# 229
Chapter 229: The True Ritual Site
At this point, Lin Qiye hesitated again.
“But I’ve seen the tavern owner in the footage—he’s a short, bald, greasy middle-aged man. His build is completely different from the person in the video.”
“For someone with super-speed regeneration, changing body shape in a short time isn’t difficult.” An Qingyu’s voice came through again, faintly echoing.
Hearing the echo, Lin Qiye asked in surprise, “You’re not in the tavern? Where are you?”
An Qingyu didn’t answer. He was descending a narrow, pitch-black stone stair step by step. The faint glow from his phone lit up his calm face.
Soon the steps ended. A rust-covered iron door appeared in front of him.
He adjusted his glasses, placed his right hand on the door, and in the next moment extreme cold spread from his palm. Once the entire door was frozen, he flicked it with a finger and the iron shattered.
The moment it opened, an indescribable stench rushed out—the reek of rotting wood mixed with thick blood—making him frown.
An Qingyu stepped inside and looked around. It seemed to be an abandoned storage room, cobwebs everywhere. On the opposite wall were two crimson bloodstains.
He brushed a finger across them, then rubbed the blood—fresh.
Moreover, there were four brand-new nail marks on the wall.
He raised his phone and said calmly, “I’m at the primary scene.”
“You found it?” Lin Qiye was stunned by An Qingyu’s efficiency.
An Qingyu glanced back at the stairs. “I analyzed the tavern’s layout and noticed it’s a few square meters smaller than neighboring businesses. Turns out a small slice originally belonging to the tavern was sold to the hot-pot restaurant next door—probably a private deal between the owners. The tavern built a dividing wall. Now that patch is used by the restaurant for storage, so on paper it belongs to the hot-pot place, not the tavern. The police were fooled by this.”
Lin Qiye narrowed his eyes. “So the tavern owner is definitely the mastermind. But… why use such bizarre methods—nailing to walls, severing fingers? Why perform this ritual at all? He’s human; the vengeful-ghost ascension ritual does nothing for him. Could it be… he’s not doing it for himself?”
Lin Qiye had reason to believe the ritual was real—otherwise an ability-user wouldn’t bother with such elaborate killings of random passers-by. The only logical explanation: the owner truly intended to complete the ritual, but for some other vengeful-ghost-type Mystery…
Was he being controlled by a Mystery?
If everything hinged on “completing the ritual,” the tavern owner would have to come here for the final step. So why was he in such a hurry to leave Cangnan? After going to all this trouble, would he really just give up?
Lin Qiye looked down at the dark residential complex below, thoughts tangling. He felt he’d overlooked something…
Ritual, area, killing, sacrifice…
As he racked his brain, an airplane streaked across the sky. The red light on its wing caught his eye; he glanced up and froze.
A bold idea exploded in his mind!
He wouldn’t…
Lin Qiye sprang to his feet and checked the time: 3:11 a.m.
“Qimo! What time was the tavern owner’s flight?!” His voice suddenly cracked through the quiet channel, startling everyone.
But Wen Qimo didn’t reply.
Lin Qiye called several more times—still silence from Wen Qimo’s channel.
Chen Muye frowned. “Wen Qimo, can you hear us?”
It had been eleven minutes since his last report. He’d spoken normally then; now there was no response.
“Lin Qiye, what did you discover?” Wu Xiangnan asked, sensing trouble.
“Vice-captain, ask Xiao Hei what time the owner’s flight leaves.”
“On it.”
A few dozen seconds later: “Departure at 3:20. Why?”
Lin Qiye’s heart sank. Without hesitation he leapt into the darkness, shouting:
“Stop that plane! It can’t take off! There’s no unknown Mystery—everything is the tavern owner’s doing! I’ll explain later.
He intends to finish the ritual, and he will come here—but not on the ground…
In the sky!”
He stared up at the dark heavens; the others were stunned.
“The ritual only needs to happen within the designated area. Knowing we’re lying in wait here, he chose not to perform it on the ground. He’s not leaving Cangnan—he’ll complete the ritual while the plane flies over this district!
Two hundred passengers are aboard; their souls alone might not meet the sacrifice requirement, so he used Xiao Hei to lure Wen Qimo over, planning to use his soul to fill the gap.”
The 136 squad’s blood ran cold. Chen Muye ordered at once:
“Contact the airport—stop that flight whatever it takes. Xiangnan, Hongying, Qiye, Xiaonan—get to the airport and grab him.
Leng Xuan and I stay here in case it’s a feint.”
He trusted Lin Qiye’s reasoning, but as captain he had to cover all possibilities. With thousands of lives at stake, caution was vital.
Wu Xiangnan, Hongying, and Si Xiaonan piled into the car. Lin Qiye had already vanished into the night; in the empty city he could vault across rooftops faster than any vehicle.
Engine roaring, the black van sped into the darkness.