PCJ – Chapter 185 Tracking the Thief

This time, Zhang Jiaohua recited an incantation of the Old Lord: “I respectfully invite the Venerable Li Laojun, born in the year of Jia Yin, to cleanse the entire Yellow River. The seventy-two practitioners of the Dao salute the Meishan Old Lord. Big ghosts and little ghosts, come to the altar and obey my command. Your disciple now respectfully invites you; may the Old Lord of Ten Thousand Laws personally descend! Urgently, by the decree!”

Next, Zhang Jiaohua recited the spell to transform dogs: “White dogs transform into white dragons, black dogs transform into black dragons, yellow dogs transform into yellow dragons, spotted dogs transform into spotted dragons…”

Luo Changjun listened to Zhang Jiaohua muttering spells, feeling very curious. If he didn’t know Zhang Jiaohua was different from ordinary children, Luo Changjun would think Zhang Jiaohua was too superstitious. But he knew Zhang Jiaohua was extraordinary and didn’t need to resort to trickery to fool him. So, he stood quietly on the side, letting Zhang Jiaohua perform his spells.

If it were in the morning, right after the crime with the scene undisturbed and few people on the streets, Zhang Jiaohua would have been confident that Zuan Shanbao could find the thief without using these spells. But now, much time had passed, and although the area wasn’t very crowded, many people had passed by throughout the day. The thief’s residual scent had long been scattered and confused.

“Uncle Luo, keep up.” Zhang Jiaohua slapped Zuan Shanbao’s head, and it darted out of the Miao family’s house like an arrow from a bow.

Zhang Jiaohua quickly followed.

Luo Changjun, being a practitioner, thought he could keep up with Zhang Jiaohua even if he couldn’t catch up with Zuan Shanbao. After a while, he found out he couldn’t. Although Zhang Jiaohua was small and had short legs, he ran like he had wheels for feet. After a few minutes, Luo Changjun was panting, but Zhang Jiaohua seemed unaffected.

Zuan Shanbao kept running, barking occasionally to indicate the direction to Zhang Jiaohua.

Seeing Luo Changjun falling behind, Zhang Jiaohua had to slow down.

“Uncle Luo, why don’t you drive?” Zhang Jiaohua suggested.

 Luo Changjun looked around and reached out to stop a motorcycle. Luo Changjun was wearing a police uniform. The man was frightened by Luo Changjun and his voice trembled, “What are you doing? I didn’t do anything bad.”

“Did I say you did something wrong? You’re so nervous, are you guilty?” Luo Changjun’s words instantly subdued the man.

“I really haven’t done anything wrong. This bike is new, I haven’t had time to get it registered.” The man’s nervousness was because the motorcycle had no license plate and he had no license. But such situations were quite common at that time.

“I’m not traffic police; I’m handling a case and need to borrow your motorcycle. Come to the police station tomorrow to get it. I’ll fill up the tank.” Luo Changjun pulled the man off the motorcycle.

“Luo Changjun, you son of a *****! I just got this bike, and you’re already borrowing it! Bandit!” The man cursed under his breath as Luo Changjun sped away.

Luo Changjun soon caught up with Zhang Jiaohua and grinned, “Jiaohua, do you want to get on?”

Knowing two wheels were faster than two legs, Zhang Jiaohua didn’t hesitate, jumped on the bike, and pointed forward, “Quick, that way!”

The thief hadn’t gone far before taking a small path. The area had fields and vegetable plots, providing a shortcut to the old streets. The thieves wouldn’t dare take the main road, so they took the small path, leaving behind an old set of clothes that confirmed the suspicion. Fortunately, the path was wide enough for the motorcycle.

Zuan Shanbao retrieved a set of old clothes from the bushes. Clearly, the thief had changed clothes. The thief was bold, committing such a big crime and still having the mind to change clothes, not worried about being recognized. But at that time, clothing styles were very limited, making it hard to distinguish without specific marks.

When Luo Changjun unfolded the old clothes, he found they were dirty, with oil stains and black ink-like marks.

“Jiaohua, can we keep tracking?” Luo Changjun asked.

“Of course. Shanbao, find the person who wore these clothes!” Zhang Jiaohua commanded, and Zuan Shanbao darted off again. This time, it found new clues in a riverside poplar grove in Gezhuping Town. The money box was hidden in a bush, covered with poplar branches. Without Zuan Shanbao, it would have been impossible to find.

However, the box was already pried open, leaving only some newspapers, likely used to wrap the money. The cash had been taken by the thief.

The thief had some counter-surveillance skills. The scent trail ended at the riverbank. Ordinary police dogs would be stumped here. The nearby Baixi River was wide but shallow, allowing the thief to wade across, masking his scent to evade tracking. In fact, the Xintian County Criminal Investigation Team didn’t have police dogs, and it wasn’t feasible to get them quickly. Luo Changjun turned to Zhang Jiaohua for a solution.

Seeing Zuan Shanbao stop at the riverbank, Luo Changjun sighed.

“Don’t worry, Uncle Luo, I have a way across,” Zhang Jiaohua said.

“You have a way?” Luo Changjun asked in surprise.

“Yes,” Zhang Jiaohua nodded.

Zhang Jiaohua stepped onto the riverbank, started walking in a special pattern, and chanted: “I beseech the ancestral masters, to build a bridge across the water, connecting Yin and Yang. The masters lead the way, I follow, by the decree of the Supreme Lord!”

As the chant ended, Zuan Shanbao leaped into the river but didn’t sink, walking on water instead.

Luo Changjun, ready to follow, stepped into the river and immediately fell in, getting soaked. The water was only knee-deep, but Luo Changjun was drenched like a wet chicken, looking pitifully at Zhang Jiaohua.

Zhang Jiaohua laughed, “Uncle Luo, you were too hasty. I tried to pull you back but couldn’t. Only Zuan Shanbao, under the dog transformation spell, can cross the Yin-Yang bridge.”

Luo Changjun, still in the river, said, “Jiaohua, wait here for me. I’m already wet; I’ll chase the Shanbao.”

Zhang Jiaohua sat on the motorcycle. Luo Changjun thought Zhang Jiaohua would stay and wait, but as he was halfway across the river, he saw Zhang Jiaohua riding the motorcycle over the water. Zhang Jiaohua’s companions lifted the bike and Zhang Jiaohua over the bridge.

Luo Changjun, wading cautiously, saw Zhang Jiaohua speeding over the water, stunned but not surprised by the extraordinary. He quickened his pace, splashing across Baixi River.

The thief, thinking he was clever, didn’t expect Zhang Jiaohua, the Meishan Water Master. His tricks were useless.

The thief walked along Baixi River for over a mile before coming ashore. Zuan Shanbao found clear footprints in size 40 boots at the riverbank.

Poor Luo Changjun, drenched in the cold evening, shivered as the temperature dropped.

Zhang Jiaohua cast a spell: “With this talisman for rain and thunder, summon the Sun Lord urgently by the decree!”

As Zhang Jiaohua finished the spell and pointed a seal at Luo Changjun, white mist enveloped him, and when it cleared, Luo Changjun was dry as if he had changed clothes.

“This, this…” Luo Changjun laughed, shaking his head, “Doesn’t this defy science?”

The thief cunningly returned to the town after coming ashore, aiming to mislead the investigation towards riverside villages. But he was actually from Gezhuping Town.

“I was right. The thief might know Miao Xinghe. Otherwise, how would he find the hidden money box so easily? The thief didn’t rummage through Miao Xinghe’s house, went straight to the bedroom, and took the box from under the bed. Only the wardrobe was disturbed, to get new clothes.” Luo Changjun grew excited seeing Zuan Shanbao leading them back to town.

Miao Xinghe had seemed to hide something during questioning, being uncooperative. Luo Changjun initially thought Miao Xinghe was just upset about the stolen money, but now it seemed Miao Xinghe knew the thief’s identity. He was angry his wife reported the theft without consulting him. But why did Miao Xinghe conceal it? Was the thief a family member? Only catching the thief could unravel this mystery.

Zhang Jiaohua, on his first case, was equally excited, eager to see the thief’s face.