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墨書 Inktalez
I had no interest in the severed limbs on the ground. I simply walked over and saw Yue Wenshan—specifically, the remains of Yue Wenshan. He was unrecognizable, with more than half of his flesh and blood viciously bitten away. I couldn't even imagine how many people had attacked him before his demise.
The remaining SUV was in bad shape as well; the two Taoists inside had been bitten to death. The glass of the vehicle was shattered, and the driver lay slumped over the steering wheel. It seemed he had also attempted to escape by driving but had failed.
In addition, there were many local villagers who had been shot dead by Yue Wenshan's subordinates. The ground was littered with the corpses of Toads.
Over a dozen detectives witnessed this scene, and two young officers immediately vomited.
I sighed and waved to a police officer, saying, "We still have work to do. Can you accompany me to chop down a tree?"
Wang Xue was indeed powerful, exceeding my expectations. However, during the day, she was like a soft persimmon—completely immobile.
I led a few officers to the large tree. During the day, the river water was over a meter deep, submerging half of the tree. From the outside, it was impossible to see Wang Xue's Vengeful Spirit inside. However, I already knew there was something wrong with this tree; Wang Xue's body was hidden beneath it.
"Song Fei, what are you doing here?" one officer asked curiously. He was a formal officer from the local precinct and knew I was an Auxiliary Police officer from Donghai City, so he felt no need to hold back in our conversation.
I replied, "The mastermind behind last night's major case is right here. We need to chop down this tree while it's still light out. We must do it quickly and finish today. Can we manage that?"
The officer looked around and then back at me. "Are you sure? Should we consult our superiors? To dig up this tree, we need to build an earth dam upstream and drain the water. It's quite a project; if we complete it, we'll need to call in the firefighters for assistance."
I waved my hand dismissively. "No need to consult anyone; we just need to get it done. The leaders will agree once they know about it. Don't worry; we'll keep them informed as we go along. I can directly communicate with my department head about this."
"Alright then, I'll call the firefighters now. If anything goes wrong, I'll put all the blame on you," the officer said nervously, fearing responsibility.
I nodded in agreement.
We discussed the plan for cutting down the tree, which was quite simple. We just needed to surround the large tree to prevent water from coming in and then drain the water around it. The firefighters were experienced heroes in these matters, so I left it to them while I picked up my phone to call Chen Shan.
When Chen Shan heard that I had found the source, he was pleased. However, after I explained the entire process, he fell silent. He understood and said he would personally report this matter to the leaders of Donghai City, assuring me that I could proceed without worry; no matter what happened, he would take responsibility.
By two in the afternoon, the water around the tree had finally been drained. Just as a small amount of water remained, a sudden wave of a strong, foul odor hit us. The stench was so overwhelming it could make someone faint.
I instructed them to continue draining, and soon thousands of Toads began to emerge from the mud. The sight of so many Toads made those around me recoil in disgust. I felt a bit nauseous myself, but fearing any unexpected developments, I forced myself to approach the tree roots.
As I neared the roots of the large tree, I suddenly stopped. At that moment, countless tendrils shot out from beneath the mud, reaching toward my feet like a swarm of arms trying to grab me.
Seeing this, I quickly backed away. As sunlight hit them, those tendrils turned into wisps of white smoke.
"What is that?" a firefighter asked as he approached and looked down.
"It seems we still need to bring in an excavator to dig this tree up directly," I replied.
By now, they all understood that something was wrong with the Old Huai Tree and naturally listened to me. Soon enough, a large excavator arrived and began digging. As it unearthed the tree, a chilling scream echoed from beneath the mud, and then the entire pit turned blood-red.
As sunlight shone down, smoke began to rise from the ancient tree. Finally, with a loud bang, this ancient tree that had stood for hundreds of years caught fire and turned into a cloud of smoke that drifted away.
Watching the flames disperse and glancing at the bodies on the ground, I sighed; everything is interconnected by cause and effect. Yue Wenshan brought this upon himself; Liao Gang and Shen Shaohua were no different. If they had admitted their wrongdoing earlier, they wouldn't have met such tragic ends. The villagers of Shuidong Village were also at fault; if they had reported finding the bodies or cremated them back then, so many lives wouldn't have been lost today.
Everything has its consequences.
With this matter concluded, I didn't want to linger any longer. I called out to Zhou Ruyun and Ding Dong before seeking out Wang Yan to say goodbye.
Wang Yan stood next to the excavator, laughing heartily.
"What are you laughing at?" I patted Wang Yan's shoulder and asked.
Wang Yan turned around, and upon seeing me, she stopped laughing. "It's nothing, just thought of a song."
I thought Wang Yan must have been too affected by the situation to still be thinking about songs. "Do you want me to take you back to school?"
Wang Yan shook her head. "No need, our car is still over there. I still have to handle the aftermath for my three classmates."
I nodded in agreement, said goodbye to Wang Yan, and then drove away.
As for Zhou Ruyun and Ding Dong, they stayed temporarily in Shuidong Village for further investigation.
I drove straight back to the café. It was already past nine in the evening. I felt exhausted and weary. After taking a shower, I lay down on my bed, ready to sleep.
Just then, my phone rang. I checked the caller ID; it was an unfamiliar number. I answered the call, and Wang Yan's voice came through. "Hello, Song Fei."
"Wang Yan, how are you? Have you returned to school?" I asked.
"My dad picked me up and took me home. By the way, thank you, Song Fei," she replied.
I told her it was no problem, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then hung up.
Next, I received a friend request on WeChat. I looked and saw it was from Wang Yan, requesting to add me as a friend.
I added her without hesitation. Just as I was about to put my phone down, a notification chimed. I opened it to find a message from Wang Yan. She had sent me a selfie; in the photo, she had just finished showering, wearing a towel with her damp hair cascading down. She smiled at the camera, and the towel was positioned low enough that I could clearly see the curve beneath her collarbone.
It was very fair and quite deep—very enticing.
I let out a helpless laugh. These girls nowadays, really, what’s the point of sending such photos late at night? Are they intentionally trying to get my attention, hoping I’ll drive over to their place?
Hmm, I couldn’t tell before, but this Wang Yan seems quite slim. I thought she was flat-chested, but it turns out she has some depth. Her gaze is truly… strange!
I suddenly sat up straight. I looked at the photo again; before, I had only focused on the parts below her neck. But now, as I examined Wang Yan's eyes closely, I realized that although the woman in the photo was indeed Wang Yan, her expression was definitely not hers!
What’s going on?
I stared at the photo, and I was certain that gaze did not belong to Wang Yan!
Wang Yan is a healthy, pure, and lively girl. Even if she really had feelings for me, her eyes would still be clear. But now, Wang Yan’s eyes held a hint of mockery, a touch of depth, and a dash of joy—so many different emotions were reflected in her gaze.
The eyes are the windows to the soul. A child's eyes are always crystal clear, while an adult, no matter how well they disguise themselves, cannot make their eyes shine with clarity.
Looking at Wang Yan in the photo made my heart race. I immediately picked up my phone and called her back.
Now, I was certain that something had happened to Wang Yan!
As soon as I dialed, the call connected. Before I could say anything, Wang Yan spoke first.
Wang Yan laughed and said, “Song Fei, do you remember when you asked me why I was laughing?”
My heart sank a little. I remembered seeing Wang Yan laughing at those corpses; it felt off at the time. But back then, all I wanted was to return to Donghai City and get back to my café, so I didn’t ask further. Now that I think about it, that was when something went wrong with Wang Yan!
I replied, “I remember. You mentioned a song.”
“Yes,” Wang Yan said before she started singing, “I planted a seed and finally it bore fruit; today is a great day. I’ll pick the stars for you and pull down the moon for you; let the sun rise just for you…”
"Damn it, she's actually singing 'Apple'!"
I interrupted Wang Yan. "Alright, you win. Who exactly are you? What do you mean?"
Wang Yan laughed softly on the phone. "I am Wang Yan, and I am also Wang Xue! Song Fei, I told you before, even though I was entangled by that century-old Old Huai Tree, and despite enduring over twenty years of water and mud, what I have experienced with you has brought me even greater benefits! I planted a seed of my soul, and it finally bore fruit. I have consumed it as Wang Yan. Today is a great day; it is the day of my rebirth, and also the day of Wang Yan's rebirth. I am Wang Yan, and I am also Wang Xue! Thank you, Song Fei."
"Thank me?" I was baffled. It felt unbelievable. I realized my experiences and knowledge were still too shallow; I never would have imagined that Wang Xue could use the power of the Old Huai Tree to be reborn!
Wang Yan chuckled. "Regardless of whether I am Wang Yan or Wang Xue, I want to thank you, Song Fei. As Wang Yan, I thank you for saving my life time and again. As Wang Xue, I thank you for burning down the Huai Tree and the Vengeful Spirit, allowing my soul to sprout. Don't worry; I am now human—a very normal person. So if you want to go on a date with me, there's no need to be afraid."
"Date my ass!" I hung up the phone! A sense of defeat washed over me. However, I wouldn't pursue this matter any further; there were still many unresolved mysteries surrounding me, and of course, I couldn't afford to worry about Wang Yan's situation right now.
I set my phone down with a sigh and went to sleep.
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