Baltimore's afternoon sunlight was shut out by the hotel's heavy curtains. Room 307 reeked of a sharp, rusty smell mixed with printer toner, enough to make anyone dizzy. The lawyer Tony Giles lay faceup before the desk, his upper body slumped across its surface. A hideous wound in his neck cut deep enough to expose bone. Dark brown blood had already crusted over, soaking his white shirt and the dark carpet beneath him and leaving several twisting trails across the desktop.
The strangest thing was the laser printer on the desk. It was as though someone had pressed a permanent print button. Its buzzing sounded especially grating in the deathly silent room as it kept spitting out sheets of A4 paper densely covered with "danashulps." They piled up on the floor like a waterfall, almost covering half the room. The edges of the paper were slightly warm from the rapid printing and gave off a faint scorched smell. The repeated combination of letters looked like some kind of curse, enough to make anyone's scalp crawl.
A middle-aged Black housekeeper pushed her cleaning cart toward room 307, humming a tune and swaying her hips to the rhythm. Seeing the door ajar, she assumed the previous guest had forgotten to close it and thought nothing of it. She casually pushed it open, and the moment she poked her head inside, her gaze fell on the body at the desk. Her scream of "Aah!" shattered the quiet of the hallway. The glass cleaner in her hand hit the floor with a clatter, splashing clear liquid and foam everywhere. Her legs went weak with fright, and she collapsed onto the floor, waving her hands wildly as she kept shrinking backward. "A ghost! A ghost! Help me! Don't kill me!" Her voice trembled with sobs. Her broken, incoherent cries drew other guests and hotel staff over, and the hallway instantly became crowded and noisy.
Meanwhile, the Impala sped down the highway, AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" making the cabin vibrate. "Tony Giles, forty-two, specialized in property disputes, but his client list over the past year is pretty strange." Sam stared at his laptop screen, his fingers moving rapidly over the mouse. "Look, these clients were either antique dealers or occult enthusiasts, and every transaction was in cash. No bank transfers at all. Even more suspicious, several of his clients have already died unnatural deaths, all under bizarre circumstances-one was killed by a falling antique vase, and another was attacked by an 'unidentified creature' in his own basement."
Dean held the wheel with one hand and rested the other on the window, whistling. "So this guy was laundering money for a bunch of demon worshippers or evil-spirit cultists?" He glanced at the map, then slowed down and spun the wheel, turning onto a side road. "He's not far from here. Let's go ask some questions at his house. Maybe we can catch the big fish behind this, and see if we can find any clues connected to the anchor while we're at it."
Bai Haorui sat in the back seat with his notes spread across his thighs, his eyes closed as his breathing paused and resumed in a steady rhythm. Suddenly, after hearing the brothers' conversation, he picked up the copper coins and spun them rapidly in his hand with a faint jingling sound. They turned more than a dozen times before slowly settling. The hexagram indicated, "Yin flourishes while yang declines; vigilance is required." He frowned and pressed the coins against his notes. "Something's wrong... some kind of warning?"
As soon as he finished speaking, an emergency bulletin from the local police popped up on Sam's phone. The screen clearly read, "Karen Giles, wife of Tony Giles, is missing. Her last known location was her home. Police have begun an investigation."
"Shit!" Dean cursed and floored the accelerator. The Impala's engine gave a deep roar as it shot toward Karen's house like an arrow loosed from a bow.
Half an hour later, the neighborhood of detached homes where Karen lived was quiet, with only the occasional birdsong breaking the silence. Her white wooden front door stood ajar and creaked open at a gentle push. A faint smell of blood mixed with printer toner wafted out. Inside, the house was a mess. The cream-colored sofa had been overturned, and drinking glasses from the coffee table lay shattered across the floor. An overturned vase lay nearby, its flowers already wilted and their petals scattered everywhere.
Karen lay curled up beside the printer in the middle of the living room. The wound in her neck was identical to Tony's, hideous and fatal, and dark brown blood stained her light-colored dress red. Several dark red finger marks remained on her wrist, as though someone had gripped it hard. Their edges had blackened slightly, bearing traces of lingering yin energy. The printer was still frantically spitting out paper, and sheets covered with "danashulps" blanketed the floor. Some fluttered slightly in the breeze, making the scene especially eerie. Karen's right hand tightly clutched a sheet of sketch paper. A woman's outline had been drawn on it in pencil-a face as white as paper, long hair hanging loose, a bloody gash in her neck deep enough to expose bone, and hollow eyes.
"We were still too late. I'll go get my backpack first." Bai Haorui glanced at the body, then turned and went outside to fetch his backpack.
Dean carefully crouched to examine the body, lightly touching Karen's wrist with his fingers. It felt cold and stiff beneath his fingertips. "She probably died within the last two hours. The wound was fatal, but there are no signs of a struggle at the scene. She had no ability to fight back." Just as he was about to examine her further, piercing police sirens sounded outside, approaching from a distance. Within moments, police had surrounded the entire house. Alternating red and blue lights shone through the windows, casting patches of light across the floor.
"Damn it, what the fuck is going on?" Dean cursed under his breath and got up to slip out the back door. But he had only reached the kitchen doorway when a loud bang rang out. Police kicked open the back door, and several uniformed officers rushed inside, guns aimed at him. "Freeze! Police!"
Dean instinctively raised both hands. Before he could explain, two officers pinned him to the floor, and cold handcuffs snapped around his wrists, the chill of the metal seeping through his skin. "You've got it wrong. I'm here to investigate..."
"Save it! You'll have your chance to talk at the station!" The lead officer cut him off with a kick to the ribs, then grabbed his hair, hauled him up, and shoved him outside.
Bai Haorui had just reached the car when he saw the police escorting Dean out. He immediately ducked behind the bushes beside the house and pulled out his phone to call Bobby, sounding both urgent and exasperated. "Old Bobby, the Baltimore Police Department's efficiency is something else. This is the first time I've seen American cops respond this fast. We hadn't even been at the scene twenty minutes before they caught us red-handed. Dean's already been arrested, and Sam's probably in trouble too!"
He glanced at the officers working behind the police tape, his mind racing. The yin energy in that house wasn't aggressive. Instead, it carried a powerful plea for help, and "danashulps" appeared at both crime scenes. That's definitely no coincidence. The female ghost is the key, but she doesn't seem like the killer. It's more like she's trying to convey some kind of message. There's definitely something else behind Tony and Karen's deaths.
In the study on the other side of the house, Sam had buried himself in analyzing the case after checking into the motel under the name "Jim Rockford." He entered "danashulps" into a search engine and searched repeatedly, but found no relevant results. He opened a map, trying to find a place or person the word might refer to, but still had no leads. Just as he was at a loss, he suddenly heard the door being kicked open. Several officers burst in and pulled out handcuffs without another word. "Sam Winchester, you're under arrest on suspicion of double murder."
"You've got it wrong. I'm here investigating a case..." Sam tried to explain, but his wrists were already securely cuffed. The touch of the cold metal made his heart sink.
As he was escorted into the police car, he heard the neighbors gathered nearby whispering. "That's him. He went to Karen's house with that guy in the leather jacket. Neither of them looked like a good person..." "Karen called me crying last night. She said she'd seen a woman covered in blood standing at her front door, staring straight at her. She also said Tony had crossed someone he shouldn't have, and there would be retribution..." "I've thought something was off about Tony for ages. He's been so secretive lately, and he was always dealing with strange people..."
Sam became even more certain: this definitely involved the supernatural. The word "danashulps" had to be a crucial clue, and Tony and Karen's deaths were undoubtedly connected to that female ghost and whoever was behind it all. He had to find a way to contact Dean and Bai Haorui from the station and uncover the truth.
The interrogation room at the Baltimore Police Department was lit by harsh, pallid lights that made people uneasy. Pete Sheridan slapped a thick stack of files onto the table with a loud smack, making the glass of water on it tremble. He was of medium build, wore a neatly pressed police uniform, and had meticulously combed hair. A false smile hung on his face, but his eyes fixed on Dean like knives. "Dean Winchester, we've looked into your background. In the St. Louis case, you impersonated a federal agent and were suspected of unlawful entry and assault. Now you've committed two more murders in Baltimore, and we caught you red-handed. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Dean leaned back in his chair with his arms folded. On the surface, he was still all smiles, but alarm bells were ringing in his head. He studied Pete carefully. Was this cop determined to pin the crimes on him from the moment he opened his mouth? His gaze shifted as he spoke, and he kept bringing up the St. Louis case, clearly trying to put psychological pressure on him. "Officer, that St. Louis case was a misunderstanding," Dean said casually. "I'm just a guy who likes traveling. I happened to be passing through Baltimore and wanted to consult Tony about a legal issue. Who knew my luck would be so bad? I'd barely arrived at his house when I found a body, and then you people took me for the killer." He deliberately avoided the affectionate nickname "Sammy" and said instead, "My little brother Sam must still be waiting for me at the motel. He's introverted and not much of a talker, so don't give him a hard time. Can I have a word with him?" He wanted to use this to warn Sam that something was wrong, that he had to stay alert and not readily reveal their real purpose. As for Bai Haorui, he never mentioned him at all.
In another interrogation room, Diana Ballard sat opposite Sam, holding his and Dean's files with her brows tightly drawn. She had practical short hair and clear, bright eyes. Dressed in her police uniform, she looked professional and serious. "The identities you and your older brother Dean registered under were both false." Diana's voice was calm but carried pressure. "Your car was in the hotel parking lot when Tony was murdered. After Karen went missing, you turned up near her house. This is all far too coincidental. Do you have an explanation?"
Sam looked at her calmly, his tone sincere. "We really are investigating a case. A supernatural case. Tony and Karen both saw a female ghost before they died, and the printers at the scenes kept printing the strange word 'danashulps.' These aren't ordinary murders. That female ghost is the key."
"Supernatural incidents? A female ghost?" Diana scoffed, not believing him at all. "You think making up this nonsense will get you off the hook? I suggest you tell the truth. Who exactly are you and Dean, and why did you kill Tony and Karen?"
Despite her words, her heart gave a faint jolt-rumors of a "haunting" had been circulating around the station lately. Last week, a colleague from the evidence unit had said they had seen a woman in white flash past in the basement. Others said the office printer would start up for no reason late at night and spit out strange text. At the time, she had simply assumed her colleagues were under too much stress and had given it no further thought.
Just then, a knock came at the interrogation room door. Bai Haorui walked in wearing a dark gray suit and tie, holding forged Federal Bureau of Investigation credentials, his face stern. "Hello, officer. I'm Bai Haorui, a technical consultant with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We received a tip about two murders in Baltimore. At both scenes, printers were abnormally printing repeated text. We suspect a cyberattack or technical malfunction, and my superiors sent me to help you determine the cause." As he spoke, he handed over his credentials. Catching sight of Diana's wrist out of the corner of his eye, he took the opportunity to step closer, pretending to have her verify the information on his credentials while quickly sweeping the Five Emperor Coins in his hand past her wrist.
The moment the Five Emperor Coins approached Diana's wrist, they trembled slightly, giving off a faint pulse of energy. This female officer has a trace of yin energy on her. It comes from the same source as the energy at the crime scenes, and it's right at her wrist, in the same place as the red marks on Karen and Tony. Bai Haorui understood, but his expression did not change, and he maintained his professional manner.
Diana took the credentials and examined them carefully. The photograph, name, and identification number were all clear, and there was an official Federal Bureau of Investigation seal and an assignment order. Everything looked flawless. Though she had some doubts, without any evidence she could only nod. "Come with me. The printers have already been brought back to the station's evidence unit."
Bai Haorui followed Diana down the hallway. Telephones rang and keyboards clattered in the offices on either side, making the place seem especially busy. As they passed Dean's interrogation room, he took a quick sidelong glance. Dean was leaning back in his chair, looking relaxed, but in fact secretly observing his surroundings. Bai Haorui mouthed, "Don't worry. I'll handle it," then continued following Diana.
When they reached the evidence unit's entrance, Bai Haorui deliberately slowed down, pretending to straighten his clothes while taking the opportunity to observe Pete sitting in an office. This was the cop who had led the officers who arrested Dean. He was chatting and laughing with his colleagues, but his gaze was shifty. What made Bai Haorui even more suspicious was a glimpse of a silver necklace chain around Pete's wrist. Its style closely resembled the necklace he had seen when sweeping past Diana's wrist earlier-both were simple silver chains with small cross pendants. There was also clear yin energy on him.
These two cops have matching bracelets, and both are connected to the yin energy at the crime scenes. This is definitely no coincidence. Bai Haorui made a mental note of the detail and followed Diana into the evidence unit.
The evidence unit was filled with assorted evidence boxes and equipment. The printers from Tony's and Karen's cases sat on a table with labels beside them. Bai Haorui walked over and pretended to inspect the printer's wiring and toner cartridge, but his fingers moved rapidly over a keyboard as he secretly connected to the police department's internal network. "Officer, this printer shows no signs of a cyberattack," Bai Haorui said deliberately. "But the word it printed, 'danashulps,' is strange. It looks like some kind of cipher or code. I need to take it back and analyze it." As he spoke, he gathered the sheets remaining in the printer and stuffed them into his pocket.