Chapter 62 Only the person who committed the murder back then knew that she was born with the sword.
"What did he say?"
"What forbidden spell?"
"Who is it?"
"No, wait! Look at who we are here with! Seal off the scene? Call the police? Are you crazy? If someone finds out, it'll definitely go viral!"
"Stop it!"
"This matter has nothing to do with our artist. Why should we let our artist stay? Let us leave!"
The scene was quiet for a moment, then erupted in a commotion, with countless voices clamoring to leave. Some people, led by their assistants and managers, even tried to force their way out.
"Get out of the way! You've damaged our brother's image. Can you afford to pay for it?"
But the security guards closed the door early and stood there without moving an inch, not saying a word.
Pei Xingyao's cold voice sounded again: "Please don't feel guilty."
The rioters were quiet for a moment, then started shouting again: "What do you mean by guilty conscience? What nonsense are you talking about? We're suing you for defamation!"
"Shut up, everyone," General Manager Jiang tried to persuade and comfort each one, his face etched with exhaustion. "Please go back and sit down with your team. The police won't let criminals get away, nor will they falsely accuse anyone. Think carefully. Once the inspectors from the Xuanguan Bureau arrive and conduct an inspection, you'll know you're innocent and have nothing to fear. If you force your way out now, you'll be guilty of a crime. Then the inspectors will come knocking on your door and summon you to the police station for a statement. That'll make a bigger fuss, make it even more public, and be even harder to handle."
Someone nearby scoffed, "Isn't he just an actor who just starred in a hit drama? You're talking like he's a superstar. Mr. Du is worth hundreds of billions, isn't he worth more than a young actor like you? The whole room of big directors, movie stars, and award-winning actors haven't said anything, so what are you guys making a fuss about? Those obscure celebrities are really making trouble, trying to make themselves look suspicious. They have no PR sense at all!"
The artists and their teams were scolded so much that they dared not say a word. They could only return to the venue angrily and find a seat to sit.
The venue was ten meters high, and a massive crystal chandelier hung above it, dazzling even on ordinary days, illuminating the floor with jewels, elegant women, and the clinking of glasses. Even the fake laughter seemed to take on a touch of sincerity.
But at this moment, the white light was still shining, but it was like a heavy shackle, and no one knew who it was intended to hold.
The guests on the floor didn't dare to say a word, they just whispered to each other and looked at a corner of the venue.
There, Pei Xingyao took off his tie and, with a sullen face, tied Yin Qilei's hands behind his back. Du Wanwan sat nearby, still holding the goblet in her hand, staring at the middle-aged man beside her in surprise.
"Uncle Meng, why are you here?"
"The Meng family also has investments in film and television. I came here to take a look today and plan to leave as soon as I arrived." Meng Qian was wearing a black tuxedo and a bow tie, and he looked gentle and elegant, but his face looked a little sick.
He covered his mouth with a handkerchief and coughed twice before turning around and saying, "I didn't expect you to be here too. I was just about to come over to say hello when I saw this guy. He put something in the cup and actually gave it to you to drink. This is really... really too much! Wanwan, are you okay?"
"It's okay." Du Wanwan smiled, feeling a little amused.
Look, what did she catch?
She said slowly: "Uncle Meng, thank goodness you came in time."
Meng Qian smiled helplessly and sighed slightly. His expression seemed to say: He also knew that he appeared at the right time.
It was so appropriate, as if this man was prepared for him. He ordered someone to attack her first, and then came out as a hero to save the beauty and win her heart.
Such sinister intentions.
"Uncle Meng, you're overthinking it," Du Wanwan advised with a smile. "I just think this kind of extravagant and decadent environment isn't suitable for you. Also, your health isn't good, so next time you encounter this kind of situation, don't do it. If I hurt you, how am I going to explain it to my mother?"
Meng Qian looked at Pei Xingyao standing quietly beside him and said with a wry smile, "Alas, I did something unnecessary."
Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Du Wanwan had clearly set a trap to lure the snake out of its hole.
She deliberately sent her assistant away and asked General Manager Jiang to leave as well, just to create a chance for some solitude and let Yin Qilei get closer. In reality, Pei Xingyao and General Manager Jiang were both waiting in the dark; otherwise, Pei Xingyao wouldn't have intervened so promptly, and the hotel security wouldn't have been so ready to close the venue's doors at the first sign.
So, Du Wanwan did have a grudge with Yin Qile, and she thought Yin Qile was going to attack her, so she caught him red-handed.
But... everyone looked at each other, confused.
What's wrong with Yin Qilei? Is he insane? Otherwise, why would he attack Du Wanwan out of the blue? Doesn't he know Du Wanwan's status? Isn't hierarchy the most important thing in the industry? A few words from a big money sponsor are nothing to worry about. Isn't the right thing to do to please the sponsor and try to work together again?
Just because your sponsor says a few words to you, you want to retaliate? With such a vengeful heart, who would dare to work with you in the future?
And... putting something in the water in public, is this because he thinks Du Wanwan can't catch him red-handed and there's a lack of evidence?
Are you so anxious to send yourself to jail?
"Is he...crazy?" someone asked quietly. "Drunk?"
"That's not normal. Apart from screaming after being kicked, he didn't say anything. Is he under a spell? Or is this a sudden attack?"
Everyone was looking at Yin Qile, who was sitting on the ground with his hands tied behind his back. He had a confused look on his face, his eyes staring blankly ahead, and no one knew what he was thinking.
It was not until more than ten minutes later that his eyes moved slightly when the security guard said that the inspectors from the Xuanguan Bureau had arrived.
"Comrade Inspector, please come this way." General Manager Jiang led his men to Du Wanwan's side. "We suspect he is about to cast a forbidden spell on our CEO Du. Please check it out."
The Jiangcheng Xuan Management Bureau was nearby. Because the individuals present were of significant status and influence, they took the matter very seriously and dispatched Zhong Shusui, the captain of the Criminal Investigation Team. He had extensive experience handling metaphysical criminal investigations. He produced a talisman and placed it on his hand. Then, donning gloves, he touched the rim of the goblet. Immediately, a green rune appeared in the water with a humming sound, then vanished in the blink of an eye.
"'Obedience Talisman'..." The inspector next to him had a serious expression on his face. He also put on gloves, applied another talisman, and slapped it towards Yin Qilei. With one palm strike, another identical talisman appeared from Yin Qilei's body. The inspector nimbly grabbed it and stuffed it into a special evidence bag.
"Boss, the bewitching talisman."
"Alright, the situation is clear now. This guy was bewitched, so someone put an 'obedience spell' in the water and prepared to give it to President Du." Zhong Shusui ordered, "Check everyone present and take their statements."
The stars and directors at the scene all changed their expressions.
The actresses covered their chests in panic: "Inspection? Body search?"
"Don't panic, everyone. We are just checking if there is any residual magic on your body. Just think of it as a security check. We won't touch your body." The inspector who came with Zhong Shusui was much more tactful. He led the inspectors to check everyone present one by one, asking if they had been alone in the past hour.
The patrolman in Zhong Shu's group was a tall, thin, bamboo-like man in his thirties named Wei Xuanhai. He spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Boss, I think it's dangerous. The 'Obedience Talisman' is fresh, with every detail clearly visible. It was cast when the police were called. But the Bewitching Talisman is already very faint. It's been cast for almost an hour. In that time, the real culprit has probably escaped. With this guy as a scapegoat, who would be so foolish as to wait there and be caught?"
But at least one thing is certain, Du Wanwan is right, the sales channel of the "Obedient Talisman" is indeed in the entertainment industry.
Zhong Shusui's eyes darkened. Without saying anything more, he and Wei Xuanhai took notes of Meng Qian.
Meng Qian naturally repeated what he had said to Du Wanwan, and added, "I really just arrived not long ago. The surveillance camera in the underground parking lot should have captured the time I entered. That was 15 minutes ago. I got off the car and went to the venue. As soon as I entered, I saw Wanwan. I wanted to come over to say hello to her, but I found out that this person was going to harm her. After that, I have been with her and Assistant Pei."
Zhong Shusui nodded and extended his hand: "Sorry, it's a fixed procedure."
"I understand." Meng Qian shook hands with him. "I'm Wanwan's elder. Of course, I hope you'll conduct a thorough and careful investigation and catch the murderer as soon as possible, so that Wanwan and I don't have to worry. Just tell me what you want me to do, and I'll do my best to cooperate."
"Thank you Mr. Meng for your cooperation." Zhong Shusui and Wei Xuanhai cooperated well and took Yin Qile away.
"You two, I've already booked a room at the hotel," Du Wanwan said. "Please follow me."
Zhong Shusui nodded, left the inspector at the scene to collect physical evidence, and left with Wei Xuanhai and another inspector, taking Yin Qile away.
Yin Qile was in a daze and had no idea what he was going through until he entered the room and Zhong Shusui helped Du Wanwan apply for the qualification to attend the interrogation. Only then did he suddenly wake up.
"The bewitching talisman's time limit has expired." Wei Xuanhai explained to Du Wanwan in a low voice, "The bewitching talisman is a type of soul-binding talisman. Its main function is to stimulate evil thoughts in people and incite them to commit crimes, so it is also a type of control talisman. However, bewitching talismans have an expiration date and usually only last for an hour."
Now, the effect of the bewitching talisman on Yin Qile disappeared, and he jumped up as if he had been electrocuted.
——And because his hands were tied, he fell back onto the sofa in an instant.
"I... who are you? What are you doing? Why are you tying me up?" Yin Qilei was baffled, shocked and angry, when he suddenly noticed Du Wanwan sitting next to him. He was about to curse when the memory flashed through his mind, and his face turned pale.
"Looks like you've remembered everything." Wei Xuanhai untied his tie and, without a word, turned it into handcuffs. "Inspector, take your statement. Be honest!"
"Name." Zhong Shu asked.
Yin Qile answered with a trembling voice, his face becoming paler, and his eyes kept glancing at Du Wanwan.
"Where are you looking?" Zhong Shusui stared at the table and shouted in a deep voice, "Tell me the truth, what have you done?"
"I..." Yin Qilei knew he had been caught red-handed and couldn't deny it no matter what he said. He could only hope for leniency by confessing. But when he said it in front of Du Wanwan, he almost trembled to pieces.
"I... I put a 'obedience charm' in the cup, hoping she would drink it..."
"who is she?"
"Du, Du Wanwan."
"Why did you do that?"
"Because, because..." Yin Qilei swallowed a few times and said with difficulty: "I was originally the director of the movie "Abyss Rescue". Du Wanwan suddenly came to the cocktail party and said that I disrespected women and revoked my director qualification. I wanted to make amends, so I wanted to give her an "obedient spell" and ask her to agree to restore my director position. I..."
He suddenly raised his head and shouted excitedly: "Comrade Inspector, I didn't hurt her! I didn't hurt anyone intentionally! I just wanted to continue directing "Abyss Rescue"! Believe me! I really didn't..."
"What are you shouting about?" Zhong Shusui shouted coldly, "Where did you get your 'obedient talisman'?"
"Yes, Ji Wenfeng gave it to me!" Yin Qilei clenched his fists, wanting to pound the table a few times. "I was drunk and went to the bathroom to vomit. He chased me and said he wanted to repay me, so he gave me the obedient talisman. I, I was tempted by a ghost and put the obedient talisman in boiled water, wanting her to drink it. I...that, Comrade Inspector, I really didn't mean to hurt her. I just wanted to get my director position back! Believe me!"
Zhong Shusui and Wei Xuanhai looked at each other. Du Wanwan was behind them, her eyes gloomy.
Doesn’t Yin Qile know that he has been bewitched?
"Ji Wenfeng?" Wei Xuanhai repeated.
"Yes, it's the actor who played the supporting actor XXX in the movie 'The Swift Wind and the Strong Grass'. I recommended this role to him fifteen years ago. He said he wanted to repay a favor, so..." Yin Qile said, and suddenly stopped. His face looked as if he had seen a ghost, and all the blood was gone.
"What? You're not going to talk anymore?" Zhong Shusui asked coldly. "This Ji Wenfeng you mentioned, our comrades have just confirmed that he's not on the cocktail party's list. He's filming at the H Film and Television Base and was just on the set. Don't cocktail parties like yours claim to have a strict screening list? Without an invitation, you can't get in at all? Tell me again, who gave it to you?"
"It's really Ji Wenfeng!" Yin Qile was terrified. He remembered clearly that it was Ji Wenfeng who gave him the obedient talisman in the bathroom!
But...but, his brain was now clear, and he understood that Ji Wenfeng was indeed not at the scene.
So, who did he meet? Why did he think that person was Ji Wenfeng?
"Boss." Zhong Shusui and Wei Xuanhai's headphones started ringing. "We found a half-drunk bottle of purified water in a restroom with traces of a talisman on it. Preliminary identification shows that the other party should have put the talisman on the palm of their hand, slapped it on Yin Qilei's back, and then took the bottle of water, so there were traces of the talisman on the bottle. But there is no surveillance near the restroom, and we found no signs of anyone entering or leaving. We have also questioned everyone at the scene, and no one had any traces of a talisman on their hands, and no one was alone. They were all at the cocktail party and can testify to each other. There are high-definition cameras at the venue, and we have obtained the surveillance footage, and there is indeed no one missing."
There are quite a few people at the venue, but what about the people coming in and out of the entire hotel?
"Boss, we are checking the hotel's surveillance to identify other people."
He was a brother who had been working with him on cases for a long time and knew his working style. Without being told, he had already started other investigations.
Zhong Shusui's gaze fell on the man across from him. He was nearly fifty years old and had been on the news not long ago. In the video, he looked energetic and vigorous. But in just an hour, it was as if a layer of his mask had been peeled off, revealing the old age and weakness that befitted his age.
He was completely bewildered and kept repeating, "It was really Ji Wenfeng, that was Ji Wenfeng I saw... I didn't mean to hurt her, I just wanted to continue being a director... Comrade Inspector, I, this counts as attempted crime, right? I won't be detained, right? I absolutely cannot be detained. If I'm detained, I'll be labeled a bad artist, and I won't be able to survive in the entertainment industry anymore. Please, let me go..."
Du Wanwan watched as Zhong Shusui impatiently called other inspectors and handcuffed Yin Qile and took him away, her eyes filled with mockery and indifference.
It turns out that the legendary big director, at this time, was like a legal illiterate, and actually thought that he could avoid punishment by asking for inspection.
"That bastard," Wei Xuanhai couldn't help but curse. "He doesn't even take the criminal law seriously. He used a banned spell at will, and he even claimed he didn't do anything! The bewitching spell isn't a puppet spell. It simply catalyzes the evil thoughts in one's heart, turning them into action. He has no intention of harming anyone. If he hadn't accepted the obedient spell, would we be able to go out today?"
But today, apart from confirming that one of the channels for the leakage of the obedient talisman was the entertainment industry, they did not gain anything else.
Zhong Shusui frowned tightly, wanting to smoke a cigarette impatiently, but he was concerned about the presence of girls, and the anger between his brows became more and more obvious.
After listening to a few sentences, Du Wanwan had roughly guessed what was going on.
Someone must have pretended to be Ji Wenfeng and cast a bewitching spell on Yin Qilei, then used him to place an obedient spell in her water. Even if Yin Qilei had been bewitched, he was slightly intoxicated, but not so drunk that he couldn't even recognize the person and just believed them.
He was so sure that the other person was Ji Wenfeng, which meant that the other person was using Ji Wenfeng's face.
In addition to the bewitching talisman, the other party also used a disguise talisman, or was it the disguise technique of the fox demon clan?
To use the disguise technique, one needs a disguise permission token, which is the same as the disguise permission token that Xiang Yongkang gave to Qi Jiayu back then.
For twenty years, the other party has been targeting the Du family. What deep hatred is there?
But the Du family hadn't had any mortal enemies for so many years, so the other party shouldn't be coming for blood revenge. So, was it for money?
Who is still short of money after twenty years and still obsessed with the Du family's money?
Du Wanwan was at a loss for a moment and looked up and asked, "Inspector Zhong, will the spell cast in the water have any effect on the Sword Palace?"
Zhong Shusui shook his head: "As for the obedient talisman we have seized, it is a soul-controlling spell that does not harm the body's functions."
Meridians, physical health, sword palace, and spiritual roots are all body functions.
"Thank you." Du Wanwan said politely and took a simple note.
She admitted frankly, "I did set up the trap tonight. I didn't expect Yin Qilei to run into me, but he's a good bait, so I deliberately created an opportunity for him to strike. I ordered security to block the scene, but I didn't expect to catch the fox behind the scenes."
"Don't be discouraged. If it were so easy to catch him, what would we do?" Zhong Shusui consoled her, then lectured her seriously, "But, Miss Du, don't act on your own in the future. It's too dangerous."
Du Wanwan responded with a sincere "hmm," but her mind was preoccupied with other matters. She asked, "Inspector Zhong, have you come to any conclusion on the matter I asked you to do last time?"
"I've interrogated them. Xiang Yongkang, Qi Yishan, and Qi Jiayu all insisted they had no knowledge of your involvement with the Sword Mansion. Qi Yishan was in her hometown at the time, nursing her pregnancy, and wasn't in Jiangcheng, so she didn't know about your situation. Xiang Yongkang gave Qi Jiayu a disguise permit and told her to strangle you to death. Qi Jiayu..."
Zhong Shusui paused as he spoke and glanced at her.
Du Wanwan wasn't surprised at all. "Qi Jiayu is the same as Yin Qilei just now, right? I've already guessed that. My mother and Xiang Yongkang are only slightly spiritually proficient. They don't know any magic or practice cultivation. According to genetic principles, I shouldn't have a sword palace. Xiang Yongkang has never seen me, and it's even more impossible for him to know that I have a sword palace, and let Qi Jiayu destroy it. However, my doctor said that my sword palace was indeed destroyed by a special poisonous talisman."
She sighed slightly. "Then there's only one possibility. Qi Jiayu, like Yin Qilei just now, was cursed and her memory is distorted. She thought it was Xiang Yongkang who ordered the destruction of my sword palace."
"Miss Du..." Zhong Shusui felt a little reluctant.
But Du Wanwan quickly calmed down, smiled and shook her head, saying, "It's okay, Inspector Zhong, is there anything else I can cooperate with?"
Inspector Zhong shook his head: "No more, you can go back."
Du Wanwan nodded, and took Pei Xingyao, who remained silent, out of the room step by step and walked towards the reception hall.
She and Pei Xingyao clearly and tacitly cooperated with each other, deliberately leaking her experience in metaphysical forensic identification, and deliberately letting people know that Shang Yunle injected her with the antidote, with only one purpose -
Lead out the person who harmed her twenty years ago.
It was not until Shang Yunle examined her that Du Wanwan found out that she was born with a sword palace, but it was destroyed at birth.
This is really thought-provoking.
She had just been born, her parents had never seen her, and with Qi Jiayu's cultivation level, she couldn't tell what was going on with her. Why had someone predicted that she would be born with a sword palace and destroyed it beforehand?
Back then, Xiang Yongkang ordered Qi Jiayu to strangle her to death. Qi Jiayu, a born murderer who watched three or four lives burn to death in a fire for money, would really feel sorry for the newborn baby and abandon her on the roadside?
Her spiritual roots, meridians, and sword palace were destroyed when she was born, and she was thrown into the snow. Did she really not receive any treatment and rely on her own body to survive?
What kind of physical fitness can allow one to withstand severe cold and high fever and keep a newborn baby alive while having its meridians destroyed?
Is there really no one secretly interfering in this?
Nothing is known yet, we can only wait for the results of the investigation.
But one thing is certain.
Before Shang Yunle examined her, only the person who had murdered her knew that she was born with the ability to open the sword palace.
Even now, apart from Zhong Shusui, Forensic Doctor Nie, Luo Zhen, Yu Jiani, Pei Xingyao, Shang Yunle, and Du Wanwan herself, only the person who poisoned her knew that her sword palace was destroyed. He was also the only one who worried about her sword palace being repaired.
Therefore, only the person who poisoned her back then would target her sword palace.
Du Wanwan had set up a trick to lure the snake out of its hole tonight. In fact, she wanted to verify whether the person who poisoned her was still alive. What was his relationship with the real owner of the system?
She did get some clues, for example, the two people's modus operandi were very similar. They both used bewitching talismans to cause the person who directly attacked her to have memory confusion and hide his whereabouts.
The fox's tail was slightly exposed, but she didn't hold it firmly. Fortunately, the other two small goals were achieved.
Now, she is going to verify another thing.
"Wanwan!"
As soon as Du Wanwan entered the venue, Meng Qian came over anxiously and asked with concern, "Are you okay?"
"Thank you, Uncle Meng. I'm fine. Don't worry." Du Wanwan smiled and gave him a look from a distance.
Lou Yiqi, who had been sitting obediently, immediately came over with a smile on his face.
"Mr. Du."
"Uncle Meng, let me introduce you." Du Wanwan pulled Lou Yiqi to stand in front of Meng Qian and said with a smile: "This is the film queen Lou Yiqi, and she is also the heroine of our company's next film. Miss Lou, this is our Runjia shareholder, Mr. Meng Qian."
"Hello, Mr. Meng." Lou Yiqi smiled coquettishly and extended her hand gracefully.
Du Wanwan looked at Meng Qian and smiled gentlemanly, then extended her hand to shake hands with Lou Yiqi.
"System," she said coldly in her mind, "consume awakening points to erase the height, age, and weight options in the hostile harem system."
"Now, execute immediately!"
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