The murderer, what if he's not human?

"Jingjing, we're home, why aren't you coming inside yet? Huh? And who is this?" A middle-aged woman, about the same height as Han Jingjing, emerged from the doorway. She was dressed in a relatively serious but very elegant outfit, and her brows held a subtle aura of someone accustomed to a position of authority.

"What?! Mom, why are you home? You didn't even let me know you were coming back!"

Han Jingjing's face immediately turned pale. Thinking about what she had just said, she wondered if her mother had overheard everything.

"Hello Auntie, my name is Jiang Yue. I'm Jingjing's classmate. I was worried about her being alone, so I walked her home," Jiang Yue replied confidently.

A handsome young man always had an advantage, no matter where he went.

Even though Han Jingjing's mother was a high-ranking official in Star City, and an elder, she couldn't help but take a serious look at the polite and handsome Jiang Yue. A hint of a polite smile then appeared on her face.

"Oh! It's Little Jiang! Why don't you come in for a bit?"

"Another time, Auntie. I really have something to do today," Jiang Yue said, not having the slightest intention of lingering. He pressed the elevator button, waved goodbye to Han Jingjing and her mother, and walked straight into the elevator.

Although he knew Han Jingjing's parents were high-ranking officials in Star City, Jiang Yue wasn't intimidated.

He calmly went downstairs and stood by the roadside, intending to hail a taxi. Suddenly, his phone rang.

"Jingjing, is there something else?"

"We didn't finish talking just now. Didn't you ask me what it meant to have excellent physical test results?"

"Yeah."

"Do you know who had the best results among the five awakened individuals in our class?"

"You?" Jiang Yue asked instinctively.

In terms of status, Han Jingjing's family was the highest among the five. If anyone had secretly prepared in advance, it was likely her.

"It should have been me," Han Jingjing sighed faintly.

"But our class had a super dark horse who increased their physical fitness by 50%, which shocked the school leaders. Besides this dark horse, the rest of us who had the best results in the school only improved by about 30%."

"Dark horse? Who?"

"Your deskmate," Han Jingjing said indignantly. "This Li Yue has been playing dumb all along."

Li Yue?

The name surprised Jiang Yue.

He had been a little surprised when Li Yue's name was on the list earlier, and now Han Jingjing was calling her a major dark horse. Jiang Yue was having trouble processing it.

A 50% enhancement!

He was the system's owner, the man chosen by the Spirit, and he had worked tirelessly, sacrificing himself and complaining, enduring hardships, just to get such meager rewards.

And Li Yue, upon her debut, already had a 50% enhancement?

"Does sitting next to the academic genius brother come with a lucky buff?" Han Jingjing muttered to herself on the phone.

Honestly, Li Yue becoming the awakened individual with the greatest potential in the entire school was completely beyond Han Jingjing's expectations. She had never even imagined Li Yue would be on the list of awakened individuals.

She was such an ordinary and unremarkable girl.

She even suspected if Li Yue's and Jiang Yue's physical test results had been swapped.

If Jiang Yue had been in Li Yue's position, it would have made perfect sense to Han Jingjing.

Jiang Yue returned home long after dinner.

"You brat, you knew your aunt's family was here and didn't come home to keep them company. Who did you have a big drink with? You're a student, and you're drunk like this..." His sister, Jiang Ying, couldn't help but nag.

His aunt, however, said cheerfully, "Ying, your brother is already eighteen. What are you complaining about if he has a drink? Our Little Yue is going to do great things in the future."

Uncle felt a bit embarrassed about coming to his nephew for shelter and was somewhat reserved.

"Aunt, Uncle, consider this your home. Mom and Dad aren't here, so you two are the elders of the family from now on. Please don't treat yourselves as outsiders."

Jiang Yue's words made his aunt beam with joy.

"This little beast knows how to sweet-talk people, making your aunt's heart melt. San Gou, learn more from your Second Brother."

San Gou grumbled an "Oh" in frustration, feeling like he was no longer his aunt's favorite little beast.

"Little Yue, Star City doesn't seem peaceful either. We arrived this morning and saw police cars coming and going. It seems like someone died in the neighborhood too?" Uncle interjected.

"Someone died again?" Jiang Yue looked at his sister Jiang Ying in confusion.

"Yes, another one. Did the King of Hell drop his book of life and death in our neighborhood? It's one per day at this rate," Jiang Ying said, clearly annoyed by the matter.

"Still a young woman?"

"Yes, twenty years old, from Building 13. I heard she worked at a mall. The murderer has been caught."

It's the same pattern, the same rhythm.

Jiang Yue was almost numb to it.

Knock, knock, knock!

There was a knock on the door.

San Gou had now become a diligent family bodyguard. He peered through the peephole to see who was outside.

"Second Brother, it's Officer Han, and Director Luo."

"Look carefully, is there anything unusual?" Even with acquaintances, Jiang Yue didn't trust them knocking on his door late at night.

Before San Gou could answer, Han Yiming's call came through.

"Why are you calling when you're at my doorstep?" Jiang Yue opened the door.

Han Yiming glanced into the house and, seeing a room full of people, felt it would be intrusive to enter.

"Xiao Jiang, can we step out for a few words?"

"Sure." Jiang Yue put down his schoolbag.

"Please bring your cousin along." Han Yiming was very polite and smiled at San Gou.

San Gou immediately felt Han Yiming's image become much taller and more imposing.

"Officer Han, my name is Jiang Tong, and my nickname is San Gou." San Gou, energized by the attention, reached out proactively.

"Hello, San Gou!" Han Yiming solemnly shook San Gou's hand, gripping and shaking it with great emphasis.

Seeing Jiang Yue's slight unease about leaving the house, Han Yiming chuckled, "We won't go far, just downstairs."

This time, it wasn't a police car, but a minivan. It was quite spacious inside.

"Xiao Jiang, there was another murder in your complex, you must have heard about it, right?" Han Yiming felt his head was about to explode.

"Just heard. Old Han, get to the point."

"Well, we've caught the killer. It's the usual stuff you don't like to hear – surveillance footage, physical evidence from the scene..."

As Han Yiming spoke, he handed over his phone. The screen displayed the killer from the newly reported case.

Jiang Yue glanced at it; it was an unfamiliar face.

"Huh?" San Gou, however, looked surprised. "I've seen this person before."

"Second Brother, do you remember around this time last night? When Xiao Yi and her family were with us, and we were returning to the complex from outside? We were at the small gate, and I said I'd seen this person twice?"

"It's him?" Jiang Yue was astonished.

"Yeah! It's him! Second Brother, we even talked about this this morning, and you said it was possible one person was impersonating another to commit crimes. Remember?"

The memory was so vivid, how could Jiang Yue possibly forget?

"San Gou, impersonating someone, even if they look exactly alike, cannot disguise fingerprints, hair, or bodily fluids," Han Yiming reminded him.

"But my Second Brother said, what if the person impersonating isn't human?"

San Gou's remark caused the atmosphere to freeze. Han Yiming and Director Luo exchanged glances, their eyes filled with unconcealed surprise.

"Xiao Jiang, is this really your deduction?"

"As I said, if the original way of thinking can't explain these things, then we must change our approach, otherwise, we'll always be led by the nose. Old Han, the case of Teacher Sun a few days ago didn't teach you enough of a lesson? Are you still stuck on this rigid thinking?"

"At this point, you can't possibly believe that all these similar cases are just coincidences, can you? Every vicious killer leaves behind so much obvious evidence, making it easy for you to catch them. And every one of them desperately claims innocence after being caught?"

Director Luo suddenly let out a strange laugh. "Old Han, admit it. I've always said you guys are useless, are you still denying it? These cases should have been handed over to our Special Department long ago."

"San Gou, allow me to introduce myself. My surname is Luo. Last time, I apologize."

Director Luo suddenly extended his hand to San Gou, making him feel flattered again. When he said "last time," he was naturally referring to the visit to Director Luo's Special Department base. At that time, he hadn't paid much attention to a kid like San Gou.

"Xiao Jiang, last night, in Director Luo's territory, a strange incident also occurred. The body of a deceased surnamed Su spontaneously combusted for no reason in the early morning, burning to ashes on the spot. Today, when we investigated Ye Yi's home, we found out you had eliminated that evil spirit. You guys are something else!"

Han Yiming tried to explain in a calm tone, though his mind hadn't fully processed the news yet.

Jiang Yue suddenly understood. So that's what it was.

He had wondered why someone as arrogant and proud as Director Luo would be so polite to San Gou.

"No reason for kindness means ulterior motives."

It was clearly San Gou's heaven-sent Yin Yang Eye talent that had attracted Director Luo's attention.

"Director Luo, San Gou is only 12 years old and hasn't even finished primary school. Don't set your sights on the child," Jiang Yue interjected before Director Luo could speak.

"What's wrong with 12 years old? Xiao Jiang, that's prejudice. Ancient times saw many appointed as marquises and generals at 12. Your cousin is dignified and extraordinary; he shouldn't be cooped up at home like a street bum every day. Especially at this critical juncture, he should receive better cultivation."

Hearing this, San Gou's eyes lit up with eagerness.

A scholar dies for his confidant!

This was the first time San Gou had been so highly valued. When someone of such status spoke so highly of him, it was impossible for San Gou not to be excited.

Although San Gou was only 12, he had just unlocked the stage of fervent passion.

The hot-blooded young protagonists in manga usually started around this age!

San Gou felt it was time for him, Lord San Gou, to shine!