How You Can Sue Me for My Crimes in Dreams

Someone came to turn themselves in.

This was quite common. There were plenty of fugitives on the run. Some, tired of a life on the lam, would decide to turn themselves in after finishing one last thing.

Like eating a bowl of noodles, or killing someone.

But what wasn’t normal was...

”It’s related to the ’Jesus’ case!”

The voice crackling from the walkie-talkie made Li Jianye freeze. A look of shock spread across his face.

’The Jesus case?’

’Someone turning themselves in!?’

’Wasn’t Sun Jiang already caught!?’

’And besides...’

”You’re not surprised?” Li Jianye clicked off his walkie-talkie and looked at Xu Huo, his expression puzzled.

”Would you believe me if I said I even know who he is?”

Xu Huo smiled. ”I thought I’d have to take my people and retrace our steps, but I never expected...”

”...that he’d actually turn himself in.”

Li Jianye was even more dumbfounded. After a long silence, he clicked his tongue, shook his head, and hurriedly led Xu Huo toward the main hall.

...

The man who turned himself in was named Zhao Kang.

Gender: Male, Age: 51.

Occupation...

Priest.

Li Jianye and his men had seen him before. So had Xu Huo. This was the priest who had been presiding over the church on the night of the arrest, September 2nd!

”You’re the murderer!?”

Inside the interrogation room, Li Jianye, who had just been here a short while ago, stared at Zhao Kang in astonishment.

Zhao Kang was no longer in his formal attire, and the Bible was gone from his hands.

”The information about the victims... you’re the one who provided it?” Li Jianye pressed.

Zhao Kang smiled. ”Four years ago, while I was presiding in Penglai City, I met several people who were frantically praying for salvation. Later, someone else came and asked me where they had gone.”

”And you told him?” Li Jianye raised an eyebrow.

”The Lord didn’t object.” Zhao Kang made a gesture of prayer.

Li Jianye thought the man was spouting cryptic nonsense. His brow furrowed.

”Why turn yourself in?”

”Atonement.” Zhao Kang’s single word said it all.

Xu Huo knew what he meant.

’If I’m not mistaken... he’s the one who taught Sun Jiang to read, who stopped Sun Jiang from reporting the four victims four years ago, and who brought him to Jiangsan City.’

’In fact, I have reason to believe... he’s the one who set the time for the murders, too!’

’The timing was too perfect. They’d just come of age, and then they were dead.’

But...

”Why?”

”Why would you do this?”

Li Jianye stared at him, trying to find some kind of clue.

’A priest helping someone plan a series of murders. It just didn’t add up.’

Zhao Kang didn’t speak.

Seeing the man had no intention of cooperating, Li Jianye let out a frustrated sigh and waved his hand.

”Take him away.”

Zhao Kang raised his hands, the shackles on his wrists giving a sharp CLINK.

He closed his eyes, made a prayer gesture, then rose and followed the officers with perfect compliance.

CREAK—

Just as he stepped out the door, he came face-to-face with another officer.

The officer froze upon seeing Zhao Kang, then exclaimed in astonishment:

”Teacher Zhao?”

”Teacher Zhao, what are you doing here...”

Looking at the handcuffs, the officer stood frozen to the spot, the words dying in his throat.

’A teacher? Isn’t this man a priest?’

Zhao Kang didn’t speak. He glanced at Zhao Shui and silently walked forward.

”What do you mean, ’teacher’? Xiao Zhao, explain yourself,” Li Jianye said with a frown.

The man had confessed too quickly, and his name was far too common. There had to be tens of thousands of Zhao Kangs in the country. Even locking the search to Penglai City hadn’t turned up much, especially not in such a short time.

On top of that, the man refused to say anything beyond taking the blame, which gave the police an even bigger headache. They were working without a single solid lead.

”He was a teacher I had back in middle school.”

Zhao Shui said, scratching his head.

He was from Penglai City and had come to Jiangsan City after leaving the military.

”What kind of teacher?”

”Civics teacher. He taught civics. But what’s he doing here...”

Zhao Shui said, confused.

But even more confused than him was Li Jianye.

”A teacher? And a civics teacher at that!?”

Li Jianye’s face was a mask of utter bewilderment.

’A teacher, and a civics teacher of all things... How does someone like that become a priest!?’

’And what’s more, this priest practically guided Sun Jiang by the hand to this very point!’

’How did that transformation happen? What could have occurred?’

Xu Huo mulled it over for a moment, then dismissed it. He turned to Li Jianye.

”Captain Li, about those conditions I mentioned before the investigation... they still stand, right?”

Hearing his voice, Li Jianye snapped back to reality and nodded hurriedly.

”Yes, of course!”

”I already reported it to the municipal bureau this morning. They said as long as you don’t add any sensational details to your description of the case, you can write it however you see fit!”

Li Jianye said, his tone warm and eager.

Before the investigation, Xu Huo had proposed two conditions: one, the rights to adapt the case, and two, a position as a special consultant.

”From now on, you will be the one and only special consultant for our Jiangdong District!”

”We are still preparing the certificate of honor and such.”

Hearing this, Xu Huo nodded.

”That’s good. I’m leaving now... If Chu Xi looks for me, just say I went home.”

’I think I’m starting to understand how this system works now.’

’Solving the case completes the mission, sure, but getting the reward requires two more steps.’

’One: Dream Entry. I have to enter the perspectives of several people and experience their lives. I’m guessing they’re people related to the case.’

’Two: Dream Narration. To put it simply, I have to write down these experiences and publish them. The reward is based on the quality of the writing.’

”Okay, take care,” Li Jianye replied.

Watching Xu Huo’s departing figure, he felt a little dazed.

Just one day ago, he’d been at his wit’s end. Now, a day later... the case was solved!

And solved despite the horrific state of the crime scene...

Li Jianye had heard of people like this but had never met one. Today, he had. And not only had he met one...

...he had become the special consultant for his criminal investigation division!

Thinking of this, Li Jianye couldn’t help but smile.

A special consultant was an external position. While not under his direct command, it meant he could always ask for guidance on difficult or strange cases.

’Maybe if he’s in a good mood, he’ll just help solve the case for us?’

’Cold cases...’

’The fewer, the better!’

But as he smiled, his expression gradually sobered. After a moment of thought, he summoned Zhao Shui.

”Pull up Zhao Kang’s file for me.”

’Someone dedicated to teaching and nurturing students... How could he have ended up like this?’

’His textbook became a Bible.’

’The pointer in his hand became a butcher’s knife.’

Zhao Shui also didn’t understand why the teacher he had known over a decade ago would turn out this way. He hurried off to find the file.

「A moment later.」

Li Jianye and Zhao Shui looked at the file in their hands, both of them falling into deep thought.

They finally understood why.

”Sigh...”

Li Jianye took a drag from his cigarette, looking at the moon gradually rising in the sky, his eyes hazy as the smoke curled around him.

...

...

[Congratulations to the Host for grasping the plot.]

[Unlocking Dream Entry for the ’Modern Jesus’ case.]

[After completing the Dream Entry, the Host can write it down and publish it to receive a certain reward.]

[Do you wish to proceed with this Dream Entry? Entering the dream allows you to view the subject’s entire life, which may help you obtain a better reward.]

「Torch Road, in Xu Huo’s home not far from the crossroads.」

Gazing at the alarm clock on his nightstand, which read 10:00 PM, Xu Huo thought to himself.

’Confirm.’

[Confirmed. Initiating Dream Entry...]

The next second, Xu Huo’s consciousness gradually sank, as if falling into an abyss.

Until...

A beam of light appeared before him.

[The case for this Dream Entry is...]

[’Modern Jesus’]