Upon entering the police station, Zhang Dabiao, Sun Laotou, and I were separated.
Amidst Sun Laotou's shouts of, "You've arrested the wrong people! They're the killers! I'm the informant, I have evidence!" I found myself in an interrogation room for the first time.
The room contained a steel table and four steel chairs. A camera was mounted on the wall, along with the inscription, "Confess and be treated with leniency; resist and be treated with severity."
The officer who brought me in secured me to the table and then left. Shortly after, two more officers entered. They appeared to be around thirty years old.
"Name... age..."
I recounted the day's events in detail, omitting only our intention to search the old house west of the village for Sun Chuang's Yingpo.
I harbored a small selfish motive here.
After all, not everyone believed in ghosts and spirits. If I had mentioned searching for Sun Chuang's Yingpo in the old house west of the village, I would have likely been deemed insane and arrested.
"Tell us, why did you kill Old Mrs. Wang?"
"Officers, you've made a mistake. We didn't kill anyone. Brother Zhang and I were merely visiting Old Mrs. Wang. We've been framed."
"We will not wrongly accuse an innocent person, nor will we let a guilty one go. The video provided by Sun Fugui is very clear. It shows you and Zhang Dabiao entering Old Mrs. Wang's house and then leaving in a hurry. What explanation do you have for this?"
"We are innocent. The video has been edited. Furthermore, we had no motive to kill Old Mrs. Wang!"
"Whether the video has been edited is something we will investigate. You don't need to worry about that. What was your purpose in going to Old Mrs. Wang's house?"
"To inquire about something."
As soon as I said this, I noticed one of the officers frown. He quickly asked, "Inquire about something? What information?"
"The old house west of Molu Village."
I chose not to conceal this information, as it was indeed about inquiring about the old house west of the village. Moreover, if I had lied and my statement didn't match Zhang Dabiao's, we might not know when we would be able to leave.
Indeed, as soon as I finished speaking, they exchanged glances, and then told me to wait there for a while. They then turned and left. One of the officers almost caught his hand in the door as he closed it.
I felt a sense of bewilderment. What was going on?
Why did they seem so agitated upon hearing about the old house west of Molu Village?
Upon hearing about the old house west of the village, Old Mrs. Wang had chased us out. Sun Laotou had done the same.
Now, even the officers interrogating me were acting strangely. Was the old house west of the village so taboo?
Not long after, the interrogation room door was pushed open again.
This time, an older police officer entered. He appeared to be over fifty, with a dark complexion and streaks of white at his temples. His eyes, however, were brighter than average. He wasn't wearing a uniform, but rather plainclothes.
Unlike the previous two officers, he didn't maintain a business-like demeanor. Instead, he walked over to the camera and turned it off, then sat down in front of me.
His gaze was sharp, like two steel knives scanning me, making me feel extremely uncomfortable.
Just as I was about to ask him what he was looking at,
He spoke. His voice was somewhat hoarse, as if he hadn't drunk water for half a month.
I had expected him to ask why I killed Old Mrs. Wang, like the previous two officers. To my surprise, he asked why I was inquiring about the old house west of Molu Village.
His question stumped me.
Why?
How could I answer that?
If Sun Chuang's Yingpo hadn't been held captive there, I wouldn't have gone to that place in a million years.
After a moment of hesitation, I asked in a questioning tone, "If I told you my friend was held captive there, would you believe me?"
I didn't directly mention that Sun Chuang's Yingpo was held captive in the old house west of the village.
The old police officer fell silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "I believe you."
His response left me somewhat bewildered.
This was odd. Shouldn't he have asked why I didn't call the police or expressed disbelief? Why would he simply say, "I believe you"?
Was there something wrong with his mind?
"Do you believe we didn't kill Old Mrs. Wang?"
I tested him again, emphasizing the word "we."
"I believe that too."
"Then why did you arrest us?"
The old police officer pondered for a moment. "We want to know your intentions."
"As I said, my friend is held captive in the old house west of Molu Village. We wanted to inquire about what happened there so we could rescue him. It's that simple."
"I know that."
His eyes were fixed on mine, and I met his gaze without backing down.
After a long pause, he spoke again. "I want to know what you think about Old Mrs. Wang's death."
What did I think? I had no opinion. To know the truth, I would have to find Old Mrs. Wang's soul tonight and ask her.
"I have no opinion. We didn't kill anyone. I believe the police will give us justice."
As I finished speaking, I saw the old police officer across from me frown noticeably.
His half-closed eyes, under the light, seemed inscrutable, making me feel uneasy.
It was like the feeling I used to get when I made a mistake and my master caught me, about to be punished.
"You can go."
I was stunned. Was I really being let go?
"Are you serious?" I asked again, not entirely convinced.
"Yes. Sign the papers, and you can leave."
With that, he left the interrogation room without looking back. The officer who had been interrogating me then unlocked my handcuffs and gestured for me to leave.
As I passed through the main hall, I saw Sun Laotou signing some documents. The person standing beside him caught my attention.
It was because I could smell a pungent, earthy odor emanating from him.
Upon seeing me emerge, Sun Laotou's expression showed a hint of panic. After signing, he hurried away.
I walked out of the police station. A short while later, Zhang Dabiao also came out.
The county police station was more than ten miles from Molu Village. We had arrived by police car, but there was no one to give us a ride back. Whenever we mentioned going to Molu Village, the drivers would either say they were "off duty" or say nothing at all, speeding away. We tried hailing several vehicles, and they all reacted the same way.
Finally, I came up with a plan. I fabricated a story about a deceased relative and managed to flag down a car, paying five times the usual fare to be taken to the village entrance.
Once we reached the village, the driver refused to take us any further. After dropping us off, he sped away as if fleeing from something.
Upon entering the village, Zhang Dabiao and I headed straight for Sun Laotou's small shop.
When we arrived, the door was tightly shut. It seemed he hadn't returned yet.
Looking at the locked door, I said, "I'll settle the score with him tomorrow."
Returning to our temporary lodging, I began preparing for the soul summoning.
When Old Mrs. Wang grabbed my wrist, I had managed to obtain a few strands of her hair for the ritual.
With everything prepared, I began the soul summoning.
"Wandering soul, where do you hide? Three souls descend, seven spirits arrive... Hsieh!"
After reciting the incantation, the soul-seeking talisman containing Old Mrs. Wang's hair remained completely unresponsive.
I was taken aback. "How could this be?"