Ding Yijie was somewhat bewildered by what Liang Ping had said.
"What special influence?"
Liang Ping thought for a moment about how to explain it to Ding Yijie, then said to him, "It's just that some beings, some of them, might deliberately lure certain people here using special methods. That's why we need to know if you were influenced to come here."
"Or, it's not impossible that some people were threatened and misled, becoming possessed and acting deliberately."
Ding Yijie's first reaction was to shake his head vehemently.
Ding Yijie said, "That's unlikely. Our relationships are very strong, and we have good feelings for each other. None of us would harm the other."
Liang Ping remained very calm.
He told Ding Yijie, "You can't judge this matter like that. If they were influenced, their thoughts and minds would change. It might not be from their true intentions or nature, and they might even be manipulated. Therefore, you can't make such a judgment based on your friendships."
Liang Ping did not mention any more brutal possibilities.
However, Liang Ping's current explanation was more likely to be accepted by Ding Yijie without him becoming overly emotional.
If his friends were influenced, then in Ding Yijie's view, it wouldn't be unforgivable. If the other party didn't want to do it, but was forced into it, and it wasn't their own choice, and they accidentally harmed their friends, Ding Yijie felt he wouldn't blame them.
Ding Yijie thought for a moment and recalled carefully.
Then, Ding Yijie said to Liang Ping, "The earliest we heard about this was when we saw an article in a magazine listing major haunted houses in China. That's how we found out."
"There were many we had heard of, and some we hadn't heard much about. This haunted house here was one of the types we hadn't heard much about."
"Actually, most haunted houses in China, after rumors spread, would have people go to explore them and debunk them, proving that those feudal superstitions don't exist at all, that they are fake and deceptive."
"Basically, it's unlikely that anyone would really get into trouble. Even if accidents happened, many people had accidents due to the houses being dilapidated. In fact, as long as some precautions were taken and they were careful, such accidents wouldn't happen."
Liang Ping nodded slightly, listening to Ding Yijie continue.
Ding Yijie went on to say, "We happened to be on vacation at this time, not needing to study. We had already gotten into university and were on our college break. There were no holiday assignments at this time, so we were quite free."
"However, we thought about arranging to go somewhere fun together. After seeing that magazine article, we thought, why not look for some excitement and go on an adventure? Anyway, these things are fake. After we come back, we can further prove that haunted houses and the like are all nonsense."
"At that time, when we came back and talked about it, it would be another topic of conversation... Most young people have some vanity, and I'm no exception. When I talk about our experience with classmates around me, it would be quite impressive. So I..."
Liang Ping looked at him helplessly.
"So, you came?"
Ding Yijie said sheepishly, "Ah, yes, so we came."
Liang Ping didn't intend to blame him further. As long as the person understood the seriousness of the situation and wouldn't court death again, he wouldn't blame them too much. Besides, they weren't his own children. He had already taught them a lesson, and whether they remembered it or not, he couldn't really control it.
Liang Ping asked Ding Yijie, "Then how did you decide to come to this place for an adventure?"
Ding Yijie recalled for a moment, then said to Liang Ping, "At first, we couldn't decide where to go. We wanted to go to a more famous place, but when we talked about it, the few of us felt that many people had already been to famous places, so it wouldn't be interesting for us to go again."
"...Actually, we just felt that even if we went, we wouldn't be able to say anything new. Then, when we talked about it, it wouldn't be so impressive."
"Then, it seemed like... it was Ajuan, the girl who spoke to you at the haunted house earlier. Do you still remember her?"
Ding Yijie prompted, and Liang Ping remembered.
Liang Ping nodded at Ding Yijie and said, "I have a slight impression. I can match a face to the name."
That was all.
Liang Ping certainly wouldn't pay too much attention to these people, but he would have an impression.
Then, Ding Yijie continued, "Besides Ajuan, there was also Qiuju. It was these two girls. They said that the magazine article also mentioned some less famous haunted houses. Those places would definitely have fewer people going. If we picked those we hadn't even heard of, we'd have something new to see."
"At that time, perhaps we would be the first to venture into that place, and we could get some new information. When we mentioned it to others, it would definitely be very impressive."
"After that, we compared them one by one in the magazine, and we saw that two or three haunted houses were relatively unfamiliar. Then we saw this place. Ajuan and Qiuju said that this place wasn't particularly remote, unlike some places where the houses were deep in the mountains and forests, far from any village or town."
"At that time, if something really happened, we wouldn't be able to find anyone to help."
"This is in a village where some people still live. Although the location is a bit remote, it's not uninhabited. There are indeed people living nearby, and there are towns not far away. This would be much more convenient for us. In the end, we decided on this place."
After listening to Ding Yijie's account, Liang Ping had a look of speechlessness.
Liang Ping said, "So, in the end, the three of you big guys were led by those two girls?"
Ding Yijie explained, "Ah, this is quite normal. Girls often have many ideas, and sometimes they have some strange ideas and clever tricks that are quite interesting. So we were more willing to listen to their opinions."
"Then, two other boys among us had crushes on Ajuan and Qiuju, so they were even more willing to listen to Ajuan and Qiuju. In our small group, there were a total of five people. When four people agreed on an opinion, I didn't see any problem with the suggestion, so I wouldn't object."
"Whether I object or not, it's four votes against one, so of course, the four votes win, right?"
Liang Ping nodded thoughtfully.
Ding Yijie thought for a moment and then said again, "But I still think the possibility of this being a coincidence is much greater. Ajuan and Qiuju are very nice people. They haven't done anything bad all along. How could they suddenly want to take our lives?"
"Moreover, I see that their behavior has been quite normal recently, not like they are bewitched or manipulated. It's more likely just a coincidence."
Facing Ding Yijie's statement, Liang Ping said, "I understand your thoughts, but for Captain Nie and me, we definitely pursue evidence more and wouldn't falsely accuse anyone. We will definitely wait to see what happens and what clues we can find before making a real judgment."
However, what Liang Ping didn't say was that he still found it suspicious.
He was referring to the two girls, Ajuan and Qiuju.
Liang Ping asked Ding Yijie again, "By the way, what magazine was it that you saw the article about the haunted house in? Is it well-known? Who gave it to you?"
Ding Yijie said, "Ah, this, I can tell you, but please don't misunderstand. It was also brought by Ajuan and Qiuju. Although we don't believe in these messy things, and neither do Ajuan and Qiuju, they are quite interested in those strange and peculiar stories."
"And there are some magazines, not particularly famous ones. They are specifically targeted at niche groups like Ajuan and Qiuju, and the magazines are specifically about these supernatural and strange matters."
"Ajuan and Qiuju both really like these things, so they have many such magazines. It's not strange that they could produce these magazines."
Liang Ping's suspicion towards Ajuan and Qiuju deepened.
If they were investigating a case in reality, they might need to shift some of their attention to the magazines. However, in this place, clues often tend to be very close to them. This is a characteristic, so the problems and clues often appear around them, not in places that are completely unrelated.
Hearing this, the suspicion towards Ajuan and Qiuju became even greater.
Liang Ping pondered in his heart and didn't ask many more questions.
He said to Ding Yijie, "So that's how it is. Then Captain Nie and I will pay more attention and see if we can investigate anything."
Ding Yijie nodded.
He then asked Liang Ping, "But, didn't I hear you and your captain say that you had companions, like special consultants, who got separated from you? You said they were in the future, but for some reason, you two returned to the past?"
When Liang Ping heard Ding Yijie ask about this, he thought for a moment and said, "Regarding this matter, I can only say that those two are even more unfortunate than Captain Nie and me."
Hearing Liang Ping say this, Ding Yijie's mouth opened wide in surprise, showing a shocked expression.
"Ah? Even more unfortunate? Did something happen to them?"
Liang Ping said to Ding Yijie, "It's not that something happened. Those two are very capable. Otherwise, they wouldn't have become our special consultants. Didn't we also say before that they sent back messages to report they were safe?"
Ding Yijie recalled for a moment and remembered that there was indeed such an occasion.
So, Ding Yijie nodded slightly and said, "Oh, I remember some of it. You two were discussing it, and I overheard it."
Then, Liang Ping continued, "However, although they are not in trouble, they, like Captain Nie and me, have also arrived in a different time. Moreover, they seem to have returned to the time when the murder occurred."
Ding Yijie listened, dumbfounded.
"Ah? That's not... I remember you saying that you were investigating a murder case from a hundred years ago, right?"
What was it like a hundred years ago, how tragic was the history of a hundred years ago, and how chaotic was that era? Anyone who had read a little, or even many people who had survived but hadn't read much, would remember that this history was not that long ago.
If they went to that time and couldn't return, it would indeed be a bit tragic.