Wife is hell

Chapter 5 The Murderer's Psychology

Tang Jinxian's words served as a reminder to Jiang Mu.

He had hoped that the police station would apprehend the murderer as soon as possible. However, judging from the current situation, their efficiency in handling the case is truly disappointing.

There might even be a mole lurking within.

Otherwise, Tang Jinxian, the head of the department, wouldn't have gone to the trouble of bypassing her own people and consulting a constable in the county government.

"It seems that in the end, I still have to rely on myself."

Jiang Mu thought to himself.

"How much do you know about spiritual disasters?" Tang Jinxian suddenly asked.

Jiang Mu shook his head: "I don't know much about it."

He only heard Uncle An say that the spiritual disaster occurred two hundred years ago, but he didn't know the specific reasons and process in detail.

“Spiritual objects appear randomly, in various forms, such as a copper coin or a mountain. But regardless of size, they are ominous from the start, bringing their own disaster.”

Tang Jinxian's pale eyes held a hint of worry. "For the past two hundred years, any spiritual objects that have been imprisoned have been sent to the Futu Tower of the Capital Command or other places for purification."

Once successfully refined, the spiritual object will pose no threat. At that time, as long as your cultivation is successful, you can choose a suitable spiritual object, fuse with it, and become its new master.

As she spoke, she gently stroked her slender waist with her fingers.

A piece of thin straw rope appeared in his hand.

Tang Jinxian said, "This is a spiritual object that I have fused with and control, which I call a spiritual artifact. When thrown, it can temporarily bind a person. This spiritual object has been used to hang many people in the past, and the patrol office spent a lot of effort to capture it."

Jiang Mu took the rope and gently stroked it.

Perhaps because it had been entangled with women for many years, the rope carried a mature and alluring fragrance.

"magic weapon?"

Jiang Mu had found the answer in his heart.

He thought about it carefully, but he couldn't recall anything about the rope.

But he also had a gut feeling that this thing must be a magic weapon of some cultivator in the Xuanming World.

"So, in the Xuanming World I was in before, after the disaster, all living beings perished. Many fragments of magical treasures fell to this world..."

Jiang Mu thought to himself.

The familiar throbbing pain returned to my head once again.

Memories shrouded in mist cut like a knife.

The white goose, which was sleeping soundly, felt an itch on its head. When it looked up, it saw a rope dangling in front of it.

The big white goose was so frightened that it squawked loudly.

It seemed as if she had remembered something unpleasant.

The flapping wings struck the beautiful woman's collar, immediately creating a wave of lustrous waves.

They're probably all red from being fanned.

Jiang Mu grabbed the goose, stuffed it between his legs, and squeezed it tightly, asking, "That string of spiritual tassels that can tame women, was it fused and controlled by that man in black?"

He handed the rope back to the woman.

"Not really."

Tang Jinxian straightened her clothes, secretly rubbed the spot where she had been slapped, and re-tied the rope around her slender waist, saying,

“Most spirits that appear out of nowhere will initially seek out a master and bind themselves to him. At this time, the spirit is more evil and will amplify people’s desires. If the person bound to him does not have a strong will, he will create a series of spiritual disasters.”

Jiang Mu understood.

This is the contaminated magic weapon.

When an ordinary person with weak willpower suddenly obtains a magical artifact, it's like gaining a superpower. Naturally, they will unleash the demons within them and turn to crime.

The more you use it, the faster you degenerate.

Only spiritual objects that have been refined have no side effects.

"Moreover, once the bound person dies, the spirit will seek a new master. Or, it may develop its own consciousness and begin to cause disasters and slaughter."

Tang Jinxian touched the rope around her waist and said, "On the contrary, a refined spiritual object will not. Even if I die, this rope will not seek a new master. That's why our patrol office must imprison it."

Jiang Mu stared at the rope around the other person's waist and asked curiously, "If I want to obtain a spiritual artifact through legitimate channels, what should I do?"

Just as Tang Jinxian was about to answer, the carriage stopped.

It stopped in front of a small courtyard next to the patrol office.

"Let's talk about it later."

Tang Jinxian lifted her skirt slightly and leaned out of the carriage door.

As she bent over, the curves of her waist, which were originally covered by the silk skirt, suddenly tightened, almost making the silk fabric smooth without a single obvious wrinkle.

Like a sleek vase, it symbolizes abundance and many children.

"A standard postpartum figure."

Jiang Mu secretly praised.

Tang Jinxian regretted it as soon as she leaned out of the carriage.

Born into a military family, she was used to being decisive and efficient, and for a moment she overlooked the man in the carriage.

Realizing that her posture was indecent, she instinctively tried to shrink back into the carriage and let the man get off first.

Just then, Jiang Mu also got up, preparing to go out.

The next moment, everything went black...

Jiang Mu hadn't even realized what was going on...

Every breath is filled with a rich, warm fragrance and the delicate feel of the fabric.

Both of them were confused.

Feeling the strong, hot resistance behind her, Tang Jinxian's body stiffened instantly, and she almost cried out in surprise. Then, as if she had been burned, she bounced back and quickly moved forward half a step.

She turned and glared at Jiang Mu, her beautiful cheeks flushing red.

"It's not my fault."

Jiang Mu looked completely innocent.

Who would have thought that I would suddenly be hit in the face by a giant millstone?

Tang Jinxian gripped the door frame tightly with her delicate fingers, but could only force herself to remain calm and stepped down from the carriage first.

Jiang Mu, carrying the large white goose, followed them down.

Looking up, the blush on the woman's face had disappeared, and she had returned to her previous expression.

"Let's go."

Tang Jinxian ignored Jiang Mu and entered the courtyard.

Her clenched fist trembled slightly.

Led by the guards on duty, the group entered the inner courtyard, which was specifically used for storing corpses.

As soon as you step into the courtyard, a chilling aura hits you.

The further you go in, the colder it gets.

Even the goose was shivering from the cold and wanted to snuggle into the beautiful woman's arms, but she ignored it.

Jiang Mu keenly sensed that the chill was coming from underground.

There must be some kind of magic array buried there.

For some reason, he felt that the chill was somewhat familiar, and inexplicably recalled his first wedding night with his wife in his previous life, what they did... but he couldn't remember the specific details.

Anyway, it's quite expensive.

Upon entering a frosty room, one finds several female corpses from the recent spiritual disaster.

Four of the bodies were relatively well preserved.

These women were all over thirty years old and plump, but their bodies were covered with wounds of varying sizes, and in particular, all the toenails on their hands and feet had been pulled out...

This clearly demonstrates the severe abuse and humiliation he suffered during his lifetime.

Although it wasn't the first time she had witnessed it, Tang Jinxian still felt a surge of rage every time she saw these corpses.

At the same time, there was also a lingering sense of fear.

If it weren't for Jiang Mu, she might have ended up like those other women.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but glance at Jiang Mu beside her out of the corner of her eye, her feelings complicated.

An Chenghu began to carefully examine the body.

Having spent over twenty years in the county government, he had long since honed his autopsy skills to a level comparable to that of a professional coroner. Jiang Mu also observed carefully from the side.

He noticed that all the female corpses had dense, fine, strip-like marks on their palms and buttocks, clearly caused by being repeatedly whipped with a thin object.

Some of the corpses had relatively few wounds, while others were covered in them.

"He was whipped with thorny branches."

Seeing his nephew watching intently, An Chenghu lowered his voice and said.

Bramble...

Jiang Mu seemed to be deep in thought.

Slapping the palm is a common disciplinary method used in private schools or families to discipline students and younger generations.

The intention is to correct mistakes and provide instruction.

Spanking is also a form of punishment.

But it carries a stronger sense of humiliation.

Especially when applied to adult women, it is a sexual innuendo.

The killer seems to be addicted to this.

Does this mean that he himself suffered similar treatment for a long time, to a severe degree, which eventually led to psychological distortion?
"Your Excellency, may I borrow the case files to review? I would like to learn more about the details of these victims."

Jiang Mu turned to Tang Jinxian and made a request.

Tang Jinxian avoided meeting Jiang Mu's gaze, glanced at An Chenghu who was still staring at the wound in deep thought, nodded slightly, and signaled her subordinate to bring the dossier.

The case file was delivered quickly.

Jiang Mu carefully examined each victim's information in the case file.

After reading it, he had some guesses in his mind, and asked Tang Jinxian again, "Could you let me see the two survivors?"

Tang Jinxian frowned: "They're crazy, I'm afraid we won't get anything out of them..."

"It's alright. I'm only observing their wounds, not trying to communicate with them. If I can make them fall into a deep sleep for a while, that would be best."

Jiang Mu explained.

An Chenghu also chimed in from the side:

"Sir, the two survivors may have more direct clues about the murderer."

Tang Jinxian hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, I'll take you there."

Led by Tang Jinxian, they arrived at a heavily guarded courtyard.

Tang Jinxian first put the two surviving women into a deep sleep before letting Jiang Mu and the other man enter to check.

Both women were covered in injuries.

Jiang Mu specifically examined their palms and buttocks and found that they had fewer injuries compared to the deceased.

One of them, in particular, had only a handful of answers.

Moreover, some of their old injuries show obvious signs of drug treatment.

This has also been observed on previous corpses.

After An Chenghu finished his inspection, seeing that his nephew was still deep in thought, he did not disturb him and said to Tang Jinxian:

"Judging from the bruises and injuries all over their bodies, the perpetrator was motivated by a desire to vent anger and gain dominance. The punishments targeting the palms and buttocks clearly indicated an attempt to achieve absolute control."

This most likely indicates that this person, whether in the past or present, has an extreme lack of this sense of control, and their psychology has become distorted.

The source of this influence on him should be a widowed elder who fits the characteristics of these victims.

Furthermore, he deliberately placed the bodies in easily visible locations, suggesting an element of showing off and venting. This indicates extreme arrogance, or perhaps he wanted to prove something.

Listening to An Chenghu's analysis, Tang Jinxian's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly:

"What Officer An meant was that the murderer had long been subjected to physical punishment and control by an elder widow, and was strictly controlled, which gradually formed a contradictory psychology of both awe and desire for revenge."

When he unexpectedly acquired a spiritual object, this repressed and twisted psychology was completely unleashed?

"Your Excellency is wise; this is exactly what I meant."

An Chenghu cupped his hands in greeting.

“The murderer is well-educated and must be quite knowledgeable,” Jiang Mu suddenly interjected.

Tang Jinxian turned her beautiful eyes to him: "How do you know?"

Jiang Muyang waved the dossier in his hand and said, "These women have varying numbers of scars on their palms."

I compared their backgrounds and education levels and found that those who were well-educated and knowledgeable received fewer of these kinds of punishments. Especially this one…”

He pointed to one of the unconscious women.

“She was once the daughter of an official, and was very knowledgeable. She had the fewest scars on her palms. So I think the murderer may have tested their knowledge. If they couldn’t answer or answered poorly, they would be punished with a cane.”

An Chenghu looked at his nephew strangely.

He was quite unaccustomed to suddenly transforming from a simple-minded boy into a clever one.

Tang Jinxian narrowed her phoenix eyes and continued her reasoning:

"In that case, the murderer must have experienced the same thing himself."

It is highly likely that it was his mother who, eager for her son to succeed, was extremely strict with his studies, resorting to corporal punishment and controlling everything, which ultimately led to his distorted personality.

His fear and hatred of his mother were then channeled and vented on these widows who shared similar characteristics with his mother.

Jiang Mu wanted to add something, but An Chenghu glared at him.

Jiang Mu was taken aback, then understood and shut his mouth.

Some of the darker speculations are indeed not suitable to be said directly in front of a woman like Tang Jinxian.

An Chenghu coughed lightly and steered the conversation back on track: "Furthermore, judging from some of the injuries, the murderer is left-handed, which may narrow down the scope of the investigation."

"left handed?"

Tang Jinxian was taken aback, then shook her head.

“That’s impossible. I’ve fought the murderer before. He used his right hand to wield the knife and exert force. He was clearly right-handed.”

Jiang Mu nodded.

He also saw clearly that the man in black was indeed right-handed.

An Chenghu looked puzzled.

He examined the woman's wounds carefully again, and after observing them for a long time, he said in a deep voice:
"I maintain that the murderer is left-handed."

"At least the person who harmed these women was a left-handed man."

Tang Jinxian's pretty face suddenly changed, and a look of surprise and doubt flashed in her eyes: "You mean... there are actually two murderers!?"

"If the person who fought with the Lord Chief was not deliberately misleading, then I suspect that there are two culprits."

An Chenghu offered his own speculation.

Tang Jinxian frowned, her pretty face shrouded in gloom.

She crossed her arms over her chest, resting one elbow on the other, her fingertips tapping lightly as she fell into deep thought.

After a while, he slowly opened his mouth:
"For the past two days, I have been secretly comparing the personnel within the patrol office, trying to find someone whose figure and voice are similar to the person I fought that day, but I have come up with nothing."

But I am also very certain that this case must be related to insiders.

It now appears that some within the Patrol Office were indeed involved, but perhaps only as accomplices. The true mastermind, the one I dealt with, must be hiding outside.

An Chenghu lowered his head and remained silent.

As it involved internal affairs of the patrol office, it was inconvenient for him, a county constable, to say much.

Tang Jinxian's gaze fell back on An Chenghu:
"I will personally investigate the accomplices within the organization. As for the mastermind outside, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble Constable An to screen him first. Don't worry, I'll make arrangements with Magistrate Yang beforehand."

An Chenghu immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute:
"This humble servant will obey your orders, sir, and will do everything in my power to help you solve the case as soon as possible."

Tang Jinxian nodded slightly, her beautiful eyes turning to Jiang Mu beside her, her voice returning to its aloof tone: "If you find anything, have Mu Jiang report directly to me."

After saying that, she casually tossed something to the ground.

Jiang Mu instinctively caught it, and what he held was a token.

Tang Jinxian said calmly, "This is a pass from the Patrol Office. With this pass, no one will dare to stop you."

Seeing his nephew looking somewhat dazed, An Chenghu gently nudged him with his elbow. Jiang Mu snapped out of his reverie, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Yes, Your subordinate understands."

But I was complaining in my heart.

These women seem determined to have him cornered.

(End of this chapter)