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墨書 Inktalez
The little grass lay still on me, silent. The surroundings were eerily quiet, and I could feel neither its breath nor its heartbeat. The earlier action of pulling the sachet seemed like a fleeting moment of light; now, I could no longer control my body, not even to turn my head.
Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming sense of selfishness. Why was it that I could act so quickly to save myself, yet when it came to saving the little grass, I couldn't lift my useless arms? Each of its words pierced my heart like a dagger. I hated myself for not firmly refusing to let it in at that moment. Otherwise, we wouldn't be in this situation now.
Captain Gao's words suddenly surfaced in my mind; I had never felt such empathy before. I had never hated anyone like this. I wished I could skin Killer alive, devour his flesh, and drink his blood! I wanted him to suffer eternally! But deep down, I knew that no amount of hatred could bring back the little grass's life.
A feeling I couldn't describe surged within me, a heart-wrenching pain. I didn't know why; perhaps this was true emotional torment. Just then, I heard Yan Junde's voice nearby, mumbling something incomprehensible, filled with terror.
Yan Junde was physically stronger than me, but he too seemed to have entered a state of hallucination. Having just experienced it myself, it felt all too real; even now, the memory sent shivers down my spine. Suddenly, it dawned on me why those people exhibited such bizarre suicidal behavior. It appeared that we had unknowingly fallen into Killer's trap.
The situation was critical. Yan Junde didn't have the sachet that the little grass had given him, and I was immobile. If this continued, Yan Junde might also engage in some strange act of suicide. At that moment, I felt my pinky finger begin to tremble slowly; that familiar sense of control was gradually returning to my body.
I focused on making my fingers grasp repeatedly, wanting to reclaim control over my body as quickly as possible. Straining to turn my head, I saw Yan Junde with his eyes wide open and a twisted expression as he repeatedly slammed his head against the stone wall with a thud. In just a few moments, blood began to flow down from his head. Yet he seemed completely unaware of the pain and continued to strike the wall as if seeking release through this madness. If this continued, he would meet the same fate as Ma Weishan in the office—dying on the spot.
The sound of thudding persisted as my bodily functions gradually returned. Yan Junde crouched into a horse stance and leaned back at an extreme angle, just like Ma Weishan had done that day in the office. Such a heavy blow would likely burst his brain matter out. Panic surged within me, and I shouted out loud.
As my voice echoed through the air, I felt vitality flooding back into my body. I could control myself again! With my left hand bracing against the ground, I executed a sweeping kick that struck Yan Junde's knee pit. He had been about to lunge forward but collapsed backward instead due to my kick.
In that instant, I sprang up and grabbed Yan Junde by the shoulder with one hand while swinging the sachet towards his face with the other. After a few seconds, I heard him exclaim in surprise before asking, "What’s happening?"
I felt blood all over my hands and the sachet but couldn't tell if it was from the little grass or Yan Junde himself. "Can you still walk?" I asked.
Yan Junde wiped away the blood dripping into his eyes and replied, "I'm fine; what exactly happened?"
Now wasn't the time for explanations; as long as there was even a glimmer of hope, I would do everything to save the little grass. Moreover, Juan Juan and the others were outside; with Juan Juan's medical skills, they would surely succeed. I hoisted the little grass onto my back and said urgently, "This isn't the time for explanations! You take the flashlight and lead the way; I'll follow behind."
"Don't worry; you'll be fine," I whispered as I held onto the little grass's increasingly cold hand. Yan Junde didn't understand what had happened; he only knew that time was of the essence and dashed ahead like an arrow. Following closely behind him for about an hour, we finally saw light ahead—the entrance of Passageway appeared before us at last.
Yan Junde tore away the tangled vines hanging down and shouted, "Call a doctor! Call a doctor! Someone is injured!"
Then he reached in, and I turned around to lay Little Grass flat at the cave's entrance. Yan Junde picked her up in one swift motion. I quickly jumped out of the cave after him. Juan Juan and the others had already gathered around, examining Little Grass. Yan Junde and I stood by, but when an officer tried to bandage us, we brushed them aside.
As they checked her, tears streamed down Juan Juan's face. I suddenly understood the situation and collapsed onto the ground, unable to regain my composure for a long time. Little Grass's grandfather knelt on the ground, holding her lifeless body and weeping bitterly. The chaos around me made me feel dizzy, as if the cave ceiling were about to collapse.
I couldn't accept it; I couldn't bear to imagine that Little Grass had died right before my eyes, right in front of a Special Investigation Team leader. I couldn't protect even one person I wanted to save—what face did I have left to stand before this Special Investigation Team leader or even as a police officer?
I slammed my hand against the ground repeatedly until my knuckles were bloodied. Only this pain could alleviate the anguish inside me. Several officers tried to help me up, but I shook them off. I wanted to vent my fury, to kick over the lights surrounding us. I banged my head against the stone wall, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the torment in my heart. They tried to stop me, but I was relentless.
Juan Juan's voice broke through with a sob: "Don't mind him; let him go die. Let the Killer hide in the shadows and laugh until he kills every one of us." Her voice was loud enough that everyone around stopped moving, and I found myself pausing as well.
She stepped in front of me and slapped my face hard. "I've never looked down on you more than at this moment. If you want to die, then go ahead; do whatever you want. If Captain Shi faced something like this, would he be as cowardly as you? Our Special Investigation Team can solve cases just fine without you—get lost!"
I looked around; everyone was silent. Yan Junde rubbed his head but his gaze was resolute, while Mary quietly wiped her tears nearby. I took a deep breath to calm myself down. Juan Juan was right; what I could do now was catch the Killer and avenge Little Grass.
I wiped my tears away, rubbed my eyes, and softly said to everyone, "First, seal off this area and give me one night. I'll make arrangements tomorrow." With that, I walked out of the cave without looking back.
Before I knew it, evening had arrived. The sunset seemed ready to slip from my grasp, casting its final glow upon the earth. The branches and leaves turned shades of red and yellow, their outlines blurred in the fading light. Holding onto the sachet in my hand, its fragrance had vanished, replaced by a strong smell of blood.
Yet this scent invigorated me even more.
Back in my dormitory, I took a cold shower. I should have realized it long ago; there had been many opportunities laid before me that hinted at my being hypnotized. The recurring nightmares each night—the same scenes replaying: that desolate wilderness, the ghostly woman emerging from the ground, and the inexplicable headaches upon waking.
When had the Killer unknowingly hypnotized me? When had he done so to those people? As I washed away the blood from my body, this question occupied my mind. Suddenly, a thought flashed through my head: since the Killer was a living person, he couldn’t be some curse or Vengeful Spirit seeking vengeance.
Killer wanted to induce hypnosis or create illusions in so many people, and it was clear that a certain method was necessary. Something that could cause hallucinations was essential. There was one thing that everyone must have consumed together, and food seemed impossible; thus, the only thing that could achieve this was—water.
I watched the continuous flow of water from the faucet, lost in thought. Yes, it was water. We had all drunk the water from Baili Village. If Killer had added a hallucinogenic substance to the water and used a special technique to hypnotize us, it would be entirely feasible.
Hypnosis cases are quite rare in our country, but abroad, they are numerous. For example, in the famous Heidelberg Murder Case, Killer was a woman who hypnotized her husband into killing him. In Wisconsin, a psychiatrist hypnotized a patient to become his tool for murder.
However, such hypnotists are nearly nonexistent in our country. Masters who can subtly hypnotize people are extremely rare, which is why we never considered this possibility. In this regard, Juan Juan wouldn’t even dare to call herself an expert. Once psychological issues come into play, things become much more complicated than performing heart surgery or any other operation.
Thinking about this, I felt it necessary to discuss it with Juan Juan to confirm my suspicions. However, after what had happened in the afternoon, I felt embarrassed to face her. After much contemplation, I decided that the case was more important than my pride.
I knocked on Juan Juan's dormitory door, and a voice came from inside: “Who is it?”
Feeling somewhat shy, I replied, “It’s me. I have something to ask you.”
There was a brief silence before the dormitory door opened. She didn’t acknowledge me as I walked in and closed the door behind me. “What’s up? Did you find any clues?” Juan Juan didn’t mention what had happened in the afternoon; I knew she was trying to protect my fragile ego, which warmed my heart.
I nodded and said, “Hypnosis.”
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