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墨書 Inktalez
"My story is finished," Lin Mu Feng said as he drained the cup of water in one gulp.
"Are you suggesting that the murderer chose to kill in Shu Huan's room and staged a bizarre scene afterward to tell us that Sister Liu was stealing at the time, and then the 'Demon God' suddenly appeared, took her out, left its unique mark, and vanished?" Lu Wan scoffed.
"If you truly believe in ghosts and gods, then we can close the case," Lin Mu Feng teased.
Lu Wan chuckled, "Unfortunately, I'm an atheist."
"Then, as an atheist, how do you plan to explain the mystery of the disappearing locked room?" Lin Mu Feng rested his chin on his hand, a hint of mockery in his eyes.
"I can't explain it for now," Lu Wan admitted, looking a bit awkward. He then shot a challenging glance at Lin Mu Feng. "What about you? How do you plan to explain it?"
Lin Mu Feng shrugged and replied casually, "Just like you, I can't explain it for now." He emphasized the word "now."
"I'd rather convince myself that it was a ghost who committed the murder," Lu Wan sighed, a hint of frustration in his tone. "I have no leads at all."
"Lu Wan, don't you feel..." Lin Mu Feng glanced at Lu Wan's notebook but hesitated.
"Hmm?" Lu Wan frowned slightly, urging him to continue.
"I can't quite put it into words, but I have this... feeling," Lin Mu Feng pointed at the names in the notebook. "This is a list of people who were drinking with Liu Erhan at Old Wu's house that day. I just feel like this list is a bit... strange."
"Strange? What's strange about it?" Lu Wan huffed dismissively, his tone laced with skepticism. "Are you doubting my investigation results?"
"Maybe I'm being overly suspicious, but... really, looking at this list gives me an indescribable feeling." Lin Mu Feng appeared deep in thought, his brows furrowed.
"Since you can't put it into words, then just don't say anything," Lu Wan replied, but suddenly froze—an idea flashed through his mind.
"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Lin Mu Feng noticed Lu Wan's unusual behavior and asked with concern.
"Oh, nothing much, just a bit lost in thought," Lu Wan said with a smile, though his gaze seemed somewhat unfocused.
"Hey, Little Lu, why are you just standing at the door? Why not come in?" Lu Wan's hand hesitated on the door as it unexpectedly swung open. The village chief stepped out, wearing a warm smile.
"Uh... Village Chief, are you heading out for something? Then... I'll come back tomorrow," Lu Wan said, his eyes darting away like a child caught misbehaving in front of a teacher, appearing somewhat uneasy.
"Oh, it's nothing much. I just thought I'd take a stroll around the school," the village chief said as he stepped aside. "Don't stand out there; come in and talk."
"I..." Lu Wan still lingered at the door, hesitating.
The village chief chuckled, "You city folks—big men acting like shy girls." Lu Wan sighed and stepped inside the house.
"What brings you here?" the village chief asked while pouring water into a bowl, his movements practiced and natural.
"I... I've been... investigating Sister Liu's case," Lu Wan stammered. Before he could finish, there was a loud crash as the bowl slipped from the village chief's hands and shattered on the floor. Water spilled everywhere, and pieces of the bowl scattered across the ground.
"It's nothing; the water was too hot," the village chief said with an apologetic smile as he crouched down to pick up the shards. "I'm really sorry about Teacher Shu; it's all my fault for causing such a stir at the school and involving her."
"No," Lu Wan said firmly, noticing the change in the village chief's expression. "The 'Demon God' that Xiao Huan saw was actually Liu Erhan from the village in disguise."
The village chief stood up, his eyelids twitching for a few seconds.
However, he eventually forced a smile and replied, "Xiao Lu, you're making an absurd joke. Erhan was drinking at Old Wu's house that night; the old folks can vouch for it."
"Yes, just those people on this list," Lu Wan said as he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and gently unfolded it. "What a solid alibi."
The village chief sat down in silence, his movements slow and wooden, a hint of wariness in his eyes.
"I never believed in so-called locked-room murders. A locked room, a so-called locked room, always has a hole or a gap; otherwise, it's just a psychological lock. This time, however, it was a true locked room—no holes, no gaps. The body was right there in the room, and there were eyewitness testimonies; it couldn't possibly be a psychological lock. So it seems I have no choice but to accept the idea of the 'Demon God' committing murder."
Lu Wan smiled bitterly. "But I have always been concerned about two points. First, why would the murderer choose to kill in front of witnesses? Second, if they could eliminate the witness, why leave her alive—not only alive but also in a state that prevents suspicion? Shu Huan was bound and hanging on the wall, wasn't she?"
The village chief's calloused hands clenched tightly around the fragments, blood slowly seeping out.
"The reason is simple—this witness was necessary. Otherwise, whether it's a locked room or ghostly tales, everything would become meaningless. More importantly, the presence of the witness directly constituted the locked room."
Lu Wan took out a tissue and gently grasped the village chief's dark hand, patiently wiping away the blood that kept flowing. "Although you may not want to hear this, I still need to say—the truth behind this meticulously planned murder."
He glanced at his watch. "It seems I must be brief; after all, time is running out."
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