Chapter 081 Chapter 81

Ah Yan focused on the record of the entire case, but Ding Ling only looked at the key content.

Soul Prisoner and Soul Locking Array.

In the hotel, Ding Ling tapped the picture on her phone with her fingertips. She thought for a moment and began to look through other photos in her photo album.

After thinking about it, she called the team leader directly.

"It's on the waterfront. I'll go back and take a look tomorrow."

Since the Shengxuan meeting has not started in the next few days, she must go and see the things in the photos and the scene in person to feel at ease.

The team leader said without hesitation: "Okay, we will all be relieved if you go and have a look."

...

The twenty-third day of the lunar month is the Little New Year in the north.

In the morning, A Yan sent messages to Ding Ling and Chu Bingbing to ask if they were free to come home for dinner during the Chinese New Year.

As a result, Ding Ling replied in the morning, "I'm back to Bincheng."

Ah Yan's first reaction to seeing this news was -

The Xie family's affairs have become so serious, does Ding Ling need to go back to save the situation?

Chu Bingbing also declined the invitation to spend the New Year's Eve at A Yan's home.

Now, Ah Yan and Xiao Bao stared at each other early in the morning.

"Sister, your roommate isn't coming?"

Ah Yan nodded. Ding Ling went back to Bincheng, but she would probably come back again. As for Chu Bingbing's matter, she was even less clear. Did she need to spend more money today?

"It's the 23rd, the sugar melons are sticky, and Mr. Stove King is going to heaven. Let's go buy some sugar melons." When Xiaobao learned that he had no other dates today, he immediately made a move.

Over the past decade or so, the customs of celebrating the New Year in their three families have gradually become unified, and are almost based on a rhyme.

"Okay, I don't know if there are many people in the alley today." Ah Yan said.

When they were young, they ate sugar melons or Guandong sugar during the Chinese New Year, which was mostly for the meaning of the Chinese New Year. After all, it was pure sweet maltose. When Ah Yan was young, he preferred fruit hard candies and chocolates.

However, every year during the Chinese New Year, when the Little New Year comes, we have to buy sugar melons to offer to the God of the Grave. This has become a habit since childhood.

Nowadays, there are various kinds of sugar products. Young people strictly control their sugar intake, and use sugar substitutes in desserts and drinks. Sugar melon maltose is more of a fond memory for parents and elders.

"Go call Dabao, pack up and go to Tanghua Hutong."

I don’t know if it’s because the Chinese New Year is approaching, but the weather in Ningcheng has been very good for a few days, with no haze.

A Yan thought about it and then sent a message to Gu Jiasui.

Tomorrow, the 24th day of the 11th lunar month, is the Minor New Year in the south. I estimate that Suisui will have to return to the Lu family in Bincheng to celebrate the New Year at the latest tonight. I don’t know if he is still in Ningcheng today.

I haven't seen Sui Sui for just two or three days, but it feels like a week has passed.

Ah Yan got dressed and went out. It was already past the morning rush hour, so the four of them simply took the subway.

"Sister, aren't there only five people in your dormitory?" Tan Xiaobao asked.

Ah Yan nodded, "Yeah, there are five of us, and we seem to be the ones left over. We were shoved into one dormitory, and there was still one empty seat."

"It's good to have one more bed. Our things are piled on the empty bed." A Yan said.

"No." said Tan Dabao.

"Sister, what Xiaobao wants to say is that there are only five people in your dormitory. Including you, there are already four of you in Ningcheng now."

"Will the roommate who sent you the fruit come over to play?"

Dabao suddenly woke the dreamer up with a word.

Ah Yan felt like she was hit on the head. She immediately looked at Jue Jue and said, "Oh my god, what Dabao said makes a lot of sense."

She once again recalled the situation of the whole dormitory going out for "team building", and she shuddered all over.

[Ayan]: Click here to know, @易知, Bingbing Suinsui and Dingling are all coming to Ningcheng, are you coming?

A Yan sent this message with almost trembling hands.

Although Yi Zhi hadn't replied yet, she already had a vague premonition in her heart.

According to the previous law of halo gathering, his other roommates all came for various reasons, so Yi Zhi would most likely come as well.

However, Yizhi was delivering fruits to them in Bincheng yesterday. Could he come so soon?

[Yizhi]: TAT How do you know I came to Ningcheng?

[Yi Zhi]: Teacher Yuan took me on a plane yesterday afternoon...I am currently at the Agricultural Science Academy.

A Yan slowly raised his head and showed Jue Jue the interface of his mobile phone.

"Yi Zhi is here."

At this moment, Ah Yan's heart suddenly felt relieved. At least now, even if she met Yi Zhi halfway, she would be mentally prepared for whatever happened.

Although he didn't know what would happen, the alarm had already started to sound in Ah Yan's mind.

"The Halo people are arriving, please pay attention! All departments, get ready!"

Ah Yan looked at Da Bao with a complicated look: "They are all here."

[Ayan]: Since everyone else is here, I'm just asking casually. Today is Xiaonian, do you want to come to my house for dinner?

[Yi Zhi]: Probably not. I have to go with Teacher Yuan. She has some arrangements tonight.

Looking at Yi Zhi's message, A Yan calmed himself down.

At the moment, it seems that several roommates came to Ningcheng because they all had things to deal with, so it’s not a big problem!

When Ayan and Zhu Jue were taking Dabao and Xiaobao to buy New Year's goods in the alley, Ding Ling had already arrived in Bincheng.

She went directly to the villa area where the Xie family lived as soon as possible.

There are still layers of cordons and isolation tapes here.

Ding Ling was taken in by Xiao Gua, a member of the special case team. "Sister Lingdang, the victim Xie Jin has been sent to the Lingling Pool."

As they walked, Xiaogua reported the situation to Ding Ling.

Ding Ling listened and nodded. "Which area of ​​the Soul Pond was assigned to him? I saw it in the video last night. His condition is currently too weak to be replenished. He needs a little Soul Pond."

"We have followed your request. We are currently in a low-concentration area. We have people there, including He Jiajia, who is in charge of her care."

"However, because the victim's soul has been severely damaged in the constant wear and tear over the past few years, none of us has done further examinations. Even though he is now in Lingling, I'm afraid that hidden injuries may still remain." Xiaogua said.

"After checking here, take me directly to the Lingling Pool." Ding Ling glanced at Xiaogua and spoke concisely.

This clearly meant that he wanted her to go and take a look. Now, Ding Ling could also hear some of the hidden meaning.

"Okay, no problem." Xiaogua nodded immediately.

The Lingling Pond is a yin energy aura field created by combining modern technology with metaphysical methods. It is called a "pond", but in fact it is just the location of the pond, which is divided into different blocks according to the concentration.

In the second half of last year, He Jiajia, the little ghost girl taken away by Ding Ling at the comic convention, is still in the special case team. She is considered an underage extra-staff ghost, running errands, helping out, and doing what she can.

Ding Ling entered the Xie family study. Xie Jin had been rescued and taken away, but everything else remained in its original state. There were signs and lines on the ground, indicating what evidence had been taken away.

The soul-binding array has been broken, but Ding Ling can still see the original appearance of this place.

Ding Ling wore shoe covers on her feet and gloves on her hands, and observed the scene with her special eyes and senses.

Xiaogua stood at the door of the secret room, not daring to disturb her at all, and could not make a sound, for fear of disturbing her.

Although the people who came to investigate the scene last night were the big guys who stayed behind from the Bincheng Special Case Team, they are still modern people after all.

The person in front of me, judging by the amount of time he has experienced, would be as old as several people combined.

Ding Ling's fingertips moved slightly, Yin energy spread, and the warm jade on her neck felt slightly hot.

Her eyes were clear, as if countless lights and shadows were flashing before her eyes, as if she could see the original appearance of this place.

Ten minutes later, Ding Ling walked out of the secret room alone. She tore off a piece of yellow talisman paper and a piece of rope and put them into the evidence bag she carried with her.

Xiaogua looked at her cautiously, "Sister Lingdang, did you find anything?"

Ding Ling hesitated for a moment and said, "Let's go back to the team first."

Of course there was a discovery, otherwise she wouldn't have rushed back from Ningcheng in such a hurry after seeing the relevant records of the case.

"What did the suspect say about the person who set up the formation?" Ding Ling asked.

Xiaogua immediately responded: "According to the information we have asked the Xie family members, the organizers were invited to the Xie family five years ago."

"Because of Xie Jin's death, the Xie family's house was also suspected of having feng shui problems. Not only the Xie family, but also other property owners nearby have invited some feng shui experts from China."

"The Xie family's case is particularly serious. According to our current investigation of other property owners in the same community, the Xie family held a grand ritual and invited many people to attend."

Ding Ling listened to Xiaogua's report silently, "What about the relevant list? Do you have all the detailed information?"

"It has been counted, but Xie's mother and Xie Zhen still refuse to admit it. They insist that the secret room in the study is the place for Xie Jin's soul to rest in peace and be reborn."

Xiaogua said angrily, "You are still so stubborn even when you are about to die."

Ding Ling's eyelids twitched slightly. The appearance of the Soul Prisoning and Soul Locking Array made it obvious what it meant. Other members who had checked the scene gave their reports directly, but the mastermind wanted to pretend he was unaware. Little did he know that this case was no longer the responsibility of the ordinary criminal police team, but was a joint effort of two special teams, sharing their knowledge and information with each other.

"They didn't explain, but at that time, everyone who came in was assigned by a dedicated person from the Xie family to arrange all the hotel services, and all the work was recorded."

"However, according to their testimony, they were responsible for the Feng Shui masters they invited to the entire park, but one of them was accompanied by Xie Zhen himself, who was picked up and dropped off by a special car, so they had no information on this."

"That is to say, the person who set up the formation and the core evil cultivator is still nowhere to be found." Ding Ling said.

"But according to the testimony of the suspect's spouse Lanruo, Xie Zhen claimed that the wood carvings in the study were commissioned by Xie's mother, and claimed that the master was no longer alive." Xiaogua continued.

Ding Ling's fingers moved slightly. During the period when Xie Zhen and Lan Ruo exchanged bodies, he did not go to find the "master" even though he had clearly asked for help. Firstly, he felt guilty, and secondly, he was probably afraid that the master would do something under such circumstances.

"No clue at all?" she asked.

Xiaogua spread his hands and smiled bitterly: "You know, we found the record of the Soul Prisoner and Soul Locking Array here from ancient books. If it weren't for you to confirm, we wouldn't be able to fully confirm it."

"Let's go back to the group. We'll go to Lingling Pond first, and then go to see Mr. Huang." Ding Ling said at this moment.

"Mr. Huang?" Xiaogua was stunned for a moment, then responded immediately.

"It's the suspect from Liang's Garden."

Ding Ling nodded, then closed her eyes and rested in the car.

She did not explain more to Xiaogua, but began to recall the formation she encountered in the antique street.

In fact, as a ghost, if I hadn't been studying in the special case team unremittingly during this period of time, I really wouldn't know much about the formation bell.

Back then in the antique street, she determined the place of yin by the smell and yin energy, and now, she went to the Xie family's villa in person.

It can be said that as a ghost, she knew very few formations, and the Soul-Imprisoning and Soul-Locking Formation happened to be one of them.

Ding Ling smelled a special smell again.

She closed her eyes calmly and rested. If she had not come quickly enough, this last bit of remnant would have disappeared without anyone noticing when Xie Jin's soul completely lost consciousness.

When the special case team arrived at the Lingling Pool deep underground, Ding Ling looked at Xie Jin's soul, which was like a candle in the wind, and sighed slightly in her heart.

"Sister Lingdang, you are here. Didn't you go to Ningcheng?" Seeing Ding Ling coming, the little ghost girl He Jiajia started chattering.

Ding Ling waved her hand at this moment, and He Jiajia immediately shut up, covering her mouth with both hands and said nothing.

"Hello, Xie Jin." Ding Ling extended a strand of Yin energy and slowly touched the now increasingly thin residual soul.

It has only been half a day since the special case team found him last night. Considering his condition, the effect of the Lingchi Pool is just a drop in the bucket in such a short time.

Xie Jin obviously had no reaction to Ding Ling's call at this moment. Ding Ling frowned, not because of displeasure, but because of the obviously serious situation.

"Little melon." She called out.

"Sister Lingdang, I'm here. Do you have any instructions?"

"Is there anyone in the central area of ​​the Lingling Pond now? Clear the area for me, Xie Jin is in a bad condition now."

"No. If you want to use it now, we will clear it immediately."

Ding Ling nodded. She had a lot of autonomy here.

Xiaogua took the little ghost girl He Jiajia away, and Ding Ling walked to the weak soul of Xie Jin, her brows becoming more and more furrowed.

"He's so weak, it won't be easy to be reborn even if he's brought back to life." She murmured.

"If it doesn't work, we'll have to ask Ah Yan for help."

Ding Ling took out the warm jade from her neck that she had kept for half a year. It was a gift from Gu Jiasui to her. It had the effect of nourishing and absorbing the negative energy of Ding Ling, who had just been dug out of the tomb by the archaeological team.

But now, this piece of warm jade has little effect on her, she just wears it out of habit.

At this moment, she wrapped the warm jade with yin energy and hung it on Xie Jin's body.

Because of the imprisonment and soul-chaining for the past five years, Xie Jin's soul is now only a emaciated human figure with a blurred face.

Ding Ling stretched out her hand and gently placed it on the shoulder of the soul in front of her, wrapping it with Yin Qi bit by bit, and mobilizing the cleansed spiritual power and Yin Qi in the Lingling Pool to wrap and cleanse it again and again.

"Xie Jin, do you still remember your name?"

"Don't be afraid. Everything will be alright after all the hardships."

She spoke softly on her delicate pale face.

The soul couldn't reply, but Ding Ling didn't care.

Ding Ling repeatedly mobilized the Yin Qi. This was a pool of abundant supply of cinnabar spirits. The current lowest concentration in this area would not exceed the upper limit that Xie Jin could currently bear.

"I know you're in pain, but hold it in."

Ding Ling didn't know whether he could hear her or not, but she didn't care at the moment and just whispered what she wanted to say.

She knew clearly how long it would take for a person to be imprisoned and have his soul locked up for such a long time and how much torture and pain it would cause.

It hurts, it hurts so much. Whenever she thinks about it now, her body can still feel the tearing of her soul.

"It's been two hundred years, and I didn't expect that this lineage is still alive."

The negative energy of the Lingling Pond gently surrounded Xie Jin, but Ding Ling's voice was shockingly cold.

"You need to get better soon," she said softly.

Of course, she had unconventional means to directly pry open the mouths of the suspect Xie Zhen and Xie's mother.

But when the Soul-Imprisoning and Soul-Locking Formation is activated, the most perverted aspect of this extremely evil formation is that it allows the dead soul to endure everything while conscious.

Both Xie Jin and she had watched themselves being treated like this.

Imprisoned, soul-chained, enduring the pain of restraint and constant torture, once the self-consciousness is completely abandoned and disappears, the soul and body will be destroyed and the whole person will be annihilated.

And if one persists in one's will and refuses to give up, what awaits one is endless array, torture of the soul and body, and endless pain.

Ding Ling never thought that she would meet a victim of the Soul-Locking Array again two hundred years later.

Back then, the place where she was trapped was a Yin-gathering place carefully chosen by that man. The more Yin energy there was, the more it could feed back into the formation, and the more powerful the formation would be.

And in the long process of struggling with the formation, she gradually learned how to control herself. Ding Ling learned to restrain her breath and weaken her soul. The weaker the soul, the weaker the will to resist, and the less effective the formation would be.

She fought back by disguising herself, trying to take control of the formation, and with the help of this Yin gathering place, she absorbed the large amount of Yin that was originally used as energy to control and suppress her, thus becoming the Ghost King with unfathomable Yin energy.

But the Xie Jin in front of him was obviously different from Ding Ling himself. He was originally a secular person and did not understand the affairs of the Xuanmen. He was killed and turned into a ghost, imprisoned and locked there. His resistance and persistence of will only made him suffer more pain, and his soul body became weaker and weaker due to the weakening of the formation.

Just like...the situation now.

Ding Ling needs to wake him up, wake him up with a clear mind, so that he can tell the specific situation of the person who set up the formation five years ago.

Her eyes were deep and she uttered a whisper that no one could hear:

"Just think of it as... a dream come true."

No one knows how much Ding Ling longed for someone to appear in the mountains, come down from the sky to solve the formation and end all the pain.

But in the end, she saved herself.

And now, Ding Ling met someone who was in a similar situation to her.

It was like she was able to fulfill a wish she had made many years ago, and now she could save the fate of others.

Today is the first day since Xie Jin was rescued. In his current condition, he cannot withstand too much negative energy. Ding Ling stayed in the Lingling Pool for two hours and then asked someone to continue observing.

Xie Jin's condition was worse than she thought, after all, he was just an ordinary person. If he hadn't been found in time, he would probably be dead today even in his weak body.

Thinking of this, Ding Ling's eyes darkened.

Accompanied by Xiaogua, she went to meet Huang, an evil cultivator who secretly set up a formation in Liangjia Garden, Bincheng Antique Street, and used human lives to feed ghosts.

When Huang was interrogated at the beginning, as far as Ding Ling knew, the focus of the interrogation should be mainly on human life and the situation of raising ghosts. As for the Yin gathering place cultivated in the Liang family garden and the formation, Huang claimed that he learned it from the half of the ancient book he got.

Huang was unable to give a clear account of this half of the ancient book. He only said that he burned it after learning it in his early years and did not want others to know about it. He memorized it all in his head without giving it a name.

But now, Ding Ling smelled the same scent in the Liang family garden in the Xie family's study, which she couldn't help but pay attention to.

Ding Ling brought her personal belongings back to Bincheng, especially the two top-level magic tools that A Yan lent her, the Bell of Questioning the Heart and the Bell of Confusion, which could be regarded as powerful interrogation tools.

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.

When it comes to dealing with evil cultivators who have committed numerous crimes, she naturally doesn't need to use any fair means.

Out of respect for the team leader, Ding Ling politely called him to inform him that he would use the interrogation bell. As for whether he agreed or not? Oh, I didn't hear it and hung up the phone.

It's just a procedure. This is done to prevent the team leader from getting into trouble.

Otherwise, as a ghost king, she would have violently searched the soul. Unfortunately, this was absolutely not allowed by the special case team.

Two bells rang in the cell. Five minutes later, Ding Ling walked out of this special prison with the bells.

Xiaogua couldn't tell anything from Ding Ling's expression, so he asked cautiously, "Sister Lingdang, are you done?"

But Ding Ling shook her head.

"His memory of this aspect has been sealed."

Xiaogua looked disappointed. This meant that he didn't get the answer. The clues were gone again.

"You go contact the police again, I will continue to go to Lingling Pool." Ding Ling said to him.

Ding Ling returned to the Lingling Pool again. She sat cross-legged on the ground, but did not continue to use Yin Qi to comb Xie Jin's soul. She put the two big bags with bells beside her. She looked at Xie Jin as if she was looking at her distant past self.

In fact, her answer to Xiaogua's question just now was wrong.

Huang's memory was indeed sealed, but Ding Ling still managed to find out some information by using the conscience bell.

But... this falls into the realm of personal grudges, and she has some selfish motives.

Ding Ling took out her cell phone, thought about it, and sent a message to A Yan.

【Ding Ling】：Ayan, thank you.

It is difficult to describe Ding Ling's inner gratitude with just a simple "thank you".

Whether it is her or Xie Jin in front of her, they should thank A Yan very much.

If Xie Jin had been found one day later, it would have been questionable whether this weak soul would still exist.

Lanruo's fate, Xie Jin's fate, including Ding Ling's own fate, everything is within the vision of Ayan and Zhu Jue.

Every time Ding Ling thought she understood Ah Yan's current purpose, there were many things that she had to realize only later.

Look at now, for example.

At first, she thought A Yan brought the bell and contacted her for help just for Lan Ruo.

But looking back now, Lan Ruo was only the initial beneficiary, followed by Xie Jin, and then herself.

No, to be more precise, perhaps she is the first person to benefit.

Which sect is the Yin-gathering formation set up by the evil cultivator Huang from Liangjia Garden on Antique Street related to? The affairs of the Xie family are ultimately also related to that sect.

Of these two bells, one was a gift she gave to Ah Yan when she redeemed her mission at the Antique Street, and the other was a gift she gave to Ah Yan before the winter vacation.

But at this time, A Yan took the two bells back to Ningcheng and gave them to himself.

Her one move saved the lives of Lan Ruo, Xie Jin, and herself.

Ayan does things to kill three birds with one stone.

Did she foresee this day from the day she broke into the antique street half a year ago?

Ah Yan seemed to have done nothing, yet he had done everything.

If it weren't for Ah Yan, I don't know how long it would take for me, who had just recovered, to discover the remaining traces of this vein.

This kindness is truly hard to repay!

In Ningcheng, Ah Yan, who was staying at home again, saw the inexplicable thank you message sent by Ding Ling and immediately scratched his head.

Why did he suddenly thank her? Was it because he invited Ding Ling to his house for a New Year's Eve dinner this morning? Wasn't it too long for him to respond now?

A Yan shook his head and replied.

[Ayan]: Have you arrived in Bincheng? How many days will it take for you to come back? Yizhi Bingbing has been in Ningcheng all the time.

Seeing the message from A Yan, Ding Ling felt warm in her heart.

Ah Yan saw all of this, how could she not know that she had arrived in Bincheng?

Some things are hard to say openly, but what he meant was that all the other roommates had arrived, but he was missing.

This is to prevent myself from doing stupid things in the next few days.

[Ding Ling]: I understand. Don't worry, I won't act impulsively. However, Xie Jin's situation requires me to stay here for a few days before returning.

Ah Yan looked at Ding Ling's reply. Although she didn't know what Ding Ling understood and what impulsiveness meant, she immediately realized that Ding Ling was trying to help the miserable Brother Xie.

Thinking of the situation he saw in the information last night, Ah Yan sighed deeply and expressed deep sympathy.

【Ayan】: Okay, if you need anything just let me know, we are here.

Ding Ling read the message, her eyelashes fluttered and her nose felt slightly sore.

Ah Yan obviously meant that if she needed help, she would help.

Ah Yan always tries to avoid things as much as possible and never gets involved in cause and effect, but he said such words to himself.

She really made me cry!

Ding Ling only had one thought in her mind at this moment: how lucky she was to know Ah Yan! How lucky she was!