Chapter 106: Prologue – The Blood Hexagram Plate

Tonight, the moon shines with an unusually bright radiance, yet it is shrouded in a layer of blood-red mist, casting an eerie pallor over the once-gentle moonlight, making it seem haunting and foreboding. Even the air seems to be thick with the scent of blood. The quiet of the night, around 2 a.m., is almost suffocating, with only the rustling of tree leaves stirred by the wind breaking the stillness. No one pays any attention to the strange happenings in the sky above.

A Honda SUV police car screeches into the scene, performing a graceful drift before coming to a halt in front of the Law and Politics building. The car door opens, and a pair of long legs steps out with ease. A young woman emerges—tall and slender, standing no less than 175 cm. Her short, disheveled hair is neat yet casual, and her white shirt, though slightly wrinkled, adds to her composed demeanor. Despite the late hour, her energy appears remarkably high, her gaze determined and unwavering.

Gu Yun squints slightly, raising her head. The building, shrouded in darkness, still has one room with its light on—the thirteenth-floor autopsy room! The corner of her mouth curls into a faint smile. "Zhuo Qing still hasn't answered her phone, most likely still busy with the autopsy."

She strides toward the building entrance, where the security guard, seeing her approach, immediately steps forward with a friendly smile. "Captain Gu, here to see Doctor Zhuo?"

Gu Yun nods. "Yes."

"I saw the light in the autopsy room still on during my night patrol. She must be busy. You two are really hardworking!" the security guard adds with a chuckle. "It's already 2 a.m., and one is still working on an autopsy, while the other is waiting for reports. The criminal investigation team sure has it tough."

Gu Yun smiles slightly, pushing open the door to the stairwell with practiced ease. She strides up, heading for the thirteenth floor. Under normal circumstances, she would have taken the elevator, but not today. It wasn't due to claustrophobia; she simply didn't feel like waiting.

Watching her lean, graceful figure disappear up the stairwell, the security guard shakes his head in amusement. "Two workaholics."

Having worked at the building for over ten years, he's seen his fair share of workaholics. These young people have the grit—within a few years, they will surely rise through the ranks!

Upon reaching the thirteenth floor, Gu Yun finds the corridor still lit, though all the office doors are locked. She doesn't head to the autopsy room but instead leans casually against the door of Zhuo Qing's office, pondering the recent spate of serial murders.

Half an hour later, the sound of light footsteps approaches. Gu Yun squints, watching as Zhuo Qing, her face weary, emerges from the autopsy room. Behind her, the assistant coroner, Xing Lan, also looks exhausted, clutching a box of evidence and trailing closely behind.

"So? Has the autopsy report come out yet?" Gu Yun asks, blocking their way as they near the office.

Seeing Gu Yun, full of energy despite the late hour, Xing Lan exclaims, "Captain Gu, you're unbelievable! It's already 3 a.m.!"

Gu Yun raises an eyebrow and smiles, "So what?"

With a resigned sigh, Xing Lan droops her shoulders, "Well, just wait a moment. I'll finish organizing the report. You'll have the results before dawn."

Gu Yun smiles, watching as Xing Lan heads to the office with a resigned look. "Thanks!"

Zhuo Qing opens the door to her personal office, and Gu Yun immediately follows her inside. Before she can speak, Zhuo Qing's cool, deep voice cuts through the air. "What's this? A sleepless night?"

Gu Yun rolls her eyes. "Don't even start! With the frequent murders of women this month, Director Li's about to explode. Right now, the Criminal Investigation Team doesn't even distinguish between day and night!"

As Gu Yun moves to the desk, she notices something glinting at the edge of the room. It's a small golden plate inlaid with a hexagram pattern—likely evidence. She picks it up, walks toward Zhuo Qing, and asks, "What's this?"

Zhuo Qing frowns upon seeing the item in Gu Yun's hand. "Found in the deceased's pocket. After the forensic team examines it, it should end up with you."

Gu Yun, now fully alert, studies the object under the glow of the small desk lamp. The moonlight outside, unusually bright tonight, aids her in scrutinizing the object. As she does so, she notices something strange. The hexagram plate, once golden, now seems to have turned red. She flips it over, only to find the same eerie blood-red hexagram on the other side. The plate seems to emit a faint red glow.

"Strange," she mutters to herself. "Wasn't it gold earlier? Why is it red now?" Her fingers graze the surface, but suddenly, she feels a sharp pain.

Zhuo Qing, having walked over to check on her, asks, "What's wrong?"

Gu Yun looks down at her finger. A deep gash runs along her index finger, with several drops of blood staining the evidence bag. She smiles nonchalantly, "It's nothing. Just got scratched by something."

Zhuo Qing, frowning at her nonchalant demeanor, takes some cotton from a nearby shelf and presses it against Gu Yun's wound. "Press down on it!"

Rolling her eyes, Gu Yun mutters, "It's just a small cut." But the blood continues to drip steadily, soaking through the cotton.

Zhuo Qing examines the object in Gu Yun's hand. Her sharp eyes flash with concern. "What is it? What could be sharp enough to make it so hard to stop the bleeding?"

When she looks more closely at the hexagram plate, Zhuo Qing gasps. "How is this possible?!"

Gu Yun, equally intrigued, leans in and gasps as well. "The blood... it's seeping in!"

The blood, which had been outside the transparent evidence bag, has now seemingly vanished, absorbed by the red hexagram pattern on the plate. The blood is moving, as though it has passed through the bag and into the object itself.

"Dammit!" they both exclaim simultaneously. "This report is going to be impossible to write."

They exchange a look, both feeling the weight of the strange event. But neither notices that the blood continues to travel along the plate, moving toward the center of the hexagram...

At that moment, the plate suddenly emits a fierce red glow. Both Zhuo Qing and Gu Yun are stunned, and before they can react, they collapse to the ground, unconscious. The light flickers briefly before fading away.

In the forensics room, the small desk lamp remains lit, and two unconscious figures lie on the floor. Gu Yun's wound, once bleeding freely, has mysteriously healed, leaving no trace of injury. The golden hexagram plate lies quietly beside them, seemingly undisturbed.

Outside, the moonlight is serene, casting a peaceful glow. Yet, the storm rages on, with thunder crashing and rain pouring. The wind howls as it batters the broken windows, threatening to shatter them.

Inside a small, dilapidated temple, three young women huddle together, their red bridal gowns a stark contrast against the eerie darkness and decaying atmosphere. The sight is unnervingly surreal.

A flash of lightning reveals their faces, and though they are all beautiful, their right cheeks bear deep, jagged scars—runes of cruel fate. In this stormy, haunted night, they appear more ghostly than ever.

"I won't accept this!" one of them, Qing Feng, grits her teeth, her eyes burning with defiance as she stares into the chaotic storm outside.

The others, Qing Mo and Qing Ling, offer quiet comfort, their words filled with worry and sorrow. But Qing Feng, consumed by rage and vengeance, has no more words for them.

And so, in the midst of the storm, the fates of these women intertwine—an inescapable future ahead, one that none can avoid...