Officer Li glanced at the payment record on his phone, fell silent for a moment, then handed the phone to a colleague beside him, asking him to verify if the recipient was the restaurant owner and to give him an answer as soon as possible.
"Understood!"
After the interrogation room was left with just the two of us, Officer Li turned off the recording and filming equipment, flipped the written record face down on the table, crossed his arms, and gazed at me with deep eyes, as if trying to discern something from me.
I met his gaze steadily. If he wanted to play mind games, he had picked the wrong person.
To learn Yin Gua, one's first encounter is with Yin spirits and malevolent beings. Were any of those less terrifying than "humans"? I still remembered the first time I saw a Yin spirit with half its head missing; I was almost scared to death by it. Although I didn't faint, I was so terrified that I wet my pants.
For that, my master looked down on me for half a year and even beat me with a few bamboo strips, saying I was a failure.
Although I wasn't afraid of his direct gaze, I had a vague sense of foreboding. I had seen many Hong Kong movies on television where, once the police turned off the recording and filming equipment, they were about to lay hands on the suspect. Was he going to do the same to me?
If he really did, what should I do? Resist or take the beating?
Even though I was handcuffed, I had several ways to break free. However, if I did so, I would be resisting the law violently, and the consequences would be no less severe than those for arson. It seemed a beating was unavoidable. After considering the pros and cons, I decided to wait and see what he was going to do first.
With that in mind, I pressed my thumbs into my palms and lifted my ring fingers. If the situation turned bad, I would have to cast the Tian Qiao Seal on myself first. I couldn't let myself be at a disadvantage here, could I?
He naturally noticed my reaction. Seeing this, he smiled and said, "You don't need to be nervous. I just want to have a chat with you." As he spoke, Officer Li took out a box of cigarettes from his jacket pocket, lit one, and then tossed the cigarette box in front of me, gesturing for me to light one. I shook my head, indicating that I didn't smoke.
"Song Qingyun, eighteen years old. Ten years ago, your father fell into a coma for some reason and remains so to this day. Your mother also left home because of this. You also apprenticed under the Yin Yang master Zhang Danian to learn Yin Gua. A month ago, you completed your studies and went to Molu Village to perform a divination for the tomb robber Wang Jun..."
Listening to Officer Li recount my family matters as if he were listing household items, and even my activities over the past month, I felt as if I were standing naked before him. He even knew some of my minor secrets. I even wondered if he was still human. He was practically a mind-reader.
"Are there any errors in the information I've just stated? Do you have anything to add?"
I was very surprised by his prior statements, as his grasp of my information was astonishingly clear, which I had to admire. However, when I heard what followed, I became displeased. What was this nonsense?
I only went to perform Yin Gua and read Yin destinies. How did I get involved with tomb robbers in stealing ancient tombs? This joke was going too far. If this accusation were to stick, it would be far more serious than the arson charge.
Ancient tombs were national property. Any private theft, if caught, would result in a minimum sentence of life imprisonment, and in severe cases, even the death penalty.
"Did I say something wrong?" Seeing my silence, he looked at me with a playful expression and asked.
"You're not just wrong, you're completely mistaken. When did I ever participate in stealing ancient tombs? Your slander is too outrageous. Do all you police officers now arbitrarily label people?" I directly pointed out his error and vehemently denied any involvement in tomb raiding, as this was no laughing matter. Who knew if there were other recording or filming devices in the interrogation room? If my admission were recorded, my life would be completely ruined.
Facing my accusation, Officer Li merely smiled and said, "Do you know how to write the character 'guan' (official)?"
"Nonsense, how could I..." I was stunned by his question.
Because the character "guan" has two "mouths" (口), it means whatever you say goes. If you want to call something black, it's black; if you want to call it white, it's white. You can say whatever you want. No matter how capable you are, you can't fight against the authorities.
It seemed I had been targeted by the authorities this time. Whether or not the arson incident occurred was now irrelevant. Even if the arson hadn't happened, something else would have, and it had to be related to me.
Understanding the implications, I furrowed my brow and looked at him with confusion, asking, "What exactly do you want? Just say it directly. I'm a simple-minded person with no education, and I don't understand your convoluted explanations."
"Mr. Song, you are indeed a smart person. You understand what's important and what's not with just a hint." Officer Li first paid me a compliment, then looked at me seriously and said, "Someone wants the item you possess. I advise you to hand it over honestly. It will be beneficial for you, for me, and for everyone. Otherwise, this is just a small warning. Next time, it might not be so simple."
I listened to him with a cold expression, unsure how to retort for a moment.
As expected, trouble had found me. It was clear that this Officer Li was commissioned by a high-ranking official in the capital to demand the Hu Kui Seal from me. Only by possessing it could he control the semi-yin realm and achieve immortality.
"Officer Li, since you know the details of what has happened to me so thoroughly, you should also understand that I am merely a Yin Gua master. I perform Yin divinations and help people find remains. As for your talk of the semi-yin realm and the Hu Kui Seal, I have no idea what you are referring to. If I possessed such items, I would certainly turn them over to the state. After all, I understand the saying 'possessing a treasure brings calamity,' don't you agree?"
I directly denied possessing the Hu Kui Seal. My father had fallen into a coma because of this item, and my master had likely taken my father somewhere to hide due to this item. If I handed over the Hu Kui Seal directly, it would be like throwing away my last trump card.
Although he stated with certainty that the Hu Kui Seal was on me, he had not found any evidence. If he had concrete proof that the Hu Kui Seal was on me, he wouldn't be using such petty tactics to apprehend me; he would have dispatched troops to my home directly. Sudan Novel Network.
Just then, the police officer who had taken my phone outside pushed the door open and walked in. He then said to Officer Li, "He does have an alibi. And we've verified that the owner lied under duress. Also..."
"Also what?"
"The arsonist has turned himself in."