The car, along with its occupants, plunged into the river.
Wu Jiaxin choked on water. "Sister Zhao, I can't swim."
Zhao Yan grabbed Wu Jiaxin by the waist and swam quickly towards the riverbank.
Upon reaching the shore, Zhao Yan patted Wu Jiaxin's back.
"Are you alright, Xinxin?"
Wu Jiaxin turned her head and coughed out some water.
"I'm fine."
Zhao Yan watched the direction where the electric scooter sank, a stream of curses filling her mind.
Thousands of yuan gone just like that!
It hadn't even been a month since she bought it.
Perhaps she had revealed heavenly secrets by fortune-telling for others, and Heaven had intervened.
Or maybe that unscrupulous merchant had sold her a faulty battery.
Zhao Yan quickly opened her bag. Fortunately, her phone was still inside.
Water could not enter the space created by the spatial talisman.
They reached the riverbank, but Officer Qin's car was no longer visible.
"Sister Zhao, shall we take a taxi?" Wu Jiaxin suggested.
Zhao Yan shook her head. "We can't catch up now. Let's buy some clothes and change first, then we'll take a taxi."
Being soaked through made her feel very uncomfortable.
Zhao Yan bought two sets of clothes for herself and Wu Jiaxin. After changing, they took a taxi to Nanchang District.
She didn't know the exact location, so she asked the taxi driver.
The taxi driver became very animated when the topic came up.
"A homicide case in Nancheng District? I drove two passengers to Nancheng District an hour ago and passed that area. There was a large crowd, many reporters had arrived, and the incident was extremely serious."
"We're currently selecting civilized cities, and Jiangcheng was a sure bet for inclusion. With this incident, it might be difficult."
"The victim was a young girl, only twenty-two years old, it's truly a pity."
The taxi driver continued to talk. Driving could be boring, and passengers usually played on their phones.
Finally, he found someone willing to chat, and on a topic he knew well, so he naturally kept talking.
Zhao Yan nodded. "Then, please take us there, Uncle."
"Are you reporters?"
Zhao Yan touched her nose and said, "Yes!"
After about twenty minutes, the taxi slowed down. The driver pointed ahead. "It's just up ahead. See, there are still many police officers."
Zhao Yan said "Okay," paid the fare, and immediately got out of the car.
The area was an old residential neighborhood with traditional buildings. There were few high-rise buildings, mostly old four or five-story structures.
Turning left from the main street led to a small alley.
This alley was dark, and a faint smell of urine could be detected.
She spotted Officer Qin's car.
Wu Jiaxin looked around and held Zhao Yan's arm tightly. "Sister Zhao, this small alley must be very dark at night."
"Would you dare to walk here at night?" Zhao Yan asked.
Wu Jiaxin shook her head. "I definitely wouldn't dare to walk alone, but if Sister Zhao is with me, I would!"
Zhao Yan looked down at the path in the alley, where some bloodstains were still visible.
A cordon had been set up in front. The body had likely been taken for examination, and the area was outlined with chalk to mark the victim's position.
Officer Qin was analyzing the case with other officers.
As Zhao Yan walked over, her shoulder was suddenly tapped.
"It really is you, Master." Wang Qinqin exclaimed excitedly.
Before Zhao Yan could reply, Wang Qinqin hugged her tightly.
"Thank you, Master. If it weren't for you, I would have been gone, sob sob..."
Zhao Yan patted her shoulder. "It's good that you're alright! It's good that you're alright! I'm relieved to see you."
Zhao Yan breathed a sigh of relief. The victim was not the student she had been concerned about.
Zhao Yan had met Wang Qinqin once before. She didn't know the victim.
She was certainly more relieved that Wang Qinqin was safe.
As they spoke, Zhao Yan noticed three boys and two girls following behind Wang Qinqin.
The day before yesterday, Li Mulan hadn't returned to the dormitory all night, and Wang Qinqin had worried about her. This morning, upon hearing about the homicide in Nancheng District, some classmates wanted to know if the victim was their classmate Li Mulan, so they came to see.
They hadn't expected to run into Zhao Yan this time.
"Master, I only dared to come out after the coffin pattern on my palm disappeared. I've been following your advice these past few days." Fearing Zhao Yan's anger, she immediately held out her palm for Zhao Yan to see.
Zhao Yan glanced at it. The coffin pattern had indeed disappeared.
The classmates behind were curious about the Master Wang Qinqin spoke of. Wang Qinqin had mentioned her at least ten times on the way, praising how divine, capable, and amazing this Master was.
They had expected an old man with white hair or a master with an ethereal demeanor. To their surprise, this Master was a beautiful young woman in her twenties.
However, she had predicted correctly; if Wang Qinqin had gone out with Li Mulan, she likely would have been in trouble too.
"Miss Zhao, why are you here?"
Officer Qin heard someone call out "Master" with a hint of crying. He turned to look behind him and saw Zhao Yan surrounded by several people.
He thought she might have gotten into trouble again.
"I suspect the murdered college student is my friend, so I came to take a look," Zhao Yan replied.
As she spoke, she looked at Officer Qin's face.
It was bad. His facial features indicated more misfortune.
"Officer Qin, do you have a mission tonight?" Zhao Yan asked.
"Yes, I have a mission tonight. A citizen provided some clues," Officer Qin replied.
Zhao Yan opened her bag and took out a talisman.
"Here, take this. I drew this talisman. Not for any other reason than to ensure your safety, as you are one of my few friends in Jiangcheng." Zhao Yan handed it over.
Officer Qin smiled. "Then I thank you for your kindness, Miss Zhao."
Although he didn't believe in such things, he felt that Zhao Yan was a rather mysterious girl.
After all, he had encountered many unusual situations, and she always seemed to be present.
Zhao Yan watched Officer Qin take the talisman. The ominous signs on his face had only slightly diminished; the misfortune was still present.
"This is troublesome," Zhao Yan muttered softly. Could this be a fated tribulation?
Officer Qin accepted the talisman and was about to say something to Zhao Yan when a police officer behind him called him. He nodded to Zhao Yan and walked away.
"Your girlfriend?" his colleague couldn't help but ask gossipy as he walked over.
Officer Qin shook his head. "No, this girl is quite mysterious."
"How so?"
"I can't explain it."
"You guys go ask first and see if it's your classmate," Zhao Yan said.
"Okay." Wang Qinqin nodded and led her friends away.
Zhao Yan took a deep breath, walked to a secluded corner, held a talisman, and poked it with her finger.
"Yin turbid, yang clear, open my spiritual eyes, by the decree of the Supreme Lord Laozi, Yin-Yang Eye, open!"