang and Ge Liaochan, "Boss, Coach Gu, it is exactly as she said."
He contacted the local police station and learned about the murder that happened three months ago.
According to the police station, the case has been closed, the victims have been buried, and the murderer has been arrested and will soon be tried in court.
The case initially began when nearby fishermen and fish farmers discovered something unusual while fishing on boats.
Most of the fish and shrimp they fished out of the "Goddess Lake" were listless, and a few were half dead, with fishy mucus on their bodies, and they tasted sour and strange after being cooked;
While on the boat, these fishermen can often smell the scent carried by the mountain breeze.
During that period, even the water in the lake had a faint fishy smell.
The fishermen thought that someone with evil intentions or seeking revenge had put some poison in the lake, and they were very worried.
At this time, the fleet responsible for salvaging sediment from the lake fished up some things at the same time, which aroused the suspicion of the fishermen.
Because "Shennv Lake" is the largest freshwater lake nearby, it is divided into upstream and downstream.
At the beginning of summer, more and more people start to go to the lake to enjoy the cool air and swim. Some plastics and garbage produced on the shore will be washed to the bottom of the lake and pollute the water quality after degradation.
The salvage fleet is a group of people who are specifically responsible for salvaging garbage along the lake every day.
What they fished up that day was particularly smelly, like the odor of rotting meat, which was unbearable for the fleet members who had been dealing with garbage in the lake for years.
Several team members on duty, wearing work clothes, rubber boots and rubber gloves, sorted, picked up and stacked the salvaged garbage.
One of them was disgusted: "What on earth is that so smelly? It smells worse than rotten fish and shrimp!"
As he was complaining, he touched something soft and slightly hard. He looked down and was first hit by a strong stench that made him dizzy.
When he saw what it was, he was so frightened that he threw it away with a scream: "Human, human finger?!"
The rotten thing was a piece of finger.
White bones emerged from the fracture, with pits and holes all around them from being gnawed by fish and shrimp. The flesh still attached to the bones was softened and smelled soft by the lake water, and was instantly crushed and deformed when pinched by the crew of the salvage team.
Then the team members found a shoe and a cloth wallet in the same batch of lake sediment.
The shoes were white canvas shoes for women, with a large patch of light pink on the upper, which looked like...
The bloodstains faded after being soaked in the lake for too long.
At this point, the salvage team realized the seriousness of the matter and quickly called the police.
After inspection, the police confirmed that they were indeed human bones and there was indeed blood on the shoes.
This shows that there is a high possibility that a woman was murdered and thrown into the "Goddess Lake".
The police found a wrinkled photo with unclear details in the interlayer of the cloth wallet. After hard work to restore it, they found that the photo was of a mother and son.
The mother was probably in her 20s and looked very young, with a beautiful face and a bright smile. Her son was only five or six years old and was held in her arms.
Through investigation of the photos, the police finally found the identity of the woman in a village in the city.
The team member looked at the information they had just found on their phone and read: "The deceased, Liu Mouxin, was 36 years old and was not from this city. After getting married, she settled in Xinquan Village in this city with her husband. She had a 15-year-old son who was in the third grade of a boarding school in this city. That photo was taken when she was young with her son."
Through investigation, the police found that the female deceased was quite famous in the village, but it was a bad reputation.
The boarding school her son attends has a holiday once a month, and her husband works as a construction worker on a construction site in the city all year round, so he only comes back to the village once a week. Usually, she is alone at home;
She often went to the night market in the city in the afternoon and evening to set up a stall and sell hairpins and bracelets to supplement her family's income.
Because the deceased was beautiful and gentle, and often went out alone, some people in the village saw male vendors who also set up stalls in the night market chatting with her or helping her, and then started gossiping about her after returning to the village.
They said they saw the deceased being ambiguous with another man and having someone else outside.
As a result, some unscrupulous and frivolous people in the village often make vulgar jokes on the deceased.
According to a neighbor who lived close to the deceased, two nights ago, he woke up at night and vaguely heard some noises and arguments coming from the deceased's home;
Because the deceased's house was the innermost house, separated from his house by a small path, the sound could not be heard clearly.
Out of curiosity, the neighbor went out to take a look and saw the back of a panicked man running out of the yard of the deceased's house.
He recognized the figure from behind. He was a gangster from Xinquan Village who was idle and lazy every day.
In the following days, the neighbor did not see the deceased appear or go out again. Because he was somewhat worried, he went to the gate of the yard and shouted twice, and found that the big lock outside the yard was locked.
When I shouted, some gossipy villagers in the village heard it and said with a mocking look, "Why are you shouting at her? You two are quite close."
In order to avoid suspicion, the neighbor did not ask any more questions.
After the police found the deceased's home, they broke the door lock from the outside and discovered a faint smell of detergent in the yard.
After trace examination, the police found some dried bloodstains remaining in the gaps between the floor tiles.
From then on they could be sure that Liu Mouxin had been killed.
Based on the testimony provided by the neighbors, the police went again to the home of the gangster who had sneaked out of the deceased's yard, but learned that the gangster had already fled.
During the process of arresting the wanted criminal, they contacted the deceased's husband who was still working at a construction site in the city, informed him of the incident, and continued to ask the salvage fleet on the lake to help retrieve Liu Mouxin's body.
从村里邻居们口口相传中，他们多次见过那逃跑的混子跟在死者的身后，非常殷勤，闲话早就在村里传遍了。
很多人都觉得死者和这个混混有一腿，发生此案后他们更是言之凿凿，仿佛亲眼看到过。
三天之后，警方在临市抓到了逃跑的混混赵某，他一直藏在网吧里试图躲过搜查。
被抓到之后赵某对自己的所作所为供认不讳，承认是自己杀了死者刘某欣。
赵某头发凌乱、一脸菜色说道：‘我和那个女的是情人关系，她老公天天搁外头不着家，一喝酒脾气跟条狗似得还打她，你们去村里问问就知道了，谁都不爱跟她家来往！虽然我老赵没钱没工作，但是我长得不差也会哄人，十里八乡的寡妇媳妇都说我嘴皮子利落，一来二去我俩就那么好上了呗。’
警方问：‘那你为什么要杀害她？’
赵某道：‘她一直问我要钱啊，让我给她买礼物买首饰，咱老赵家的赌运不差，搓麻将挣的钱都他娘的给她买东西了，就这她还不满足要逼死我！’
'她说自己受不了那个暴脾气老公了，也不想再一个人独守空房守活寡，非要把我俩的事儿坦露出去要和她男人离婚，警官们你说我能同意吗？她男人还不得找我拼命？！’
警方：‘然后呢？’
赵某苦着脸说道：‘然后我才知道这个臭娘们儿一直在算计我！她偷摸著录了俺们干那事儿时候的录音，留了证据，说我要是不给她钱、不帮她把婚离了就拿录音去告我强迫她！’
'天地良心啊警官，我俩最开始的时候真的是你情我愿，要不是她孤独寂寞非要勾搭我，还要逼死我，我也不会一生气就失手了……’
最后赵某承认，自己那晚在同刘某欣**时，又一次被对方拿此事威胁。
他当时喝了点酒，怒火攻心就拿东西砸了对方的头，失手把对方杀死了。
为了逃避法律的制裁，他想到了附近就有一片‘神女湖’，湖中心非常深，可以那里抛尸、毁尸灭迹。
所以赵某清理了刘某欣家中的血迹后，趁着凌晨带走了对方的尸体。
因为赵某家原来是渔民，爹妈给他留下了一条船，他现在唯一稳定的收入就是租贸船只，所以身上也有船只的启动钥匙。
他在附近的乱石堆里搞了两块大石头，用绳子紧紧绑在死者的身上，驾船到了湖中央后连同尸体和石头一起推了下去。
在巨石的拉扯下，刘某欣的尸体最终沉入了水中，沉到了湖底。
这也是为什么至今打捞的船队都没有捞上来尸体的原因。
警方让他指认了抛尸的位置和大概的石头大小，最终确定抛尸地就是靠近湖中的深水区，而赵某足足用了两块超过二三石公斤的石头栓在刘某欣的身上！
在他的船上，警方也确实提取到了刘某欣的血痕和发丝，也在刘某欣的家中找到了一些金银首饰。
据刘某欣的丈夫说，这些首饰不是他买的。
除此之外警方还在赵某的手机上看到了一些偷拍的视频，从画面中显示，点开和结束拍摄的人确实是死者本人。
赵某说这视频是死者发给自己，以示威胁的。
而死者的手机在他抛尸的时候，一并抛入了湖底。
这起谋杀案到了这一步就差打捞起尸体最后一步了，因为涉嫌**、凶杀、抛尸等种种狗血因素，在新泉村内大肆传播，成了村民们的饭后闲谈。
不少村民都表示，虽然刘某欣的男人确实性格孤僻了些，凶了点，但至少他还在外挣钱养家，刘某欣和别人**就是不对的。
她的死亡只能怪她自己行为有亏。
同时‘神女湖’的水质越来越差，捕捞上来的鱼虾更是腥臭无比、无法卖出。
焦急的渔民们只好请来了附近寨子里很有威望的灵媒，希望他能解决这件事情。
那位灵媒一到湖上，就直言造成这些原因就是沉尸湖底的刘某欣尸体！
灵媒表示：‘这个女人是被谋杀的，本来就有不小的怨气，尸体又被抛入了湖里，日夜承受窒息灌溉和鱼蟹啃食钻心的痛苦，可不是怨气更重变成了厉鬼！’
'湖里鱼虾就是因为吃了她满含怨气的腐肉，才会变成这个样子；
必须尽快把尸体弄上来，否则我也没有办法。’
这下附近的村民和老百姓怨言就更大了，私下觉得这个刘某欣太过分，自己死得不光彩还要霍霍满城的老百姓。
警方也在和打捞船队的队员商量，希望通晓水性的队员可以带上潜水仪器下水取尸。
但队伍里的人也害怕。
都说那个刘某欣变成厉鬼了，怨气大得很，那么深的水万一在底下出事儿了，可是叫天天不应叫地地不灵！
僵持不下时，一位云游到此的大师经过此地，听说了刘某欣的案件。
他一来就说自己能解决这件事，但是一切布置都要听自己的。
云游大师在湖中开坛做法，一番操作之后刘某欣的身体果然漂了上来，尸体肿胀腐烂、臭气熏天。
脑后的破口处被鱼虾吃空，大半张脸苍白紫青十分诡异，腰腹部还系着绳子坠着巨石，把尸体那一圈的血肉深深勒出痕迹。
打捞上来之后，云游的大师说这具尸体的戾气怨气太深，寻常土葬的话压不住。
它的尸气和怨气还会像蔓延在湖水中一样，沿着土地影响到整个城市的环境，必须做法三天，在尸体中钉入‘镇魂钉’，在棺材上贴上符箓。
听到他这么说，村民们都慌了，刘某欣的丈夫也同意了做法。
最后云游大师连续三天做法，才让刘某欣的尸体入棺葬下。
大师说尸体中的怨气已经扩散到了水中，必须净化掉，所以他又让人在湖心亭周围移植了浆土，布置了许多浮萍、莲花等等。
据大师所说，这是因为这类植物的茎杆中空，可以吸收掉湖中的怨气。
果然在植物种下不久之后，湖水中的臭气就逐渐消失了，捕捞上来的鱼虾也不再是那种臭烘烘的。
一切都恢复了正常，这件事也逐渐被人遗忘。
听完了刘某欣谋杀案的全过程，顾之桑冷笑了一声：“那人确实改善了‘神女湖’水中的怨气，但他不是净化掉了，而是用另一种方法让水中的怨气散到了陆地上，反而加速了这些怨气的扩散。”
“他能布下此阵，我不信他不知道此阵的作用，我现在有个怀疑……”
仡辽蝉问道：“什么怀疑？”
顾之桑说道：“我怀疑那个玄师根本就没有把那名死者的尸体下葬，埋葬死者的棺材恐怕是一副空棺！”
闻言仡辽蝉和其他的组员神情震惊，迟疑道：
“应该不会吧？那人要是偷尸体的话直接拿走不就好了，为何还要在村子里大张旗鼓地做法三天？”
顾之桑轻轻摇头，说道：
“先去看看那个所谓的杀人犯吧。”
仡辽蝉闻言点点头，说道：“你要见那个赵某吗？等我安排一下。”
在前往看守所的路上，顾之桑等人正好能够经过新泉村。
他们在村口看到一些坐在树下摇着扇子乘凉、打牌的老头老太太，仡辽蝉把头伸出车窗外，扬声问道：
“大爷大娘，你们知道几个月前‘神女湖’出的那个谋杀抛尸案不？”
打牌的几个村民一边搓麻将，一边唠起来了：“知道，咋不知道啊，那都是老早以前的新闻喽。你们干啥问这个啊？”
仡辽蝉：“就是听人家说了个大概，有点好奇。”
热心的村民又给他们讲了一遍事情的来龙去脉，这一次从村人的口中讲出来的故事，就带了许多他们的个人观点。
“俺们以前都没看出来那小刘是个那样式的人，咋就和赵混子搞到一起去了，还搁村里头偷人，真是脸都不要了，你们说出了这种事情能怨谁？还不是怨她自己不检点！”
“我之前就和你们讲过，她大晚上的往城里跑，和搭伙的男同志有说有笑的，当时就有这个苗头，你们还不相信我……”
在这些村民们的口中，刘某欣是一个漂亮但不安分的女人。
她有这样的结果虽然可怜，但是也并不无辜。
顾之桑漠然听着，忽然开口问了一句：“她丈夫呢？不是说她丈夫脾气很差么？”
村民一噎，说道：“她男人啊性子确实沉闷些，喝点酒之后容易上脾气，怪吓人，我们和他们一家子交流都不多的。”
“其实我之前看到小刘身上有伤口的哦！”
“唉男人么动手动脚的时候把不住力道，就算她男人有错误她也不能偷/情吧！搞的她父母兄弟和儿子都丢死人了，小孩子还那么小以后可怎么做人？一提起来，大家都知道他有个**被杀的母亲……现在他们一家子都搬走了。”
“……”
顾之桑微微敛眸，没再说什么。
After the car arrived at the detention center, the police officer who was in charge of receiving them led them inside, saying as they walked:
"The court sentenced him to suspended death penalty after the first trial, but he was not convinced and chose to appeal. The second trial will be held the day after tomorrow.
He said that he killed and dumped the body because he was drunk, which was manslaughter, and the other party had threatened and blackmailed him, so logically they were both guilty of this matter... Now he has hired a lawyer, so there is still a lot of trouble to go around.”
"Zhao x, come out. These two officers have something to ask you."
After Zhao, with a shaved head, wore prison clothes and was handcuffed, he walked into the interrogation room. He repeatedly glanced at Gu Zhisang and Ge Liaochan. It was obvious that he did not expect that the people who tortured him were two young and beautiful women who did not look serious enough in any way.
Suddenly, his inner scoundrel was exposed, and he was no longer so nervous. He tilted his head, pouted, and said impatiently:
"What else do you want to ask? I've told you the whole story eight hundred times. There's nothing new. I said I plead guilty. I admit that I killed her by mistake. But she extorted so much money from me before that and threatened to accuse me of rape. If I didn't resist, I would have become a victim!"
Zhao spit out saliva: "Two officers, what you said about her is not what people say about PUA me online? My crime does not deserve the death penalty!"
While he was speaking excitedly, Gu Zhisang was observing his face and body.
Perhaps because her five senses were particularly sensitive, she could smell a faint odor of sour river food on Zhao.
It's like the fishy smell of stale fish or shrimp.
Apart from that, he probably didn't even realize that he was always scratching, sometimes scratching the back of his hand while talking, and sometimes raising his hand to scratch his neck.
The skin on his neck was scratched red, which was quite obvious.
Gu Zhisang spoke at this time, his tone was very calm: "Legally, your crime is indeed not punishable by death, because you didn't kill anyone."
Zhao's nonchalant smile froze for a moment, and after a long while he stammered and smiled again:
"Thank you for speaking up for me, beautiful police officer. But I, Lao Zhao, have the courage and responsibility to do what I have done. I will not evade it!"
Gu Zhisang raised his hand, pointed his fingertips downward, and forced a smile:
"There is no life force in your fate, only negative energy, which means you really didn't kill anyone."
"You just did some unforgivable evil things, and you are haunted by ghosts and can't sleep every night."
Zhao couldn't laugh anymore. He looked into Gu Zhisang's calm dark eyes and looked away in panic: "I don't know what you are talking about. Are you police officers still doing this kind of nonsense?"
"Mr. Zhao, you are 43 years old this year, childless, without a wife, and a bachelor. The only marriage you had in the past 40 years ended because of your hidden illness.
That hidden disease caused you to have extreme inferiority complex and misogyny, and you always want to insult women. You have a heavy karma of verbal abuse, which means you always speak foul language to others and never repent.
Gu Zhisang's plain words made Zhao's expression change drastically. His face turned red and he stared at her with wide eyes, full of disbelief.
His expression was distorted: "You're talking bullshit! You have a hidden disease!"
Gu Zhisang ignored his fury and continued:
"Your life has been a complete failure. You are lazy and gluttonous but pretentious. You never have much money in your pocket. Your gambling luck is not as good as you say. You often lose everything and are chased and beaten by debt collectors."
"How did such a poor idiot who had been in prison for murder three months ago suddenly become rich overnight?"
Zhao's pupils constricted, and he couldn't help but imagine the gold bricks buried somewhere underground.
He clenched his hands on his legs into fists, cold sweat broke out, and he thought the young woman in front of him was a monster!
Gu Zhisang pointed at Zhao's nose and said, "Your 'Shou Shang' and 'Zhun Tou' positions have very obvious gold attributes, which means you are very rich now. But bubbles appear on the sides of your nose and mouth, which makes you feel stinging when eating and drinking, which means this is a sudden windfall, and you can't bear it and you are not lucky enough to enjoy it."
"Besides that, you've been thirsty these days and have been drinking water constantly. You've been sitting there doing nothing and sweating all over. Your skin has also become dry and peeling, and it itches unbearably. These are all manifestations of being haunted by the resentment of the water ghost."
As he spoke, Gu Zhisang narrowed his eyes and revealed a sincere smile:
"Let's not even talk about how long you can last with all the resentment. Even if there are no ghosts coming to claim your life, you won't be able to enjoy that windfall."
"There is a very serious calamity in your fate palace. You will probably die in prison in two or three years due to an 'accident'. The things you don't want to talk about now will be buried in your stomach and in the ground forever."
The more she spoke, the more Zhao's fists trembled.
In the end he could only put his hands under his legs to restrain himself and make himself appear less scared.
He couldn't help but wonder in his mind: What on earth does this woman mean? !
Will I be murdered to silence me?
He didn't want to believe Gu Zhisang's obvious attempt to sow discord, but every situation the other party described was completely consistent with his own situation!
These days, he wakes up with his body wet every day. He has to drink several glasses of water every day because of excessive sweating, but his skin is still dry and itchy.
Zhao even felt like a stranded fish!
Gu Zhisang concealed the expression in his eyes, "Mr. Zhao, you still have one last chance to consider."
"Did you really kill that woman?"
The author has something to say:
All the clues have been laid out, I wonder if you have guessed the answer to the question?