“Old Li’s analysis made Xiao Liang and me nod repeatedly. Jiang Yongguang couldn’t refute it either, and he immediately asked, “Then Old Li, what do you think the murderer’s motive is? Why did he create a sense of ritual?”

Old Li pinched his chin and speculated, “According to my experience, if a murderer deliberately pursues a sense of ritual during the murder process, it’s either because they’ve been planning this murder for a long time and attach great importance to it, or because the murderer is bloodthirsty by nature and treats each murder as a kind of enjoyment… But Aunt Mei’s situation probably doesn’t fit either of these two scenarios. I think this case is more like an execution, as if Aunt Mei violated some kind of law and was ultimately executed.”

Xiao Liang immediately had an idea after hearing this and boldly said, “Master, do you think it’s because we violated some taboo that Aunt Mei was implicated and retaliated against? I think you’re right, it really seems like an execution.”

Old Li narrowed his eyes and asked, “Xiao Liang, what do you mean? What taboo do you think we violated?”

Xiao Liang hesitated for a moment, but finally said, “I always feel that everything is related to the dark figure that crawled out of the coffin. When we were in the ancient Shu tomb, we could basically conclude that the coffin contained the ancient Shu king. If that dark figure that crawled out was the ancient Shu king…”

Before Xiao Liang could finish speaking, I guessed what she meant and continued her words, “Are you saying that the ancient Shu king who crawled out of the coffin is retaliating against Aunt Mei because we trespassed on his tomb, and executed Aunt Mei with such cruel methods?”

Xiao Liang nodded with a pale face and said, “Yes, this is the most reasonable explanation at the moment. It can explain the time and motive of the crime, and it can also explain why the murder weapon was five bronze short swords from the ancient Shu kingdom.”

I have to say, Xiao Liang’s guess was very reasonable, and it even made me feel that this was the truth.

According to my inquiries with the neighbors just now, the neighbors didn’t hear any unusual noises last night.

Xiao Mei’s house and the neighbors on both sides are only separated by a wall. Not to mention such a brutal murder, even if someone sneezes loudly, the neighbors can hear it clearly.

But Aunt Mei was killed silently.

This made me feel even more that this involved some supernatural power.

But Jiang Yongguang obviously didn’t agree with Xiao Liang’s guess. He asked somewhat speechlessly, “Xiao Liang, are you saying that a four-thousand-year-old corpse crawled out of the coffin and then crawled to Aunt Mei’s house in the middle of the night, using supernatural means to execute Aunt Mei?”

Xiao Liang nodded sheepishly.

Jiang Yongguang shook his head and said, “I really didn’t expect that a highly educated college student would have such absurd ideas. Didn’t I just say that the five bronze short swords that killed Aunt Mei were all fakes? Don’t always associate this murder case with ghosts and gods. How could the ancient Shu king, who died four thousand years ago, be resurrected to kill people?”

Xiao Liang suddenly asked, “Officer Jiang, are you really sure that the five bronze short swords are all fakes? Have you asked a cultural relics expert to identify them?”

“This…”

Jiang Yongguang was speechless now, he stammered for a moment, then shook his head and said, “Not yet… I just made a judgment based on experience. But if those five bronze short swords are cultural relics, how could they be so sharp and still be able to kill people after being unearthed? That’s not scientific at all!”

Just as everyone was discussing fiercely, a Xiaoling Guard suddenly shouted outside the gate of the yard, “Come on! Come on! Third Brother Mei fainted! Third Brother Mei fainted!”

I quickly ran out and saw Uncle Mei holding half a cigarette in his right hand, slumped on the ground, his lips pale, his face bloodless, and his eyes tightly closed.

The half cigarette was still burning, and it was about to burn his fingers.

I quickly went over and put out the cigarette, then picked up Uncle Mei.

Jiang Yongguang frowned and said, “Third Brother must have fainted from excessive grief. Let’s carry him into the house to rest for a while. Old Li, is there a reliable doctor in town? Please ask one to come and take a look.”

Old Li immediately nodded and said, “Understood.”

After saying that, he turned and left.

Jiang Yongguang and I worked together to carry Uncle Mei to the bed in the house and let him lie down first.

Afterwards, Jiang Yongguang said to me, “Xiao Chen, you should go and rest for a while too. You exhausted too much energy going to the tomb yesterday, and you’ve experienced such a thing. If you don’t rest, your body will collapse.”

I shook my head and said I wasn’t in the mood to rest. I was always thinking about Xiao Mei.

I wouldn’t be able to rest for a moment until I saw Xiao Mei.

As I was speaking, my mind flashed and I suddenly reacted, “Wait! Do you think Xiao Mei might have gone to the Tuo River to find us? We went into the water from the Tuo River, and we haven’t been back for a day and a night. Xiao Mei must have gone to the Tuo River to look for us!”

Jiang Yongguang quickly said, “Xiao Chen, Old Li has been guarding the Tuo River. If Xiao Mei went, Old Li would definitely have seen her.”

But I was still worried and shook my head, “The riverside is so big, what if Old Li didn’t notice? No, I have to go and see!”

After saying that, I stood up and ran straight to the Tuo River.

Along the way, whenever I met someone, I would ask them if they had seen Xiao Mei, but from home all the way to the Tuo River, no one had seen Xiao Mei.

Arriving at the riverside, I looked at the vast expanse of the river in front of me and shouted loudly, “Xiao Mei!”

“Xiao Mei, where are you!”

But no matter how many times I shouted, no one responded to me.

Xiao Mei wasn’t at the riverside, and there was no trace of her here.

I walked along the riverside like a lost soul, shouting Xiao Mei’s name as I walked. People on the road looked at me like I was crazy, but I couldn’t bother to pay attention to their gazes.

From noon to evening, it was almost dark. At this time, it started to rain by the river, a drizzle.

I gradually got wet, but I was still unwilling. I always felt that Xiao Mei was by the river, she must be here.

After searching again, I suddenly heard someone calling my name.

“Chen Rongsheng!”

I turned my head in a daze and saw that the person calling my name was female police officer Xiao Liang.

She was holding an umbrella and trotted over, handed the umbrella to me, and said, “It’s raining, and it’s almost dark. Let’s go home first!”

I took the umbrella, but I felt indescribably uncomfortable.

I didn’t know where Xiao Mei was now, whether she was getting rained on, and whether she had an umbrella.

Seeing that I was still standing there, Xiao Liang had no choice but to grab my hand and pull me back.

As she pulled me, she persuaded me, “Chen Rongsheng, Uncle Mei has already collapsed, you can’t collapse. Be strong, we still need your cooperation to catch the real murderer who killed Aunt Mei! Do you understand?”

My mind was already a mess at the time, and I was in a daze. I perfunctorily responded and followed Xiao Liang step by step back to Xiao Mei’s house like a walking corpse.

When I got home, I saw that Uncle Mei was still unconscious on the bed. Old Li had invited a doctor to prescribe some medicine for him.

Jiang Yongguang went to a nearby place and bought some cooked food and snacks and told me to eat some.

After I ate something, I suddenly felt a terrible headache. Xiao Liang said that I might have caught a cold from the rain and told me to go back to my room and get some sleep.

I hadn’t found Xiao Mei yet, how could I be in the mood to sleep?

I tossed and turned on the bed, thinking about where Xiao Mei might be and where I should go to find her.

I tossed and turned until the second half of the night, when I felt a chill running through my body, and my body was getting hotter and hotter. I knew I probably had a fever.

Finally, I fell asleep in a daze, and I lost consciousness.

I vaguely didn’t know how long I had slept when I suddenly felt something soft beside me. It seemed like a gentle woman with a watery temperament had quietly climbed onto my bed…