Miss Truth
Chapter 203 - 129 Crime Motive_2

Chapter 203: Chapter 129 Crime Motive_2

"Jing Hui is Yang Ying!" Liu Pinrang exclaimed in shock.

Xiao Song and Ran Yan didn’t show much surprise.

The story didn’t sound particularly heart-wrenching or filled with a life-and-death struggle, but after hearing it, Ran Yan felt an overwhelming sense of suffocation.

The events of that year came to an end here. Perhaps with the death of Yang Yu, Huai Yin’s heart also died, so she became a nun and silently guarded near Yingmei Temple’s Yuncong Temple, as well as Yang Yu’s remains.

Through the past recounted by Huai Yin, everyone learned that Jing Hui was Yang Ying, who had deviously tried to ruin the relationship between Yang Yu and Huai Yin.

The bitterness of unrequited love might have driven her mad, leading her to lure her eloped lovers to Guan Gong Temple time and again, killing them by various means.

"I would like to speak to Inspector Liu in private," Huai Yin suddenly said.

Liu Pinrang nodded, and the others spontaneously left the room.

Ran Yan put on her wooden clogs in the corridor and asked Xiao Song, "Lord Xiao, do you know if anything was found on the corpse discovered last night?"

Now all the possibilities pointed to Jing Hui, who could already be arrested and detained, but to prosecute her, more evidence would be needed as the testimony of living witnesses was insufficient to convict her.

"Ten female bodies, buried over a span of at least six years, all showed varying degrees of external injuries, with the most severe wounds on their heads, especially the most recent one, whose skull was completely shattered," Xiao Song said without any concealment, propping up the umbrella and naturally walking side by side with Ran Yan.

"The last one? It seems the murderer not only took special care of the last male body but did the same for the last female body," Ran Yan thought through the case in her mind and said, "When I examined the bodies, I found the first two male corpses had multiple wounds. After the flesh was separated, one of the corpses had a broken shinbone. Such force could be exerted by most men and even some women if they used all their strength. However, based on the murderer’s treatment of the bodies, I deduced that the culprit is likely female. And all clues currently point to one person, Jing Hui. I suppose you’ve had your eye on her for quite some time, haven’t you?"

Many experienced detectives have said: find the person with the motive, and you’ve found the criminal.

Although Ran Yan wasn’t a detective, she often interacted with such people, picking up their experiential wisdom over time.

Xiao Song chuckled, "Seventeen really does understand me."

"I remember someone saying that emotion is the main driving force behind people’s actions in this world," Ran Yan paused her steps, slightly tilted her head up, and said, "Jing Hui has the strongest motive, but Huai Yin isn’t without one either. In a case, I never easily trust the words of the living."

The elusive word "emotion" dominates people’s actions, and often weaves incredibly surprising outcomes. Perhaps due to her profession, Ran Yan tended to believe more in what the dead told her.

"You are cautious, but sometimes you need boldness," Xiao Song felt for an instant as though he was about to break through her many layers of defense, touching the most real part of her. Everything returned to normal in the blink of an eye, and although not without regret, it did not hinder his joy.

Ran Yan was momentarily taken aback. Perhaps the one time she had made a mistake, which led to her own death, had cost her something—like the boldness Xiao Song spoke of?

After a moment of silent contemplation, Ran Yan looked up and gave him a slight smile, "Thank you."

Xiao Song watched as a hint of life appeared on her usually somber face, like the budding of new shoots in spring—not brilliant, but delightful.

Under Xiao Song’s gaze, Ran Yan turned her head away awkwardly.

The wind rustled through the trees, a burst of rainwater splashed onto the oil-paper umbrella, and Xiao Song stepped half a step closer to her, pulling them both beneath it.

Ran Yan’s nose nearly touched his chest, and she could clearly smell his light, fresh scent mixed with a distinctly masculine smell. Her heartbeat skipped, suddenly unsure of where to place her hands, she subconsciously gripped them tighter.

Her movement did not escape Xiao Song’s notice. He wanted to take her hand, but he knew that Ran Yan was always on guard. Being too hasty could easily rouse her aversion, so he refrained.

"Seventeen..." Xiao Song was ready to pursue a topic beyond the autopsy in the pleasant atmosphere, but Liu Qingsong’s voice came from behind, "Jiulang!"

He hurried over and then realized the atmosphere was a bit off. Xiao Song gave him a cold glare.

Liu Qingsong tensed up and quickly shifted the focus to official matters, knowing that talking about work would reduce the chances of Xiao Song settling scores with him later, "Jing Yuan had no injuries on her chest or abdomen."

"If your eyes weren’t wandering all over the place, I might consider believing that you are here purely for official reasons," Xiao Song said dryly.

Liu Qingsong immediately withdrew his gaze from Ran Yan, and seriously said, "Jiulang, we grew up together. Don’t you trust my character?"

Xiao Song snorted through his nose and told Ran Yan, "He is also a Doctor, a Forensic Doctor, to be precise. His character may be the worst, but his heart isn’t malicious."

In fact, Ran Yan felt a certain kinship with Liu Qingsong’s disposition. People in the forensic field usually developed one of two tendencies: one was to gradually form a serious ’dead man’s face’ like Ran Yan, and the other was to become good at relieving their emotions like Liu Qingsong. He liked bright colors, enjoyed joking, and tried every way possible to dispel the tragedy he saw. Back in school, Ran Yan’s teacher also liked to make jokes about forensic science while performing dissections.

"Last time, I must thank Doctor Liu for your eager assistance," Ran Yan said with a slight nod.

After exchanging pleasantries, without waiting for Liu Qingsong to continue with niceties, she turned to Xiao Song and said, "If conditions permit, we could perform a live examination on Abbess Jing Hui."

"Live examination? You mean to examine a living person?" Liu Qingsong leaned in to ask. (To be continued. If you like this work, please head to Qidian to cast your recommendation ticket, monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)