Chapter Twenty Venus's Kiss

Tang Qi sat down and waited a while before Chief Inspector Stana walked over.

By then, however, the stern expression on her face had softened considerably—at least the look she gave Tang Qi was no longer so sharp. She must have used that time to learn about his current situation from the principal.

His parents had just died, and he was a frail young man—how could he possibly be the killer?

"Tang Qi, right? I was too serious just now. I hope I didn't scare you."

"You can rest assured, I only have a few questions to ask you. A routine inquiry, nothing more. Everyone at school last night will undergo the same investigation."

"So, let's begin."

To be fair, once she set aside her stern demeanor, Chief Inspector Stana was indeed a mature woman with great approachability, and she was very beautiful.

Whether judged by the aesthetic standards of this world or those of Previous Life Earth, she was a Great Beauty who made people's eyes light up. Her tall, slender figure especially made one regret she hadn't become a model instead.

If it were the Original Owner, faced with such a gentle, mature older sister, he would probably have been shy and excited, spilling everything like beans from a bamboo tube.

Unfortunately, this was Tang Qi now.

Watching the Police Chief sitting before him, opening a small notebook and preparing to start the routine inquiry, Tang Qi didn't wait for her first question. He slowly raised his heavily bandaged arm, and with his other hand casually pulled, untying the wrappings.

Soon, Tang Qi's well-healed but still horrifying wound appeared before Stana.

A wound that looked nauseating couldn't scare a Police Chief, of course. Stana glanced at Tang Qi's arm, then directly pulled aside a passing crime scene medic, whispered a few words, and the medic immediately examined Tang Qi's injury.

Before long, the medic re-bandaged Tang Qi and gave Stana his conclusions and inferences.

Before leaving, he kindly reminded Tang Qi, "Kid, a dog bite this severe—you'd better get a rabies shot quickly. While you're still within twenty-four hours, it's safer to be cautious."

The medic's conclusion essentially cleared Tang Qi of suspicion.

After all, someone with such a serious arm injury couldn't possibly have skinned four young girls alive in the early hours.

But he appreciated the concern. If he were still an ordinary person, he would indeed worry about rabies, but now, as long as he was willing, he could check his own status at any time.

Moreover, the primitive herbal medicine from the Saha Continent seemed to work very well.

Though completely cleared of suspicion, Tang Qi still had to undergo the routine inquiry. This time, however, Chief Inspector Stana's expression was fully relaxed, and she occasionally revealed a few stunning smiles.

The inquiry was underway when another commotion suddenly broke out.

Both of them looked toward the source and saw a girl anxiously crossing the police line, rushing quickly toward them, with several officers struggling to keep up behind her.

"Tang Qi, how are you? Are you okay?"

"Ma'am, I can vouch for Tang Qi. He's my friend. He walked me home last night. This case definitely has nothing to do with—"

"Ugh—"

Clearly, Sally had arrived a bit late and a bit flustered, still not understanding what had really happened here.

Eager to testify for Tang Qi, she inadvertently turned her head and caught sight of everything inside the room. Though the bodies had been removed, the blackened, dried blood on the bed and floor was still terrifying and nauseating enough to make Sally vomit on the spot.

Poor girl. It was her first time seeing such a powerfully shocking scene.

If nothing unexpected happened, she'd probably have nightmares tonight.

But her interruption actually made Chief Inspector Stana develop a favorable impression of both Tang Qi and Sally.

It seemed they were just two ordinary high school students.

Her earlier suspicion had been a matter of professional duty. After understanding the situation, it was only natural for her attitude to soften.

Once Sally felt a bit better, Stana led the two away from the scene, then turned back to continue investigating the case.

She hadn't been in the position of Messer City Police Chief for long, and to have such a brutal, vicious case land on her desk right after taking office—she was now somewhat overwhelmed, jumping at shadows.

Beyond the horror of the case itself, the location was too delicate.

St. Thorn High School held an extraordinary status in Messer City. Though the four dead cheerleaders came from comfortably well-off families, not wealthy enough to make the police station afraid to touch them, the other students were a different story.

Many here were either rich or powerful.

If she mishandled this, regardless of whether the case was solved, she might lose her position first.

That was also why—

A newcomer like her was handling such a brutal case.

Because none of the old hands had budged.

But these "external factors" weren't the main source of her headache. What truly troubled the Police Chief was the case's difficulty.

In a single night, someone had skinned four young girls alive without making a sound that alerted the neighboring students—this alone showed the killer's terrifying skill.

Most baffling of all, not a single clue had been left at the scene.

No fingerprints, no hair, no footprints... nothing. Not even biological evidence like sweat.

In Stana's over a decade of police work, she had never encountered a killer like this.

Though she was an excellent officer, she had a premonition that this opponent's terror might far exceed her imagination.

Escorting Tang Qi and Sally out of the police line, Stana frowned and turned back.

Just then, as Tang Qi stepped beyond the cordon, he paused, turned around, and a flicker of hesitation crossed his face before he spoke: "Chief Inspector Stana, have you ever heard of [Venus's Kiss]?"

"Ah?"

Suddenly hearing Tang Qi's words, Stana froze for a moment, instinctively trying to recall, then shook her head.

"It's a kind of game, similar to 'Bloody Mary,' just not popular in the Divine Eagle Federation. Its origin and popularity are in the Anglo States within the Europa Alliance. Young girls love playing this fear-and-beauty game on boring late nights."

"The rules are..."

Saying this, Tang Qi paused.

And at this moment, Stana seemed to think of something, her expression turning serious.

Sure enough, as Tang Qi continued speaking the next moment, Stana's entire body tensed up, her hair standing on end, her scalp tingling.

Tang Qi's expression was equally grave. He cast a distant glance at the busy room and said, "Venus is the symbol of love and beauty. Legend says that if one can receive her kiss, they will gain eternal beauty and the most sincere love."

"As for this little game with such a beautiful meaning, the rules are as follows: the girl must be completely naked, lying on her side in bed, with red rose petals scattered around, a flower crown on her head, and a seashell placed beside her, filled with azure seawater."

"If the ritual succeeds, it means the summoner receives the blessing of the Goddess Venus—beautiful features and sincere love."

"If the ritual fails, the summoner will pay with their own beauty and lifespan, growing older and uglier."

"Of course, this is just a boring little game."

"Venus... maybe—perhaps, doesn't exist."

"Hiss—"

With every word Tang Qi spoke, Stana's heartbeat grew more intense.

No extra explanation was needed. Even Sally, standing nearby, now wore a look of both horror and admiration.

Leaving admiration aside, the horror was easy to understand.

Because at this moment, inside the wide-open door of the room, a scene exactly matching Tang Qi's description was clearly visible.

As a police officer with an excellent memory, Stana didn't need to turn around to know that the layout of every girl's bed in that room matched Tang Qi's words without any difference.

Stana's mood now was both surprised and excited.

A case that had seemed very tricky might now see a turning point because of Tang Qi's words.

But Stana's imagination clearly wasn't enough. The real huge turning point came with Tang Qi's next words.

"As far as I know, to complete this little game, the most crucial prop is that seashell. According to the rules, it must be a seashell from the Aegean Sea. Though not a rare item, the four girls clearly couldn't find genuine ones in a hurry."

"So..."

The answer was revealed, and Tang Qi said no more.

But just as Stana turned around in excitement, he added one more reminder: "Chief Inspector Stana, whoever could commit such a brutal crime must be terrifying. If possible, when arresting him, it's best not to give him a chance to fight back or escape."

As for this last sentence, Stana may or may not have taken it in. She hurriedly replied with an "okay" before the decisive, beautiful police chief rushed back to the crime scene, heading straight for the four strange seashells filled with azure seawater, quietly lying by the beds.