Although the police station, as a state apparatus, doesn't believe in ghosts and gods, the condition of Gu Linze's body was so strange that the forensic doctor had to take my words seriously to some extent.
He put down the tweezers and picked up a pair of pliers. Clamping the rusty round iron piece, he pulled it out forcefully. With a "puff" sound, a stream of yellowish liquid mixed with streaks of dirty blood spurted out along with the four - edged cone.
The stench almost made me faint.
Sure enough, what the forensic doctor clamped out was a thick and long four - edged iron nail. If I hadn't pushed aside Gu Linze's messy hair, it might have taken the doctor quite some time to figure out the cause of his death!
Although the forensic doctor's movements were gentle, I could already see wisps of faint black air floating out from the diamond - shaped wound. In mid - air, it condensed into the hazy figure of a middle - aged man.
Before he could figure out his surroundings, suddenly, a white silk ribbon appeared out of thin air and wrapped around his neck.
Poor Gu Linze didn't even have time to let out a scream before he was dragged back forcefully by the white silk ribbon and disappeared into the rift in the space - time...
"Wait!"
The white silk ribbon was the exclusive tool of the soul - reaping envoys from the underworld. The one who took Gu Linze away wasn't a ghost constable but a soul - reaping envoy, which meant that he was still in the state of a living soul. Soul - reaping envoys usually took the souls of those who were still alive in the world!
Gu Linze was clearly dead. He shouldn't have been taken away by them.
My attempt to stop them was in vain. Just as it had suddenly appeared, the white silk ribbon, with Gu Linze's ghost bound to it, had already disappeared!
The forensic doctor thought I was telling him to wait. He immediately gave me a dissatisfied look and said, "Should you be examining the body or me? Since you've already seen the suspect's body, you can leave now!"
Actually, we had managed to get into the morgue to examine the body through some connections. The forensic doctor had already been very kind. It was only natural for him to ask us to leave.
The forensic doctor was speaking to Fu Ning. I didn't want to make things difficult for Fu Ning, so I thanked the doctor, still holding Si Jiangchen's hand, and followed Fu Ning out of the cold and brightly - lit morgue.
In fact, I had always respected the police officers and forensic doctors, because they had to deal with negative emotions and the spirits of the unjustly dead every day. It was really not easy.
Just like the serious forensic doctor just now. When we left, he had already pushed Gu Linze's decaying body onto the stainless - steel operating table.
Around him, at least four or five ragged ghosts were curiously gathered, watching what he was doing!
"Gu Linze's death... is it related to the One - Eyed Buddha Mother?"
Si Jiangchen, with his hand in mine, was like a well - behaved and gentle big dog, obediently following me.
"I think it is."
I nodded silently and whispered, "I put the true form of the Buddha Mother into the soul bottle here, and immediately he lost his controller. If it wasn't the Buddha Mother, I really can't think of anyone else who could do such a thing."
"You silly girl."
Si Jiangchen smiled faintly and asked, "The One - Eyed Buddha Mother wouldn't drive a nail into someone's head..."
"Uh..."
I was stunned for a moment and suddenly realized that I seemed to have always overlooked another mastermind!
Sheng Shixun!
That ancient - architecture restoration expert with an excellent reputation in Huaguo!!
He never showed his true colors. All the evil deeds were done by Ma Su on his behalf, but he was the one who had released the One - Eyed Buddha Mother in the first place.
If he hadn't brought the One - Eyed Buddha Mother from Tibet to Beijing, his wife wouldn't have died and been trapped in the charred Future Water World building.
If he hadn't wanted to gather the power of the believers to make the One - Eyed Buddha Mother powerful enough for him to ascend to godhood in his physical body, Ma Su wouldn't have founded Taoran Media Company to absorb the luck and even lives of those young people to fulfill Sheng Shixun's desires!
"Where can we still find that kind of coffin nail?"
Si Jiangchen held my fingers and said in a low voice, "The people who can get in touch with such things are either archaeologists or tomb - robbers. Gu Linze had a very high status in Hong Kong. He probably didn't know those petty thieves. The only ones who could make him let down his guard and be ambushed were those so - called cultured people!"
Sure enough, Si Jiangchen and I had the same idea. All the clues pointed to that rich and learned scholar.
"Then... what does he want with Lu Xiyu?"
I still couldn't figure out why Gu Linze had gone to the hospital where Lu Xiyu gave birth.
"Xiao He, Lu Xiyu's child is an immortal descending to the mortal world."
Si Jiangchen smiled and said, "It's really like the flesh of the Tang Monk. Sheng Shixun has been planning for so long, and I'm sure he has spent a lot of money and time. If there was an easier shortcut, do you think he would wait?"
"You're right!"
I nodded repeatedly. "You... did you already know that it was all Sheng Shixun's doing?"
Si Jiangchen squinted his eyes. "No, I just thought of it when I saw you push aside Gu Linze's hair."
It turned out that both I and Lu Xiyu were just pawns in Sheng Shixun's plan to use the One - Eyed Buddha Mother to ascend to the celestial realm in his physical body. Since there was already a ready - made immortal consciousness like Lu Zhidao, he naturally wanted to take a shortcut and abduct him before he was reincarnated!
He even found Lu Zhidao's elder brother to carry out this plan in order to guard against Lu Xiyu's powerful husband...
Unfortunately, he didn't expect me to interfere and shatter his beautiful dream!
Lu Zhidao had successfully become Gu Pan. His consciousness would awaken again after he turned three. Until then, he was just an ordinary baby, and no one could do anything to him!
However, a chill still ran through my body. The feeling of being constantly watched was really unpleasant!
No wonder the ancients said, "It's not the thief stealing that you should be afraid of, but the thief having his eye on you!"
Sheng Shixun and Ma Su were like a ticking time - bomb. We didn't know when they would bring us great trouble!
"Miss... Miss Du?"
I was frowning and thinking about how to deal with the mastermind Sheng Shixun when Fu Ning, who had been following us, called out to me.
"May I ask when you will be available?"
He looked at me very sincerely and said, "My master's condition is very bad. If he remains unconscious like this, he may die of organ failure in a month or two..."
"Where is Officer Xue?"
I looked up. "I can go and see him now!"
"That's great!"
Finally, a smile appeared on Fu Ning's face. This young man had been deeply immersed in guilt. If it hadn't been for his eagerness for quick success, Officer Xue Donglai wouldn't have encountered such a life - threatening disaster.