"uncle!"
"Uncle Gong."
The cubs cried out in delight. Uncle Gong had just left for work that morning, and they were unexpectedly meeting him again. The cubs were very happy, just like they were working with Jiujiu in the past.
"Minister Gong, do you know him?" Director Zhao asked.
Gong Xichao treated strangers the same as always, regardless of their identities. With his cold pride, he nodded and introduced them, saying, "These four are my little friends. This is my old man—"
"Ahem!" Lu Cijiu immediately interrupted Gong Xichao's wife, nearly choking on his saliva, and said immediately, "Old friend, Minister Gong and I are old friends."
Gong Xichao's expression was aloof but with a hint of regret. "Yes. Old friend."
What else do you want, Lu Cijiu thought? Are you going to go to heaven? It's really great for a civil servant to come out on his first field trip.
The case of Fang Xiaoyun and his son was suspected to be a case of conspiracy and was linked to monsters. It was normal for Gong Xichao, the director of the special department, to take over.
With Gong Xichao there, everyone naturally entered the villa.
Fang Xiaoyun and her son died in a peculiar manner; both had their hearts removed. After the villa's nanny called the police, the Serious Crime Squad took over the case. Since that morning, they've determined the murderer must be a brutal, cold-blooded killer, a highly dangerous individual.
"…There was very little blood, the doors and windows were tightly closed, and the nanny said she didn't hear any screaming."
"That's strange. How could the mother and child not make any sound with such large wounds? Were they drugged? The nanny's previous testimony stated that the baby would cry every night, and that the wife, Fang Xiaoyun, never held the child. The child slept alone on the first floor, and Fang Xiaoyun lived on the second floor."
"But at the crime scene, Fang Xiaoyun and her son died together."
"Ask the nanny and bodyguard to see if they were colluding. I still think it was someone I know."
A few of them were discussing when a young police officer knocked on the door and said, "Captain, Director Zhao is here."
"Why is Director Zhao here?"
Not only did Director Zhao come, but he was followed by a group of people. Two of them were known to the captains, including the suspect Xin Huaiping's third son Xin Zhou, and Xin Zhou's college classmates. As for the others, there were curly-haired young men, long-haired ones, people holding cats, and why was there a child?
This is the crime scene!
"Director Zhao, this—"
"It's great that you're here. I just wanted to tell you that Director Gong Xichao, who came from Kyoto, has taken over this case. You'll just follow his orders from now on." Director Zhao introduced Director Gong. "This is our captain of the Criminal Investigation Serious Case Team, Lei Ming. From now on, you'll be under Director Gong's command."
Lei Ming's name is just like his temper, he is particularly decisive and resolute.
He glanced at the one with long hair, his face filled with incredible shock.
Who was this guy? They just parachuted in, knew nothing, and took over this case? And they told Team One to just follow orders? Lei Ming was unconvinced and was about to argue when Director Zhao said sternly, "This case is currently a Class B protected area. Everything is under Director Gong's control. Anyone who doesn't want to work should go back to Team Two. Anyway, you can't handle this case; only Director Gong can."
"What can we do?" Lei Ming's subordinates also rushed forward, wondering why a newcomer could take the position of leader.
Director Zhao glared at him, "Don't argue with me. This is an order from above. Anyone who doesn't want to go to Team Two should do so."
Lu Cijiu felt a little worried about Gong Xichao after hearing this. Office culture is everywhere. Gong Xichao was parachuted in. Director Zhao seemed to be supporting Gong Xichao and establishing his authority, but in fact, he also attracted hatred from his colleagues.
These people are undisciplined. I watched them without saying anything but I couldn't suppress the anger on my face.
What should I do after this?
"Lu Cijiu, you go check." This was the first sentence Gong Xichao said when he came in.
Instead of introducing himself or trying to appease Lei Ming's team, he simply let Lu Cijiu do his thing. This action further angered the members of the Serious Crime Unit. Two of them stopped Lu Cijiu, saying, "This is a crime scene. Not just anyone can enter. And Xin Zhou, as a suspect, is definitely not allowed to enter."
"These two go to Group 2." Gong Xichao gave the second order without hesitation. This was his wife, how could she be just anyone?
Lei Ming looked at Director Zhao in disbelief. Director Zhao said calmly, "Xiao Lei, listen to Minister Gong."
"Just go." The two of them left in anger.
The atmosphere at the crime scene suddenly became colder and more tense.
Gong Xichao didn't notice anything at all, "Lu Bao, go ahead."
Lu Cijiu: ??? God damn Lu Bao.
But the atmosphere was really not good to argue with Gong Xichao, so Lu Cijiu endured it and took the cubs to work. The cubs were brave, perhaps because they had monster blood. In any case, they were not afraid of the scene and were very serious about looking for clues.
The tail opened the backpack, and Hu Sanniang showed her nose and sniffed.
Xiaohong also jumped down.
"Give me the birth date and horoscope of Fang Xiaoyun's child." Lu Cijiu asked Xin Zhou.
Although it was highly likely that the ghost fetus' soul didn't exist, it still needed to be confirmed. Xin Zhou reported it skillfully. Lei Ming glanced at Xin Zhou. How could he remember Xiao Yun giving birth so clearly? There was something wrong with Xin Zhou.
Captain Lei didn't know at this time, but Xin Zhou had seen Master Lu work before and knew the basics.
Lu Cijiu pulled out talisman paper and incense from his bag. Captain Lei's forehead bulged with veins. He couldn't help but be furious. This was the crime scene! Director Zhao said, "It's already eleven o'clock. You've already completed the crime scene record. Xiao Lei, calm down and follow Minister Gong's orders."
"You go too." Gong Xichao said to Director Zhao.
Director Zhao: ...and was even disliked.
"Okay, then I'll be leaving first. Minister Gong is busy." Although Director Zhao didn't know Gong Xichao's background, he also started out as a criminal investigator. He was older and had more experience. The above sentences hinted at something, and Director Zhao had some ideas in his mind.
A local murder case has alarmed Kyoto. This case is not so "simple". Rather than saying that Director Zhao blindly trusts Gong Xichao, it is better to say that Director Zhao trusts the country.
"No." Lu Cijiu shook his head and said, "I've looked for Fang Xiaoyun's spirit in the yard, but I can't find it. There's no ghost fetus either. There's nothing here except the evil spirit."
The evil energy is left by the ghost fetus, which is normal.
Lei Ming sneered, "Catching a ghost? Nonsense. Minister Gong, are you saying this was done by a ghost?"
"Anyway, it wasn't done by a human." Gong Xichao said.
Lei Ming: I choked. This is someone sent down from above? Is this a joke? Finding the murderer doesn't rely on police technology, so what if we have to jump through hoops?
Gong Xichao wasn't targeting anyone, and he didn't even look at the mocking and angry faces of Team One. After hearing that there was no ghost, he thought for a moment and ordered Team One: "Xiao Lei, find the nearby surveillance cameras."
Lei Ming was thirty-five this year, often out on missions, weathered by the elements, but looked only thirty-eight or forty. Gong Xichao said he was four thousand eight hundred years old, but with a handsome face and even well-dressed attire, he looked only about twenty-seven or twenty-eight.
Gong Xichao had a cold face but was still quite steady.
Now one by one, there is a small thunder.
Lei Ming vomited blood, feeling that Minister Gong was trying to intimidate him. But Lu Cijiu didn't know that Gong Xichao was childish in private, but when it came to serious matters, especially with unrelated outsiders, he wouldn't specifically target Lei Ming.
"Why don't you ask a ghost? Why are you asking about surveillance?" Lei Ming said with great dissatisfaction.
Gong Xichao looked over and said, "Didn't you hear it just now? Fang Xiaoyun's ghost baby's soul flew away, what did he do?"
Lei Ming felt mocked and stormed off with his men. As they left, several of them were complaining and angry about connections, while others were swearing they'd quit and leave the job to Minister Gong to see what he could do. Lei Ming also thought about it, but as a police officer, he'd sworn an oath to protect the people.
"Find the surveillance footage and show it to Minister Gong later." Lei Ming finally calmed down, but he wasn't going to blindly follow Minister Gong. He was obviously being shady, and he didn't believe it. He believed investigating a case should be scientific. He said, "He'll do his thing, and we'll do ours. If he issues any orders, we'll just follow them."
Several people had no choice but to agree, but they were still fuming. Someone said, "Captain Lei, we must find the murderer before Minister Gong does and give him a good dent in his prestige."
"Right. Whoever investigates the case relies on a great god or expert. If we find out, and he wants to take the credit, he'll have to quit his job even if he wants to."
Several people vowed to continue the investigation with Captain Lei, regardless of that Minister Gong.
Gong Xichao didn't realize his subordinates were sidelining him. They were just trying to get by and even wanted to slap him in the face. Gong Xichao was standing by the bed, looking at the tiny drop of blood on the bedding and said, "It's very strange."
"What's so strange?" Lu Cijiu asked.
Gong Xichao said, "I don't smell anything sour. Instead, it smells like blood."
"The bloody evil spirit here is quite strong. After all, the heart is torn out, the evil spirit is heavy, and there is also a ghost baby." Lu Cijiu thought it was normal, but he saw that Gong Xichao did not look like that, so he said: "You mean, it's not done by Su Yu?"
"I don't know." Gong Xichao said.
The surveillance footage showed that Fang Xiaoyun was afraid of the ghost fetus, so she hired a bodyguard, a Taoist priest, and a nanny at home. They all lived on the first floor, and she was the only one on the second floor. However, the Taoist priest was no match for the ghost fetus and had left Liucheng long before the incident. This meant that there were only three people at the scene that night.
Around 10pm, the nanny fed the baby once and then went back to her room to sleep. The bodyguard was guarding the living room and suddenly fell asleep on the sofa in the early hours of the morning.
There was nothing on the surveillance camera, it was always dark and quiet.
"We checked, no one came in, and no one went up to the second floor," Lei Ming said. He meant Gong Xichao shouldn't meddle in other people's business; they had already checked everything.
Gong Xichao: "How did the ghost fetus get up there?"
Lei Ming was speechless. The baby was less than two months old, and the nanny and bodyguard were all in the camera. How did the baby get up to the second floor? After watching the surveillance video, they were also puzzled and expressed their speculation: "The surveillance video was sent to the forensic department. I suspect it was a joint effort by the nanny and bodyguard. This surveillance video was recorded in advance."
"No." Gong Xichao insisted, "There's no problem with the surveillance."
"How did the baby get up there?" Lei Ming didn't believe it.
Gong Xichao said naturally, "They are all ghost babies. Isn't it easy to go to the second floor?"
None of the Thunder team members believed in the ghost fetus theory; it was clearly a baby. Gong Xichao didn't care whether they believed it or not. When he saw it was noon, he said directly, "I'm hungry. It's time to eat."
"I have booked a hotel, Master Lu and Mr. Gong are here." Xin Zhou greeted.
Lu Bijiu thanked him, and the whole family followed Xin Zhou out of the villa in separate cars. Lei Ming and the others were left indignant, thinking that it was already so late, and they didn't want to investigate the case, but kept talking about ghosts and weird things, and now they had to go to dinner.
Hotel restaurant private room.
After ordering, waiting for the food.
Lu Cijiu said: "The murderer can become invisible and cast spells. His abilities are stronger than the ghost baby's. It should be said that he is much stronger."
This ghost baby was conceived by Fang Xiaoyun at a precise time. During the gestation process, the fake Pixiu provided by Xin Huaiping also provided assistance. Normally, even he would have had a hard time dealing with this ghost baby. Now the murderer had killed him directly.
"Is the acid very strong?"
Gong Xichao said without thinking: "Meat is sour and not tasty."
Lu Cijiu: ...I’m asking how strong you are, not how you taste.
I can't figure it out, so I'll eat the food first. The Xin family was worried about the ghost baby's revenge, and now it's completely gone. Lu Cijiu said to Lin Xuan: "It's resolved here, Xin Zhou is not in any safety issues, you should go back. Your father came to me last time to ask if you were safe."
"Oh, yes, it's time for me to go back too." Lin Xuan said and looked at Xin Zhou.
Xin Zhou seemed not to see Lin Xuan's look.
Lu Cijiu didn't care about the lawsuit between the two. After dinner, Gong Xichao received a call from Lei Ming, saying that there was a major discovery. Fang Xiaoyun's death was the same as that of Su Xiaoman, a female star on the island, and it was suspected to be a serial murder case.
"It's a murderer." Gong Xichao said with certainty.
Lei Ming: ...He reported this not because he was convinced by Minister Gong, but just wanted to do it on the surface to avoid being blamed later.
But who would have thought that he really knew it and confirmed it with confidence.
Lei Ming ended the call and faced the questioning looks from his team members. "He knows it's a serial murder case."
"That's impossible. We just thought of it and there's no evidence to prove it."
"That's right."
"Boss, let's not worry about what Minister Gong is saying. I think the murderer is still in this city. Two women are dead. Do you want to set up a hook and wait for the murderer to take it?"
Lei Ming shook his head. "We don't know how the murderer can find the connection with the victim yet. How can we arrange it?"
We have no clue at the moment, so we can only increase our efforts to strictly check people entering and leaving the city, and also check the surveillance cameras near the villa.
Until the evening.
Lu Cijiu returned to the villa, set up an altar, burned gold ingots, and chanted a spell. Soon, scattered ghosts and spirits drifted over. Gong Xichao and Xiaohong had already subdued their demonic auras.
"Hello, Master." The lonely ghost was a little shy, but his eyes showed his desire for gold ingots.
Lu Cijiu asked, "Who of you is nearby? Did anyone see any suspicious people enter this villa last night?"
Several wild ghosts shook their heads and said in unison, "We were originally floating nearby, but then we got scared of that ghost baby, so we moved away." "Yes, yes, that ghost baby cries at night and it's so creepy that it scares ghosts." "It's so scary that I'll definitely be reborn as a DINK in my next life. It's so unlovable."
Lu Bijiu: ...
"I still have gold ingots and incense sticks here. If anyone gives me information, I'll burn them all for him."
Several adult wild ghosts looked at each other, all wanting it. They were about to tell lies to deceive this person, but Lu Cijiu saw through it and said, "This is a big case. The Yin and Yang worlds have joined forces. I also know the ghost officials below. Think carefully before you speak."
Liar Ghost: ...are you trying to cheat them?
Even the ghost messenger knows him? Are you trying to trick the ghost?
"I think these ghosts just need a good beating." Gong Xichao exuded demonic power and rolled up his sleeves.
The ghosts who had just been sneaking around with their thoughts suddenly dropped to their knees before them.
"Tell the truth. Those who have clues will be rewarded with gold coins, and those who don't will be dispersed." Lu Cijiu said.
After saying that, the ghost knelt down and rolled away. All gone.
“…”
Is there not even a ghost? Lu Cijiu had a headache.
"Chirp, where is the cat?" The tail pointed to a dark corner.
Lu Cijiu looked over and saw a black cat, or more accurately, a ghost cat. The ghost cat was nestling in the flower bed, just outside the entrance to Fang Xiaoyun's villa. It was a black ball, and if it weren't for its tail, it would have been very hidden.
Maybe the murderer didn't take it seriously.
"Brother Gong, do you know cat language?" Lu Cijiu asked excitedly.
Gong Xichao: ... "I am Kunpeng, not a cat."
"Oh." Lu Cijiu looked disappointed and turned to ask, "Where are Maozi and Xiaohong? They are both cats, maybe they can communicate."
Xiaohong was held by Zhou Cheng, otherwise she would have scratched her way to say goodbye.
Who is the cat? He is the fierce one!
The kitten didn't mind being called cat. He walked over, squatted in front of the black cat, and said softly, "Cat, have you seen the bad guy?"
Black cat: Meow meow meow~
The kitten looked back at Jiujiu and said, "Meow, meow, meow, there are bad guys."
Lu Cijiu's eyes lit up, looking forward to seeing the kitten. He didn't expect the kitten to actually understand. But the kitten was young and not of the same species as the black cat, so it might have understood vaguely, but not the specifics.
The kitten was very frustrated and meowed anxiously.
Lu Cijiu was already doing a great job comforting Zizi. Gong Xichao said, "Let me do it."
"Can you understand?"
"Just turn it into a human form." Gong Xichao said naturally. Before Lu Cijiu could react, Gong Xichao took out a meatball from his Qiankun bag and put it directly into the black cat's mouth, waiting for Lu Cijiu to react quickly.
The black cat turned into a teenager.
The boys, about seventeen or eighteen years old, were naked and huddled together.
Lu Bijiu: ...
"What did you give me to eat!!!"
"What kind of pill is that? It looks like it was made by an ancient immortal. Don't worry, it's the cheapest one." Gong Xichao said sagely, "I'll keep all the good stuff for you."
Lu Cijiu: I don’t know what to say for the moment.
Gong Xichao casually pulled it out, and the black cat turned into a human. Well, not a human, the black cat was dead. Lu Cijiu couldn't grasp what the black cat had turned into. Gong Xichao said it was a demon, similar to Hu Sanniang.
Hu Sanniang envied and hated the cat demon because of her strength.
She practiced hard for a hundred years, but in the end, this cat died just because it looked at the gate correctly. With one pill, it turned into a monster, and its level of cultivation was almost the same as hers. Why?
Lu Cijiu tore a piece of clothing with paper and burned it on the spot. The black cat boy had an extra long coat on him and wrapped himself in it. His pupils were black and he meowed.
"Can you speak?"
The black cat nodded, meowed, and whispered, "Yes."
"Did you see any birds last night?" Lu Cijiu described the situation in detail.
The black cat thought and shook his head. Didn't Lu Cijiu see it when he was disappointed? Then he heard the black cat say: "It was a woman, wearing a black cloak. When she came out, she ate some meat, it was bloody, and she looked at me."
"Woman?" Lu Cijiu frowned. He didn't rule out the possibility that Suan Yu had a female, but Black Cat's description suggested the woman must have eaten Fang Xiaoyun and the Ghost Baby's hearts. "Besides fear, does Suan Yu also eat meat?"
Gong Xichao was not sure either. He thought it probably wouldn't be eaten, but that ugly bird had no moral integrity. What if it ate it?
Lu Cijiu sent the latest clue to Hei Wuchang first, asking him to investigate the woman in detail.
When they were about to leave after finishing their work, the black cat followed them around. Gong Xichao was unhappy and asked the black cat to leave. The black cat had just become a human and couldn't walk yet. Its legs and feet were not working well, so it changed into a cat shape and spoke in human language, "Master, please accept me."
Lu Cijiu looked at Gong Xichao.
Gong Xichao felt as if his innocence had been insulted, and waved his hands in refusal, "I'm not its owner!!!"
"Master, please accept me." The black cat turned and looked at Lu Cijiu and said, raising its front paws in greeting.
Lu Bijiu: ...
This black cat is quite flexible. Lu Cijiu didn't know what to say. Gong Xichao was furious. "Don't accept it. Lu Cijiu, you have me, it's not enough. Why do you want to be the master now?!"
"...I have no interest in being a master." This point still needs to be emphasized. Lu Cijiu said: "How about taking it in for a while? You just turned it into a human, you have to teach it some basic life knowledge, and then you can let it go or stay as you wish?"
Gong Xichao was very dissatisfied, with an expression that said, "You already have me, yet you want someone else."
"Talk nicely, don't throw a tantrum."
Gong Xichao: "How did I throw a tantrum! Where did I throw a tantrum!"
Lu Cijiu: ...of course it is not.
In the end, the black cat finally caught up, because it turned around to pay its respects to the kitten, who loved the black cat very much. Lu Cijiu was very impressed by this black cat who could adapt to the situation, bend and stretch, and read people's expressions.
The kitten held the black cat and asked, "Is it okay?"
Gong Xichao had nothing else to say, and turned around to warn the black cat, "Don't call Lu Ci your old master, and don't call me master. We have nothing to do with you."
"I belong to the kitten." The black cat stated his ownership very tactfully.
Lu Cijiu: ??? Where is the husband and wife?
Hu Sanniang dislikes the black cat and wants to teach it a lesson, set the rules, and teach it a lesson. She was here first, so the black cat should be her little brother, serving tea and water. But this black cat is even more cunning than a vixen. It doesn't often transform into a human form, and is particularly coquettish and clingy, sticking to the kitten all day long.
Hu Sanniang had no idea where to start and could only get angry secretly.
The next day, Hei Wuchang came over and said, "Based on the clues provided by Mr. Lu, we found out who it is."
"who?"
"A skeleton transformed into a spirit, with over five hundred years of cultivation, was trapped in the seventeenth level of purgatory. I don't know how it escaped from there. It was seriously injured and its cultivation declined. It first absorbed the souls of two female ghosts, then ate their hearts. The next step is to take their skin."
Lu Cijiu: "You are the White Bone Demon and Painted Skin Ghost combined into one."
Hei Wuchang didn't get Lu Cijiu's point, but said, "Its strength is growing, and it can also hide its scent and evil spirit. It took a lot of effort to capture it."
According to Wuchang, the White Bone Demon is not a ghost, but a monster.
"With Minister Gong here, we're not afraid." Lu Cijiu flattered Gong Xichao and asked, "Brother Gong, do you have any ideas? We have to arrest him and bring him to justice quickly. We can't go on like this."
A walking skeleton that eats hearts and souls and takes the skin of girls.
How can this be tolerated?
Gong Xichao glanced at Lu Cijiu, clasped his hands together and said, "I have a plan."
For some reason, Lu Cijiu felt a little uneasy when he was looked at. Would he be asked to wear women's clothes to lure the White Bone Demon?
"I'll wear women's clothes and seduce that guy." Gong Xichao said proudly.
Lu Cijiu: ??? That’s it?
If you want to wear it, why did you give me that meaningful look just now?!
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