"So Teacher Lin contacted the Q Restaurant reporter before he died?" Uncle Wei frowned, holding a record and looking between Pan Jie and Zhang Luo.
Pan Jie nodded slightly, staring deeply at the police officers. She tapped the table lightly and said slowly, "From the ghost cultivator's soul memories, it seems to involve an excellent middle school student I favored—Su Nian. She's an orphan living in Chenxi Orphanage. They've been monitoring her. I apparently contacted that reporter, who was doing a feature on impoverished students."
"The reporter wrote an article about Su Nian, which touched some foundations and secured her long-term sponsorship. As time passed, that scumbag noticed Su Nian growing closer to the reporter and me, her homeroom teacher." Lin Yuan sighed. "The reporter was a good person, kind and honest. But the ghost cultivator kidnapped Su Nian later and killed both the reporter and me."
"What's the connection between the dorm teacher and the rich kid?" a young officer blurted out.
" Well, aren't there police officers like you to figure that out?" Pan Jie shrugged, smiling casually, but her gaze unconsciously landed on Uncle Wei.
Uncle Wei rubbed his forehead wearily. "Stop dumping work on me." He turned to a nearby officer. "Check if the dorm teacher at Su Nian's orphanage is the one who died at Q Restaurant. See who she's been in contact with recently, especially Zhao Fa."
"Yes, sir!"
Elsewhere, Master Lei sat pale-faced on a chair, hands clutching his chest, clearly still shaken from the battle. Lin Yuan glanced at him and bluntly mocked, "Look, Pan Jie? The 'master' you got to deal with me can't even talk now."
Pan Jie paused, turned to Lin Yuan, and smiled sweetly. "Ah, still better to rely on Teacher Lin and Sister Zhang Luo."
Lin Yuan shook his head helplessly and stayed silent. Zhang Luo glanced at Pan Jie but didn't say a word.
...
"...Zhao Fa is dead."
On the cold screen, a news report about Zhao Fa's murder played. Su Nian, hanging mid-air by chains, stared blankly at the screen, her eyes red-rimmed, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her lips trembled as she whispered hoarsely, "Why... Why are you doing this..."
Her voice was soft, yet it echoed in the silent room.
The dimly lit room reeked of decay. Several ghost cultivators wrapped in black mist, their faces unclear, stood around her and whispered softly.
"Seems 'Chi' failed," one snorted, voice full of disdain.
"Who cares? He was just cannon fodder we pushed out," another sneered. "Who knew our hidden scheme would be dismantled so quickly..."
Su Nian bit her lip, glaring hatefully at them. "What... What do you want?"
"Hehehe." A ghost cultivator stepped forward, tilting her chin up with a finger. "Did you know this city is about to usher in a grand sacrifice? And you..." His finger dragged across her gaunt cheek, voice icy. "Are the offering."
Su Nian's pupils shrank; her body trembled violently. "No... No..."
"Don't worry." Another ghost cultivator smiled reassuringly, his tone as gentle as if coaxing a child. "The Ghost Gate won't shut for more than ten days. No one will find this place until then." He squinted, a bloodthirsty smirk curling his lips. "Even if they do, we'll kill anyone who tries to meddle."
"Hehehe..."
====================
"所以说,林教师生前和之前在 Q 饭店的记者,联络过?" 伟叔皱着眉,手里握着笔录,目光在潘洁身上和张洛之间来回扫视.
潘洁微微点头,目光深沉地看着眼前的警察们.他抬手轻轻敲了敲桌面,缓缓说道:"从邪鬼修的魂魄记忆,好像是因为一位我看好的优秀中学生,苏念.她是个孤儿,住在晨曦孤儿院.他们好像一直在监视那个女孩.然后,我好像联系了那位记者,他当时正在做关于贫困生的专题报道."
"所以,那位记者写了一篇关于苏念的报道,触动了某些基金会,才让她获得了长期资助.日子久了,这个人渣发现,苏念,记者和我这个班主任的关系越来越好." 林远轻叹一声,"记者是个好人,善良又正直.可惜,不久后那位邪鬼修好像是把苏念绑了,把记者和我都杀了."
"那生活老师和富二代之间有什么关系?" 一位年轻警员忍不住问道.
"这个嘛,不是还有警察大哥们嘛?" 潘洁耸耸肩,一脸轻松地笑着,但目光却不自觉地落在了伟叔的脸上.
伟叔无奈地揉了揉额头,叹道:"别老想着让我干活." 说完,他看向一旁的警员,"去查查苏念所在孤儿院的生活老师,是不是在Q饭店死去的那位,看看她最近和谁有联系,特别是赵发."
"是!"
另一边,雷大师脸色苍白地坐在椅子上,双手捂着胸口,显然还没从刚刚的战斗中恢复过来.林远瞥了他一眼,毫不留情地吐槽道:"看到没,潘洁?你当初想找来对付我的 '高人' 现在连话都说不出来了."
潘洁顿了顿,转头看向林远,笑眯眯地道,"唉,还是林教师和张洛姐姐靠谱点."
林远无奈地摇头,没接话,张洛则是不动声色地看了潘洁一眼,没说什么.
...
"...赵发死了."
冰冷的荧幕上,社会新闻正在播放赵发遇害的消息.被铁链吊在半空的苏念双眼无神地盯着屏幕,眼眶微微泛红,泪水顺着脸颊缓缓滑落.她嘴唇颤抖,声音干涩地开口:"为什么... 你们为什么要这么做..."
她的声音很轻,却在寂静的空间里回荡.
房间里光线昏暗,空气中弥漫着一股腐朽的气息.几个全身被黑色雾气包裹,看不清五官的邪鬼修站在她周围,低声交谈着.
"看来 '痴' 失败了." 其中一个邪鬼修冷哼一声,语气中带着一丝不屑.
"失败就失败了呗,反正他也只是个被我们推出来,的炮灰罢了." 另一个邪鬼修嗤笑道,"谁知道我们布下的暗局,居然会被人那么快得解决..."
苏念紧紧咬着下唇,目光怨恨地看向他们:"你们... 到底想做什么..."
"呵呵呵." 邪鬼修嗤笑一声,缓缓走到苏念面前,抬起手指轻轻勾住她的下巴,逼她抬起头,"你知道吗?这座城市即将迎来一场大祭,而你..." 他的手指划过苏念瘦削的脸颊,声音阴冷至极,"是祭品."
苏念的瞳孔猛地收缩,身体剧烈地颤抖起来:"不... 不..."
"别紧张." 另一个邪鬼修笑着安抚道,语气温和得就像在哄一个小女孩,"鬼门关还有十多天才会关闭.在此之前,这里不会被找到的." 他眯起眼睛,嘴角扬起一抹嗜血的笑意,"就算有人追查到这里,来一个,杀一个."
"呵呵呵..."