Chapter 49: Hunter and Prey

I don’t know what Xiao Fang said to Du Meisha, but she was giggling behind her hand, utterly charmed.

Seeing it was nearly eleven, and noticing Du Meisha was growing more relaxed around him, Xiao Fang suggested, “Shasha, you must be hungry—let me take you for some late-night snacks. I know a place with the most authentic clear broth—come try it with me!”

Du Meisha looked at Xiao Fang with longing and nodded. “Mm, okay. I am a little hungry anyway.”

Xiao Fang smiled smugly, reached out, and took her hand. She flinched instinctively, pulling her hand halfway free—then stopped, letting him hold it. He glanced down and saw her cheeks flushed red, unmistakably visible even in the dim dance hall light.

Xiao Fang was now certain he had this girl completely under his control. Maybe tonight… ha! His heart stirred again with anticipation.

Outside the dance hall, they stood before a red Xingfu 125 motorcycle. Xiao Fang swung his leg over it, tossed his hair with a cool grin, and said, “Your Highness, please mount!”

Du Meisha’s eyes widened in surprise. She bent forward, covering her mouth. “So cool!”

Her adorable expression boosted his confidence further—he already imagined this beautiful girl lying sweetly in his arms…

But late-night snacks weren’t Xiao Fang’s real goal; what came after was what he truly wanted. After quickly finishing the broth, he was about to suggest she come back to his place when Du Meisha said in a sweet, timid tone, “Big Brother Fang, it’s too late—can you take me home? I live alone, and I’m scared at this hour.”

Xiao Fang’s heart leapt—he couldn’t have hoped for a better opening. Without hesitation, they hopped on the motorcycle and rode toward Du Meisha’s residence!

————

Gu Changzheng and Hu Jinquan, who had arrived with Lu Haoxuan, were gagging from the stench—the beef and cake they’d just eaten now felt like rotting, foul-smelling meat churning in their stomachs.

They saw their Master, Lu Haoxuan, wearing a mask, completely unaffected by the odor, crouched beside a pile of human tissue dug from a pit.

“Captain Lu, the bag contains a male lower limb, severed at the knee joint and buried here,” said the young forensic medic Zheng Guoqiang, pointing to the excavated body parts as he reported.

In a shallow pit, about a meter deep, a thick black plastic bag revealed a mass of white, fleshy tissue: two thick, hairy legs, each cut into three pieces. The muscle definition and dense leg hair clearly marked them as belonging to a strong, young man.

“Based on the degree of decomposition, the time of death is between twenty-four and thirty-six hours ago. The rest of the body hasn’t been found yet,” Zheng continued.

Gu Changzheng looked up at Lu Haoxuan. “Master, this murder and dismemberment has the signature of a killer who dumps far but buries close—the murderer must be near the burial site. This is a suburban fringe area with a complex population. Should we start investigating the surrounding area immediately?”

Lu Haoxuan was staring intently at the black plastic bag, as if it held some treasure.

He didn’t answer Gu Changzheng directly. Instead, he pointed to the body bag and asked, “Look closely. This plastic bag has already told us a lot. Who can tell me what it’s saying?”

Hearing this, Gu Changzheng and Hu Jinquan forgot the stench and crouched down to examine it closely. Forensic medic Zheng also leaned in, curious to spot any clue he’d missed.

As soon as he got close, he suddenly gasped, “Huh?!” Then, with his gloved right hand, he fumbled along the bottom of the bag. Moments later, he opened his palm—his glove was soaked in blood.

“Sorry, Captain Lu—I almost misled you. The time of death for these body parts may need to be reassessed!” Gu Changzheng and Hu Jinquan, still focused on the bag, turned with puzzled stares at the young medic.

Lu Haoxuan smiled at Zheng. “Xiao Zheng, tell us what you’ve found.”

Zheng cleared his throat and pointed to his gloved palm with his left hand. “I originally estimated the time of death based on decomposition—but that assumes a natural, undisturbed environment. These body parts have been processed.”

“Processed? After being cut up like this?” Hu Jinquan exclaimed.

“These parts were frozen before being transported and buried. Judging from the clean, smooth incisions on these two legs, the body was dismembered first, then packed and frozen. The killer likely froze the body for two reasons: one, to store it easily; two, to deliberately distort the time of death and complicate our investigation.”

“Excellent! Xiao Zheng’s analysis is sound. I’ve always said: in investigations, dare to hypothesize, reason rigorously, and verify cautiously. As long as we’re thorough and diligent, no case is unsolvable!” Lu Haoxuan praised Zheng—but his words were meant as a lesson to Gu Changzheng and the other young detectives.

Gu Changzheng and Hu Jinquan sheepishly scratched their heads. While they were still puzzling over the bag, Xiao Zheng had already found the key.

Gu Changzheng thought for a moment. “Can we infer some traits of the killer? First, he must own a freezer—these body parts require at least a large industrial freezer. Second, he’s likely a butcher or a doctor—the incisions are clean, smooth, and single-cut; only someone with professional skill could do this. Third, this plastic bag is noticeably thicker than ordinary ones…”

“That’s right! Changzheng! I thought this bag looked familiar—it’s the kind used in markets for seafood!” Hu Jinquan suddenly interrupted.

“Exactly! Ordinary households and vendors don’t use these. In Zizhen City, only a few seafood specialty shops carry them,” Gu Changzheng added.

Lu Haoxuan nodded with a smile. “Good analysis. So, do we have a direction for the investigation now?”

He knew these clues might be deliberate red herrings planted by the killer—but real investigations never rely on divine insight. You must see through appearances to the truth. Even if this entire setup was a trap, the killer had to act—and action always leaves traces. All they needed was calmness, attention to detail, and patience through the tedious search until the fog lifted and the truth emerged.

He often joked with these young detectives: they were exorcists, daily confronting demons, sustained only by unwavering faith and the sacred mission to subdue evil.