Chapter 53: An Old Case

"Your father didn't commit suicide out of fear of crime. Do you know what the file says about your father? He is a fugitive from justice, which means he is still alive."

Pei Du was stunned: "...what?"

Since his parents died, Pei Du has been living in their former villa. His father left him a lot of inheritance, which can ensure Pei Du's worry-free food and clothing for several lifetimes.

Pei Du only learned the news outside after he was released from the military.

What he was told at that time was that both his parents were dead.

They burned his father's body into ashes, put them in a small box and gave them to Pei Du. As for his mother's remains, they were even harder to find, and in the end the military sent him a handful of ashes.

But after so many years, his father is still alive.

"That's what's written in the file records. No one knows the exact situation." Lu Xun squinted his eyes in the smoke and said, "But I do have some doubts."

Pei Du didn't say anything. Lu Xun stopped and thought for a few seconds before continuing.

"The patrolman who killed your mother was not an ordinary person. He was the deputy commander of the army at that time. His name seemed to be Yan Xuwen."

"This guy is a typical radical who has always advocated the extermination of all mutants. Your mother was unlucky enough to run into him when she went out and was shot in the head."

Pei Du's face was calm. He had heard this story dozens of times before, and it would not cause any commotion when Lu Xun said it.

"But to be honest, your father is pretty amazing. Yan Xuwen is the deputy commander of the army, and he's good at all kinds of disguises and voice changes. Your father actually managed to knock him out and take him away."

"I guess he wanted to avenge your mother. Anyway, in that file, your father tortured Yan Xuwen in many cruel ways. It is said that he even used sulfuric acid."

"Yan Xuwen hates mutants the most. Your father even injected him with a mutant virus that can grow a pig's tail. He watched Yan Xuwen mutate and swell with cold eyes, and finally burned them all to death in the warehouse."

Pei Du was not very moved by what he heard. Yan Xuwen and his father were both buried in the fire in the warehouse. Pei Du did not get to see their bodies, but only their ashes.

"Then what do you mean by fleeing for fear of crime?" Pei Du asked.

"This is the key point." Lu Xun glanced at Pei Du and continued, "The report at that time said that both of them were burned to death in the warehouse, but after the military rushed away, they only found a charred corpse inside."

"There was a military coat that had not been completely burned next to the body, and the pig's tail was also half burned off. The military determined that this was Yan Xuwen's body. As for your father... he fled for fear of being punished."

Pei Du frowned and asked, "Has the specific condition of the corpse been tested?"

Lu Xun didn't expect Pei Du to pay attention to these things. He sighed and said, "The technology was not advanced back then, and there were very few things that could be detected. Most of the time, the identity of the corpse was determined based on the pig's tail."

Pei Du said nothing more. Lu Xun glanced at him and changed his tone slightly, "But I still found the autopsy report. Although the records are not complete, it is still passable."

Pei Du's mind sank. He recalled the rose-blood words that had been sprinkled on his wall before. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke, "That corpse is not Yan Xuwen."

It belongs to his father.

Lu Xun just smiled and said nothing. He looked up, as if he had not expected things to turn out like this.

"I compared the autopsy report. Although there is a pig's tail next to the body, the actual muscles and bones are all normal. There is no physical mutation."

"Moreover... the person in charge of this case was the chief of the military, and he and Yan Xuwen were good brothers who shared weal and woe."

Pei Du's eyes were dry. He stood there, his fingertips turning cold as the non-existent temperature did.

Yan Xuwen killed his mother, and was later captured by his father for revenge, and he actually killed his father in return.

The military treated all mutants equally, either arresting them and sending them to jail or directly shooting them. In order to avoid the military's search, Yan Xuwen cut off his own pig's tail and escaped, pretending that he was dead.

The military commander who was in charge of the case at the time had a close relationship with Yan Xuwen. After knowing the actual situation, he chose to go with the flow and covered up all traces of Yan Xuwen.

And now... Yan Xuwen still wants to kill Pei Du.

That's ridiculous.

Pei Du laughed at himself, and the chill in his body suddenly grew. When he raised his eyes, he saw that the door of the guest room was opened a little bit.

Sheng Shixian only showed half of his clothes outside, and the rest was hidden behind the door. He controlled his distance just right, so it was not easy for others to notice him, but Pei Du knew he was eavesdropping at a glance.

Pei Du curled his fingertips a few times, he lowered his eyes, and the temperature in his heart slowly rose.

"You said before that Yan Xuwen is good at pretending and changing his voice. What does that mean exactly?" Pei Du adjusted his mindset in a short time. He followed the clues and asked, "Can he change his face?"

Lu Xun frowned upon hearing this. He thought for a moment and said, "I don't know, but he does know some plastic surgery techniques."

Pei Du understood. He did not ask any more questions and simply thanked Lu Xun, "Commander, thank you for telling me this. I will give you the things I promised you before in batches when Sheng Shixian officially joins the army."

Lu Xun snorted coldly and then nodded.

Pei Du also roughly understood Lu Xun's character during this short time of getting along with him. Although Lu Xun liked to hold grudges, he was not a mean person who would allow others to set traps in secret.

Sheng Shixuan hopes to join the army in the future, and may need Lu Xun's support.

Pei Du did not intend to interfere in these aspects. Sheng Shixuan chose the path he wanted to walk, and Pei Du could only pave the way for him.

As for what to do in the future, Sheng Shiyan will have his say.

Lu Xun didn't stay here for long. He came out this time for a secret operation. After completing the transaction, he prepared to pack up and leave for the military headquarters.

Lin Xuqiu followed Lu Xun. When he left, he turned around and looked at Pei Du for a few seconds, then smiled and said, "I heard that you are not in good health. You should take care of yourself."

Pei Du: “…”

Sheng Shixian stood beside Pei Du, his eyes full of emotions, and he stepped forward and held Pei Du's palm: "Don't bother with this."

Lin Xuqiu raised his eyebrows, as if to deliberately make things difficult for Sheng Shixie, and said, "Brother, you are really very protective of your food."

Sheng Shixian's face darkened slightly. Pei Du saw this and held Sheng Shixian's hand tightly. He also said, "Lin Xuqiu, the commander is still waiting for you. You should leave now."

"Okay." Lin Xuqiu threw his hands up helplessly. He looked at Pei Du deeply again, turned around and walked towards the woods.

Sheng Shixian didn't withdraw his gaze until they were far away. His face was gloomy, and a cold light flashed in his eyes for a few seconds as he stared at Pei Du's face again.