Chapter 109: Unraveling the Threads (Please Vote)

Ning Zhiheng continued, “I just examined the throat wounds of the two victims. The cuts are perfectly straight and smooth, severing the arteries cleanly. The technique was swift and precise—this killer must be a highly skilled swordsman.”

Sun Jiacheng nodded beside him, having noticed the same detail. As an expert in short blades, he could tell at a glance what kind of weapon was used from the nature of the wounds.

He spoke up, “The weapon used is specialized—a thin-bladed knife intended for assassination or burglary. Generally, those who wield such blades aren’t adept at close combat. Otherwise, they would use the daggers we commonly employ for blocking and fighting.”

Hearing this, Ning Zhiheng pondered and added, “Then the killer must be two people, or at least part of a group. One is an expert in joint-lock techniques, a master of combat, while the other specializes in assassination or theft.

“It’s unlikely a single person committed this. A joint-lock expert would habitually break the victim’s neck by force rather than slicing the throat with a thin blade after killing.”

He then turned to Liu Datong and asked, “How are Gong Ji’an and Hou Cheng’s investigations going?”

Liu Datong quickly replied, “I notified them this morning to start investigating based on your theory—checking their social connections and any overlaps. After receiving your call, I told them to send someone back to report progress. They should be returning soon.”

Just then, Gong Ji’an hurried back. He and Xiong Hongda had both previously worked under Wang Bapi, specializing in solving cases, so Liu Datong entrusted them with this investigation.

He, Wen Xingsheng, and Hou Cheng had been probing the social ties of two habitual thieves when Liu’s call came through, informing them that Officer Ning was personally taking over the case. Surprised, they realized that this seemingly ordinary case must conceal a significant secret. Resentful that Liu hadn’t shared full details, Gong Ji’an hurried back to report to Ning Zhiheng.

Upon meeting, Ning Zhiheng wasted no time and directly asked, “What’s the status on the social connections of the two thieves?”

“In line with your instructions, we thoroughly examined their social circles. It turns out they have no overlap and likely don’t even know each other. Their activity areas don’t intersect. Besides, petty thieves like them usually operate solo—they distrust one another and are too cautious to work in gangs,” Gong Ji’an responded breathlessly.

Ning Zhiheng nodded, confirming his suspicions. This meant the two thieves were targeted separately to extract information about the family crest seal—further validating his theory.

“Have there been any other disappearances recently? I suspect these two aren’t the only victims. The killer may have found more, but we just haven’t uncovered them yet,” Ning Zhiheng turned to Liu Datong.

“I’ll arrange for the household registration officers to verify the population in the jurisdiction immediately and report back as soon as possible,” Liu agreed.

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