Zhou Huan seemed to sense something in the female officer's gaze just then—he couldn't tell if it was fear or some strange attraction—but despite this, he repeated his previous words, this time shouting at the top of his lungs: "None of you touch her, or the consequences will be severe!" As he spoke, on some inexplicable impulse, Zhou Huan kicked the two forensic examiners aside.

The female officer reacted instantly and sharply, stepping swiftly beside Zhou Huan, pulling out her handcuffs, grabbing his wrist, and securing him with handcuffs behind his back.

"Send him to the mental hospital later; it'll stop him from playing these spooky games here! Take him aside first!" the female officer ordered, and Zhou Huan was escorted by two officers toward the patrol car.

The female officer removed her hat, and her long, curly hair cascaded down, releasing a faint, fresh scent of cucumber. She extended her delicate hands to help up the two examiners. "Are you alright? Hurry up with the autopsy! I’ll call Old Song!"

"We’re fine, we'll start right away. Ow, that really hurt! This kid actually dared to assault an officer," the two forensic examiners grumbled while selecting tools from their kit.

Zhou Huan, watching from the side, was frantic, his mouth repeating the same words over and over. But no matter how often he repeated them, a sense of helplessness and confusion gnawed at him because he genuinely didn't know why he was saying those things.

The female officer pulled a phone from her pocket and dialed. After several busy signals, an aged voice answered, "Xiao He? Another dead body, is it?"

"Old Song, take a taxi over. Meet me at the entrance of the Island Coffee House on Xianqian Street. It’s a woman who jumped to her death. Same procedure: the forensic team examines her, then you handle the rest. Get a receipt for the taxi fare!" The officer's words were crisp and direct.

The two medical examiners began the autopsy, starting with the standard procedure of checking the liver temperature. Just as they prepared to turn the body over, the female corpse’s hand suddenly clenched tightly onto the sleeve of her green garment. The expression in her protruding eyes seemed to shift, and her gaze suddenly fixed menacingly on the examiners.

"She's looking at you. Don't touch her anymore," Zhou Huan yelled loudly from the sidelines.

Zhou Huan’s shout made a difference. The two examiners glanced at the dead woman's eyes and froze mid-action. Years of forensic work had made them numb to corpses, but this sight reawakened deep-seated fear and terror. They subtly took a step back, their hands hovering suspended in the air.

With a squeal of brakes, a taxi pulled up in front of the coffee shop. A gentleman, about sixty, carrying a cloth bag on his back and a stack of funerary paper in his hand, hurried through the crowd until he reached the female corpse.

"Officer Wang, is the examination finished?" The man's voice was soft. He looked down at the body lying on the ground, a trace of pity flickering in his eyes, and shook his head slightly.

Seeing the retreat of the two examiners, the female officer, filled with frustration, said, "Not yet. These two have been doing autopsies for so long, but they're terrified this time and actually won't examine the body."

Old Song observed the corpse on the ground carefully and stated with a heavy tone, "Xiao He, this person cannot be moved carelessly. Let me perform the rites for her first!"

Overhearing Old Song, Zhou Huan felt as if divinely inspired and chanted repeatedly, "One stick of incense raised high, three layers of paper scattered wide, recite the Sutra of Rebirth in your mouth, seeing the gentleman off to the West."

Old Song was greatly surprised by these words. He turned back and studied Zhou Huan closely before turning to Wang Xiaohe and asking, "Who is this? How does he understand the principles of ghosts and spirits?"

"He was just spouting nonsense here and even kicked our examiners. If I don't lock him up, we can't continue the autopsy. I'll charge him with assaulting an officer later, and a few days in custody should calm him down," Wang Xiaohe replied. Saying this, Wang Xiaohe walked over to the examiners, snatched their tools, and prepared to conduct the autopsy herself.

Old Song caught Wang Xiaohe's arm. "Officer Wang, don't be rash. We don't know the origins of this body; it’s better to see her off first!" As he spoke, Old Song lit an incense stick and began burning the funerary paper he had brought.

Wang Xiaohe looked somewhat perplexed. She generally trusted Old Song implicitly. Although Wang Xiaohe was a capable officer at the local precinct, she occasionally encountered phenomena that science couldn't explain. Therefore, whenever a death case occurred, she would always invite Old Song, the area's famous funeral master, to see off the unjustly deceased. However, this was the first time she had ever seen Old Song proactively insist on performing the rites before the autopsy, breaking their usual cooperative pattern.

Drawing on years of experience, Old Song instinctively knew that the deceased woman's attire would likely transform her soul into a fierce ghost. From this moment, he anticipated an unavoidable increase in bizarre deaths.

Hearing Old Song's words, Wang Xiaohe felt a touch of apprehension. She lowered her voice and asked, "Old Song, why must we see the deceased off first today? If we disturb the scene, it will be detrimental to the case evidence!"

"Officer Wang, today's corpse is not ordinary. We must ensure the soul departs first, or the repercussions will be severe." Old Song’s words mirrored Zhou Huan’s exactly, making Wang Xiaohe even more bewildered. However, her entire perspective on Zhou Huan suddenly executed a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn.

"Old Song, could it be that the disruptive beggar is…" She paused, then retracted her thought: "It shouldn't be. I must be mistaken."

Old Song seemed to know what she was about to say and smiled faintly. "That beggar is an expert, isn't he?" He finished speaking, his face still wearing a slight smile. Then, he crouched down and gently spoke a sentence to the corpse: "Girl, it's time to go. These people have done you no harm; don't frighten them here." After that, Old Song burned all the paper ingots he had brought, chanting the Sutra of Rebirth as he did so.

In less than ten minutes, the simple soul-sending ritual concluded. Old Song turned back to Wang Xiaohe and said, "It is done now. You may proceed with the examination. I hope you can solve the case quickly and bring justice for the deceased."

"When the deceased must die, red clothes and green sleeves, rivers of blood will flow!" Zhou Huan, still handcuffed outside the police car, uttered another stunning statement. The two forensic examiners, who had started their work again, halted their hands upon hearing this.

Wang Xiaohe spun around abruptly, fixing her gaze intently on Zhou Huan, but this time she remained silent, only her eyes radiating a glow of confusion.

Only then did Zhou Huan truly study Wang Xiaohe. She couldn't have been older than twenty-six or twenty-seven, stood nearly five feet seven inches tall, possessed a slender yet curvaceous figure, with long, curly hair, deep dimples, fair skin, and large eyes that broadcasted waves of captivating allure—she was certainly a beauty.

Old Song slowly walked toward Zhou Huan. Reaching him, he scrutinized him once more before gently asking, "Young man, what exactly is your occupation?"

Zhou Huan had no idea why he was saying so many things that even he couldn't comprehend. He felt helpless about his own actions, as if driven by an outside force. Facing Old Song’s inquiry, he felt compelled to answer, "I am a beggar, waiting here today for my benefactor."

Just then, Dongzi ran up to Zhou Huan. Hearing Old Song’s question, he chimed in, echoing Zhou Huan's words: "That’s right, we are here waiting for our benefactor today, and instead, we found a dead body! We aren't bad people, Officer, please release my brother! We’ll go back to begging, and we’ll run away next time we see a dead body, never getting involved in things like this again."

Wang Xiaohe turned back and commanded the examiners, "Continue the autopsy. Xiao Liu, take them all back to the station to give statements. Also, find a few witnesses to bring back as well." Then she turned to an officer beside her. "You stay here to process the scene and quickly clear the crowd."

Wang Xiaohe, leading the two officers, escorted Zhou Huan and Dongzi, along with Old Song and two security guards, into the car, heading straight for the precinct.

After they left, the surrounding crowd began to whisper among themselves. "These two beggars capable of murder? It's completely unbelievable!"

The forensic examiners finished their inspection of the body and had it transported to the morgue at the funeral home for temporary storage.

Wang Xiaohe led Zhou Huan and the others into the station and began questioning them one by one. The security guards who had caused the initial disturbance honestly recounted what had happened. Then Dongzi was interrogated; he also explained the situation and subsequently pleaded with Wang Xiaohe to release Zhou Huan.

Outside the interrogation room, only Zhou Huan and Old Song remained, locking eyes in a prolonged silence without exchanging a word.

Wang Xiaohe emerged from the interrogation room and stood between the two men, held captive by the atmosphere between them, saying nothing.

After a long moment, a young officer stepped out of the room and lightly asked Wang Xiaohe, "Sister Wang, should we continue the interrogation?"

Wang Xiaohe responded with firm resolve. "We will. I will conduct it. Old Song, please come in too!"

Inside the interrogation room, Wang Xiaohe got straight to the point. "Beggar, who are you? Tell us your background and identity!" A junior officer stood by, ready to take notes.

Zhou Huan's expression became tormented, filled with confusion and helplessness. He muttered, "I don't even know who I am, and as for what I do, I think anyone who sees me should know."

Wang Xiaohe felt a surge of doubt. She whispered to Old Song, "Old Song, you think he's an expert? He looks like a mentally unstable person to me."

Old Song simply shook his head silently, still staring at Zhou Huan.

Wang Xiaohe turned back and casually asked Zhou Huan, "How about this: tell me your name first!"

"My name is Zhou Huan. What happened just now had nothing to do with me. I truly don't know why I said those things, but I always feel as if I am..." Zhou Huan stopped speaking midway, an unutterable thought trapped in his mind.

Wang Xiaohe's years of interrogation experience told her this was the moment to guide Zhou Huan further. "I ask you, why were you standing at the Island Coffee House entrance? Tell me about your life story in detail."

Zhou Huan recounted the old beggar’s words truthfully, then added, "Officer, I am nothing more than a beggar. Some days ago, I suddenly developed a high fever and lost consciousness. After that, I felt as if I had become a different person. After the old beggar told me about my background, I started to genuinely believe it, so I resolved to become a Master of Longevity. As for what I said near the corpse, I don't know why myself. Perhaps there is some presiding force; in short, I cannot explain this matter..."

At this point, Old Song finally spoke. "Zhou Huan? That name sounds so familiar. Could he truly be the renowned Master of Longevity from that era? Officer Wang, there is a discrepancy here. I think it’s better if he comes with me for now. I will go back and check the ancestral records of my sect; he might be connected to my lineage!"

"Alright. We will continue investigating this case. Zhou Huan will stay with you temporarily, but ensure neither of them leaves until the case is cleared up," Wang Xiaohe said, rising and resting her hands on the desk. Her beautiful face leaned close to Zhou Huan, and she whispered softly, "Don't think about running. I will be watching you until this is resolved, because no one can verify what you said."

Wang Xiaohe's whole being, filled with a subtle fragrance, filled Zhou Huan’s nostrils. Coupled with her captivating eyes, this made Zhou Huan feel a distinct tension. When Zhou Huan lowered his gaze again, he saw the high curve of Wang Xiaohe’s chest, accentuated by her uniform, making her appear even more beautiful and drawing his eyes.

Wang Xiaohe noticed Zhou Huan's expression. She glanced down at her own front, then looked back at Zhou Huan, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. Immediately, her expression shifted; she spoke sternly and loudly, "Hurry up and leave! What are you looking at?" With that, she walked out of the interrogation room first, the crisp sound of her leather heels gradually fading away.