Chapter 286 - 285: Blatant

Chapter 286: Chapter 285: Blatant

The newcomers were Liu Ergou and Miao Yan. It was a surprise that after a case brought them together last time, they had actually become good friends who often took on cases together.

’This is pretty much how things developed in the parallel world.’

Liu Ergou and Miao Yan were both quite hurt that Gu Qingyin had hidden her return from them.

To show her remorse and soothe their fragile little hearts, Gu Qingyin promised they could enjoy the resort for free after the case was over, for as long as they liked.

The two were more than happy with this compensation.

Once they had finished catching up, they unhurriedly turned to the matter at hand.

"Any new discoveries?" Miao Yan asked, his expression serious.

Gu Qingyin nodded. "Yun Jing suspects it’s a curse. You can look into that possibility." She looked at Manager Wang. "Give them the victim’s registration information."

Miao Yan glanced at the man who had been silent the entire time. He wanted to ask for more details, but seeing his unhappy expression, he... didn’t dare.

With a slight cough, Miao Yan said, "Let’s go have a look."

Liu Ergou read the victim’s file as he walked.

Song Chengyun, one of the heirs to a top chaebol family in Country H, had been invited to attend the opening ceremony.

Below the registration details was an investigation report on Song Chengyun.

The third young master of the Song Family, and the least accomplished of the three. He had no ambition and posed no threat, and was usually on very good terms with his two older brothers.

To outsiders, he was mild-mannered, courteous, and well-behaved. But at the end of the day, he was the young master of a chaebol, and his private life was a dirty mess.

Most of the trouble he stirred up was covered up by his two older brothers.

"Could this be revenge?" Liu Ergou speculated.

Gu Qingyin gave a mirthless smile. "They could have gotten revenge anytime. Why do it right before our grand opening? Do they think the Huo Family is a pushover?" Her gaze turned cold. "If this isn’t handled properly, the Huo Family and the Song Family will inevitably clash. Whoever stands to gain the most from that will be our prime suspect."

After reading the file, it didn’t take much thought to understand many things.

A member of the Song Family had been targeted on Huo Family territory using such vicious methods. For reasons both public and private, the Song Family would not let this opportunity slip by.

And the Huo Family were no fools; they wouldn’t just hand over significant concessions to the Song Family.

When the snipe and the clam are locked in combat, it’s the fisherman who profits.

Now it was just a matter of finding out who was playing the part of the fisherman.

"Does the Song Family have any major rivals in Country H?" Huo Yunjing asked.

Manager Wang looked a little embarrassed. "I’ll go check right now."

Huo Yunjing nodded, and Manager Wang quickly stepped aside to make a call.

Miao Yan activated his Yin Yang Eye and collected Song Chengyun’s soul, placing it in a jar to be nurtured. Then, he turned the corpse over to inspect the wound.

Up close, it was clear the wound had burst from within. A cross-shaped gash ran across his chest from shoulder to waist, deep enough to expose bone, yet his clothes were perfectly intact.

Blood had pooled on the ground, but most of it had been absorbed by the soil, making the scene look less gory than it was. Coupled with the fact that they were in an open area, the smell of blood wasn’t overpowering. Otherwise, the earlier crowd wouldn’t have dared to stand around watching for so long.

Miao Yan carefully inspected the wound, his brow furrowed. "Not a single trace." He then searched the man’s clothes, but they were spotless. There was nothing.

Miao Yan stood up, wiped his hands clean, and suggested, "Let’s check his room."

Manager Wang returned just in time to hear this and quickly asked, "What about him?"

Gu Qingyin said calmly, "Have the body prepared. Contact the Song Family and see how they want to proceed."

Manager Wang acknowledged and went to call the funeral home.

Liu Ergou and Miao Yan were about to search Song Chengyun’s room. Gu Qingyin instinctively started to follow, but was pulled back after just one step.

Huo Yunjing gave her a reproachful look. "The food’s getting cold."

"Oh," Gu Qingyin said. She turned to Liu Ergou and Miao Yan. "You two carry on. Let me know if you find anything. I’m going to go eat first."

She waved with a grin and walked away, hand in hand with Huo Yunjing, whose expression had visibly softened.

Miao Yan and Liu Ergou exchanged a look of sudden understanding.

No wonder Huo Yunjing had been so sullen. This whole affair was interrupting their happy little world for two.

"Tsk, tsk. He’s putty in her hands," Miao Yan said, shaking his head.

"Who are you talking about?" Liu Ergou asked.

Miao Yan pondered for two seconds before saying decisively, "Both of them."

Back at the overwater villa, the food was, as expected, cold. The other dishes were manageable, but cold fish has a strong, unpleasant flavor.

Without a word, Huo Yunjing started gathering the fish dishes to reheat them. One plate would have been easy enough, but the problem was that fish made up the majority of the meal.

Gu Qingyin’s heart went out to him. Rolling up her sleeves, she offered to help. "I’ll heat them up with you."

Huo Yunjing stopped in his tracks and tactfully refused. "It’s fine, I’m quick." ’But maybe not if you’re "helping".’

Gu Qingyin blinked. "Are you doubting my abilities? I might not be a great cook, but I at least know how to use a microwave."

Huo Yunjing was silent for two seconds. "These two can be heated in the microwave."

Gu Qingyin beamed. "Okay!"

They had just finished eating when Liu Ergou called. "We found something. Come take a look."

Song Chengyun was staying in the regular VIP area. Despite his family’s high status, he himself was just a dissolute heir and didn’t qualify for the premium VIP section.

Though called "regular," his accommodation was a standalone, two-story villa with a private courtyard. The entrance opened into a tropical-style garden, a lush expanse of green with a small pond where several koi swam.

The koi looked quite lively, flicking their tails and swimming a few laps whenever someone passed by, as if trying to get attention.

Inside the villa, there was nothing of interest in the living room, so Gu Qingyin and Huo Yunjing went straight up to the second-floor bedroom.

Miao Yan and Liu Ergou were standing at the bedroom door. They nodded a greeting and stepped aside to let them in.

Gu Qingyin peeked inside and couldn’t help but let out a sharp gasp. "Whoa. That’s brazen."

The curse was drawn on the wall above the headboard. It had, of course, been cleverly concealed; the curse itself was hidden within a painting. A layman wouldn’t be able to see it, but an expert could spot it at a glance.

Huo Yunjing walked over and touched it, then brought his fingers to his nose and sniffed. "A blood curse?"

"Yes," Miao Yan said. "We’ve already traced the source of the blood. The person is dead, and we can’t summon their soul."

Gu Qingyin clicked her tongue. "Such a clean job. Our opponent knows us well." She looked pensively at the curse sigil on the wall. "Let me give it a try."

"Great!" Miao Yan responded enthusiastically. "With our idol on the case, we’ll definitely get that soul back!"

Gu Qingyin couldn’t help but laugh. "Don’t get your hopes up too high."

Huo Yunjing stepped aside. Gu Qingyin stood at the foot of the bed and, with a flip of her palm, summoned the Soul Mirror.

After being back for so long, this was the first time she had summoned the Soul Mirror.

The Soul Mirror trembled with excitement, clearly eager to be used.

Gu Qingyin looked down and stroked its frame. "Whether or not we can bring them back is all up to you now."

The Soul Mirror vibrated again, as if to say, ’Leave it to me.’