"Whoa, speak of the devil!" Prince Kai rolled up his sleeves and headed for the door. "I'll beat it to death!"
"Wait—" Gao Yang grabbed Prince Kai and clamped a hand over his mouth.
Fat Jun didn't dare make a sound, quickly hiding behind Qing Ling. With a gesture from Officer Huang, everyone immediately pressed themselves against the walls on either side of the door.
Officer Huang drew his gun, aiming at the door, and called out, "Who is it?"
"I wondered why there was light in this house. So it's you, Officer Huang." An old man's voice came from outside.
Gao Yang recognized it—it was the old man herding geese from earlier. He shot Officer Huang a look, signaling it was safe. Officer Huang holstered his gun and opened the door.
Standing outside was indeed the old man from earlier, known in the village as Old Man Gu. A pipe dangled from his thin lips, and his face crinkled into a smile. "Oh, you're all here. Investigating the case?"
Officer Huang smirked. "Yeah, didn't want to miss any clues, so we came back for another look."
"You cops really have it tough, working overtime this late." The old man took the pipe out of his mouth and scratched his back. "When I saw the light on, I thought I'd seen a ghost."
"And you still dared to knock? Not afraid of ghosts?" Prince Kai retorted. It was actually a decent question—one Gao Yang had been about to ask.
The old man chuckled. "Nah. I was close with Hua's family. Even as ghosts, they wouldn't harm me."
"Is that so?" Officer Huang's expression turned thoughtful. "Old Man Gu, why don't you tell us a bit about Hua's family?"
"Sure, but it's not convenient here. My place is just over there. Why not come by for a chat?"
"Wouldn't want to impose."
Five minutes later, the five of them were seated in Old Man Gu's home. He lived alone in a small rammed-earth house, even more modest than Hua's, nestled against the mountain with a large courtyard out back filled with geese that occasionally honked.
They gathered around the table as Old Man Gu brewed tea, though no one drank any. Unfazed, he puffed on his pipe and began rambling:
"Hua's dad was an honest, hardworking man. Shame he had a stutter—no one wanted him. Didn't marry till he was almost forty. His wife was from the next village over, had a bit of a limp, but otherwise a good woman.
"They started a family, had three strapping boys. His wife passed not long after the youngest was born. Farming couldn't feed three mouths, so Hua's dad had to go work in the city, sending money back every year. Asked me to look after the boys. Hua and his brothers were always at my place for meals—practically raised 'em like my own grandsons..."
They listened quietly until Officer Huang finally asked, "Old Man Gu, do you think the killer could be someone from the village?"
The old man froze, then smiled meaningfully. "Officer Huang, I won't be held legally responsible for what I say, right? I don't know the law..."
"No, just casual talk. Say what you know."
Old Man Gu nodded. "Then I'll say it—I reckon the killer's definitely from our village."
"Why?"
"Several households keep dogs. Forget dogs—just take my geese. They honk at any stranger passing by.
"Hua's family was dismembered, their bodies scattered everywhere. If it were an outsider, the dogs would've made a racket." Gao Yang said.
"Right." Old Man Gu glanced at him. "You're sharp, kid."
"Then," Officer Huang pressed, "who in the village might have a motive?"
"Now that, I really don't know." The old man sipped his tea. "That family was famously decent. The kids were well-behaved, never quarreled with anyone. To dismember them... must've been some deep hatred."
"Could the problem have been with the bride?" Officer Huang shifted gears.
"Hmm..." Old Man Gu pondered. "Could be. Hua's bride's head was never found, right? Maybe she was the target. And it happened on her wedding night—too much of a coincidence."
"Did you ever see the bride?"
"Caught a glimpse when she stepped out of the sedan chair. My, she was a beauty."
Old Man Gu looked at Qing Ling. "Like you—pretty, delicate, with long black hair, like a fairy descending to earth... Everyone was green with envy, saying Hua must've done something incredible in a past life to deserve such luck."
"I've got it!" Prince Kai slammed the table, startling everyone. "Guys, have you seen Hail the Judge?"
"Y-yeah," Fat Jun said timidly. "You're saying... it was Chang Wei?"
"Exactly! Some village pervert must've gotten ideas, tried to assault the bride at night, got caught, and killed the whole family in a rage..."
"But why dismember them?" Fat Jun muttered.
"Ha! Little bro, you just don't get it. Let me break it down!" Prince Kai stroked his chin, feigning profundity. Gao Yang half-expected the Detective Conan theme to start playing.
"It's reverse psychology! Who'd suspect a simple assault led to mass murder and dismemberment? The cops wouldn't even consider it—perfect alibi!"
Gao Yang paused. As absurd as it was, Prince Kai's nonsense almost made sense. Then again, the logic collapsed under scrutiny: no one would escalate a horny impulse to mass murder and dismemberment. Plus, Hua's house showed no signs of a struggle—whatever happened, occurred in the yard.
Fat Jun thought it over and shook his head. "Kai-ge, I still don't buy it... If you were the pervert, would you do this?"
"Who's a pervert?! Your whole family's perverts!" Prince Kai glowered. "A pervert's brain doesn't work like normal people's!"
"Kai-ge, your brain's pretty unique too. If even you wouldn't do it, I doubt a pervert would..."
"What'd you say, fatty? Say it again, I dare you!"
"I'm fat, but don't curse me to die! It's bad luck at night..."
As the two idiots bickered, Gao Yang's head throbbed. Then he noticed Officer Huang and Qing Ling's expressions—icy, murderous, their eyes locked onto Old Man Gu across the table.
Gao Yang glanced sideways and froze.
Old Man Gu sipped his tea calmly, but translucent, scale-like keratin was creeping up his arms. The rough, wrinkled skin of his hands was morphing into the slick texture of lizard hide, his nails lengthening into two-centimeter gray-brown claws.
Then came his eyes—the whites yellowed with fine speckles, the pupils compressing into vertical slits. In seconds, human eyes became reptilian, cold and glassy.
Right now, Old Man Gu's body was partially "beasting"—right in front of four awakened ones and a Lost Beast.
Yet he made no move to attack. He just sat there, sipping tea leisurely.