False evidence

Chapter 396 The Soul-Chasing Decree (Part 1)
The meal wasn't very pleasant, mainly because Lin Dan has a problem: when a case hits a roadblock, he gets impatient and, like the old "youngsters," pulls out his little red book and tries to "reason" with people by rote.

I tolerated her because of Gao He.

Tong Xiangnan is experienced and wouldn't fall for her act.

Fang Ling, now my matriarch, is extremely protective of her children.

She once killed an entire family; in terms of presence, Lin Dan is miles behind her.

Gao He smoothed things over, saying, "Sanqi has always been very sensible and has helped our police so much. If there were no precedent, I would have tried to recruit him to our unit."

"I am not born into an official family!" Fang Ling said coldly.

Gao He was taken aback. In his eyes, Fang Ling was still the same Fang Ling as before.

He turned to me and asked, "How did you know that Sun Jing would go to the hospital?"

I said, "I can only say it's still a sixth sense."

I recounted Xie Xiaohuan's story, and then said:

“Actually, from the very beginning, I doubted the authenticity of the diary. As you know now, Xiao Shen San is no ordinary person. He once said that there is something in the world called the Book of Fate. It records everyone's destiny. If the existence of the Book of Fate is governed by a special power, then Xie Xiaohuan's diary is simply unreasonable.”

Gao He nodded: "If there really is such a diary, then it's equivalent to being able to predict the future."

I said, "The key is that because of the clues in the diary, I changed the 'future' more than once. In this light, the diary and the book of fate are two contradictory existences. I dare not say which is true and which is false. But compared to Xie Xiaohuan, I trust Shen San more."

I asked, "How is Xie Xiaohuan now?"

The monkey hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "She only has superficial injuries. She just texted me saying she's already back at the clinic."

Lin Dan immediately stood up.

Gao He frowned and waved at her: "How many times have I told you? Can you not be so impulsive? She wouldn't say much in the hospital, what do you expect her to say now?"

Tong Xiangnan asked me, "Why do you think Sun Jing came back?"

I said, "It must be because of Jiang Baohan."

Gao He raised his eyelids slightly: "To be precise, it's about what's hidden in the rafters of Uncle Cheng's house?"

As he said this, he seemed to glance at Fang Ling, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Fang Ling, however, turned towards me, a slight smile playing on her lips, revealing a mysterious and unpredictable expression.

Gao He analyzed, "Jiang Baohan was the original owner of the house, so the items were naturally hidden by him. Based on the clues he left behind, Sanqi went to Wugong Mountain in Heqian Town and discovered the body hidden inside the family temple."

Could I assume that the corpse itself isn't important, and that Jiang Baohan's real purpose was to instruct someone on how to activate the mechanism? I've carefully examined the hidden door on the roof beam; it's exactly the same as the small door mechanism in the Centipede Mountain family temple.

Lin Dan asked, "What was originally hidden inside the roof beam?"

"You should ask Sun Jing this question directly."

Gao He winked at me. "Let's talk about Sun Jing. That kid is really cunning."

I nodded: "Indeed. Jiang Baohan died not long after meeting Xie Xiaohuan. That is to say, it is most likely that he told Xie Xiaohuan the secret of the roof beam before he died. After Sun Jing learned of this secret through Xie Xiaohuan, he immediately rushed to Uncle Cheng's house, took the things inside, and stuffed a bag of various coins that he had prepared in advance."

Gao He grinned awkwardly: "He really knows how to read people's minds. Anyone who sees that bag of odds and ends will subconsciously think there are clues in it. Even a cursory inspection takes time, which greatly increases the probability of him escaping. The truth is, it's just a bag of loose change."

Gao He shrugged at me: "If you were him, would you also think of using this method to buy time?" Tong Xiangnan said: "Sanqi and Sun Jing are not the same kind of people."

Gao He nodded and smiled, "I really didn't expect you two to be relatives. Speaking of which, now that I think about it, Sanqi and Sun Jing really do look alike. The difference is that Sun Jing seems a bit shrewd and overt, while Sanqi is definitely a greenhorn who hasn't been in society for very long. And..."

Gao He pointed to the corner of his mouth: "Sanqi, you know about physiognomy. This scar seems to have a big impact on your appearance."

I shook my head: "It's not the scars that affect your appearance, it's just that your appearance reflects your inner state."

Gao He said, "I remember Sun Jing saying that he and you are from the same school. He is also Yang Wudao's disciple. Is that why he sent Xie Xiaohuan to your side as an undercover agent? What is his purpose? To steal the teachings that Yang Wudao did not teach him?"

Suddenly, Eunuch Sun said in his mind's eye, "I don't think he would look down on other people's things. I don't know anything about physiognomy, but I've served in the palace since I was a child and have seen all kinds of people. If you ask me, that kid is arrogant and looks down on everyone, just like an ambitious prince!"

I put down my teacup and said that we wouldn't get anywhere just by talking, so we might as well go home and do our own thing.

Before the party ended, Gao He pulled me aside and whispered:
"After you came back from Centipede Mountain, you knew there was a hidden door in the rafters of Uncle Cheng's house, right? You've already taken the things?"

I said, "I won't covet what doesn't belong to me. But when my lover's life is in danger, I will do everything in my power to protect her."

"The kind that's willing to pay any price and use any means necessary."

Gao He nodded and patted my shoulder. "I believe you won't go astray. Also, congratulations on finding your family."

On the way back, Monkey asked me, "What about Jie Xiaohuan?"
I asked the monkey, "How serious is Xiao Huan's injury?"

The monkey said, "It's a superficial injury, but for a girl... especially a scratch on the forehead, it's hard to say that it won't leave a scar after it heals."

I said, "If you think she's a competent nurse, then keep her at the clinic."

"Aren't you afraid she'll 'collude with foreign powers' again?"

"Colluding with foreign powers..."

I put my arm around Monkey's shoulder and laughed, "I've never done anything wrong. You're a different story. By the way, when you don't have any business during the day, do you hide behind the counter, glancing at the girls while your left hand moves back and forth under the counter...?"

"What nonsense!"

The monkey shoved me aside, saying, "I always use both hands!"

When I got home, Grandpa was sitting in the main room, stroking Shuanzhu's dog head with one hand and holding a pipe in the other, puffing on his pipe.

I rubbed my face vigorously and placed the roasted pork I brought back from Qiu Weichi's house on the table. "Shall I have a couple of drinks with you, sir?"

The old man put down his pipe, turned around, and took a wine bottle and two wine cups from the table.

"Oh, you've already prepared all this."

The old man took a sip of wine, picked up a piece of roast pork, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and shook his head, saying:
"You should have brought it back right away after buying it; the skin isn't crisp anymore."

"Hey, old man, you've only been here a few days and you're already acting like a city person, picking and choosing?"

The old man picked up his wine cup, gesturing for me to do the same. The two five-qian porcelain wine cups clinked together, and the old man suddenly asked me in a low voice:

"Tell me the truth, were you the one who arranged this 'Soul-Chasing Poster' today?"

(End of this chapter)