Yin and Yang - Chapter 11

Shen Qingwei’s words left Yin Zheng in deep thought. Was there a fourth person in the room that night? If so, who was he, and how did he escape unscathed under such circumstances? Did he simply stand by and coldly watch the homeowner be hacked to death and his daughter dismembered? How could he have vanished without leaving a trace? And who was the “New Uncle” mentioned in the composition? Could it be… could it be this very man?

Yin Zheng felt the key to the mystery lay with this “New Uncle.” Asking Mr. Zhao would be futile; he’d never admit anything. Shen Qingwei said, “This is getting more and more bizarre. You don’t think the New Uncle is still in the house, do you?”

A sudden chill wind made Shen Qingwei sneeze. She rubbed her nose. Yin Zheng said, “Don’t talk nonsense. Let’s go find out what’s in this medicine bottle first.”

Shen Qingwei followed Yin Zheng out, but before leaving, she glanced back. The white curtains billowed slightly, vaguely revealing what seemed like the silhouette of a girl. She stared intently, but it was just her imagination.

Yin Zheng closed the door, affixed a talisman, and then left. Shen Qingwei asked, “Should we go to a pharmacy?”

“Let’s go to the Drug Identification Center,” Yin Zheng said, clutching the medicine bottle. She doubted a pharmacy would have the answers. Shen Qingwei trailed behind her. On the way, Hu Shengsheng called to say they had returned to the hotel. Shen Qingwei asked, puzzled, “You separated from Mr. Zhao?”

“Mr. Zhao had a lunch appointment,” Hu Shengsheng explained. “My Master and I came back to the hotel first.”

He didn’t want to get involved in this matter again. He knew his limitations; he couldn’t even set foot inside that haunted house. But he still cared about Shen Qingwei, which was why he made the call.

“Do you have an appointment?” Shen Qingwei pondered for a few seconds. “I see.”

After hanging up, she asked Yin Zheng, “Is it with that New Uncle?”

Yin Zheng hesitated. “Possibly, but we can’t go there right now.”

Shen Qingwei nodded. “We should figure out what this medicine is first.”

The two went to the Drug Identification Center. Shen Qingwei took the medicine bottle inside while Yin Zheng waited outside. Through the glass door, Yin Zheng watched Shen Qingwei talking to a girl in a white coat. Shen Qingwei tilted her head, her smile sweet and her eyes sparkling like stars.

Shen Qingwei had always been like this. No one could resist her when she acted cute. Yin Zheng still remembered when they were studying together as children. Yin Zheng would finish her work while Shen Qingwei hadn’t even started. When asked what she was doing, Shen Qingwei would say she was watching the birds in the sky, marveling at their freedom to fly wherever they pleased. She would often wander up the mountain slopes of the Yin-Yang Sect just to watch them, neglecting her homework. Whenever Yin Zheng tried to call her back, warning that Master would punish her for unfinished work, Shen Qingwei would cling to her arm, pleading, “Senior Sister, just let me watch! The birds aren’t here every day, but we can do homework anytime.”

Later, she not only tacitly allowed Shen Qingwei to chase after the birds, but she also tore up all her own completed homework. She couldn’t bear to see Shen Qingwei punished alone; she couldn’t bear it.

Master had always said that she spoiled Shen Qingwei too much, which had fostered her current willful, audacious, and lawless personality. Yin Zheng snapped back to reality to find Shen Qingwei already back, standing before her, leaning in. “Senior Sister?”

Yin Zheng asked calmly, “Is it over?”

“We still need to submit a report,” Shen Qingwei replied. “It’ll take about an hour. Shall we sit down somewhere nearby?”

Yin Zheng agreed. They rarely ventured out; usually, after completing their training, they would accompany their Martial Aunt on missions. Their Master hadn’t left the Yin-Yang Sect in years. When they asked their Martial Aunt about the reason, she remained silent. This sudden trip by their Master had them worried, which was why they had come to this place to investigate.

Shen Qingwei found a bubble tea shop. It was afternoon tea time, and the place was quite crowded, especially with young people gathered in groups of three or five. Several of them glanced at Shen Qingwei and Yin Zheng as they entered. A bold young man even approached with his phone’s QR code, but Shen Qingwei smiled sweetly and said, “I don’t use phones.”

The boys left amidst laughter. Once they were gone, Shen Qingwei pulled Yin Zheng to a quiet corner and ordered two milk teas. On this sweltering summer day, a sip of iced milk tea was particularly refreshing. Shen Qingwei took a satisfied breath, and Yin Zheng glanced over, her eyes narrowed slightly like a lazy little fox.

Yin Zheng gazed at her for a moment longer, her expression softening.

As Shen Qingwei stirred her milk tea, she overheard a group of girls at the next table discussing the Haunted House. She leaned in to listen.

“It’s terrifying! Another person just died there! Did you see the photos? Blood was pouring from all seven orifices! Their brains were splattered everywhere!”

“Ugh, I heard some people actually want to explore that Haunted House. They must have a death wish!”

“Forget exploring the area—I even heard someone wants to rent a house near the Haunted House and livestream from it!”

“Would anyone even watch that?”

“What do you mean, ‘no one’? Go online and search for ‘Haunted House’—the click rates are insane! If they actually livestreamed it, the chatroom would explode! Right now, it’s just the height of the controversy, so no one’s buying houses near the Haunted House. But wait a while—once the hype dies down, those property values will skyrocket!”

“Yeah, you’re right. I also heard a screenwriter got permission from the victims’ families to make a movie. I’d definitely watch that.”

“I want to go too!”

“We have to see it! The plot is so thrilling! I’m dying to know how the female lead goes mad.”

Shen Qingwei paused, her straw still in her milk tea, and glanced at Yin Zheng. Their eyes met, unspoken thoughts passing between them. Yin Zheng stood up and said, “Let’s go.”

The two slender figures hailed a taxi and returned to Mr. Zhao’s rented apartment. Shen Qingwei knocked on the door and called out, “Mr. Zhao?”

There was no response. She exchanged a look with Yin Zheng and called again, “Mr. Zhao?”

He wasn’t back yet. Shen Qingwei and Yin Zheng went downstairs, and soon a familiar figure appeared at the roadside.

“Old Zhao, you’re out?” A middle-aged woman sighed. “You really should get out more. Look at you—you’ve lost all your spirit lately.”

Mr. Zhao’s pale face forced a weak smile. “It’ll pass.”

“Ai, you have to hang in there.”

Mr. Zhao nodded, his smile more painful than tears. As he started up the stairs, Shen Qingwei called out, “Mr. Zhao!”

He turned, startled to see Shen Qingwei and Yin Zheng. He hurried over, bowing respectfully. “Miss Shen, Miss Yin, do you have a new plan?”

Yin Zheng said, “We’ve made some new discoveries, but I still have a few questions for you, Mr. Zhao.”

Mr. Zhao nodded eagerly. “Please ask.”

“Do you remember your birth date and time?”

Mr. Zhao paused, then replied, “Yes, I do.” He had been asked for his birth details by various Masters in the past, so he remembered them clearly. Yin Zheng nodded and moved on to the next question: “Does your daughter have any particular dislikes—things or people she dislikes?”

Mr. Zhao thought carefully before shaking his head. “I haven’t really noticed. My daughter spends most of her time with her mother. I work late, and by the time I get home, they’re already asleep, so I haven’t paid much attention.”

Yin Zheng’s expression turned knowing as she asked her final question: “On the day the photo was taken, you said your wife wanted to go for a drive. Besides your family, was anyone else with you?”

Mr. Zhao’s pupils visibly contracted, though the reaction was fleeting. “No,” he said. “It was just me driving my wife and daughter that day.”

“Alright,” Yin Zheng said. “My junior sister and I will be returning to the Haunted House shortly.”

“Can I come with you?”

Shen Qingwei chuckled softly. “Mr. Zhao, aren’t you afraid?”

Mr. Zhao paused, then replied, “With you here, I have nothing to fear.”

“You may not be afraid, but I am,” Shen Qingwei said pointedly. When Mr. Zhao’s expression shifted slightly, she added, “I’m afraid I won’t be able to protect you properly.”

Yin Zheng chimed in, “We should wait until we’ve finished our investigation before going. It’s safer that way.”

Her calm, composed demeanor left Mr. Zhao no room for argument. “Then be careful,” he said reluctantly.

Yin Zheng nodded slightly. As she and Shen Qingwei left the residential complex, Yin Zheng immediately pulled out a talisman paper. Dipping her finger in ink provided by Shen Qingwei, she swiftly wrote a name and birthdate. After burning the paper, it transformed into a swirling cloud of ash. Miraculously, the ashes didn’t scatter in the wind but instead spiraled upward, tracing several loops before being carried by a gust into a nearby apartment building. The open window of a suite allowed the ashes to drift inside, settling on a man’s back. He felt a sudden chill and reached back to touch his back, finding nothing. Yet he couldn’t shake the lingering smell of burnt paper.

Frowning in confusion, the man grabbed his clothes and headed to the bathroom for a shower.

Standing below the building, Shen Qingwei looked up and asked Yin Zheng, “Where did he go?”

“92 Tea House,” Yin Zheng replied. “He went there.”

Shen Qingwei searched for the location on her phone. “It’s nearby,” she said. “Shall we go take a look?”

“Alright,” Yin Zheng said, packing up her things. She and Shen Qingwei walked toward the tea house, passing small groups of people all discussing the Haunted House incident with great enthusiasm. They soon arrived at 92 Tea House, a modest two-story building with elegant decor. Inside, only a few elderly men were playing chess near the entrance, while a small crowd watched. As Yin Zheng and Shen Qingwei approached, they drew attention. The owner, fanning himself, remarked, “Who are these young ladies? I haven’t seen them around before.”

“Tourists, no doubt,” one of the old men said. “Look at Qingping City. It hasn’t had a peaceful day in the past two months!”

The owner nodded, still fanning himself. “You’re right about that.”

He clearly wasn’t interested in conversation, but Shen Qingwei stepped forward to speak to him when her phone suddenly rang. Yin Zheng glanced at her as Shen Qingwei answered.

It was the Drug Identification Center calling. Shen Qingwei pulled Yin Zheng under a nearby tree. The doctor on the other end said, “This is folic acid, genuine, not counterfeit.”

Shen Qingwei nodded, still confused. “Then what condition is this medication used to treat?”

“This isn’t for treating any illness,” the doctor chuckled. “It’s a prenatal supplement.”

Shen Qingwei gripped her phone tightly. After hanging up, she turned to Yin Zheng and repeated the conversation. “So, is this prenatal supplement for the mother or the daughter?”

Yin Zheng seemed to realize something, her expression gradually turning solemn and grave.

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