Chapter 107: A Startling Prompt

A gentle breeze caressed the ancient town as a soft palette of mauve and eggshell white emerged in the east, followed by a sudden burst of golden light.

The scent of smoke from the previous night's fire had not yet fully dissipated. Residual mist drifted ghost-like through the streets, while tractors and motorcycles rattled over the uneven cobblestones, creating a cacophony of grating noise. Although the horrific murders and the fire were the talk of every alleyway, life moved on, seemingly unaffected.

Xiao Liu steered the car slowly through the congested streets. The throngs of people were thick, indifferent to the urgings of the horn; they shuffled forward sluggishly, spreading out like severed taffy. Li Tianque sat in the passenger seat, while the three members of the research team occupied the back.

As Li Tianque watched the street scenes recede outside the window, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. He asked, "I heard something quite interesting. Professor Lu always seems to be powdered and painted; do you know anything about that?"

Upon hearing this, Su Wei couldn't help but laugh. "Hahaha... 'powdered and painted'? That’s not cosmetic powder—what era do you think we’re living in? Professor Lu uses Xuelanke powder to repel insects. The Heisuo wingless beetles we captured are extremely sensitive to the dust of the Xuelanke plant. Just a touch causes them to have an allergic reaction, and prolonged exposure is fatal."

"Shouldn't the insects you've captured be kept in secure containers? Why would he need to apply this powder to his own body?" Li Tianque asked, puzzled.

"It’s a safety precaution. The Heisuo wingless beetles are quite dangerous. They are fiercely territorial and will swarm any creature that invades their habitat. Don't let their small size fool you; they are formidable when they gather," Su Wei explained.

"I see. How long does the effect of this powder usually last?" Li Tianque inquired.

"If applied and left unwashed, it lasts about a week. But if he takes a shower, he has to reapply it daily," Liang Zhichao added. "Since we had to go out for field observations every day, Professor Lu had to reapply it every morning."

Li Tianque nodded. When he had met Professor Lu previously, he had indeed noticed some mottled white spots on the professor's neck. At the time, he had assumed they were sweat stains or a skin condition, but now it seemed they were traces of Xuelanke powder.

As he recalled his meeting with Lu Zhuzhi, a question surfaced in his mind, and he asked it reflexively: "The professor must haven't showered in a long time, then?"

The question seemed abrupt and out of place. Su Wei chuckled upon hearing it. "Well, Professor Lu is usually very clean and pays great attention to personal hygiene. But perhaps he’s just been too engrossed in his research; he hasn't showered in several days since we caught the samples."

Li Tianque fell silent, unconvinced. Someone who cared so much about hygiene wouldn't simply skip a shower for the sake of research, regardless of how intense it was. Lu Zhuzhi was shrouded in too many mysteries.

Currently, the three most suspicious individuals were Professor Lu, Bai Ruixue, and the missing Grandma Zhuoma. Among them, the professor’s behavior was the most bizarre and suspicious. Previously, Li Tianque had dismissed the professor's actions as the eccentricities of a genius, but now, he wasn't so sure.

What was even stranger was that all members of the research team had alibis for the three murders. In other words, even if Lu Zhuzhi or Bai Ruixue had the motive, it was difficult to fathom how they could have committed the crimes. They couldn't be in two places at once.

Does this mean... could the murderer really be Grandma Zhuoma?

Just as Li Tianque’s train of thought hit a dead end, the idle chatter of the three in the back seat caught his attention:

"It’s really tough on Professor Lu. Observing the Heisuo wingless beetles in a lab is never as good as in their natural habitat. After all, only in their natural environment can you fully restore the true state of their lives," Liang Zhichao remarked suddenly.

"You don't say? If the laboratory could easily simulate it, we wouldn't need to be trekking through the mountains and countryside every day," Su Wei pouted.

"Heh, if only the insects we wanted to observe could be by our side every day like a living person, then observation would be much easier," Liang Zhichao laughed.

At that moment, it was as if a bolt of lightning had struck Li Tianque. The fog before his eyes suddenly cleared. He finally understood what was happening!

His blood surged with excitement. He struggled to contain his agitation. He just needed to examine those two charred bodies at the police station, and he would be able to confirm the killer's true identity. If his deduction was correct, the killer was truly insane—sacrificing so much for the sake of scientific research. It was a perfect embodiment of the saying: "Genius on the left, madman on the right."

By the time he finished his contemplation, the car had dropped the others off at the hotel, and Li Tianque had arrived at the police station.

Li Tianque and Xiao Liu went straight to the evidence room. Normally, bodies were never kept there, but because these two had been completely charred and dismembered, it hardly mattered.

Li Tianque put on his gloves and began to sift through the blackened remains. Xiao Liu watched this strange behavior, confused. "Brother Li... is there something wrong with these bodies?"

Li Tianque didn't answer, continuing his meticulous search. After five full minutes, he was certain. Everything matched his hypothesis.

Li Tianque now had his own theory regarding the entire series of murders; he was likely only a step away from confirming the killer's identity. To nail down the final details, he decided he needed to talk to three people.

He called Ma Baoguo and ordered him to bring Tudeng Nima to the interrogation room on the second floor immediately.

Half an hour later, Ma Baoguo and Tudeng Nima arrived. They were shocked to find Li Tianque and Liang Zhichao already there. Liang Zhichao was bound hand and foot with a black substance, his mouth gagged.

Just as they were stunned by the sight, Li Tianque let out a low command:

"Overflow!"

A mass of black substance erupted from Li Tianque’s body. It shot out like black gasoline, instantly engulfing the two men. Simultaneously, a portion of the substance solidified around the door handle, reminiscent of an alien symbiote from a movie.

The black material sealed their mouths and bound their limbs with such blinding speed that they had no time to react. They were trussed up just like Liang Zhichao.