Multiple Murder Case

The police arrived at the scene of the incident as fast as they could. They saw Yan Qincheng passed out in the arms of a woman.

"Quick, she needs help!"

The woman screamed the moment the police arrived.

An ambulance was brought alongside the police, and the paramedic quickly tended to Yan Qincheng.

"Close off the area immediately!"

Ordered a man who just arrived, and the area around a hundred meters from the scene was closed off.

"Detective Lang, how nice of you to join us."

"It's past ten… I shouldn't be here. I have a family, you know." replied Detective Lang.

Detective Ye Lang was a high-ranking detective in the Sanxing City Police Department and was the detective in charge of the recent serial killer case. He was a tad reclusive, and always wore a languid expression. However, he was a different man entirely when involved in a case. He was well known in the force for his knack for analyzing situations, as that was proven in an incident that happened years ago before he was promoted to detective. Out of the detectives placed on the case, he was the only one who came close to finding most clues on the case. Hence, he had to drop everything and be here when he was alerted.

Seeing the man on the floor almost completely naked, the detective didn't know what to say,

"This is… interesting. Who called it in?"

"She's over there,"

The detective's colleague pointed to a woman who stood with a police officer, answering a few questions.

"She's a resident around here… said she was passing by when she saw what happened and quickly placed the call."

Detective Lang walked up to the woman,

"You're the lady who placed the call... can you tell us everything you saw?"

"I don't know anything that happened here. I stepped out to fetch my husband who always eats at a restaurant down the street, when I saw a light coming from the alley. I was skeptical at first but when I looked closely and saw her flashing the light, I had to come see what was going on. I didn't understand at first, and the lady looked like she was going to pass out at any moment, so I placed the call. That's all I know."

Mrs. Lee summarized everything she encountered in a single breath.

"Is he the serial killer on the news?"

She asked in a trembling voice.

"That's what we're about to find out. Thank you for your time and information. We'll have some people escort you home for your safety. But we'll contact you if there's anything else we have to confirm."

Detective Lang signaled someone and they brought Mrs. Lee away from the scene.

"So, what do you think?" asked the detective's colleague.

"I think it's fair enough to think it's him, but since there was no possession on him, it's too soon to conclude… I fear a third person might be involved in this. Scour the area for anything else you can find, footprints, DNA samples, and so on. We cannot conclude without evidence that this is our guy. For all we know, this might be a setup by the real person to cover their tracks."

Once again, Detective Lang proved his common reasoning in this case. To him, the scene and the story were too convenient to believe that someone wanted for multiple murders, and also good at hiding tracks for months, would suddenly show up like this. There was still a missing piece, and Detective Lang was determined to get it.

~Shen's Appetite~

There was a curtain of beads separating the kitchen from the main restaurant. But the kitchen was built in a way that customers could see what was going on within it regardless of the bead curtains. At this time, Zhi Luan could see the old man walking around in the kitchen. Zhi Luan's sitting position at the counter didn't obstruct him from getting a clear view of the old man in the kitchen, hence he carefully observed what the old man did.

As a cultivator, Zhi Luan's eyesight was incredibly clear, and he could see everything the old man did in the kitchen, regardless of the distance between them. He paid attention to and took in every detail, from the way the old man spiced his food, to the wonders he performed when stir-frying the pork. Zhi Luan saw it all and silently noted them down.

Fifteen minutes later the old man came out carrying a bowl of rice with slices of pork neatly arranged over it, as well as some leaves to give an extra taste to the food. The aroma of the food filled the restaurant the moment the old man walked out. Zhi Luan had to admit that the scent of the dish alone was enough to make him swallow a mouth full of saliva. And in reaction to this, Zhi Luan's stomach growled like a starving beast. It was unknown how long it had been since he had last eaten anything. The old man presented the food to the customer, who deeply returned a smile of gratitude before engaging in a fierce battle against the food.

"And back to you,"

The old man walked up to Zhi Luan again.

"I noticed you're hungry. I'm willing to overlook your shenanigans and serve you a dish you can pay for. But if you're still stubborn to continue, you can only have yourself to blame when I call the police on you."

"I wasn't playing tricks on you; I meant every word I said."

Replied Zhi Luan resolutely.

"Isn't it obvious you're disrespecting me now? How can you possibly want a job as a cook here when you have no clue of the dishes served here?"

"Why don't you test me then?"

Replied Zhi Luan resolutely once more.

"I'll cook what you just served him. If I win, you heed my request. But if I lose…"

"If you lose, I'll have you arrested immediately, and you'll pay for the food."

The old man was fed up with Zhi Luan's behavior. This wasn't the first time someone had walked into his restaurant claiming to be lost just to eat on credit. And in those cases, the charlatan would often leave after being found out and threatened. But in this case, the old man was irritated that Zhi Luan was willing to follow through with his tricks to the very end.