Volume One, Chapter 11: The Sevenfold Kill Formation

“D—dead? Someone died?” Tong Yan could hardly believe it; after all, this was Daxia, and someone had died in broad daylight.

Ning Rou frowned and said, “Maybe it was some kind of accident?”

Jiang Chen shook his head. “I wish it were just an ordinary accident. You two should go back for now. This isn’t something you should get involved in.”

If he hadn’t caught the scent of blood mixed with a hint of resentment in the air, Jiang Chen might have really believed it was just a mishap.

Ning Rou wanted to protest, but seeing the grave look on Jiang Chen’s face, she realized this wasn’t the time to be stubborn. “Take care of yourself. Yan Yan, let’s go.” Ning Rou pulled Tong Yan away from the restaurant, leaving through the back door.

Jiang Chen sighed. He had only just arrived in Qing City, and already there was a murder. Fate truly had a twisted sense of humor.

He exited through the front entrance and squeezed his way out of the dense crowd. The people of Daxia had a particular talent: no matter what happened, as long as their own safety wasn’t at risk, they’d always stop to watch the spectacle, even if the scene was gruesome.

When Jiang Chen reached the front, he finally saw what had happened. Blood pooled on the ground, spreading from the body of the deceased. Jiang Chen looked up at the towering building above; for a fleeting moment, a shadowy figure darted across the rooftop, over a hundred meters high.

He gazed at the body lying on the ground, his face utterly calm, while those around him, drawn by curiosity, were retching and unable to bear the sight.

Of course, Jiang Chen hadn’t always been able to face such scenes so calmly. He owed it to his masters, who had thrown him onto the battlefield for half a year, where death was as common as drinking water and dismembered limbs were nothing out of the ordinary. Compared to those days, this was as trivial to him as blinking.

Five minutes later, most people had dispersed. Jiang Chen had no intention of lingering; the police would handle it—it was none of his concern.

The police had already cordoned off the area and cleared the crowd. Blending in, Jiang Chen was about to leave when a voice rang out clearly.

“Another jumper. This is already the fifth case in the city—five suicides in half a month. Whoever’s behind this must have it out for the police.”

“Yeah, I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep in five days, just chasing suspects.”

Jiang Chen turned, his heart sinking. Five suicides in half a month: with two more, the Seven Fiends Formation would be complete, and the entire city’s fortune would be swept away.

“Sir, you need to leave. We have a case to investigate,” said a young woman, her face still bearing traces of youthful innocence—she looked like a university student. Yet her figure was graceful and tall, with a pair of dimples that made her look especially sweet.

Jiang Chen said softly, “Hello, I’m a Taoist from Longhu Mountain. I can help you solve this case.”

Though he spoke quietly, with the crowd gone, every officer present heard him clearly.

“Kid, this is a police investigation, not your stage to play the hero. If you want to be a cop, pass the entrance exam first,” Liu Chongming said coldly.

Su Yike’s dimples appeared as she forced a bitter smile. “Thanks, young man, but we have urgent matters to attend to. If we need any information, we’ll come find you.”

Jiang Chen stood his ground for a moment, then finally nodded. “All right, I won’t insist. But… could you lean in for a moment?”

“Lean in?” Su Yike was still processing his words when Jiang Chen stepped closer.

“Tomorrow, at the same time, there will be another jumper—in the northwest. Please, you must stop it.” With that, Jiang Chen walked away without looking back.

Su Yike stood in place, muttering Jiang Chen’s words to herself.

After gathering all the information, the police special task force convened for another meeting.

In the police station’s conference room, Liu Chongming sat beside Su Yike, holding a box of pastries.

“Yike, eat something. You’ve been working all day without a bite. If you keep this up, your body won’t take it.” He offered her the pastries, but Su Yike didn’t take them.

Feeling awkward, Liu Chongming withdrew the box. After a while, Su Yike snapped out of her thoughts and said, “Brother Liu, that young Taoist said there would be another victim in the northwest tower.”

Liu Chongming scoffed. “Just a charlatan. If he really knew when and where the killer would strike, wouldn’t that make him the culprit? It’s not credible.”

What could a mere Taoist possibly accomplish?

Su Yike nodded slightly, lost in thought.

Gradually, the rest of the task force arrived. The chief of police, Zhao Xin, entered with a stern expression. “This is the city’s fifth suicide case, and we have no progress at all. Can anyone give me an explanation?”

As the leader of the task force, Wu Wei bowed his head, not daring to look up. He wanted to argue that there hadn’t been enough time, but the suspect was blatantly taunting them—if they couldn’t find the culprit soon, he’d be replaced.

After the meeting, all nine members of the special task force remained in the conference room.

Wu Wei said, “The killer is acting brazenly, committing murder in broad daylight. This is a challenge to us, and to the law of Daxia. There are five days left—by then I want to see results! If you have any ideas, speak up.”

The members exchanged glances and shook their heads with sighs.

They wanted to contribute, but couldn’t pinpoint where the problem lay.

The five victims included both men and women, with no overlap in their social circles. They might never have met, and yet five seemingly unrelated people had become victims in this case.

Clues couldn’t be pieced together; surveillance had caught nothing. They were at a complete loss.

Wu Wei glared at them. “Liu Chongming, your thoughts?”

Liu Chongming stood and gave an awkward smile. “Chief, I haven’t noticed anything special, but I’m sure the killer planned this long ago. He might be a psychopath—killing at random, anyone within his sight could become a victim.”

Wu Wei’s mouth twitched. “That’s just empty talk. Sit down.”

Liu Chongming scratched his head as Wu Wei continued, “Anyone else?”

Su Yike, who had been racking her brain, suddenly remembered the young Taoist’s words. Though there was no evidence, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was telling the truth.

“Chief, I have a hypothesis…”

She stood and recounted her encounter with the Taoist. Halfway through, Wu Wei interrupted, his face dark. “Yike, don’t be ridiculous. Lives are at stake—do you really think a young Taoist can solve this?”