The triangle horse is a very simple instrument of torture.
As the name suggests, it is a triangular wooden frame. The prisoner is forced to sit on the sharp edge with his hands behind his back, then hang his feet in the air, and then hang heavy objects to tear downwards.
…
A corner of the Xiaoshui government office, a temporary prison.
Gu Laosan, who was tied to the wooden horse, tried hard to open his eyes.
The prison is dark.
I could only see two blurry shadows hiding in the shadow further away, and in the distance there was only a prisoner with a fair face and a gloomy expression.
The jailer held two sandbags in his hands and hung them on Gu Laosan's ankles in an orderly manner. When he saw the wood edges cutting deeply into his flesh, he asked slowly:
"Why kill?"
Gu Laosan trembled and said nothing.
There was no change in Laozi's expression. He took two more sandbags and hung them up again, saying the same thing:
"Why kill?"
Gu Laosan was trembling all over and sweating profusely. Finally he couldn't bear the severe tearing pain and murmured:
"I didn't kill anyone."
Lao Zi used the exact same movements to add sandbags and asked in the exact same tone:
"Why kill?"
Gu Laosan howled miserably, and yellow urine flowed along the wooden horse. He said intermittently:
"I didn't kill anyone, my wife was sick, and I was treating her."
The prison is just a sentence of adding sandbags.
"Why kill?"
Gu Laosan's expression was already a little dazed, and his speech was unclear.
"The doctor said that all the diseased roots buried in the backyard are cut out."
Laozi lifted up the sandbag again.
"alright."
Li Changan stepped out of the shadows and stopped the continued torture.
It sounds contradictory and even hypocritical, but the Taoist priest who said that murder was pointless could not stand the torture technique.
He called on the jailer to release Gu Laosan together.
It's not that the Bodhisattva's heart has been moved for no reason, but that he has real doubts.
"You said you were sick just now? What kind of disease? Who is the doctor?"
Gu Laosan's eyes were unfocused, and the focus of his eyes was uncertain in the void.
"At the Dionysus Festival twelve years ago, I saw Xue Tuan'er for the first time at the end of the waterway lined with painted boats. The lights there were dim and there were fewer pedestrians. She stood alone on the deserted painted boats, dancing over and over again.
Hu Xuan, wrists, ankles, neck, behind the ears...the pale pink skin glows in the dim light..."
He was confused and rambled on a lot, which was mostly an old-fashioned story about "you are a scumbag" and "a coward". Because someone has been in a bad mood recently and doesn't like to make up love affairs between men and women, so there is no need to elaborate.
carry.
All in all, the Taoist priest also saw that this man was unconscious and lost in some kind of reminiscence after being tortured, so he brought a bucket of cold water and poured it on him.
His whole body trembled, his eyes focused again, and he looked at the prisoner standing silently next to him. After hesitating for a while, he finally answered Li Changan's question.
"My wife wasn't originally the same temperament she is now. She was in the sex scene for too long and got sick."
"Yin disease!"
"The doctor said that to treat this disease, it is like treating an ulcerated wound. You need to drain out the pus and blood, then scrape off the rotten flesh, and then it will slowly return to its original appearance..."
"Fuck your mother!"
Bo Ziyu finally couldn't bear it anymore and rushed out of the shadows, with a look of three-point realization and seven-point anger on his face.
"What a vicious heart! If you want to cure your disease, go ahead and kill your slutty woman. Why do you use innocent people as pus, blood and rotten flesh?!"
"Cure? I think it's to cure the resentment in your heart."
Gu Laosan raised his head and looked at Bo Ziyu for a while, but then slowly lowered his face.
"I didn't kill anyone."
"You..." Bo Ziyu was so angry that he grabbed the torture whip and was about to whip him to pieces (Harmony).
At this time.
There was a "creak" sound from the door.
But it was a young man disguised as a man, with a frame of skylight, and he rashly broke into the prison.
The three of them stood in the depths of the dark and gloomy prison, surrounded by instruments of torture. Their gazes turned over for a moment, startling the young man, and he hesitated.
"Bo Bantou."
Bo Ziyu frowned, but he remembered that all the bones excavated from the backyard of the cooked meat workshop were taken back to the Yamen and asked to be spliced and inspected. Could it be that he had found some useful clues in rushing in like this?
"If you find anything, tell me quickly."
But there was hesitation on the young man's face.
"I can't tell for the moment..." The hesitation on his face slowly turned into fear and doubt, as if he was recalling something incomprehensible. "My master, please ask the class leader to take a look for himself."
…
The corpse collection room was located in the most remote part of the office.
Bo Ziyu took Li Changan through two corridors and arrived at a secluded and old courtyard. There were three tile-roofed houses in the courtyard. Large tracts of vines covered the walls, but even if the flower branches were swaying and fragrant, they could not hide the deep roots in the courtyard.
Remove the weird smell.
And right at the door of the main room, where the smell was the strongest, a little old man who looked like a fool was pacing back and forth with his hands crossed, his face full of worry.
Seeing Bo Ziyu arrive, he immediately said:
"Boss Bo, I have been friends with your uncle for more than ten years. Now, please tell me the truth."
Bo Ziyu didn't know why.
The old man asked in a low voice: "Are the recent rumors in the city true?"
Although the incident of the demonic transformation was not considered a secret in the yamen, the bosses had given orders to it, which would have unsettled the people, so they still kept it secret and refused to announce it to the public.
This also meant that Bo Ziyu had difficulty answering for a while.
But this old man's long life was not in vain.
"good."
He raised his hand and understood.
"You don't need to tell me, and I don't need to ask anymore."
Say it.
Greet a few people into the house.
"I've pieced together those corpses...sigh."
As he spoke, he sighed inexplicably and lifted the white cloth covering the body.
"See for yourselves."
There were several straw mats spread in the middle of the room, and eight preliminarily assembled skeletons were placed side by side on the straw mats.
Bo Ziyu took a quick look and found nothing. He just recognized that the eight skeletons were all women and secretly hated Gu Laosan for his evil heart.
But when he looked carefully, his eyes widened.
These bones are exactly the same regardless of height, weight, skull size, or wrist bone thickness!
Just as there are no two identical leaves in the world, there can be no two identical skeletons, unless...
Bo Ziyu's breathing was rapid (harmonious).
I remembered Gu Laosan’s vague words.
Beside him, Li Changan had already turned around and rushed back with his sword in hand.
"Then there's something wrong with Gu Tianshi!"
…
"Ran?!"
Bo Ziyu's eyes were filled with fire, and he wished he could eat the government servant in front of him who was responsible for guarding the Gu Tian family and the Zhang brothers.
"No, no, no."
The yamen officer hurriedly defended himself.
"Our office is too small, so Zhang Dalang invited Mr. Gu Tian back home and took her into custody on her behalf."
Bo Ziyu looked in disbelief.
I don’t know whether it was because the government servant was too stupid to believe such nonsense, or whether it was because the government servant was too courageous to fool him with such nonsense.
Detained on behalf of someone?
It was obvious that the witness was running away with the suspect!
"Bo Bantou."
Another guard nearby complained.
"It's not that we are ignorant, but that there are several people in this city who dare to provoke Hua Yamaluo. He wants to leave, and who will he take with him? Who dares to stop him, and how can he stop him?"
The guard said with a smile again.
"Besides, the criminal Gu Laosan has been brought to justice, so what can the Gu Tian family do?"
"Female? She is most likely a demon..."
At this point, Bo Ziyu stopped hastily and pointed at the two old fried dough sticks that were not afraid of boiling water.
"I'll take care of you later."
He knew that no matter how much he scolded these two people, it would be of no use, so he had no choice but to curse and sternly instruct:
"Keep a close eye on that Mr. Gu. If you make any mistakes, your positions will be cut off!"
That’s all.
Gather the troops.
He chased in the direction of Zhang's house.
…………
What kind of monster is it this time?
He mingled with the police team and ran rampant on the streets of Xiaoshui, on the way to Zhang's house.
Li Changan thought over and over again.
There is no doubt that those eight identical corpses "should" belong to the same "person". To do this, is it regeneration? Is it a clone? Or is it simply a deliberately created skeleton?
What other monsters have similar magical powers?
Earthworms? Geckos? Or potatoes?
"Tai Sui is a demon."
Too old?!
The God of New Year? No, it should refer to Ganoderma lucidum.
The Taoist priest's mind suddenly became enlightened.
indeed.
If it were a Tai Sui demon, it would make sense.
The monsters who turn into spirits from plants and trees often like to transform into beautiful women and deceive men to absorb their essence. This aspect is quite consistent with the Gu Tian family's dissolute style.
Furthermore, Ganoderma lucidum can be said to look at the flesh and gather the flesh. It is inexhaustible to cut and eat. If it turns into a demon queen, it must be able to "regenerate" easily...
etc.
Li Changan turned his head expressionlessly.
There was a thin government servant next to him, his lips opened and closed, and he said silently:
"it's me."
Yu Mei!
For a moment, Li Changan rarely felt a little impatient.
This guy usually doesn't see people, but will show up whenever there are monsters.
Li Changan really doubted whether the other party used some means to monitor him, or had another method of detecting monsters. The original talk of identifying monsters in the night fog was all nonsense!
In any case, the Taoist priest's patience with this mysterious "ally" is running out.
But Yu Mei always picks the right time, and knowing this point, Li Changan has no time to argue with her.
Just because, in front of the group of people was a high-walled courtyard, with a sign hanging on the ajar door.
Zhang Mansion.
"Taoist Master, we're here."
Bo Ziyu warned loudly and rushed through the door first.
Entering the door is a courtyard.
Zhang Shaonan is leading a group of evil teenagers to play leaf play.
When he saw the detectives, he was not surprised. He just threw away the toys in his hands and called his friends to stop them.
Someone among the evil boys was laughing.
"Isn't this a boss? You're a rare visitor. What's the point of visiting in person?"
Bo Ziyu was so anxious that he had no time to talk nonsense with these scoundrels, so he asked directly:
"Where's Gu Tian?"
The other side was laughing and joking.
"Where's Zhang Tong?"
The other side yelled and cursed.
He stomped his feet and led the people to rush in, but Zhang Shaonan took the lead and pushed him.
The two parties were noisy and pushed each other, which made Li Changan very impatient.
Sudden.
The Taoist priest rushed forward, bumped into the crowd of people on the opposite side, grabbed Zhang Shaonan's arm, turned sideways and cut his arm behind his back, and kicked Zhang Shaonan into his knees. Zhang Shaonan fell to his knees involuntarily.
He was stunned for a moment and then became furious.
After struggling for a few times, he was still unable to escape, and his face only turned the color of pig liver.
The two brothers have been running rampant in the market all year round. Asking themselves how they have ever suffered such humiliation? At that moment, they would be so angry that they would yell "thief Kun".
But before he could exit, he was thrown out by Li Changan and hit the wall, almost losing his breath.
Seeing this sudden appearance, the evil young men who had been making endless noises immediately stopped.
In their opinion, even though Zhang Shaonan had injured one arm, he was still a very skilled person.
As a result, he was put down by the Taoist priest with a straight hair.
All of a sudden.
Shortness of breath is inevitable.
Li Changan didn't bother to guess the subtleties of his heart. He glanced around and caught someone who liked the evil boy and pulled him over.
"Where are Zhang Tong and Gu Tian?"
Bo Ziyu also gathered a group of government officials and surrounded him at the right time. The poor man was so frightened that his buttocks trembled and he had a strong urge to urinate. He sold Zhang Tong completely in a daze.
"Da Lang and Xue Tuan'er are having fun in the back hall."
Bo Ziyu sneered.
"A scoundrel is a scoundrel! It's such a despicable thing to be the wife of an adulterer, but he uses his brother to do the despicable job of a watchman."
After that, let this guy go.
Ignore the scoundrels who opened a dyeing shop.
He called to the police and rushed to the backyard.
…
"boom!"
Backyard wing.
The door was kicked open.
Li Changan and Bo Ziyu burst into the door with knives and swords.
But the next second.
One of them frowned, the other gritted his teeth.
The large wing room was empty. There was a four-legged bed against the wall, with splotches of blood stained on it. The overly messy bedding indicated that there had been a brief fight here (not dirty).
The windows on the west wall are wide open, facing the dim red dusk sky outside.
The light of day is almost gone.
Zhang Tong and Gu Tianshi have disappeared.
"Taoist thief!"
At this time, there was an angry shout in the yard, and Zhang Shaonan burst into the door with a knife, trying to regain the place.
But as soon as I walked in, I was surprised.
"Where's my eldest brother?"
"Idiot! Gu Tian is a monster."
Bo Ziyu sneered.
"Your brother is even more stupid and let the monster kidnap him!"
…………
Time moves forward a moment.
Xiaoshui Office.
Looking at Bo Ziyu's back as he hurried away, the guard spat.
"Tsk, tsk, it's such a great official power. If people who don't know what's going on hear it, they will think that this guy is the county captain."
That's all, he stroked his short beard a few more times and asked his companion who had been scolded beside him:
"That guy was just halfway through what he was saying. What did he want to say?"
The companion smiles.
"Probably a monster."
"Huh? Monster!"
He called out, then lowered his voice and winked.
"It's the best monster. It ate all the Zhang brothers. Then wouldn't my gambling debt be wiped off in one fell swoop?"
The guard laughed strangely and reached out to pat his companion on the shoulder.
But his companion took a small step back.
Just half a step.
But it seems to have retreated from the painting to the outside.
Obviously the office is still the same office and the people are still the same, but it seems as if they are suddenly separated from the world.
The guard's hand froze in mid-air.
Quite a while.
Then he scratched his head.
It seems that he doesn't understand why he is standing here alone in a daze, raising his hands in a daze.
Finally, he put this thought behind him, muttered a few words and turned to leave.
The companion, with a faint smile on his face, walked calmly and walked towards the prison.
…………
Gu Laosan huddled in the corner.
Darkness, weakness and pain flooded him like a tide.
In a daze, colorful pictures unfolded before his eyes.
He remembered the beautiful solo dance of the girl on the boat.
I remember when I was young, I spent a lot of money just for a beautiful smile.
I remember the wedding night with red candles shining brightly.
I remember that my wife stayed out all night and never came home.
Remember the gossip among the neighbors.
I remember the repeated question from the pale prisoner.
"Why kill?"
I didn't kill anyone... or did I?
Another voice in his heart told him.
No.
You killed someone.
You kill your wife, kill Xue Tuan'er.
then.
He remembered again that desperate glance on the other side of the boat during this year's Dionysus Festival.
I remember the rage when I grabbed my wife's neck with both hands.
He remembered his wife's smile blooming in his hands, just like when they first met her.
I remembered that he was holding his wife's body that was getting colder, crying out for a doctor, but he bumped into the doctor at the door who seemed to have been waiting for him for a long time.
The doctor told him: his wife was not dead, but just sick.
right.
he told himself.
Just sick.
"what a pity."
A dull voice suddenly sounded in the darkness.
"You were about to cure your wife, but you stopped at the last step."
Gu Laosan raised his head in surprise.
It was obviously dark all around, but that face was exceptionally clear.
"Mr. Langzhong?"
The face in the darkness smiled and nodded.
Gu Laosan closed his lips a few times, and finally said bitterly: "I can't get out, can you help me cure Xue Tuan'er's disease?"
"Can."
But that face showed an expression of distress again.
"It's just that the police and Taoist priests have already gone to find your wife. If they find her, naturally she won't be able to get medical treatment."
That’s all.
In Gu Laosan's stunned eyes, the face was full of smiles.