Gu Qin added, "He's cautious. Sending more people to watch Ruan Ting won't help. Everyone says he works from nine to five, so he won't visit her during the day. No matter how he tries to hide, someone will see him. He can only manipulate some surveillance equipment, not become invisible. So, he'll only approach Ruan Ting at night when it's easier to hide. He must get close to her to influence her mind. Therefore, I deduce he visits Ruan Ting every night before dawn, then leaves before it gets light. We can only act at night."

Huang Kun nodded and asked, "What do you think we should do, Student Gu?"

Gu Qin replied, "So, we'll act tomorrow night. We don't need too many people. Around midnight, send a plainclothes female officer to knock on the door. He'll only appear at night, so he won't answer the door. Once Ruan Ting opens it, pull her out, and the rest is up to you. If you can't help much, just search Song Langtian's house for the victims' blood."

Huang Kun trusted Gu Qin completely. He immediately called back the people watching Ruan Ting and instructed everyone to rest properly and report back at seven the next morning.

After leaving, Gu Qin bought some soybeans, took them home, and used talismans to nurture them. She concealed her energy and left Liulang at home. She then went to Song Langtian's neighborhood to observe, but the high population flow made it unsuitable for setting up a formation, as it could harm innocent people. Gu Qin gave up on setting up a formation near the neighborhood.

She returned home, rested, and retrieved Liulang from under the bed. Liulang buzzed slightly, seemingly displeased. Gu Qin stroked it and said, "I'm going out on business, so I can't bring you. But you'll need to help tomorrow night. Be good."

As long as the man hadn't reached the stage of refining qi and transforming spirit, her preparations and Liulang would give her a chance. She believed the man probably wasn't highly cultivated. The woman she encountered earlier was older and had only reached the middle stage of refining essence into qi.

Whether it was orthodox cultivation or demonic practice, both were difficult.

After dinner, Cheng Chuchu and Cheng Yueguang secretly slipped into Gu Qin's room. Cheng Chuchu whispered, "Cousin, how's your preparation going? Do you need any help?"

Gu Qin shook her head. "No, you don't need to help. Let the police handle it. Just stay at home and relax. Understand?"

Both nodded. They weren't reckless and wouldn't interfere without Gu Qin's permission.

They chatted for a while before Gu Qin went to sleep.

The next day, Gu Qin continued to rest and only went to the police station at seven in the evening. Huang Kun gathered his team of about fifteen officers, all of whom were involved in the investigation and knew Gu Qin's abilities. Only Shi Shaojun knew Song Langtian was different from a typical criminal. Huang Kun didn't inform the others, as it might cause fear and hesitation.

Huang Kun originally didn't plan to let Shi Shaojun join, but Shi insisted, saying he wasn't afraid and wouldn't hold anyone back. Huang Kun relented.

Huang Kun briefed the team. "We've identified the suspect in the serial murder case. Gu Qin provided the crucial clue. We're going to apprehend the suspect tonight. Be careful and don't let him escape."

Everyone realized the case was solved thanks to Gu Qin's efforts. Huang Kun seemed overly cautious, but with fifteen people, it was unlikely the suspect could escape.

The team was well-rested and eager to solve the case. They hoped to end the year with two major cases solved, earning commendations and bonuses.

This time, Huang Kun didn't bring too many people, about fifteen in total. Gu Qin believed more people wouldn't help much, as thorough preparations had been made.

At half past eleven, Huang Kun led the team directly to Ruan Ting's residence.

Gu Qin and the others arrived at Ruan Ting's residence around 12:30 AM. They took the elevator to the eighth floor. Gu Qin reined in her aura, and even the Flowing Light was wrapped in a Concealment Talisman.

When they reached the eighth floor, a plainclothes female police officer knocked on the door. Ruan Ting saw it was an unfamiliar person, a thin and petite girl who seemed quite anxious. Thinking she had some matter of urgency, Ruan Ting opened the door to inquire. But before she could ask anything, the petite girl suddenly grabbed her.

The girl had immense strength, pulling Ruan Ting out the door and dragging her back several steps. Ruan Ting couldn't help but scream, finally getting a clear look at the situation. She was stunned. What was going on? Why were there so many policemen, and—she couldn't help but widen her eyes and stare at Gu Qin. Wasn’t she Chu Chu’s cousin? Why was she here with the police?

Ruan Ting was puzzled. Before she could react, the policemen rushed inside. Gu Qin said to the petite girl, "Let's take her away first." Then she quickly entered the room.

Ruan Ting abruptly broke free from the petite girl and rushed inside. She looked flustered. "What's going on? What are you doing?"

The plainclothes female police officer immediately followed and tried to restrain Ruan Ting, attempting to pull her out. But Ruan Ting struggled fiercely. "Let me go! This is my home. Why are you illegally entering my residence?"

Huang Kun kicked open the guest bedroom door. Inside sat a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, looking refined. Seeing these people, he didn't panic but slowly stood up and walked into the living room. The surrounding policemen already had their guns drawn, pointing at him. "Lean against the wall and raise your hands!"

Ruan Ting was even more bewildered. "What… what’s happening? What’s going on?"

Song Langtian showed no sign of panic. Instead, he smiled faintly. "How rare, I thought I was being so discreet. How did you find me? And how did you know I was here?" He had been very careful, so he never imagined the police would come knocking one day.

He glanced at Ruan Ting behind everyone else and sighed inwardly. "Such a pity, you really are lucky."

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Ruan Ting met his gaze, understanding that he was talking about her. But she didn’t understand his words. "What did you say?"

Gu Qin turned to look at her. "Don’t you understand? He said you narrowly escaped death." Then she turned to the female police officer. "Hurry and take her away. Quickly."

Song Langtian finally noticed Gu Qin among the police officers. He looked at her, his expression changing.

Ruan Ting was nearly driven mad by now, her mind a jumbled mess. She couldn’t figure out why she had escaped death. Could this man be a murderer? But how could that be possible? Ruan Ting’s mind was in chaos, unable to think clearly.

As the female police officer pulled her, Ruan Ting instinctively clung to the doorknob, wanting to ask if he would really harm her.

Song Langtian was entirely focused on Gu Qin. His expression turned serious as he muttered, "Concealment Talismans? You have Concealment Talismans on you, right? They should also have them. Otherwise, how could I not hear such a commotion? You’re also a cultivator, hmm, at the middle stage of Essence Condensation. Just newly entered, right? How can you compete with me? And these policemen, I advise you all to leave quickly."

Gu Qin activated her Heavenly Eye and naturally saw that he was at the late stage of Essence Condensation. However, he was likely just entering the late stage after engaging in Yin-Yang cultivation with several victims. Since he was only at the early stage of the late Essence Condensation, Gu Qin felt relieved. Even if they fought, she wasn’t necessarily at a disadvantage.

Huang Kun and the other policemen were extremely nervous. Huang Kun raised his gun, aiming at Song Langtian. "Raise your hands or I’ll shoot."

Song Langtian’s gaze slowly shifted from Gu Qin to Huang Kun, then he sneered. "Just the two of you?" He took two steps forward. Huang Kun was tense and involuntarily pulled the trigger, firing a gunshot. The bullet shot towards Song Langtian.

Gu Qin inwardly cursed. With his late-stage Essence Condensation cultivation, bullets wouldn’t hurt him. To him, bullets were like toys. Sure enough, when the bullet approached, Song Langtian swiftly formed a talisman, and with a wave of his hand, the bullet curved and headed towards Huang Kun.

This happened in a second. Ordinary people couldn’t see the trajectory of the bullet. Gu Qin acted without hesitation. Her control over yin-soul qi was already proficient, and she didn’t need to form a talisman. She simply raised her hand, and the bullet grazed Huang Kun’s arm, embedding itself in the door behind him.

Only when the door made a loud noise did everyone realize something had happened. Turning to look at the door, they saw the bullet hole, their pupils contracting. Although they couldn’t see the bullet’s path, they knew what had happened—the bullet fired at Song Langtian had instead hit the door behind Huang Kun. They saw Song Langtian’s fingers move rapidly, then Gu Qin’s hand waved, and they heard the sound of the bullet hitting the door.

To them, it was unbelievable—how could a bullet change its trajectory? They knew Gu Qin’s abilities and understood that if not for her intervention, the bullet might have gone through Huang Kun. Most of them didn’t know the perpetrator was someone like Gu Qin, and now they realized, becoming even more tense as they aimed their guns at him.

Gu Qin said, "Stop shooting. All of you, leave."

Here, she was worried about their safety. Huang Kun also realized they were only adding to Gu Qin’s burden. As an efficient leader, he quickly put away his gun. "Withdraw!" They had other tasks.

Most colleagues put away their guns, but Shi Shaojun still held his gun on Song Langtian, anxiously asking Huang Kun, "Captain, what about Gu Qin?"

Huang Kun shouted, "Withdraw!"

Shi Shaojun finally put away his gun and followed his colleagues downstairs. At the door, he couldn’t help but look back. A slender girl stood in the center of the living room, illuminated by the bright light from the chandelier, giving her an almost surreal appearance. Although worried, he knew they were useless here and reluctantly followed down the stairs.

Ruan Ting was already stunned. She clearly understood the implications of these unreal events—this man wasn’t ordinary, nor was Chu Chu’s cousin. The police coming here meant this man might indeed be a murderer...

All the police quickly withdrew downstairs. The gunshot had already woken up many residents, who turned on their lights and looked outside.

There were streetlights downstairs, so many people saw the police in uniform. Someone asked, "What’s going on? Why are the police here? Did you hear a gunshot? Has something happened?"

"I don’t know..."

"Hey, downstairs police officers, what’s going on? Is there a criminal in the neighborhood?"

Huang Kun didn’t answer, telling the female police officer, "Take her to the police station to give a statement. We’ll go to Song Langtian’s house to see if we can find any evidence."

The female police officer took Ruan Ting back to the police station, while Huang Kun led the team to Song Langtian’s residence.

Inside the room, Gu Qin and Song Langtian faced off. After seeing Gu Qin’s actions, Song Langtian’s expression finally changed. "You don’t need to form talismans to control essence energy?" And she controlled it so skillfully, not at all like someone just entering the middle stage of Essence Condensation. Who was this girl? He had never heard of such a figure in the realm of esoteric practices.

Gu Qin naturally wouldn’t answer his question. She asked, "There are many ways to cultivate as a demon cultivator. Why did you harm them so much? You didn’t need to target ordinary people."

She was right; there were many ways for demon cultivators to advance. They could use rituals with yin-biased women for dual cultivation, or even use the cultivation methods of their fellow practitioners. There was no need to target ordinary people.

This was a common consensus among cultivators—they would never harm ordinary people. This person could find yin-biased women for dual cultivation, without needing to kill.

Song Langtian smiled but didn’t answer Gu Qin’s question. Instead, he looked at her with a smile. "With such talent, if you agree to dual cultivate with me, I won’t harm anyone else."

Gu Qin’s face darkened. She raised her hand, sending an inner force strike towards him. Song Langtian barely dodged by tilting his body. Realizing her anger, he said, "You’re upset? Why? Dual cultivation is like cultivation for cultivators. With your talent, why not experience it yourself? My suggestion isn’t meant to belittle you, but rather a sincere proposal. If you agree, I’ll stop harming these ordinary people."

Gu Qin laughed coldly. "Unfortunately, I dislike such cultivation methods." Since reasoning was futile, she attacked with a talisman. Song Langtian, who hadn’t expected such an attack, humphed. "Since you refuse, I’ll make you experience dual cultivation after I subdue you. You’ll willingly agree then."

Song Langtian had no lecherous thoughts. He merely believed that if he could find a talented person with decent cultivation, he wouldn’t need to engage in dual cultivation with ordinary women.

Song Langtian didn’t take Gu Qin seriously. He was at the late stage of Essence Condensation, while she was only at the middle stage. How could she compare? Although both were at the Essence Condensation stage, there was a vast difference between the middle and late stages. Gu Qin’s essence energy was at least half of his. He could wear her down over time.

Song Langtian wasn’t prepared and couldn’t match Gu Qin’s talismans. He drew talismans in mid-air and aimed them at her. Gu Qin felt relieved. This person underestimated her. That was good. He wanted to wear her down, depleting her essence energy. Drawing talismans in mid-air consumed much more essence energy than using cinnabar ink. Now, she didn’t have to worry.

They engaged in combat. Gu Qin had prepared many talismans, which she launched at Song Langtian. The small room restricted their movements, but Song Langtian was hit several times, his face turning pale. Gu Qin was agile, combining physical training with cultivation. Her external strength techniques were excellent, focusing on speed and power. She had mastered the realm of hidden strength through internal and external cultivation. She easily dodged his attacks and closed the distance between them.

When they were close, Gu Qin struck him with a palm. Song Langtian couldn’t dodge and was hit in the chest, stumbling backward several steps.

Seeing Gu Qin’s combat skills, Song Langtian realized his cultivation couldn’t fully manifest in the cramped space. His expression darkened as he retreated into the guest bedroom and then onto the balcony, jumping down.

Gu Qin wouldn’t let him escape. She instantly followed, jumping down from the balcony. For ordinary people, an eighth-floor balcony was deadly, but for them, it was nothing. Song Langtian didn’t engage in a fight in the neighborhood, escaping toward the outskirts. He didn’t want to become entertainment for ordinary people.

Song Langtian ran north toward a construction site. It was the holiday season, and the workers were on leave, leaving the area deserted.

Song Langtian didn’t plan to flee but wanted a spacious place to fight. Arriving at an empty field, he stopped, glaring at Gu Qin. "If you insist on dying, don’t blame me!"

He had no offensive tools, relying solely on his cultivation to fight Gu Qin.

Gu Qin had prepared many offensive talismans. These talismans would turn into essence energy attacks upon striking Song Langtian.

Gu Qin used these talismans and controlled essence energy, making Song Langtian struggle. After an hour, his essence energy was nearly depleted. Drawing talismans in mid-air consumed a lot of essence energy.

Gu Qin’s talismans were gone, and she was drawing talismans in mid-air like Song Langtian. However, her talismans were more advanced. When they hit Song Langtian, he merely paled slightly. In contrast, Song Langtian’s forehead was sweating, and his lips were pale.

Song Langtian was shocked. This girl was at the middle stage of Essence Condensation, yet her essence energy hadn’t depleted. He was nearly exhausted. He regretted underestimating her. Fighting her further meant certain death tonight. Life was more important.

He struck Gu Qin with a palm, but she didn’t dodge. Instead, she countered with a palm, sending a hidden force strike. When their palms collided, Song Langtian was pushed back a few steps, tasting blood. He swallowed the blood and sneered, "All your preparations amount to nothing."

Then, he sent another talisman at Gu Qin, who dodged. Seizing the opportunity, Song Langtian fled.

Gu Qin snorted. "Too late to run!" She waved her fingers, releasing something from her palm. In the dim light, it looked like beans jumping around, surrounding Song Langtian.

One bean hit him, turning to powder, but his face paled, and he groaned.

Gu Qin threw more beans, which surrounded Song Langtian, preventing his escape.

Thinking Gu Qin used some hidden weapon, Song Langtian was shocked when he saw the jumping beans. He stared at Gu Qin in horror. "You’re at the middle stage of Essence Condensation, how can you summon soldiers from beans?"