Put away your magical powers now!.

Chapter 282 [The Tragedy] (6100)

Chapter 276 [The Tragedy] (6100)

Father kills son!
Father committed suicide again?!
"This doesn't make sense, does it?" Chen Yan deliberately feigned surprise, staring wide-eyed at the boss. "The father and son next door...have a conflict?"

"That's strange! There was no conflict. The police inquired around the village before and after they came in, and the family had a good relationship. The second son even had a girlfriend in town, a primary school teacher, and they were planning to get married at the end of the year."

The family built a new house specifically for their second son's wedding. The family spent a considerable amount of money on his wedding.

Logically speaking, the father and sons should have a good relationship. Although the second son was a bit of a troublemaker, he was very good to his father and older brother, often buying them wine and meat to take home as a sign of filial piety.

Chen Yan frowned: "Logically speaking, no one should suspect that it was... Li Guohua who did it? After all, they have the biggest conflict with each other."

"Of course we have suspicions." The boss curled his lip and shook his head. "In such a big case, with two lives lost, the first thing the police will investigate is whether the suspect has any grudges or feuds with any family."

The first person that comes to mind is Li Guohua. In the whole village, their two families have the biggest feud!

The problem is that on the night of the incident, Li Guohua went to the town's mahjong parlor and played mahjong all night. He had dinner in town at around 5 a.m. the day before, started playing mahjong at 6 p.m., and continued until around 7 a.m. the next morning.

I was taken back to the village by a tricycle from the town.

The room full of mahjong players and rickshaw pullers could all vouch for him.

Um, what's this called, what's it called again...? The term is...

"An alibi," Chen Yan replied in a low voice.

“Yes! An alibi. Li Guohua didn’t have time to commit the murder.” As he spoke, the boss’s face suddenly turned mysterious: “Let me tell you, young man, my fourth uncle’s nephew’s second cousin is a police auxiliary officer in the county!”
He told us when he was drinking before that no matter how strange or unbelievable his actions were, the higher-ups had already made a decision.

It's like a father killing his son and then committing suicide!

Because the evidence is too strong.

Yes, they said the murder weapon at the scene, the marks on the ground, and the fingerprints, etc., have all been examined.

The case was so frightening that the county even invited forensic experts from the city to examine it.

"What did you figure out?" Chen Yan asked.

"You don't understand... Let me tell you, my fourth uncle's nephew's second cousin said that to my face that day!"

He fell silent at this point, only smiling at Chen Yan.

Chen Yan understood what the man meant, and without hesitation, he bypassed the counter, took two packs of Zhonghua cigarettes from the shelf, and readily scanned the code.

After scanning, I threw one of the boxes back to the owner.

The shopkeeper was finally satisfied. He put the cigarettes back on the shelf and then whispered, "My fourth uncle's nephew's cousin..."

"No, just tell me what that auxiliary police officer said!" Chen Yan quickly stopped the other person.

"Alright, alright, you young man, why are you so impatient to hear a story?" The boss chuckled, revealing a mouthful of teeth stained yellow by cigarette smoke: "That auxiliary policeman said there's a trick to this stuff, a lot of intricacies."

For example, killing someone with a knife.

With one slash, the way you apply force, what do you call it, the point of force application, or the method of force application?

Each person has their own way of doing things. How they cut, how they make the cut, and from which side they cut can all be used to determine if it was done by the same person.

Also, didn't the male homeowner commit suicide by slitting his own throat in the end?

The auxiliary police officer said that when someone commits suicide, they hold a knife and try to slit their own throat. The way they exert force, the location of the slash, and the direction in which they pull the knife...

If someone else killed him, that would be completely different!

Based on this forensic report, the male homeowner undeniably slit his own throat! It was definitely suicide!

so……"

Chen Yan suddenly had a thought and asked, "Then... what about the eldest son? Wasn't he locked up in jail for breaking Li Guohua's leg?"

The boss raised an eyebrow, but lowered his voice even further: "That's why I say this is a strange thing!"

The eldest son was imprisoned and learned of what had happened at home. He said he couldn't bear the shock; his own father and younger brother had both died overnight.

He went completely insane and became erratic.

I heard that he attempted self-harm several times, but fortunately he survived and was rescued. He was then granted medical parole, and the authorities removed him from prison and sent him to a mental hospital.

This family of three, father and sons, none of them fared well!

Chen Yan blinked and suddenly smiled, "Boss, I have a question for you. Tell me the truth."

"You speak."

"You...and the people in your village, aren't you all secretly wondering if this matter is actually related to Li Guohua?"

"Uh..." The boss's eyes darted around, and he quickly said, "I dare not say that! I dare not say that! The government has already said that the male homeowner killed his son and then committed suicide. The top experts have already done the investigation!"

Moreover, Li Guohua was in town that day and wasn't home at all..."

“But you all still think that this matter is related to Li Guohua, right?” Chen Yan smiled.

The boss stopped talking.

Chen Yan spoke slowly: "If you're going to tell me about this, and you're certain it's a murder case, a father killing his son and then committing suicide, then you should start by talking about this family."

But the story you told me started with the events involving Li Guohua's family...

So… deep down, you feel that this strange thing is actually related to Li Guohua, right?”

The boss quickly waved his hand: "Hey! Young man, you're just guessing, I didn't say that."

Chen Yan laughed and said, "Boss, don't be nervous. I was just saying it casually. Let's keep chatting, keep chatting."

Afterwards, Chen Yan offered the boss another cigarette and chatted with him for a while, listening to the boss tell him some stories about the two families and other relevant information.

We chatted casually for about half an hour.

Finally, Chen Yan finished the last few gulps of cola before smiling and saying, "Thanks, boss. What you said was very interesting."

Just as Chen Yan was about to leave, the shop owner chased after him, shouting, "Hey! Young man, when you make that short video about this, remember to include my shop's name in it!"

·
At the western corner of Yang'er Village, two houses stand side by side. But the difference between rich and poor is immediately apparent.

The two-story house on the left has peeling paint, cracked bricks and tiles, and many roof tiles have fallen off. The cement in front of the house is full of cracks, and in many places it has broken, exposing the broken stones underneath.

On the other hand, the three-story building on the right has beautiful, bright tiles on the walls, and even a few Roman columns—no matter how awkward it looks, you can tell at a glance that money was spent on it.

There's also a balcony upstairs, and a water heater on the roof.

The two villas were built side by side, with about seven or eight meters between them.

However, the wall in the middle is almost touching the dilapidated house on the left. The wall is so close to the house that it almost blocks half of the side window on the first floor of the dilapidated house on the left.

This wall was clearly built by the wealthy family on the right, because it is beautifully constructed, with a foundation and body, a carved railing, and tiles covering it.

It's obvious that the dilapidated house on the left has been bullied; the wall is pressed against its own window, blocking most of it and reducing the amount of natural light.

However, Chen Yan noticed that the wall between the two houses had been partially breached in the middle.

A large hole less than half a meter wide, with broken bricks and stones on the ground and a large sledgehammer lying nearby.

Clearly, with the misfortune befalling the wealthy family, the father and his two sons were essentially wiped out, and Li Guohua, the neighbor who was being bullied, had already begun to chisel through the wall.

Chen Yan went around to the back of the house, where there was a field. In the field, a small patch of tobacco leaves looked wilted, while in most other areas, the tobacco leaves were completely dead, lying crookedly in the field.

Chen Yan noticed that the wealthy family's yard used to have a chicken coop, but now it was completely empty, with nothing left.

The front and back doors were sealed off; judging from the wording, they were put up by the local police station.

However, this did not stump Chen Yan. He looked around to make sure no one was there, then leaped onto the roof, jumped onto the second-floor balcony, opened a window, and slipped inside.

The room inside looked surprisingly new, with a complete set of brand-new furniture. The large bed in the room was covered with brand-new bedding and quilts, and the snow-white walls even had a floral design. In the center of the headboard hung a huge wedding photo of the couple.

After taking a look, Chen Yan immediately realized that this was probably the second son's "wedding room".

The house was originally built for the second son's wedding. This new wedding room, after being furnished, has never been used.

On the ground, Chen Yan could still see a series of dark shoe prints, and upon closer inspection, they turned out to be bloodstains that had turned black!
Yes, that's right. It's said that after the male head of the household killed his son, his feet were stained with blood, but for some reason, he wandered around the house, leaving footprints all over the place.

The room was damp and gloomy, with a suffocating smell.

Chen Yan was not afraid of these things. He had seen many bloody and cruel scenes. He looked around the room with a calm expression.

The man in the wedding photo on the wall was the second son of the family who was killed. He looked like a strong and sturdy young man, but there was a scar on his eyebrow. Chen Yan remembered that when he was chatting with the owner of the small shop at the entrance of the village, the owner mentioned that the second son of the family was a scoundrel who had been competitive and aggressive since he was a child.

But I've also heard that since this family started growing tobacco, they haven't been messing around anymore. They've been working honestly with their family to earn money, showing a bit of a prodigal son returning home.

In the wedding photo, the woman being partially exposed by the man is a girl.

She has a round face and is fairly pretty—but that's hard to say, since wedding photos are heavily photoshopped, often to the point that even her own mother wouldn't recognize her.

In the photo, both the man and woman have happy smiles on their faces.

This new house was probably decorated with great care; it's much better than the average house in the countryside, and it even has a separate bathroom.

It contains a washing machine, a toilet, and even a wet and dry separation system.

It was clear how much the family valued their son's wedding, having spent a considerable amount of money renovating the house. Chen Yan sighed, turned, and left the room, going downstairs.

The crime scene must be downstairs.

The main room in the middle is very large; in the countryside, the ceiling height and area are much larger than those of an apartment in the city.

In the center of the main room was a large round table, but two farm tools were placed in the corner. Behind it was the kitchen with a huge stove, but a range hood was hung on it, which was rather incongruous.

On either side of the main hall were two rooms, east and west. The bloodstains all over the floor made Chen Yan more careful when he left.

The room on the right is the one where the second son was killed—it should have belonged to the eldest son, but the eldest son was locked up there because he broke Li Guohua's leg. According to custom, the bridal chamber upstairs cannot be lived in before the wedding, so the second son lived in his brother's room and was slit in the throat by his own father at night.

After the door to the room was pushed open, the once strong smell of blood had long since dissipated.

But the faint smell of rust still made Chen Yan raise an eyebrow.

The bed was covered in blood-stained sheets and blankets. It was probably because the weather was already cool for the season, and the police had likely sprayed insecticide during the cleanup, so there were no insects.

In many places in the room, it was obvious that things had been moved out—probably many items that could be used as evidence at the scene, taken away by the police during their investigation.

Chen Yan noticed that a large piece of the wall plaster had been cut off from the wall next to the bed, probably by the police to identify bloodstains.

The room on the left is the male homeowner's room. Inside, a television is facing the bed, and a black-and-white portrait hangs on the wall. The photo shows a middle-aged woman with a simple appearance and a peaceful smile; she is probably the female homeowner who passed away many years ago.

I heard that these three men were also unlucky.

The woman passed away more than ten years ago, leaving behind the man and two sons who are still in school.

The male homeowner, a single man with two children, reportedly wanted to find a matchmaker, but because his wife had died and he had two children to support, he couldn't find a match and simply remained single.

The male homeowner's room was a bit messy, it seemed to have been ransacked, and many things were missing.

Chen Yan stared at the bed, squinting at it for a while.

He had already activated his Heavenly Eye Observation Technique to look around, and with the "Breaking Illusion" supernatural power he had acquired, he now felt that the room was filled with a chilling atmosphere and a thick, unyielding "death aura" swirling around it!
Chen Yan, with his keen spiritual sense, detected a strong sense of resentment within this deathly aura!

(The male homeowner killed his son and then committed suicide; what was the resentment he left behind after death?)
Chen Yan shook his head.

Even if the male head of the household had some grudge against his own son, he had already killed him, so how could he still harbor such a heavy resentment after his death?

Just then, Chen Yan's ears twitched as he heard some noises coming from outside.

An idea struck him, and he leaped upstairs, hiding on the second-floor balcony to look down.

From the dilapidated house next door, which was Li Guohua's house, a small figure emerged from the doorway.

He carried a winnowing basket, walked to the corner of the yard, put it down, and then turned around, as if quietly looking at his own yard.

Li Guohua's family was not well-off. Their yard was much smaller than the neighbor's, and it was simply enclosed by a small fence, with many parts already dilapidated.

This small body, wearing a dirty school uniform that looks like it's been worn for a long time. The hair is also thin and yellowish, probably because the person didn't get enough nutrition during their growth spurt.

Chen Yan recognized the small figure at a glance; it was none other than the little girl from the grandmother and granddaughter pair he had met at the noodle shop in town earlier that day! She had also hitchhiked all the way to Yang'er Village.

Looking at the little girl standing in her yard, he seemed to sigh softly, then turned and walked back into the house.

It was already evening, but the sky was not yet dark. Rural houses do not turn on the lights, and in the dimly lit room, a few coughs of a man could be clearly heard.

Soon, voices could be heard coming from inside the house.

"Dad, I'm going to Xiaofang's house to do my homework."

"Well, let's go."

"I steamed some buns on the stove. I'll take one with me, and you should remember to eat some later too. There are some pickles in the cupboard."

"understood."

The father and daughter's conversation seemed devoid of emotion, carrying an inexplicable coldness.

The girl then came out of the yard again, this time with her small schoolbag.

She seemed to be about to leave when footsteps came from the room, and Li Guohua followed her out.

Chen Yan noticed that Li Guohua was walking with a limp, clearly indicating that his broken leg had not yet fully recovered.

Moreover, this person looked so thin that he seemed to be nothing but bones, and he walked with a light, floating gait.

"Wait a moment."

Li Guohua called his daughter to a halt, followed her, and then shoved a flashlight into her hand.

His voice was a little hoarse, but he said in a deep voice, "It's dark on the way back at night, so take this with you to keep it lit."

The girl took the flashlight, remained silent, and looked down at her toes.

Li Guohua rummaged through his pocket and pulled out two banknotes: "Take this with you. Don't just eat steamed buns; go to the village entrance and buy a bottle of milk."

The girl took the money, but after a moment of silence, she suddenly said, "Dad, don't go gambling tonight. I need to pay for my books next week, and the teacher said that if I don't pay, I won't get my workbooks. I always have to copy questions from my classmates' workbooks, and it's not good to borrow from them."

Li Guohua's hoarse voice sounded somewhat embarrassed as he whispered, "I'm not playing anymore, I'm not playing anymore."

After a pause, Li Guohua suddenly asked in a low voice, "When Grandma came to see you today, did she...did she give you any money?"

"No, the old lady just took me out for a meal, she didn't pay me." The girl said, taking a step back.

Li Guohua chuckled twice: "Dad won't ask you for money. If Grandma gives you money, just keep it yourself, um... keep it yourself..."

The girl sighed softly, gave Li Guohua a deep look, clutched the two banknotes in her hand, and quickly left.

Li Guohua stood in the courtyard, looked at the sky, then turned and limped back into the house.

·
Chen Yan jumped from behind the house to the ground, went around a bend, and quietly followed the little girl, walking behind her and watching from a distance.

The little girl left home and walked towards the east of the village. After walking for a while, she passed a pond. There was originally a stone slab bridge over the pond, but the girl followed the slope next to the bridge and came to the pond below the bridge.

Chen Yan stood far away behind a tree, watching. In the darkness, the little girl quietly squatted down by the river.

A short while later, the sound of a girl sobbing softly could be heard.

Her small body squatted by the river, hugging her knees, burying her head, and crying softly.

The voice wasn't loud, probably because they didn't dare to make too much noise and were suppressing their voices.

After sobbing for a few minutes, the little girl stood up again. In the dim light, she raised the backs of her hands and vigorously wiped them on her face and the corners of her eyes, then rubbed her hands on her clothes.

The girl left the riverbank, crossed the stone bridge, and headed east.

She went to the east end of the village and passed by the small shop, but did not go in to buy milk.

Along the way, she took a steamed bun out of her pocket and quickly ate it in a few bites.

Arriving near a house, he lingered outside for a while, chewing and swallowing forcefully until he finished eating. He even stretched his neck before managing to force a smile and walked over.

"Xiaofang...can I borrow the workbook from this week's assignments to copy some questions?"

Soon, voices could be heard coming from inside the house.

Chen Yan stood outside the house, listened quietly for a while, and then turned and left.

·
When they returned to Li Guohua's house, the sun had already set, and the light was becoming increasingly dim.

Chen Yan stood outside the courtyard, looking into the yard through the fence.

But they found that Li Guohua had already limped out of the house, clearly carrying a small bag in his hand, and was limping out of the yard with it.

Chen Yan followed quietly behind, keeping a safe distance from Li Guohua—with his cultivation level and abilities, he naturally wouldn't be discovered.

Li Guohua also headed east, and when he reached the pond in the village, he staggered down the slope to the riverbank. After walking a few dozen steps, he stopped next to a willow tree.

In the darkness, Chen Yan saw Li Guohua untie the small bag in his hand and pour its contents into the river.

The river flowed slowly, but after a while, everything poured into it was washed away without a trace.

In the darkness, Li Guohua slowly knelt down by the river, muttering to himself.

His voice was very soft, deliberately kept low, and was drowned out by the rushing river.

After Chen Yan took a few steps closer and extended his divine sense, he heard Li Guohua's muttered words.

"...You've avenged your great grudge, and I've avenged mine. We're even now... From now on, you go your own way, but don't come bothering me..."

After muttering to himself for a while, Li Guohua raised his head and looked around warily. After confirming that no one was watching, he struggled to get up from the ground and, with his head down and body hunched over, limped home.

Chen Yan waited until he was far away before going to the riverbank to the spot where he had been.

Looking down for a while, I found a small patch of grayish-black stain on the ground. It must have been a tiny bit of residue left on the grass leaves on the bank when Li Guohua was dumping things.

Chen Yan squatted down, stretched out two fingers and gently pinched it; it was a soft powder.

I brought it to my nose and sniffed it.

"Incense ash?"

(End of this chapter)