Normally, upon hearing such words, any woman would already be terrified—or at the very least, ashamed and embarrassed.
Assistant Prefect Ping tilted his head slightly, intending to glance at the woman behind him. But before he could, a voice filled with biting sarcasm rang out: “Another beast trying to find his so‑called manly confidence by preying on innocent women.”
Assistant Prefect Ping: “…”
That reaction was not what he expected.
Before he could recover, the same voice spoke again: “The victims were all dumped a few days after disappearing?”
Assistant Prefect Ping paused, then replied: “Generally four to five days.”
“And the dumping sites—were they all desolate, deserted places?”
Assistant Prefect Ping stopped in his tracks, turning with a deep gaze. “How do you know that?”
It was true that most killers chose remote places to dispose of bodies, but there were exceptions—some hid corpses in busy districts or deliberately chose shocking locations.
Most striking was that although her words were phrased as a question, her tone carried absolute certainty.
Su Liuyue answered calmly: “Just a guess.”
In criminal psychology, rapists are often categorized into five types: opportunistic, power‑assertive, power‑confidence, anger‑retaliatory, and sadistic.
Those who habitually take victims to secluded places, using force and violence, are either power‑confidence offenders or sadistic offenders. The latter inflict extreme physical torment, deriving excitement from their victims’ suffering, leaving bodies in horrific condition.
If this were a sadistic offender, Ping’s tone when describing the victims’ injuries would not have been so even. Thus, Su Liuyue leaned toward the killer being a power‑confidence type.
Such criminals are characterized by an exaggerated belief in their own masculinity. In reality, however, they are repressed, overlooked, and incapable of real achievement. That frustration drives them to seek a false sense of authority over vulnerable women.
In plain terms: self‑important, incompetent cowards.
Assistant Prefect Ping regarded her thoughtfully, then suddenly pointed toward a passage leading underground. “Up ahead is the dungeon. There’s another crucial piece of information: fifteen years ago, a similar case occurred in the capital. At that time, the number of victims was double—six women were killed. But then the murderer suddenly stopped, vanishing without a trace. The authorities never found him, and in the end, the case was simply abandoned.”
Su Liuyue froze, incredulous. “Six people died, and it was just left unresolved like that?!”
Assistant Prefect Ping lowered his eyelids, concealing the trace of mockery that flashed in his eyes, and sneered: “In the late years of Great Yan, the court was rotten and incompetent. Six deaths meant nothing to them—no matter how many more died, they wouldn’t have cared.”
With that, he turned and strode into the dungeon first. “Come. Your cousin is inside.”
Su Liuyue pressed her lips together and quickly followed.
The dungeon passage was dark and narrow, filled with a foul stench—like countless rotting foods mixed together.
But for Su Liuyue, who had handled countless cases and witnessed countless gruesome scenes, such smells were nothing to mention.
As she followed behind Assistant Prefect Ping, still pondering the information he had just shared, suddenly a criminal in a cell to their left lunged forward. From between the bars, he thrust out a hand, crying desperately: “Sir! I’m innocent! Sir!”
His hand was about to touch Assistant Prefect Ping when, in a flash, Assistant Prefect Ping’s eyes glinted with killing intent. With two long fingers, he clamped down on the man’s bony wrist. His face remained expressionless, but his words were icy: “If you dare touch me, your death will not be far.”
Under the gaze of those cold, commanding eyes, the criminal nearly stopped breathing in terror.
Before he could recover, searing pain shot through his wrist, twisting his face into a grimace. He screamed in agony: “Ahhh! It hurts! Sir, I was wrong! I was wrong! Please, spare me!”
The surrounding prisoners turned pale with fright.
Assistant Prefect Ping gave him a cold glance before releasing his hand. He looked down at his own fingers, brows furrowed, his face full of undisguised disgust.
Su Liuyue: “…”
So this man had a cleanliness obsession? But to beat someone first and only then complain—wasn’t that fake cleanliness?
The next moment, she saw him draw out a pristine white handkerchief from his waist and carefully wipe his fingers, restoring his expression to calm composure. “Your cousin is in the innermost cell. I’ve already reviewed his testimony. Go see him yourself.”
Su Liuyue couldn’t help but find it amusing. Then why bother personally escorting her here? He could have just sent someone else from the start.
She didn’t bother to expose him. Bowing slightly, she said: “Thank you, Assistant Prefect Ping, for bringing me here.” And she walked past him straight ahead.
Assistant Prefect Ping: “…”
Why did he suddenly feel as though he’d been mocked? Watching her figure recede, his phoenix eyes narrowed slightly.
Su Liuyue walked all the way to the innermost cell, where she finally saw Xue Wenbo sitting in despair. When he spotted her, he was shocked, leaping to his feet and rushing over, eyes wide. “Liuyue—you… how did you come here? Alone?!”
Su Liuyue quickly looked him over. His clothes were a little disheveled, but there were no signs of torture. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“Cousin, I don’t have much time. Let’s keep this brief. Don’t worry—I’ll find a way to prove your innocence. I need to ask: what exactly happened that day when you escorted Miss Fang home?”
Xue Wenbai stared blankly at her. Though he wanted to ask how she could possibly prove his innocence, he knew better than to waste time.
“That day, I saw her just before my shift ended. Since I happened to be heading home, and her residence was in Tongfu Alley near ours, I offered to take her back. To avoid suspicion, I deliberately chose the main roads. The vendors along the way can testify to this! But once we left the marketplace and turned into the alley, there were fewer people—sometimes none at all. I worried about damaging her reputation, and she said she knew the way from there. So I left. Who could have known what would happen afterward? If I’d known, I would have insisted on taking her all the way home…”
Su Liuyue thought for a moment, then asked: “On the way, did you feel like someone was following you, or notice anyone suspicious?”
Xue Wenbai shook his head quickly. “No. If I had, I wouldn’t have left her alone.”
“Where exactly did you leave her that day?”
Xue Wenbai replied: “On a street outside Tongfu Alley. She told me clearly: if she walked straight along that street and turned at the second intersection, she’d reach Tongfu Alley. Her home was inside.”
When Su Liuyue left the dungeon, she saw Assistant Prefect Ping waiting calmly nearby, one hand behind his back. Beside him, the black‑clad attendant Fengyang had returned at some point.
As she emerged, Assistant Prefect Ping parted his thin lips, about to speak, when Su Liuyue glanced at his two fingers and asked: “Assistant Prefect Ping—did you wash your hands properly?”
Assistant Prefect Ping paused, the corners of his mouth lifting faintly. This woman was sharp indeed—never letting any detail slip past her.
But Su Liuyue seemed to ask casually, not waiting for his answer before continuing: “Assistant Prefect Ping, I’ve already gathered some information about the case. Earlier, you mentioned a similar case fifteen years ago. Who handled it back then? Is that person still in the capital? And have the records related to that case been found?”