Chapter 26: The Secret Passage in the Basement

  I don't know how long I was unconscious, but when I woke up, the sun was already dazzling my eyes. At that time, I opened my eyes dazedly and sat up. Just as I sat up, I found that my feet were wrapped in white snake skin. The snake skin seemed to have been shed just last night.

  "Ah!" Seeing the snake skin on my foot, I let out a loud cry and started kicking my feet wildly. At this time, the old Taoist from Bamboo Mountain was lying less than two meters away from me, and it seemed he hadn't woken up yet.

  But as I called out, his eyes slowly opened too.

  "What's wrong?" Zhushan Lao Dao asked subconsciously, then propped himself up with his hands.

  Bamboo Mountain Old Dao saw the snake skin wrapped around my ankle and immediately came over to help me. After he used his hand to pull off the snake skin wrapped around my foot, Bamboo Mountain Old Dao checked my whole body again, and after making sure I was not injured, he let out a big sigh of relief.

  "It's good you're alright, otherwise I wouldn't be able to face your mother," said Zhangshan Lao.

  After finishing speaking, the old Taoist Bamboo Mountain took me back to the village. On the way back to the village, the old Taoist Bamboo Mountain asked me to keep yesterday's affairs strictly confidential and not to reveal a single hint.

  I know what the old Taoist of Bamboo Mountain is all about, and if I were to expose his true nature and reveal that he failed to subdue those ghosts last night, the old Taoist's reputation would be ruined.

  Although I'm just a little kid, I'm very clear that last night's failure of Zhangshan Old Dao was partly because of me. If I hadn't knocked over the Bagua lantern, Zhangshan Old Dao might not have failed. Also, at that critical moment last night, Zhangshan Old Dao didn't abandon me but instead carried me on his back and ran together with me. Just for this reason alone, I should help him. Therefore, I promised Zhangshan Old Dao that after returning to the village, I wouldn't say anything.

  After returning to Shima Village, Zhushan Lao Dao lied to reassure the villagers, saying that although Zhang Xiaolan's body had not been found, her soul had already been controlled by the Occupier and would no longer cause trouble.

  I don't know if Zhang Shanlao was afraid that I would expose his lie, but before he told the lie, he had already told me the reason. Zhang Shanlao said that Zhang Xiaolan hated Liu Renqing's family, and the last time she appeared at Zhang San's house was also to harm Li Tianzhen. Now, Liu Renqing is in the hospital in town, Li Tianzhen and Liu Daogui are with Mie Menpo, so as long as no one from Liu Renqing's family comes back, Zhang Xiaolan will not appear again in Shimavillage.

  Of course, Zhushan Lao Dao was just showing off with his words, and in his heart, he was still unsure. Therefore, after saying this, Zhushan Lao Dao gave a talisman to each household in Shimadu Village, telling everyone to go back and stick it on their front door.

  At the same time, Zhangshan Old Dao also told everyone that Zhang Xiaolan's soul was only temporarily suppressed and not completely tamed. Therefore, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, he still had to make a trip to Songlin Mountain.

  This time, perhaps fearing that I would make the same mistake as last night, Master Zhushan said that on July 10th he will come to pick me up and take me to his Taoist temple, where he will give me five days of pre-training and teach me some basic things.

  I was six years old and in the first grade, so it was during summer vacation. On July 10th of that year, which should be August 21st on the solar calendar, school had not started yet. Therefore, Master Zhushan said he would take me to his Taoist temple for five days, and my mother did not stop him.

  After saying these things, the old Taoist Bamboo Mountain called me to one side and told me that I was able to get through last night unscathed because of the Qian Kun Jade on my neck. Therefore, the old Taoist Bamboo Mountain asked me to remember his words carefully, not to take off the Qian Kun Jade, let alone lose it, otherwise the consequences would be unthinkable.

  After finishing his instructions, Zhangshan Laodao left.

  The day after Zhang Daqian left, a shocking piece of news spread to Shimawan Village. The case of Zhang Xiaolan had been solved, and the murderer who killed Zhang Xiaolan was Liu Renqing.

  According to the doctor on duty at the town hospital, on the night of Zhang Xiaolan's death, Liu Renqing was not in the ward but had slipped out quietly.

  At the same time, a witness provided clues to the police, saying that on the night of the incident, he saw Liu Renqing near the big fish pond, and at that time, Liu Renqing was still holding a rolling pin in his hand.

  After receiving this information, the police officers from the police station immediately rushed to the town hospital and prepared to investigate Liu Renqing thoroughly. However, when the police arrived at the hospital, they found that Liu Renqing was nowhere to be seen.

  It is clear that Liu Renqing had heard the news and fled in fear of punishment. According to the police's judgment, after escaping, Liu Renqing may have returned home once, so the police came to Shimachang Village and went to Liu Renqing's home.

  Because Li Tianzhen had already returned to her mother's home, Liu Renqing's house was supposed to be empty. However, when the police walked up to Liu Renqing's door, they clearly heard movements inside the house.

  Moreover, strangely, the outer gate of Liu Renqing's house was not locked, and the door latch inside was still buckled. Unless there was someone in the house, it would be impossible for this situation to occur.

  Li Tianzhen has already returned to her mother's home, everyone knows that, so Liu Daqi must also be with his mother Li Tianzhen. Now, in Liu Renqing's house, there is obviously someone inside, and the door does not have any signs of being pried open, it is not difficult to see that the person inside opened the door with a key.

  The only person who can enter by unlocking the door is Liu Renqing, and there won't be a second person.

  "Liu Renqing, open the door quickly!" The leading policeman knocked on the door with his hand and shouted.

  When the police knocked on the door, other police had already gone to block the back door of Liu Renqing's house. In this way, if Liu Renqing was really at home, he would definitely not be able to escape.

  The police officer in charge called out a few times and then suddenly the house fell silent.

  "Liu Renqing, open the door quickly, you can't escape. Leniency for those who confess, severity for those who resist." The police officer in charge started a psychological war with Liu Renqing.

  The police yelled outside for half a day, but Liu Renqing never showed any sign of opening the door.

  Since Liu Renqing was so uncooperative, the police didn't see any point in talking to him anymore.

  "Open the door!" The leading policeman said.

  After he finished speaking, a young man went to find an axe and chopped the door open with several swings.

  After entering the house, the police did not find Liu Renqing, but they found the hospital gown that Liu Renqing wore in his bedroom. In other words, the person who was just in the house must have been Liu Renqing.

  "Search carefully." The leading policeman shouted.

  Just now Liu Renqing was still in the house, and both the front and back doors were guarded by police, so he couldn't have run out. In other words, he must still be hiding in the house.

  The police searched the house for more than an hour, almost turning it upside down, but still couldn't find Liu Renqing. Just when everyone was about to give up hope, a policeman suddenly shouted out.

  "The cellar, there's a problem with the cellar." The policeman yelled.

  The police officer shouted and everyone gathered around.

  Liu Renqing's family cellar, on the surface, looks no different from those of other villagers. They are all dug in the main room, then covered with wooden boards full of dust and ashes.

  However, after removing the wooden board, it was found that Liu Renqing's cellar had a problem.

  At the bottom of the cellar, there was a small wooden door with some sweet potatoes piled on it. At first, the small door was used to cover the sweet potatoes, so no one noticed the problem.

  Just now, the policeman who discovered the problem accidentally used a stick to pry open the sweet potatoes in the cellar and found that small wooden door. After discovering it, he immediately jumped down and opened the small wooden door. After opening it, a narrow passageway just big enough for one person to enter appeared.

  Now, the police have turned Liu Renqing's home upside down, but they haven't found Liu Renqing. It is clear that Liu Renqing must have escaped through this secret passage. Only, where this secret passage leads to, no one knows.

  Even Li Shu and Zhang Bo, who were very close to Liu Renqing, did not know that there was a secret passage in Liu's house. Moreover, this secret passage was obviously not newly built and should have been there for many years.

  Everyone present was confused when they saw this secret passage. What's the point of building a secret passage in an ordinary farmer's home?