Chapter 1: Dying in the Line of Duty

The summer weather was fickle; one moment the sky above was a vast expanse of clear blue, and the next, it was thick with dark clouds. Ink-like clouds rolled rapidly, pressing heavily down upon the silent, deserted wilderness.

Facing the raging winds, Gu Baiyu tightened her collar, which had been tossed about by the breeze with her left hand. Amidst her disheveled hair, she held a small mobile phone tightly against her ear with her right hand. A slightly anxious female voice drifted from the speaker

"Baiyu, why did you go to the crime scene alone? That place is sparsely populated; what if something unexpected happens?"

On the other end of the line was Gu Baiyu's best friend, Wang Shuyao. As a veteran forensic pathologist, Gu Baiyu dealt with corpses all day, but the people she saw most often were the criminal investigators rushing to crime scenes. The bold and capable policewoman, Wang Shuyao, was a close friend she had bonded with through one bloody case after another.

"I've been a forensic pathologist for so many years; going to a scene alone isn't a first or a second time. I'll look after my own safety. Besides, you drag me to learn grappling and combat every week; I do have some skills."

A trace of a smile, one she hadn't even noticed herself, played upon her lips. Due to her profession, Gu Baiyu had always been indifferent and cold toward others, but when facing her friend Wang Shuyao, she seemed like a different person. It was as if the chilling aura that usually surrounded her was instantly scattered and vanished without a trace when encountering the vibrant and energetic Wang Shuyao.

"But the killer this time is too vicious. You're a forensic pathologist; you've personally examined the corpses and seen all those signs of excessive trauma," Wang Shuyao's voice grew heavy as she mentioned the heavily scarred corpse with the strangely shaped wounds from this case, and she couldn't help but press harder on the accelerator. "Find a safe place to stay first. I'm almost there; we'll re-examine the scene together."

"Don't worry, I'm fine." With a hint of reassurance in her tone, Gu Baiyu looked up at the crime scene that was nearly upon her. A deep purple bolt of lightning ruthlessly split the pitch-black night sky in two. Thunder rolled incessantly; it was clear a torrential rain was imminent. "It's about to rain. I'll stop talking to you now. It would be terrible if any evidence gets washed away by the rain."

"Baiyu, I'm almost there, you—"

"Beep— beep—"

Before Wang Shuyao could finish, the busy signal of a disconnected call rang through the phone. When she tried calling back, she was met with the system prompt that the caller was out of the service area. Listening to the mechanical female voice from the speaker, an inexplicable panic surged in Wang Shuyao's heart, and a bad premonition lingered stubbornly.

While Wang Shuyao drove desperately toward the crime scene, driven by that lingering sense of dread, Gu Baiyu had already arrived at the spot where the third body was initially discovered.

The gale made the tree branches creak and groan, the sound of snapping wood exploding in her ears. She tied her messy hair back haphazardly and crouched on the ground. Gu Baiyu paid no mind to the worsening environment; instead, wearing gloves, she carefully sifted through the blood-stained pile of stones.

Though also buried in a pile of rubble and killed by strangulation, the third body discovered yesterday was not entirely the same as the first two. The "卍" symbol, which had clearly been carved into the backs of the previous victims with sharp stone corners, did not appear on the third body. Instead, there were many more unnecessary post-mortem wounds than on the previous two. Years of experience in autopsies and solving cases told Gu Baiyu that such wounds were unmistakable signs of excessive trauma, which usually meant the victim had a personal grudge against the killer. Therefore, the element of revenge and venting rage would be much higher.

And precisely because of this, such victims with unique circumstances were often the key breakthrough in solving a case, and the top priority in Gu Baiyu's autopsies.

The damp, fishy stench in the soil grew heavier. Thunder rolled from the horizon, one clap more intense than the last, mingling with the inescapable scent of blood to give the entire wilderness a terrifying and eerie atmosphere. Danger approached like the darkness itself, yet Gu Baiyu, who was carefully searching for clues, did not notice at all. At this moment, the only thing she worried about and felt nervous about was ensuring she could conduct one final inspection of the scene before the torrential rain arrived, making sure no clues were missed. Only then could she be worthy of those innocent victims lying in the cold morgue.

A furious bolt of lightning tore through the dark, heavy night sky, illuminating the patch of stones in front of Gu Baiyu, and also causing her heart to sink in shock—not just because a massive "卍" had been drawn in blood on the illuminated stones, but because a gaunt figure stood behind them.

Moving almost instinctively, Gu Baiyu threw herself backward, narrowly dodging the bright dagger thrusting toward her from the figure's hand. Under the flash of lightning, the sharp blade emitted a cold, eerie light, drawing closer with the breath of death.

Accompanied by a "boom" of thunder, a violent torrential rain instantly poured down, splashing everywhere and creating waves of mist.

Her clothes were soaked in an instant. Gu Baiyu squinted her eyes, which were stung by the rain, and stared fixedly at the dagger lunging toward her. That unique blade shape was identical to the weapon she had simulated based on the wounds from the three corpses. If this wasn't a coincidence with near-zero probability, then the person attacking her was undoubtedly the killer of this serial murder case.

Raising her hand to block the wrist holding the dagger, Gu Baiyu drove her right knee upward into the opponent's abdomen. Long-term practice in grappling and combat had instilled a survival instinct in her body. However, the moment the opponent let out a wail, Gu Baiyu's heart tightened, and cold sweat poured down her back.

Something was wrong!

Something was definitely wrong!

The wounds on those three bodies were clearly so deep, yet the strength of this attacker was not that great. Could it be...

Just as the ominous thought flashed through her mind, Gu Baiyu felt a powerful gust of wind strike from behind. She instinctively tried to dodge, but she realized it too late. Before she could move more than a few steps, a heavy stone struck the back of her head.

Her slender figure slid to the ground, collapsing into the cold, muddy water. Gu Baiyu's vision was dizzying and her consciousness was fading, yet in the next moment, she was jolted awake by the stinging pain in her body. Watching helplessly as the bright dagger pierced her body, unable to move, Gu Baiyu felt none of the panic or helplessness she had once imagined with friends when discussing death. It was as if, when faced with it, death had become something natural—requiring no panic, and no escape.

The gale howled overhead, and large raindrops slammed heavily against the cold, wet ground, carving out puddles of varying depths. Having personally dissected corpse after corpse and witnessed the wounds covering them, Gu Baiyu knew exactly how terrifying her own appearance would be after death.

*I hope Shuyao won't be too heartbroken.*

A massive fatigue surged toward her like the pouring rain. Gu Baiyu could no longer hold on and was about to close her eyes, but in the instant her eyelids were about to shut, she used a sudden flash of lightning from the horizon to see clearly the face of the killer.

She had seen that gaunt appearance before; the photo in the file Wang Shuyao had brought was slightly more peaceful than the violent person before her. As for the other, sturdier figure, she had only realized its existence when she sensed something was wrong.

This was a gang crime, not a solo act as she and the criminal investigation team had previously hypothesized.

Forcing herself against the endless tide of exhaustion, Gu Baiyu tried her best to take one more look at the accomplice they had failed to notice. Her grandmother's words, spoken to her before she passed away, echoed continuously in her mind

*The last thing a person sees before they die will be imprinted in their pupils like a brand; even after reincarnation, it will not fade.*

She wanted to imprint the faces of these two deeply into her pupils. However, having examined countless victims, she knew clearly that this was all in vain. Once a person is dead, they are dead; whether they die with their eyes open or closed, there would only be darkness in those dull pupils.

Her body, repeatedly pierced by the dagger, had long since gone numb and could not feel a shred of pain. Soaked in the cold rainwater, Gu Baiyu's consciousness gradually dissipated. However, her curled fingers, immersed in blood and water, stubbornly scratched at something in the mud beneath her.

The eyes of the dead could not retain the image of the killer, but as a forensic pathologist, she could leave behind as many clues and pieces of evidence as possible.

With the DNA evidence of skin cells remaining under her nails and the clues she carved into the mud with her fingers, and hearing the faint, ethereal calls drifting through the wind in her ears, a trace of a relieved smile appeared on Gu Baiyu's pale face.

*Wang Shuyao, I know you will definitely bring them to justice.*