Chapter 4: Ghosts and Gods: Believe in them and they exist; Don’t believe in them and they don’t exist
“Ahhhh—”
Xu Chuchu screamed and backed away, crashing down onto the coffin with a loud bang. Her back ached so much that tears streamed down her face.
Xiao Yu was also startled, spilling the hot tea in her hand. She shook her hand away from the heat, "Why are you screaming in the middle of the night? You're a fortune teller, but you're so timid."
Xu Chuchu finally saw the identity of the person coming and was furious: "How could you sneak behind someone and walk without making any sound?"
"Hehe, the person who breaks into the haunted house at night may not be the investigator, but may also be the murderer who comes back to destroy the evidence. Naturally, we have to get closer to identify him first." Xiao Yu said confidently.
"So, you're going to hide in the corner with the corpse all night?" Xu Chuchu saw that there was no fear on his face, so she was convinced by this man.
Master, I am sorry for the disrespect.
I say it again, no normal person would do such a thing.
"Didn't you send someone to tell me that the case had been solved?" Xu Chuchu asked again, "Do we still have to wait for the murderer to surrender?"
"Of course I've guessed who the suspect is, but we're still one step away from convicting him." Xiao Yu waved his fan, causing the candlelight beside him to flicker. His expression flickered strangely. "I called you over here to verify my guess."
He pointed at the strange objects on the table and said, "I'm sure the physiognomist has already identified some of these things. So, are they all the things you use in your life?"
"No. Not even one of them." Xu Chuchu replied dryly, "Where did you get these things?"
Among these things, only the whisk has some connection with Taoism, but it is obvious that the material is not right and cannot support Taoism.
A whisk that can truly be used as a weapon to dispel evil spirits should have a shaft made of high-quality rosewood, a handle made of woven dust tails, and then be engraved with runes to be effective.
The whisk in front of me is made of common and cheap camphor wood instead of rosewood, and horsetail instead of dust tail. It is obvious that it can only be used to repel mosquitoes and show off.
Not to mention those big iron needles, what does it have to do with the fortune teller? She is not Rong Mama.
"No connection at all? Is that really the case?" Xiao Yu's eyes darkened. "Xiangshi Xu, before we discuss this case, I want to ask you a question."
"Ask."
"What's the explanation for this, based on evidence and not superstition?" Xiao Yu asked.
Xu Chuchu realized that he was asking about the six large characters hanging in front of her fortune-telling shop, and asked him back, "I wonder why you suddenly asked about these six characters?"
Xiao Yu calmly sat at the table, rubbing an iron needle in his hand. "To be honest, Master, I'm twenty-one this year. Since I can remember, I've never believed in ghosts or fortune-telling, and I've never encountered any ghosts or evil spirits. I've been traveling all over the country investigating and solving cases for years. No matter how mysterious and suspenseful the case is, I can always find out that it's human error, not the work of ghosts."
"But today," he looked at Xu Chuchu, "Xiangshi Xu completely broke my prejudice against physiognomists and Taoist priests. He was able to easily find the hiding place of the body with just his divination skills. If I hadn't been sure that the physiognomist had nothing to do with this case, I would have concluded that the physiognomist buried the body himself."
"So, is the fortune-teller's method of divination based on evidence or superstition?"
Xu Chuchu understood that this brother was doubting his life.
Well, well, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt like an expert, giving guidance to others.
She smiled slightly and sat down opposite Xiao Yu. "There are many different methods of divination, each with its own distinct schools, but most of them originate from the I Ching. They are neither based on evidence nor superstition."
"The I Ching has been passed down since the time of Yao and Shun, and is the guidance our ancestors left to future generations. My divination today is not based on any evidence, nor is it superstition. It is the result of seeking help from our ancestors and sages, asking them for guidance."
"You sound so sanctimonious." Xiao Yu frowned. "So, according to you, the ghosts of our ancestors and saints are real too?"
Xu Chuchu shook her head: "This is divided among people."
"I wonder if Mr. Xiao has ever heard of the saying that ghosts and gods exist if you believe in them, and they don't exist if you don't believe in them."
"What this means is that if you believe in ghosts and gods, you can ask for protection from your ancestors, but you might also encounter wandering spirits."
"If you don't believe in ghosts and gods, then you will be born righteous and ghosts will never be able to get close to you."
Xiao Yu listened for a long time but still didn't quite understand: "Since you can benefit from ghosts and gods, why do you persuade people not to believe in them?"
"I'm not trying to dissuade people from believing in ghosts and gods, but I'm trying to dissuade people from being superstitious." Xu Chuchu corrected him. "Birth, old age, sickness, and death, as well as wealth and marriage, are all ninety-nine percent in our own hands. They can't be changed by praying to gods or asking a Taoist priest for help."
"What if it's mine..." Xiao Yu blurted out, then immediately took it back. After a long while, he said, "Forget it, let's talk about it later."
He put the needle back in its place and said, "Let's talk about this case."
"Okay." Xu Chuchu felt that this young man seemed to have some worries of his own.
However, since he was unwilling to say, she would not take the initiative to ask. This was also the principle of a physiognomist in dealing with people.
The most important thing is that she is not interested in the troubles of this nobleman. She wants to solve the case and settle the bill as soon as possible.
"Once the body was brought back, the Fang family's youngest son came to identify it. It was undoubtedly the eldest daughter-in-law." Talking back to the case, Xiao Yu became serious again. "The coroner performed an autopsy overnight and concluded the cause of death was someone stabbed her arm with an iron needle for several consecutive days, causing her to bleed to death."
"The murder weapons are these iron needles." He pointed at the iron needles on the table, which were several sizes larger than embroidery needles. "The iron needles were found in the bedroom of Mr. and Mrs. Fang, along with the incense burner, incense ashes, and whisk."
Xu Chuchu was suddenly shocked: "Are you saying that the people who killed the eldest daughter-in-law were actually her parents-in-law?"
How much hatred and resentment must one have to use such a cruel method to bleed someone to death?
"It's very likely," Xiao Yu said. "Remember I told you that our eldest son was once seriously ill, and the coroner's autopsy revealed diabetes?"
"Yes." Xu Chuchu nodded, and suddenly realized, "Could it be..."
"That's right," Xiao Yu said. "I've sent my men to investigate. After the Fang family learned their son was ill, they didn't seek medical attention. Instead, they traveled all the way to the next town to consult a supposedly powerful witch. I suspect the witch gave them a folk remedy that required the blood of a relative and the ashes of incense to cure their son."
"That's why they attacked and bled the foreign daughter-in-law. They are so cruel." Xu Chuchu imagined the scene of struggle and subjugation, and felt horrified when seeing relatives turning against each other.
Xiao Yu continued, "The witch's prescription was naturally useless, so even after the daughter-in-law bled to death, the eldest son's illness remained unresolved. They could only carry the daughter-in-law's body to the mountain at night and bury it. Then they went to the authorities to report the case, saying that the daughter-in-law had run away with a strange man, in order to clear their own suspicion."
Finally, he paused and said, "Superstition harms people."
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