Chapter 160: Zhuang Zhou's Dream of the Butterfly, Three Deformed Beings

Several people slammed their fists hard against the window, finally forcing Zhang Wen to halt his actions at the very last second. This interruption infuriated the victim in front of Zhang Wen, and her reaction left the police utterly furious, as they were trying to save her. Yet, she was stubbornly bent on seeking death.

The victim continuously writhed her lower body, urging Zhang Wen to hurry up. Zhang Wen patted the victim's buttocks, laughed, and shouted to the anxious police officers outside: "Are you getting anxious? Aren't the police omnipotent? Right here in front of you, I am doing the thing you despise the most, doing what this world cannot tolerate. What can you possibly do to me?"

A police officer could not help cursing, "You fucking freak, your heart was warped a long time ago."

Zhang Wen did not care in the least. He angrily retorted, "Who is warped? Zhuang Zhou dreamed of a butterfly, unsure if Zhuang Zhou had become a butterfly or if the butterfly had become Zhuang Zhou. How do you know whether it is I who am warped, or all of you?"

Unable to comprehend Zhang Wen's sophistry, the officer sneered, "Even at this point, you are still trying to argue your way out. Do you really think that by declaring war on the police, you can successfully escape from here today?"

Zhang Wen shook his head with a cold smile. "I still have a hostage in my hands. If you do not let me leave, I guarantee she will not survive the night."

I frowned and shouted angrily at Zhang Wen, "What have you done to Wang Yazhuo?"

Zhang Wen stared at me with avid interest before finally speaking slowly, "What, feeling nervous for your little lover? Rest assured, I have zero interest in anyone who refuses to become a willing slave. I haven't done anything to her yet, but if I cannot successfully leave this place today, she will definitely not live past tonight."

Zhang Wen once again emphasized the leverage he held to bargain with the police.

I took a deep breath, trying to reason with Zhang Wen: "Zhang Wen, I couldn't care less about what you have done, but what I want to tell you is that even if you successfully manage to perform the necrophilia you so revere right in front of the police, the world will not change because of you. Aside from those with psychological distortions like yours, no one will sympathize with you, and no one will understand you. Necrophilia will never be accepted by the general public in this world."

Zhang Wen roared, "Why not?"

"Moral concepts change with the development of times. Some moral issues that people cannot tolerate or understand today might be regarded as completely normal things far, far into the future." Here, I paused. "However, murder is forever and always more than just a purely moral issue. It involves the law. Anything that criminal law cannot tolerate can never be tolerated by morality either."

Instead of bringing Zhang Wen to his senses, my words only fueled his agitation. Zhang Wen declared that both parties had been fully willing, and no matter what they did, they should not be bound by the law. He cursed all of us as sanctimonious hypocrites, claiming that we so-called normal people harbored countless disgusting desires deep inside, yet lacked the courage to express them.

Not only that, Zhang Wen claimed that we even went so far as to enact a set of laws solely to conceal our inner desires and to restrain those of us who revered necrophilia.

"Just because the majority of you cannot understand us, you spit on our actions and use the so-called law to restrict and punish us. But let me tell you, I refuse to endure this any longer! Necrophilia is the most selfless and purest form of love, far more noble than the hypocritical feelings of people like you!" Zhang Wen had completely lost his mind; he was entirely incapable of listening to any of our persuasion.

Fatty Lu's whereabouts had been unknown for a long time, and several people were calling out to him over the walkie-talkie, but Fatty Lu gave no response whatsoever. With no better plan coming to mind, everyone could only continue stalling Zhang Wen with words. Not only could we not let Zhang Wen complete the process of necrophilia right before our eyes, but we also could not allow him to engage in any gratification with the victim in front of the police.

"Hu Yufang... why wouldn't necrophilia be pure? Perhaps the impure one... is you!" I had already grasped Zhang Wen's psychological weak spot; he would absolutely never tolerate anyone slandering him and the necrophilia he worshipped. Sure enough, provoked by my words, the knife Zhang Wen held against the victim's neck nearly slipped.

Instinctively, Zhang Wen wanted to point the knife in his hand at us, but with quick reflexes, he immediately pulled it back.

The police failed to find an opening to strike. Zhang Wen laughed loudly at me, saying that Hu Yufang was no different from us and lacked the courage to do what she truly wanted to do.

Zhang Wen told us that after Hu Yufang arrived at the medical university, the person who pursued and won her over first was not Qiu Xiao, but Zhang Wen himself. Zhang Wen said that during a morgue laboratory class, he had accidentally discovered that Hu Yufang showed an abnormal reaction upon seeing a male corpse.

Whenever Zhang Wen saw a female corpse, his entire body would surge with excitement, and he understood Hu Yufang's reaction all too well. In an instant, Zhang Wen felt he had found a kindred spirit. After class, he approached Hu Yufang. To Zhang Wen's surprise, the moment he voiced his inner thoughts, Hu Yufang cursed him out fiercely and slapped him across the face.

Only then did Zhang Wen realize that Hu Yufang herself was completely unaware of her own peculiar fetish regarding corpses.

From that moment on, Zhang Wen began pestering Hu Yufang, gradually enlarging that warped corner of her psyche through a prolonged verbal campaign.

Hearing this, I was stunned. To my utter disbelief, not only did Zhang Wen and Qiu Xiao possess distorted psychological states, but even Hu Yufang shared them.

Zhang Wen said that Hu Yufang had secretly gotten together with him, and the two began discussing necrophilia, even starting their preparations. However, at the very last moment, Hu Yufang panicked. She began acting like a madwoman, refusing to have any further contact with Zhang Wen. Her relationship with Qiu Xiao began only after that incident.

Hu Yufang's betrayal left Zhang Wen feeling utterly disheartened. He approached her several times, but Hu Yufang refused to turn back.

Furthermore, after getting together with Qiu Xiao, Hu Yufang's warped psychological state gradually returned to normal. Feeling deeply unwilling, while continuing to pester Hu Yufang in private, Zhang Wen also deliberately befriended Qiu Xiao. Qiu Xiao had a wonderful personality and practically turned away no one who wanted to be a friend.

Before long, Zhang Wen became good friends with Qiu Xiao and also got to know Qiu Xiao's older brother, Qiu Lei.

When Hu Yufang learned about this, she began to panic. Finding it strange, Qiu Xiao pressed her for the reason.

With that, everything was blown wide open. Zhang Wen threatened Qiu Xiao, demanding that he secure time alone for him in the morgue, or else he would expose Hu Yufang's necrophilia. Consequently, Qiu Xiao provided Zhang Wen with the opportunity to desecrate corpses.

As Zhang Wen recounted this, it was as if he were talking about the most ordinary thing in the world; the casualness in his tone was infuriating.

Zhang Wen told us that ever since then, Hu Yufang and Qiu Xiao began to argue more and more frequently. Because Hu Yufang herself had grown wavering and uncertain—unsure whether she was a normal person or someone just like Zhang Wen, and unsure whether she truly loved Qiu Xiao or Zhang Wen.

As the fights between Hu Yufang and Qiu Xiao intensified, Zhang Wen seized the opportunity to slowly win Hu Yufang back.

Finally, shortly before Hu Yufang's death, she promised Zhang Wen that she would engage in necrophilia with him. At the same time, Hu Yufang broke up with Qiu Xiao, telling him that she deeply loved Zhang Wen and wanted to dedicate both her body and soul entirely to him.

Hu Yufang even made Qiu Xiao promise never to cause trouble for Zhang Wen.

Hearing this, I sneered, "All three of you had warped psyches. The way you behave is truly beyond the comprehension of ordinary people."

Indeed, the events that transpired among these three individuals were utterly bizarre, completely absurd, and reached a truly horrifying degree.

"Yet, that bitch actually went back on her word again at the very last moment!" Zhang Wen cursed suddenly once more, breaking into a frantic laugh. "However, I had long anticipated her infidelity toward necrophilia. I killed her. If Qiu Xiao wanted her corpse, well, he could have it."

Zhang Wen said that by that time, he had no intention of staying alive. After killing Hu Yufang, he did not deliberately try to hide it. To his surprise, however, Qiu Xiao did not turn him in; instead, Qiu Xiao escaped with Hu Yufang's corpse, and the police never suspected Zhang Wen at all.

By then, Zhang Wen had dropped out of school, and he suddenly decided to rally more people who worshipped necrophilia.

With that, Zhang Wen glanced at the clock on the wall. "I can't waste any more time with you people. Being able to witness the process of necrophilia is the greatest grace I can bestow upon you. If you don't hurry up, even if I don't want to kill Wang Yazhuo, that girl will still lose her life."

My heart tightened. "Where is she?"