Chapter 363

Chapter 363

The Ghost’s disappearance meant Brother Liu’s childhood trauma had disappeared with it.

He shouldn’t fear ghosts anymore, or at least not nearly as much as before.

Seventh Master stood and asked, “Are you still afraid of ghosts?”

Tear tracks remained on Brother Liu’s expressionless face. He answered mechanically, “No. That was my grandfather…”

Seventh Master and I exchanged an excited look.

Eliminating his trauma should have removed the barrier someone had planted in his memory.

In theory, Brother Liu should now be able to recall what he had lost.

“Good,” Seventh Master praised him. “With your trauma gone, your heart is indestructible. You are a police officer, and a criminal is provoking you. Can you allow him to run rampant?”

Brother Liu suddenly frowned. A hint of anger crossed his face. “No…”

“He dared hypnotize you today. Tomorrow he’ll dare climb onto your head and take a shit. What an absolute bastard! This cannot be tolerated. Think. What did that son of a bitch look like?”

The scene changed again as soon as he finished.

We returned to the alley near Brother Liu’s precinct.

Brother Liu stared sternly ahead, trying to remember the man.

Soon, the figure appeared.

At last, we saw his face.

He was around forty, tall and powerfully built, with an imposing bearing and cunning eyes.

Seventh Master narrowed his eyes and began analyzing him. “High, prominent cheekbones. Arrogant by nature and willing to betray friends and family to achieve his goals. Prominent cheekbones with a narrow, pointed chin indicate deep suspicion and trust in no one but himself. A nose that runs straight to the forehead signifies wealth, rank, and great authority. Everything he does concerns major affairs.”

Lv Zhengxian had also possessed high, prominent cheekbones.

I studied the man’s face too. “Broken eyebrows. If he has brothers, they’ll turn against one another. He doomed his father early in life, then his mother. Half-gold ears indicate the grief of losing a son.”

“His overall features are vicious. A born criminal. His Heavenly Granary and Earthly Vault are dark, marking him as a future prisoner. His eye corners are blue and the whites streaked red. He entered prison at thirty-two. The man has a criminal record.”

Putting it all together, he knew the Mind-Capturing Art and belonged to the underworld of occult practitioners. Yet he was also wealthy, meaning his money was dirty. His high rank and authority suggested accomplices and a powerful position within their group.

I looked at Seventh Master. “So this is organized crime. Human trafficking? Did they traffic Liang Yi?”

“Have you ever seen traffickers make an abduction this complicated?” Seventh Master said thoughtfully. “This is more than ordinary trafficking. Little Liu remembers the man’s appearance now. He should also be able to recall the surveillance footage.”

He guided Brother Liu again. “Liu Jianye, before this man arranged to meet you, you were watching footage in your office. Do you remember what you saw?”

Brother Liu shook his head. “I can’t…”

“Yes, you can. What you saw shocked you. It was an important lead. You believed there would soon be a major breakthrough in the missing girl’s case. Think. What did you see?”

The scene changed again.

This time, we returned to Brother Liu’s office at night.

He sat before his computer, staring intently at the screen.

Seventh Master and I moved to either side of him and watched with him.
The footage showed Liang Yi entering the elevator.

Her behavior matched Brother Liu’s earlier description. Her steps were steady and unhurried, her expression calm with a faint trace of happiness. She was relaxed when she entered An Yutong’s building.

The elevator rose to the thirteenth floor. Liang Yi quickened her pace and hurried out, almost impatient.

Then came the crucial moment.

The elevator doors remained open. The camera’s limited angle couldn’t capture An Yutong’s front door, but Seventh Master and I clearly heard a door open and close.

An Yutong had lied!

She had been home. She had opened the door. She had seen Liang Yi!

The discovery thrilled me, yet also sent a chill through me.

That chill came from the masks people wore and the hypocrisy beneath them.

I had spoken to An Yutong face-to-face the night before. I thought a college student who hadn’t entered society could never act so naturally and flawlessly.

But the sound of that door proved she had been acting all along.

Holy fucking shit.

What a talent!

Brother Liu frowned when he heard the door close. “She lied…”

Nothing else unusual happened for hours. Other residents simply entered and left the building.

Then, at midnight, the empty elevator rose to thirteen. The doors opened, and a man entered carrying a heavy travel bag.

The way it sagged made clear that something extremely heavy was inside.

Brother Liu and I both frowned.

The man wore a mask and hat, hiding his face. That suspicious disguise, the thirteenth floor, the bag, and its heavy contents…

There was a 99.9 percent chance the missing Liang Yi was inside.

The man carried the bag in one hand. He was strong and powerfully built.

The footage showed him riding to the ground floor and leaving the building.

I asked Seventh Master whether he could be the same man who hypnotized Brother Liu. Their builds were very similar.

“Their physiques match, though we cannot see his face,” Seventh Master said. “But they share another trait. Both have half-gold ears. They are very likely the same person.”

I didn’t understand. “Why disguise himself here, then show his face when meeting Brother Liu?”

“Little Liu was already hypnotized when they met. The man has great faith in his Mind-Capturing Art and considers himself clever. He assumed no one would imagine he had planted a barrier in Little Liu’s memory, and that no one could break his technique. It matches his arrogance.”

“As for hiding his face from the camera, perhaps he doesn’t trust electronic technology. Even deleted recordings can sometimes be recovered.”

I stared thoughtfully at the frozen computer screen.

An Yutong had conspired with this man to abduct Liang Yi. The man was no ordinary criminal. He knew the Mind-Capturing Art.

Why had they gone to such lengths? What did they intend to do to Liang Yi?

I believed she was probably still alive.

The hexagram I cast hadn’t been wrong!

She had to be alive!