Chapter 119: Night Watch at the Widow’s Wall
Chapter 119: Night Watch at the Widow’s Wall
A breath of sandalwood incense entered his lungs. The Great Sluggish Cauldron entered the Incense Burning State. Li Zian’s mind jolted. It felt like he had gained a superpower in an instant.
He became a sponge, a sponge that specifically absorbed sound waves.
Countless faint sounds rushed into his ears. The sound of breeze brushing through leaves, tires rolling over the roadside on the street, people speaking in surrounding rooms, sounds from TV programs, clapping sounds, even the ticking of a clock’s second hand—within a hundred-meter radius, no sound was missed. All of them poured into his ears.
It wasn’t just about hearing sounds. He could even roughly judge the state of the person or object making a particular sound based on its characteristics. For example, from the sound of the clock’s second hand, he could tell roughly at what height the clock was hanging. As for the clapping sound, he could grasp the rhythm changes and analyze the state of the person clapping, and whether the reactions of those watching were genuine or fake.
“You’re finished,” Li Zian thought to himself.
Two seconds later, his ears caught a muffled panting sound.
And a woman’s voice: “You’re so amazing.”
So fake.
Moreover, from the woman’s voice, he could roughly estimate her age—she was around thirty years old.
A mosquito was flying from the alley toward him. Under normal conditions, he wouldn’t hear a mosquito flying from afar. But in this Incense Burning State, he could even tell that the mosquito was about fifteen meters away, flying at a height of roughly two meters.
In martial arts novels, there was a skill called “locating by sound.”
The Great Sluggish Cauldron’s Incense Burning State gave him this ability, and it was a Plus version.
Compared to when this ability first appeared, it had now clearly improved.
Heavenly Dao rewards diligence. After all, with the Great Slumber Qi Refining Art, sleeping was cultivation.
Li Zian focused his attention on the room behind the courtyard wall. He heard the sound of a woman snoring in her sleep, and the creaking of the bed springs as she turned over. There were also mosquitoes in her room—seven of them, maybe more. If mosquitoes settled on the wall or ceiling, he wouldn’t hear any sound.
This situation puzzled Li Zian. He had previously believed that Liu Jun and the two officers would come around to investigate this woman, but they hadn’t. If Liu Jun and the officers weren’t coming, why was he listening here by the wall? He had no interest in listening to an auntie’s sleep sounds until dawn.
But he patiently waited on.
The mosquito flying from the alley dove down from the two-meter height. It had found its midnight snack.
Li Zian didn’t even glance at it. Squatting by the wall, he swung his right hand and grabbed. The mosquito instantly turned into a tiny speck of crushed matter in his hand.
“Brother Mosquito, you fly like a helicopter. Did you think you could sneak-attack me?” Li Zian scoffed.
Just then, footsteps reached Li Zian’s ears, coming from the other side of the house. He quickly assessed the situation: two people were approaching. From the characteristics of the footsteps, one was a man wearing flat shoes, the other a woman wearing half-heels.
“Liu Jun brought two male officers, no woman. It’s not Liu Jun and his team. Then who’s coming?” Li Zian felt curious and suspicious inside.
Knock, knock, knock.
The sound of knocking.
“Is anyone there?” A man’s voice.
Li Zian paused slightly. It was Liu Jun’s voice.
In the Great Sluggish Cauldron’s Incense Burning State, he could distinguish between male and female footsteps, but he couldn’t tell whose footsteps they were. He had never made an effort to memorize Liu Jun’s footsteps before, but after this, he remembered. Next time he heard them, he could identify Liu Jun’s footsteps.
What puzzled him was: Liu Jun clearly brought two male officers, so why was there a woman now?
“Probably called a female officer from the police station specifically. A female officer could speak more easily with a woman. No wonder they took so long to get here—they were waiting for this female officer,” Li Zian thought.
“Is anyone there?” The female officer’s voice.
The woman inside woke up. She got out of bed, put on slippers, draped a coat over her shoulders, and walked toward the door.
Li Zian wasn’t inside the house, but in the Great Sluggish Cauldron’s Incense Burning State, it was as if he were right beside the woman. Every move she made was under his observation.
The woman opened the door.
“You… what do you want?” The woman’s voice sounded somewhat nervous.
The female officer’s voice: “Ma’am, don’t be nervous. There was an assault case earlier—someone stabbed a person. The suspect fled into this area. We’re here to remind everyone to stay safe and investigate if anyone saw the suspect.”
Liu Jun’s voice: “Ma’am, the suspect is about 1.67 meters tall, has a round face with pockmarks, triangular eyes, and a fierce appearance. Have you seen him?”
The woman’s voice: “No.”
“Is it just you at home?” The female officer’s voice.
“Yeah, my husband died years ago,” the woman replied.
“What’s your name?”
“Hong Baohui.”
Li Zian’s mind stirred. So it really was the “Hong mistress”!
“What do you do for work?” The female officer’s voice.
“I’m a salesclerk at a supermarket,” Hong Baohui answered.
“Which supermarket?”
“Not far from here—the Lianhua Supermarket at the end of Fumin Street,” Hong Baohui said.
“Okay, thank you for your cooperation,” the female officer said.
“Oh, I just remembered something. Earlier I heard noises in the small courtyard, like someone was on the wall. Could it be the suspect?” Hong Baohui asked.
“Take us inside to check,” Liu Jun said.
Hong Baohui led Liu Jun and the female officer into the house. They stayed inside briefly, then opened the back door and entered the small courtyard.
Liu Jun walked around the courtyard, shining a flashlight into corners where someone might hide.
“No one came into my courtyard, right?” Hong Baohui asked.
“I’ve checked. No one. What you saw was probably a cat,” Liu Jun said, thinking to himself that this “cat” probably weighed over a hundred pounds.
“A cat? No wonder it ran so fast, gone in a flash. I’m quite timid. You need to catch that suspect quickly, or I won’t dare sleep,” Hong Baohui said.
Liu Jun sniffed the air and asked, “Why is there an incense smell here?”
Li Zian cursed inwardly, “Are you part dog or something?”
“I don’t know. I never burn incense, but other households might be using mosquito coils,” Hong Baohui replied.
“Alright, we need to check other houses. You can rest now. If you notice anything suspicious, report it immediately,” Liu Jun said.
“Yes, okay,” Hong Baohui said.
Liu Jun and the female officer left Hong Baohui’s home.
He had smelled the sandalwood incense, but he would never have guessed that Li Zian, whom he had sent home, had turned back and was squatting by the courtyard wall, having lit a stick of sandalwood incense.
Hong Baohui went back inside and climbed into bed.
Li Zian felt somewhat frustrated. “She’s back in bed to sleep. Am I supposed to squat here listening to her snore until dawn? Maybe I should go check out the supermarket she mentioned tomorrow. I need to buy groceries anyway.”
Hong Baohui tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. The mattress springs creaked under her weight.
Li Zian had been about to leave, but hearing this, he forced himself to stay.
Hong Baohui sat up in bed again and made a phone call.
In the Great Sluggish Cauldron’s Incense Burning State, Li Zian could even hear the ringtone from her mobile phone. It was a song.
“Wild waves, wild waves, wild waves are an attitude, wild waves rise and fall…”
Li Zian felt his legs trembling slightly from squatting. What a weird reaction.
“Hey! What’s the matter calling so late at night?” A man’s voice suddenly came from the mobile phone. The voice was unfamiliar, hoarse, low, giving a synthesized sound feeling.
Li Zian suddenly remembered the audio software. Ma Fuquan had received a mysterious call and recorded it. The voice in that recording was very similar to the one he was capturing now!
“Why are you so harsh? Something happened over here, I couldn’t sleep, so I called you.”
“What happened?”
“There was an assault nearby. Police are going door to door. I’m worried the suspect might come into my house. Can you come over and stay with me?”
“Police came to your place?”
“Yeah, they knocked, said a few things,” Hong Baohui said.
“What did they ask?”
“Nothing much. Just asked if I saw a suspect with triangular eyes, face full of pockmarks. Just thinking about it gives me chills. Can you come stay with me? It’s not far. You can drive here in ten, twenty minutes.”
“I can’t come. You come over here,” the man said.
“You really…”
“I bought you a bag, over two thousand. Come over and I’ll give it to you.”
“Oh, you’re so thoughtful. Alright then, I’ll come right away.” Her voice sweetened immediately upon hearing about the bag, despite being angry moments before.
“You don’t have any of my things at your place, do you?” The man’s voice.
“No. You wouldn’t even let me take a picture of you. How could I have any of your things?”
“Okay, just asking. Call when you’re coming, I’ll open the door for you.”
“Fine, fine, I’ll come right away.” Hong Baohui hung up, got dressed, and went out.
Li Zian stabbed the nearly burnt-out sandalwood incense into the ground, stepped back a few paces, then made a dash. Using his momentum, he climbed over the wall and jumped down.
He entered the house through the back door, didn’t linger, went straight to the front door, and opened it.
In front was a small alley. Hong Baohui was walking along it.
Li Zian slipped out, closed the door behind him, entered the alley, and followed Hong Baohui from a distance.
The alley was quiet. There were streetlights here, so it wasn’t too dark. Even at night, he could see clearly.
Following behind Hong Baohui, Li Zian pondered the man’s words: “He didn’t mention buying a bag for his mistress during the day, but as soon as police show up, he says he bought a bag and asks if she has any of his things at home. Isn’t this looking like he wants to silence her? Should I inform Liu Jun?”
Ahead, Hong Baohui suddenly turned around.
Li Zian quickly hid behind a concrete utility pole, turning sideways, even hiding his shoulders.
Hong Baohui just glanced back and then continued walking forward. She probably hadn’t noticed someone following her, but was just worried about the pockmarked suspect, feeling scared walking alone at night, so she looked back.
Li Zian followed her again.