20demayo Chapter 196 Detective 3
Chapter 196 Detective 3
inside the room.
Dr. James took out the manuscript and began to read it aloud with great emotion.
Deep in the unfathomable, ancient and mysterious Misty Manor, there are countless shadow mysteries that are caressed by time but still clear. They are like orchids that bloom quietly in the night, exuding an alluring fragrance that attracts exploration. As the heir of Yun Che Misty's pure bloodline, I hold a quill pen and slowly sketch on the yellowed parchment, recording these legendary chapters that are not groundless but deeply engraved in the family's memory.
Every stroke carries awe and contemplation of the past. They are not just a pile of words, but also the resonance and inheritance of the soul. I know that these stories, like bright stars, are still shining despite the baptism of time, illuminating the way forward for future generations.
As the guardian of this family secret, I feel a great sense of responsibility. This secret, like a winding river, flows from the chests of my ancestors to the hearts of my parents, and finally converges in my blood. It is not only the dust of history, but also a symbol of the family spirit, reminding us not to forget our original aspirations and to uphold justice.
In the letter, I sent a loving message to the younger generations whom I have never met: "Dear children, please bear in mind that the sky of justice is like an eternal beacon. No matter how the darkness spreads, it will eventually judge all the sins in the world. But please believe that as long as the heart is purified, the repentant soul can pass through the fog and find the embrace of forgiveness and redemption."
I know very well that this past is not a badge of honor, but a heavy yoke. It makes us bear the shadow of our ancestors while remembering history. However, I am more convinced that the value of this history lies in its warning and enlightenment. It warns us that we should learn from history and move forward cautiously, so as to avoid the suffering and decline of our family in the past becoming a haze over our fading descendants.
Speaking of the era of great change in the past, Misty Manor was once the territory of Yun Che Misty. He was a strong man known for his rudeness and contempt for all sacred beliefs. His name was like a dark cloud in the west, covering the bright sky. However, it was this seemingly invincible overlord who hid unknown tenderness and desire deep in his heart.
One day, when the border of Misty Manor was gently caressed by the tenderness of the early morning light, Yun Che's eyes were unexpectedly attracted by a farm girl who worked diligently on a few acres of barren land. She was like a wild flower blooming in the wilderness, although not delicate, she had a fresh and refined beauty. Her gentleness and virtue formed a sharp contrast with Yun Che's roughness and violence, which also made the overlord have a strong interest in her.
However, this interest gradually evolved into an uncontrollable desire for possession. On that mysterious and strange night of the Fog Festival, when the girl's house was empty, Yun Che finally couldn't hold back his inner impulse. He gathered a few accomplices of similar bad behavior, and quietly sneaked into the girl's house when the night was as dark as ink and everything was silent. They shuttled through the night like ghosts, and finally abducted the innocent girl to the depths of the Fog Manor...
On the top of the tower that soars into the sky and hangs alone in the sky, there is an unknown secret room hidden. It seems to be a corner forgotten by time, imprisoning an innocent girl. Surrounded by cold and hard stone walls, each of which seems to carry a thousand years of loneliness and despair. And below this prison cell, Yun Che and his friends are immersed in indulgence and revelry. Their laughter, cheers, and those unbearable filthy words, like a tide, surge up, mercilessly impacting the girl's eardrums, causing her heart to fall into endless fear and despair.
Upstairs, the girl was alone, surrounded by the noise and filth downstairs. Her heartbeat was like a drum, and every beat was accompanied by an increase in fear. The words that Yun Che uttered when he was drunk in the rumors, even after countless retellings and processing, were still enough to make the listeners feel cold, as if they were in a dream woven by fear. Her eyes were full of helplessness and despair, but in this despair, there was also a glimmer of unyielding light.
Finally, driven by extreme fear and despair, the girl made an incredible feat. With amazing courage and wisdom, she cleverly used the faint moonlight by the window as a guide and began her escape journey along the still vibrant and densely entangled vines on the south wall. Her figure shuttled between the vines, like a nimble swallow, drawing graceful arcs in the night sky. Finally, she successfully slid under the eaves and embarked on the journey home.
Crossing the vast swamp, every step of the girl was full of hardship and danger. But she had only one thought in her mind, that is, to go home, back to the place full of warmth and safety. Although the road was long, about nine miles away, her steps were extremely firm, as if there was an invisible force supporting her to move forward.
However, when Yun Che temporarily left the banquet, holding food and wine in his hands—perhaps with more sinister intentions—to visit the girl he had forcibly taken away, he was shocked to find that the bird in the cage had already flapped its wings and flew away, disappearing without a trace. At this moment, his heart was filled with anger and unwillingness, as if he had been hit by an invisible force, and his entire body became frantic.
He rushed down the stairs and broke into the banquet hall like a wild animal out of control. His eyes were bloodshot, as if they were about to spit out flames. He jumped onto the dining table and overturned everything around him. Whether it was expensive wine bottles or exquisite tableware, they were all scattered in his anger and turned into a mess. He roared at his astonished friends, vowing that if he could catch up with the girl that night, he would give his body and soul to the devil and let him do whatever he wanted. His voice echoed in the banquet hall, filled with endless anger and despair.
On that night filled with alcohol and madness, a more ferocious drunkard, perhaps more drunk and on the verge of losing control, suddenly made a chilling suggestion - to release hounds to hunt down the escaped girl. This was like dropping a bomb on the already boiling banquet scene, instantly detonating everyone's emotions.
Yun Che, the man who was always calm and self-sustaining, lost his usual composure at this moment. He acted immediately upon hearing the words, without the slightest hesitation, and hurriedly called the groom to prepare the horses, while at the same time ordering all the hounds in the kennel to be released. These hounds were usually known for their keen sense of smell and fierce hunting ability, and now that they were given a new task, they roared excitedly, and after sniffing the headscarf left by the girl at the scene, they were like being pulled by an invisible force, instantly turning into a black torrent, rushing out of the tower and rushing towards the swamp illuminated by the moonlight.
As the hounds barked one after another, the atmosphere in the banquet hall reached its climax. The guests stood there in shock at first, looking at each other, not knowing what was going on. But soon, when they realized the impending hunt, they responded one after another. Some guests eagerly called for pistols, hoping to protect themselves at the critical moment; some were busy looking for mounts, ready to join this sudden adventure; some even wanted to bring wine with them, as if to continue the carnival on the way to the hunt.
However, reason eventually returned a little. In the chaos, the thirteen riders gradually gathered. They stood side by side, looking particularly resolute under the moonlight. With an order, they spurred their horses and galloped along the route the girl might take home. With the sound of hooves and the flying of dust, they vowed to uncover the mystery of the night and find the missing girl.
At this moment, O'Neill was trembling all over.
He had never seen such a thrilling scene, nor had he ever felt such intense fear and anxiety. Even Dr. James' voice trembled slightly, and it was obvious that he was also deeply shocked by this sudden change.
Mr. Lumurphy's face was full of curiosity and excitement. He leaned forward, and his eyes, which always sparkled brightly when he discovered something new, were now fixed on James.
"Did you really see it with your own eyes?" He couldn't wait to ask James. James nodded, his eyes firm and deep: "As sure as I am seeing you clearly now."
"So what did you say at that time?" Mr. Lu Murphy continued to ask.
James sighed softly: "What's the use of saying it? It won't change anything." His tone was full of helplessness and sadness.
"Then why didn't anyone else notice it?" Mr. Lu Murphy was obviously very interested in this question.
James explained: "The claw mark is about twenty steps away from the body. It is very hidden and almost no one would pay attention to it. I think if I didn't know the legend in advance, I might have missed it."
"Are there many sheepdogs near that swamp?" Mr. Lumurphy asked, changing the subject.
James shook his head: "Of course there are many sheepdogs, but that is definitely not one of them." His tone was full of certainty.
"You said it's very big?" Mr. Lu Murphy was obviously curious about the mysterious creature.
"It's very big!" James emphasized his tone as if to emphasize the horror of the creature.
"Didn't it get close to the body?" Mr. Lumurphy continued to ask. James shook his head: "No, it just left that claw mark in the distance and then disappeared."
"What was the weather like that night?" Mr. Lu Murphy seemed to want to find clues from every detail.
"It was wet and cold, but luckily it didn't rain," James recalled.
"What's the situation on both sides of that path?" Mr. Lu Mofei's questions became more and more specific.
James thought for a moment and said, "There are tall hedges of yew trees on both sides of the path. They are twelve feet high and so dense that people can hardly pass through. There is only an eight-foot wide path in the middle that can be used."
"Is there anything else between the path and the hedge?" Mr. Rumourfield seemed to want to construct a complete scene.
James nodded. "Some paths have a patch of grass about six feet wide on each side."
"I remember there was a gate in the hedge, right? The one leading to the swamp?" Mr. Lumurphy had an amazing memory and could remember even such details clearly.
James nodded again: "Yes, that gate."
"Are there any other entrances besides that one?" Mr. Lu Mofei's question was getting closer and closer to the point.
James shook his head firmly: "No, the only way to enter that path is through the mansion or that gate."
After that moment of silence, his words flowed slowly like a trickle, adding a more vivid touch to this suspenseful picture: "At the exit of the pavilion at the other end, Sir Charles did not show up as we expected. His footsteps stopped abruptly about fifty steps away from the path leading to the unknown, as if time had quietly frozen there. This discovery undoubtedly casts a more mysterious veil over this case."
Mr. Rumphy, a wise man known for his keen insight, frowned and asked more urgently: "Does that distance tell us exactly that Sir Charles was only one step away from an unknown boundary at that moment? And do the footprints he left behind prove beyond a doubt that he was walking on that narrow but crucial path, rather than on the grass he stepped on casually?"
"The grass, that seemingly calm green ocean, guards secrets in its own unique way. It is clean, without any trace of foreign interference, not even the slightest footprint. Does this mean some kind of deliberate avoidance, or the guidance of some kind of force, which makes all possible clues disappear?"
"And that path is next to the old and heavy gate in the swamp. It stands there quietly, as if it is a portal to another world. The footprints you mentioned are right next to this mysterious door. They quietly tell of Sir Charles's stop and gaze. This door is not only a physical barrier, but also seems to be a subtle boundary between reality and mystery."
"The gate, a wooden structure about four feet high, is probably an obstacle that most people can jump over with just a simple leap.
However, it is particularly important at this moment, because it is not only the end point of Sir Charles's actions, but also the starting point of all speculation and reasoning.
You said it was closed and locked, which makes me wonder if there is some force or some rule that prevents Sir Charles from moving forward? "
"What's even more puzzling is that there is no trace of any kind of evidence left on this seemingly ordinary gate. Whether it was intentional or a natural result, this makes the case even more confusing. I know that even the most experienced detective would feel overwhelmed when faced with such a clean and traceless scene."
Mr. Lu Murphy tapped his knees, revealing his inner anxiety and urgency. He sighed, "If I could be there in person, it would be great! The sand washed by rain and covered by farmers' footprints may have hidden countless keys to solve the mystery. But now, everything has gone with the wind, leaving only a blur and regret."
"Doctor James, why didn't you call me at that time? I'm afraid this regret will linger in my heart for a long time."
Hearing this, Dr. James' eyes flashed with helplessness and pain: "Mr. Lu Murphy, you don't know that I am in this situation and I have no choice. There are some secrets that even the best detectives can't do anything about."