April arrived, bringing warmer weather and the start of a new life.0
Jian Jing wrapped up the various tasks related to her master's degree graduation and finally began her secluded writing of "Demon Doctor 4".0
This time, she was serious about it.0
Mrs. Wang from President Kang's household delivered her three meals a day and took Knight out for walks twice daily. Meanwhile, Jian Jing locked herself in the study, accompanied by alcohol, coffee, and sugar.0
The story gradually took shape.0
The first unit of the story was inspired by the safe theft case Ji Feng had given her. She set the victim as an archaeologist, with half of a jade pendant secretly kept in his safe.0
The jade pendant appeared in his daughter-in-law's drawer, and she was accused of murder. However, as soon as the demon appeared, he determined that she had not killed the archaeologist.0
The timeline of the jade pendant's theft indirectly pointed to the real culprit.0
In the end, the jade pendant fell into the demon's hands.0
He was plunged into distant memories.0
Time rewound six hundred years to ancient times, during the Great Ming Dynasty, when a peculiar case shocked both the court and the public.0
The emperor, who had been on the throne for only ten days, died suddenly after consuming two "immortality pills". The imperial doctors concluded that the emperor died of poisoning. However, a problem arose: there were four pills in total, and before the emperor took them, eunuchs had tested them.0
The eunuchs were still alive and well, proving that the pills were not inherently problematic.0
Soon after, the imperial guards found a medicine bottle in a dry well, containing one remaining pill.0
This proved that of the two pills the emperor had taken, one was poison.0
Who had switched the pills and poisoned the emperor?0
The suspects included the crown prince who was about to ascend the throne, the most favored imperial concubine, the head eunuch, a nameless but favored palace maid, the imperial doctor, the Taoist priest who had presented the pills, and the soon-to-be prime minister.0
In the end, of course, the culprit was found.0
When asked about the motive for murder, the killer remained silent, leaving behind only half of a jade pendant.0
What was the jade pendant?0
The jade pendant was the demon's heart.0
To recover his heart, the demon made a deal with the person who possessed the jade pendant.0
"Give me the jade pendant, and I'll avenge you."0
However, after obtaining the jade pendant, the imperial guards deemed it inauspicious and sent it to a Buddhist temple to be suppressed. A hundred years later, when the Qing army invaded, they massacred the temple. The leading general took the jade pendant and was buried with it upon his death.0
Half a year ago, an archaeologist discovered the tomb and, bewitched by the jade pendant, took it.0
The demon solved the case and finally recovered half of his heart.0
Where was the other half?0
After extensive inquiries, he heard that half of an ancient jade pendant would appear at an auction, so he decided to investigate.0
There, he encountered the hunter.0
The hunter knew that the demon's weakness was his lost heart. If the heart was destroyed, the demon would gradually weaken and die.0
But the auction house owner had died.0
To find out the whereabouts of the jade pendant, they had to find the killer, forcing them to work together.0
In the end, the hunter outsmarted the demon and got the jade pendant first.0
What happened next was beyond anyone's expectations.0
The cruise ship hosting the auction sank.0
Jian Jing directly used the experience of the "World Cruise Liner" as a blueprint, introducing evil sacrificial rituals.0
To stop the sacrifice, the demon and the hunter placed their respective jade pendants on the altar.0
Dark magic descended.0
The two were plunged into an ancient nightmare.0
The fourth story was about the origin of the demon.0
It was set during the Xia and Shang dynasties when many regions still had ancient tribes. This time, the tribal leader had died, and the ten shamans needed to find the killer and confirm the next leader.0
After investigation, they voted and identified a young man as the killer.0
He was imprisoned in the dungeon and severely tortured, but he insisted he was not the murderer.0
However, the ten shamans did not believe him.0
They decided to cut his throat, let his blood drip onto the land, and burn him with fire to consume his evil heart.0
The young man died unjustly, cursing humanity: "After I die, I will become an eternal nightmare. Slaughter will be my bed, evil thoughts my dew, fresh blood will turn into wine in my cup, and hearts will become delicacies on my plate. Only the tears of the wronged can move me to pity."0
He died.0
And became a demon.0
Fearing his revenge, the ten shamans cut out his heart and divided it in two.0
One half went to the extreme north, the other to the extreme south, never to meet again, never to be revived.0
Now, three thousand years later, the nightmare has returned. The hunter couldn't find the demon's whereabouts, so the only way was to find the real killer of the tribal leader and clear the young man's name.0
At the end of the story, the case was solved.0
The two jade pendants became one.0
The demon finally recovered his excavated heart. It was so red, without a trace of black. He eagerly took back his heart and placed it in his chest.0
The next moment, his body suddenly caught fire.0
It turned out that after so many years, he had killed too many people. When his sinful body touched the pure heart, it was destined to turn to ashes.0
The demon's smile froze, and then his immortal body began to burn like a raging fire, gradually turning to ash.0
Scattered by the wind.0
With a "thud," the ruby-like heart fell.0
The hunter looked at it for a long time, picked it up, tore open his clothes, ripped his skin, and revealed the void in his chest.0
It turned out that he also had no heart.0
"Alright, I haven't walked you in a while." She put the leash on the dog and took it out for a stroll.0
Peace City is a big city, lively even in the early morning.0
The streetlights were still on. Night shift workers were taking the first bus home, exhausted and haggard, looking like they might doze off at any moment. Early shift workers were bleary-eyed, yawning as they searched for breakfast.0
Industrious people were cleaning their shops, steamed buns were being placed in steamers, with billowing white steam bringing the sweet aroma of starch.0
Jian Jing let out a pork-flavored burp and stopped to buy two steamed buns.0
The piping hot buns were delicious even without any filling.0
Indeed, barbecue needs to be paired with some starch.0
"Whine." Passing by the park, Knight pulled her in that direction, whining continuously.0
Jian Jing patted it: "Alright, alright, I get it."0
Usually, the park was crowded, and Knight could only be walked on a leash without the freedom to run. Taking advantage of the fact that the elderly hadn't arrived for their morning exercises yet, she decided to let it play for a while.0
She unclipped Knight's leash and said: "Come back when you see people, don't get within 10 meters of anyone, understood?"0
Knight: "Woof!"0
"Go on then." She let go of the leash.0
The German Shepherd shot off like an arrow, its fur gleaming and muscles rippling beautifully.0
Jian Jing sat down on a nearby bench, leisurely admiring the gradually brightening sky.0
Her phone vibrated, displaying a new message.0
Ji Feng: [32]0
Ji Feng: [Huh]0
Jian Jing: [What does 32 mean?]0
Ji Feng: [Nothing]0
Jian Jing quickly figured out what it meant and felt annoyed.0
"Woof." At that moment, Knight suddenly ran back, circling her legs.0
Jian Jing was puzzled: "What's wrong?"0
It ran towards some bushes.0
"Hmm?" She had a hunch and followed closely.0
In the dense shrubbery, a pair of red high heels was visible.0
Jian Jing: "Tsk!"0
She cautiously approached to investigate, and five minutes later, made a phone call.0
Beep—the call connected.0
"Have you gone to bed yet?" she asked.0
Ji Feng: "Just lay down."0
"Forget about sleep, come to Life Park," she said. "Bring me a cup of soy milk on the way."0
Sounds of rustling clothes could be heard from the other end.0
"...With sugar? Male or female?" he asked resignedly.0
"Of course. Female." Jian Jing said, "The soy milk should be freshly ground. If it doesn't taste good, I'll let the dog bite you."0
Ji Feng: "Fifteen minutes."0
Jian Jing hung up and looked towards the east.0
The sun had just begun to peek out, the sky growing brighter, and the sounds of people gradually increasing.0
Another ordinary day in Peace City was beginning.0
And she was certain that she was enjoying every moment of it.0
*0
End of main text0
I know everyone has many questions, so I'll write a long author's note to address them0
*0
When I first started writing this story, I hadn't decided on a male lead because I felt it would be strange to have every story revolve around him. Having scenes with other male characters might make readers uncomfortable about screen time and interactions, so I simply decided not to set a male lead and present all other characters as supporting roles.0
From a functional perspective, Kang Mu Cheng, Ji Feng, Jiang BaiYan, and others like Zong Ye, Zuo Xin, Liang Yi, and Si Yingjie are no different. They all serve as characters who bring the female lead into the cases. You can think of them as replacements for the Junior Detective League, Sonoko, Professor Agasa, Kogoro Mouri, and so on.0
Later, as several male supporting characters became more well-rounded, I considered it but ultimately gave up the idea.0
Jing Jing is only 23 years old and can have plenty of romantic experiences. Would finding a boyfriend in the end mean they'll be together forever? Moreover, in the last case, I focused on describing Jing Jing's choices, her decisions about life and self, leaving no room for male characters.0
Forcing a conclusion would have been unnecessary, so I ultimately decided to end it this way.0
*0
I want to say that no single concept can perfectly encapsulate the content of every book.0
Aliali: 673aa0aed72ede9349903ddf
Does this story have a male lead? No, it only has one female protagonist, and the rest are supporting characters, both male and female.0
Are there romantic elements in this story? Yes, obviously. Jing Jing isn't made of stone, and there are some feelings between her and several male supporting characters.0
Does this story have a CP (couple)? If CP means lovers, then not yet. If it means partners or pairings, then it would be the system. Jing Jing and the system are partners in solving cases, like the relationship between a police officer and a police dog.0
So, unfortunately, I can't summarize this story with a simple label that everyone is used to. Web novels, as a form of literary work, shouldn't be oversimplified with labels.0
*0
Additionally, it's okay for readers to dislike certain characters or plot points, but when readers say "the author likes XXX" or "the author is thinking XXX," I'm sorry, but you're not me. Please don't make wild guesses, as it troubles me.0
*0
Well, this is the ending of the main story, and I like this ending. I'm also quite satisfied with how I've shaped Jing Jing. She's the character I've poured the most of my preferences into – she loves detective work, is a writer, has money, looks, and talent, is righteous and brave, and even has a dog. In a sense, she reflects my desires.0
I truly love her. Do you love her too?0
There will be some daily life extras coming up. See you tomorrow, kisses!0