ASER – Chapter 8

This was an ordinary morning, but the logistics department of the county government office maintained contact with the officers on duty at the front.

The mission to apprehend the gambling den had already been communicated within the system, and naturally, someone was responsible for comprehensive tracking. The badges worn on each officer’s chest were recording devices. At this moment, on the screen, the officers had already entered the mountains in a flying vehicle.

After all, flying there was very fast.

But before they even entered, they smelled a stench… And on the way, they saw some villagers working in the mountains letting out dense cries, running down the mountain as they shouted, terror etched on every face.

It seemed like a devastating tragedy had occurred ahead.

Could it be a serial murder case?

But this smell was so strong. Could it be that a large number of decaying corpses were hidden there!

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Other officers far away in the county government office actually felt like they could smell it too; the visual feed was that good.

The logistics department personnel saw it while monitoring the recording devices, successfully ruining their appetite for the entire day. To share the information, they vividly recounted the matter to their colleagues, who then told other colleagues.

This matter spread through the government office like a plague. The auntie serving food in the cafeteria was puzzled: “Is the food bad today or what? What’s with all these expressions? If you don’t eat, then don’t eat at all in the future!”

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The people were caught. The officers called A’Diao to identify them from outside the isolation window.

A’Diao naturally recognized Hu Xi and the others. Compared to their arrogant appearance when they bullied her yesterday, today they appeared exceptionally dejected, each one pale-faced, as if they had vomited out all their vitality and spirit.

Not just them; the few officers who brought them to the government office also looked unwell, as if they had also washed themselves thoroughly.

However, A’Diao pretended to look even weaker and more pitiful than them, her face sallow.

She could no longer keep track of the Mental Energy values. Because, visibly, +1+1+1 Mental Energy values were still floating above the foreheads of these few officers, though not as strong as Hu Xi and the others, above whose foreheads values of +3, +4, and even +10 were still floating.

It only stopped after a good while.

“It’s them, I recognize them.”

After A’Diao confirmed, the officer recorded it and had her sign her name and press her thumbprint, saying, “When we went over, they were no longer at the Daoist temple. We caught them in the river. The latrine exploded, they were right there, and that Hu Xi even fell in. Did you know?”

A’Diao keenly sensed that this tall, burly officer, built like a bear, seemed to be probing for something.

Indeed, mere pretense couldn’t completely dispel the professional habits of these experts.

They suspected her, didn’t they.

“I know, the sisters just told me. Did it explode again? I knew that latrine was no good. Master even…”

Mentioning her Master, she felt very vexed and suddenly fell silent.

The officer glanced at her. “Again?”

“It exploded once before when the weather was sultry. It was all my Master’s fault for smoking in there… We wanted to completely fill it in that time, but my Master refused, saying he could make another restroom for himself to use.”

“Have you investigated? Investigated why it exploded this time? I think you should investigate thoroughly, see if it was man-made.”

“After all, how can a cesspit explode twice in a row? Some bad person must have plotted it!”

Are you a devil?

It’s a cesspit down there, and it’s already exploded like that. How are we supposed to investigate it thoroughly? Now everyone in the forensics department says they’re very busy.

The officers’ Mental Energy, which had originally stopped, increased again by +1, +1, +3, +4.

A’Diao couldn’t look inward now. She didn’t know how much Mental Energy had accumulated on the toilet lid, but she estimated it was no less than 400.

The tall, burly officer’s expression froze. He really didn’t want to pressure those “masters” in the forensics department. “This, we will investigate when we have time.”

A’Diao said, “Oh, then can I ask one more question?”

The officer replied, “Go ahead.”

A’Diao sized up the officer’s clothes, noting the strong scent of shower gel on him and his skin that had clearly been scrubbed many times. A guess formed in her mind, and she deliberately asked, “That Hu Xi fell in, so… who went down to fish him out?”

With a snap, the 2B pencil in the tall, burly officer’s hand broke.

From Feng Ting +180!

Very good, I know now. I’ve even farmed Mental Energy. Change the subject immediately. Big Brother, don’t be angry!

The little Daoist apprentice immediately turned pale, and with a hint of melancholy, changed the subject, asking, “Big Brother, do you think this explosion could have been my Master’s doing? He’s actually not that bad to me. Knowing I was bullied by these bad people, he specially vented my anger for me. If you could catch him, that would be great. I could see him one more time, even if it’s seeing him in jail.”

Feng Ting shuddered. “?”

But the little Daoist apprentice, with her swollen face, looked particularly pure and innocent. “Big Brother, I’m so afraid Master couldn’t see a way out and jumped into the river. After all, there’s a lot of news online saying those gamblers commit suicide after incurring huge debts. I… I only have this one Master.”

“I’d rather he go to jail than die.”

“Why did he abandon me? I only have him as family. I’m willing to see him off in his final moments.”

“Do you think after some time I’ll get news from the Authorities: you’ve found his body, and it’s a bloated corpse.”

Feng Ting thought: Little girl, you even know about bloated corpses.

But she was already crying.

To be so kind to such a heartless, swindling Master, hoping her Master either goes to jail or becomes a bloated corpse. What bad intentions could a child have?

She just wanted a family member, that’s all.

The female officer beside them had far more empathy than Feng Ting. Her heart ached for A’Diao. She quickly put an arm around her to comfort her and led her away.

Feng Ting watched their departing backs speechlessly, remaining silent. The officer beside him asked curiously, “Chief, Zhang San also said that the thatched latrine at the old Daoist temple exploded some time ago. Plus, during the past war-torn period, the residents from downhill actually lived in the mountains. The old site of the Daoist temple was a public toilet in the mountains. Under that latrine… there was actually a huge hidden danger. It should have been filled in long ago. It’s not strange for this to happen. Do you suspect this little girl is the culprit?”

Looking at such a weak little girl, she didn’t seem like a ruthless person capable of such a thing.

Feng Ting recalled enduring the stench to inspect the Daoist temple’s storeroom. He found that the data from the instruments showed trace amounts of sulfide elements remaining inside. His mood was complicated for a moment, but he didn’t say anything.

It was the interstellar age. The old-fashioned act of lighting fireworks and then running away had long since disappeared. Modern fireworks could all be set off remotely; even the fireworks used by little girls in the countryside during festivals were like this.

Originally, he was suspicious, so he deliberately tested her. But after seeing A’Diao’s reaction, he dismissed the thought.

The little girl was already very pitiful, and still harbored kindness. He couldn’t bring himself to speculate about her with malice.

Because it was a small case and the evidence was conclusive, filing, deciding, and then sentencing was very easy. It was all settled in an hour. Hu Xi and his group were sentenced to less than three years in prison. Although not much, for these people, it was absolutely terrible news. They were still demanding an appeal and also contacting the gambling den and Jiang Chun to help them escape danger.

In court, Hu Xi and the others protested, saying this judgment was illegal. They had only scared her, and… it wasn’t like they didn’t understand the law.

“She’s already 18 years old. On what grounds are we sentenced for so many years?!”

The current dynasty’s law defined a minor as under 18 years old. They knew from the start that she was 18—Jiang Chun had later paid to investigate.

The judge glanced at him. “It seems you’re not legally illiterate, then you knowingly broke the law. Unfortunately, you didn’t know her nominal age is 18, but her actual age is not yet full. The identity system calculates her actual age. She is currently only 17 years old, still half a month away from turning 18.”

“Fuck!! This is also possible?!”

Hu Xi suddenly understood. The so-called investigation was definitely not an in-depth official system check, but rather inquiries made around that rundown village.

Damn it, they had been royally screwed over by that brat Jiang Chun.

In jail, Hu Xi, with the government office’s permission, contacted the outside world to seek an opportunity to appeal, but they were disappointed.

The calls wouldn’t go through.

“Damn it, damn it!”

Hu Xi finally realized that one shouldn’t be too arrogant, or they would be taught a lesson.

He wouldn’t believe, even if beaten to death, that the latrine explosion was an accident.

At that time, after he removed the wooden plank, he smelled the suppressed stench from the opening below. But amidst the nausea, a fleeting glance also showed no signs of an impending explosion below.

It exploded; there must have been some change underneath.

Explosives?

But his suspicions were not accepted by the officers. The recording officer just hastily jotted it down and left, covering his own nose.

Infuriating!

The officers could see that there was someone behind Hu Xi and the others. They originally wanted to take advantage of their current “vulnerable” state to make them reveal the person behind them, but in the end, these people still stubbornly refused to talk.

Feng Ting’s gaze was profound. He said lightly, “The person behind them should have paid to settle their families. They don’t dare to betray them.”

It was only three years in prison. These people eventually accepted it because their families had received enough money.

Although for the mastermind, it was a financial loss and a vexation, for the victim and the officers, this world… was ultimately not entirely just.

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Actually, A’Diao hadn’t even thought that this small matter could do anything to Jiang Chun, so she didn’t feel any psychological burden. She couldn’t stay at the government office forever. She quickly completed the procedures and left. As she walked out, she happened to see the government office’s hovercar returning. As soon as the door opened, a line of stretchers was pulled out.

Someone was injured?

But a white cloth covered their heads; it seemed to be corpses.

A’Diao felt apprehensive. As she stepped back a few paces, she glanced over and happened to see a hand fall out from under the white cloth with a thud.

It was dripping with blood, fresh blood still trickling down, and there were multiple gruesome wounds.

She was startled, and in her terror, pressed herself against the wall.

The corpses were quickly taken inside, but A’Diao thought to herself: Were these also people killed for their treasures due to the Spiritual Energy revival?

This was too brutal. These powerful and wealthy households were too deranged.

No, right now, she definitely couldn’t expose the matter of the toilet.

A’Diao hurried away. But what she didn’t know was that after this body was sent to the coroner’s department for autopsy, when the white cloth was pulled back, the coroner only saw that the corpse’s chest and abdomen had been hollowed out.

Yes, the internal organs were all gone. There were even bite marks on the bones.

The coroner was somewhat surprised. After a series of examinations and tests, he looked up at Feng Ting in the group of officers.

“The brain matter has been sucked dry.”

“The killer isn’t human.”

Although Feng Ting had long suspected it, after it was confirmed, he still gave a wry smile. “This is troublesome now. It seems different from the first generation. This Spiritual Energy revival seems to have brought more than just Spiritual Energy.”

“The world will become very dangerous.”

The coroner deeply agreed. They were in the government office, so they knew about more cases. In just these one or two days, the number of corpses they had seen was no less than double digits.

This was just a small county town.

“Where did it happen?”

“Hutong Alley.”