Chapter 55: Deduction
On the list of missing children’s families provided by Zhou Shiqin, Jiang Xiaofei and Lan Lianshuang quickly found a household whose child had disappeared.
At this moment, the family was eating dinner in the living room, though it was clear from their gloomy faces that there was little joy at the table. When they noticed Jiang Xiaofei and Lan Lianshuang entering, they set down their bowls and chopsticks, and a middle-aged man stood up, asking, “Who are you two? What brings you to our home?”
Lan Lianshuang smiled politely. “Uncle, good evening. I’m terribly sorry to interrupt your meal.”
The man did not seem unreasonable. Upon hearing her words, he immediately asked, “May I ask who you are?”
Lan Lianshuang’s smile remained gentle. “We’re investigators working on the missing children case.”
At her words, an auntie immediately jumped to her feet, asking anxiously, “Have you found our Fangfang?”
Lan Lianshuang shook her head. “I’m sorry. Not yet.”
An elderly woman sitting in the corner, upon hearing this, cried out in distress, “It’s been days! You still haven’t found her. What are you people even doing? If anything happens to our Fangfang, I’ll make sure you answer for it.”
Lan Lianshuang’s tone was soft and reassuring. “Please don’t be angry, Grandma. Listen to me. We’re here precisely for this matter.”
“Investigators, coming all the way into our home—I think you’re just taking money without doing anything, deliberately dragging things out. If—” Before the grandmother could finish, the middle-aged man quickly cut her off, urging her to calm down.
He then turned to Lan Lianshuang. “What do you need to investigate? How can we cooperate?”
Lan Lianshuang replied, “We need a close relative’s blood. It will help us deduce the whereabouts of the missing child. If you trust us, uncle, please give me a drop of your blood.”
The moment he heard there might be a way to find his child, the man agreed at once. “Alright, I’ll give you my blood right now.”
Just as the man was about to bite his finger, another middle-aged man who had been silent in the corner finally spoke. “Let me do it.”
Lan Lianshuang frowned slightly. “And you are?”
“I’m Fangfang’s father.” With that, the man stood and walked toward Lan Lianshuang. “Use my blood.”
“Very well,” Lan Lianshuang nodded.
Without hesitation, the man bit his right fingertip. Fresh blood welled up, and he let several drops fall into the clean porcelain vessel Lan Lianshuang held out.
After a few drops, the man asked, “Is that enough?”
Lan Lianshuang nodded gently. “When I perform the divination, I must be alone. I hope you’ll understand.”
“I understand,” he replied, nodding. He motioned for the rest of the family to step out of the room.
Once the family had left, Lan Lianshuang immediately summoned the Icy Needle. Instantly, a bone-chilling cold filled the entire room.
Feeling the piercing chill, Jiang Xiaofei frowned slightly. “Why are you taking out the Icy Needle?”
Lan Lianshuang replied calmly, “To use it for divination, of course.”
Jiang Xiaofei raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “Are you serious? That thing can do divination?”
“Naturally. Why else would it be called the Icy Needle? It can even pierce space itself—but with my current abilities, I can’t unleash its full power.” With that, Lan Lianshuang let a drop of the blood in the porcelain dish fall onto the Icy Needle.
Seeing this, Jiang Xiaofei fell silent and watched intently.
As the blood seeped into the Icy Needle, Lan Lianshuang formed a seal with her hands and called out softly, “Reveal!”
Runes of ice began to shimmer and writhe along the surface of the Icy Needle. An ancient, mysterious aura spread through the room.
The runes shifted and evolved, containing worlds within them, beginning to search for Fangfang’s location.
The vision was hazy, shrouded in a murky energy.
“Is it not working?” Jiang Xiaofei grew anxious at the sight.
“We may need more blood,” Lan Lianshuang replied.
“No problem.” Jiang Xiaofei nodded and poured the remaining blood from the porcelain vessel onto the Icy Needle.
“Continue the divination!” As the blood infused the Icy Needle, Lan Lianshuang called out again.
This time, straining with all her might, she began to bring the vision into focus.
A tremor ran through the void, and a desolate wilderness appeared.
Jiang Xiaofei stared at the unfolding vision, not daring to overlook a single blade of grass.
Lan Lianshuang, too, fixed her gaze on the scene, her heart pounding. She sensed a powerful presence within the vision—so faint as to be nearly imperceptible, yet undeniably real.
At last, the vision grew clear.
It was an abandoned factory. In a corner, many children were bound together.
Upon seeing these missing children, Jiang Xiaofei was overjoyed.
But suddenly, a woman in a black coat appeared before the children. She spun around, her twisted face glaring into the void.
“How dare you spy on me? Courting death!” she roared.
A wave of terrifying power surged out from the vision.
The force was overwhelming, unstoppable, carrying destruction as it crashed into Lan Lianshuang’s mind.
Under its assault, her spirit trembled violently, her very soul in turmoil as if the end of days had arrived.
Her face drained of color. In desperation, she hurriedly activated the Icy Needle.
A flash, and the Icy Needle appeared within her mind’s eye, radiating crystalline runes of ice.
The runes writhed and unfolded, forming a world that shielded her from the invading power.
But the destructive force was immense. The runes held for only a moment before shattering.
The energy then collided with the Icy Needle itself. Luckily, after passing through the runes, much of its strength was spent. When it struck the Icy Needle, the remaining power was completely dissipated by the icy runes that blossomed from its surface.
Even so, the shock left Lan Lianshuang’s spirit shaken and unsettled.
With a tremor, she coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Alarmed, Jiang Xiaofei rushed forward to catch her as she swayed, asking with concern, “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine…” Lan Lianshuang tried to give a weak smile, but before she could finish speaking, she fainted.
Jiang Xiaofei frowned, gently laying her down on the ground. His expression grew grave as he muttered an incantation, “Five Ghosts, reveal yourselves at once.”
At his command, a black whirlwind appeared in the room, dissipating to reveal five fearsome spirits.
The green-faced female ghost bowed respectfully. “Master Fei, what are your orders?”
The other four echoed in unison, “Yes, Master Fei! Just tell us what you need!”
Jiang Xiaofei spoke coolly, “I want you to find this place. Report back to me the moment you do.”
With that, he extended his palm, and with a swirl of glowing patterns, he projected the scene they had just divined before the five ghosts.
After studying the vision, the five ghosts replied in unison, “No problem! We’ll take care of it immediately.”
As soon as they finished speaking, they vanished into a black whirlwind, leaving the room empty and silent.