Chapter 104 Catching the Murderer
The couple were overjoyed. They had witnessed Chen Cheng's abilities firsthand, and this talisman was indeed a valuable item!
"Master Chen, how much incense money do we need in total?"
Shen Guangzhou asked.
"Hehe, your cousin treating me to a late-night snack is like paying for incense!"
Chen Cheng had something on his mind, and besides, with He Wenhui present, how could he accept money?
"this,,"
"Alright, your cousin is treating me, so you guys can treat your cousin to a nice meal afterwards!"
Chen Cheng smiled, pulled Zhang Qian up, opened the door, and left, with He Wenhui following behind, leaving the couple feeling uneasy.
Once downstairs, Chen Cheng said, "Let's find a place to get some late-night snacks, and I also have something to tell you!"
"good".
Seeing his solemn expression, He Wenhui nodded and said in a deep voice.
The three people and two cars drove out of the residential area and headed towards the city.
"Brother Cheng, is there a problem?"
"There are many problems, but we have to deal with them one by one."
Chen Cheng lit a cigarette, rolled down the car window, and Zhang Qian, seeing him deep in thought, stopped asking and focused on driving.
Half an hour later, the two cars stopped at a wonton stall. He Wenhui ordered three bowls of wonton noodles, and the three sat down at a small table. It was the middle of the night, and there were practically no people around. The occasional passerby was either a night owl or a drunkard!
Before he could ask, Chen Cheng said, "Captain He, there's something wrong with this house. It's not a supernatural problem, but something man-made. If you trust me, starting tomorrow, you'll assign a few people to monitor this neighborhood and your cousin's house 24/7!"
What's going on?
He Wenhui said urgently.
The ghost you saw tonight was named Wei Caixia in life. She was a migrant worker in Xijing, only twenty-three years old. She was murdered here. The murderer was not the landlord, but a Japanese man. She couldn't say his name because she was still in a dazed state. She only remembered meeting him at a bar, and then a middle-aged Taoist priest surnamed Ding appeared in the room. The yellow talisman in the formation I just discovered was the work of this Taoist priest surnamed Ding!
"Then what"?
Zhang Qian asked anxiously.
"I don't know, that's all it said!"
"Okay, I'll set up surveillance on that landlord once we get back to the station?"
"We should also look for him. Although he wasn't involved in the murder, he must know this Japanese man. Also, since he was in such a hurry to sell the house, it means he knows something!"
"Okay, I understand!"
He Wenhui and Zhang Qian were furious when they heard that the Japanese had harmed a Chinese girl, and they wished they could find him immediately.
The next morning, Zhang Qian didn't oversleep. She got back around 3 a.m. and got up at 7:30 a.m. She kissed Chen Cheng, who was still sleeping soundly, and then made him a simple breakfast before going to work at the bureau. She had a task to complete that day!
Chen Cheng woke up around 10 a.m., washed his face to clear his head, lit a cigarette, and then took out his phone to dial a number.
"Hey, Makoto!"
Team Leader Tian's voice came through the phone.
"Good morning, Team Leader Tian. I'd like to ask you something. I'd like to know if there's a fellow Daoist with the surname Ding in our Team 3 or any other team."
"What happened?"
"I don't know how to report this to you in detail yet. The police station here is cooperating with my investigation. I will report to you in detail once I have sorted things out!"
"Okay, I understand. I'll let you know when I get any news!"
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the two hung up the phone.
Meanwhile, at the police station, under He Wenhui's command, the personnel deployed were in place, and the landlord's information was also obtained through the intermediary.
"Mr. Hu Zihao, we are from the Criminal Investigation Team of Changhai City, Xiguang Province. Your house in Yangguang Community, Xijing City, Xishan Province, is suspected of being involved in a murder case. We have been entrusted by the Xijing police to ask you to go to the police station to assist in the investigation!"
The former landlord, Hu Zihao, who lived hundreds of miles away, was found by local police at his home in Xiguangchanghai.
The two police officers who flew to Xiguang were also very helpful; within a day, the information that Hu Zihao had provided was transmitted back.
It turns out that Hu Zihao is a businessman who makes steel structure buildings. The house in Xijing was originally prepared for his son, but his son planned to settle abroad, so he rented it out. The previous tenant was a young Japanese man who claimed to be studying in Xijing. After agreeing on a price, he rented the house to this Japanese man named Nogang Ichiro. A while ago, he received a notice from the community that several residents had complained about noises and incense smoke coming from his house. He happened to be in Xijing at the time, so he made time to go back and check. He knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered. He also couldn't get through to Nogang Ichiro by phone. He had to use his spare key to open the door and go in to check.
To his horror, all the windows were tightly shut, the curtains were drawn shut, talismans were pasted everywhere in the room, and there was a faint smell of incense mixed with what seemed to be a bloody odor. This made the normally well-lit house feel eerily cold. So, he decisively contacted Nogaoka Ichiro and told him that he was no longer renting the house because he needed to sell it due to cash flow problems. He didn't make a fuss about what he had seen, for fear of affecting the property value. After Nogaoka Ichiro moved out, he hired a cleaning service and a real estate agent, and eventually sold the house to Shen Guangzhou and Tang Ying, a married couple.
Upon receiving the message, He Wenhui immediately relayed it to Chen Cheng. After discussing it, the two decided to first find out the location of Nogang Ichiro. Due to his identity, they could not summon him for interrogation without solid evidence.
Then, Team Leader Tian brought news that Master Zijin from Team Two had provided reliable information. He said that a fellow Daoist named Ding Lin had once asked him for Daoist teachings with the respect due to a junior in Huangxian Mountain, Xijiang Province. This person was about forty years old. Chen Cheng immediately asked He Wenhui to use the national network system to search for information on men around forty years old named Ding Lin. Even with a targeted search, hundreds of people with the same name appeared. He Wenhui narrowed the scope again, searching only in Xijiang Province, and found thirty-six people who matched the criteria.
Chen Cheng took screenshots of each photo and sent them to Tian Wenzhong, asking him to confirm them with Master Zijin. Although Tian Wenzhong didn't know what Chen Cheng was doing, he trusted him so he cooperated unconditionally.
Among the dozens of people, Master Zijin immediately recognized Ding Lin, who had once sought his guidance on Taoist arts.
Having locked onto the target, He Wenhui activated the Heavenly Eye System and finally located the Taoist named Ding Lin in the neighboring Tongnan City. He Wenhui was about to notify his brother units there for assistance, but Chen Cheng stopped him.
"Captain He, I'll go there myself. These people usually have some ways to protect themselves and some tricks to deceive others. The police over there might not be able to catch him. Once we alert them, it will be much harder to catch them!"
"Alright then, do you need me to send someone to assist you?"
"No need, you just need to provide me with location support. The matter is urgent. If we catch Ding Lin, we might have evidence to find Nogao Ichiro!"
In the evening, in a quiet house in the suburbs of Tongnan City and Feng County, a middle-aged Taoist priest with his hair tied up in a bun and wearing a Taoist robe was carving a ritual implement. He carefully carved runes on the nail in his hand. After these things were consecrated, they would be fatal to both humans and ghosts!