Light in the Darkness Chapter Thirty-Seven The Fourth Incident

Page 1 of 3

Jinhai City, a metropolis with a profound cultural heritage, sits north of the Yangtze River and is the only northern city close to the sea. Most of its people make their living from fishing, and it is known as the “Pearl of the Bohai Sea.” The fishing industry here ranks first in the nation, and Jinhai is one of the few municipalities directly under central control.

It is also a city with a large migrant workforce, welcoming over a million workers from other regions each year. Under the emperor’s gaze, security is of utmost importance. For decades, not a single criminal case had occurred, earning Jinhai the reputation as the safest city outside the capital.

This “safest city” title refers to its security—almost no crimes, not even robberies or thefts, have troubled its streets. Liwan Bridge is Jinhai's main thoroughfare. Around six in the evening, the graceful bridge shines brilliantly in the night, serving as a beacon on the sea, guiding tens of thousands home.

Now, dozens of police cars were parked beneath Liwan Bridge. A murder had occurred there in the early hours of yesterday, shattering the city’s long-standing tranquility.

Until this incident, Jinhai’s police force had been good-naturedly mocked by their colleagues nationwide as “the most beautiful vases.” This was not an insult but rather praise. With the city’s crime rate among the lowest in the country for years, its citizens lived in peace and contentment, leaving little for the police to do.

Thus, in Jinhai, one could spot a police officer every ten meters and a police car every forty. Day or night, the city was guarded, and outsiders joked that the police were like vases—because they had so little to do. But to call them the most beautiful vases was to commend their unwavering dedication: even with nearly zero crime, they maintained the highest standard of vigilance.

Last night’s murder was a stone thrown into a tranquil lake, sending ripples across the surface. Beneath Liwan Bridge, hundreds of officers continued to search the area for clues.

“Captain Chen, we’ve confirmed the victim’s identity.”

A beautiful policewoman, holding a hefty stack of documents, knocked on Captain Chen’s door.

“Go ahead,” he replied.

Captain Chen, the man in charge of the investigation, looked haggard, his eyes fixed on the photograph of the deceased and some of the victim’s belongings on his desk.

“The victim’s name is Chen Dahai, age forty-three, survived by a son and a daughter. He lived in Beichen District, North Island Garden Villas, Building 2, Apartment 101. His wife is a university lecturer in our city, and Chen Dahai was a well-known seafood wholesaler. His family has been notified and is on their way. The cause of death is unclear; we’re waiting for the autopsy report. There were no external injuries, but the body was immersed in water, so we have to wait for the results.”

Page 2 of 3

“The victim was gentle in his dealings, with no known enemies, and he hadn’t withheld wages from his employees. First, we can rule out suicide. According to his family, his son got married last August, and their greatest wish was for a grandchild. The daughter-in-law is nearly due now. I can’t imagine someone with a happy marriage, a complete family, and a grandchild on the way having any reason to take his own life.”

“Captain Chen... Captain Chen...” The policewoman noticed Captain Chen staring blankly at the photo and waved her hand in front of his eyes, snapping him out of his trance.

“What is it, Xiao Song? Don’t startle me like that. Can’t you be a bit steadier?” Captain Chen, startled by Xiao Song, chided her.

“That’s not fair, Captain! I was talking, and you drifted off. How can you say I scared you?” Xiao Song muttered, adjusting her thick black ponytail in frustration.

“Alright, alright, what else have you found? Go on.”

“That’s all for now—everything else depends on the autopsy. Captain, you should go get some rest. I’ll notify you the moment there’s news. You haven’t slept since yesterday.”

“Fine. If anything comes up, contact me immediately.” Looking pale, Captain Chen stood up abruptly, dizziness washing over him as if he might faint. Leaning heavily on the desk, he left the office, only for his phone to ring in his pocket.

He pulled out his phone and saw it was Jiang Li, an old friend he hadn’t heard from in a long time.

The two had served together in the army. After discharge, Jiang Li returned to his hometown, while Captain Chen had chosen to become a police officer.

“Jiang Li, long time no see. You’re calling me now—are you in Jinhai?” Captain Chen asked, puzzled.

They’d once agreed to contact each other if they ever ended up in the same city, to share drinks and reminisce about old times.

“Yes, I’m in Jinhai. I heard something happened last night—have you caught the culprit?” Jiang Li’s real purpose was to learn about the case’s progress from his old comrade.

Last time, everyone at the apartment thought Jiang Li and Fei Ling had died, but two nights ago, they’d appeared in the hall, alive and well. Although surprised, everyone was relieved and joyful—their safe return was all that mattered.

Later, Song Zhi and the others asked how they’d come back, and Jiang Li and Fei Ling told them everything in detail. Additionally, Jiang Li announced the unexpected news that he and Fei Ling were officially together and had moved in with each other.

Page 3 of 3

That night, the two newlyweds shared a different kind of happiness for the first time.

The mission was announced yesterday afternoon. The night before, Fei Ling and Jiang Li had decided to register their marriage the next day. Before dawn, Fei Ling woke early. Jiang Li, with gentle persistence, persuaded her, and in the beautiful morning, they shared yet another deeply intimate moment.

The previous mission that trapped Jiang Li and Fei Ling in the mirror was connected to this one—a mission about time. Only at the end did they realize the truth behind the twenty-some individuals marked by the Spirit-Seer’s Record they had encountered before.

Jiang Li had once thought that, apart from Zhengxin City, other cities also had apartments and the Spirit-Seer’s Record. But after being trapped in the mirror world, he understood: those mysterious people had come from the next mission.

In other words, if our current timeline is A and the future is B, those people had traveled from timeline B to timeline A through the medium of mirrors.

Simply put, it was time travel. In the end, Jiang Li also noted the outcome of the battle between two century-old evil spirits, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. According to Japanese legend, Toyotomi Hideyoshi became the ghost doll Hanako and was taught Onmyodo by Abe no Seimei. Some say Hideyoshi eventually approached the boundaries of Onmyodo.

The two powerful spirits’ struggle ended with Tokugawa Ieyasu’s death. Hideyoshi devoured Ieyasu’s soul but, despite his strength, was still only a spirit. Under the constraints of the Spirit-Seer’s Record, he was forcibly cast into the mirror world, becoming the evil spirit in the mirror.

Jiang Li still could not fully understand why Hideyoshi had not attacked him in the mirror world. The most plausible explanation was that the Spirit-Seer’s Record severely restricted Hideyoshi’s actions.

Others who entered the mirror world lost their memories at the outset, their recollections altered by Hideyoshi’s spirit. They all forgot how they had entered the world behind the glass. In their manipulated memories, they had already experienced many missions in the apartment related to the Spirit-Seer’s Record.

Song Qianwen, too, was claimed by Hideyoshi’s spirit, hidden in the mirror, before Jiang Li’s last mission began, her soul trapped there forever.

She became a solitary ghost in the mirror world—a fate Jiang Li had already encountered. Those sucked into the mirror, traveling from the past to the future, all perished during Jiang Li’s last mission.

Their fate was sealed the moment they picked up the Hanako doll possessed by Hideyoshi’s spirit. They courted disaster by playing the coin spirit game.

Hideyoshi sensed something familiar during their game and forcibly interrupted their ritual. Thus, the group was swept into their destined doom beneath the power of Hideyoshi and Ieyasu.

Some things may be hard to believe, but reverence is always wise. Hideyoshi and Ieyasu’s presence was essential. Had the group respected the spirits and avoided such games, there would have been no reason for them to travel from future to past.

Hideyoshi embodied time, Ieyasu the mirror’s medium. Had they not tried the coin spirit, Hideyoshi would not have intervened, and lacking a crucial trigger, the fatal journey into the future would not have occurred.

When the past is altered, so too is the cause in the future.

—The previous story was hastily concluded, but the general outline is as described. Overall, the logic holds. This will have to do.