Book Title: Phantom God-Catcher 1: Realm of Killing

September first, Gutan Village, rain.

Fu Xiaosheng led the way slowly in front. The entire Gutan Village was gradually shrouded by mountain mist. Sky and ground alike became blurred and indistinct, giving one the illusion of walking between two worlds—the real and the void.

In the mist, it rained.

“It’s this courtyard.” Fu Xiaosheng stopped and said.

A clean courtyard. Wu Wen pushed open the courtyard gate. The first thing they saw was a patch of pale red flower beds planted with scattered Shattered Star flowers. Li Si had once admired Shattered Star flowers with Bai Zhenzhu. That young girl had said to him: The reason Shattered Star flowers are beautiful and moving is because of their fragile lives, like shooting stars streaking across the sky—in the blink of an eye, they vanish forever.

Flowers are like people, and people are like flowers as well.

The Shattered Star flowers in the rain were washed about, swaying and toppling over, withering stalk by stalk.

“How pitiful—so many flowers have withered.” Fu Xiaosheng was also someone who cherished flowers. He tried to prop up a withered flower stem.

“Stop fiddling with the flowers. Who are we here to see?” Wu Wen said.

Fu Xiaosheng said timidly, “Dad said after seeing Ding Laocai, we should go see… Widow Sun.”

Widow Sun was a widow—a beautiful and charming widow. Fu Xiaosheng turned a corner and pointed, saying, “Look, the one leaning by the window is her.”

In a scene veiled by pale mist, a thirty-year-old woman wore a light green gauze robe and skirt. Her brow bones furrowed slightly as if bearing a grudge. She leaned sideways against the window, casually flicking a silk handkerchief. She was Widow Sun.

Li Si walked to the window, straightened his garments, and said, “I am Li Si. Pardon my intrusion.”

The silk handkerchief between Widow Sun’s fingers slipped and fell right onto Li Si’s foot. Li Si felt slightly embarrassed. He bent down to pick up the handkerchief when he suddenly heard crackling sounds in his ears, just like the sound of bones being smashed piece by piece.

Li Si froze and looked up.

Widow Sun’s smile remained on her face, but she was like a paper figure made of skin and paper that had been set aflame. Her skin rapidly aged and withered. From her seven orifices seeped thick, pungent black blood. In the blink of an eye, Widow Sun had turned into a watery corpse. Her remaining body was like a purple eggplant, darkly purple and tinged with blue. The face that moments ago still possessed lingering charm now looked as if someone had punched it in the center—sunken inward, with a twisted expression.

Fu Xiaosheng vomited out a large mouthful of yellow water. Wu Wen had seen plenty of dead people, but to witness a living beauty transform into a pool of corpse water right before his eyes was a first. He couldn’t help but be terrified. Only Li Si maintained an unchanged expression.

Widow Sun, like Ding Laocai, had died suddenly. The difference was that Widow Sun had been poisoned to death.

Li Si had Fu Xiaosheng go find Tong Baiquan. Li Si and Wu Wen searched around Widow Sun’s house. Again, Li Si felt something was amiss in his heart, but exactly what was wrong?

Wu Wen found two large pairs of foot bindings in Widow Sun’s jujube wood wardrobe. Widow Sun couldn’t wear such large foot bindings—they must belong to someone else. Li Si first had Wu Wen put them away.

Li Si then extracted the silk handkerchief from the poisoned corpse. Shadows flickered in the courtyard as quite a few people arrived.

At the front was Tong Baiquan, followed by a large group of villagers. Niu Sao, pulling Fu Xiaosheng along, was also in the crowd. Wu Wen described the scene of Widow Sun’s sudden death to Tong Baiquan and the others. Everyone who heard felt lingering fear in their hearts.

Tong Baiquan’s expression was grave. “What should we do now? Another one has died.”

The rain in the courtyard grew heavier and heavier. Li Si said, “Two murder cases have occurred in succession. This culprit’s methods are cruel and brutal. What’s most frightening is that he may still be hiding in the village. The only plan for now is to first send someone to the county seat to report to the authorities.”

“Lord Li speaks correctly. Xiao Sanzi, immediately take two people to report to the authorities.” Tong Baiquan said, then glanced sideways at Li Si and added, “Don’t forget to tell the county magistrate that the God-Catcher Lord Li is also in Gutan Village. Tell them to send people as soon as possible.”

“Understood.” Xiao Sanzi rushed toward the village outskirts.

Li Si then said, “Before the county yamen soldiers arrive, no one should go out casually.”

The villagers all scattered in a commotion. First, they feared the murderer. Second, these people couldn’t bear to see Widow Sun transformed into a pool of corpse water, especially those bones that had turned purple-blue—one more glance and they couldn’t help but vomit.

Li Si called Fu Xiaosheng over. “Fu Xiaosheng, I need to see Fu Dabo as soon as possible.”

“Alright, I’ll go find Dad.”

Li Si slowly came outside. Above this patch of earth and sky that was Gutan Village, it seemed a layer of gray veil had been draped. Everything began to become chaotic—one couldn’t even make out sun, moon, or stars, couldn’t distinguish day from night.