Chapter 710: Chapter of Shadows and Schemes

Book – Chapter 710: Talking to Thin Air (Update 3)

What’s so special about a standing mirror?

Under normal circumstances, a standing mirror mounted on the wall is just part of the decor. Lin

Who has the time to tamper with the room’s finished fixtures?

Xiao Yu noticed that the standing mirror had been moved—multiple times, leaving clear marks!

And here’s the problem.

Who moves a mirror unless there’s a reason?

Raising his hands, Xiao Yu placed them on the mirror and hoisted it outward.

The wall-mounted mirror was slowly pried away by him…

In typical homes, partition walls measure around 10 to 20 centimeters.

But the wall before him was a full 30 centimeters thick.

Moreover, 20 centimeters of that space had been hollowed out.

As if that weren’t enough, there was also a bookshelf-like structure with three tiers.

On the top shelf lay over two hundred thousand in cash.

The middle tier held several valuable items.

The bottom shelf was lined with various bottles and jars.

Among them was a bottle of tonic medicinal wine.

Xiao Yu’s gaze shifted to the other containers. Pulling out a bottle with gloved hands, he broke the seal.

Deer Placenta and Antler Ointment?

He set it aside and picked up another jar, which contained some dried seahorses.

Then came the third jar.

No sooner had he picked it up than Xiao Yu’s expression darkened.

He detected a peculiar odor.

Corpse Oil!

Upon opening it, sure enough,

he found a mixture formed from a small amount of corpse oil and solidified corpse wax.

Drawing a deep breath, Xiao Yu handed the jar of corpse oil to a teammate. “Run a test—let’s see if it matches the 36 desiccated corpses!”

He then re-inspected the suspect’s home.

There, he discovered two problematic items.

First, traces of Verbena extract were found in the air freshener box in the restroom.

Second, the mosquito coil liquid in the suspect’s home contained a drug component known to trigger purpura in humans.

A cold smirk appeared on Xiao Yu’s face.

That smirk soon turned into a sneer as he muttered, “Did you conjure some damn curse?”

“So you saw those drones—and you heard the things I said just to disgust you…”

“You’re luring us here on purpose, aren’t you?”

Xiao Yu smiled. “So, are you ready to face me now?”

It seemed as if the line of questioning had elicited a response.

Suddenly,

a phone began to ring.

A teammate retrieved a phone from the hall’s coffee table and handed it to Xiao Yu.

With no caller ID, Xiao Yu smirked as he answered, “Hello?”

“I heard you’re going to make my life a living hell?”

A calm, refined voice spoke slowly from the phone.

Cold determination flashed in Xiao Yu’s eyes. “That’s right. Got a problem with that?”

“Well, Little Brother, you really have some nerve calling me.”

“Do you even know how to spell ‘death’?”

Meanwhile, a member of Team Two pulled out a device and connected it to the phone’s charging port.

The device sprang to life, tracking the caller’s location…

“Of course, I have no objections.”

The caller laughed. “I’ve been dying for someone to play a proper game with me.”

“You call murder a game?”

Xiao Yu asked coldly.

A teammate signaled to him and Wang Dong.

The target was locked: City N, XXX District…

Wang Dong didn’t hesitate; he was ready to mobilize his team to apprehend the suspect.

But Xiao Yu motioned for him to stand down. “Don’t go—that’ll be suicide!”

What kind of normal person—or even a typical criminal—would do that?

How many would have the guts to directly call the police in defiance?

Very few; nearly none.

If they do, it only means they’re beyond normal.

What kind of person is on the other line?

This is someone who dared to murder 36, refine corpse oil, and provoke the police—and still remains at large.

Could such a person be an idiot?

Could he not have foreseen that the police would track him through his call?

Then why would he dare to make this call?

It only suggests that if he calls, he isn’t afraid of being caught by you.

Maybe he intended for you to trace his location.

If that’s the case…

What do you think will happen when you arrive at the location locked by Team Two?

“Isn’t this just a game?”

The caller taunted, “I’m just toying with you. You want to catch me, and now I want to kill you—since you intend to capture me anyway. So, are you not joining this game? Let’s see who strikes first—you or me.”

What a lunatic… Xiao Yu sneered, “Are you here to eat shit on earth?”

The caller: ???

It seemed that Xiao Yu’s words had completely thrown him off.

Eating shit on earth… what does that even mean?

“Don’t understand?”

Xiao Yu mocked, “Aren’t you supposed to be smart?”

…… Please send flowers……

The caller fell silent once more.

“I told you, you’re disgusting—why don’t you understand?”

Xiao Yu remarked, “People get disgusted by maggots and even by filth. Seeing someone actually eat shit would surely sicken you further. So I’m puzzled—don’t you find it revolting yourself? Why are you enjoying it so much? Aren’t you a disgrace?”

“Being human? You think you can teach me how to live? What do you know about life?”

The caller’s tone turned harsh and venomous as he said, “Take Journey to the West—we’ve all seen it. But how many of you would watch it in reverse?”

“Watch Journey to the West in reverse?” Xiao Yu squinted.

“When you see it flipped, you’ll truly understand what life is all about.”

The caller burst into maniacal laughter, “Imagine this: The Buddha’s disciples—four in all—armed with the Eight Heavenly Books and accompanied by Little White Dragon, setting off to preach in Tang Dynasty.”

……

“Along the way, they encountered all sorts of demons and monsters, only to find that each one had powerful backers, letting them commit heinous acts with impunity.”

“Zhu Bajie and Sha Monk, disillusioned by the darkness of the world, abandoned Tang Sanzang—one hiding in Gaolao Village, the other disappearing into the Flowing Sand River… They too fell into corruption, resorting to crimes like kidnapping and cannibalism…”

“Only Wukong stood for justice, slaying demons to protect Tang Sanzang on his eastward journey. But the celestial court had had enough—an accord between the Jade Emperor and the Buddha demanded that Tang Sanzang’s safe passage hinge on dealing with that troublemaker, Wukong.”

“The Buddha agreed, and amid a sinister plot, the White Dragon Horse suffered grievous injuries and tumbled into a ravine, while Wukong was imprisoned under the Five Fingers Mountain.”

“Then Tang Sanzang abandoned Wukong and, following the Buddha’s orders, journeyed alone to Chang’an. After preaching, he was enshrined as the Jade Emperor, enjoying a life of splendor until his final breath…”

“Five hundred years later, Wukong escaped from beneath the Five Fingers Mountain and turned the celestial court upside down. Reluctantly, the heavens agreed to transform Zhu Bajie into human form—coronating him as Marshal Tianpeng—and to name Sha Monk as General Juanzhilan, tasking them with eliminating Wukong…”

“In the end, disillusioned by fratricidal strife, Wukong sought out Master Bodhi, who sealed his powers, and his Ruyi Jingu Bang was cast into the Eastern Sea. Returning to Huaguo Mountain, he spent an ordinary life with his progeny, eventually turning into a simple stone…”

At that point, the caller laughed even more derisively, “Don’t you agree with what I’m saying?”

“Well said. Next time, don’t go that far.”

Xiao Yu spoke calmly, “Journey to the West is always presented straight, not in reverse. So, are you playing the fool?”

Wen

Xue