Another puzzle in her mind was solved, yet Guan Xia felt no relief. She simply watched calmly as Liu Xiang's expression twisted—one moment pained, the next vengeful, then suddenly elated.
Had Guan Xia not known Liu Xiang had no history of mental illness, she might have genuinely thought the woman had gone mad.
After what felt like an eternity, Liu Xiang finally calmed down. Seizing the opportunity, Guan Xia asked another question, "Do you know what happens to the children you abducted or trafficked?"
Perhaps because this question had been asked too many times before, Liu Xiang's eyelids drooped slightly, her face devoid of emotion as she answered mechanically, "I only cared about surviving. I couldn’t spare a thought for others."
Though Liu Xiang's words were brief and seemingly evasive, Guan Xia understood. Liu Xiang likely knew the fate awaiting those children, but as one of their tormentors, she lacked both the ability and the inclination to dwell on it. Whether those children lived or died meant nothing to her.
With the interrogation reaching its conclusion, Guan Xia had asked everything she needed. She glanced at Xu Nian and Pang Le, silently confirming they had no further questions. Just as she prepared to stand and leave, Liu Xiang suddenly jerked her head up, her gaze locking onto Guan Xia with unsettling intensity.
"I know I won’t leave this place alive—I might not even make it to next year," Liu Xiang said, her voice unnervingly fervent. "But my child can’t be left without offerings. Ever since he died, I’ve visited him every month with his favorite food and toys. Please, I beg you—just once, this August—visit him for me. Just once. I’m begging you."
For some reason, Liu Xiang fixated solely on Guan Xia, ignoring the other two. She even tried to kneel and kowtow, prompting the guards to swiftly restrain her. But Liu Xiang thrashed wildly, her pleas growing more desperate until the guards had no choice but to drag her out of the room.
As the heavy iron door slammed shut behind Liu Xiang, Guan Xia remained motionless, her brow furrowed. Something about Liu Xiang’s words and actions felt deliberate—like a hidden message.
Before she could piece it together, Pang Le erupted in frustration, "What the hell is wrong with her? She’s a criminal, and now she’s asking the police to pay respects to her kid? How delusional is that? Does she think Guan Xia is an easy target?"
Pang Le was so incensed she planted her hands on her hips, as if itching to storm back in and give Liu Xiang a piece of her mind.
Ignoring Pang Le’s outburst, Guan Xia instinctively turned to Xu Nian, who was also deep in thought, his expression contemplative.
Guan Xia’s eyes brightened. "You think there’s more to her words too, don’t you?"
Xu Nian hesitated before nodding. "My gut says something’s off. It feels like she was hinting at something."
Guan Xia mulled it over. "Could there be something at her son’s grave?"
Xu Nian frowned, thinking hard. "I can’t say for sure, but it does feel like she was trying to point us somewhere."
Pang Le, baffled, cut in, "What are you two talking about? What hints? I just heard a crazy request. We’re the police—she’s a criminal! Since when do cops honor a criminal’s family? That’s just absurd."
But Pang Le’s rant sparked an idea in Guan Xia. "Exactly. No sane person would make such an outrageous demand. Liu Xiang knows full well how much we despise her for her crimes, yet she still asked. That means it wasn’t just a request—it was a clue."
Pang Le’s eyes widened. "Wait, you’re seriously considering this? Couldn’t she just be unhinged, asking for something she knew we’d never agree to?"
She looked to Xu Nian for backup, but to her surprise, he nodded. "It is strange. Since we’re still waiting on Wu Yingze’s arrest, we’ve got time. If we’re suspicious, we might as well check it out. Who knows what we’ll find."
Pang Le glanced between Xu Nian and Guan Xia, who was now deep in thought. Reluctantly, she dropped her objections, though she couldn’t shake the feeling she’d missed something crucial.
Back in the car, Guan Xia first checked with Captain Zhou and confirmed Fan Ya was also detained at the southern district holding facility. She returned to question Fan Ya about the location of Liu Xiang’s son’s grave.
Fan Ya didn’t hesitate. The grave, she revealed, wasn’t in a cemetery at all—it was in a partially developed wilderness area on the outskirts of Shangshuang City.
As they left the facility again, Pang Le couldn’t help but remark, "Liu Xiang really is odd. If she was broke years ago, burying her kid in the wild makes sense. But lately, she’s been a key player in the periphery of the syndicate, controlling funds for multiple small crews. With her ‘harmless, caring’ image, buying a proper burial plot would’ve been easy. Unless… she hid something there?"
Guan Xia couldn’t confirm yet whether the grave held secrets. "It’s past three now. The location Fan Ya gave is closer if we start from Nanping Station. That’ll give Ji An and the others time to prep the tools."
She called Ji An, keeping the instructions brief to save time.
After hanging up, Pang Le voiced another thought. "Do you think Liu Xiang said that stuff to any other cops during her interrogations?"
Guan Xia recalled the records she’d reviewed at noon. "No. If she had, it would’ve been noted, even if the interrogators didn’t understand it."
Pang Le frowned. "That’s weird. Captain Zhou said she’s been interrogated over a dozen times, by different experts too. Why wait until today, with us, to say it?"
Guan Xia didn't respond, but she speculated inwardly that it might still be due to the system. Compared to ordinary police officers, the fluctuations of her soul were more distinct. According to the system's explanation, this made her particularly attention-grabbing to criminals. Even though her soul was now wrapped in a shell identical to the ordinary people of this world, the difference remained. An accidental encounter was one thing, but if she faced them directly—especially locking eyes with full focus—it became easier for them to let their guard down.
As Guan Xia pondered this, the system interface suddenly popped up.
The system had only upgraded a few days ago, and Guan Xia still wasn’t used to it appearing unprompted like this. Startled at first, she quickly composed herself and carefully read the line of text displayed on the screen.
System: Your guess is correct. For any criminal you participate in apprehending, even though they know you’re a police officer—their natural adversary—your unique soul fluctuations still make them perceive you as one of their own. As a result, they’re more likely to say things they’d otherwise withhold from the police.
Guan Xia understood. Recalling her previous experiences during interrogations, it was indeed as the system described—she had an easier time getting criminals to talk. But then another question occurred to her.
She asked inwardly: But that one time when my aura was completely depleted, why did that potential criminal try to harm me?
She still remembered the man who had pried open her door and hidden in her bedroom closet, waiting to strike. If Xu Nian hadn’t coincidentally returned from work that day, Guan Xia couldn’t imagine what might have happened to her.
The system responded on the interface: Criminals operate under the law of the jungle. They don’t necessarily feel camaraderie with each other.
The brief sentence carried layers of meaning. Guan Xia grasped it but still found the explanation a bit forced—after all, that man hadn’t seemed like he was trying to compete with her.
But regardless of the reason, it was all in the past now. Guan Xia didn’t dwell on it, instead focusing on the hope that Liu Xiang’s words had truly hinted at a breakthrough in their current mission.
With their location tracking on, Guan Xia and the others met up with the rest of the team at the foot of the wild mountain.
After exchanging brief waves of greeting, they opened the trunk and began unloading equipment. Ji An had prepared an assortment of items, likely to handle unexpected situations. Fortunately, everything was compact enough that distributing the load didn’t feel too burdensome.
Guan Xia was handed a hiking pole. Pang Le emphasized, "Shangshuang City is further south than our Yongquan City, meaning it’s closer to the equator. There’ll be more snakes, insects, and pests. Even though Zhong Xiaoyu and Xu Nian are clearing the path ahead, you should still use the pole to tap around as you walk—just in case you accidentally step on a snake."
At the mention of snakes, Guan Xia shuddered involuntarily. Despite her supernatural advantages, she was still terrified of those long, slithering reptiles.
Nodding solemnly to show she’d comply, Guan Xia noticed Pang Le checking how securely her pant legs were tucked in. Seeing her reaction, Pang Le chuckled reassuringly, "Don’t worry. With so many of us here, no harm will come to you. You’re the core of this team—our soul."
Nearby, Zhong Xiaoyu was studying the map under the sunlight and chimed in earnestly, "Pang Le’s right. You can relax—everyone will make sure you’re protected."
Ji An didn’t speak but gave Guan Xia a comforting pat on the shoulder before spraying her thoroughly with insect repellent.
After about ten minutes of preparations, the group set off into the mountains, led by Zhong Xiaoyu.
The wild mountain wasn’t particularly high, and the ascent wasn’t too steep. On their drive over, Guan Xia had noticed some man-made structures on the side near the highway—wooden staircases half-hidden among the trees. But for some reason, the development of this mountain had stopped midway, leaving only half-finished trails.
According to Fan Ya’s account and the hand-drawn map she’d provided, the grave of Liu Xiang’s child was located on the undeveloped side of the mountain—not on the peak itself, but in a small valley between this mountain and another. Though they wouldn’t have to climb, pushing through the dense undergrowth was still exhausting.
The only good news was that despite the crude map, Zhong Xiaoyu and Ji An had an uncanny sense of direction. When they found a tree Fan Ya had repeatedly mentioned was marked, Zhong Xiaoyu exhaled in relief. "We’re on the right path. According to the map, we’ve got just over two kilometers left to the destination."
Guan Xia felt like something prickly had fallen into her collar, making her skin itch. Scratching absentmindedly, she remarked, "It’s already getting dark. At our current pace, another two kilometers will take us till around seven."
"Seven isn’t too bad," Qi Bai said, holding a high-powered flashlight in one hand and using a stick to tap through the grass with the other. "Finding the path took extra time, but now that we know the way, we should be able to make it back to Nanping Bureau before midnight."
Guan Xia turned to Xu Nian. "Any updates from the task force? Have they caught Wu Yingze yet?"
Under the glow of multiple flashlights, Guan Xia clearly saw Xu Nian shake his head. "The last update came around four in the afternoon. The task force, along with local police in Qiuning City, cornered him in a mountain. Wu Yingze comes off as a spoiled rich kid who only knows how to party, but surprisingly, he’s an excellent runner and driver. He actually managed to break through the police blockade and escape into the mountains. But now, the entire area is surrounded—over a thousand officers are combing through it. He won’t get far. We’ll probably hear news before midnight."
Guan Xia was genuinely surprised. She recalled Wu Yingze’s lanky, unathletic appearance—hardly the type she’d expect to be so elusive. And despite usually being chauffeured around, he had unexpectedly sharp driving skills.
Something about Wu Yingze felt off, as if his behavior didn’t align with his identity at all.
After a brief rest to regain energy, the group formed a single-file line with Guan Xia in the middle, continuing deeper into the wilderness.
Right around seven, as Qi Bai had predicted, they reached the burial site Fan Ya had described—the small grave where Liu Xiang’s child’s ashes were interred.
It was a modest mound, clearly well-tended by Liu Xiang. Though there was no headstone, the grave was nearly free of weeds, with only short, freshly sprouted blades of grass here and there.
Guan Xia had originally come here just hoping to find something, but seeing the state of things, she couldn't help feeling a pang of sympathy. Almost instinctively, she plucked the dozen or so newly sprouted weeds and began circling the small burial mound, searching for any clues.
Before Guan Xia could spot anything, Lu Tingfeng made a discovery. He casually called out the names of Xu Nian and Guan Xia.
Everyone immediately gathered around and saw Lu Tingfeng crouched low to the ground, his head bowed as if studying something intently. After a moment, he looked up and said, "Look here."
Lu Tingfeng directed the beam of his flashlight toward an inconspicuous corner of the grave mound. "The color of the soil here is off—it's darker than the rest, like it was recently repaired or dug up and refilled."
Guan Xia’s eyes lit up. "Could there be something buried inside?"
Without hesitation, Qi Bai pulled out a compact military shovel and said, "Step back. Let me dig and see what’s in there."
The group instinctively moved aside, not even stopping to consider whether digging up Liu Xiang’s child’s grave might be disrespectful.
After about seven or eight minutes, Qi Bai made a discovery. He tossed the shovel aside and reached into the hole, saying, "I see something—it’s buried pretty shallow."
Pang Le muttered in surprise, "That’s strange. Liu Xiang practically wanted people to find it, burying it so shallow. I’d have thought she’d hide it deep, maybe even inside the child’s urn, for safety."
Guan Xia didn’t dwell on it, her gaze fixed on Qi Bai’s movements. Soon, his fingers emerged, clutching a transparent plastic bag.
Everyone’s eyes followed Qi Bai’s hand, only to be met with an unexpected sight—inside the bag were several small USB drives.
The group exchanged bewildered glances. Pang Le was the first to speak again. "Well, well. These drives must hold clues about the buyers."
