I watched Liu Dazhuang hurry out of the room, shaking my head with a smile.

　　“Don’t mind him, Xiaofeng,” Mengyun said, “He’s just like that—being a cop makes him constantly on edge, always in a rush.”

　　“No worries, Sis Mengyun,” I replied.

　　She chuckled softly. “Xiaofeng, where are you from? Have we met before?”

　　“I’m from the northeast. When I was a kid, I followed my master to Qiyun Mountain for training. Spent a few years up there and only came down recently.”

　　“Qiyun Mountain?” She laughed. “No wonder. It’s not too far from here. Maybe we actually did cross paths before!”

　　“Could be!” I agreed.

　　We exchanged some small talk, easing into the conversation before I finally brought up the malevolent energy.

　　By now, I was convinced that its source had to be somewhere in their home. Otherwise, it didn’t add up that I sensed the bad energy on Liu Dazhuang, yet it was his wife, Wang Mengyun, who ended up in the accident.

　　The most concerning thing was that now there seemed to be a faint trace of malevolent energy surrounding Wang Mengyun, too. As for why Liu Dazhuang hadn’t been affected, it was probably because he’s a cop—people in law enforcement tend to be straightforward and just, and that kind of righteous energy can naturally fend off some of the negativity.

　　“Sis Mengyun, what do you make of all this?” I asked.

　　She sighed. “Honestly, I’ve been telling Dazhuang for a while that we should get someone to take a look at the house, but he just doesn’t believe in that sort of thing.”

　　I paused, considering my next question. “Do you have any suspicions? Like, could there be something specific at home that might be causing it?”

　　She hesitated, thinking for a moment before saying, “Actually, there is something that comes to mind…”

　　“What is it?”

　　She looked directly at me and said, “The fish tank.”

　　“The fish tank?” I echoed.

　　“Yeah. Now that I think about it, ever since we got that fish tank, things have been going downhill. First, our child fell ill. Then Dazhuang messed up a case and got a reprimand. After that, I misplaced a sum of money. And now this…”

　　I thought about it. If it was the fish tank, it was probably placed in a “wealth corner” to attract good fortune. The number of fish people keep varies, but typically six, seven, eight, or nine is considered auspicious, with nine being the best. Anything over ten should stick to odd numbers.

　　But even if the number of fish was wrong, it shouldn’t be enough to bring disaster—certainly not to the extent of putting Mengyun in danger.

　　“You and Dazhuang should go back and take a look. It’s just a feeling I have,” Mengyun said, noticing my silence.

　　“Alright,” I nodded.

　　“I’m back, Mengyun!” Liu Dazhuang’s voice called out as he walked in, carrying two bags full of fruit—bananas, apples, and oranges. He glanced at me, and we exchanged a brief nod. It was just a quick moment, something Mengyun didn’t catch.“Then you should rest, Sis Mengyun. I’ll come by to see you another day!” I said, rising from my seat.

　　“Just stay a little longer, Xiaofeng. It’s still early!” She glanced outside, realizing too late that it was actually getting dark.

　　“It’s alright, Mengyun. I really need to head home, but I’ll see you soon.”

　　As soon as I said that, Wang Mengyun exchanged a look with Liu Dazhuang and then turned back to me. “Xiaofeng, are you saying I don’t need to be in the hospital?”

　　“Exactly! You’ll be going home soon!” I replied with a smile. Just as I was about to leave, a doctor walked in with some X-rays. “Officer Liu, Mengyun’s leg is fine. She just needs to rest for a few days, but she should avoid bumping it.”

　　Liu Dazhuang looked at Wang Mengyun in disbelief. “That’s incredible!”

　　“What are you waiting for? Go see Xiaofeng off!” Mengyun playfully urged.

　　“Alright…”

　　Liu Dazhuang walked me out of the hospital and said, “Xiaofeng, you really need to check on things at home. I don’t want anything else to go wrong!”

　　“Don’t worry, Brother Dazhuang. I’ll come by in the next couple of days.” I pulled out a talisman from my pocket and handed it to him. “Make sure to hang this up by your front door.”

　　“Got it. I’ll put it up as soon as I get home!”

　　I nodded. “Okay, I’ll see you later!”

　　After a leisurely walk back to the guesthouse, it was already seven in the evening. I settled onto my bed to meditate, focusing on balancing my energy, but it wasn’t long before someone knocked on my door.“Xiaofeng?”

　　I opened the door to find Zhou Sheng and Zhou Quan standing there.

　　Once they came in, the three of us started chatting.

　　“Did you find anything, Xiaofeng? I noticed you didn’t come back last night.”

　　“I went to He Village to check on Xu Xiaoli.”

　　Zhou Sheng and Zhou Quan exchanged a glance. “How is she doing? Is her mental state any better?”

　　“Much better. From what I can see, Xu Xiaoli seems to have been set up.”

　　“Set up?” Zhou Quan asked, intrigued.

　　“Yeah, the bracelet she’s wearing is a malevolent object, and someone has also cast a spell on her.”

　　“No way!” Zhou Sheng and Zhou Quan shared another look, a mix of disbelief and concern on their faces.

　　“Xiaofeng, are you talking about that jade bracelet she wears on her left wrist?” Zhou Quan suddenly asked.

　　“Exactly!” I turned to Zhou Quan, my curiosity piqued. “Do you know anything about that bracelet?”

　　“She was wearing it when she met my brother. I remember her saying it was a birthday gift from a woman.”

　　“A woman?” I echoed, feeling puzzled. It struck me as odd because Xu Xiaoli had clearly said Zhang Ming gave it to her. Why would Zhou Quan mention a woman?

　　“Yeah, my brother was there, so I remember it clearly!”

　　I sighed deeply and walked over to the window, staring out into the fading light.

　　Honestly, I felt a bit lost. The investigation into Zhou Yong's death had brought me to this point, with various leads emerging, but they all seemed completely disconnected, making it hard to piece anything together.

　　Zhou Quan wouldn’t lie—after all, the deceased was his brother. But what if Xu Xiaoli was the one lying?

　　I shook my head; that didn’t seem possible. She knew I was trying to help her. Why would she lie?

　　“What’s wrong, Xiaofeng? Is something bothering you?” Zhou Sheng asked, sensing my distraction.

　　“Xu Xiaoli’s former boss is named Zhang Ming. Do you know anything about him?”

　　Zhou Sheng shook his head. “Never heard of him.”

　　I turned to Zhou Quan, hoping he might have some insight, but he shook his head too.

　　I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and said, “If you think of anything, just let me know.”

　　They both nodded and left. Once they were gone, I sat down at the table, poured myself a cup of tea, and began to sift through the clues in my mind, hoping to make sense of it all.First, Zhou Quan was murdered in the Huayuan Community, and Xu Xiaoli, who had been with him for some time, was found wearing a malevolent object. At the same time, she had also been subjected to a restraining talisman.

　　As for Xu Xiaoli, one thing is becoming clear: she was definitely being used by someone. But whether that bracelet was really a gift from Zhang Ming remains uncertain. Also, the identity of the woman who visited her at that time is still a mystery.

　　With that thought, I suddenly sensed that there was a crucial figure behind all of this; I just didn’t know who it was yet.

　　On the police side, there hasn’t been any significant discovery. The only thing I can do now is wait until I get to Liu Dazhuang’s place to see if I can learn something from him.