The burly male police officers were taken aback and didn’t buy into it. One of them shouted, “What are all these people doing here if not causing trouble? Are they here to watch a show or something? Disperse now, or else…”
“Shut up!” Madame turned around and yelled at him. These two fools were all brawn and no brains. Could they not see that their words would only stir up more conflict?
The male police officer seemed to be afraid of Madame and quickly shut his mouth, putting on a submissive expression.
Madame walked up to Leo with a sly smile on her face. “Leo, long time no see.”
“Madame, I’m in the middle of performing a ritual with limited time. Please give me some space.” Leo bowed respectfully while smiling.
“No problem. You can continue,” said Madame as she had no intention of leaving with her entourage just yet. “Everyone move aside and watch the master perform his ritual!”
“This…” The police officers behind Madame exchanged glances.
One of them who looked more astute whispered softly, “Captain, this doesn’t seem right.”
Madame narrowed her eyes in anger as she exuded an air of authority, “Are you disobeying orders?”
The police officers quickly dispersed among the crowd out of fear that they might provoke this fierce woman’s wrath.
Madame also stepped aside to allow Leo to continue his work.
Leo checked the time; he still had enough time left for Aadam to kneel by the grave site.
He steadied himself before taking out his brush again to draw talismans onto paper strips.
After completing the talismans, he held them between two fingers like swords while reciting an incantation under his breath:
“With one sprinkle of sweet dew water, it is cool when hot; With two sprinkles from Dharma Realm Water, soul spirits are born into great law; With three sprinkles from compassionate water, all beings are nourished…”
As soon as he finished chanting the spell, he threw the talismans into the air above him.
Everyone looked up, and they saw the Talismans flash in mid-air, followed by a loud “boom” like thunder on a clear day, startling everyone.
Madame was accustomed to Leo’s demeanor and remained calm.
The other police officers, however, were startled, their expressions no different from the villagers around them.
After the thunder subsided, the previously clear mountaintop suddenly became shrouded in dark clouds.
If one observed closely, they would notice that only the White Iris Mountain was covered in dense clouds, while the rest of the area remained clear skies.
The atmosphere started to become oppressive. The feeling of the clouds pressing down was uncomfortable. The crowd began to stir, but they remembered Leo’s earlier words and no one left their positions.
Rain began to fall from the sky, and strangely enough, the range of the rain was very small, only within a three-meter radius of the leafless tree that the peach wood sword had transformed into.
Many young people quickly took out their phones to take pictures and record this miraculous scene.
“Mr. Dickson, come here.” Leo’s expression was solemn as he looked towards Aadam.
Following Leo’s instructions, Aadam walked up to Leo, who handed him a peach wood dagger. “Cut your index finger on both your left and right hands with this dagger, then drip three drops of blood each on this small tree.”
Although Aadam didn’t understand why he had to do this, he followed the instructions.
As the third drop of blood fell from his left hand, the leafless tree began to sprout visibly.
In no time, the sprout grew into green leaves, and the entire small tree became covered in lush, green foliage.
The shape of the leaves was peculiar, resembling the hands of a baby.
The dark clouds dissipated, and the rain stopped. It was only then that Leo breathed a sigh of relief and said to Aadam, “Mr. Dickson, you can proceed with the exhumation and relocation. The new grave should be in the location I designated this morning.”
With that, the pre-funeral rituals before the relocation of the grave were finally completed.
The onlookers hadn’t fully recovered from their daze yet. After a brief moment of bewilderment, they looked at Leo with eyes that seemed to be gazing at a living deity!
The restless crowd started to gather around Leo. Some wanted him to examine geomancy, some wanted him to read their fortunes, some wanted him to assess their marriages, and there were even those who wanted to become his disciples.
Leo only remembered being escorted down the mountain by these police officers the entire time and being put into a police car. If it weren’t for that, he wouldn’t have been able to escape so easily.
Inside the interrogation room at the police station.
“Madame, I’m not a suspect. What’s the meaning of bringing me here?” Leo expressed his dissatisfaction.
Madame looked at Leo as if she were interrogating a suspect. In the midst of her contemplation, her eyebrows furrowed, seemingly pondering something.
“You say… I did you such a big favor. How would you thank me?” Madame suddenly said.
“Favor?” Leo couldn’t catch up with her train of thought. “What do you mean?”
Madame glared, “Someone reported an illegal gathering and disturbance of the peace at White Iris Mountain, and you happen to be the main figure. What do you say to that?”
Leo rolled his eyes, “Didn’t I say it was the Dickson family organizing a funeral procession, and the people from the village came to help and watch? How can you define that as a disturbance of the peace!?”
Madame smirked triumphantly, “Alright, even if it’s not, someone did report it, and it’s a fact that hundreds of people gathered at White Iris Mountain. With such a large gathering, it’s inevitable to investigate the parties involved, so…”
Leo was speechless. “Alright, just say it. What do you want me to do?”
Madame’s beautiful eyes glanced around. “I want to ask for your help.”
“What kind of help?”
“To catch a thief.”
“Catch a thief?” Leo was taken aback. “Isn’t that the job of the public security police? Why are you detectives getting involved?”
“This is no ordinary petty thief. It’s a notorious criminal, operating across states and selling stolen goods internationally. The amount involved is in the millions!” Madame explained.
Leo helplessly shrugged. “I’m just a doctor. You want me to catch a thief? Isn’t that a joke?”
Madame didn’t like Leo’s response. Her expression turned serious. “I know what you’re capable of. You helped solve the mysterious corpse case. So, when I encountered difficulties, I thought of you, Mr. Bloomer. Considering our good relationship, please help me out.”
Why did the policewoman’s coaxing make Leo feel a tingling sensation on his scalp?
Seeing Leo hesitate, Madame swiftly changed her tone. She slammed the table. “You’re a grown man, make up your mind. Are you going to help or not?”
Leo had anticipated Madame’s reaction. If he didn’t help, she would definitely pester him to no end. “Fine, I’ll help. But you have to provide meals.”
Madame waved her hand generously. “Don’t worry, boxed lunches will be taken care of!”
Leo really wanted to strangle her.
After leaving the interrogation room, Madame briefly explained the case to him. It turned out to be a gang specialized in stealing Buddha heads. They had limited information, only knowing that there were five members in the gang, and one of them was originally from the Spirit Wells Village.
The theft of Buddha heads involved a massive amount of money and was not just a simple case of stealing cultural relics. It also involved homicides.
Madame had been appointed as the team leader of the special task force in Chiville, collaborating with River South State.