The Mystery of the Inner Demon

Chapter 322 The only path

"Dong Ziwu." A voice called his name.

Dong Ziwu looked in the direction of the sound and saw a figure standing not far away. Overjoyed, he hurried towards the direction of the sound: "Great, you found me! There's no cell phone signal here, it scared me to death."

But after taking a few steps, Dong Ziwu hesitated.

The person opposite him didn't walk towards him; they just stood there, showing no intention of helping him.

"Are you here to save me?" Dong Ziwu became wary and slowed his pace.

Thick fog rose from the valley, gradually obscuring all the paths, making everything untraceable. Dong Ziwu had no choice but to follow the path beneath his feet toward the spot where the person had stood.

But as I walked and walked, the road beneath my feet seemed endless...
-
The crows' mournful cries were filled with resentment as they greedily stared at the decaying corpse on the ground.

The arrival of humans interrupted their joyful feast.

Qi Fei looked at the man lying on his back on the ground with regret. Although he had been pecked by crows and was riddled with holes, it was still clear from the photo on his ID card that he was the same person.

“Dong Ziwu.” He looked at the spirited young man on the ID card. “What a pity.”

“The deceased was discovered by hikers this morning and the police were notified. Xiao Tao just said that the time of death was more than two days ago,” Wu Shanqiu said from the side. “The reason why no one found him is because the nearby hiking trail was damaged and under repair some time ago, and this section of the trail was closed until today.”

"A trench coat, a tie, and leather shoes," Qi Fei said, examining the corpse. "It doesn't look like someone who came for a mountain hike."

Wu Shanqiu sighed slightly, "We found his footprints nearby. It wasn't a murder and body disposal; he was still alive when he got here. It looks like he'd been trekking along this path for quite a while. This place is called the 'Second Path,' with only one direction and no forks, making it a popular route for many hikers. However, this route is very long; once you get up the mountain, it takes two days and one night to reach the end, and there are no shortcuts. Many people bring tents and food to prepare for the night. But judging from the footprints we surveyed, Dong Ziwu's starting point was very close to the exit; it's just a pity he went the wrong way. If he had chosen another direction, he could have walked for an hour or two, then climbed down the hillside through the woods to find the main road."

“Hmm, that means he’s not familiar with this route,” Qi Fei said. “That makes it even stranger, why did he come here?”

After finishing the initial examination, Xiao Tao stood up and said to Qi Fei, "Based on the initial examination, no mechanical damage or signs of poisoning were found. The body showed signs of hypothermia, so it is highly likely that the body froze to death in the mountains."

Wu Shanqiu rushed over after finishing her call: "Brother Fei, the head of the computing power investment sector at Dong Ziwu Nancheng Investment, his parents reported him missing three days ago. The last time he was seen before he disappeared was when he had dinner with his family. He didn't show up for work the next day, and we can't reach him by phone."

"Nancheng Investment?" The name brought back a flood of memories for Qi Fei.

“Yes, it’s the case of Niu Yinzhu. Time flies, it was last winter.” Wu Shanqiu said, “Now I get goosebumps just looking at scarecrows.”

Just then, Qi Fei's phone rang, and the caller ID showed it was Liu Tong.

"Qi Fei, are you sure you've found Dong Ziwu?" A gentle voice came from the other end of the phone.

"We found identification on the deceased, and based on the photo comparison, it is highly likely to be the person in question."

"Ah oh."

"Hmm? Captain Liu, you called specifically to inquire about Dong Ziwu?" Qi Fei was slightly surprised. Knowing Liu Tong as he did, he wouldn't be so concerned unless there was a special reason. "It's nothing. His parents asked someone to contact the bureau leaders, asking them to look into their son's disappearance. Now that he's been found, we should hurry up and find out the cause of death." Liu Tong spoke casually, seemingly intending to handle the pressure himself.

Qi Fei hung up the phone, his brows furrowing slightly: "Using connections? Who is this Dong Ziwu?"
-
Sitting in front of Qi Fei were two people, one old and one young, both of whom were outstanding among their peers in terms of clothing and demeanor.

The older man is Dong Ziwu's father, Dong Qianjin. His mother, Yao Fang, fainted due to the shock and was rushed to the hospital.

However, Qi Fei's attention was more focused on the young woman who had accompanied Dong Qianjin. Even though she was wearing a large coat, her protruding belly was still hard to hide, and she was at least six months pregnant.

Qi Fei looked at Dong Ziwu's information in his hand, and the marital status clearly stated "unmarried".

"Li Shuangshuang, what is your relationship with Dong Ziwu?" Qi Fei asked.

“I am his fiancée.” Li Shuangshuang answered generously, but the unconsciously drooping corners of her mouth revealed a different meaning, not entirely sadness.

“We’ve wronged you,” Dong Qianjin suddenly said to Li Shuangshuang.

Upon hearing Dong Qianjin's words, Li Shuangshuang burst into tears.

"Do you know why Dong Ziwu went to Bu Er Jing?" Qi Fei asked.

“My son used to live abroad and rarely came back to Nancheng. I’ve never heard of him going hiking…” Dong Qianjin said.

Qi Fei turned his gaze to Li Shuangshuang, his pregnant fiancée, who shook her head, clearly unaware of the situation.

"Dong Ziwu's last appearance was at a family dinner. Were you all there? Did you leave together?" Qi Fei continued to ask Li Shuangshuang.

“After dinner, Ziwu said he had made an appointment with a friend. It was getting late, and he told me that I shouldn’t come along since I was heavily pregnant. So I stayed home, and he left alone.”

"You reported the case the next afternoon, and he didn't come back all night. Aren't you worried?"

“Ziwu rented a place near his workplace. Sometimes he would stay there if he had business dinners nearby and finished late. That night he messaged us saying he was staying there, so we didn’t think much of it,” Li Shuangshuang replied, her eyes slightly evasive.

"Renting a place?" Qi Fei glanced at the address Dong Ziwu had registered. "Where you're living now isn't far from Nancheng Investment?"

Li Shuangshuang frowned slightly, which Qi Fei noticed. Even though he wasn't as good at reading micro-expressions as Zhong Kui, Li's reaction was enough to pique his interest in Dong Ziwu's rental situation.

"Didn't you go to his rented apartment to look for him after he went missing?" he asked.

"I've looked..." Li Shuangshuang's voice was very soft, and Dong Qianjin, who was sitting next to her, couldn't sit still any longer.

"Officer, since my son is already in trouble, I'm not afraid of you laughing at me..." he suddenly said.