Chapter 50: Homicide

“Stop right there—then why are you still keeping me around?” Hu Qiuyan stood up and walked to stand before Li Xintian, her voice trembling. “And did you really not sense my feelings for you? Sleeping rough in the wilds, every night when it grew cold, you’d cover me with a blanket—do you think I didn’t notice? Are you truly without even a sliver of affection for me?” Tears shimmered in Hu Qiuyan’s eyes, though they did not fall, as she gazed at Li Xintian.

“Let me be clear with you,” Li Xintian replied, his tone flat. “You follow me because I didn’t want to reject you outright—I was afraid you’d take it badly. As for covering you at night, I simply felt responsible for your well-being. That’s all there is to it—anything more is just your wishful thinking. Do you understand now?” It was clear Li Xintian had no desire for romance.

“Even a stone would have been moved by me by now—are you made of rock?” Hu Qiuyan grasped Li Xintian’s elbow with both hands, her voice breaking. “Is it because I’m not human? Because I’m a fox demon, and unworthy of you?”

“If I’ve done anything to mislead you, let me say it plainly now.” Li Xintian pushed her hands away.

“Then answer me—have you ever liked me?” Tears finally spilled from Hu Qiuyan’s eyes.

“No. After tonight, you should go back.” Li Xintian turned away.

“Li Xintian, you bastard! I won’t leave!” Hu Qiuyan cried out after him, sitting down on the ground and weeping. She did not see that, as Li Xintian turned, a single tear slipped down his cheek and fell to the earth.

Li Xintian heard her words and knew full well Hu Qiuyan would not leave so easily. His experiences with the Ghost King and the millennium-old demon had taught him that danger lay ahead if she continued to follow him.

Night fell.

Li Xintian sat on the rooftop, wide awake, staring absently at the half-moon hanging in the sky.

“Even if we were together, humans and demons are worlds apart. There can be no true outcome for us,” he murmured to the moon.

Inside, Hu Qiuyan lay sleepless on her bed, lost in thoughts of a life together with Li Xintian. A tear slid from the corner of her eye.

Tonight, it seemed, was destined to be a night of insomnia.

The next morning, as the sun rose, Li Xintian got up and leapt from the roof.

“Brother Zhixian, you’re always up so early. But I never see your beloved around—why is that?” Hong Tianyun, who had received word of a murder case before dawn, greeted him.

“Brother Tianyun, you misunderstand—she’s just a friend, not my beloved. Her name is Hu Qiuyan.”

“Anyway, where are you off to so early?” Li Xintian, hoping to change the subject, redirected the conversation.

“Oh, Brother Zhixian, it’s not my place to say, but it’s clear she likes you. And honestly, I can see that you have feelings for her too. Since you arrived at the manor yesterday, your eyes have barely left her.” Hong Tianyun smiled meaningfully.

“Enough—let’s talk about where you’re headed,” Li Xintian said, raising his hand to forestall any further mention of Hu Qiuyan.

“Let’s walk and talk, Brother Zhixian.” Hong Tianyun, dropping the subject, clapped Li Xintian on the shoulder and drew him along.

“So, tell me—what kind of murder case is this? Over a dozen, and none solved?” Li Xintian’s interest was piqued; another murder had occurred.

“All the victims have been drained of blood and had their hearts removed. Some suspect demons or monsters, but there’s no evidence. Now that you’re here, Brother Zhixian, maybe we’ll finally crack the case.” Hong Tianyun explained as they walked.

“Any common traits among the victims?” Li Xintian pondered, not having seen the bodies yet.

“All the victims are women. The families say that a sudden gust of wind swept into their rooms and carried the women off, but there are no leads. We’re still investigating.” Hong Tianyun shook his head, clearly troubled by the difficulty of the case.

“Take me to see the bodies first,” Li Xintian said.

“Of course.” Hong Tianyun nodded.

After two streets, Hong Tianyun led Li Xintian to the yamen.

“Sir, who is this?” a middle-aged man asked, glancing at Li Xintian.

“This is my closest friend, Li Xintian, courtesy name Zhixian, a scholar of distinction. I’ve asked him to assist in the case.” Hong Tianyun made the introductions. “This is Tang Zhong, the assistant magistrate.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Li Xintian and Tang Zhong bowed to each other.

“Tang Zhong, take us to the victims,” Hong Tianyun ordered after the greetings were done.

“Yes, sir.” Tang Zhong gestured politely and led the way.

Li Xintian and Hong Tianyun followed him through several rooms. Tang Zhong opened a door; inside, three corpses lay shrouded in white cloth.

“Have someone dress the victims properly. Let them retain some dignity in death,” Li Xintian said, noticing the bodies were unclothed.

“This…?” Tang Zhong hesitated in surprise.

“Do as Brother Zhixian says,” Hong Tianyun interjected quickly.

“Yes, sir.” Tang Zhong hurried to make arrangements.

Li Xintian and Hong Tianyun stepped outside.

“Don’t take it to heart, Brother Zhixian. Some of the victims were seized while bathing, others were still wearing wedding dresses. It’s not intentional,” Hong Tianyun explained.

“It seems this was not done by human hands. We’ll know more after examining the bodies.” Li Xintian nodded.

“It’s ready, sir,” Tang Zhong soon reported.

Li Xintian returned and lifted the cloth. The women’s veins were black, their skin deathly pale.

Hong Tianyun drew a sharp breath, unable to look for long despite having seen the bodies many times before.

Li Xintian examined two more corpses—each had a gaping void where the heart should be.

“Brother Tianyun, question the families about where the victims went before the incidents, or check the case records. The manner of death is strange—there’s no lingering aura, the bodies are intact, and there are no signs of violation.” Li Xintian replaced the cloth.

“Assign people to investigate according to Brother Zhixian’s suggestions,” Hong Tianyun said to Tang Zhong.

“Brother Zhixian, can you tell what caused this?” Hong Tianyun asked once Tang Zhong had left.

“I can’t say for sure. All I can tell is that it wasn’t done by any human hand. You’d best be prepared.” Li Xintian’s examination confirmed as much.

“There’s a renowned monk at Yunxiang Temple in this county. With such a presence, there shouldn’t be any demons or monsters running rampant,” Hong Tianyun said uncertainly.

“Sir, there’s news—the victims all visited Yunxiang Temple before their deaths!” Tang Zhong announced after reviewing the cases.

“Gather all our men—we’re heading to Yunxiang Temple to look for suspects,” Hong Tianyun ordered.

“Yes, sir.” Tang Zhong nodded.

“Brother Tianyun, I won’t be joining you. You go ahead.” Li Xintian, sensing that Hu Qiuyan might be in trouble, had no intention of getting further involved. Without waiting for Hong Tianyun’s reply, he dashed from the room, leapt onto the roof, and sped away in the direction where he sensed both demonic and Buddhist energies.

“Brother Zhixian!” Hong Tianyun called after him, but lacking Li Xintian’s prowess, could only watch as he disappeared, unanswered.