In addition to the murders of Lv Xiangmei and Li Song, Li Feng also confessed to the killings of three young men in the village.
As Guan Xia and the others had anticipated, Li Feng treated Li Miao as his possession—a substitute for the deceased Lv Xiangmei left behind for him. Though the two harbored mutual hatred, because Li Miao bore some resemblance to Lv Xiangmei, Li Feng absolutely forbade her from leaving him. She couldn’t belong to anyone else; she could only belong to him.
Thus, the young men who pursued or harassed Li Miao most fervently were all "dealt with" by Li Feng. Being wealthy and highly respected in Lijia Village for his contributions, he easily deceived the parents of the three victims under the pretense of offering them jobs outside the village, raising no suspicion.
The moment the three left the village, Li Feng abducted them. He recorded ample audio and video for his later plans, and after these preparations, he swiftly stabbed them to death, burying their bodies in the ancestral graves of Lijia Village.
When Guan Xia pressed him for the names of any accomplices, Li Feng responded with a disdainful sneer. Though old, he still possessed enough strength and experience to act alone. The three young men, in his words, were "exceptionally stupid," blindly trusting whatever he said. He effortlessly drugged them, making the subsequent killings straightforward.
By the time Li Feng finished his confession—a mix of truth and lies—it was already past two in the afternoon.
Guan Xia cast one last glance at the slumped figure of Li Feng in the interrogation chair before she and Pang Le walked out without looking back.
Their success in making Li Feng talk astonished both the middle-aged policewoman and officers from other precincts. Guan Xia had to force herself through small talk before finally excusing herself.
In a quiet corner, Pang Le mused, "Guan Xia, how much of what Li Feng said do you think was true?"
After a moment’s thought, Guan Xia replied, "Maybe one part true, nine parts false."
Pang Le clicked her tongue. "Li Feng looks like an honest man, but he’s such a skilled liar. Honestly, if we hadn’t known some truths about this case beforehand, I might’ve believed him."
Guan Xia nodded. "If he weren’t such a good actor, how could he have thrived in Lijia Village and deceived Li Miao for so many years?"
Pang Le conceded, "True. But I still wonder—was he really that cold toward Li Miao? Something feels off between his words and actions. And that fire that night... Li Miao’s move was unexpected, but the fire spread too smoothly. Do you think he had no idea? Or was he just too old and close to death to notice, letting Li Miao’s plan succeed?"
Despite Li Feng’s arrest, his lack of cooperation left many unanswered questions, puzzling both Pang Le and Guan Xia.
Checking her watch again, Guan Xia saw they still had time and mused, "Maybe he wasn’t entirely heartless. Maybe there was some genuine feeling for Li Miao. But at this point, it doesn’t matter. Lv Xiangmei did die by his hand, and Li Miao suffered years of deception and control. Now that he’s caught, the death penalty awaits him."
Pang Le sighed. "Right. I hope the trial moves quickly—preferably before he dies of illness. A demon like him doesn’t deserve to pass away peacefully in bed."
Just then, a voice called out to them: "Guan Xia! Pang Le!"
They looked up to see Qi Bai and Jiang Yingyao approaching, dust-covered and weary. Zhong Xiaoyu and Wang Yu trailed behind, dark circles under their eyes from the sleepless night. Wang Yu, finally relaxing, couldn’t suppress a yawn as she walked over.
The sight triggered a chain reaction—soon, the entire group was yawning before regrouping.
Guan Xia’s first question was, "Has Xu Nian been handed over to the task force?"
Wang Yu nodded. "Yes, they’re in a meeting on the third floor. Once the case details are exchanged and the handover’s done, we can leave."
While relieved, the team wore somber expressions. Compared to the Lijia Village case, the next one would be even tougher.
Noticing Qi Bai’s grimace, Guan Xia changed the subject. "Jiang Yingyao, did you find anything last night? We just interrogated Li Feng—he claimed the village youths were killed by stabbing to the chest. Does the preliminary autopsy support that?"
Jiang Yingyao nodded. "The local forensic team confirmed it yesterday. Not just those three skeletons—even Li Song’s ribs showed blade marks, likely from the fatal wounds."
Qi Bai interjected, "Seems Li Feng’s killing technique never improved, despite all his experience. But it aligns with that criminal organization’s methods—quick, fatal strikes. Maybe he learned it from Wu Yang. If it’s their signature, others might’ve copied it."
Guan Xia added, "Possibly. But I recall the next case we’re handling—the May 23rd Rainy Night Homicide—didn’t involve a blade."
Wang Yu confirmed, "Right. The weapon was a broken steel bar. Still, like Li Song’s case, the victim was stabbed through the heart. The Rainy Night victim also had an open wound on the back of the head."
Qi Bai mimed the motion behind Jiang Yingyao. "An open head wound plus a backstab? Clearly, the killer struck first to incapacitate or knock out the victim, then delivered the fatal blow. If it was Wu Yang, he must’ve been inexperienced then—maybe left crucial evidence."
Guan Xia eyed him. "Didn’t you contact the original investigators when you first noticed this case?"
Qi Bai moved out from behind Jiang Yingyao again, scratching his head as he said, "I had that thought at the time, but Captain Xu stopped me. He said that if it really was Wu Yang who did it, given how cautious he is, he’d likely have people keeping an eye on this case. If we rashly went asking around, we might tip him off."
Guan Xia could hardly remember what Wu Yang looked like anymore. Even after seeing his photo, she couldn’t form a clear memory of him. Instead, the more she learned about the criminal organization, the more she could sketch out his character—calculating, audacious, yet extremely cautious. Given their limited understanding of the organization, recklessly contacting those involved in the case might indeed alert him.
Nodding at this, Guan Xia said, "That makes sense. Whether we alert him sooner or later, it’s better to go straight there. That way, we can buy ourselves some time—delay the moment he realizes we’re onto him."
The group fell silent for a couple of seconds before Zhong Xiaoyu rubbed her eyes and spoke up. "Sister Ji called me. She said Ping’an is doing much better now. Even if she’s not around, with Ning Xin’s parents taking care of her, Ping’an can stay calm and unafraid. Sister Ji said she’s planning to come join us."
Zhong Xiaoyu then turned to Guan Xia and asked, "Should we have Sister Ji come here, or go straight to Qu Ming City?"
Wu Yang had attended high school in Qu Ming City, so naturally, they’d need to go there to investigate the case from his school days. Guan Xia hadn’t expected that barely two weeks after her last trip to the Qu Ming City orphanage, she’d be heading back.
After a moment’s thought, Guan Xia nodded. "Alright. But for safety’s sake, once she gets there, she should find a hotel near the police station handling the case."
Guan Xia was genuinely concerned. Li Feng had been arrested for nearly a full day now, and given the scale of the criminal organization, Wu Yang had probably already gotten word. With Ji An acting alone, it was a bit risky.
Just as Guan Xia hesitated over whether to have Ji An come to them first, Qi Bai spoke up. "Brother Lu is also alone right now. Maybe I should call him and ask him to go to Qu Ming City too, so he can keep Sister Ji company?"
Everyone turned to look at him. Pang Le, surprised, asked, "He’s better now? He’s moved on?"
Qi Bai shook his head. "I don’t know. When I called or messaged him before, he wouldn’t answer or reply. Then, once we started working on the case and Captain Xu was keeping an eye on him, I stopped trying. But it’s been over ten days now. Knowing Brother Lu, he’s probably doing better, right?"
Qi Bai glanced at Wang Yu, then at Guan Xia, blinking as he added, "Or should I check with Captain Xu first? I remember him taking a call from Brother Lu the night before last. If Brother Lu was willing to call Captain Xu, he must be doing better, right?"
Guan Xia recalled Lu Tingfeng’s reddened eyes and murderous expression the last time they’d met and wasn’t entirely sure about his current state.
After some hesitation, she finally said, "Let’s not force it. Unless Lu Tingfeng volunteers, we shouldn’t push him. Here’s what we’ll do: Sister Ji will come join us first, and then we’ll all go to Qu Ming City together. At this hour, there might still be flights from Shang Shuang City. We’re planning to leave tonight, so there’s still time."
Zhong Xiaoyu immediately agreed. "Got it. I’ll call Sister Ji right now and tell her to set off immediately."
Qi Bai added, "Then I’ll give Brother Lu a call to see how he’s doing. If he doesn’t pick up, it means he’s not ready to work on the case with us yet."
The group, which had just gathered, dispersed again. Pang Le rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a chocolate bar, handing it to Guan Xia. "Have something sweet to boost your blood sugar. Look at your face—it’s gone pale. And it just hit me—we haven’t even had breakfast, have we? Plus, we pulled an all-nighter."
Only then did Guan Xia realize she was hungry. She chuckled, broke the chocolate in half, and handed one piece back to Pang Le. Unwrapping her own half, she popped it into her mouth. "Honestly, I wasn’t always this regular with meals before. When I was on deadline, I’d go days with just one meal a day. So this isn’t too bad. But for the sake of my health, once this criminal organization is wiped out, I’ll start eating properly. After all, the good days are just ahead of us."
Pang Le slowly nibbled on his chocolate and, after a moment, asked Guan Xia, "Have you grown to love it now?"
Nearly half a year had passed since he’d last asked her this question. Guan Xia was momentarily stunned before replying, "I suppose I have."
With the nonstop rush of solving cases, she hadn’t given it much thought. But ever since the system upgraded again, she’d found herself looking forward to the future more. If not for the criminal organization still looming, she’d be completely free—able to take on cases or step back as she pleased, no longer bound by anything forcing her to keep moving for safety’s sake.
Looking back, though, everything she’d been through had been incredibly fulfilling. She’d saved so many lives. She might not have maximized the system’s potential, but at least she’d lived up to its name.
At this thought, Guan Xia’s expression softened. Why overthink it? She’d been reborn into this world, and everything she’d fought for—past and present—was to secure a future of financial freedom and unrestrained living. Half that goal was already achieved. Once the criminal organization was gone for good, she’d truly have that life of wealth and liberty.
With this in mind, the exhaustion weighing her down seemed to vanish. All she could see now was a clear path ahead, beckoning her to sprint forward.
