Thought

After arriving at Old Qin's study, Zhou Yi noticed some Talisman Paper and materials for drawing talismans laid out on Old Qin's desk.

Beside the materials sat an exquisitely crafted jade box. It was placed in the center of the desk, somewhat out of place among the surrounding materials. It seemed Old Qin had only just taken it out.

Zhou Yi looked for a moment before withdrawing his gaze. He sat quietly to one side, waiting for Old Qin while pondering what had happened to him.

Before long, Old Qin's voice sounded beside his ear.

"Zhou Yi, what made you think to visit this old man today?"

Zhou Yi came back to himself. He had been so lost in thought that he had not even noticed Old Qin returning.

After Zhou Yi told Old Qin what had happened to him, Old Qin furrowed his brow and pondered for a while. Then he said to Zhou Yi, "I have heard of this sort of thing before, but I cannot be certain whether what happened to you is what I think it is."

After speaking, Old Qin glanced at Zhou Yi and asked, "Have you come into contact with a corpse recently?"

Zhou Yi nodded at Old Qin.

"Then you may very well have encountered a 'Thought'!" Old Qin explained to Zhou Yi.

"A Thought?" Zhou Yi looked at Old Qin in confusion.

"Most people only know that corpses undergo corpse transformations because of resentment and Yin Energy. Put simply, resentment is an emotion of hatred and grievance, while Yin Energy is brought by the mist. A 'Thought,' meanwhile, is the condition that gives rise to resentment."

"Before dying, most people have wishes left unfulfilled, and so they feel unwilling to accept it. That unwillingness gives birth to a Thought. When the Thought grows strong, resentment is born!"

"When a Thought first emerges, it is not very strong, but sooner or later, it will turn into resentment."

Old Qin explained the origin of a "Thought" to Zhou Yi.

After thinking for a while, Zhou Yi said to Old Qin, "The corpse I touched was Shopkeeper Liu's daughter, whom I met earlier."

"Oh? Shopkeeper Liu just came to see me. He asked me to help send his daughter's body home as quickly as possible. He even gave me a Fire Date. Look, it's in that jade box on the table."

As Old Qin spoke, he picked up the jade box and handed it to Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi accepted the jade box and opened it. Inside lay a fiery-red fruit, its crimson patterns clinging to the surface like flames. Looking closely, he could see traces of spiritual energy flickering within its finer details. Even with Zhou Yi's current wealth, obtaining one of these would not be easy.

"This Fire Date is a fine thing for martial artists. If an ordinary person eats it, it can only strengthen their body and improve their health. But if a martial artist eats it, it can raise them by a minor realm. Even though it can only be consumed once and comes with many restrictions, people still flock to it like ducks to a pond."

Old Qin explained the Fire Date's effects to Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi's pupils contracted as he said to Old Qin, "Shopkeeper Liu really has made a grand gesture."

With the modifier, raising his realm was as easy as drinking water. But to ordinary martial artists, this thing was priceless.

"Since this corpse gave rise to a 'Thought,' it certainly was not as simple as Shopkeeper Liu claimed—suicide. Go to the yamen and take a look," Old Qin said to Zhou Yi.

"Alright!" After answering, Zhou Yi hurried toward the door. Unless he resolved what had happened to him, he would not sleep peacefully for a single day. Who knew what that "Thought" might do to him the next time he fell asleep? Though Old Qin had said a Thought was not much of a threat, Zhou Yi still felt deeply unsettled.

"Oh, right. Take this Fire Date with you," Old Qin called out to Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi hesitated for a moment before accepting the Fire Date. It was not of much use to him, but it could explain why his strength had risen so quickly.

After thanking Old Qin, Zhou Yi headed for the yamen.

As soon as he arrived at the yamen, Zhou Yi asked the attendant at the entrance, "Is Constable Li Yuanfang here?"

The attendant looked at Zhou Yi, who was dressed in a Patrol Team uniform. Though he did not understand why someone from the Patrol Team had come to the yamen, he still answered warmly, "He is, he is. I'll take you to him."

Led by the attendant, Zhou Yi found Li Yuanfang.

Li Yuanfang had been playing cards with his subordinates. Upon seeing Zhou Yi arrive, he sprang from his stool and said, "Lord Zhou, what wind has blown you here?"

"Is the female corpse sent over yesterday still here?" Zhou Yi asked Li Yuanfang.

"Yes, yes, my lord. The body is still in the morgue."

"Take me to see it."

"Yes, my lord."

Once they arrived at the morgue, Zhou Yi looked at the woman lying on the table. After examining her carefully, he could confirm that this was the "Thought" that had appeared in his dream.

"Is there an autopsy report?" Zhou Yi asked Li Yuanfang.

"Yes. I'll get it for you." As Li Yuanfang spoke, he searched through a cabinet nearby. After rummaging for a while, he found the report and handed it over.

Zhou Yi took the report and saw the following written on it.

Liu Xue, daughter of Liu Yuantong of Qingzhu Village.

Cause of death: Drowning. No obvious external injuries. Both hands curled—presumed to have struggled before death.

Physical condition: Pregnant, estimated at three months.

After reading the report, Zhou Yi stood to one side and pondered in silence.

Under normal circumstances, after becoming pregnant, a woman would instinctively develop a protective love for her child. Of course, there were exceptional cases, but surely she would not go so far as to jump into a river?

Zhou Yi thought for a long time but could not figure it out, so he asked Li Yuanfang beside him, "Yuanfang, what do you think?"

"My lord, there must be something fishy going on here!"

Zhou Yi had only asked casually, but he had not expected Li Yuanfang to have truly noticed something.

"Tell me what you found first."

"My lord, do you remember Master Gui from yesterday? When he saw you, his eyes darted about and his body trembled. Also, I do not think Liu Xue had any motive to jump into the river."

After voicing his opinion, Li Yuanfang stood quietly to one side and watched Zhou Yi.

"Master Gui yesterday was probably just afraid we would treat him as a scapegoat. As for the woman's motive for jumping into the river, I heard a story at the tavern yesterday. I do not know whether it was true or false."

Zhou Yi then told Li Yuanfang the story he had heard at the tavern.

After hearing it, Li Yuanfang pondered for a while before saying to Zhou Yi, "Since both you and I think this case is not simple, we can investigate separately. I will investigate Master Gui, while you can investigate the person at the tavern who told that story. I can also have several constables assist you."

Zhou Yi nodded. Since he did not know the person who had told the story at the tavern, he wondered if the constables could find him. He had someone bring paper, then drew the tavern man's likeness from memory. To his surprise, one of the constables actually recognized him.

"Isn't this Scholar Li?" said the constable Li Yuanfang had summoned.

"What is your name?" Zhou Yi looked at the constable.

"My lord, this lowly one is called Wang Er."

"Very good. Do you know where this Scholar Li lives?"

"I do, my lord."

Zhou Yi followed several constables to Scholar Li's residence. Looking at the dilapidated house before him, Zhou Yi said to Wang Er, "Are you sure this is the home of a scholar?"

Wang Er explained awkwardly, "My lord, Scholar Li likes to gamble."

Hearing this, Zhou Yi understood what Wang Er meant. He immediately gave Wang Er a look, signaling him to knock on the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

When no one answered after the knocking, Wang Er grew impatient and kicked the door.

The long-neglected wooden door toppled at once.

Seeing this, everyone poured into the house. After the constables searched it, they returned and said to Zhou Yi, "My lord, Scholar Li is not home."

At this point, Wang Er said to Zhou Yi, "If Scholar Li is not at home, then he must be at the gambling house right now."