Chapter Thirty: The Deadlock

"Zhao He, oh, Zhao He!" I let out a heavy sigh. If it were a case of manslaughter, a sentence of ten years or more would be a certainty. Even if it were classified as excessive force in self-defense, it would still mean around three years. No matter how I looked at it, Zhao He’s situation was dire.

He was still quite concerned about his younger sister, even while trapped in such a predicament, notifying Han Shanshan to have me come and rescue her. There was no telling how messy the complications arising from this would be.

"Uncle Zhao, let's go to the police station first and see," I suggested to Zhao Xi.

Zhao He was born with a "hard" fate, and having now killed two people, his masculine energy and the baleful aura surrounding him would be enough to scare off most vengeful spirits. However, I was worried he wouldn't be able to escape the impending jail time or the hurdle of the Wang family.

"That's all we can do. Sigh, this kid is nothing but trouble. His mother must be absolutely furious right now!" Zhao Xi shook his head repeatedly, looking deeply troubled.

A moment later, Han Shanshan ran over. "Hey, Qianqian found out Zhao He is at the station, and she’s insisting on coming along."

"Listen to me! Tsk, don't you know she’s not in a good mental state right now?" I pointed at Han Shanshan. This girl was missing a screw; didn't she know the girl's grandfather had just died? Why on earth would she bring up Zhao He’s situation to her?

Han Shanshan stuck out her tongue and shrugged. "She's going to have to give a statement at the station anyway. Besides, I'm worried about Zhao He too. When she asked, I had no choice but to tell her the truth."

I looked at Zhao Qian, who was leaning against the wall in the hallway, looking despondent. I truly had nothing left to say to Han Shanshan.

When a person is sick or suffering from a mental breakdown, they easily attract unclean things. Zhao Qian had just fainted, which is how that vengeful spirit almost succeeded. Since she wasn't in a good state of mind, I was afraid of further incidents and suggested she come with us.

Zhao Xi had no objections; after all, he felt his daughter was safer with me. Our three cars soon left the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.

Zhao Qian sat in the passenger seat, staring blankly. After several blows in succession, she looked haggard and was too exhausted to say a word. I offered a few words of comfort, but seeing her spirit so low, I stopped talking.

We arrived at the Chengxiang Police Station in silence.

Zhao He was sitting in a chair, his hands and feet shackled. The interrogators were questioning him on the details, while Zhao Qian’s mother and a group of relatives were standing outside, constantly making phone calls, seemingly pulling strings. The Chief and Deputy Chief of the Public Security Bureau were by her side, keeping her company.

Zhao Qian’s mother, Ren Yun, was the head of the county’s CPPCC. Just as Zhao Xi was about to step forward to greet her, she waved him off, signaling that she was on the phone. Despite how imposing Zhao Xi acted at the Zhao family gatherings, he didn't dare make a peep in front of Ren Yun. He stood there silently until his wife finished her call.

"Wang Heng is dead. What is the situation with the Wang family now?" Ren Yun asked as soon as she hung up.

"Sigh, their household is a complete mess. They’ve vowed to make trouble for our Zhao family. They are a family of the Mystic Arts; if they play dirty, there's nothing we can do but take it head-on," Zhao Xi said with a heavy sigh. His close friend was dead, killed by his own son, Zhao He. This knot had become a death trap; even if he avoided prison, it would be an irreconcilable feud.

"The bureau is already preparing for an autopsy. Plus, according to the eyewitness testimony, it was clearly self-defense. If young master He hadn't acted quickly, the victim would have choked your daughter to death," the Deputy Chief of the Public Security Bureau added.

"Can he be declared innocent?" Ren Yun asked bluntly.

"This... that will depend on the court's verdict," the Chief said, looking troubled.

Ren Yun had actually already called the city office. She wasn't a local, but her family’s connections were powerful. She had married Zhao Xi because they were college classmates, and it was precisely because of this background that everyone in the county had to show her respect.

"Mom, it’s all my fault. If I had been more careful, this wouldn't have happened." Upon hearing that even the Chief couldn't guarantee her brother’s future, Zhao Qian burst into tears.

"This has nothing to do with you. Step aside," Ren Yun frowned. At home, her husband coddled their daughter, but she favored her son. After all, he was a bit headstrong, just like her—he was the apple of her eye. Her daughter was more like her father, always messing around with superstitious things. As a public official, she was forced to reject such things.

Back when she and Zhao Xi were dating, they fought countless times over this. They broke up and got back together repeatedly, and although they eventually stayed together, she never gave her husband much of a warm look.

However, Zhao Xi did have some talent in Feng Shui. After they graduated, she rose through the ranks because of it. Aside from this current incident, she hadn't really encountered many obstacles, which was why she tolerated Zhao Xi. But now that such a major incident had occurred, it seemed their Feng Shui setup had been useless.

If her son were really sent to prison, all her plans would be ruined. She had intended to arrange a job for Zhao He immediately upon his return from military service to help him climb the political ladder. Now, that path was cut off.

She didn't understand the world of the Mystic Arts; she only wanted her son to be safe.

Zhao Qian looked at her father, aggrieved, but unfortunately, Zhao Xi couldn't stand up to his wife. Every family has its own troubles, and I felt I had no way to handle their domestic affairs, so I could only wait on the sidelines.

After the greetings were done, Han Shanshan came out to tell us we could go in to see him.

"Han Shanshan told me everything. Brother Tian, thanks to you, the consequences would have been unthinkable!" Upon seeing his sister was safe, Zhao He felt relieved and expressed his deepest gratitude to me.

When Han Shanshan had gone in earlier to clear the way for our visit, she had explained what happened. Zhao He, like his sister, was a firm believer in the supernatural and understood the horror of it.

"I can help with those things, but your situation... I'm afraid I can't help," I sighed.

"Brother Tian, what are you saying? As long as my sister is fine, I don't care what happens to me!" Zhao He said carelessly, acting quite bold.

I was speechless. I could only make small talk with him until the visiting time ended.

Han Shanshan then had someone take Zhao Qian to give a statement and undergo an examination. I figured the statement process would take several hours, so I idled in the police station hallway. Suddenly, a thought occurred to me, and I called Han Shanshan out. "Han Shanshan, after Wang Heng was hit with the brick, did he stop moving immediately, or did he continue to attack?"

"Why are you asking that all of a sudden? I heard that brick smashed his skull and brain matter came out; how could he still be jumping around? You really are something. I’m busy here, why are you making a scene? You’re always calling me silly, but I think you’re the one," Han Shanshan said, hands on her hips, laughing at me.

"No..." A flash of insight struck me. That wasn't right. According to how spirits typically possess bodies, a little brain trauma shouldn't be enough to kill them instantly. That time with Zhang Kaifu, it was Xijun who pulled the soul out, which caused the body to lose its ability to act.

If that was the case, was the possessing spirit still in Wang Heng’s body? Perhaps it had just been artificially sealed. It seemed the person behind this was someone skilled at exorcising and harming people. This was similar to the situation with Old Man Zhao; I feared the spirit hadn't been exorcised, but rather driven back into the body.

"Has the autopsy been done?" I grabbed Han Shanshan, who was about to walk away.

Han Shanshan looked annoyed. "What time do you think it is? It's barely dawn, no one is at work yet. Who would do an autopsy in the middle of the night?"

Just as she was speaking, a car arrived at the police station. Huo Dadong stepped out, saw me from afar, and waved with a smile. "Brother Xia, why are you here too?"

"Captain Huo, you look pretty good!" I greeted him back. Huo Dadong’s arrival was truly timely.

"Hardly. Don't look at me like that; my head has been about to explode for the past two days. Old Hai is the same; he's still acting as a guide for the people from above, investigating the incident where my nephew Zhang Kaifu fell off the cliff in Xiaoyi Village. Sigh, a whole minibus of people came." Huo Dadong patted his forehead. The bureau had asked him to assist in the investigation of Zhang Kaifu, and people from the city had specifically come down for it.

It seemed Huo Dadong wasn't having an easy time either. Now, with another murder case, he felt the situation was becoming even more complex.

From his information, I understood that the incident in Xiaoyi Village had already alarmed the city. The news was being strictly sealed, and the false report of Zhang Kaifu falling off a cliff was likely a smokescreen provided by the higher-ups.

"Captain Huo!" Han Shanshan saluted.

"Hmm, Xiao Han is here too," Huo Dadong nodded, then asked about Zhao He’s case. "How is Zhao’s case going?"

Han Shanshan handed her notebook to Huo Dadong. "Captain Huo, it’s still the same. But the evidence for self-defense is insufficient. Since someone died, I'm afraid it will be judged as excessive force."

Huo Dadong was in charge of the case? Looking at the situation, that was certain. Given Ren Yun’s connections, there was no way she wouldn't know Huo Dadong. As the county’s criminal police captain, he was a resource that had to be utilized.

"Where is the body?" Huo Dadong asked.

"Besides our two duty officers from the criminal investigation team, there are people from the Wang family guarding it, just waiting for you to bring people to take over," Han Shanshan replied.

"Hmm, the Wang family." Huo Dadong repeated, his brows twitching involuntarily. He then looked at me. "This is going to be difficult. Brother Xia, what is your take on this?"

"Dead, but not still," I whispered.

Huo Dadong’s eyebrows jumped, and his face turned as pale as if it had been powdered. He hadn't quite realized it yet, but since I said that, the matter was likely not going to be solved easily.

"I just contacted Old Lin from the bureau who specializes in these things. It’s a coincidence; Brother Xia, would you like to come with me?" Huo Dadong didn't dare be arrogant. He immediately pulled me aside, playing his own game. Someone like me, who could take down a vengeful spirit, was a valuable asset. Even as a captain, he knew that in such cases, bullets wouldn't solve anything.

"Old Lin?" I frowned, questioning him.

"Old Lin is Lin Feiyu, the county’s veteran coroner. He knows a bit about these things," Huo Dadong explained.

"Fine, let's go take a look," I nodded and agreed.

"Straightforward! Let's head to the morgue. Xiao Han, prepare the materials and call Old Lin as well. Oh, and bring a few more brothers, and make sure they’re armed. The Wang family won't be easy to deal with," Huo Dadong said, the latter part of his sentence carrying a vague meaning.

"Yes, Captain Huo!" After receiving the order, Han Shanshan ran inside.

"The Wang family lost someone, and old man Wang insists the Zhao family pays with a life. But the Zhao family’s matriarch and sister Ren Yun’s Ren family aren't pushovers either. After all, it involves their grandson and son. This matter is extremely complex. The Wang family also said that if the Zhao family wants to hide behind the excuse of self-defense and provide no accountability, that's fine—but they will settle the matters of the Mystic Arts using the methods of the Mystic Arts. Tsk, tsk, what era do they think this is?" Huo Dadong pulled me aside to explain.

The Wang family was also a prominent clan in the county. How could they not know about the deeply intertwined political connections of the Zhao and Ren families? It was only a matter of time before Zhao He was cleared, so they had laid down the gauntlet: a feud over the death of a son is irreconcilable; the matters of the Mystic Arts will be settled by the methods of the Mystic Arts.

Would there be any peace in the county after this? Huo Dadong was the first one who didn't believe it.