Chapter 153 - 151: Information Gap
"Let’s take this outside," Zhou Tiancheng said, leading the others out.
"Jiang Li, what’s your plan?" Zhou Tiancheng asked, looking at her.
Lu Xingye glanced at Jiang Li. "Jiang Li probably wants to spread the news that Xiao Ji wasn’t arrested. That way, we can lure Miao Jiangling into striking again."
"Xiao Ji is under constant surveillance at the station. If Miao Jiangling commits another crime, it will prove Xiao Ji’s innocence."
Jiang Li nodded emphatically. That was exactly what she was thinking.
It wasn’t like they could just say Xiao Ji knew the Clone Technique.
Zhou Tiancheng nodded. "This plan could work."
Lu Xingye looked at him and coughed twice. "Captain Zhou, you should probably stay in their line of sight, too. Otherwise, they’ll accuse you of trying to cover for him no matter what."
Zhou Tiancheng’s mouth twitched, rendered speechless. He had wanted to go along for the thrill of it, but it looked like they were leaving him behind.
"You clashed with the chief, so of course they’re keeping a close eye on you," Lu Xingye said with a smile, patting Zhou Tiancheng’s shoulder.
Jiang Li smiled at Zhou Tiancheng. "Officer Zhou, just wait for our good news."
Miao Jiangling doesn’t use any electronic devices, so she wouldn’t know what’s being said online. We just need to get the message to her.
Once she finds out her scheme failed, she’s sure to strike again.
Zhou Tiancheng sighed in resignation. He had no choice but to go along with the plan.
Jiang Li looked at the snake in her hand. "Can you find Miao Jiangling’s location?"
The others stared at the snake in her hand, then listened to her words with a sense of wonder. ’Can... can it understand her?’
The small snake in Jiang Li’s hand flicked its tongue, but it seemed weak and listless. Jiang Li sighed in frustration.
"CAW, CAW—"
Hearing the familiar sound, Jiang Li’s eyes lit up, and she immediately ran toward its source.
"Hey!" Seeing her take off, the others quickly followed.
Jiang Li looked up at the familiar crow in the tree, placing her hands on her hips to catch her breath. "Can you take me to her?"
The crow swiveled its beady eye before taking off in a specific direction.
Jiang Li immediately followed.
"Jiang Li, you know this... this crow?" Wu Ming asked, watching the scene in amazement. She had been hoping to show off her own skills in front of Jiang Li, but the crow had stolen her thunder.
"They’re the ones that ate all the poisonous insects in the cave that day," Jiang Li said, her eyes fixed on the direction the crow had flown.
She’d thought she was a goner that day, but then a flock of crows had unexpectedly flown into the cave and started eating the insects on the ground.
Lu Xingye’s jaw dropped in surprise. No wonder he’d fainted back then. He remembered seeing a black shadow before his feet slipped out from under him.
’So it was their fault.’
"That’s one surprisingly intelligent crow," Wu Ming mused, stroking her chin.
The group followed for a while. Jiang Li slowed down when she saw the crow land nearby, and then she spotted a white-haired old woman in the distance.
Jiang Li frowned in confusion. Miao Jiangling hadn’t looked this way when she’d seen her before. If it weren’t for the familiar cane in her hand, she might not have recognized her at all.
Miao Jiangling was sitting on a rock, cane in hand. "Miao Anji should be in police custody by now."
"Hmph. Let him rot in prison for the rest of his life."
Hearing this, Jiang Li clenched her fists. ’So it really was her.’
"Lu Xingye, you go. She’s seen the rest of us."
Lu Xingye scratched his head. "How am I supposed to stage this by myself?"
"I have an idea!" Wu Ming raised her hand, then pulled out her phone. After a flurry of taps, she sent him an audio file.
"Just pretend you’re walking by and play this audio so she can overhear it. That should do the trick."
Lu Xingye gave her a thumbs-up. ’Who knew she was a tech whiz?’ he thought.
Thankfully, he was dressed casually. He picked up a stick from the ground and started walking, looking the part of a wanderer.
He played another video first to make it seem innocuous, then switched to the audio file from Wu Ming as he neared Miao Jiangling.
"According to a Public Security Bureau report, the murder discovered this morning is unrelated to a Mr. Miao. At the time of the incident, Mr. Miao was at the hospital. The case is still under investigation, and we ask the public to remain patient."
Miao Jiangling’s hand tightened instantly. ’What’s going on?’
She had her Gu Worm steal the silver ornament from Miao Anji’s clothes and had even used a Gu to make someone parade past the surveillance cameras.
’Damn it. I was too careless,’ she thought. ’I’ll have to be more cautious next time.’
Once he was out of Miao Jiangling’s sight, Lu Xingye took the long way around to rejoin the others.
Jiang Li had Wu Ming turn on her recording equipment, ready to tail Miao Jiangling.
After dark, Miao Jiangling finally made her move. She got up, leaning on her cane, and headed toward a populated area.
Jiang Li and Wu Ming hurried to follow.
Miao Jiangling, wearing a black cloak, crouched in an alley near a KTV, waiting for her next poor victim.
Jiang Li and Wu Ming watched from their hiding spot in a corner.
Soon, two drunk men stumbled out, arms slung over each other’s shoulders.
"Bro, that chick... she was something else, huh?"
"Yeah... next time... next time, we’re... we’re comin’ back... HIC..."
The two of them staggered toward the alley.
Hearing the commotion behind her, Miao Jiangling smiled. ’Miao Anji, let’s see you get out of this one.’
Miao Jiangling rose and walked toward the two men. As she brushed past them, she planted the prepared Gu Worms on them.
Immediately, their perception of her shifted. To ensure her grand plan succeeded, Miao Jiangling made them see the face of Miao Anji.
’All I need to do is kill one of them, and have the other run to the police...’
"Whoa, look at this pretty thing. Can’t tell if it’s a guy or a girl."
"Nice look, though. Dressed pretty sharp."
The two men stared at her and started making crude jokes.
Miao Jiangling stepped forward and struck one of them.
"Fuck!" The man’s friend moved to retaliate, but then he saw Miao Jiangling pull out a dagger and nearly pissed himself in terror.
"Y-y-you, what are you doing? Don’t do anything crazy!" the man who’d been hit stammered, backing away in fear.
Jiang Li shot to her feet. "You’re the real murderer, Miao Jiangling!"
Hearing Jiang Li’s voice behind her, Miao Jiangling’s brow furrowed. ’What is she doing here?’
Miao Jiangling turned around slowly. ’Since she saw, I can’t let her live.’
"Jiang Li, you’re courting death!" Miao Jiangling snarled, producing her own Gu Worm. This was her Heart-Eating Gu, guaranteed to inflict a pain worse than death.
Jiang Li glanced at the Gu Worm in the old woman’s hand and took a fearful step back.
But the next second, the Red Scorpion suddenly shot out of Jiang Li’s bag. It scurried onto Miao Jiangling, devoured her Gu Worm right in front of her, and then, completely unharmed, gave its tail a little shake.
Miao Jiangling stared at the scene in utter shock. "This... how is this possible...?"
Panicked, Jiang Li rushed forward to retrieve the Red Scorpion. That was Xiao Ji’s prized possession; nothing could happen to it.
Seeing his chance, Yu Huannian emerged from the shadows and pinned the old woman to the ground.
...
「At the police station」
Wang Jiawei was still pressuring his officers to confirm Miao Anji’s guilt in the murder.
Suddenly, an officer ran over. "Chief, bad news! We just got a call reporting a knife assault in progress!"
Zhou Tiancheng’s eyebrow twitched. He let out an inward sigh of relief. ’Looks like their plan went smoothly after all.’