THUD.

The recorder stopped playing. The doctor looked at Li Ang with intense eyes and said, "After that treatment, Doctor Weimen Youren suspected Fushen Pingyuan might have developed multiple personality disorder. In fact, modern people from the Japan Islands more or less all have some psychological issues. Fushen Pingyuan was usually kind-hearted and willing to help others; his neighbors and colleagues all considered him a reliable, good person with no aggressive tendencies. Weimen Youren combined medication and psychological counseling to provide Fushen Pingyuan with long-term guidance and treatment, alleviating his condition. In his later journal entries, you can see his mental state becoming increasingly stable."

Li Ang looked down at the journal. Indeed, as the doctor had described, Fushen Pingyuan's handwriting in his journal entries from 13 years later was clear and orderly, and his attitude was calm. He only mentioned that after each migraine ended, he often found himself in other places, such as at the Shrine, at home, or by the roadside. His family cared a lot about him. His daughter's concern for her father's condition also led to their relationship improving considerably, and the frequency of his migraines was decreasing.

Beyond recording notable events each week, Fushen Pingyuan would occasionally write poetry. Each poem was just a stanza or two, written from April of '14 until May 10, 2019, which was the day before Fushen Pingyuan exterminated his entire family.

The poetry read:

In the land where purple pigment is born,

A thief, holding a golden Wand with twin snakes entwined, moves elegantly through.

The white Moon Goddess, Diana, gradually rises in the night sky,

Foretelling the sorrowful demise of the father of the Constantinian Dynasty.

For this, the nine Muses present their flowers.

The first King, who wore the crown from the southernmost tip of the Aegean Sea,

Jealous of the Hero who plundered the Golden Fleece, decides to embark on his own adventure:

Gifting Gold Coins to the ferryman of Styx,

Gifting the Mu Ma to the ignorant Trojans,

Mediating the fight between the charioteer and the bear,

Defeating the man-eating Minotaur.

The six-winged creature, covered with eyes inside and out, sings "Holy" day and night.

The wielder of the Sword of Flame defines his territory.

Within the earthly Holy City,

The mother of all sins

Transforms mortals into divine war chariots,

To become a tribe crossing the river.

The firstborn child, red and furry.

I pray for divine assistance,

To eventually ascend and become an Angel armed with a long spear.

Yet this invites vengeance upon the world of light.

Oh Lord, I hope all this is worth it.

Li Ang furrowed his brows, reading the poems over and over again. He heaved a long sigh and closed the journal. "I can't understand it at all. What is this nonsense poetry?"

The doctor nodded and said, "Fushen Pingyuan was not very skilled in artistic appreciation or poetry. Although it's not described much in the journal, in reality, Fushen Miyoshi often behaved bizarrely. She went to Fushen Pingyuan's company multiple times, creating loud scenes, claiming he was the murderer of Jie Yue, Xiu Lai, and his father. She also threatened to curse him with the power of Yi Ji Dashen, causing Fushen Pingyuan great distress and pain. We believe it was his mother's deranged symptoms that exacerbated Fushen Pingyuan's schizophrenia. On one hand, he clung to the rationality and peace of his long, calm life. On the other, he was tormented by the hatred and disgust stemming from painful memories. This ultimately led to his complete breakdown."

"Is that so..." Li Ang leaned forward, squinting. "Doctor, do you really believe what Fushen Miyoshi said was true—that Fushen Pingyuan killed Jie Yue, Xiu Lai, and his father? And that Fushen Miyoshi could curse Fushen Pingyuan through some nonsensical Ritual track?"

The middle-aged police superintendent frowned and snapped, "Supernatural powers? Don't be ridiculous! What do you think we're filming, some low-budget TV drama? If you still can't provide us with any useful information, I'll have the doctor give you an injection."

"Haha, just kidding, just kidding." Li Ang raised his hands in a placating gesture, then his expression shifted, and he asked seriously, "So, Doctor, in your opinion, was it Fushen Pingyuan himself who committed the familicide, or was it one of his personalities?"

The doctor hesitated. "This... I'm not really sure..."

"Is that so?" Li Ang smiled. "Alright. I've gathered all the information I need."

The superintendent shot up from his chair. "You know where Weimen Ziyuan is hiding?"

"Not yet." Li Ang shook his head, lifted his arm, and looked at the doctor. "Doctor, can you give me another injection? The same kind you gave me earlier."

"Hmm?" The doctor, taken aback, asked, "You do know that after the injection, you could fall asleep and another personality might take over, right?"

"I know." Li Ang nodded calmly. "But only by returning to Fushen Pingyuan's memories can I find the ultimate truth."

Seemingly moved by Li Ang's determination, the doctor pursed his lips. He opened the metal box beside him and took out a disposable syringe and a vial containing a pale yellow liquid. He then stood up, went to Li Ang's side, and rolled up Li Ang's right sleeve.

The next second, with a sickening CRACK, both of Li Ang's thumbs dislocated and snapped against the chair's armrests. He instantly broke free from the handcuffs.

With his right hand, he yanked the doctor in front of him, locking his right arm around the doctor's neck.

CRASH!

The vial in the doctor's hand fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

"What are you doing?!"

It all happened in an instant. The superintendent leaped from his chair, unhesitatingly drawing his handgun, flicking off the safety, and aiming its dark muzzle at Li Ang. "Let him go! You madman!"

"Such clever people from the Japan Islands, such an elegant language," Li Ang drawled, still holding the psychologist. He calmly popped his dislocated thumbs back into place, then hid his head behind the doctor, a smile playing on his lips as he faced the superintendent.

"I forgot to tell you. As one of Fushen Pingyuan's personalities, I'm Chuan Sang, also known by the nickname Chuan Wen. I specialize in Wing Chun. There was even a movie released recently, 'Chuan Wen 4: Coffin Recovery War.' Sequels are planned: 'Chuan Wen 5: Filth Reborn,' and 'Chuan Wen 6: Bounce Back.' Even though I'm currently using Fushen Pingyuan's body, I can still snap his neck the instant you pull that trigger."

Li Ang tightened his arm slightly. The doctor's face immediately turned purplish-red, his eyes bulging as he stared desperately at the superintendent.

The middle-aged superintendent swore, then raised his gun towards the ceiling. Li Ang, in turn, relaxed his arm, allowing the doctor to cough and gasp for air.

"Why?" the superintendent demanded, staring at Li Ang. "Didn't you say you'd help us find Weimen Ziyuan?"

"Yes, I do want to help the police find Weimen Ziyuan." Li Ang glanced around the interrogation room. "But you don't represent the Wakayama County police, and this place... this isn't the Wakayama County Police Headquarters. Don't get me wrong; I don't regard this room or this interrogation as a hallucination. And neither you, Superintendent, nor the doctor are the second or third personalities in my head."

The superintendent frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

Li Ang sighed. "You all think he's the madman, Fushen Pingyuan. You think he's a total wash-up, completely inept. But there's a reason for this 'madness.' You think he's on the first level, but he's actually on the fifth. Beneath the facade of a madman with multiple personalities, Fushen Pingyuan is an exceptionally lucid and intelligent person. He was acutely aware of his predicament. He once tried to save his family but was powerless, isolated and unable to prevent their destruction. A long, long time ago, he resolved to die and meticulously planned this murder and kidnapping. And what I'm doing now is helping him see it through to the end."

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