"Yes, yes," the skinny monkey nodded and continued, "Ji Chenglin’s charge was assault causing bodily harm. Back then, he was just a rash kid who didn't know anything. He got into a fight for a friend and ended up severely injuring someone, resulting in a five-year sentence. But inside, there were plenty of tough guys. When he first got there, he looked down on everyone, which led to him crossing a few big shots and getting beaten to a pulp. If I hadn't been on good terms with those bosses, the kid might have lost his life in there. Ah, but now he has lost it anyway—what a shame. My investment is wiped out again."

Looking at Liu Songlin’s regretful expression, I asked, "Were there any people among those back then who held a deep-seated grudge against Ji Chenglin?"

"Not really. There wasn't much going on in there; those big shots mainly just arranged lighter work for people and had access to small snacks, cigarettes, and liquor. They just disliked Ji Chenglin's arrogant demeanor, so they taught him a lesson. After that, nothing more came of it. But I don't know what Ji Chenglin thought."

"From what you know, who else is still in contact with him now?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't seen him in years. I only came this time hoping to borrow some money. If he had lent me the money back then, maybe I would have left a long time ago."

It seemed I wouldn't get any useful information from this fellow, so I stood up, preparing to leave. Seeing this, the skinny monkey visibly relaxed.

On the way back to the precinct, Xiao Cuo called. He said he was at Sandao Intersection and urgently needed a ride. So, I sharply turned the steering wheel and headed toward Sandao Intersection.

Arriving at Sandao Intersection, I saw Xiao Cuo standing there, looking around. I drove the car over and settled into the passenger seat next to him. I’m not like Zhang Jiewei; I always try to dodge driving duties whenever possible.

Xiao Cuo drove while I sat comfortably beside him, asking, "Have you found any leads on your end?"

"A little bit. In the case files for the 'Grim Reaper' cases, there’s one with similarities to this current case. I’m on my way to see the senior officer who handled that case back then."

My spirits immediately lifted. I sat up straight and asked, "The senior officer? Who is it?"

"Wang Mingxue."

The Fat Old Monster?

I almost wanted to jump out of the car and run. That old fiend is my nemesis; I’d rather see a corpse than see him.

"Isn't he a doctor? How could he have handled a case? Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

"Senior Wang didn't work in Anyang City before. When he first started, he was a grassroots police officer handling cases. He later got into medical school through self-study. It’s quite a coincidence; when I first started reviewing the files, I didn't notice, but I accidentally saw the name of the investigating officer and realized it was his. That's why I called to check, and sure enough, the Grim Reaper case from the other province was indeed handled by him. However, he was very young at the time, so he was just a regular officer and didn't know much."

I see. It turns out the Fat Old Monster has quite a colorful background. I wonder what he felt when he encountered such a bizarre case back then? Did he get scared enough to wet himself? I thought with a touch of malice.

Today is Wednesday. I heard the Fat Old Monster isn't feeling well, so he’s resting at home. We are currently on our way to his house. His home is near the outskirts of the city; this is my first time visiting him there.

Along the way, Xiao Cuo called the Fat Old Monster twice more before we located the place. The car stopped in front of a small courtyard. From the outside, I could see two large trees planted within the yard—something you definitely wouldn't see in the city center. The Fat Old Monster really knows how to enjoy life.

As I sat before the Fat Old Monster, filled with apprehension, I noticed Xiao Cuo showed him no fear at all. It seems Xiao Cuo hasn't had his 'first encounter' yet.

Beneath the big trees, there was a large hammock where the Fat Old Monster reclined casually. Xiao Cuo and I sat on two adjacent carved wooden chairs.

"Senior, please tell us about what happened back then." Xiao Cuo’s voice was slightly agitated, like a child about to see a monster. I felt much the same.

An indescribable expression crossed the Fat Old Monster’s face, as if he were reminiscing or savoring something he hadn't tasted in a long time—but definitely not something pleasant.

"That was shortly after I started working. We started much younger back then; I must have been around seventeen or eighteen. I remember it was a Sunday, and I was doing laundry at home when a colleague rushed in on a bicycle, yelling that there was a homicide. Back then, there were fewer transients, and security was better than it is now. A town might go years without a single murder, so this incident caused a huge stir. The County Public Security Bureau gathered every officer, demanding the case be solved in the shortest time possible. But unexpectedly, this case became an unsolved mystery, and it remains so to this day."

If it had been anyone else, I would have interrupted his long-winded nonsense long ago. But the Fat Old Monster is not just anyone; I certainly didn't have the guts to. I could only patiently continue listening to his lengthy memoir.

"The victim was a carpenter from the east end of the town, found dead in his own home. His body had been macerated into pulp and splashed all over the walls of his house. The scene was truly gruesome; many officers like myself, who had just started working, vomited on the spot. This carpenter was single. The person who reported it was his neighbor, who went in after smelling a foul odor. According to him, when he entered the house, he didn't see anything except a black shadow, seemingly human yet not, but very distinct, drifting inside the room before vanishing."

The Fat Old Monster's description was startlingly similar to the current case—no, it was exactly the same. That black shadow was the deadly vengeful spirit.

"However, the neighbor's account didn't receive much attention from the superiors at the time. They investigated using the standard methods from before and found nothing. Later, one leader recalled the matter but didn't dare publicize it. He quietly found a few trusted officers and told them to investigate starting with the black shadow. Only then did they learn that the black shadow has a legend in folk belief—it's called the 'Evil God,' said to have existed since ancient times, introduced by Western missionaries. But this was merely a folk tale, feudal superstition, and thus couldn't serve as a direction for the investigation. That leader sent people to investigate discreetly, but later there was no news, and the case became cold."

The Fat Old Monster finished speaking and let out a long sigh, unsure if it was regret or something else. Suddenly, he added, "I heard back then that the 'Evil God' usually appears near churches. Have you paid attention to the environment around the crime scene?"

A church? We really hadn't noticed that. It seemed our next move was to find a nearby church for further investigation. After leaving the Fat Old Monster's small yard, Xiao Cuo and I immediately drove to Changqing Road and drove around the vicinity of Wangli Alley. Sure enough, we found a church.

I wasn't joyous about finding the church because I would have preferred this whole thing to be fake. But as this quiet, serene church appeared before my eyes, my heart sank to the bottom. Could there really be a 'Grim Reaper'?

I looked back at Xiao Cuo. This reckless fellow actually had an excited expression on his face, completely unaware of the gravity and horror of the situation.

In a haze, I suddenly saw a shadow flicker past the attic window at the very top of the church. Though the duration was extremely short, I definitely saw it.

I cried out, "Look there quickly!"

Xiao Cuo looked up, opened the car door, and said, "Brother Lei, are you seeing things again?"

I didn't want to argue with him. I asked him, "Did you bring your gun?"

Xiao Cuo paused. "Why bring a gun? Do you think a gun will be effective against that thing?"

I thought he had a point, but I still patted the police pistol under my arm. Whether it was useful or not, the object gave me a sense of security.

The church door was taller than those of ordinary buildings. Xiao Cuo and I stood at the entrance, peering inside. It was quiet, without a single sound, except for the figures in the murals silently watching us, the uninvited guests.

Though I am not religious, I knew this was a place that required silence. So, I tiptoed inside and called out, "Is anyone here?"

Then a voice drifted from a corner, "Hello, I am over here."

The voice sounded close, but I couldn't see anyone. Could I have already encountered it? My heart pounded furiously.

Just as I was lost in frantic thoughts, a person dressed in a black robe stood up from a long pew on my left. He bared his teeth at me and said, "I'm just doing some cleaning. May I ask what business you two gentlemen have here?"

Judging by his attire, he seemed to be of a priestly rank. Aren't there many of God's 'servants' in the church? Why was he doing the cleaning?

The priest was insightful and saw the confusion in my eyes immediately. He sighed and said, "Fewer people believe in God these days. Besides myself, there is only one older priest in the church, so I have to manage everything myself."

I smiled and said, "Father, this church isn't large, but given its location, this plot of land is worth a good deal of money. Why not open up a couple of storefronts facing the street? The rental income would be considerable, and then you could hire two assistants—much more cost-effective."

The priest quickly said, "Forgive me, Father, we cannot engage in such matters."

I looked at him and suddenly felt he resembled You Qiaolin a bit—very rigorous and orthodox, yet unfathomable at his core. The thought of You Qiaolin made me feel unwell all over. He was a devil who was adept at disguising himself as a respectable person.

"Father, we are from the Municipal Bureau; we have a few questions for you." I stopped the small talk and stated our purpose.

Upon hearing they were from the Public Security Bureau, the priest's expression shifted slightly before he calmed down again, asking, "What is it?"

"Uh, this, this..." I stammered a few times, unable to get the words out, because I truly didn't know how to ask. I couldn't exactly ask if they were harboring a 'Grim Reaper' in the church, could I?

At this point, Xiao Cuo showed his professionalism. He took over the conversation, "We'd like to know if any strange incidents have occurred in the church."

The priest paused, then said, "This is a sacred place; how could anything strange happen here?"

"We are just inquiring, as recently some citizens have reported seeing black shadows appearing in the church at night." My gift for lying spilled out without needing any thought.

"Such a thing happens?" The priest looked very surprised. "But there hasn't been any unusual noise inside the church. Officer, you must investigate thoroughly. It wouldn't be someone intentionally spreading malicious rumors, would it?"

"How about this: we take a look around inside to see if there's anything abnormal."

"Yes, yes, please, investigate thoroughly. You must get to the bottom of this."

Then, Xiao Cuo took out the round detection disk from his backpack. The priest asked curiously, "What is that?"

I feigned mystery. "This is the world's most advanced life detector. It can detect anything that exists, be it human or ghost."

The priest quickly made the sign of the cross on his chest. "May God protect us; if there really are demons or monsters, they must be found."

Led by the priest, we searched every room carefully, but found nothing. Finally, we arrived at the top floor—the level where I had seen the black shadow earlier.

The attic on the top floor of a church is usually a storeroom, rarely entered by anyone, even more so since there are only two priests here. According to the priest, he hadn't been up there in over a year.

The attic door was a large wooden hatch. Climbing to the top of the stairs, you would lift it to get up. I slowly pushed the wooden hatch open, feeling an inexplicable nervousness.

I lifted one corner of the wooden hatch and peered in. I saw various kinds of equipment scattered around, covered in dust thicker than a woman's foundation makeup.

With a loud thud, I threw the wooden hatch completely open. A smell of decay mixed with dust rushed out, making me sneeze several times. I stepped up two paces, jumped onto the floor, and my gaze immediately fixed on that small window. There were two distinct marks on it.

My heart clenched instantly, and my breathing became labored, but my feet moved toward it involuntarily. Leaning closer, I saw the marks were curved and twisted, and I couldn't tell what had left them.

Just then, Xiao Cuo came up. He swept the detection disk around the area and suddenly whispered, "Brother Lei, there seems to be something here!"

In the cramped attic, my hair stood on end at his words. I turned back in alarm and shouted, "Where, where?"

Xiao Cuo pointed at the detection disk. "Look, when this red needle moves, it indicates abnormal life activity. It just twitched."

"What about now?"

"It doesn't seem to be moving now."

I scanned my surroundings while saying, "Don't make a mistake, Xiao Cuo. This isn't something to joke about."

I pointed to the marks on the window. "Go test those marks. See if the needle moves?"

Xiao Cuo walked over and shone the detection disk over the marks. The red needle actually moved. I broke out in a cold sweat, immediately drew my pistol, and said, "There are only two of us here. We should leave quickly and report this to the Bureau first."

Suddenly, a shriek erupted from outside the window, startling me so much I almost jumped back down through the hatch.

I heard Xiao Cuo say, "Don't be scared, Brother Lei, it was just a bird."

I cursed under my breath, then suddenly asked, "Do those marks look like bird footprints to you?"

"Huh, now that you mention it, they do look a bit like it."

I walked over and examined them closely. They were almost certainly bird footprints. I smacked Xiao Cuo hard on the head and scolded him, "What kind of junk are you showing me? I actually believed you. You better never bring that thing out again, Xiao Cuo. 'Grim Reaper,' 'Evil God'—I think you're the lunatic."

Although Xiao Cuo usually remained silent when I scolded him, he surprisingly retorted when I attacked his research findings: "What about the Wangli Alley case? Can a human commit such a crime? And wasn't everything Senior Wang said just nonsense?"

Being questioned like that, I genuinely struggled for an answer. It wasn't that I didn't believe a human could commit such a crime, but because the two cases were astonishingly identical: the body was pulverized into plasma by some method. Just based on this, one could conclude they were the work of the same killer. The method of completely turning a corpse into plasma is extremely rare in the world; in fact, in my memory, there is no precedent for grinding bones into plasma. Perhaps some large research facility could achieve this using an ion separator or similar device, but that's impossible in this scenario. Who would carry a corpse to a research institute, decompose the body into an ionic flesh-and-blood soup, and then carry it back in a bucket?

If it truly were one person, then he must have killed that carpenter in the southern town forty years ago, gone into hiding, and only re-emerged forty years later to kill Ji Chenglin in Wangli Alley.

This presents a contradiction. If the murderer was already an adult when committing the crime forty years ago, he would certainly be around sixty now. How could he possibly overpower a strong, healthy man like Ji Chenglin?

Unless he wasn't human at all!

The attic was utterly silent except for the sound of my own heartbeat, thumping rhythmically, causing my retinas to bloodshot and my vision to slowly blur, yet my mind was becoming clearer.

Assuming the killer is human, a man around sixty could use drugs to subdue Ji Chenglin before carrying out the dismemberment plan. Although I don't know exactly what method he used, perhaps he knew. In this world, nothing is absolute. Therefore, the possibility that the killer is human still exists. The key is to figure out exactly how the body was turned into that state.

With this thought, my vision cleared. I looked at Xiao Cuo and said, "Let's go back to the Bureau; we need to visit the Forensic Department."

Since the matter with You Qiaolin was exposed, I hadn't been to the Forensic Department. Every time I went there, I couldn't help but feel a surge of hatred, along with profound remorse. If I had noticed that wolf in human skin earlier, none of what followed would have happened. But it all happened anyway.

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