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墨書 Inktalez
"What are we discussing?" I pouted. "Isn't he off to investigate that woman, the Chief Hunter? You should go with him instead of coming to find me."
Night Phantom chuckled, "I don't know why, but I just feel you're the most reliable. Whenever something comes up, I like to discuss it with you! Is that okay?"
Sigh, if these words had come from Qiu instead of Night, I would have been overjoyed! Unfortunately, only someone as twisted as Night could find someone as straightforward as me appealing.
"Alright, what do you want me to do?"
"Zhenzhen, didn't you notice anything unusual at the scene?"
Yes, Nie Qiuyuan was right; the scene was too clean. The perpetrator had meticulously cleaned up, but what were they trying to hide?
"Didn't you see? There were a few traces left behind—signs of a struggle."
What? A struggle? I was taken aback.
The person leading the cleanup must have been skilled; aside from being overly clean, there was hardly any evidence left. But if Nie Qiuyuan believed there were signs of a struggle, then I had no doubt about his judgment.
But signs of a struggle? In the moment when one hundred and twenty witnesses closed and then opened their eyes, the monks had vanished. How could there have been time for a struggle? This simply didn't add up!
"We're also pondering this question," Night Phantom seemed to see through my surprise and understand my thoughts. "In such a brief moment, why would there be a struggle? Since they deliberately concealed it, these signs of struggle must be the key to unraveling the mystery of the White Horse Temple monks' disappearance. But why is that?"
I fell into deep thought. From the moment the devotees lit incense and entered meditation until the nine chimes sounded, they opened their eyes to find the monks gone—something crucial must have been missing in between. Did the struggle occur before or after this?
"So..." Night's voice floated softly in my ear, "those people associated with Ruo Chanjuan must have a grudge against the White Horse Temple. If it were revenge, there would be no need for such elaborate schemes. This is an attempt to create an illusion of something impossible happening, making people believe it was the work of the Demon God to cover up a purpose they don't want discovered."
I couldn't help but nod lightly. "That's true. Perhaps if we uncover this purpose, we can expose the mastermind behind this case!"
"Exactly!" A hint of a smile played on Night's lips. "So Zhenzhen, what do you think Ruo Chanjuan intended by deliberately providing us with those three clues? Nie Qiuyuan specifically chatted with her; he doesn't strike me as someone so foolish."
"You mean Nie Qiuyuan approached her to test her?" I exclaimed in surprise.
Night Phantom leaned closer to me, his smile oddly enchanting. He squinted and asked, "What do you think he intends to do?"
I was momentarily stunned; moonlight streamed through the window, casting an alluring glow on him. Initially thrilled by his words, I suddenly felt an inexplicable anger rising within me. I pushed him away and scolded,
"I knew you were just here to watch me make a fool of myself! If you're going to sell your looks, at least take off your mask first! It's not like you're lacking in eyes or nose!"
The guy chuckled, "It might not be the eyes or nose that's missing; it could be something else..."
I thought to myself, you must have lost your face! But suddenly, this sentence struck my mind like a bolt of lightning.
It might not be this that was lost; it could be that instead.
It might not be the monks from the White Horse Temple that disappeared; perhaps it was something else!
"Night!" I urgently grabbed him, "Can I see the testimony of the Witness from the White Horse Temple?"
Night Phantom paused for a moment. "Sure. Each group received a copy of the Witness's testimony transcript; it's with Qiu now. Should I have him bring it to you?"
"Are you crazy!" I nearly shouted. "If he finds out, what good would that do you!"
"Oh, right, right, I forgot. I'll sneak it out for you; I guarantee he won't know!" Master Thief.
I sighed. The only reliable thing about this Butterfly was probably his thieving skills.
In less than two minutes, Old Case File was snatched back for me. Night Phantom's skills were truly extraordinary; even with a martial arts master like Nie Qiuyuan around, entering his room felt as if he didn't exist at all.
I eagerly flipped through to the part I wanted.
As I expected, the majority of the Witnesses mentioned one thing: a sense of disorientation and fainting.
This was something we hadn't heard in the letters and case descriptions. There was a segment at the end of the incident that had been overlooked.
When the Laymen heard nine chimes of the Dharma Bell and opened their eyes, they were astonished to find everything around them unchanged, except that all the monks had vanished without a trace. However, what followed was a crucial plot point: while they were still in disbelief, a sudden wave of dizziness hit them, causing them to collapse and fall into a deep sleep. When they woke up again and reported to the authorities, it was already afternoon on October Sixteenth.
Since the time for the Lower Yuan ritual was set for three o'clock, and all the Laymen were fasting and meditating in the temple that night, no one noticed anything amiss. By the afternoon of October Sixteenth, one hundred twenty people gradually woke up. In the end, they reported to the authorities themselves.
"What’s on your mind?" Night asked.
I nodded and pointed out the content of the testimony to him. "Look here; during the nine chimes of the bell, what if it wasn't the monks who disappeared but rather the time of those one hundred twenty Witnesses?"
Night paused for a moment, took the transcript from my hand, and quietly sat down beside me with an extremely serious expression.
"You are indeed perceptive." After a long while, he looked up and gazed into my eyes, softly sighing.
I understood that he had completely grasped my meaning. I was simply surprised at how transparent ancient people were. Nie Qiuyuan was so outstanding, Luo Dachun was so remarkable, Ren Pingsheng was so exceptional, and even this thief possessed such a clever mind.
"They didn't realize that before losing consciousness, they had already lost it once, right?" Night Phantom asked.
His words echoed my earlier hypothesis in In My Heart. And this hypothesis was confirmed by the detailed transcript of testimony.
***Tang Chang'an Evening News "News Report" Section***
According to unreliable reports, starting today, traffic police across the country will focus on cracking down on drunk driving! The operation will last for 60 days, and not only will there be strict checks on drunk driving, but high-definition cameras will also be used to specifically monitor whether front-seat passengers are wearing seat belts, whether drivers are using their phones while driving, and whether they are occupying bus lanes and emergency lanes. Everyone is urged to obey the law!
Ye Liuhui: Teacher Zhang, are you doing well over there? As soon as I saw this News Report, I somehow started missing you. You drive so recklessly and never wear a seat belt; I guess you’ll definitely get fined this time. No driving tests for five years!
Zhang Yang: Girl, you really underestimate my ability to dodge cameras!
Narrator: Is this the People's Police...
Nie Qiuyuan (secretly furious): Who is Teacher Zhang? Why have I never heard of him before?!
Author: Oh my gosh, checking for drunk driving! That scared me! Let me have a drink to calm my nerves, and then I’ve decided never to watch the "News Report" section again.
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