PCJ – Chapter 214 Chasing Thieves (Part 1)

Zhang Jiaohua had just sat in Luo Changjun’s office for a short while when Luo Changjun came in.

“Jiaohua, let’s go,” Luo Changjun gestured to Zhang Jiaohua at the door.

Luo Changjun didn’t look well. Although he seemed calm when speaking to Zhang Jiaohua, the boy was more sensitive than most children and quickly noticed something was wrong.

“Uncle Luo, did you have an argument with someone?” Zhang Jiaohua asked curiously.

“Heh, you noticed. It’s nothing, just had a quarrel with someone unreasonable. Let’s not worry about that for now. Let’s solve the case first,” Luo Changjun said, still a bit tense. He had burned bridges with Xu Yinshan, leaving no room for retreat. Even if he had left himself an out, Xu Yinshan would have cut it off. Xu Yinshan had long wanted to replace Luo Changjun with his own person, feeling Luo’s presence was a thorn in his side.

Luo Changjun took Zhang Jiaohua directly to the home of Water Resources Bureau Director Yang Weidong. To protect the crime scene, Luo had assigned Officer Ding Baogui from the criminal investigation team to guard it.

“Xiao Ding, I’ll take over here. You can rest,” Luo Changjun said, trying to send Ding Baogui away. He didn’t want anyone to know he was using Zhang Jiaohua, a practitioner of Meishan Water Masters, to solve the case. Many considered such practices superstitious. If word got out, it would negatively impact Luo Changjun’s career, even if he solved the case.

“I’m not tired, Captain Luo,” Ding Baogui, a diligent new graduate from the police academy, replied.

Luo Changjun knew Ding Baogui was connected to Xu Yinshan. Regardless of his diligence, Luo Changjun wasn’t going to let him participate.

“I brought a hunting dog from Gezhu Ping Town. It’s very sensitive to scents. You staying here would interfere with its scent analysis. We’re out of options and need to try everything, especially with the three-day deadline approaching. Whether I can keep my job depends on it,” Luo insisted, sending Ding Baogui away.

Zhang Jiaohua entered the house, looking around not for clues but marveling at the décor. The house was more luxurious than Luo Yongming’s. The living room had a large color TV covered with a fine silk cloth, much larger than the small black-and-white TV at his home. There was also a telephone on a corner table, making it a modern household with all amenities.

“Jiaohua, did you find anything?” Luo Changjun asked, forgetting for a moment that this was a rural kid’s first time in such a fancy home.

“No, nothing,” Zhang Jiaohua shook his head.

“Everyone’s gone now. Let Shanbao in to see if it can pick up the criminal’s scent,” Luo Changjun placed all his hopes on Zhang Jiaohua and Shanbao.

The rope used to tie up the victim, Yu Lan, still had the criminal’s scent. However, due to neighbors rescuing her and untying the rope, it also carried other scents, confusing the police dogs. Being in the town, even if a dog found the scent, tracking the criminal through the streets would be challenging.

Zhang Jiaohua performed a ritual, chanting: “White dog turns into white dragon, black dog into black dragon, yellow dog into yellow dragon, spotted dog into spotted dragon. Search through ten thousand mountains, left through the left, right through the right, from the front mountain to the back, breaking through clouds and strongholds, five camps and four sentries, seek the wild beast. By the order of the Supreme Elder!”

The criminal became Shanbao’s prey. Zhang Jiaohua finished by pointing at Shanbao, sending an invisible spiritual light into the animal. Shanbao, invigorated, sniffed the rope and then explored every corner of the house, paying special attention to disturbed areas.

Zhang Jiaohua also rang a bell, releasing Jinhu and a few others. Time was running short, and relying solely on Shanbao might not suffice. Zhang Jiaohua chanted another spell: “True transformation, true transformation, transform into General Zhenwu, transform into Shakyamuni, transform into Laozi, transform into my master’s true words, … By the order of the Supreme Elder!”

Jinhu and the others transformed into five beams of spiritual light, flying out of Yang Weidong’s house.

Shanbao confirmed the criminal’s scent and quickly ran out. Zhang Jiaohua and Luo Changjun followed. This time, Luo Changjun was prepared with his motorcycle, more convenient than the jeep.

Shanbao’s speed was incredible. Zhang Jiaohua and Luo could barely keep up on the motorcycle.

Though nearly two days had passed, Shanbao still tracked the scent. The criminal was highly skilled in evasion, setting up misleading paths. Even Shanbao occasionally got confused, needing to backtrack and resume the search.

As night fell over Xintian Town, the streets grew quieter. Sparse streetlights barely illuminated the town. Fewer people made it easier for Shanbao to track but harder for Luo Changjun and Zhang Jiaohua to follow.

However, Jinhu and the others found the clue first. The criminal left traces of his soul in Yang Weidong’s house, invisible to normal people but like fireflies in the dark to Jinhu and the others. These traces made the criminal’s hiding tactics futile, even enhancing detection after the soul-transformation spell.

“Uncle Luo, the criminal’s found. He’s heading that way and seems ready to strike again!” Zhang Jiaohua pointed in a direction not far from Yang Weidong’s house.