Forbidden Zone of Deception

Chapter 193 The Return and the Scarecrow
Muxu City, Pingdong District, suburban tunnel.

The Nirvana team has finally returned to the real world.

After the crack channel stabilized, they traversed it and successfully returned to Rusty Town.

This is quite normal. They are reincarnators. From the moment they are contaminated by memes, as long as they return to the real world plane, they will automatically return to Muxu City. This is because they are completely and permanently bound and imprisoned by the city's meme contamination, and there is no way they can escape.

And that car can no longer be driven out; any metal objects that have entered Rust Town must not be brought back.

The Musashi team remained in the [Headed Balloon] horror instance. Yuko contacted a friend of her mother's and confirmed that the investigation data on the balloon was in her possession. The Musashi team decided to retrieve the data.

They have specific tasks to perform, while the Nirvana team members without tasks can return directly.

At this moment, Jiang Jin followed Yu Tianlun out of the tunnel, instantly returning from the world of darkness to daytime. The sunlight outside was immediately dazzling, and he squinted and raised his hand to shield his eyes.

At this moment, all four members of the Nirvana team were exhausted from the battles in the dungeon.

"Let's go back to camp first." Yu Tianlun lowered his voice. "The Blood Lord's people won't let this go. They have the support of the imperial court, and they might take action directly in the city."

Just as Jiang Jin was about to speak, suddenly, the sound of police sirens came from afar.

"Police car?" Jiang Jin looked up alertly.

what's the situation?
"It's not the work of the Bloodstained Team, don't worry," Yu Tianlun reassured everyone. "Even an imperial envoy cannot allow government officials to directly intervene in battles between reincarnators. The Censorate and the Six Doors cannot act as anyone's private army; this is the law of the land!"

“That’s true.” Jiang Jin himself was a government employee. They were all under the jurisdiction of the Six Doors in Yanjing. The Six Doors was an independent department and would never be handed over to the reincarnators for command.

"Why don't we go and take a look? Even the Bloody Gang wouldn't dare to act recklessly in front of the police. No matter how bold they were, they wouldn't dare to kill a police officer in the real world."

At the foot of the distant mountains, several police cars with flashing red and blue lights were parked beside a muddy country road.

Several uniformed police officers set up a cordon, and a few villagers gathered nearby to watch the commotion.

Yu Tianlun narrowed his eyes. These didn't seem to be local police officers from Pingdong District, but rather from the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

“Strange, it’s rare to see city police cars coming to this suburb.”

Jiang Jin was stunned, and Liu Yan next to him also understood.

Inside the police cordon, a tall man was squatting next to a corpse, his latex-gloved fingers gently parting the deceased's clothing at the chest.

The man was wearing a dark blue police jacket, and the rank insignia on his shoulder indicated that he was Jiang Han, the captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade of the Changming District Branch of the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

"My brother actually came here to handle a case? This isn't his criminal investigation team's jurisdiction..."

Upon hearing Jiang Jin's words, Yu Tianlun was taken aback and asked, "He's your brother?"

"Yes, that's my brother. He was just transferred to the Municipal Bureau not long ago."

“Looking at it this way,” Xu Yinqiu, whose eyesight was exceptionally good, “you brothers really do look alike.”

Liu Yan said with a grin, "I used to say that all the time. But I think he's a little more handsome than his brother."

At this moment, they blended in with the onlookers and were not particularly noticeable.

"The deceased was a woman, whose identity has not yet been confirmed. She was about 25-30 years old, and the preliminary time of death was estimated to be within 12 hours."

Jiang Han's voice was calm and steady, and the young criminal police officer beside him quickly took notes.

The body lay on its back on the ground, with a crude scarecrow stuck in its chest, and a wooden splinter piercing through the victim's chest.

The scarecrow's limbs were bound with thin ropes, and its head was tilted to the side, as if it had been deliberately posed in a strange posture.

"Is this a serial murder case or a copycat crime?" Jiang Han frowned.

The deputy director of the local public security bureau wiped his sweat and whispered, "Captain Jiang, I tend to think it's a serial murder. Last month, Old Li, a farmer from the next village, died in the same way, with a scarecrow stuck in his chest. The case is still unsolved."

Jiang Han stood up and glanced around: "Did you bring the crime scene photos and autopsy report from the first case?"

"I brought it; it's in the car."

"Compare the crime scenes of the two cases and see if there are any similarities."

Looking at the scarecrow, Yu Tianlun began to frown.

“Something seems off…” As a reincarnator, Yu Tianlun’s intuition has always been accurate.

The scarecrow seemed somewhat familiar to him…

City police technicians quickly began their work, extending the cordon to a 50-meter radius to prevent onlookers from damaging the evidence. The city police's forensic pathologist conducted a preliminary examination of the body, photographing it to preserve its posture, and then collected fibers, fingerprints, and possible DNA residue from the scarecrow using evidence bags. The wooden splinter in the scarecrow's chest was removed and sent to the laboratory for wood comparison to confirm whether it matched the first case. No footprints of anyone other than the police and the first witness were found in the surrounding area.

There were no surveillance cameras at the location where the body was found, so the only way to screen potential suspects was by comparing the footage with nearby surveillance footage.

Jiang Han walked to the side and dialed the number of the Municipal Bureau's Technical Section: "Old Chen, retrieve the files of the two scarecrow murder cases and focus on investigating the source of the straw to see if it is made using the same process."

The sound of typing came from the other end of the phone: "Captain Jiang, the straw in the first case has been identified as common rice stalks, but the way it was tied is very special. It was tied with hand-twisted hemp rope, which is rarely seen on the market. Local farmers don't use scarecrows, so it's difficult to trace the source of the scarecrow."

"Check if there are any artisans nearby, or people who have recently purchased similar materials."

The deputy director of the local public security bureau came over and offered him a cigarette: "Captain Jiang, this case... is a bit strange."

Jiang Han didn't take the cigarette, but just gave him a cold look: "Strange?"

The deputy director lowered his voice: "Old Li, who died last month, was said by the villagers to be haunted by evil spirits. Now another one has died, and it's the same method. The villagers are all saying it's a vengeful ghost taking lives..."

Jiang Han interrupted him: "If you can't solve the case, you're just blaming it on ghosts and gods? How did you investigate before?"

The deputy director said awkwardly, "We have limited manpower, and in this rural area, there are few surveillance cameras, making the investigation too difficult..."

In fact, the local police chief had already planned ahead—since the case remained unsolved for so long, he couldn't bear the full responsibility. He decided to involve the municipal police bureau in the investigation, so that someone would be held accountable later. After all, if such a brutal serial murder case remained unsolved for too long, and a third case occurred, and the police bureau continued to handle the investigations, his job would be in jeopardy.

“This place is about seven kilometers away from the night amusement park,” Jiang Han said. “That’s one of the restricted areas, so shouldn’t there be more surveillance cameras here?”

"That's what they say, but as you know, these surveillance cameras were installed by the Membrane Contamination Monitoring Department after the amusement park was designated as a restricted area. Now, many of them are in disrepair, and the resolution is terrible. The local administration has repeatedly asked higher authorities if they could allocate funds to replace the equipment, but they haven't approved it..."

Jiang Han fell silent for a moment. It wasn't unusual for administrative departments to be incompetent and pass the buck. Anyway, if something went wrong, the local administrative department would always be held responsible.

Outside the police cordon, Jiang Jin and his three companions remained among the villagers, silently observing the police's actions.

Liu Yan said in a low voice, "I also agree with the leader's opinion. This doesn't seem like an ordinary case."

Xu Yinqiu nodded: "The technique is too deliberate, like some kind of ritual."

Jiang Han said to the detective beside him, "Go check if there are any unfamiliar faces in the vicinity, especially any outsiders who have appeared in the village in the last few days."

"Yes!"

It's noon.

Jiang Han stood beside the police car, looking at the preliminary report sent by the technical department:
The scarecrows in both cases were tied in exactly the same way.

The cutting techniques and methods used for the wooden splinters were also highly consistent.

The deceased has been identified as a villager from this village. It's worth noting that, according to the current investigation results…

Both victims had visited a nearby abandoned tunnel before their deaths.

He closed the folder, his eyes cold: "Okay, go investigate that tunnel."

"Captain Jiang, how about we eat first?"

Jiang Han looked at the police officers who had been busy until now, and at this moment the boxed lunches had been delivered.

"Okay, let's eat first, and then we'll get started."

At this moment, Jiang Han's gaze shifted and he saw Jiang Jin standing among the crowd at the cordon.

"Hmm? Ah Jin?"

Jiang Han's gaze was sharp as a knife. He frowned slightly and strode over.

"Ah Jin? What are you doing here?" Jiang Han's voice was deep, tinged with a hint of doubt. "Shouldn't you be in the outer ring patrol team training?"

Jiang Jin's heart tightened, but he remained outwardly calm and smiled, "Brother, well... I just happened to have a day off today, so I brought Liu Yan out for a walk." Jiang Han's gaze swept over Liu Yan and said, "Why did you two end up in Pingdong District? It's quite close to the night amusement park, and there aren't many tourist attractions here. You... um?"

He saw the wedding rings on Jiang Jin and Liu Yan's hands.

"You...have you already bought the wedding rings?" Jiang Han's tone was somewhat surprised, but she quickly softened. "Do Mom and Dad know?"

Jiang Jin coughed lightly: "I haven't officially told them yet. I've been living outside recently, and my parents just happened to go to the suburbs to participate in a square dance competition. I plan to come home and tell them in a while."

“You’ve already bought the rings, and you’re off today, so why don’t you go meet Mom and Dad tonight?” Jiang Han’s eyes flickered slightly, but he didn’t ask any more questions. He just nodded. “Okay, I’ll go home with Lin Yue after I get off work later. Your wedding is a very important event. Mom and Dad’s competition has been postponed; they won’t leave until tomorrow.”

His gaze suddenly passed over Jiang Jin and landed on Yu Tianlun and Xu Yinqiu.

"Who are these two?"

Jiang Jin quickly replied, "My friends are Yu Tianlun and Xu Yinqiu."

Yu Tianlun gave a hearty smile and extended his hand, saying, "Captain Jiang, I've heard so much about you."

Jiang Han shook hands with him, but her brows furrowed more and more, as if she was thinking about something.

"Wait... Mr. Yu, haven't I seen you somewhere before?"

Jiang Jin was taken aback and looked at Yu Tianlun. Had he met his brother before?

Yu Tianlun's expression remained unchanged; he simply smiled and said, "It's probably the procuratorate. I used to work there."

"The Procuratorate?" Jiang Han's gaze sharpened. "I remember now, you're Prosecutor Yu!"

“I used to,” Yu Tianlun said casually, “but I don’t do it anymore.”

Jiang Han was somewhat surprised, wondering if he had switched careers to become a lawyer.

"That's a real shame."

He looked away and said to Jiang Jin, "I still have a case to investigate. See you at home later."

After saying that, he turned and left, heading towards the police car, but before leaving, his gaze lingered on Yu Tianlun for a moment, seemingly unintentionally.

How did Jiang Jin get to know the former prosecutor? If it weren't for the case, he really would have asked him in detail.

Jiang Han got into the police car and started eating. The young detective in the passenger seat handed him a file: "Captain Jiang, who were those people just now?"

"My brother."

"Oh, your brother, the policeman at the Jinlin District Police Station?"

"Hmm... He's currently working part-time with the outer ring patrol team."

"That's amazing! It's rare for someone in the police force to be transferred to that kind of job!"

On the other hand, Jiang Jin finally couldn't help but ask, "Commander Yu, were you a prosecutor before?"

Yu Tianlun shrugged: "Yeah, I did it for a few years."

"Why have I never heard you mention this before?"

“Because it’s not important.” Yu Tianlun smiled. “My current identity is that of a reincarnator, why bring it up now?”

Jiang Jin wanted to ask more, but Yu Tianlun patted him on the shoulder: "Don't think too much, let's go."

Liu Yan glanced at the time and whispered, "We need to hurry back to the Yihai camp. Blood Owl Lord's men could come knocking at any moment."

Xu Yinqiu nodded: "Let's go. This case has nothing to do with us. Let's not cause any trouble."

The four turned and left.

At 1 p.m., Jiang Han led Detective Xiao Zhang to the hometown of the female victim, Lin Xiaowan—an old bungalow located on the edge of the village.

Lin Xiaowan's parents were crying so hard they were almost in tears. Her mother slumped into a chair, while her father kept smoking, his fingers trembling.

"Uncle Lin, has your daughter been acting strangely lately? Or has she offended anyone?" Jiang Han asked.

Lin's father shook his head: "Xiao Wan has a good personality and never makes enemies... It's just that a while ago, she was said to have fed a stray cat in a tunnel near the village. I heard that the victim in the first case also went there..."

Jiang Han and Xiao Zhang exchanged a glance.

They all believed that this was no coincidence.

After leaving the Lin family, Xiao Zhang couldn't help but ask, "Captain Jiang, this case is too strange. The scarecrow killed people, and all the victims had been to the same tunnel... This area isn't far from the night amusement park, could it be memetic contamination?"

Jiang Han shook his head: "Don't jump to conclusions so quickly, let's investigate further."

But he had a vague feeling that there might be a deeper secret behind this case.

Tunnel... Scarecrow...

These fragmented clues swirled in his mind, but he could never piece together a complete picture.

Then, they went to the tunnel together.

As Jiang Han led the criminal police officers into the tunnel, the damp, musty smell of the air immediately hit them.

The tunnel walls were covered with dark red moss, and when the flashlight shone on it, the surface of the moss had an eerie metallic sheen.

Xiao Zhang couldn't help but shiver and muttered under his breath, "This place is really eerie, even more unsettling than the murder scene we investigated last time."

"Focus." Jiang Han swept the ground with his flashlight and found tire tracks inside the tunnel, but they disappeared at the tunnel exit as if they had vanished into thin air.

The accompanying local police officer wiped the sweat from his brow: "This tunnel is quite close to the restricted area night amusement park, and strange things occasionally happen in this area. Last month, a homeless man said he saw a dancing shadow here, and he went crazy the next day."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhang immediately looked around nervously, almost dropping the evidence bag in his hand.

"What's the panic?" Jiang Han frowned. "Police officers naturally encounter various situations where their SAN value drops. Just go back and get your SAN value checked."

But he couldn't help but touch his sidearm. At that moment, he heard the sound of dripping water coming from deep inside the tunnel, amplified infinitely in the confined space, sounding like someone gently clapping.

When they emerged from the tunnel empty-handed, Jiang Han checked his watch and decided to visit the home of the first deceased, Old Li.

Old Li's wife was a thin, small peasant woman with eyes swollen and red like walnuts. She recalled tremblingly, "That day, Old Li said he was going to go through the tunnel to collect some newly grown mushrooms, but then..."

Her voice stopped abruptly, and her calloused hands gripped her apron tightly.

"When I found his body, the scarecrow on his chest looked like it had grown out of his body..."

"Has your husband offended anyone recently? Or encountered anything strange?" Xiao Zhang carefully took notes.

Old Li's wife shook her head: "He's an honest man and has never offended anyone."

Before leaving, he specifically asked for a photo of Old Li from before his death. In the photo, the simple farmer was standing in front of his own cornfield, smiling honestly.

Meanwhile, Yu Tianlun and his three companions were walking back along a country road.

"I remember now." Yu Tianlun's voice was unusually tense. "Do you guys remember Junji Ito's manga 'The Scarecrow'?"

This comic tells a terrifying story about a scarecrow in a graveyard gradually being possessed by the souls of the dead.

The story begins with a tragic love story.

Yuki, the daughter of the Numata family, committed suicide because her father opposed her marriage.

Overwhelmed with grief, Numata took his anger out on his daughter Yuki's boyfriend, Toshio, by planting a scarecrow in front of his daughter's grave to drive away Toshio, who came to sweep the tomb.

A few days later, the scarecrow began to grow hair and its appearance became more and more like the deceased Yuki. Numata firmly believed that this was the return of his daughter's soul.

This phenomenon quickly spread throughout the village, and other villagers who had lost loved ones followed suit, placing scarecrows in front of their relatives' graves. Soon, the cemetery was filled with scarecrows resembling the deceased, as if the spirits of the dead were truly attached to them. When Yuki's boyfriend, Toshio, came to pay his respects, he was also horrified. That night, he dreamed that the scarecrows were beckoning to him and even speaking, questioning him whether he truly wanted to be with someone who looked like him.

Junfu wakes up in the cemetery and ultimately chooses to commit suicide with the scarecrow.

And this place is so close to the tunnel leading to Rusty Town...

This is almost impossible to be a coincidence!
(End of this chapter)