Phoenix Feather

In the middle of the night, it began to rain heavily.

It was dark outside the window.

The lonely candle flickered on and off, as if it would go out in the next moment.

The rain seemed to be falling harder, and the wind began to blow.

The banyan tree in the yard rustled under the blowing of the wind, and there was a strange cooing sound of an unknown bird in the distance, which was extremely eerie.

A person ran wildly in the mud with one deep foot and one shallow foot.

Candlelight leaked through the half-closed door and shone on the pale face of the visitor.

Long hair covered half of his face, and his bloodless lips trembled violently.

He took courage, stretched out his hand and pushed, and the door panel made a hoarse creaking sound, which was very clear in the quiet night.

There was no one in the room, it was quiet.

Under the flickering candlelight, a fan was lying on the ground alone.

He bent down to pick up the fan, the fan was very thin, with peach blossoms dotted on the fan, the blood red color stung his eyes.

He reached out his hand tremblingly and touched the blood-red bright peach blossom, the viscous liquid made him tremble all over.

The bloodstains meandered to the window, and outside the window was the dark yard.

He threw his fan and rushed into the yard in a frenzy.

The rain gradually lightened up again, and the hazy moonlight behind the clouds stared coldly at the small courtyard.

The shadows of the flowers flickered, the shadows were faint, and the unknown wild birds and insects screamed mournfully.

He frantically rummaged in the yard.

In a hurry, his left foot tripped over his right foot inexplicably, and the whole person fell heavily to the ground.

The whole yard suddenly fell silent.

The bugs and wild birds that were screaming just now disappeared suddenly.

He couldn't control his body and began to tremble violently.

Among the flowers, a pale face was very close to him.

Who is this, who is this?

He felt as if his mind was about to split open and he was in chaos.

Distant memories surged up from my mind, one after another, fluttering in the air like snowflakes but could not be captured...

***

Xiao Chunqiu sat up from the bed startled, sweating profusely.

He turned on the bedside lamp and checked the time, it was three in the morning.

It was raining heavily outside.

Having nightmares?

Xiao Chunqiu raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat on his forehead, the sticky feeling on his body made him feel very uncomfortable.

He got out of bed, went to the bathroom and twisted a towel to wipe off his sweat.

After wiping, people are awake.

Crawled back on the bed and sat there in a daze.

Strange, how could I have such a nightmare for no reason?

After muttering for a while, I couldn't figure it out.

Xiao Chunqiu lay down again, tossed and tossed on the bed for a while, without feeling sleepy at all.

He casually picked up the mobile phone placed by the bed, intending to play games.

Turning on the phone, he accidentally found Shangguanxuan's phone number.

Thinking of him forcing himself to take him to Xuanxuan's house for dinner tonight, Xiao Chunqiu couldn't help but feel teased.

The phone was connected as soon as he pressed it, Xiao Chunqiu was happy, and out of a mischievous heart, he immediately pressed the phone.

Just snickering for three seconds, the phone rang.

Looking at the flashing name above, Xiao Chunqiu hesitated whether to answer it or not.

The vibrating cell phone seemed to be Shangguanxuan's anger.

Due to the habit of the past month, Xiao Chunqiu was a little afraid of Shangguanxuan's cold face, hesitated again and again, and still answered the phone.

Before he had time to speak, Shangguan Xuan's eager voice came over: "What happened? Are you okay?"

Xiao Chunqiu was stunned, guilty conscience welled up in his heart.

"Hey, hey, why don't you talk, are you okay?" Shangguan Xuan was anxious.

"me……"

"What happened?"

"It's okay, I'm okay, I couldn't sleep, I was playing with my phone, and I accidentally pressed your number." Xiao Chunqiu made up an excuse.

Shangguan Xuan breathed a sigh of relief.

Suddenly there was something strange in his heart, Xiao Chunqiu asked in a low voice: "Are you still asleep?"

After a while of silence, Shangguan Xuan's voice came over: "I fell asleep, I was woken up by your ghostly call."

Xiao Chunqiu couldn't help laughing: "It's rare that you can be humorous."

"You—can't sleep?" Shangguan Xuan asked tentatively.

Xiao Chunqiu faltered: "It's nothing, I had a nightmare."

"What nightmare?"

"An inexplicably weird nightmare."

"tell me the story."

Such a rainy night, such a dream, it is good to have someone to talk about.

Xiao Chunqiu stretched the pillow and lay down, talking about that bizarre dream while thinking about it.

After speaking, there was a silence on the other end of the phone.

Xiao Chunqiu turned over, "Hey, you must not fall asleep, right?"

"No." Shangguan Xuan's voice was a little tense.

After being silent for a while, Shangguan Xuan comforted him somewhat bluntly: "It's just a dream, don't be afraid."

Xiao Chunqiu felt a little funny, "I'm not afraid."

"Well, go to sleep."

Xiao Chunqiu turned over again, "Shangguanxuan."

"Ok?"

"Why do I suddenly feel like we are old friends?"

Shangguanxuan has only been transferred for a month, and although they meet almost every day, because they are the boss, and Shangguanxuan always has an indifferent face that rejects people thousands of miles away, so there is not much communication between them.Xiao Chunqiu was already surprised that he would follow him to Xuanxuan's house with the cheek, but now he listened to his nagging with such a friendly face, Xiao Chunqiu almost wondered if he was possessed by a ghost. A good friend who has talked to him for many years, not a boss who can be said to be a stranger.

Shangguanxuan didn't answer, and he whispered for a long time: "We are not just friends."

Xiao Chunqiu didn't hear clearly for a moment, "What did you say?"

"It's nothing." After a pause, Shangguanxuan suddenly asked, "Do you believe in past and present lives?"

"I don't really believe it."

……

Chatting without saying a word, sleepiness gradually came, Xiao Chunqiu felt his eyelids getting heavier and heavier while holding the phone.

"Chunqiu, Chunqiu..."

"Ah."

"Chunqiu, Chunqiu..."

Before he fell asleep hazily, Xiao Chunqiu suddenly felt that Shangguanxuan's low voice was very gentle, making him sleepy, really wanting...

After waiting for a long time, there was only occasional rustling of Xiao Chunqiu turning over from the other end of the phone.

Shangguan Xuan put down his cell phone and stared out of the dark window in a daze.

The rain was still falling, hitting the windows with a slight pattering sound.

The vast rainy night is dark and oppressive, like a huge net trapping people in it...

***

Xiao Chunqiu lifted a corner of the white cloth and immediately put it down, his stomach twitched and he almost wanted to vomit.

Seeing his face turn pale, Shangguan Xuan said in a kind of gentle tone: "Go outside and wait for me."

Xiao Chunqiu shook his head.

"If you don't go out, sit over there." Shangguanxuan said without any arguments.

Xiao Chunqiu reluctantly walked to the corner and sat down, thinking about it, he felt that he was really weak and bullied, and was crushed to death by Shangguanxuan. He straightened his back and just wanted to vent his dissatisfaction, but when he thought of Shangguanxuan's cold face , the straight back softened again.

You can't refute it, you can only curse secretly.

Shangguan Xuan glanced at him, "What are you whispering there? Are you scolding me?"

Xiao Chunqiu was taken aback, this monster!

"No." He firmly denied.

Shangguan Xuan took a deep look at him, then turned his head and continued to discuss the situation of the deceased with forensic doctor Han Yu.

Han Yu and Shangguan Xuan are old acquaintances, they used to work in the same police station.

"Shangguan, what wind brought you to this small temple?"

Nicknamed Lengmianhu, Shangguanxuan has top-notch skills and top-notch ability to solve crimes. He is a character that even the Interpol is trying to win over. Han Yu is really surprised that he will appear in this little-known police station.

Shangguanxuan asked back: "You are a big forensic doctor with a smiling face, why do you want to be a little forensic doctor here?"

Han Yu first said with a smile: "Because it's very busy here," and then said seriously: "My wife is here."

Shangguan Xuan didn't believe it.

Han Yu put on a sad expression and sighed: "I fell in love with someone, but he doesn't like me." After a while, he said confidently again: "In less than two months, he will definitely devote himself to me." Embrace, haha!"

Shangguan Xuan was expressionless. Every time he saw Han Yu's arrogance, he couldn't help but want to draw his gun.

After laughing, Han Yu glanced at Xiao Chunqiu and said, "Unexpectedly, there are so many beauties in this small police station."

A cold light flashed in Shangguan Xuan's eyes, and he said in a low voice, "If you dare to make up his mind, I will make you stay with the corpse for the rest of your life."

Han Yu was taken aback by the warning tone. He looked at Xiao Chunqiu a few times, and teased: "You like him? I didn't expect you to like people even after ten thousand years of iceberg. It's really interesting!"

Shangguanxuan didn't want to continue this topic with him, "Stop talking nonsense, have you seen any clues?"

Han Yu put away his smile, "The cause of death is very simple, excessive blood loss, I think the skin of the deceased was most likely cut off by a thin and sharp blade."

Han Yu pulled out a thin blade from nowhere and handed it to Shangguanxuan.

Shangguanxuan took it and recognized it as the scalpel that Han Yu carried with him, "You mean the possible murder knife is a scalpel?"

Han Yu nodded: "Furthermore, the murderer may be a doctor. At least he has the knowledge to peel off the whole skin intact. In addition, the deceased did not have any drug ingredients such as drugs and narcotics." , and there is no fatal wound on the body, so it is very likely that the deceased was skinned alive while conscious."

The body couldn't move, and the slender sensory nerves clearly felt the cold blade piercing from the bottom of the feet, along the calf, thigh, abdomen, chest, and then to the neck. Watching my skin slowly peeling off, exposing the fragile flesh and blood, Blood gushes out...

I can't imagine what kind of fear and pain this is.

Shangguan Xuan didn't know what he thought of, his face sank like water.

Xiao Chunqiu saw that there was no movement between the two of them at once, so he stood up from the chair and asked: "What, do you have any clues?"

This is the second similar case this month, and it has been listed as a serial skinning murder case. So far, there are very few clues, and the murderer has no rules. I don't know who will be the next victim. If we don't solve the case as soon as possible , the number of victims will only increase.

Shangguanxuan returned the scalpel to Han Yu, and said, "Preliminary speculation, the murderer may be proficient in medical knowledge." He looked back at Han Yu, "I have read the on-site investigation report of the forensic department, and there was no sign of struggle at the scene. You just said that the deceased was skinned while awake, which is somewhat contradictory."

Han Yu said: "I'm only responsible for letting the corpse tell you as many clues as possible, and you have to investigate the rest."

Xiao Chunqiu was discouraged: "There is no similarity between the two victims. It can be seen that the murderer did it randomly. It is difficult to lock the target. It feels like looking for a needle in a haystack."

Shangguanxuan said: "Don't be discouraged, no matter how careful the murderer is, there will always be clues left behind, ask Tang Yun and Chu Heng to check the friendship of the two deceased, um," Shangguanxuan pinched his chin and thought for a while, then said: " The other thing is to find out if the two of them are heartless people who are indiscriminate."

Xiao Chunqiu blinked his eyes, "A sentimental heartbreaker? Why?"

Shangguanxuan didn't want to say more, "It's enough to check, the subordinates must obey the superiors unconditionally, otherwise what are the superiors and subordinates doing?"

"Cut!" Xiao Chunqiu was very unconvinced, damn it!

Han Yu seemed to be very concerned about Chu Heng, and asked, "Who is this Chu Heng? How is his character?"

Shangguan Xuan glanced at him, "Why are you asking?"

Xiao Chunqiu also stared at Han Yu curiously.

Han Yu coughed, and said unnaturally: "Just asking casually."

"Then you can find someone to ask casually, let's go."

Xiao Chunqiu wanted to gossip, but Shangguanxuan dragged him away.

"Why, let go, I'll go by myself."

"where are you going?"

"Toilet! My lord!"