Chapter 13: No Matter How Beautiful, She’s Still an Old Witch

The voice belonged to the other killer!

Although the memory was vague—no clear image of his face or even his figure—at the very moment Zhou Mo heard that voice, he was certain that this was the person who had tried to kill him.

“I’m talking to you!”

Xia An’s voice snapped Zhou Mo back to reality. She gripped his collar tightly, several times wanting to press the pistol against his temple to demand answers. Yet, reason restrained her from doing so.

Liao Feng was dead!

And he had died inside the City Guard Office.

An important suspect was dead, and the manner of death was brutal—his skull was forcibly broken open, and his brain removed. This was no longer a matter of simple disciplinary action; it was an outright declaration of war against the City Guard by the killer.

This murderer was brazen, completely disregarding the City Guard’s authority.

After much thought, Xia An concluded that Zhou Mo, being inside the City Guard, was the prime suspect. Moreover, at this moment, only Zhou Mo seemed to have a motive.

But Xia An couldn’t fathom how Zhou Mo could have done it.

Furthermore, the method of the crime was identical to that of the Brain-Eating Demon’s signature—though the tools used differed, the victim’s brain was always removed.

“Calm down, Xia An, calm down!” Forensic expert Sun Yue hurried over, grabbing Xia An’s arm. “Now is not the time to lose your temper.”

Pulled back, Xia An took a deep breath, forcing herself to steady her nerves. She cast a cold glance at Zhou Mo. “I suppose you’ve had enough sleep? If so, get up. There are still many questions I need to ask.”

Without giving Zhou Mo any chance to resist, Xia An had Zhang Huai’an drag him back to the interrogation room. They handcuffed him to the chair once more, with Sun Yue standing nearby to monitor his condition.

Xia An’s face no longer held any trace of ease; she stared seriously at Zhou Mo and asked, “Tell me, why did you go looking for Liao Feng?”

Now, Xia An dismissed Zhou Mo’s earlier words as nonsense. She only wanted to uncover the true connection among Zhou Mo, Liao Feng, and the Brain-Eating Demon.

Zhou Mo had been confused earlier, but now he was fully awake.

In fact, he knew what had happened within the City Guard. Because the brain that had just been taken from Liao Feng’s skull had been implanted into his own head.

He hadn’t dared to speak earlier, wanting to gauge how much Xia An and the others knew. Though the memories in his mind hadn’t been detected, he couldn’t rule out hidden surveillance.

Seeing Xia An’s reaction, Zhou Mo breathed a sigh of relief—it was good they hadn’t yet discovered that it was his brain that had committed the murder.

Clearing his throat, Zhou Mo said, “I went to see Liao Feng because he leaked my information.”

---

“In my hazy memories, I usually didn’t have much interaction with others, but the killer knew my personal details, even my exact address. That’s a big problem,” Zhou Mo explained his reasoning, which softened Xia An’s expression somewhat. At least his story had a logical ring to it.

However, Xia An frowned and asked, “Why do you think the person who attacked you is connected to Liao Feng? And why didn’t you report it to the police immediately?”

Zhou Mo pointed to the back of his head with a serious look. “Because I lost my memory.”

“Also, it wasn’t until you came and mentioned Meise Clinic that I remembered—the tools the attacker held were labeled ‘Meise Hospital.’”

“Moreover, they took away something very important to me. I don’t know what it is, or even what I lost. But the lingering memories tell me it was crucial, and I must get it back at all costs.”

A faint smile finally tugged at Xia An’s lips—now it made sense.

All the details fit together.

“So, Liao Feng had a significant connection with the Brain-Eating Demon, and the demon removed Liao Feng’s brain to silence him?”

There was no doubt Zhou Mo was attacked. The shape of the wound on the back of his head and the blood spatter in the room clearly showed he was assaulted. Sun Yue’s report confirmed the attacker meant to kill him, with fractures even on the bones.

Though Zhou Mo was evasive and tried to use amnesia as an excuse, Xia An could still discern which parts of his story were true.

Looking at Xia An’s expression, Zhou Mo felt uneasy. Having Liao Feng’s brain in his head made it seem as if Xia An’s eyes could see right through him.

He forced a smile and asked, “May I leave now? I’m not a suspect, right? Is it really okay for you to interrogate me like this?”

Xia An said nothing, bowing her head in thought. Her fingers nervously scratched the table, the sharp sound of her manicured nails echoing.

Seeing this, Zhang Huai’an quickly took knitting needles from under the table and placed them into Xia An’s hands.

Under Zhou Mo’s bewildered gaze, Xia An began knitting while her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

What role was Zhou Mo playing in this matter?

Had he truly lost his memory?

If what he said was true, then the missing item was likely contraband—something the City Guard must not discover.

But what could a useless university graduate possibly have that the Brain-Eating Demon would covet?

Xia An couldn’t figure it out, but one thing she was certain of:

Zhou Mo might be the key to capturing the Brain-Eating Demon.

---

Though they had found Li Ya and some scattered evidence, Xia An knew the Brain-Eating Demon was far more than just a private clinic’s attending physician. Others were surely involved, and many brains were yet to be found.

Especially Liu Tianyou’s brain.

Thinking of this, Xia An put down her knitting needles and smiled brightly, her expression shifting as swiftly as an intangible cultural heritage.

“Zhou Mo, don’t take it personally—I’m just doing my job investigating the case.”

“We’ve basically confirmed your innocence. The sudden interrogation was due to some issues here.”

“Now everything’s settled, you’re free to go.”

“But since you helped us catch the subconscious monster and provided a direct lead, the City Guard will reward cooperative citizens like you. You just graduated and probably don’t have much money, right?”

Xia An’s sudden change in tone unsettled Zhou Mo, but when he heard the word ‘reward,’ his eyes lit up.

“Really? How much? I’ve been a bit tight on cash lately.”

Xia An smiled even more charmingly. “Quite a bit. That big bat caused some trouble recently. I can help you apply for a reward of about ten thousand.”

“Well then, we need to complete some paperwork tomorrow. Come find me in the afternoon to collect it. Huai’an, take Zhou Mo out. I have something else to discuss with Sun Yue.”

She gave a glance to the slightly stunned Zhang Huai’an, who immediately unlocked Zhou Mo’s handcuffs and led him out.

Once the room was left with just the two women, Sun Yue looked at Xia An oddly.

“When did you become so easygoing? You just let him go so easily? And you’re willing to give him a reward?”

Xia An picked up her knitting and leisurely rocked in her chair as she worked the needles.

“What else can we do? We have no evidence to hold him. Even if we kept him, we’d have to release him tomorrow. Instead of deadlocking the situation, it’s better to try a different approach.”

“I’m not just giving him a reward—I’m going to promote him widely and even offer him a job.”

Sun Yue’s eyes widened. “Are you crazy?”

Xia An chuckled. “I’m not crazy. Didn’t you say he was attacked? And he himself said it was the Brain-Eating Demon who did it.”

“If he’s telling the truth, what do you think the Brain-Eating Demon will do if they find out he’s still alive...?”

Sun Yue’s round face froze, her gaze on Xia An like she was staring at an ancient witch.