Chapter 282: The Terrifying Female Corpse

Could Jiang Xiuran’s killer be a woman?  

Xiao Yu was at a loss. It wasn’t that women couldn’t commit crimes. But a woman skilled in dismemberment? That was exceedingly rare.  

To use just nine precise cuts to divide a body into ten pieces required more than just knife skills. It demanded physical strength and unshakable psychological composure.  

All three elements were indispensable.  

Thinking logically, how many women could master bone-cutting techniques or wield blades with such precision?  

How many had the physical ability to sever bone with a single stroke, nine times in a row without error?  

And how many could maintain the psychological fortitude to dismember a living person?  

Not many. Most men couldn’t achieve this level of precision, not just women.  

Had Xiao Yu’s reasoning failed him?  

Even if this woman wasn’t the killer, couldn’t she be an accomplice?  

No. Anyone asking that must not understand perfectionists. 

A true perfectionist insists on doing everything themselves, especially something like committing murder. They would never involve others, as that would taint their sense of perfection. To a perfectionist, someone else’s involvement would be like finding a fly in an exquisitely prepared dish. It was utterly repulsive.  

Returning to the task at hand, Xiao Yu refocused on the video footage. His gaze locked onto the woman in the footage.  

Her face wasn’t visible due to the fashionable hat she wore. However, beneath the brim, her long hair flowed like a waterfall.  

She wore a sleek black cheongsam that accentuated her stunning curves.  

Standing at over 175 cm tall, her height alone suggested she might be a model.  

Wait.  

Xiao Yu frowned in surprise.  

Why was she so tall?  

In heels, she must have been over 180 cm.  

But what truly unsettled Xiao Yu was something else. Despite her undeniable femininity, her figure, her movements, her attire—something about her felt off.  

A chilling glint flickered in Xiao Yu’s eyes.  

Something wasn’t right with this woman.  

The bar’s surveillance footage replayed.  

Jiang Xiuran had visited the bar three times, each time booking a large private room. And each time, this woman coincidentally appeared. Every time, she arrived before Jiang Xiuran and also booked a private room.  

There were no such coincidences in this world. Certainly not three in a row.  

***

At the Criminal Investigation Unit.

“Investigate the woman from the bar’s surveillance footage,” Xiao Yu instructed, rubbing his temples. “There’s something off about her.”  

“What kind of problem?” Guo Qiang and the other officers looked puzzled as they studied the footage. “Aside from her height, she seems normal.”  

Their eyes weren’t blind. If this were a case of a man disguised as a woman, it would have been easy to discern. But everything about her appearance screamed “woman.”  

Even Xiao Yu himself wasn’t sure what the issue was.  

Unless he could see her in person, the footage—no matter how detailed—wouldn’t reveal enough, even with his system-enhanced Eagle’s Eye.  

Time flew by.  

Another full day passed, with the entire team chasing leads.  

At 11:00 PM., Xiao Yu was still reviewing the bar’s surveillance footage when the dispatch line connected to the Criminal Investigation Unit.  

Something had happened.  

***

11:05 PM. 

Bencheng’s 110 emergency dispatch received a report.  

The caller, a resident of a housing complex, claimed to have witnessed a bizarre corpse. According to the caller, they had just finished a late shift and were taking a shortcut through the back alley of the complex when they saw it.  

At first, the caller thought it was just a large dog standing in the alley.  

Being brave, they hadn’t given it much thought and continued walking. But as they drew closer, they were paralyzed with terror.  

It was not a dog. It was a grotesque human corpse.  

A female corpse.  

The arms, severed at the wrists, ended in stumps. The legs, severed below the knees, supported the body.  

Even more horrifying, the body was positioned belly-up, with its torso unnaturally arched.  

And the head was grotesquely attached to the chest. To make it worse, the head sprouted two severed hands, like grotesque antlers.  

The face—pale and eerie—stared with wide-open eyes.  

Yet, its expression was one of joy, pleasure, and unearthly delight.  

The corpse had been contorted into the shape of a human dog.  

The terrified caller had wet themselves, collapsing to the ground in fear. Somehow mustering the strength, they fled for their life before calling the police.  

***

When the team arrived at the scene, Xiao Yu crouched to examine the grotesque and terrifying female corpse.  

The horrifying scene from three days ago had repeated itself.  

The same modus operandi.  

The body had been divided into ten pieces, reassembled, and sewn together. Both victims shared the same deathly expression of ecstasy. 

Staring at the woman’s face, Xiao Yu’s heart sank.  

He had seen this face just yesterday. It was the receptionist from Yunwei Psychological Consulting.  

The search of the surrounding area yielded no weapons or additional clues.  

When forensic specialist He Li arrived and saw the monstrous corpse, her composure faltered.  

Fifteen minutes into the preliminary on-site examination, she reported grimly, “It’s the same as last time.”  

Her expression was heavy as she looked at Xiao Yu. “Nine cuts, ten pieces, stitched together.”  

Xiao Yu’s gaze remained fixed on the corpse. 

“Not necessarily. Take the body back for a thorough examination,” he said. His voice was calm but firm. 

“What do you mean?” He Li frowned, narrowing her eyes at Xiao Yu. “Are you questioning my expertise?”  

“No.” Xiao Yu’s tone was flat. “I’m questioning this corpse.”  

“What?” He Li was taken aback.  

Xiao Yu turned to her, locking eyes.  

“He Li, tell me, how many people in this world suffer from congenital insensitivity to pain?”  

“Uh!” He Li froze.  

The next moment, her expression changed drastically.