Chapter 51 Gathering malevolent energy Talisman

　　“No way this is just a coincidence,” I said.

　　Liu Dazhuang hesitated for a moment, then was about to take another bite but suddenly set his chopsticks down. “Forget it, Xiaofeng. Let’s go check it out!”

　　“Where are you guys going? You haven’t even finished your meal!” Wang Mengyun called out.

　　“It’s urgent, Mengyun. Don’t worry about the dishes, I’ll clean up when we’re back!” Liu Dazhuang grabbed a jacket, and the two of us dashed out the door.

　　“I’m telling you, it’s gotta be the same person!” I said as we hurried down the steps.

　　“I think so too. Mountain City isn’t that big, and the timing—come on, there’s no way it’s just a coincidence,” he said, steering the Beijing Jeep onto the road. “Tongda Community is just like Huayuan Community; they’re both upscale neighborhoods around here.”I shot him a glance. I didn’t need to say anything; I understood exactly what he was thinking. Nobody wanted to see another tragedy like the one at Huayuan Community, but here we were, facing the same kind of mess all over again.

　　Half an hour later, Liu Dazhuang and I pulled up at Tongda Community. It had already been three hours since Zhang Guofa’s fall, but the crowd was still there, murmuring and unwilling to leave.

　　“Old Zhang’s family isn’t exactly strapped for cash, and his grandson’s about to head off to college. What could’ve made him do something like that?”

　　“Who knows? Every family’s got its own problems. We just don’t always hear about them.”

　　“Man, it’s such a loss. Old Zhang was a good guy. Now who am I supposed to play chess with?”

　　As we listened in on the conversations, nothing useful seemed to pop up, so we decided to head straight to where it happened.

　　When we got to the scene, I glanced at the bloodstain on the pavement. “They must’ve taken the body to the coroner by now, right?” I said to Liu Dazhuang.

　　He gave a quick look at the police tape before nodding.

　　Without a second thought, I took off toward Zhang Guofa’s apartment. It was on the fifth floor, but I flew up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. By the time I reached the top, I wasn’t even winded.

　　The door was open, and there were quite a few people inside. I stepped in slowly, making my way down a short hallway until I reached the living room. But there wasn’t a fish tank in sight.

　　“That’s strange. Where else would you put such a big fish tank if not in the living room?” I wondered.

　　Just then, Liu Dazhuang caught up, breathing hard. “Damn, Xiaofeng, you’re in pretty good shape!”

　　I didn’t bother responding. Instead, I checked the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom—but still, no sign of the fish tank anywhere.

　　“Could it have been someone else?” I muttered under my breath.

　　“Who are you?” a voice called out from the bedroom. It was an elderly woman, her hair completely white.

　　“I…” I hesitated, still trying to decide how to introduce ourselves when Liu Dazhuang jumped in from behind me, “We’re the police!”

　　This time, he was smart enough to flash his badge.

　　“You were just here earlier. Why’d you come back?” a middle-aged woman asked, looking a little confused.

　　“We still have some questions. Did Zhang Guofa buy a fish tank before he died?”

　　“A fish tank?” The woman’s eyebrows shot up. “Why are you asking about that? Does it have something to do with my brother’s death?”

　　“Just answer the question—did he buy one or not?” Liu Dazhuang cut in, all business.

　　“Yes, he did,” she replied.

　　“Where is it?” Liu Dazhuang pressed.

　　“It’s on the balcony,” she said, pointing in that direction.

　　Without wasting a second, we headed to the south-facing balcony off the bedroom.

　　It was a fair-sized balcony, about five or six meters long and a meter and a half wide. In one corner, sure enough, there was a fish tank. It wasn’t large—more like the size of an old 12-inch black-and-white TV.

　　“Well, what do you think? Is there something off about it?” Liu Dazhuang asked.

　　I clenched my fists. “No, nothing seems wrong with this fish tank.”

　　“Seriously? Did we get this all mixed up?” Liu Dazhuang said, scratching his head.

　　I sighed, just about to respond when the middle-aged woman chimed in again. “Actually, my brother bought two fish tanks—one big and one small. The one on the balcony is the small one.”

　　“Where’s the big one?” I asked, my voice rising a notch.

　　“It’s in the storage room.”

　　“The storage room?” I glanced at Liu Dazhuang. I’d already checked that room earlier, and there was definitely no fish tank.

　　“Yes, it’s in there. But after he got it, he realized it didn’t fit right, so he ended up not using it as a fish tank,” she explained, already leading the way. We quickly followed.

　　When we reached the storage room, she pointed at a glass cabinet in the corner. “That’s it—the big fish tank. My brother repurposed it as a display case.”I took a look around the room. It was labeled a "small room," but it was actually a cozy study. There was a desk, a row of bookshelves, and a few potted plants scattered around. Landscape paintings adorned the walls, adding a touch of tranquility.

　　“You’re telling me this is a fish tank?” Liu Dazhuang asked, raising an eyebrow.

　　“Absolutely. I helped set it up back then, so I know it well,” the middle-aged woman replied confidently.

　　I focused on the glass cabinet, my mind racing. Inside were several intricately carved artworks, beautifully complementing the cabinet’s elegant design. At first glance, no one would suspect that this glass cabinet had once served as a fish tank.

　　“Is there something wrong with it?” Liu Dazhuang inquired, curiosity creeping into his voice.

　　I stepped closer to the cabinet, examining it meticulously, tapping here and touching there, making sure not to overlook any detail.

　　“There are no rocks inside this fish tank,” Liu Dazhuang stated.

　　He brought this up because the issue with the fish tank at my place had stemmed from the rocks. There, seven stones had been arranged to form a hidden Seven-Star Glazed Formation, influenced by some kind of spell. But that wasn’t the situation with Zhang Guofa's tank. Still, I felt something was off about this glass cabinet; it exuded a sinister aura that they couldn’t perceive!

　　After a thorough inspection, I still couldn’t figure out what was generating that energy. What exactly was attracting this dark presence?

　　I furrowed my brow, feeling a mix of confusion and concern.

　　“Is there a problem with this thing?” the middle-aged woman asked, her tone shifting to worry.

　　Liu Dazhuang shot her a glance and replied, “It’s complicated. What happened to the stones that were supposed to be in the fish tank?”

　　“I tossed them. They were useless. Why keep them around?” she shrugged, a hint of indifference in her voice.

　　Liu Dazhuang froze for a moment, then turned to me, his expression serious.

　　“Let’s take everything out of the cabinet,” I instructed firmly.

　　“Got it!” Liu Dazhuang rolled up his sleeves, ready to dive in.

　　“Be careful with that! There are some valuable items in there!” the woman cautioned, her earlier confidence now tinged with apprehension.Liu Dazhuang and I ignored her and pulled the four or five artworks out of the cabinet. The largest piece was a bronze horse statue, about two feet tall, its legs stretched in a dynamic pose, like it was flying in mid-gallop. Not sure what it was made of, but it had to weigh a good thirty or forty pounds.

　　Once we had cleared everything out, I took a closer look at the now-empty glass cabinet, leaning in to get a whiff of it. Then I said, “Dazhuang, go grab a bucket of water.”

　　“On it!” he replied.

　　“What are you doing?” the woman asked, sounding a little alarmed.

　　“Let’s see how this tank reacts to some water,” I answered casually.

　　Dazhuang soon came back with the bucket. I took it from him, stepped back a couple of paces, and then, without warning, threw the entire bucket of water at the cabinet.

　　“What are you doing?!” the woman shouted, her voice rising. “Is this how you people conduct an investigation?”

　　“Pipe down,” Dazhuang snapped.

　　“Well, it’s true! You’re—” she began, but suddenly cut herself off, her words hanging in the air as her eyes went wide. She stared at the cabinet, completely transfixed.

　　It wasn’t just her—Liu Dazhuang was also stunned. Above the water line in the fish tank, a talisman had appeared!

　　“Xiaofeng, what the hell is that?” he asked, his voice a mix of confusion and alarm.

　　I kept my eyes locked on the talisman, my heart racing. “It’s a Gathering Malevolent Energy talisman!”