Netherworld Investigator

At the end of my speech, Captain Tang seemed lost for words. 

"That’s amazing!” he uttered. “As expected of the Great Detective who’s solved so many cases! You’ve obtained so much information based on the bodies alone."

"I thought I could keep up with your reasoning, but it looks like I’m still a long way off," sighed Xiaotao.

I turned to Captain Tang, "How many high schools are there in Jiangling City?"

"Well, there are hundreds, not including the surrounding towns and counties," replied Captain Tang.

It seemed the clue was still a bit slim. "Then let’s use a two-pronged approach! We’ll investigate which restaurant recently hosted class reunion dinners. On the other hand, we’ll also check the high schools in Jiangling City. The murderer is a male teacher, around 28 years old. He appears gentle, neat, introverted, has high self-esteem and lives alone. "

Captain Tang nodded, "Alright! I’ll mobilize the police force for the investigation."

As soon as Captain Tang left, Xiaotao patted me on the shoulder, “You’ve made the Nanjiang mayor look good again!"

"Who cares about that?” I smiled wryly. “According to the murderer's cycle, the next body will appear on the weekend, which is in three days."

"Let's continue analyzing,” said Bingxin. “Why did the murderer rape the dead victim?"

Fixing my attention on the eviscerated victim, I said, "She might have been the object of the murderer's secret love in high school. For certain reasons, the murderer had to kill her, but he showed reluctance."

"Had to kill her…” frowned Xiaotao. “There must be a hidden motive.”

"Could the murderer be a Chinese teacher? I doubt a science teacher could come up with such poetic murders," mused Bingxin.

"That may not be true! It took him three days to go from killing and disposing of the corpse. His cautiousness wouldn’t allow such blatant exposure of his profession. I think this might be related to the motive."

What was the relationship between ancient poetry and murder? I didn't have a clue at the moment. Although it might sound pessimistic, I'm afraid I might have to wait for the next body to appear.

It was already late by the time I was done examining the bodies. Bingxin complained of hunger as soon as we exited the morgue. 

"I’ve booked a hotel,” remarked Xiaotao. “Let’s get something to eat—my treat! We rarely visit Jiangling City, so we certainly can’t miss out on Jiangling cuisine!"

"Xiaotao-jiejie, you’re so thoughtful!" beamed Bingxin.

After a delicious meal, Xiaotao and Bingxin were enticed by the beautiful night scene in Jiangling City and proposed to go to a spa.

Naturally, us three men couldn’t go with them. We decided on a bathhouse where we could rewind, relax, and discuss the case.

At around ten in the evening, we returned to the hotel to rest for the night.

Early the next morning, during our buffet breakfast, Xiaotao asked what the plan for the day was.

"Although I’m here to hide from my aunt, we have business to do. Let’s visit the suspect's home!" I suggested.

The suspect I was referring to was the owner of the Hanfu store Captain Tang had his eyes on. According to my deductions, this man wasn’t the murderer, but he was related to the case.

Xiaotao smiled, "I was just thinking the same thing. We’ll have the opportunity to drop by Daming Temple as well!"

"Perfect!" agreed Bingxin.

The suspect's name was Ke Wenyuan. His store was located near Daming Temple, with a workshop in the back. He hired several tailors to create Hanfu, and was famous within the area.

Ke Wenyuan was missing at present, but according to people who knew him, this man held great respect for the traditional clothing of the Hans and loved dressing like them. He also wore his hair in a bun like the ancients, and was often mistaken for a Taoist priest.

This man had a good temper and provided good service in his store. Whenever he came across a Hanfu enthusiast, he would immediately give them a discount. He once sponsored fifty sets of Hanfu for a traditional orchestra.

We drove down to Daming Temple, a famous scenic spot in Jiangling City. Although it wasn’t the peak tourist season, there were still many tourists about, including beautiful Jiangnan women...

When I fixed my gaze on one of these women, Xiaotao pulled my ear and sneered, "Would you like to go and say hello?" 

"I'm just looking at her outfit,” I argued. “It would look ten times better on you."

"You little sweet talker. I’ll spare you this time," laughed Xiaotao.

"I saw several girls wearing Hanfu. It turns out the robes are so flowy and elegant!” gushed Bingxin. “I’ve decided to buy myself a set of Hanfu when we’ve solved the case!"

"Well, I think it’s great. This sort of dress that doesn't cling to your body is the best for you," Xiaotao quipped.

"Hmph!" pouted Bingxin.

The five of us walking together drew numerous looks, especially Song Xingchen who had the girls screaming in delight, mistaking him for Zhang Yixing. Despite the attention and photo-taking, Song Xingchen was indifferent and apparently used to it.

We soon arrived at the Hanfu store which was closed. Considering it was a tourist attraction, the police hadn’t sealed off the premises.

There was no way I could pick the lock in broad daylight with eyes all around. Thus, Xiaotao contacted the landlord who opened the door for us. As soon as we entered the store, we were greeted by a variety of Hanfu. 

"I’ve just recalled an incident that happened a few years ago. When the country boycotted Japanese goods, several girls wore Hanfu in the streets which were mistaken for kimonos by a group of angry youths. They surrounded the girls and forced them to remove their clothes."

"Those so-called activists who scorn traitors are usually mentally-retarded bastards who wreak havoc in the name of patriotism!” Bingxin commented. “However, the situation has improved in recent years. More and more girls wear the Hanfu as a regular outfit. After all, the Hanfu is the most accurate national costume whereas the cheongsam was handed down from Manchus."

I laughed, "Don't rush to denounce anything! Chinese culture is all-inclusive. You can wear the cheongsam or the Hanfu. Back in the Tang Dynasty, girls could wear both the Hanfu and men's clothing. Their outfit exposed much cleavage! There were Chinese, Persians, Japanese and Africans on the street. Only a strong country would appeal to all civilizations. Currently, China is much more open compared to twenty years ago, and there are more and more foreigners in the country. This is proof that Papa Xi’s Belt and the Road Initiative was successful."

"What you say is very reasonable…” nodded Xiaotao. “But when you talk about girls showing their breasts, your eyes seem to shine really brightly!"

"Really?” I panicked. “I’ve always been very objective."

"Keep spinning your lies!" Xiaotao laughed.

"Why do men like big breasts?” Bingxin spat her tongue. “Didn't you get enough milk when you were young?"

After a bit of gossiping, we began searching the house. I pulled out photos of evidence and compared them to the real items. From the details such as the cut and pattern, the Hanfu that appeared at the murder scene was certainly produced in this store, as confirmed by Captain Tang.

The store’s business license was displayed on the wall, with Ke Wenyuan's photo on the top. That face was incompatible with the murderer I had in mind.

"When was Ke Wenyuan born?" I asked.

"His personal information shows that he is 35 years old and unmarried," answered Xiaotao.

Behind the storefront was a workshop that had been abruptly shut down, with unfinished clothes on the sewing machine. In fact, Captain Tang did a thorough job speaking to the employees so it was unnecessary and a waste of time for us to conduct further inquiries.

Ke Wenyuan's bedroom was very messy, with numerous books about ancient costumes on the bookshelf, suggesting he spent a lot of thoughts on his business.

There were many costume dolls displayed in a glass cabinet. But as I stared at them, I got the feeling that something was wrong!