Otherworldly Merchant

Now, all the people involved in this case were either dead or running away. Even the only clue, the ancient painting, was missing. It was the toughest and the most clueless case I’d ever encountered! 

At this moment, I felt overwhelmed and unmindful since the situation had gone beyond my imagination. 

If I didn’t solve the situation surrounding the immortal in the painting soon, more people would be harmed. Also, it was likely that the people on my side could get hurt, too. 

The only clue we had now was to track down Wang Leng. But, Wang Leng had disappeared right at the critical moment. I had to ask Li Yuntian to mobilize his policemen to thoroughly search for his whereabouts. At the same time, we must wait for him at his apartment. 

However, Li Yuntian told me that he couldn’t wait with me because he needed to work. It was impossible for him to run around with us the whole day. 

Besides, other than boosting my courage, his company wasn’t that useful anyway. That was why I let him go to work. I would handle Wang Leng’s place myself. 

Before parting, Li Yuntian handed me a police stick, telling me that I might need to use it. The people working underground always had violent tendencies. If that man resisted, the one-million-volt discharge from the police stick was enough to subdue him. 

I nodded and smiled. However, I felt that I wouldn’t have a chance to use this tool. I ended up giving it to Yin Xinyue so she could defend herself.

Afterward, we returned to Wang Leng’s apartment. 

Actually, on the way there, I asked Yin Xinyue several times to go home. No matter what, she was a girl. It wouldn’t be nice for her to follow me and take risks days and nights. 

However, Yin Xinyue wanted to stick with me because she was worried about me. In case we needed help, two people could take care of each other better. 

I knew how stubborn she was. If I shooed her away, she would likely cry and scream. Thus, I could only let her do what she wanted. 

We’d been waiting at Wang Leng’s until it was night without going out. 

It was good that there was wifi here. Yin Xinyue could search the web to read something. It saved her from being anxious, which would trouble her from taking action in case of danger later. 

Just like yesterday, around 9 p.m, everything went quiet. It seemed that everybody was now sleeping. There were no streetlights, and the only source of light was from Yin Xinyue’s mobile phone. It shone on her calm face, which also soothed my heart a little bit. 

All of a sudden, the mournful crying from a stray cat arose outside, making me irritated. I thought about going out and shooing it away. However, considering the situation, I decided to stay inside.

What if it was Wang Leng, trying to trick us? 

Thinking about this possibility, I asked Yin Xinyue to turn off her phone and listened attentively to the commotion outside. 

The stray cat screamed unceasingly with long and high-pitched cries. Around half an hour later, the crying suddenly ceased. 

One second later, the door burst open. A black shadow jumped into the room from outside, bouncing around and knocking over many items. 

I was so scared that sweat was streaming down my face. What happened to that stray cat? How could it break the door? Its crying was actually like a child’s. 

Yin Xinyue was terrified, her face pale. She took out the police stick. 

The stray cat jumped around the room as if it were fighting against an invisible person. However, there was no other person present. 

My nerves were tense. People said that cats were sensitive animals as they could see things that human eyes couldn’t. What did this cat see? 

As I was hesitating over whether or not I should shoo the stray cat away, it suddenly quieted down. The cat’s blue eyes gazed in our direction. 

My anxious heart jumped. I could confirm that this look wasn’t from an animal since it was filled with so many emotions. They were full of fear and even anger as if the cat was looking at its enemy! 

In this moment, I recognized the danger. Immediately, I pulled Yin Xinyue behind me. At the same time, I picked up a china vase, lifting it like I would throw it to threaten the cat. 

However, the cat didn’t run. It stood still, baring its teeth while gazing at me. The cat’s eyes sparkled with disdain. 

I was now more certain than ever that it wasn’t the look of an animal… It was a human look… 

At the moment my heart was flooded with fear, the stray cat shot up as if it was about to attack me. I took a deep breath. With no hesitation, I hurled the china vase. 

The vase accurately hit the spot where the cat had just been sitting. However, the cat was faster and more agile. It bolted up from the ground before falling into the burning brazier. 

Shortly after, a burning smell filled the air. The brazier fumed with big clusters of fire, as if it had just been doused with gasoline. 

The stray cat screamed painfully. Its voice was hoarse as it struggled inside the flames. However, the vehement flames were consuming it, and shortly after, it stopped crying or moving. 

It was burned to death. 

I gawked, my jaw dropping in shock. I was confused. I didn’t know why the cat wanted to kill itself by jumping into the burning brazier. 

While I was staring blankly at the brazier, someone pulled on my shirt. I turned out immediately to see that it was Yin Xinyue. 

Shivering, Yin Xinyue pointed at the door, and I instantly glanced over. I was so scared out of my wits that I had to take a deep breath. 

A person was lying flat at the entrance, lifting their head to look at us. Seeing the white eyes reflecting the flames, I felt fearful. 

I took a deep breath, trying to sound calm as I asked, “Who are you?”

I could confirm that this person wasn’t Wang Leng because she looked thin with disheveled hair. Moreover, she looked like a teenager girl. 

She sighed, her eyes wandering around the room. Then, slowly, she crawled back outside. 

I was bewildered. But, since I knew that she must know something, I didn’t hesitate to follow her with the police stick in my hand. “Freeze, we’re with the police! Stop moving, or else, don’t blame us for being rude!” 

The teenage girl then stopped, struggling to grab a nearby chair to sit up. “Who are you? Why are you staying in Uncle Wang’s house?” 

I repeated, “Who are you? It’s late at night. Why are you intruding into someone’s house?”

The teenager sighed, “I’m here to find my children. All of my children were burned to death by that brazier…”

“What?” Yin Xinyue shrieked. Her body suddenly went soft and she almost collapsed, crouching on the ground. 

I hurried to support Yin Xinyue, asking the teenager, “You said children. You mean those stray cats?” 

“No!” the girl answered angrily. “They weren’t stray cats. They were living beings with complicated thoughts, and with more intelligence than a human!”

Yin Xinyue exhaled in relief. She’d thought that the teenager meant real babies. 

“So, the black residue in the brazier are the remains of the cats?” I asked. 

The teenager nodded. “Right.” 

“Why did your children jump into the brazier?” I asked. “You have problems walking? You can’t walk?”

The teenager stooped her head, her face gloomy. “I can’t walk. And, why did my children all jump into the brazier? They were possessed by foul things. This apartment is full of foul things.”

I was frightened as I stared at the teenager. Her revelation shocked me. 

She was just a teenager, so how could she be bold enough to visit a ‘haunted house’ at midnight alone like this? 

I carefully walked toward her, squatting down to talk to her. “Why do you say there’s something foul in this apartment?”

"Because, someone died here,” said the girl. 

“Someone died? How do you know that?”

“I saw it,” the girl answered. “A man holding a machete beheaded Uncle Wang, then threw it into the brazier.”

“Oh?” Listening to the girl, my heart flickered. “Did you witness it? Do you know what the man holding the machete looks like?”

“I know,” the girl said contentedly. “But, I’m not going to tell you.”

"Why?"

“Because, that uncle is a policeman.” The girl smiled. “He said that he just punished a bad guy, so I shouldn’t tell anybody.”

“A policeman!” I was so scared. “Did you see him?” 

“Yes!” The teenage girl nodded. “That uncle said that Uncle Wang stole people’s things, so he had to kill Uncle Wang. The body was buried in the woods near the apartment.” 

"You also saw that?”

“No, my children told me,” the girl said proudly. “My children can see many things. They told me that Uncle Wang hadn’t left yet. He’s still in this apartment.” 

The moment I wanted to ask more, loud footsteps arose from underneath the floor. A middle-aged woman rushed over. Seeing the girl, she slapped her twice. “You bold kid, you don’t sleep and wander around at midnight!” 

Then, she looked at us with embarrassment. “My apologies, my kid can’t walk and her head isn’t good. She just babbles all day. Please forgive her…”

Then, the middle-aged woman didn’t give us a chance to talk. She hurriedly scooped the girl up and descended the stairs. 

The girl smiled at us over the middle-aged woman’s shoulder. Her smile was extremely bizarre, making my scalp numb and sending shivers down my spine. 

She opened her mouth as if she was talking to us. However, she didn’t make a sound. 

I turned to check on Yin Xinyue. She was so scared that all color had left her face. She clutched my shirt, shakily asking, “Brother Zhang, do you also feel that the little girl is strange?” 

I took a deep breath. “Did you recognize what she mouthed as she left?”

Yin Xinyue shook her head. “It seemed like she mouthed something, but I don’t know what it was.”