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Chapter 138: The Butterfly
Chapter 138: The Butterfly
When Chen Chuan arrived at the company, he was greeted by a man in his thirties wearing the official uniform of the County Government Office. The man's eyes lit up upon seeing Chen Chuan and he eagerly approached him, offering a handshake.
"So, you must be Expert Chen. I'm Wang Bian, from the Jingxian County Government Office. You can call me Officer Wang, or just Wang," he said with great enthusiasm, lacking the usual aloofness of a government official and instead exuding a deliberate eagerness to please.
Chen Chuan shook his hand and replied, "Nice to meet you, Officer Wang."
After the initial greetings, they both sat down, and Officer Wang sighed, saying, "This recent odd tale has everyone on edge. We're truly at our wits' end, so we sought help from a colleague at the Yangzhi City Government Hall, who recommended your company. Oh, I heard that your company dealt with the Flying Head Demon incident. Impressive, truly impressive!"
Chen Chuan said, "I heard a brief account before coming here. Could you provide more details, Officer Wang?"
Officer Wang, looking troubled, began his explanation, "Well, it's like this..."
As he narrated, Chen Chuan and Ren Shu gradually understood the situation.
Due to the local customs and culture in Jingxian County, many young people in the county liked to get tattoos. Recently, some of them had discovered an additional butterfly-shaped tattoo on their bodies, which appeared mysteriously and couldn't be washed off.
Since the tattoo was not only beautiful but also vibrant and lifelike, moving with the body as if dancing, those who had it would proudly show it off to others. However, when asked about its origin, no one could provide a clear answer.
But soon, these young people realized something was amiss. The tattoos seemed to multiply daily, and within just a few days, they covered the entire body.
The most terrifying part was that these tattoos would overlap densely, and once there was no more space on the body, they would transform into real butterflies, fluttering away from the skin. This wasn't limited to the surface; even internal organs would release butterflies.
It was then that people realized the tattoos existed inside the body as well, just invisible. In the end, all that remained of the affected person was rotten flesh and bones riddled with holes.
As Officer Wang spoke, his eyes revealed his fear. He had seen the corpse himself and had vomited on the spot. Upon returning, he had nightmares for several consecutive days. The first thing he did each morning was to check his body for any signs of the butterfly tattoo.
In just ten days, the County Government Office had received over a dozen similar reports, and these were only the ones officially filed; the actual number of cases was likely much higher.
If only ordinary citizens were affected, it might have been tolerable. But even the officials at the County Government Office feared that they or their relatives and friends might be contaminated. So, they ordered the affected individuals to be arrested, but this only addressed the symptoms, not the root cause, and similar incidents continued to occur.
What made the situation even more challenging was that some people, for reasons unknown, intentionally got such tattoos after hearing about the incidents, increasing the difficulty of handling the matter. This forced the officials to seek experts from various places to deal with the problem.
After listening to Officer Wang, Chen Chuan's expression turned more serious. He thought for a moment and said, "I understand the situation. I'll need to gather some information. I'll get back to you by this afternoon."
Officer Wang replied, "Great. Then we'll be waiting for your response, Expert Chen."
After returning, Chen Chuan reviewed the odd tale materials that Cheng Zitong had given him. Every night during his free time, he would go through these materials to broaden his knowledge and understanding. However, due to the vast amount of information, he hadn't finished reading them all yet.
He checked the compiled index and confirmed that the butterfly tattoo tale wasn't included in the recorded odd tales, indicating that Cheng Zitong had neither seen nor heard of this particular tale.
With such a low success rate, he could have easily declined the commission. However, after careful consideration, he decided to give it a try.
Having encountered numerous odd tales and seen various examples, he had gained some experience.
Most of the previous tales, including those mentioned in the materials, were typically confined to a specific location, with a limited scope. They might cause chaos in that area, but unless there was human involvement, like with the Flying Head Sect, they usually didn't lead to widespread social unrest.
For tales that could spread like this, there was often a root cause. Eliminating that root cause would resolve the issue.
Chen Chuan reflected that the odd tales he had handled in the past were mostly well-documented, with precedents to follow. He only needed to follow the established procedures. But for tales he had never encountered before, he had no prior experience to rely on.
However, as he took on more and more commissions in this field, he inevitably encountered similar tales. This time, he decided not to avoid it but to take the initiative to solve it.
Despite having an idea, he remained cautious. He called Cheng Zitong to seek his advice and shared his analysis.
After listening, Cheng Zitong said, "Little Chuan, your thinking is correct, assuming the information is accurate. Sometimes, what influences your judgment is not the odd tale itself but the people involved."
"I understand, Teacher," Chen Chuan replied. "Since odd tales affect people, solving them often requires dealing with the human aspect first, which can be even more complex than the tale itself."
"Exactly," Cheng Zitong agreed. "So, you need to be mentally prepared. Solving odd tales isn't just about the tale itself, especially when you're outside Yangzhi City. You must be extra cautious."
"I understand, Teacher," Chen Chuan assured him.
Cheng Zitong nodded. "If there's anything you need me to do, just give me a call."
Chen Chuan ended the call and after a moment of contemplation, he called the company, informing them of his acceptance of the assignment and the need to head to Jingxian County immediately.
Ren Shu immediately informed Wang Gan Shi, who was delighted to hear of his willingness to depart promptly. Wang Gan Shi repeatedly expressed his approval and assured Ren Shu that he would come to pick him up right away.
Half an hour later, Chen Chuan was seated in Wang Gan Shi's car, heading towards Jingxian County. To facilitate a better understanding of the situation, Chen Chuan and Wang Gan Shi sat in the back while the driver took the front seat. Considering his trip to another county, the company had also dispatched an additional vehicle to follow, ensuring Chen Chuan's convenience during his travels.
Among the six counties of Yangzhi City, Jingxian County was located at the northernmost tip of the southwestern region and was also the smallest. The county town was surrounded by mountains on three sides, making access challenging. However, a tributary of the Baihe River took a turn here, conveniently located at the exit, making water transportation more convenient and the area less isolated.
After leaving Yangzhi City, it was just over a two-hour drive before the vehicle entered a winding mountain road. Ten minutes later, the light on both sides suddenly dimmed as they entered a canyon passage. The light was blocked by the canyon walls.
Wang Gan Shi introduced the place to Chen Chuan, explaining that it was called Pingkong Gorge. In the old times, this place was notoriously dangerous, but during the great expansion era, it was widened. If not traveling by water, this road was the only way in and out of the county town.
Chen Chuan looked up and saw the watchtowers and defense walls carved out during the great expansion era.
At that moment, a two-wheeled motor vehicle swiftly passed by, with one of them intentionally slowing down in front of their car. Only then did their vehicle accelerate past.
Wang Gan Shi felt a bit embarrassed and explained, "These are a group of young people from Jingxian County and the surrounding counties. They particularly enjoy riding through here."
After traveling for about five miles, they finally exited the canyon, and the light suddenly brightened, giving a sense of returning to the world.
On both sides of the road were shops and residential buildings. Perhaps due to the small county town, the population seemed dense, and the streets were bustling with people.
Wang Gan Shi said, "I'll arrange a place for Expert Chen. It's simple, but please don't mind it."
Chen Chuan replied, "No rush." He picked up the map in his hand, "I just looked, and the butterfly tattoo first appeared in Chang Street, and also in Bo Street, and here..."
He circled a few places on the map and drew a large circle on top, handing it to Wang Gan Shi, "Wang Gan Shi, it's best to bring some people and follow this route."
Wang Gan Shi took the map, examined it, and his expression turned serious. He said, "I'll make a call." After the car stopped, he went to a phone booth on the side of the road and made a call. After about fifteen minutes, two vehicles from the local Public Security Bureau arrived, and he got back into the car. He told Chen Chuan, "The people are here, Expert Chen. Shall we go now?"
Chen Chuan nodded, and said, "No need to drive too fast."
"Okay."
After driving for about ten minutes, they arrived at the outermost street marked on the map. Chen Chuan saw both sides brightly lit with lanterns hanging from the shops. Pedestrians had their cheeks painted with festive colors. He asked, "Is there a festival celebration?"
Wang Gan Shi replied, "Yes, in a couple of days, it's the local Skill God Festival. The custom is to weave and paint festive colors on faces. The Public Security Bureau is concerned about potential incidents during the festival and hopes to resolve this matter quickly."
At this moment, Chen Chuan turned to his second self, as encountering ghost tales always led to etherealization. He decided to use the simplest method—driving around the areas where butterfly tattoos frequently appeared. If anyone affected by such ghost tales showed up, he would surely notice.
By following these people's movements over the past few days, if things went smoothly, they should be able to trace the source.
The circled area on the map wasn't large, and it took over an hour to complete the circuit, but they found nothing. Chen Chuan suggested, "Narrow the scope and make another round."
Wang Gan Shi didn't know his intention, but since Chen Chuan was handling the ghost tale, he must have a purpose. He instructed the driver to continue driving according to Chen Chuan's instructions.
As the vehicle continued to narrow the search area, the driver remained silent, but the Public Security Bureau members in the back grew impatient and complained. Wang Gan Shi quickly reassured them and looked at Chen Chuan apologetically.
Chen Chuan asked, "Wang Gan Shi, do you have a night market here?"
"Yes, especially with the Skill God Festival approaching, some young people like to come out at night. The night market is particularly lively these days."
Chen Chuan said, "Tell them that if we don't find any clues during the day, we'll continue searching at night. Please trouble them to work hard now, and we won't bother them at night."
"Okay."
After Wang Gan Shi's explanation, the Public Security Bureau members didn't complain further. Instead, they felt sympathetic towards their colleagues who had to work at night, and they themselves felt like they had gotten a good deal.
At this moment, the vehicle had reached the innermost street within the circled area on the map.
Just then, Chen Chuan suddenly saw his second self undergo a brief etherealization, which quickly passed.
He turned to look at the street and noticed a bald man with a blank expression walking by. Despite his baldness, the man's muscles were exceptionally well-built. Chen Chuan's gaze shifted, and he immediately said, "Wait, stop the car, and stop that man."
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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