Dead Knot

"Zhao He, oh, Zhao He!" I sighed heavily. If it was manslaughter, a sentence of over ten years was entirely possible. Even if it was excessive self-defense, it would still be around three years. No matter how I looked at it, Zhao He's situation was grim.

He still cared quite a bit about his sister. Even while in deep trouble himself, he notified Han Shanshan to ask me to save her. I didn't know how much of a mess the subsequent events would create.

"Uncle Zhao, let's go to the police station first," I suggested to Zhao Xi.

Zhao He had a strong eight characters, and he had killed two people. His yang energy and malevolent energy were so potent that even fierce ghosts would be scared away. However, I was afraid he couldn't escape the disaster of imprisonment and the hurdle of the Wang family.

"That's the only way. Sigh, this kid is always causing trouble. His mother must be furious right now!" Zhao Xi shook his head continuously, looking very troubled.

A moment later, Han Shanshan came running over. "Hey, Xi Xi knows Zhao He is in the station and insists on coming along."

"I'm talking to you! Tsk, don't you know she's not in good spirits right now?" I pointed at Han Shanshan. This girl was so clueless. Didn't she know her grandfather had just died? Why was she even talking to her about Zhao He?

Han Shanshan stuck out her tongue and shrugged. "Anyway, people from the station will come to get her statement. I was worried about Zhao He too. When she asked, I could only tell her the truth."

I looked at Zhao Qian, who was leaning against the wall in the hallway, looking dejected, and I was truly speechless towards Han Shanshan.

When people get sick or have a mental breakdown, they easily attract dark entities. Zhao Qian almost fell victim to a fierce ghost when she fainted earlier. Now that her mental state wasn't good, I was afraid something else might happen, so I suggested she come with me.

Zhao Xi had no objections. After all, he also felt his daughter would be safer with me. Our three cars quickly left the Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital.

Zhao Qian stared blankly from the passenger seat. Several blows had left her looking much gaunter, and she was too exhausted to say a word.

After comforting her a few times, I saw her low spirits and stopped talking.

We arrived at the Chenxiang Police Station in silence.

Zhao He sat on a chair, his hands and feet cuffed. The interrogator was questioning him about some details, while Zhao Qian's mother and a group of relatives stood outside, constantly making phone calls, seemingly looking for connections.

The police chief and deputy chief were standing beside Zhao Qian's mother.

Zhao Qian's mother, Ren Yun, was the head of the county's political consultative conference. Zhao Xi was about to greet her when she held up her hand, signaling him to wait as she was on the phone.

Even though Zhao Xi acted so tough at the Zhao family gathering, he didn't dare to make a sound in front of Ren Yun. He didn't utter a word until his wife finished her call.

"Wang Heng is dead. What's the situation with the Wang family?" Ren Yun asked after finishing her call.

"Sigh, their family is in chaos too. They've vowed to cause trouble for our Zhao family. They are a Xuanmen family, and there's nothing we can do if they resort to underhanded tactics. We can only face this head-on," Zhao Xi said with a sigh. His good friend was dead, and it was his son Zhao He who had killed him with a brick. This was an unsolvable knot. Even if he escaped imprisonment, it would be a never-ending feud.

"The station is already preparing for an autopsy. And according to the witness statements, it was self-defense. If Young Master He hadn't acted so rashly at the time, the victim would have likely strangled your daughter," the deputy police chief said.

"Can he be acquitted?" Ren Yun asked directly.

"That... depends on the court's ruling," the chief also looked somewhat troubled.

Ren Yun had actually already made calls to the city. She wasn't from this area, but her family's backing was very powerful. She married Zhao Xi because they were university classmates. It was precisely because of these connections that no one in the county dared to slight her.

"Mom, it's all my fault. If I had been more careful, this wouldn't have happened." Zhao Qian heard the police chief say that her brother's future situation was uncertain, and she immediately burst into tears.

"It has nothing to do with you. Go aside." Ren Yun frowned. While her husband doted on their daughter at home, she was more partial to her son. After all, her son was a bit reckless, like her. He was her darling. Her daughter, however, was more like her father when she was young, always fiddling with strange, mystical things. As a public servant, she had to reject such things.

When she and Zhao Xi were dating, they argued countless times because of this, breaking up and getting back together. Although they finally managed to stay together, she had never given her husband a good look.

However, Zhao Xi did have some skill in Feng Shui. After she graduated, she rose rapidly in her career. Apart from this incident, she hadn't encountered many obstacles, which was why she tolerated Zhao Xi. But now that such a major incident had occurred, their Feng Shui arrangement seemed useless.

If her son were truly imprisoned, her entire plan would be disrupted. She had originally planned to arrange a job for Zhao He immediately after he retired from the army and have him develop in politics. Now, after his release from prison, that path would be cut off.

She didn't understand Xuanmen matters. All she wanted was for her son to be safe.

Zhao Qian looked at her father tearfully, her grievance evident. Unfortunately, Zhao Xi couldn't say anything to his wife.

Every family has its own troubles. I felt I couldn't handle their family affairs, so I could only wait on the side.

After the greetings, Han Shanshan came out to call us in to see him.

"Han Shanshan told me everything. Tian Ge, thank goodness for you. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable!" Zhao He looked relieved seeing his sister unharmed and thanked me profusely.

When Han Shanshan went in to arrange our visit earlier, she had explained the situation. Zhao He, like his sister, firmly believed in ghosts and spirits and knew how terrifying they were.

"I can help with these matters, but I'm afraid I can't do anything about your situation," I sighed.

"Tian Ge, what are you saying? As long as my sister is okay, I don't care what happens to me!" Zhao He said casually, acting very carefree.

I was speechless and could only make small talk with him until the visiting hours ended.

Han Shanshan then had someone take Zhao Qian to give her statement and get examined.

I figured giving a statement would take several hours, so I was wandering around the police station hallway. Suddenly, I remembered something and called Han Shanshan over. "Han Shanshan, after Wang Heng was hit with the brick, did he stop moving immediately, or did he continue to attack?"

"Why are you suddenly asking that? I heard that after being hit with that brick, his brain splattered out. Could he still be alive and kicking? You're unbelievable. I'm busy, why are you bothering me? You always call me silly, but I think you're the silly one," Han Shanshan said, hands on her hips, smiling at me in annoyance.

"No..." A flash of inspiration struck me. That's not right. According to normal spirit possession, a blow that splatters the brain shouldn't kill it instantly. The time with Zhang Kaifu, it was Xijun who pulled his soul out, and only then did the body lose its ability to move.

So, does that mean the ghost possessing the body is still in Wang Heng? It's just that someone has artificially sealed it. It seems the other party might be skilled in exorcising ghosts and causing harm, which is similar to Old Man Zhao's situation before. This ghost might not be un-exorcised, but rather, it was driven back into someone.

"Has the autopsy been done?" I asked, grabbing Han Shanshan, who was about to leave, patting her backside.

Han Shanshan became a bit displeased. "What time is it? It's barely dawn. The office hasn't opened yet. Who would conduct an autopsy in the middle of the night?"

Just as she was speaking, a car arrived outside the police station. Huo Dadong got out of the car and smiled, waving at me from a distance. "Brother Xia, what brings you here?"

"Captain Huo, you look well!" I greeted him back. Huo Dadong's arrival was indeed timely.

"Not at all. Don't let my appearance fool you. My head has been exploding for the past two days. Old Hai is also guiding the higher-ups to Xiao Yi Village to investigate the matter of my nephew Zhang Kaifu falling off the cliff. Sigh, there's a whole busload of them." Huo Dadong patted his forehead. The bureau had asked him to assist in the investigation of Zhang Kaifu's case, and people from the city had specifically come.

It seemed Huo Dadong wasn't having an easy time either. Now with another murder case, the situation had become even more complicated for him.

From the information he gave me, I understood that the incident in Xiao Yi Village had already alarmed the city, and the news was strictly sealed. The false report of Zhang Kaifu falling off a cliff was likely a smokescreen from above.

"Captain Huo!" Han Shanshan saluted Captain Huo.

"Mm, Xiao Han is here too." Huo Dadong nodded, then asked about Zhao He's case: "How's that case of Xiao Zhao?"

Han Shanshan handed a notebook to Huo Dadong: "Captain Huo, it's still the same, but the evidence for self-defense is insufficient. The person is dead, and I'm afraid it will be ruled as excessive self-defense."

Was Huo Dadong in charge of the case? Looking at the situation, it must be. After all, given Ren Yun's connections, how could she not know Huo Dadong? He was the criminal police captain of the county, and useful resources would definitely be utilized.

"Where's the body?" Huo Dadong asked.

"Besides the two duty officers from our criminal police team, there are also people from the Wang family guarding it. We're just waiting for you to bring people to meet us," Han Shanshan said.

"Mm, the Wang family." Huo Dadong repeated, his brow twitching inadvertently, then he looked at me: "It's not easy to handle. Brother Xia, what do you think about this matter?"

"Dead but not stiff," I said softly.

Huo Dadong's eyebrows immediately jumped, and his face turned as white as if he had applied powder. He still hadn't recovered. Since I said that, this matter probably wouldn't be so easily resolved.

"I've already contacted Old Man Lin from the bureau who specializes in these matters. It's a coincidence, Brother Xia, why don't you come with me?" Huo Dadong didn't dare to be presumptuous. He immediately pulled me aside, playing his own calculations. Someone like me who could even deal with a fierce ghost, one more person was better. Even though he was the criminal police captain, he knew that guns couldn't solve this kind of problem.

"Old Man Lin?" I frowned, looking like I was asking.

"Old Man Lin is Lin Feiyu, the old forensic doctor in the county. He knows a thing or two about these matters," Huo Dadong explained.

"Alright, let's go take a look then." I nodded and agreed.

"Straightforward! Let's go to the morgue now. Xiao Han, prepare the materials, call Old Man Lin too, and by the way, bring a few more brothers, armed. The Wang family people are not easy to deal with," Huo Dadong said, the last sentence having a hidden meaning.

"Yes! Captain Huo." Han Shanshan took the order and ran inside.

"The Wang family lost someone, and Old Man Wang insists that the Zhao family pay with their lives. But Old Mrs. Zhao and Sister Ren Yun's Ren family are not to be trifled with, after all, it concerns their grandson and son. This matter is very complicated. The Wang family also said that if the Zhao family wants to get away with self-defense and not give an explanation, that's fine, then the Xuanmen matter will be handled with Xuanmen methods. Tsk, what era is this?" Huo Dadong pulled me and explained.

The Wang family was also a prominent family in the county. How could they not know about the deeply entrenched political connections of the Zhao and Ren families? It was probably only a matter of time before Zhao He got away, so they left a message: the hatred of a murdered son is irreconcilable, and the Xuanmen matter will be resolved with Xuanmen methods.

Would the county be peaceful in the future? He, Huo Dadong, was the first to not believe it!