Mrs. Qi asked me, “Can you tell me what is happening?”

I told Mrs. Qi what my thoughts were on the matter. I was absolutely certain that the cause of everything was the ink slab her husband had bought at a low price.

“Mrs. Qi, do you know the origin of that ink slab? Where did he get it? Was there something odd about the previous owner?”

Mrs. Qi shook her head. “I know the previous owner as he’s a neighbor of mine back in my hometown. He looks pretty ordinary, and it was his son who used this ink slab. Although it was a family heirloom, it’s common for people in my hometown to possess such items.”

I was pensive while I nodded. “It seems like I’ll have to visit your house at night time. I saw dark circles under Mr. Qi’s eyes,...