CH 57

The witch was the first to die, and she died at Lin’s house. Prior to her death, she used Lin Xiaotang’s birth date to match her son with a ghost marriage.

The second victim was the He family’s young master, who had been friends with Xiao Chen and had a long-standing feud with Lin Xiaotang. He was speaking ill of Lin Xiaotang before his death.

The third victim was a female college student called Wang, who had isolated Lin Xiaotang with other students in their second year of junior high school…

At first appearance, there was no relationship between the deceased data, which ranged from the elderly to the young.

However, after a thorough investigation, the authorities were startled to discover that these people had offended Lin Xiaotang more or less.

After discovering this, the expressions of everyone in the task force changed.

“How could it possibly be her?” Looking over these papers, Liu Yi exclaimed, “Is it a mistake, she is not someone who can do this…”

Given the metaphysical aspect of this case, the special department dispatched Liu Yi and asked him to join the task team.

He has worked with Lin Xiaotang and is well acquainted with her personality.

She may not have paid any attention to these people, let alone held grudges, in his perspective.

Besides, why would she hand over the APP to the authorities if she intended to hurt others?

Isn’t it better to keep the app hidden and generate your profits in private? No evidence will be found by the police.

“I, too, hope we’re wrong,” said another, “but this is the only common ground we can find in these victims.”

Typically, the murderer must have a reason for killing.

Either they have a conflict of interest or they hate each other.

Even serial killers who have lost their humanity and solely kill for the pleasure of murdering would select their victims carefully.

As a result, in order to discover the murderer, the first thing they contemplate is to start with these people’s common ground.

“I can’t rule out the possibility that someone framed her.”

After much thought, the team commander issued the following order: “Go investigate the recent trips of several victims, and then investigate Lin Xiaotang’s interpersonal relationship. First and foremost, gather evidence as soon as feasible.”

“Yes!”

“Received!”

Everyone on the police force was still waiting for the evidence to be released before analysing it.

However, some negative comments had already surfaced in the metaphysics circle.

I’m not sure what happened, but the message “Lin Xiaotang is the producer of the APP” went quickly throughout the metaphysical circle.

The victims of the current serial murders had a negative relationship with Lin Xiaotang, it was later established.

Some members of the circle were vehemently opposed to the rumours. Lin Xiaotang’s use of metaphysical tools to harm others struck them as sinister and vicious.

Others prefer to wait and see.

But, regardless of their attitudes, the victims were still ordinary individuals at the time, and what was going on in the specific situation had nothing to do with them.

However, Priest He was also attacked three days ago.

When he was attacked, he was discussing Lin Xiaotang with his friend Shen Shu.

He was still berating Lin Xiaotang’s behaviour one second, and the next, his throat tightened, as if a pair of unseen hands had seized his neck, almost choking him.

Priest He was saved in time thanks to Shen Shu, and his life was not in danger.

Even so, even feng shui masters who were aware of the story were unable to remain silent.

If you don’t stop it, the next victim might be them!

Every now and then, a small gathering was conducted in the metaphysical circle.

They had their normal gatherings a month after the murders.

Only this time, their goal wasn’t just to connect or purchase and trade magical instruments.

“Priest He, I heard you had an incident a few days ago?”

“Priest He how are you feeling now? “Can you figure out what method the other party is employing?”

“Then Lin Xiaotang is too vicious; will she kill just because she doesn’t like them?”

Priest He was understandably invited as the most recent “man of the year.”

Everyone’s attention was drawn to him as soon as he appeared.

Priest He nodded solemnly as he faced the pleasantries of others.

He looked pale and concerned.

When others noticed Priest, Because he was so dishevelled, their disdain for Lin Xiaotang grew a little more.

Their focus returned to Shen Shu after she appeared.

Shen Shu was the only party involved in the occurrence of Priest He’s attack, aside from the victim Priest He.

At the moment, Priest He was in a horrible mood and didn’t say much, so she was the only one who could explain what had happened.

“Shen Xiaoyou, could you please explain the situation at the time?” Someone inquired.

“When the accident happened, Priest He and I stayed in the Taoist temple, just talking about the recent serial murder case…” remarked Shen Shu.

Shen Shu’s tone was calm, her words were impartial, and she did not state the three words “Lin Xiaotang” directly.

However, after hearing her statements, everyone instinctively assumed that Priest He would have an accident because he spoke negatively of Lin Xiaotang.

Priest He also angered the Lin family by failing to assist Lin Xiaotang in exorcising bad spirits. Many people in the circle were aware of this.

While everyone was horrified, it was unavoidable that they felt a sense of “as expected” now that he had been attacked.

Even if there was no convincing evidence, they knew in their hearts that Lin Xiaotang was the murderer.

Otherwise, who would intentionally harm these people?

“Then, Junior Shen, what method do you think that person used to hurt Priest He?” Someone inquired.

“I don’t know either,” Shen Shu remarked softly, shaking her head, “it could be some new type of science and technology.” After all, even Fulu can now be accessed via the APP.”

Her allegation was without flaws, and it was soon accepted by others.

“I see……”

“It’s no surprise that she, as an ordinary person, can effortlessly kill so many people.”

Hearing what he said, everyone else agreed.”Such a talent, which should have been used to benefit the country and the people, was used by her to harm others,” a respected Feng Shui master sighed, “going astray.”

It’s a shame that Lin Xiaotang, no matter how skilled he was, couldn’t assist.

What’s the distinction between what she’s doing now and what the wicked do?

“We have to stop her,” a feng shui family elder remarked. “If this continues, it will cause even more harm.”

This aristocratic elder was also one of the banquet’s organisers.

Everyone else agreed after hearing what he stated.

In the circle of metaphysics, there have been those who, by virtue of their special abilities, deceive their teachers and destroy their ancestors, who took lives for wealth ever since ancient times.

They were like plants, impossible to eliminate, hiding in dark places and committing atrocities.

They are seen as wicked by these ethical feng shui masters, and as long as they encounter them, they will find a means to deal with them.

Now that the Lin Xiaotang incident had occurred, it was time for them to attack her.

The rest of the time, everyone was debating how to apprehend Lin Xiaotang.

While these folks were talking, Shen Shu approached Priest He and inquired about his health.

Priest He shook his head and smiled bitterly: “I’m fine.”

He looked at Shen Shu again when he finished speaking and asked, “Where’s Junior Xu, didn’t he come with you this time?”

Xu Junran?

Shen Shu pursed her lower lip and said, “He has something on this time.”

In fact, since the launch of Lin Xiaotang’s APP, Xu Junran has obviously ignored her.

After the recent murder, Xu Junran and her relationship became more and more estranged.

In this regard, Shen Shu was not without resentment in her heart.

When she was with Xu Junran, she could actually feel that he treated her a little differently from others.

Furthermore, Xu Junran was well-versed in metaphysics and Taoism and had advised Shen Shu on numerous occasions.

Her partner Xiao Chen and her friend Xu Junran, on the other hand, had gradually distanced themselves from her.

Shen Shu had no idea why they had changed. She also suspected that Xu Junran’s sudden indifference was because he had guessed something.

But she wouldn’t go to him because she couldn’t take the consequences of the truth being revealed.

When she tried to contact those evil people, she had no idea they would be so careless.

She had intended for them to torment people who had a grudge against Lin Xiaotang and blame it on Lin Xiaotang, but they really killed them.

Perhaps her plotting with the tigers resulted in this scenario. (The tigers refer to the bad people Shen Shu attempted to use.)

Shen Shu expected to feel guilty and suffer after taking so many lives at once.

But, aside from being a little flustered at first, her mood was surprisingly calm.

After all, these people died as a result of Lin Xiaotang’s actions.

And all she wanted was for Lin Xiaotang to pay the price. (This girl’s audacity )

“Priest, if you’re not feeling well, go to the side to rest first,” Shen Shu advised, adding, “I’ll go and hear what they plan to do.”

“Okay, let’s go.” Priest He said.

Shen Shu nodded and left here.

However, when she turned around, the smile on Priest He’s face disappeared immediately.

Contrary to the majority view, Priest He did not believe Lin Xiaotang was responsible for the series of murders.

Prior to the incident, he was convinced that Lin Xiaotang was the murderer, but after the attack, his perception altered.

The reason was simple: he had been saved by Shen Shu.

Shen Shu was calm and unhurried after that, despite her initial panic.

To say the least, she seemed to have predicted that something would happen to him…

He Priest had been in the world for decades, and he regularly crossed paths with affluent merchants and important authorities. His insight was far superior to that of Shen Shu, a young woman who usually stayed on the mountain and rarely talked with outsiders.

The guilty conscience in Shen Shu’s eyes, as well as her rapid and adept rescue manoeuvres, made it impossible for Priest He to let go.

Priest He was watching Shen Shu’s every move at the celebration.

He looked intently at Shen Shu, and he could see that this chilly woman’s eyes were filled with enthusiasm for the war against Lin Xiaotang.

Priest He had an unexpected thought. If Lin Xiaotang was the murderer, the persons she wished to hurt had to be those who had seriously offended her.

Why didn’t they begin with Shen Shu?

Whatever happened, the harm he did to Lin Xiaotang should not be compared to Shen Shu, right?

Lin Xiaotang, was she the true murderer in these cases…

Priest He’s mind was in turmoil, but on the outside, he didn’t say anything.

This kind of speculative thinking wouldn’t help, especially while Shen Shu was still his nominal saviour.

This, however, did not stop Priest He’s heart from falling.

Although he did not have a heart-to-heart connection with Shen Shu, their relationship was nonetheless significant.

He had already risked insulting the Lin family by refusing to exorcise Lin Xiaotang in order to vent out anger for Shen Shu.

Later, when the Lin family’s status rose, other wealthy merchants and officials in Huaihai City limited their relations with Priest He, though they did not do so on purpose.

These things didn’t bother him. Fighting for his friends was more important to him than anything else.

But now, when he looked back on his various efforts, in exchange for such a reward, he felt a little uncomfortable.

Although Shen Shu didn’t really let him die, such behaviour really hurt Priest He.

He couldn’t let things go like this.

Lin Xiaotang didn’t know the various situations in the metaphysics circle.

She stayed at home after hearing about the murder outside in order to clarify her suspicions.

She wasn’t foolish; she quickly realised that someone was attempting to frame her.

But who did she annoy?

Lin Xiaotang considered it for a long time but couldn’t think of a rationale.

She, on the other hand, was not terrified of these folks.

Her skills would not be hindered by world consciousness in this world of spirits.

And after she created an APP and promoted it, folks who saw ghosts through her APP transformed their worries into a steady supply of energy, which she replenished to herself.

Any conspiracy would be a paper tiger in the face of ultimate strength.

She was not scared of their tricks, and she hoped that they would take action against her as soon as possible so that no more innocent people were harmed.

Lin Xiaotang was having these thoughts this afternoon when she received a text message from an unknown number—

[Your parents are in my hands, and if you want them to live, just show up before 6 p.m. today at the office building on XX street alone.]

Father and Mother Lin were kidnapped, which was obviously a ruse devised by everyone in the metaphysical circle to lure the enemy.

Given that this was an internal affair of the circle, they chose an extremely distant and abandoned location to avoid affecting the outside world and decided to lead Lin Xiaotang here.

Lin Xiaotang would fall into the heavenly net arrangement they had set and be completely trapped the instant she entered this building.

Lin Xiaotang had no idea what their strategy was, but when she saw that this person kidnapped her parents, she realised that they didn’t want to make money, but when they wanted to come there by themselves, she knew that the genius behind the murders couldn’t sit quietly.

Lin Xiaotang did not hesitate to leave after calling Father and Mother Lin’s secretaries and verifying that they were indeed missing.

And when she came out of the office building and noticed the building had an off-putting atmosphere, she surmised what the folks behind it were up to.

Formation? . . .

Lin Xiaotang didn’t know much about it because it was too obscure and difficult to understand, and there weren’t many books about formations, most of which were jewels of those feng shui families.

This person seems to have put forth a lot of effort to catch her.

A fresh message appeared on her phone at this time.

[Come in.]

Lin Xiaotang followed the order and proceeded to the office building.

As she entered the premises, the open door abruptly closed on its own.

A veil of unseen feng shui aura encircled her, preventing all possible exit routes.

“Lin Xiaotang, your heinous acts and the murder of five people for your own selfish gain will not go unpunished. Today, you will face the consequences!”

As she entered the battle, a group of individuals dressed in simple robes emerged from the corner, shouting at her to stop struggling and surrender.

“Who are you? Where are my parents?” Lin Xiaotang examined the more than ten people present in the building, which included Taoist priests, monks, and the heroine Shen Shu, but saw no sign of her parents.

“Your parents are not here,” one of the masters said proudly. “Although they aided a murderer, we will not harm innocent people.”

The arrogant feng shui masters were not entirely evil; they had kidnapped Lin Xiaotang’s parents to lure her, but they had moved them to a different location to ensure their safety.

Upon hearing that her parents were not in the building, Lin Xiaotang felt some relief. She furrowed her brow and asked in confusion, “So you want to arrest me because you believe I am responsible for those murders?”

“Of course,” someone replied. “Who else would have harmed them but you, and who would stand to benefit from it?”

“Don’t waste time talking to her,” Shen Shu interjected anxiously. “Just arrest her and don’t let her stall for time!”

The others immediately fell silent upon Shen Shu’s words. Several individuals started approaching Lin Xiaotang, clearly determined to take action against her.

Coincidentally, Lin Xiaotang was also eager to resolve the situation swiftly, as she had come with the intention of putting an end to these matters quickly.

Originally, she was going to use her powers to create an escape game space.

However, Lin Xiaotang quickly realised that there were too many people present, and each of them held significant influence in the outside world. Simply intimidating them would not be enough to clear up the misunderstanding about her.

Moreover, she could tell that these people were not inherently evil. Many of them had simply believed the rumours and mistaken her for the murderer. If she frightened them too much, they might spread stories about her special abilities, causing the entire country to become wary of her.

She needed to try a different approach.

“I am not the murderer,” Lin Xiaotang said calmly, looking at the group of people in front of her. “The reason is simple: because if I wanted them dead, they would not be alive right now.”

At first, everyone thought her words were nonsensical. Could she really control life and death with her thoughts?

But in the next moment, they were all stunned.

A strange wind suddenly picked up, and the sky outside darkened instantly. Layers of dark clouds covered the sky, and lightning flashed intermittently.

Lin Xiaotang stood amidst the unpredictable electric light, gazing up at the faint thunder and lightning in the sky with quiet composure.

She seemed to exude a potent energy that could turn the world upside down, radiating from her and overwhelming everyone present.

As Lin Xiaotang’s aura of coercion intensified, the thunder outside grew louder and more intense.

There was a thunderbolt crackling towards her, and when the electric light collided, it emitted an extremely splendid light, bringing a thrilling and terrifying feeling.

But when the electric light dissipated, the girl who was hit by the lightning was still standing there, her expression was calm, and there was no damage to her body.

“This, this is a trial…”

Seeing this, an older old Priest couldn’t help but exclaim.

Heavenly trial, this was something that only those who are so powerful that they were about to ascend to immortality can encounter!

Seeing this scene, their expressions were all in a trance.

An unprecedented terrifying thought rose from the bottom of everyone’s heart.

They thought Lin Xiaotang was an ordinary person. Only after she has thoroughly studied the metaphysics and made an app, would she have the same power as these people and be able to harm others.

But what if Lin Xiaotang already possessed an insurmountable power long ago?

But what if she could make such a shocking app, not because of luck, but because she had such strength?

For a while, the whole building fell into silence.

A bolt of lightning crackled towards Lin Xiaotang, colliding with her in a dazzling display of light that was both thrilling and terrifying.

But when the electric light dissipated, Lin Xiaotang remained standing there, her expression calm and her body unharmed.

“This… this is a trial…” exclaimed an elderly priest, unable to contain his surprise.

A heavenly trial, something that only those on the verge of ascending to immortality could experience!

As they witnessed this scene, everyone present was in a state of disbelief.

An unprecedentedly terrifying thought arose in their minds. They had assumed that Lin Xiaotang was just an ordinary person who had gained power through studying metaphysics and creating an app. But what if she had possessed unimaginable power all along? What if her ability to create such a groundbreaking app was not just a stroke of luck, but a result of her inherent strength?

For a while, the entire building fell into silence, as the realisation of Lin Xiaotang’s true capabilities sank in.