"We need to get the body out first!" Xie Chuchu said. The few of us cooperated with her, but moving it like this could easily damage the corpse.
Besides, we had to wash away the spiderwebs on its surface. We grabbed some insecticide and sprayed it directly.
Soon, the spiders were dead under our insecticide. A few that tried to escape were directly stomped to death by Gao Mingqiang.
After dealing with the spiderwebs, we tried to smash the Buddha statue. Fortunately, the materials weren't too hard. We got a hammer and easily broke it apart.
Then, the body was moved down. To our surprise, we found another tattoo pattern on the deceased, but this time it wasn't the Xiezhi, it was the Xuanwu!
A flash of inspiration hit me: "I remember both Xiezhi and Xuanwu represent the north!"
"So the killer is killing people according to the directions of the Bagua?" Gao Mingqiang asked in surprise.
Liu Yuning hadn't heard of the Bagua before, and she asked me what was going on. I had to explain it to her.
"So you found this place based on that. Although it sounds a bit ridiculous, you actually guessed right!" Liu Yuning admitted.
"Guess? This is absolutely based on evidence. If I'm not mistaken, this killer must believe in Taoism?"
"You mean he's a Taoist priest? Not a tattoo artist?"
"I just said he believes in Taoism, not that he's a Taoist priest. You're distorting the meaning, you know?"
"You! Consultant He, if you can't solve this case, then get out!"
"What do you mean? Solving the case is your job. I'm just a consultant, here to assist!"
As we approached, Xie Chuchu was already examining the body. She moved the deceased's joints and observed her pupils. She said, "This female corpse has been dead for at least a month. Her skin is severely decomposed, her limbs are extremely stiff, and the chest area has been tattooed with the pattern of a Xuanwu. The color and technique are the same as last time, but her cause of death is very strange!"
"What is it?" Liu Yuning's attention returned to the body. I stopped arguing with her and crouched down next to Xie Chuchu.
"There are many small wounds on her body!" Xie Chuchu said.
"According to the time of death, this is indeed earlier than the previous two female corpses," Gao Mingqiang reminded us.
Liu Yuning coughed, "So what's next?"
I said, "Why do the wounds on the deceased look so much like they were left by spiders?"
I said curiously, and Xie Chuchu immediately got excited, "That's right, it should be spiders. Could the deceased have been..."
"Bitten to death by spiders?" I finished her sentence.
"Exactly, but whether the wounds were left by spiders still needs to be tested and compared back at the lab," Xie Chuchu said.
The corpse's face was also disfigured by bites. This time, it would be impossible to identify her as we did before.
I sprayed some chemical agent on the ground before Xie Chuchu and I turned the body over.
There were no needle marks on the female corpse's back. We also checked her wrists. This time, the killer did not resort to using saline to prolong the victim's life, because this was his first crime, and he hadn't thought that far ahead.
But how did he think of using spiders to kill? It seemed like he had pondered it for a while before coming up with it.
If we followed this line of reasoning, there would be a contradiction.
I examined the deceased's body again but didn't get any more information. I still had doubts about the cause of death, while others had already concluded that she was bitten to death by spiders.
I stood up and entered the ancient temple, looking around the interior. The body had already been removed. I noticed a large number of fly pupae stuck to the walls of the temple. I looked closer and found that they weren't thrown here later, because they were attached to the walls, meaning they had been growing here all along.
This could prove that the spiders might have been attracted to these fly pupae, as spiders' favorite foods include flies, moths, mealworms, and cockroaches. Flies are one of them.
I turned back and told everyone my conclusion. Gao Mingqiang was surprised, "You mean the spiders were attracted here accidentally?"
"Exactly. The cause of death is still under investigation, because no wounds were found on the deceased, which is different from the ligature marks on the neck of the previous female corpses. Without wounds, I think poisoning is the most likely cause."
"Let's check it out when we get back, Senior!" Xie Chuchu said.
That's all we could do for now. At this moment, a spider crawled out, and Liu Yuning stomped on it. She cursed, "I hate these disgusting things the most!"
"It's a type of huntsman spider, quite terrifying. It's very fast when it eats!" I analyzed.
"Enough of that. Let's go back. Consultant He, don't forget what I told you earlier!"
"What are you doing? Trying to target me?"
"No, this is Director Huang's test for you. You can only stay at the police station if you pass this one."
"You still don't believe my grandfather?"
"Your grandfather is your grandfather, and you are not him. This needs to be kept separate!"
I saw that in this situation, I had to prove myself with my skills. That's good. This time, I will definitely prove to you that I have the ability to be a consultant.
You know, my grandfather used to hold this position, but he passed away, and the position has been vacant ever since. It wasn't until I graduated from the police academy that I filled this vacancy.
I haven't even settled in yet, and Liu Yuning is already questioning me. Back then, she even wanted me to go back.
She's always like this, and she needs to be dealt with! If it weren't for her attitude before, I wouldn't have taken leave.
This time, I'm definitely going to make her submit.
When I returned to the police station, I first drew blood from the deceased and had Xie Chuchu take it for analysis. I then took a bottle of yellow wine and white vinegar and sprinkled them directly on the deceased. This was much faster than luminol reagent.
Liu Yuning watched as countless marks appeared on the body and exclaimed, "What are you doing?"
"Autopsy! This technique is called the Yellow Wine Wound Revelation Technique. My grandfather taught it to me! White vinegar and yellow wine can expose hidden marks on the deceased!"
Liu Yuning dared not speak. I picked up the autopsy umbrella and rotated it. With the sunlight outside, several handprints appeared on the deceased's body, distributed on the shoulders, left chest, and abdomen!
I recognized this handprint. It was exactly the same as the one found on the female corpse in the previous case!
Even Liu Yuning realized it at this point, "It seems this case was indeed committed by the same person!"
"I agree. Now you've seen it, the techniques of a coroner are so profound and extensive!"
"Not bad. I underestimated the techniques of your ancient ancestors. So, Consultant He, can you tell now? The true cause of the deceased's death?"
I remained silent, because the blood was being analyzed. Judging by the handprints on the deceased's body, this woman was likely violated again. I ignored Liu Yuning and took out a cotton swab, inserting it directly into the deceased's lower body!