Chapter 161: A Tomb Raider

Is it wrong to seek revenge for a loved one? 

Not necessarily. But why, after finding the people responsible, would you choose murder over reporting them to the authorities and bringing them to justice?

If you’ve committed a crime, you should already know the consequences. So, don’t blame the world for what happens next.

As Xiao Yu stepped out of the interrogation room, his mind was still racing. It was confirmed. There really were two groups involved.

One group stole the corpse and used it to scare Che Feiting, but they weren’t the same people behind the murder. So, who could it be? Who else would be motivated to do something like this?

Xiao Yu’s thoughts drifted to one person: Jia Yanli’s brother, Jia Zhen.

But what would his motive be?

There were two possibilities.

One was human greed—to get his hands on his sister’s inheritance. Two, he suspected that his sister had been murdered and believed the killer was his brother-in-law.

According to the police investigation, the relationship between Jia Zhen and his sister, Jia Yanli, had been strained for years. They hadn’t been in contact for quite a while. When the bond between siblings fades, it’s not uncommon for them to become almost like strangers. 

Would he really seek revenge for a sister he was estranged from?

There was another odd detail. If Jia Zhen did believe that Che Feiting killed his sister, why was he so convinced of it?

But did the second possibility hold any water?

Xiao Yu shook his head. 

When the body was first reported missing, the police did consider Jia Zhen a suspect. However, after a thorough investigation, they didn’t find anything suspicious.

On the night the corpse went missing, Jia Zhen was at home sleeping, with friends to vouch for him. 

Their testimony? 

On the night of the incident, Jia Zhen had been drinking with friends until late. One of them even drove him home.

The police had verified this.

So, Jia Zhen didn’t have the opportunity to commit the crime.

Xiao Yu frowned. 

If not Jia Zhen, then who else would have it out for Che Feiting? Who would not only steal the corpse but also use it to try and terrorize him?

***

In the interrogation room.

“Why didn’t you tell the police that Gu Xuan killed your wife? Why did you choose to cover for her?”

Xiao Yu genuinely couldn’t wrap his head around this guy. 

‘Nine years of marriage, and you throw it all away because the grass seemed greener on the other side? Are you out of your mind? No, wait—scratch that. Is it that nowadays even crazy people have side gigs?’

Che Feiting kept his head down, face pale, refusing to speak.

“Heh, you think staying silent will help?” Xiao Yu smirked. “Should I give you some credit for this? Maybe say, ‘It’s not the mistress’s fault, it’s yours for not being able to resist temptation,’ so now you’re trying to take the fall for everything?”

“It’s me,” Che Feiting finally raised his head, his expression eerily calm. “I poisoned my wife. It has nothing to do with anyone else.”

Xiao Yu, “…”

He was momentarily stunned.

Was this guy for real?

A saying crossed his mind: You’re not just afraid of teammates who are as dumb as pigs; you’ve got to be wary of enemies like that too.

Sometimes, when your opponent is this hopelessly dumb, you don’t even know how to handle it.

After a long pause, Xiao Yu asked, “Is it worth it?”

“Do you even understand what love is?” Che Feiting shot back.

‘Are you serious right now?’ Xiao Yu’s mouth twitched.

‘This guy…’ he was speechless, completely speechless.

He got up and left the interrogation room.

‘What can you do with someone like this? If he’s so determined to take the blame, fine. Let him. I’ll untangle this mess, and then I’ll deal with him.’

***

Back at his desk, Xiao Yu booted up his computer and pulled up a file.

Jia Zhen’s file.

There were no leads on the missing body, but it had to be found.

If there were no new clues, he’d start by investigating the most likely suspect. Even though the police had already looked into Jia Zhen, there was always a chance they missed something.

Xiao Yu planned to use a process of elimination, crossing off suspects one by one.

Jia Zhen, male, 39 years old, local resident.

Xiao Yu skimmed through the less relevant details.

With special access, he dug into more sensitive information.

Xiao Yu dove into the details: hotel bookings, past records of administrative and criminal detentions, community service, probation, reprimands, and summons. 

For local searches, the data was accurate and up-to-date, but cross-province searches might have some delays or errors due to data syncing issues. Information like bank account details, employment records, family ties, and social connections required special access and couldn’t be pulled by your average police officer.

Soon enough, Xiao Yu stumbled upon something interesting in Jia Zhen’s file. It was a minor criminal detention record that most officers might have overlooked.

What was the charge? 

According to the records, Jia Zhen had been involved in a shady antique transaction. He was caught, his money was confiscated, and he was detained for fifteen days. 

Trading legal antiques was not a crime, but dealing in certain cultural relics, especially those unearthed from archaeological sites, was illegal. 

Jia Zhen had been unlucky—or lucky, depending on how you see it. He was caught before the deal went through. Since no actual transaction occurred, it wasn’t considered a major offense.

So why did this catch Xiao Yu’s eye?

He recalled that during the investigation at the morgue, the method used by the body thief seemed strange, almost like something out of a grave robber’s playbook. And what do grave robbers do? They steal antiques and burial goods.

Xiao Yu’s expression turned grim, his gaze growing colder by the second.

Jia Zhen was already a suspect. Now, add the fact that Xiao Yu found what seemed to be grave robber tactics at the crime scene. And this single, obscure record of Jia Zhen’s dealing with antiques? 

Could this all be a coincidence?

Xiao Yu continued digging into Jia Zhen’s records, paying special attention to his travel history.

These days, whether you were taking a long-distance bus, a train, or a plane, you needed to register with your ID. Staying in hotels or renting places also required registration. Even when buying stuff, using mobile payment methods left a trail. 

Police, with the right clearance, could access all this information. 

What Xiao Yu found made him smile, albeit grimly.

Jia Zhen spent less than four months a year at home. The rest of the time, he was constantly on the move, traveling all over the country. His travel, lodging, and spending records frequently showed him visiting remote areas.

Year after year, from the age of 21 to 39, he was always on the go. 

So, what was he doing?

“Grave robbing, huh?” Xiao Yu muttered to himself. “No wonder the body theft at the morgue seemed so strange like someone playing tricks and doing it so smoothly. Only someone like you wouldn’t care about the dead, wouldn’t fear ghosts or gods, and would wander through graveyards. The morgue must feel like a playground to you, right?”