ISOL Chapter 63
“No sound?” Ran Fei Ze was surprised. “Fang Ping doesn’t seem to be lying, and from his personality, if he really is lying, won’t it harm his reputation?”
“I hypnotized him and went back to the time when he found Master Fang’s corpse. He went to the study to find someone, outside the study there two birds that were chirping. He stood there and played with them for a while. Then, he knocked on the door and called Master Fang. No one in the room responded, he felt that something was strange so he pushed open the door. The door opened and he saw Master Fang’s corpse.
“Then?”
“Then, Sir Fu came back and started to shout at me, then I woke Sir Fang up.” Su Xiao Pei exhaled, thinking that she was still a little nervous. This environment is really not suitable for hypnosis. It would be bad it she was found out but the opportunity window was too small.
Ran Fei Ze frowned, “He played with the birds and then knocked on the door. No one answered so he pushed the door open. So it wasn’t after he heard the ringing sound? Did someone tell him to say that?”
Su Xiao Pei shrugged, she didn’t know exactly what happened. “I didn’t have much time to ask.”
Ran Fei Ze turned to look at the direction of Fang Ping and Fu Yan. The two of them stood there, looking back at them. Now they had walked towards the forest. Thinking of Fang Ping’s reaction, he seemed to feel that he was teaching Su Xiao Pei how to meditate, and asked, “He didn’t know that you hypnotize him?”
“Should not know, I was very careful.”
Ran Fei Ze glanced at her, Su Xiao Pei raised her eyebrows and said, “I have my way.”
“How does he not know whether he heard the sound or not?”
“If he has doubts about his memory, if he thinks about it, maybe he might be aware of it.”
“Miss.” Ran Fei Ze looked at Su Xiao Pei and had a question, “Is Miss uncomfortable? Do you feel cold?”
“Ah?”
“You’ve been curled up today.”
“Oh.”
“Oh? What do you mean?”
Su Xiao Pei stretched his hand and pull him to sit down, always raising her head to talk to him made her neck her.
Ran Fei Ze sat down, raised his hand and touched her forehead.
“I’m okay.” That is what she said, but she didn’t dare to raise her head and puff her chest out. Summer’s clothe were thin, Ran Fei Ze’s clothes were even thinner. Seeing that his muscle lines can be seen through his clothes, Su Xiao Pei thinks that the two pieces that she was wearing was not safe. But luckily for her, the clothes were big on her.
“What is Miss seeing?”
“I’m not seeing anything.” She quickly look away with a guilty conscience. She just now stared at his chest muscle in a daze.
“En?” What was she talking about? Why was she looking so guilty?
“Oh.”
“Oh? What do you mean?”
Su Xiao Pei’s face was a little sullen, “Are you asking me what I think about the other Sirs?”
“What else do you think I was asking?”
Cough, Su Xiao Pei cleared her throat, “Sir Fang is very easy person to influence, he may not have lied but he thinks he is telling the truth.”
“Influence?” That means someone changed his memory? What was that skill?”
“It’s not that difficult of a skill, everyone have done it at least once in their life but it will be successful when it is done naturally at the right time.”
“Everyone will?” Ran Fei Ze didn’t believe her, he smiled, “If someone wants me to believe that I haven’t seen Miss, It will never succeed.”
Su Xiao Pei was stunned, her heart suddenly tightened, she smiled and said quickly, “That’s not a good example, but Soldier has experienced such things before. For example, when Soldier closed the door and when someone asked is the door locked? Sometimes, Soldier will wonder if he had locked the door or not and you would go back and check.”
“Well.” Ran Fei Ze nodded seriously, “I have lived for so many years and no one has really asked me if I locked the door.”
“I’m just giving an example.” Su Xiao Pei looked at his smiling eyes and knew he had said it intentionally.
Ran Fei Ze laughed, he did do it deliberately and saw Su Xiao Pei’s furrowed brows and stern eyes.
Su Xiao Pei gave him a glance and said, “I can help Sir Fang confirm his memory, but only if he believe me and trust my method.”
This is somewhat difficult. Ran Fei Ze looked at forest side, where Fang Ping and Fu Yan had returned, they were holding some firewood in their hands. They also glanced at Ran Fei Ze and when Su Xiao Pei saw the expression that they gave, she sighed. “Soldier, have you been annoying people?” She and Ran Fei Ze were together, if the other party is wary of him, naturally they would be wary of her as well.
“My ability to make people dislike me is equally strong as my ability to make people like me.” Ran Fei Ze said it seriously.
Su Xiao Pei couldn’t help but laugh, it was ridiculous, she really wants to open up his head and check his brain.
At the corner of her eye, she saw Fang Ping looked at their direction again, Su Xiao Pei smiled and thought hard.
“Will Miss use the method again? Just like letting the daughter-in-law recall the jewelry when she was at the Yamen, let Fang Ping explain to you what he saw at that time, so he knew that he didn’t hear the sound, then ask who led him to believe that he had heard the sound. And also he must say that the sound belongs to Jiu Ling Master, this matter must be investigated properly.”
Su Xiao Pei shook his head, “At the Yamen, the daughter-in-law trusted me. She was counting on the government to help her, so this method would work on her. But, if Sir Fang does not trust me, he will not believe in the result, he would be more willing to believe his memory. Plus, Sir Fu had just called me a demoness, if this wasn’t dealt with properly, they would think that I used some magic to confuse Sir Fang. This method not only will it solve the problem, but the person does not believe it, people will question about it authenticity.”
Ran Fei Ze went silent, it made sense.
“Only when Sir Fang believe it, will this method succeed
Ran Fei Ze leaned on his legs, elbow on his leg, head on his palm. He turned his head and looked up and down at Su Xiao Pei, it’s a pity.
Su Xiao Pei looked at him, then looked at herself, the trust she gets in this camp is low enough, in addition, the clothes she was wearing are not in order and it’s dirty, it is not really an image that get people’s trust. Alas, she sighed, “I want to take a shower.”
“Wait till we are out of the mountain and returned to the residence, I will collect two buckets of water for Miss. I will even get some fragrant bath cream.”
Su Xiao Pei spirit came back a little, “What smell?”
So the two began to talk about the types of bath cream, they did not think about how they went from the topic of solving the murder to baths in an instant.
Tonight, Chen Xiao Shan and Xiao Qi had not returned but judging from the location of the smoke bombs, they were close to Liu Yang Xiang’s team, and everyone was safe. This made Cao He Dong and Ran Fei Ze a little relieved. They burned several more firewood, and everyone sat in circles to ensure the safety of everyone during the night.
After eating another meal of barbecues, everyone was feeling a little lazy and the atmosphere felt good. Su Xiao Pei asked around, and found out that Chen Xiao Shan and his group will be able by tomorrow night. Su Xiao Pei started to plan, when they come back, it would be more difficult for her to use her tricks and once they leave the mountain, it would be harder for her to meet Fang Ping.
Su Xiao Pei looked around and started chatting with Ji Jia Wen.
Ran Fei Ze glanced at her several times and seemed dissatisfied. Su Xiao Pei also turned back and talked to him but there was no progress. Whenever he opened his open, he attracted the glares of the people around them. It was good to talk to Ji Jia Wen. He listened carefully and responded in a timely manner. He was curious and surprised. It also seemed like a normal person, unlike Ran Fei Ze, who always like to change the topic.
Su Xiao Pei told some anecdotes about the case, which led Ji Jia Wen to talk about anecdotes that he had heard, which cause other people to participate because Ji Jia Wen knew too little of them and the others could not help but help him. Ran Fei Ze also wanted to intervene but Su Xiao Pei managed to stop him in time, Ran Fei Ze’s anecdotes was either cold or insulting, it would be better to shut him up or else.
Ran Fei Ze touched his nose and showed her a wronged expression. Su Xiao Pei smiled at him and winked to appease him, then turned back to join in the conversation. Ran Fei Ze shut up, stretched his legs, crossed his arms and looked at her blatantly.
Su Xiao Pei finally got a chance to talk about it, saying that her father had taught her a game, put the stone in her hand, and they had to guess which hand was the stone in. Ji Jia Wen was curious and asked how to guess. Su Xiao Pei took the opportunity to say that he should test it out. Everyone was hooked and curious, Ji Jia Wen picked up a small stone with great interest, Su Xiao Pei said to him, “You can hide it quietly from your back, you just move the stone between each hands and don’t let other people see, then all of us will guess.”
Don’t let them see? Ji Jia Wen looked around and felt a little dissatisfied. He ran a little further back and turned his back on everyone. Finally, he shook his fist and took a closer look, unable to see any flaws.
Su Xiao Pei whispered to everyone, everyone nodded. Seeing Ji Jia Wen come back, he was laughing.-
“Hidden well?”
“Yes.”
“Which hand?”
“Don’t tell you.” The other guys heard it and they laughed.
“Okay, Sir Ji, please straighten both hands.” Su Xiao Pei said with a smile.
Ji Jia Wen stretched out his hands, “Straighten out, be careful not to let us see where the stone is hidden in.” Su Xiao Pei said, Ji Jia Wen stretched out his hands according to her words, a little nervous.
“I seem to have seen it.” Su Xiao Pei said.
“Don’t believe you.” Ji Jia Wen was really careful, his arms stretched straight, and his hand held the stone well.
Su Xiao Pei smiled, “It’s the left hand.” The others laughed as well.
Ji Jia Wen broke his smiled and shouted, “How you know?”
Fang Ping said, “As soon as Miss Su reminded you to hide it well so we wouldn’t see it, you glanced at your left hand. She said that she saw it. If you don’t believe it, but you did indeed glanced at your left hand again.”
Ji Jia Wen was surprised, “Did I?”
Everyone nodded together?
After all, Ji Jia Wen was young and still had some child-like personality in him, the more he think about it the more disappointed he was. “I’ll try again. This time I will close my eyes.” This way, he shouldn’t be involuntarily looking at which hands.
“Okay.” Su Xiao Pei smiled. Everyone was curious again, and she said that as long as she hinted, people would be unable to control the place where they hidden the item. This is really the case, but he would close his eyes, how will she find it?
Ji Jia Wen rushed to the side of the forest and left to change to the right hand, then to the left, right, left again. Ran Fei Ze didn’t hold back and asked, “He closed his eyes, where should we stare at him.”
“Just stare at his hands.”
Ji Jia Wen came back, he was a little excited. With his hands behind his back, he asked, “Should I stretched out my hands like before?”
“Yes.”
Ji Jia Wen closed his eyes first, then stretched out his hands, fist against fist, then separately slightly. Everyone saw him being so careful, they can’t help but laugh at him. Ji Jia Wen was nervous when he heard the laughter. He reminded himself not to move, his head and hands were fixed and his eyes was closed.
For a long time, nobody move or speak, Ji Jia Wen couldn’t help but asked, “How? Did you guess it?”
“Sir Fang, you need to concentrate.”
“Ah?”
“Concentrate, do you feel the stone in your hands”
“Of course, I do.” She must be tempting him again. This time he was prepared. He wouldn’t look at it, he wouldn’t move.
“Is the stone big?”
“Not big.” The stone was a small one, good for hiding.
“Is it heavy?”
“Not heavy.”
“So what if it becomes heavy? Can you imagine it? It becomes heavier and heavier. It is like you are not holding a stone, it becomes a basket of stones. Very heavy, it is pulling your hand down, the more you pull down, the less you will be able to lift it, can you imagine it?”
Ji Jia Wen couldn’t help but think about it. Of course, he could imagine it, but what was the point? What does it have to do with guessing which hand the stone was in? In doubt, he head, Cao He Dong’s voice, “It’s the left hand again.”
Luo Hua also smiled, “Why is it the left hand again?”
Huh? Ji Jia Wen opened his eyes sharply and he saw that his left hand was lower than his right hand, and the distance was not big but it was quite obvious, as if, his hand was pulled down. He clearly did not move, Ji Jia Wen looked at his hand in surprised.
Su Xiao Pei laughed, “Most people will be like this, when you think of something, your…” She avoided the word subconscious, “Deep inside you heart, your hidden feelings will make control your body, it’s like you deliberately put your face on when you’re happy but you still can’t help but laugh, when you are sad, you want to pretend you’re happy but your expression will still show some sadness. Some people are lying they will try and cover up but he will still be seen as guilty.
Su Xiao Pei’s words are simple, everyone was able to understand them. Ran Fei Ze quietly watched the crowd, but Su Xiao Pei seemed to completely ignore the others as if she was engaged in playing with Ji Jia Wen. JI Jia Wen said, “What Miss Su said is reasonable.”
“That’s what my dad taught me, he can check his suspect eyes, catching many criminals and solving many people grievances.”
Ji Jia Wen nodded, “I thought my hand didn’t move, I still told myself not to move and I can’t show any flaws.”
Su Xiao Pei laughed and said enthusiastically, “I will play with you again.”
“Okay.” Ji Jia Wen was interested and curious about Su Xiao Pei’s tricks. Su Xiao Pei took a stone and drew a ‘ten’ on the muddy ground, vertically above she wrote a ‘yes’, horizontally she wrote a ‘no’, then on the word ‘ten’ she drew a circle.
Everyone was curious thus, they surround them and watch.
“Okay.” Su Xiao Pei finished the drawing and threw the stone away. Then she asked Ran Fei Ze for a thin thread with a needle on the end. This was very attentive and always carries a sewing kit with him, so she was lucky to be able to put on his altered socks and clothes every time. Ran Fei Ze took the thread and thread it in the needle for her. SU Xiao Pei tied the knot and let the needle dangle. She held the thread above and handed it to Ji Jia Wen.
“Hold onto it. Don’t move your hands or your arms. Hold the needle at the center of the pattern and let it stand still.
Ji Jia Wen did as she said.
Su Xiao Pei continued, “You can ask yourself a question, and the answer can be answered with a yes or a no. keep your hand and arm still, don’t let the thread and needle move, just think about the question in your heart.”
“It’s simple.” Ji Jia Wen smiled. Those who practiced martial arts couldn’t stay still. It couldn’t be easier.
“I can ask anything?” He asked.
“Yes.”
“Then, ask if my hometown is Hulu Village.” Ji Jia Wen said aloud, and everyone held their breaths and stare at the thread and needle.
The thread didn’t move and the needle didn’t move. Ji Jia Wen waited a little anxiously and asked again, “Is my hometown Hulu village?” Not long after the words fell the needle suddenly wobbled, swinging back and forth, swinging left and right, along the vertical line of ‘yes’.
Ji Jia Wen opened his mouth wide open and shouted, “Ah, ah, ah, it moved by itself, my hand didn’t move. I really didn’t move it, it moved by itself.”
“You moved it, but you just didn’t know it. Just like your arm that moved when you thought about the increased weight of the stone. You know the answer in your heart but your brain and body moved by itself without your knowledge, this method can help you find clues.” Su Xiao Pei laughed, “Everyone is the same, they have this ability but the speed of reaction is different, so how long does till the needle move will differs.”
Ji Jia Wen looked at the ‘ten’ and added a circle, and thought that it was mysterious. “This is as powerful as the array.
Su Xiao Pei nodded, “My father said that he also tested some people’s panic by using this method. The person who lied has a set of words in his mouth, but he knows the truth in his heart, and his physical strength is controlled by his heart, when the needle moved, it pointed it out. The human heart is honest.”
Ji Jia Wen was convinced and nodded again. Su Xiao Pei said again, “Some people are ignorant, so they despise such a method, saying that it was black magic or witchcraft but it is not that at all. Others use this method to deceive people and lie about themselves as having magical powers. The answer, yes or no, is known to the person who holds the needle thread. Some answers may not be noticed or forgotten by yourself, but something hidden in the heart will ultimately control your body to let the needle thread be as indicated. As Sir Ji said, this is as mysterious as the array. I heard that there are still people who can’t remember where they put their things. They found it by this method.”
Ran Fei Ze laughed at the side, she was really brave, talking about this topic in front of everyone. Disprove that this was magic and then explain that it was quite reasonable and persuasive to first use the guessing stone to confirm that the hand would not be controlled by her and then to explain the movement of the needle and thread.
Sure enough, Ji Jia Wen and several others said, “Miss Su made a reasonable statement.”
“But is it impossible to do this? Can I get it right every time?” Cao He Dong questioned.
“Then try again.” Ran Fei Ze immediately joined in the excitement, “Does Brother Ji have a wife? Quickly answer.”
“No.” Ji Jia Wen blushed, but the needle thread that he held cooperate with him and the needle thread started to move, swinging in the direction of ‘no’.
“What does this circle do? What does it mean?”
“Indicate doubts and uncertainties in your heart.”
“I… I’ll try another one.” After Ji Jia Wen finished, he stared at the needle thread again. After a while, it moved again and it shook around ‘yes’.
“What did you ask?” Ran Fei Ze was curious.”
Ji Jia Wen pursed his lips, “Not saying.”
“Yo, it’s quite mysterious. Is that the right answer?”
Ji Jia Wen nodded and gave a gift to Su Xiao Pei, “Many thanks to Miss Su.”
Su Xiao Pei smiled and quickly waved his hand, “You’re welcome, you’re welcome.”
Luo Hua leaned over and took the needle thread, “I’ll try it too.” AS everyone looked at the ‘ten’ pattern together, Ran Fei Ze look casually at Fang ping and Fu Yan while smiling. They stared at each other seriously. Fang Ping was not only serious, he was staring intently, Fu Yan looked up quickly and glanced at Su Xiao Pei. Ran Fei Ze lowered his eyes, feeling Fu Yan’s eyes also swept over at him then turned away.
This evening every9one was very exicted, many of them tried asking question, played a while before going to sleep. Su Xiao pei slept on the knife box as usual, the ground was wet and cold, Ran Fei Ze was not going to let her lie on the ground. The others are back-to-back or they lay cloth on the ground, everyone slept two by two. This is to prevent beast from attacking at night. Ran Fei Ze also had some cloth, so he slept beside the knife box, leaning against the box. Sitting responds faster than lying down and he was able to jump up quickly. He said this so that Su Xiao Pei would go as he planned, but she still felt that it would very hard for him to sleep. But she didn’t have such a good sleep either. He sat and helped her block a little. She felt that she would roll down the box to his legs and she couldn’t sleep well.
Su Xiao Pei fell asleep quickly, Ran Fei Ze heard her breathing, turned around and rested his arms on the box, looking at her face. It was really dirty. She likes cleanliness so much, it’s really hard for her these past few days. Suddenly, he heard a little movement a little further away and looked up, he saw Fang Ping stood up. Ran Fei Ze remained motionless, like he was sleeping. Fang Ping turned his head to look at everyone. When no one noticed, he quietly entered the forest.
Ran Fei Ze flicked it a little, Su Xiao Pei frowned, muttered, rolled over to him, and leaned against him next to the box. Ran Fei Ze grinned quietly and finding her sleeping posture amusing. Su Xiao Pei seemed uncomfortable and moved again. This time, she almost rolled off the box. Ran Fei Ze squeezed over and blocked her, pushed her in and accidentally touched her chest. He was stunned and looked down. Suddenly blushing, he understood what was wrong with her, why she was curling up all day.
Ran Fei Ze turned to looked at the Jianghu members and scolded many swear words in his heart, then figured what other clothes he had in his head and which can give it to her. But after counting, he realized that there was no clothes to give her, originally, he didn’t brought much, one gave her to wear as an outer wear, and she was wearing two of them now, and the last one is for him to change. Ran Fei Ze didn’t feel at ease in his heart. He knew he should have brought more clothes.
At this time, there was some movement a little further away, Ran Fei Ze wathced quietly, it was Fu Yan. He also got up and went in the same direction that Fang Ping had left earlier.
Fu Yan knew that Fang Ping got up, he thought Fang Ping went to relieve himself but after waiting a while, Fang Ping did not come back, so he planned to go and see. He walked into the forest and saw Fang Ping squatting, carrying the needle thread in his hand, the needle swinging left and right.
“Uncle Fang.” Fu Yang called out.
Fang Ping turned around, his expression solemn and serious.
“Uncle Fang, what happened?”
“Nothing. I thought the needle method that Miss Su said was interesting so I was trying it.”
“Well.” Fu Yan approached and saw the ‘ten’ pattern drawn on the mud floor, and asked, “What did Uncle Fang ask?”
Fang Ping didn’t speak. After teaching Su Xiao Pei how to meditate in the afternoon, he felt something was wrong. He seemed to think that he didn’t hear the bell when he knocked on the door, but he had heard it clearly, just now he asked the needle god many times, and the answer that was given was ‘no’. He asked other questions and the answers are all correct. Why is this one answer wrong?
“Uncle Fang, what did question did you ask?” Fu Yan felt Fang Ping looked weird and he asked again carefully.
“Nothing. It’s just irrelevant.” Fang Ping finally replied, “Go back and rest.” He finished, leading the way back to camp.
Fu Yan looked down at the cross pattern then turned back to looked at Fang Ping’s back. He wiped the pattern with his feet and followed Fang Ping back to camp.