Chapter 1 Aftermath

Bursting out of the secret chamber, the bright sunlight stung Zhang Yuanqing's pupils, causing them to water.

My skills have returned, but the Yin corpse is gone... He stood at the entrance of the secret chamber, looking around. To his surprise, he found himself in the open-air corridor of a teachers' dormitory. Behind him were rows of rooms, and in front of him was the azure sky, with a small garden below. "Room 3-208."

Zhang Yuanqing glanced back at the room where he had been imprisoned.

"The mission hint states that the crime scene is Room 404 in Building 3, which is on the fourth floor of this building."

Good, good, that saves me the time of searching for the dormitory building. After all, I only have a little over a minute left. If I encounter the detective team while searching for the crime scene, I really have no choice but to try to take on seven of them.

The ultimate battle hasn't even started yet, and the competition is already reaching its climax! Zhang Yuanqing sprinted, found the corridor, and rushed towards the fourth floor.

Soon, he reached the fourth floor and accurately located Room 404.

The door was tightly closed, seemingly locked. But this didn't stump Zhang Yuanqing. Without damaging the scene, he used Spirit Travel, his spirit leaving his body, passing through the security door and entering the room.

"Ka-cha!"

The latch sprang open, and the spirit behind the door twisted the doorknob.

The spirit returned, and Zhang Yuanqing pushed open the security door, entering Room 404.

He summoned the Eye of Insight and quickly scanned the living room, passing over the coffee table, television, sofa, and various pieces of furniture. The furnishings were neatly arranged, clearly not the primary crime scene.

Zhang Yuanqing quickly crossed the living room, pushed open the bedroom door, and found the murder scene in the study.

The study was a mess, with overturned chairs, scattered books, and shattered glass everywhere, presenting a scene of intense fighting. There were also patches of dried blood on the floor.

*lingdian.*

In the corner of the study was a single bed, its bedding in disarray. Only the corpse was missing, presumably taken away by the Security Department.

Wearing the Eye of Insight glasses, Zhang Yuanqing's eyes were deep and thoughtful, scanning every corner of the study like a scanner. He walked around while looking, not missing any details, including the area under the single bed.

"If there's only the crime scene, I can't prove my innocence. There's not much time left..." Zhang Yuanqing's eyes suddenly lit up. He opened his briefcase and took out his phone.

The phone wasn't locked, and it lit up with a single touch. Without any other operation, the lit screen automatically played a video.

In the video, the light was dim, the study's windows were covered with curtains, and no lights were on, creating a dim and quiet atmosphere. The camera angle was focused on the desk, and a figure in a shirt sat at the desk, facing away from the camera, wearing a mask, and typing on a computer.

"Cough, cough..." The person at the desk coughed a few times, saying with a heavy nasal voice:

"It's the change of seasons recently, I've caught a cold!"

The phone's perspective lowered slightly, and the person holding the phone sat down.

Then there was a silence of over ten seconds. After hesitating, the phone's owner took the initiative to speak:

"Professor Li, the reason I came to Jing City this time is to have you look at my manuscript."

Professor Li, sitting at the desk with his back to him, didn't respond, seemingly feeling there was nothing to say.

The phone's owner said eagerly: "I know the previous version of the manuscript was unsatisfactory, and the sales were poor, causing your reputation to decline. But this time, I've come with confidence. Please take a look at my new book, you'll definitely be satisfied."

Professor Li responded with a heavy nasal voice:

"I'm no longer interested in your manuscripts."

"Professor Li..." The phone's owner suddenly stood up.

"Alright!" Professor Li also stood up, his tone softening:

"Since you've come all the way to Jing City, I can't let you come for nothing. Put the manuscript down. Let's have a drink, and you can talk about the ideas in your book. But whether I use your manuscript or not, I'll consider it myself."

The phone's owner was overjoyed.

In the video, Professor Li got up and walked towards the glass cabinet next to the desk, taking out a bottle of foreign wine shaped like a water bottle.

Professor Li returned with the wine bottle, looking at the camera and saying:

"Why are you holding your phone?"

"N-nothing."

The video ended there, presumably because the suspect stopped filming and put the phone away.

So that's what happened... Zhang Yuanqing held the phone, pondering with a frown.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from outside the corridor, followed by the sound of a key being inserted into the lock. Immediately afterward, the security door outside the living room opened.

A group of people "whooshed" in.

It was the detective team led by Zhao Chenghuang and Tu Di Gong.

At this time, Zhao Chenghuang and the others had changed into security officers' uniforms. A few of them were even carrying briefcases, looking like they were out on official business.

Squeak~ Zhang Yuanqing pulled over a high-backed chair and sat down, crossing his legs. He looked at the crowd and sneered:

"The battle between good and evil, the intertwining of light and shadow, the contest between the murderer and the detectives, will all be decided today. The door of destiny has been opened, detectives, you will usher in your respective endings.

"And as the villain, I will still get away scot-free. Because the only one who can defeat me is the legendary Sherlock Holmes detective!" His gaze was sharp, his mouth curled into a sneer, his expression charmingly wicked, like a charismatic villain in a television drama.

Before he could finish speaking, Sun Senmiao interrupted in a crisp voice:

"Yuan Shi Tian Zun, are you too immersed in the role? Don't waste time, let's get into the plot."

Zhang Yuanqing said in a deep voice:

"Starting with fighting and killing, that's what small fries do. A charismatic villain must have his own lines, his own opening, in order to match his style."

Sun Miao Miao blinked her dark eyes: "But you don't have any charisma. You're so weird."

Zhang Yuanqing's expression froze, and he didn't feel like continuing. He waved his hand like shooing away a fly:

"Let's start, let's start, wo diu lei lou mu."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Lingjing notification sound echoed in the ears of the eight contestants: [Everyone is here, the duel begins, this round is—Trial in Court!]

[Duel Mode: The detectives are to present evidence to accuse the suspect. The suspect must prove their innocence within the prescribed time, or be judged guilty. When the suspect has proven their innocence, the detectives must present evidence again within the prescribed time, or the suspect will be judged innocent!]

[Note: Skills and force are prohibited in this round.]

The rules are simple. What the suspect has to do is to overturn the detectives' pieces of evidence one by one, proving their innocence. Because it is simple, there are almost no loopholes to exploit.

After listening, Sun Miao Miao turned to look at Tian Xia Gui Huo and praised,

"You guessed right, this round really depends on who has more 'handles' in their hands. We have ample evidence of Yuan Shi Tian Zun's crime, so we have a high chance of winning." Tian Xia Gui Huo was slightly smug and said,

"This round was originally in favor of the detectives. But the suspect must also have something to rely on, and that thing to rely on should be in the briefcase at your feet, Yuan Shi Tian Zun."

Zhang Yuanqing nodded, "There are indeed some clues inside."

"Was it found in the prison cell?"

"Yes."

Tian Xia Gui Huo pondered:

"We were just in a room downstairs. The mission prompt we received was to capture the suspect in eight minutes. I've been counting the time. You probably took six minutes to escape from the prison cell.

"Based on your level, we can deduce the difficulty of escaping from the prison cell, and the difficulty level can determine the importance of the clues in the briefcase. You were almost two minutes away from being unable to escape, so it seems that the clues in the briefcase are very important."

Everyone immediately looked at Zhang Yuanqing.

"It is indeed very important." Zhang Yuanqing nodded with a smile, giving a positive answer.

The expressions of Sun Senmiao and others immediately became complicated. Even the aloof and cold Zhao Chenghuang raised his eyebrows, his gaze shifting back and forth between Yuan Shi Tian Zun and Tian Xia Gui Huo.

In the room, Tian Xia Gui Huo boldly speculated on the gameplay of this round based on the items and information obtained by the detective team. The mission prompt just now proved his speculation.

Accurate prediction.

And now, Zhang Yuanqing not only escaped from the prison cell, but also obtained important clues, increasing the difficulty of the detective team's victory.

From these aspects, it can be seen that the two of them are indeed above them in terms of strategizing in the copy.

Zhao Chenghuang withdrew his gaze and frowned, "Stop talking nonsense, let's begin."

With that, he, wearing a security officer's uniform, opened the briefcase he was carrying, took out a document, and announced while reading:

"Criminal suspect Yuan Shi Tian Zun, you are Professor Li's ghostwriter. Because you were unwilling to be fired, you visited Professor Li at three o'clock yesterday afternoon, trying to persuade him to continue cooperating.

"Because Professor Li disagreed, you had a quarrel with him, which led to a conflict. In a fit of anger, you killed him with a fruit knife on the table. You yourself were knocked unconscious by Professor Li with an ashtray before he died.

"Professor Li's wife returned home after finishing her class and discovered her dead husband and you in a coma."

After reading the contents of the document, he cast his gaze on Zhang Yuanqing, his expression becoming sharp:

"Now presenting the evidence: the fruit knife has your fingerprints; a photo of the bruise on the back of your head."

Zhao Chenghuang took out the relevant inspection reports from the folder one by one, showing them to the criminal suspect Yuan Shi Tian Zun.

During this process, the other contestants did not speak, calmly observing how Yuan Shi Tian Zun would respond.

Like them, the off-site audience also watched in silence.

At this time, the arena was as quiet as a movie theater. Everyone was immersed in the plot, forgetting to speak.

So that's how the case unfolded... Zhang Yuanqing listened very carefully, clarifying the course of the case. At the same time, the mission notification sound came to his ears:

[You need to prove that you are not the murderer within ten minutes. Countdown begins.]

What I have to refute are the fingerprints on the fruit knife and the bruise on the back of my head. The fingerprints on the fruit knife are a given fact. To refute them, I must have a reasonable explanation... Under the gaze of the crowd, Zhang Yuanqing quickly entered the role and said: "Excuse me, Officer Zhao, was the crime scene damaged?" Zhao Chenghuang said calmly: "Except for the removal of evidence during the investigation, everything remained as it was."

Zhang Yuanqing continued: "Before I prove my innocence, I would like to see the on-site investigation report."

He needs to verify one thing in order to prove his innocence.

But the on-site investigation report is part of the security officer's investigation process, and belongs to the work flow. It is not one of the evidence listed this time. Tian Xia Gui Huo shook his head and refused: "Apart from the evidence, we have no obligation to meet your needs, including the on-site investigation report."

Zhang Yuanqing ignored him and looked at Zhao Chenghuang, mocking:

"Of course, Officer Zhao can completely refuse. After all, I am so powerful, any convenience could allow me to turn the tables. I understand your fear!"

Zhao Chenghuang raised an eyebrow, "A clumsy attempt to provoke me."

He shook his hand and threw the on-site investigation materials, including photos and written records, over.

"Don't, you—" Tian Xia Gui Huo shouted briefly, looking angry.

Although the attempt to provoke was clumsy, it was effective. Zhang Yuanqing laughed. To save time, he quickly skipped the reports on the corpse, fingerprints, and other parts, and focused on checking the remaining items at the scene.

Half a minute later, he returned the report and began to defend himself:

"Actually, I'm nearsighted, with a prescription of 500 degrees. As we all know, with 500 degrees of nearsightedness, the world is blurry after taking off your glasses. There were no fragments of lenses left at the scene, and there was nothing about it in the investigation report, which means that before visiting Professor Li, I accidentally broke my glasses.

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"How can I kill someone without glasses?"

Zhang Yuanqing opened his briefcase and took out the broken glasses, showing them to the crowd.

This pair of glasses had an empty left lens frame, and the right lens frame still had a lens, but it was covered with cracks.

Yin Chi snorted, "Not having glasses doesn't prevent you from fighting with the deceased and killing him with a fruit knife. Nearsightedness doesn't mean blindness. This cannot be evidence of your innocence."

"Not being able to see things clearly is different from being able to kill someone." Zhang Yuanqing nodded and said,

"However, the traces of fighting at the scene can prove that I didn't kill anyone."

Sun Miao Miao asked, "How do you prove it?"

"If I had the intention of killing Professor Li, but at this time, my glasses were broken, and everything was blurry, then I would quietly hide the knife, find an opportunity to attack him, and kill him with one blow. I would definitely not fight with him, because being unable to see things clearly, I might not be able to beat him." Zhang Yuanqing spoke eloquently:

"Therefore, the traces of fighting in the study are evidence of my innocence."

The copy's notification sound did not ring, and the argument was invalid.

Tian Xia Gui Huo smiled:

"You're right, but could there be a possibility that you, who intended to attack, made a noise because your vision was too blurry, and Professor Li discovered you, thus causing a fight." "There is indeed such a possibility!" Zhang Yuanqing said, expressing his agreement. Just as Sun Miao Miao and others showed smiles, he asked:

"But why is the bloodstain behind me?"

As he spoke, he stood up from the high-backed chair, facing his back to the crowd.

At this time, everyone saw that there were large patches of dried blood on his back, and there was also some dark blood on the back of his trouser legs.

Zhang Yuanqing turned around and smiled:

"The results of the forensic report are that the murderer was stabbed through the heart with a knife and died. Why would blood splash behind me? It is impossible for me to kill him with my back to the deceased. Combining the two points of glasses and bloodstains, it can be deduced that the murderer is not me."

[Ding! The detectives need to prove that the murderer is the suspect within ten minutes. Countdown begins.]

Sure enough, you only need to raise doubts and form a paradox to overturn the detective's accusation. Even if the fruit knife has my fingerprints, there is reasonable doubt. Zhang Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief.

Tian Xia Gui Huo narrowed his eyes. Although he was unwilling, this result was within his expectations. After all, the opponent was Yuan Shi Tian Zun.

It's not so easy to solve.

The other contestants frowned. Although there were those who voted for Zhao Chenghuang, such as Qing Song Zi and Tu Di Gong, that was in the previous round. In this round, Yuan Shi Tian Zun was their common goal.

If they cannot eliminate Yuan Shi Tian Zun, everyone will have ten points deducted.

Off-site, the official Spirit Possessors were watching with relish.

"When I saw the crime scene just now, I thought of this round. Yuan Shi Tian Zun also discovered it. But I could detect it because I am a scout. How did Yuan Shi Tian Zun do it? His brain turns too fast."

"Now the pressure is on the detective team. This is what makes it interesting. Let's play this kind of mode in the future arena matches, it's so good."

"Ah, it's so boring, let's start fighting quickly, I want to see a fight. If it really doesn't work, you can let me play."

"Pei, vulgar fire master."

Tu Di Gong, wearing a leather jacket and leather pants, said with a smile:

"Young man, not bad. You don't have any experience in investigating cases, but you can overturn the accusation in such a short time. You have a lot of talent. The old man will also make it difficult for you."

He immediately took out a document from his briefcase and said: "The security officer extracted the fingerprints of three people at the scene, namely you, Professor Li, and his wife. According to the confession provided by the old Wang next door, only you visited Professor Li at that time of three o'clock that afternoon, until his wife got off work and called the police. So you must be the murderer."

[Ding! You need to prove that you are not the murderer within ten minutes. Countdown begins 1 Zhang Yuanqing received the mission notification sound again.]

This is an unfair contest. For the detectives, as long as they follow the steps to take out the evidence and accuse the suspect, they can push out the pressure.

On the other hand, the suspect has to rack their brains to prove their innocence based on the existing information.

Fingerprints and testimony point to me, how can I overturn them? No, I can't overturn them, because this evidence is real. How can real things be overturned? Zhang Yuanqing pondered and remained silent for a long time.

The contestants immediately felt relieved and counted down the time happily.

Change your thinking. When ironclad evidence cannot be overturned, how do you prove your innocence? From my point of view, I must prove my innocence, then the murderer must be someone else. He carefully recalled the details of the case, his eyes "From the time I entered the room to the time Professor Li's wife returned, no one else came to visit. But what if the murderer was in the room at the time?" Fingerprints and testimony are all ironclad, but they are not necessarily everything!

Tian Xia Gui Huo's face suddenly sank.

The other contestants were two seconds slower, and then their hearts sank. Yuan Shi Tian Zun's sharpness and tenacity made them feel棘hand.