TEFSCBSS Chapter 90

Chapter 90: The Heart-Eating Demon (Part 3)

The three of them turned their eyes toward the corpse.

The first thing they noticed was the victim’s face—it had been slashed beyond recognition, a mess of blood and mangled flesh. According to eyewitnesses at the scene, the deceased was identified as Scholar Lang based on his build and clothing.

At that moment, the three examined the victim’s hands. His palms were covered in blood and grime, with several fingernails cracked or broken, suggesting he had tried to scratch or struggle before his death.

Agent Five furrowed his brows and jotted down the details. “Looks like he put up a fight. The question is whether he left any marks on the killer.”

He then reviewed the notes recorded on paper beside the body, taken from the original case file:

• [The victim’s face is unrecognizable; eyelids have been sliced off.]

• [There are marks on the limbs indicating binding and intense struggle.]

• [The chest wound is messy and irregular, but shows the killer struck with force. Preliminary assessment: The victim’s heart was cut out while he was still alive.]

• [Several fingernails were damaged. One nail had blue hemp fibers under it, which don’t match the victim’s clothing.]

…

Agent Five organized the clues and spoke with the other two investigators. “There are three main things we need to verify right now.”

“First, where did the blue hemp fiber under the victim’s nail come from? It’s most likely from the killer.”

“Second, why was the victim’s face mutilated? Was it personal hatred, envy, or an attempt to conceal identity?”

“Third, where did the murder happen? The wonton stall has no signs of struggle and only a few drops of blood around the body—most likely, the body was dumped here.”

Agent Three nodded repeatedly. “Right. So we investigate based on those three directions?”

Just then, their shift at the crime scene ended. They walked over to a long table, where a large street map of the incident area was laid out. Various clue cards were placed over locations of shops and landmarks, each based on case records.

Agent Five’s expression hardened. “We each take a few sectors and note what we find. We’ll compare notes after.”

He reached for the clue card covering the area of the wonton stall.

This section focused on physical evidence and environmental investigation:

• [The stall had a mobile stove and a large pot. The fire was out during inspection, with only ashes remaining.]

• [There were four tables. Aside from the one where witness Butcher Liu sat, the others had been cleared. Each had a chopstick holder with varying numbers of chopsticks.]

• [No blood or signs of struggle in the dining area.]

• [There was only one kitchen knife at the stall, with traces of green onion and garlic, but no blood.]

• [A rolling pin was found, covered in flour and dough residue, with no blood.]

• [Prepared wonton filling was mostly used up; only a small portion remained. It was inspected and found to contain no poison.]

• [Only a few drops of blood were found near the body. No other traces of violence or blood elsewhere.]

After reviewing this, Agent Five was more convinced this was not the primary crime scene. He recalled the direction the body was facing and turned to the alley behind the stall on the map, flipping over the corresponding clue card:

• [The alley is dark, damp, and littered with rotting vegetable scraps. Vendors often dump wastewater here to keep their stall fronts clean. It smells awful, and people rarely pass through.]

• [Investigators found a set of footprints matching the victim’s shoe tread. The prints were deep and clear, all facing toward the stall.]

• [The alley is flanked by walls from neighboring courtyards—2 meters tall, no windows or doors, and no signs of climbing.]

• [The alley leads to an abandoned Earth God temple, now a shelter for vagrants. No blood was found there during inspection.]

• [When questioned, the homeless claimed they had been out begging and hadn’t returned to the temple. They didn’t see anyone pass through.]

Agent Five stood silent. The only useful clue here was the footprints—but they were the victim’s, leading to the stall.

Could it be that a man with no heart walked himself over and collapsed beside the stove?

That was impossible.

So how exactly did the killer move the body?

And why were there no footprints from the killer?

If the killer came out through the alley, where did they go afterward? Which direction did they take?

The body was covered in blood—the killer should have been stained, too. If they walked through a public street, they’d surely have been seen. Unless they were wearing dark clothing, making it hard to notice under the dim night lights.

Agent Five jotted down all his thoughts, then began reviewing the clue cards for the stalls on either side of the wonton stand.

Most of them were food vendors, but one of them sold river lanterns.

That river lantern stall provided slips of paper and ink for people to write their wishes before releasing the lanterns into the nearby river. It was a long-standing tradition. Though the stall mostly thrived during festivals, there was another unwritten custom tied to it.

Downstream, along the river, sat a brothel called Moon Fairy Pavilion.

The courtesans there were known to favor scholarly men and would often fish out lanterns from the river to read the poems or writings left inside. If a girl was impressed by what she read, she might invite that man into her private chambers—and the house musicians would even compose songs based on the poem.

Many flirtatious scholars enjoyed this little game—it let them show off their talent and maybe even gain fame.

According to the records from the lantern vendor, several scholars bought lanterns that night, including Scholar Lang. Naturally, no one knew what he wrote.

Agent Five fell into thought, eyes lingering on the map where Moon Fairy Pavilion was marked. Maybe he could find a clue about Scholar Lang there.

After all, if a man who was about to propose to someone still had the time to play flirtatious scholar, that was quite strange. Unless he didn’t have feelings for the wonton vendor. But based on the testimonies from Butcher Liu and others, that didn’t seem to be the case.

Strange. Very strange.

Just as Agent Five reached for the clue card about Moon Fairy Pavilion, their investigation time ran out.

Su Li clapped her hands and called out to them, “Candidates, the first round of evidence collection is over!”

The ten candidates reluctantly gathered back at the central platform, each looking more overwhelmed than the last. It was clear the case still held many unanswered questions.

But the merciless Su Li gave them no time to pause or discuss. She coolly announced the next phase.

“This is a small-scale competition, meant to test your ability to collect evidence on site, examine clues, and analyze the case.”

“You must remember—if you wish to become advisors in the future, you’ll need more than just competence. You’ll need an unwavering heart committed to fairness and justice and the determination to pursue the truth to the very end!”

“That’s why this assessment is a bit different from your usual murder-mystery simulations. There will be less time for team discussion.”

“Next, we’ll assess each of you in four areas: Character Relationships, Environmental Investigation, Evidence Correlation, and Case Deduction.”

“Now, please return to your groups and begin with Character Relationships. Each group may share one observation at a time—no blurting out answers.”

“Once all known relationships have been described, we’ll move on to the next phase.”

“Think carefully and answer seriously.”

“How sharp your observations were and how well you connected the clues will all count toward your final score in this round.”