A Shocking Dream

Lin Wunian sighed, "You are wishful thinking. I am not her, and I don't want to be dragged into this for no reason. I also hope that you will take the people as your responsibility. Love between men and women will only affect one person. There are many similar people in the world. Feelings and similarities alone cannot mean anything."

"I have overstepped my bounds. I'm sorry, Miss Lin." Qin Rongchen turned his head away, not daring to look directly into Lin Wunian's eyes, with unconcealable guilt on his face.

Lin Wunian did not respond but just glanced at him indifferently, without the familiarity and warmth he expected in her eyes. Then she moved lightly with lotus steps and quickly disappeared from his sight.

Qin Rongchen stood there quietly, his eyes fixed on the receding figure, as if time had stopped at this moment. His brows furrowed slightly, his eyes mingling with shock, regret, and deep loss.

Lin Wunian's brow furrowed as she paced back and forth in the pharmacy. The patients' symptoms had been truly bizarre in recent days. The abnormality was like a ghost in the darkness—she could sense its presence, yet couldn't grasp it. Every patient's pained expression struck her heart like a heavy hammer, leaving her anxious.

She meticulously reviewed every step of the treatment, her gaze finally settling on the herbs she'd carefully prepared. Could there be something wrong with the herbs? Once that thought occurred, it grew like a weed in her mind. She began to examine the herbs, package by package, scrutinizing every leaf and every root. She leaned in closer, sniffing the familiar scent, trying to find a clue.

However, no matter how hard she looked, the herbs were the same as always, nothing unusual. She slumped in her chair, head in her hands, filled with confusion and worry. If the herbs weren't to blame, then what could be the cause of this strange illness?

"Kankan, have you noticed some people's pulses are a little abnormal recently?" Lin Wunian frowned, her eyes full of worry. She looked up at Kankan who had just walked into the room.

Kankan paused, her expression growing serious. "You've noticed it too? I thought I was just being overly suspicious. These past few days, I've examined several patients whose pulses appeared normal, but who had a vague sense of disorder within. It's quite strange."

Lin Wunian stood up and paced around the room. "Me too. At first I thought there was something wrong with the herbs, but repeated checks showed nothing amiss. Furthermore, this abnormal pulse doesn't resemble an ordinary illness; it seems more like it's been affected by some external force."

Wan Wan walked to the table, poured herself a cup of tea, took a sip, and said, "Could it be that some evil spirit is causing trouble? Or has someone secretly performed some strange martial arts, affecting these innocent people?"

Lin Wunian shook his head. "It's not clear yet, but if it's an evil creature, there should be other signs. If it's caused by a technique, then what's the purpose of the person who performed it? We can't just sit there and do nothing. We have to find the cause as soon as possible, otherwise there will be more and more victims."

Kanan put down the teacup, a hint of determination flashed in her eyes, "Then let's go and check those patients carefully, maybe we can find new clues." Lin Wunian nodded, and the two walked out of the house together and walked towards where the patients were.

"Oh, Doctor Lin, great news!" Zeng Mu smiled and walked over briskly. "I heard that the patient has recovered a lot in recent days. This proves that the medication is correct!"

Lin Wunian, who was carefully checking the patient's pulse, didn't show any sign of relief upon hearing this. She frowned slightly, straightened up, and looked at Zeng Mu. "Don't jump to conclusions on this matter. These patients' symptoms are strange, and while they seem to be improving now, I wonder if it's just superficial."

Zeng Mu's smile froze, and he scratched his head. "Doctor Lin, are you overly worried? Look at this patient. His face is rosy, and he's in much better spirits than before. Isn't that a sign of recovery?"

Lin Wunian sighed softly, his gaze returning to the patient. "You're only seeing the surface. There's still a hint of concern in this pulse. I haven't yet pinpointed the cause, but I feel this improvement is strange. If he's truly recovered, his pulse should be steady, strong, and unobstructed. But now, there's still a slight disturbance."

Zeng Mu took a few steps closer, his expression becoming serious. "Doctor Lin, are you saying this is a scam? But who would tamper with a patient's recovery?"

Lin Wunian shook her head: "I'm just guessing, but we can't take it lightly before we're sure. We have to continue observing and can't let our guard down just because of this apparent improvement, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous." After that, she continued to examine the patient, her eyes full of concentration and solemnity, not letting go of any suspicious spots.

"Sir, a few more people have disappeared." Zhou Cheng hurried over with his men. His face was as tense as a taut bowstring. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, leaving several marks on his dusty face.

When Lin Wunian heard this, she suddenly looked up. Her eyes were as sharp as a hawk, and her brows were instantly furrowed. "What happened? Who disappeared?"

The dim candlelight flickered in the wind, illuminating the solemn expressions of those within. "A few days ago, we found a body in the south of the city. It was rotten and horrific. We didn't know what to do with it, so we just buried it," Zhou Cheng whispered, a hint of fear in his voice.

"But later, we found identical bodies appearing in various places in the city. The degree of decay and the posture of death were exactly the same. We found it strange and worried about some conspiracy, so we put the newly discovered bodies in a remote cellar." Another detective continued, his eyes full of confusion.

"But when we went to the cellar again this morning, those bodies... were all gone. There were no signs of dragging at the scene, as if they disappeared on their own." The constable's voice trembled a little, as if the disappeared bodies would emerge from the darkness at the next moment.

The room fell into a dead silence, with only the crackling sound of the burning candle being particularly clear.

"Why didn't you tell me when you found out?" Lin Wunian asked harshly, his eyes full of anger, and his gaze shot towards Zhou Cheng as if it were real.

Zhou Cheng's heart trembled, and he quickly bowed and responded, "My Lord said that Miss Lin has been very tired recently, so we won't bother you with these trivial matters. We also thought it was just an ordinary situation, and we didn't want to trouble you with these trivial matters."

"A trivial matter?" Lin Wunian sneered. "A corpse inexplicably appeared and then mysteriously disappeared. Is this a trivial matter? Do you have any idea how great a disaster this could be hiding? If we don't investigate it soon, the entire city could be in danger. Yet you're hiding this from me as if it were a trivial matter?"