Liu Keying nodded and said, "Yes, could the killer be related to a sewing machine? Maybe something like a knitting factory or a dry cleaner?"
"Possible. It would be great if we could find that pedal." As we were talking, we heard Cold Director behind us, his voice full of excitement, "I can't believe it, you two immediately clarified the case just by talking. Truly impressive! What an amazing detective you are, He Shen!"
"Hehe, it's still too early to say, we're just starting to get somewhere," I responded.
Not long after, Zhao Simeng walked over with a bowl of liquid and asked, "Cold Director, are there any wells nearby?"
"Yes, there is. Although it's a small town, we still have many old structures from the divination village, and there's a well on South Street."
Cold Director then instructed some officers to take us there. Even though I didn't understand why Zhao Simeng had a bowl of liquid for the well, I knew she must have her reasons.
When we arrived at South Street, we brought the second victim's remains—though it was mostly bones at this point. After we got there, an officer brought over a lunch box, and I noticed Liu Keying immediately took out her food and started eating. I remembered she used to be scared, but after spending time with us, she could now eat in front of a pile of bones without any issue.
Zhao Simeng and I also made an effort to eat. After finishing our meal, we turned our attention to the well.
Zhao Simeng asked me to help, so I took a bucket of water and started pouring it into the well. The well was shallow and protruding, so we could see the water levels easily. Zhao Simeng specifically wanted a well like this.
After pouring a bit of water, Zhao Simeng instructed, "When it reaches one-fifth, pour in a quarter of the solution."
"Got it," I replied, and followed her instructions, adding water and the solution. Halfway through, I asked her, "What is this liquid?"
"This is bone solution. You'll see something amazing soon."
I didn't say much and continued pouring. When the well was nearly full, Zhao Simeng threw a bone into the water. It quickly sank to the bottom.
I said, "Nothing seems to be happening?"
Some of the officers nearby chuckled, but Zhao Simeng ignored them and told me to continue throwing more bones into the well. As I did, the second bone I threw actually floated halfway up in the water.
Now, the officers were stunned. Zhao Simeng explained, "Human bones and this solution have similar properties. The weight distribution helps us identify the various bones of the body. The bone at the bottom is the femur, the ones in the middle are the ribs, and..."
She instructed me to throw all the bones into the well, and soon continued, "The ones floating on top are the skull. But it seems like we're missing two parts—the wrists and the calves."
It seemed that the killer, after murdering the victims, had a habit of taking their hands and feet. Though not all were taken this time, parts were still missing. Why would he have such hatred for the victims' hands and feet?
Based on the shape of the second victim's lower body bones, we could tell she was definitely female.
Now that we had identified all the bones, Zhao Simeng began the process of reassembling them. With my help, we managed to piece together a relatively complete skeleton.
Afterward, Zhao Simeng started her autopsy work, and Liu Keying and I went to the divination village to gather more information. We divided the tasks.
The night before we set off, we were having dinner at the station. If it hadn't been for Cold Director insisting that I stay and eat, I probably would've passed. Zhao Simeng and Liu Keying had both made sure I had a few drinks tonight, or else I would've never been able to handle all the officers on my own.
Cold Director had arranged a place for us to stay, and the environment seemed pretty good. After our meal, we returned to the hotel. Just as I was about to settle in, my phone rang, and I saw a message from Liu Keying: "He Shen, can you help me buy a pack of High Cleanser?"
Hmm? I immediately thought of something and replied that I'd go. I left the hotel and went to find a convenience store. Luckily, it wasn't too late, so I figured I could find it without issue.
I purchased a pack of High Cleanser, and as I was about to leave, someone suddenly shoved me hard, knocking me to the ground. It looked like the man was being chased by someone. He didn't apologize after knocking me down and was about to run away, so I yelled, "Stop!"
I noticed the man seemed disheveled, and something felt off, so I chased after him. I had no idea how long I'd been running, but eventually, I found myself in a desolate forest near the town. I thought, "There's a forest near Sugar Source Town?"
By the time I realized it, I was completely lost. I saw a man walking nearby, and I thought it was the same guy who had bumped into me earlier. But no matter how hard I ran, I couldn't catch up to him.
The forest seemed to be filled with strange howling noises, and I wondered who or what was making them. I wasn't scared, though. I just wanted to find the guy from earlier.
After some time, I noticed smoke rising from all around. Suddenly, someone rushed at me from behind, holding something in their hand. I should've been attacked, but at the last moment, someone beat him to it and stabbed him with a sword. The man quickly clutched his chest and fled in fear.
Turning around, I saw a strange man wearing a mask standing behind me. He wasn't the one who had knocked me down earlier but a leaner man, quicker and stronger than him.
"Who are you?"
"Young master, what are you doing out here all alone in such a dangerous place? This is the Ghostly Forest, and there have always been bad rumors about it. If I hadn't found you in time, you'd be dead by now!"
"Young master? What did you just say?"
"Yes, don't ask too many questions. The He family cannot be allowed to perish like this. Otherwise, your grandmother's death would be too tragic."
Before I could ask anything more, the man quickly left. He had referred to me as "young master," which made it seem like I was the leader of some organization. I couldn't make sense of it.
I vaguely remembered that my grandmother had passed away of natural causes. What was all this talk about her death?
Just then, I heard someone calling my name. It was Cold Director and Zhao Simeng. Once they found me, Zhao Simeng asked, "He Shen, what are you doing here so late? I heard this forest isn't safe!"