Chapter 48

Xia Hongsheng's face turned pale, and he wasn't the only one vomiting uncontrollably. Some of the more daring ones went up to take a closer look and found that the mass was unrecognizable, barely discernible as a human form, with the head and other limbs missing. Only a mutilated, blood-soaked torso and an arm pointing straight at Xia Hongsheng's room remained. Bai Jianzhi and the other students were vomiting uncontrollably, but Xu Qixian didn't vomit; his face was just ashen, and he helped the bent-over Xia Hongsheng, offering him a handkerchief. Xia Hongsheng felt extremely uncomfortable, his back cold, and his body shivering uncontrollably. He grabbed Xu Qixian's sleeve and, when Xu Qixian bent down to help him, whispered, "Don't let anyone leave the inn!"

Xu Qixian was taken aback and quickly ran to Yan Shigu, whispering something to him and Xu Yanzu.

Xia Hongsheng was drenched in cold sweat. The finger on that severed arm, pointing straight at his door, seemed to be pointing at his forehead, making him shudder. He had already vomited everything in his stomach and was now just feeling bitter. He forced himself to suppress it, slowly straightened up, and scanned the crowd with a cold gaze. This was a provocation, a direct challenge from the murderer. When he spoke in the afternoon, he hadn't lowered his voice, thinking it was just a joke. The murderer must have been nearby and overheard his words, leading to this provocation!

Words can bring disaster!

Xia Hongsheng knew he needed to show the murderer what he wanted to see. This was a challenge and an opportunity. The murderer's confidence in throwing the dismembered body into such a crowded inn indicated extreme self-assurance. Xia Hongsheng's words in the afternoon had piqued his interest, and he wanted to see how Xia Hongsheng would react to the body. That's why the body appeared at Xia Hongsheng's door, with an arm pointing at him. At this moment, Xia Hongsheng needed to remain calm. If he panicked like a normal person, the murderer might be disappointed and leave the inn. If Xia Hongsheng could maintain the murderer's interest, he might stay longer, giving the authorities more time to arrive.

"Everyone, don't panic. I have a plan. Please stay calm; we are now safe." Xia Hongsheng took a deep breath, suppressing his urge to vomit, and shouted to the crowd, observing everyone's reactions. "This is a challenge to me, possibly because of what I said in the afternoon, which scared the murderer."

After saying this, Xia Hongsheng immediately observed the crowd's facial expressions, hoping to catch a moment of anger or frustration. Serial killers are extremely confident and leave personal marks, often giving themselves names or leaving the same marks at crime scenes. They believe they won't be caught and enjoy the fear they instill, deriving a God-like pleasure from it. They sometimes even provide clues to the police or be the first to discover and report the crime, enjoying the process of outsmarting the authorities. They consider themselves "gods" and cannot tolerate being ignored or underestimated. That's why Xia Hongsheng deliberately said the murderer was scared, hoping to see a change in his expression, narrowing down the suspects.

However, with many people present and the dim lighting in the inn, Xia Hongsheng couldn't clearly see everyone's reactions.

"Move! Everyone, move!" Suddenly, a group of constables and bailiffs burst in, surrounding everyone in the inn.

Xia Hongsheng's body relaxed, and Xu Qixian, noticing this, quickly supported him from behind, preventing him from sitting down.

Yan Shigu frowned and walked over to stand beside Xia Hongsheng, whispering, "Jing Shi, you did well. Don't be afraid! I'm here for you!"

As he spoke, a pale-faced man ran up, looked at the body, and turned even paler, covering his nose and mouth with a handkerchief and vomiting. He quickly turned and shouted, "Coroner! Where is the coroner? Get over here quickly!"

An old man carrying a wooden box hurried over, crouched beside the mutilated body, and began examining it without gloves.

While the coroner was working, the man shouted to the crowd, "I am the magistrate of Luhun County. Has anyone here noticed any suspicious individuals?"

"Sir! The body was found in front of his door, and an arm is pointing at him!" The innkeeper ran up, pointing at Xia Hongsheng.

"Oh? Bring him in for questioning!" The magistrate pointed at Xia Hongsheng, and the bailiffs moved to arrest him.

Xu Qixian pulled Xia Hongsheng behind him, and Yan Shigu stepped forward, saying, "Wait."

The magistrate frowned, about to order the bailiffs to continue, but Yan Shigu bowed and said, "Magistrate, I am Yan Shigu. May I ask why you want to arrest my student?"

The magistrate was taken aback, then widened his eyes and stared at Yan Shigu. Xu Yanzu quickly stepped forward, pulled the magistrate aside, and showed him something. The magistrate shuddered and immediately ran to Yan Shigu, intending to kneel, but Xu Yanzu stopped him, giving a signal and patting his shoulder. "Magistrate, this young man, Xia Hongsheng, may have inadvertently revealed the murderer's thoughts in his afternoon speech, leading the murderer to follow him to the inn. To solve this case, you must hear Xia Hongsheng's perspective."

The magistrate, now sweating, nodded repeatedly. "You are right, you are right! I will listen to Xia Hongsheng's views."

Turning to the constables and bailiffs, the magistrate shouted, "Stay here and guard everyone. Not even a fly can leave!"

After bowing to Xu Yanzu, the magistrate turned and led Yan Shigu, Xia Hongsheng, and Xu Yanzu into Xia Hongsheng's room, closing the door behind them.

"Jing Shi, tell the magistrate everything you said this afternoon and your thoughts. This murderer is extremely brutal and must not be allowed to escape!" Yan Shigu said to Xia Hongsheng.

Xia Hongsheng nodded, bowed to the magistrate, and explained his analysis. The magistrate listened carefully, knowing he had to appear attentive with Yan Shigu present.

"Mr. Xia, your words are reasonable, but do you have any evidence? Without proof, it might be dismissed as mere speculation," the magistrate said after listening to Xia Hongsheng.

Xia Hongsheng was taken aback. He had no way to prove his theory. He couldn't tell the magistrate that it was based on modern psychological profiling, where behavior is used to infer psychological traits and predict future actions to identify suspects.

"Sir, I currently have no way to prove my theory. Please wait until the coroner finishes the examination. I will ask a few questions that might help narrow down the suspects. There's nothing else we can do now, so why not try my suggestions? Perhaps we'll have an unexpected breakthrough," Xia Hongsheng bowed and said.

They waited until dawn, and the coroner entered, reporting to the magistrate, "Sir, the initial examination is complete. I need to move the body for a more detailed inspection."

"Wait, let Mr. Xia ask you a few questions first," the magistrate waved his hand.

The coroner nodded and looked at Xia Hongsheng. Xia Hongsheng bowed and said, "Sir, I have a few questions. First, were the limbs and head cut off with smooth cuts, or were they sawed off multiple times? Second, before the body was dismembered, were there any other wounds, and what were they like? Third, were the victims, including this one, sexually assaulted before or after death, and were there any similarities in their behavior, speech, or attire?"

The coroner was taken aback, unsure why Xia Hongsheng was asking these questions, but the magistrate's eyes lit up, and he shouted, "Answer quickly and truthfully!"