Blazing Armor

After listening to Gong Yingxian’s description, Dr. Pompeii looked down at the information in his hand. “This is the mask.”FTIfzEXGQvfVRPLCryPfcfJbdrvCud

It was a photo screenshot from Purple Flame’s video, with very high resolution. The bird mask was a dark gray color, with certain features intentionally exaggerated: a prominently large, sharp beak, and two big, round eye sockets, though featherless. Overall, it gave off a surreal grotesque vibe, not modeled after any real bird species.UuMnLpsZTfIGPHDfnbYNFCpUczGhXl

“We investigated this mask,” Gong Yingxian said. “There’s no similar product on the market, nor is it found in any artistic creation. It’s a one-of-a-kind design.”RznoorPrTUJhAUXdZKsGWPrTjQBodc

“Can you tell the material from the video?”RckVvixqozBZHosRuXYyqpNPTZMDxH

“Plaster, produced with a 3D printer.”KKzcrSKGEAUhcEjVsSumlGozVuyBDn

“So, it was custom-modeled and made.”YvMkIrWrrrQhoMpGbpKjzYBQgoGUhd

“Yes,” Gong Yingxian replied. “But there were no 3D printers back then. If someone wanted to make such an item, they’d need to go to a factory and spend a lot to model and produce it. This is one reason why I doubt the authenticity of the mask.”erWjTVizBhTpxREvvqUhgKOAxKuRKW

“What about hand carving?” Ren Yi asked.KlfoxMobQkZkKQQIImvYQXSFvLHnKZ

“Of course, that’s possible, but what would be the point?” Gong Yingxian said. “If it’s just for covering one’s face, any mask from a store would do. Why go to such lengths unless it had significant symbolic meaning, like a totem of the organization or something similar?”zxbjYvorzDzNQpWsgukkntfIJZPItn

“But you couldn’t find any similar image online,” Dr. Pompeii pondered. “That doesn’t align with the typical traits of pyromaniacs. They’re frustrated with reality and express their cowardly sense of power through arson. If this mask was truly so important, someone over the last nineteen years would have felt compelled to reveal it, partly to show off their work, partly to seek recognition from like-minded individuals.”YudLwySZCUDuNMfjeuDBWwcneFIoXg

Gong Yingxian nodded. “I think so too, which makes me question the mask’s authenticity even more. Looking at it from another angle, if this mask was something Purple Flame made temporarily, then everything becomes easier to explain.”UtEzEispKjmCwjqHCByfIkCYquDyBc

“So, you believe what you saw back then wasn’t this mask, but Purple Flame planted a psychological suggestion that made this mask fuse with what you imagined.”bMlKWMJqiGicPMzgrGSuzzXEvMurqr

“Not a memory, but an imagined image,” Gong Yingxian frowned. “In reality, I’ve never actually recalled the exact look of the mask.”WEGVXhiWdgnqapdqXvcaCAxzgVDtjh

“Yes, when you first mentioned the mask to me all those years ago, I guided you for a long time, but you couldn’t describe its exact color, style, or details—only that it was a bird mask. You were barely ten then, and this memory dates back to when you were six. At one point, I even questioned the authenticity of this memory.”ythGGSZXmhgUxWwOEXMWanqYcMQskD

“I know. You’ve told me that before.”QYEZjQrhJQgcCKRNjUERBnYoSbfATy

“But you insisted that you had indeed seen such a mask, so I performed deep hypnosis to help you relive the scene and confirm it, yet you still couldn’t clearly describe the mask.”jmJrFXIkuHHzOEcGTGIxFEVZjTxdiH

Gong Yingxian’s face showed doubt. “I don’t know why either.”GQNyhPxEQwMcmCBMYnERAKWKXJPgGy

Ren Yi stared at the photo, feeling the mask resembled something he knew but couldn’t quite place.GfNkWIPxwxWRBfbDlahuVxKTZpMfJT

“That’s very normal,” Dr. Pompeii pondered. “You went through severe trauma at the time. Compared to other memory gaps, it’s perfectly reasonable not to remember a mask you only glimpsed at. I never considered the mask a central focus of your treatment. In fact, frequent returns to that scene are ill-advised. I wouldn’t have agreed to those hypnosis sessions if not for your repeated requests.”DpzpbNYqllWJOEawfOIUQMWtwfoEtb

“They were necessary. They helped me recall a lot.”sGRhXRpLFJGcYGQxwxGLxBsItxCkhf

Dr. Pompeii sighed. “But it was dangerous. Extremely dangerous.”mqeztpALHgoTQJdtWDlVOYPbrADHFl

Gong Yingxian didn’t seem to register that “danger.” “So I was thinking…”ZvfCEouxEcCbhjMcKpfEJkennTsArc

“No.” Dr. Pompeii saw through him immediately, refusing flatly. “I already said on the phone that if you ask for deep hypnosis again, I won’t come back.”pmrBVGMyAEWrZPFNzYPQqaMtouXYDq

Ren Yi looked at Gong Yingxian, surprised.anlPBBnJNfPNuBQjhTdvZnpUYwHARd

Gong Yingxian spoke heavily, “Doctor, the case is at a critical moment. Over the past six months, I’ve uncovered a lot more. If I go back under, I’m certain I’ll gain even more than before.”MGQBNcCeMlFtwsJvSQIXYDhUObguAM

“I’ve put you through deep hypnosis three times. The first time was unsuccessful; the second and third, I had to pull you back when you were on the verge of collapse, and it took you a long time to recover afterward. Since you entered the police academy, your independent awareness and vigilance have grown, making your subconscious more resistant to outsiders. Now, with your intense drive to uncover the truth, I fear something uncontrollable might happen during hypnosis. I can’t take that risk.”hBvKIzkCymJZQAyclmKmPMSYUxCRAE

Gong Yingxian replied firmly, “Even if it’s dangerous, I must try. Catching Purple Flame isn’t just personal for me; as long as he’s free, countless lives and properties remain at risk.”uVkqnXhJQbeuFDVgFPuNDeDdVsLwWJ

Ren Yi advised, “Yingxian, you should listen to the doctor. I think you’re too impatient. This isn’t the only way, and you guys have been making progress, haven’t you?”WtKLgnSOPPxcHOzbpBQQAoTNAlmLGZ

Gong Yingxian stared deeply at Ren Yi: “I can’t not be anxious.” Because among all those whose lives were threatened, Ren Yi was at the top of the list.XSuBptroCarWoyyVRjunPqBFoSuguw

Dr. Pompeii said seriously, “Yingxian, I understand how you feel, but I’m your doctor. I have to be responsible for your safety and follow medical ethics. Right now, I can’t agree to your request. Taking you back to the fire site would be an extreme measure. If I fail, you could be torn apart in your memories by pain and despair, and over a decade of treatment would go to waste.”sTxPMBLvKLbXRGewLmTaStTfTBfzMp

Gong Yingxian lowered his head, his expression somber.pbnWgPmPejMJpyxEFunjyVzCFMReDQ

Dr. Pompeii tried to comfort him, “Captain Ren is right. This isn’t the only way. I’ll be here for a while for academic exchange and will do my best to help you in other ways.”QOUfoYUyOVuDxsogOYkXVXmMInwMDn

Gong Yingxian nodded reluctantly.tsGCMsXKBJpEwTjhBwwylfvGKyKdVc

“I think we should return to this mask.” Dr. Pompeii looked at a photo of the mask. “This mask is strange. It’s like… an owl’s large eyes with a toucan’s huge beak. As far as I know, no bird looks like this.”AvUJbgHDwZtBEonjwJGUHgmsukOKPV

“It reminds me of street graffiti,” Ren Yi said. “Don’t you think so? I just feel like I’ve seen something like it before. This style is too modern, too trendy. It doesn’t seem like something from nineteen years ago in China.”BudxXrkklfAtAahRpyRvdKRymxjFov

“Yes, it’s very youthful and has a touch of…” Dr. Pompeii thought for a while before finding the right word, “an industrial style.”JNVVuygZXvLHXnfrGTjxOGxwhtCAPp

Ren Yi said, “Let’s assume this mask was made by Zi Yan and isn’t the one you saw before. But in that case, does Zi Yan actually know about what happened back then?”KFBfmxEEPOjZCSdrKLCqiVYviTwvlp

Gong Yingxian fell silent.sVwRtoaXoTOXzDYgwplxgiYJLTspJd

Ren Yi continued, “I have a gut feeling that Zi Yan does. Even though it’s just intuition…” He looked at Gong Yingxian with sincere eyes. “I’m not saying this just to comfort you; I truly feel that way. The things Zi Yan said in the video make me feel like he’s holding back more information.”pDyXngXZJbzezhmAJVqVTkYtVnBuaH

“I understand,” Gong Yingxian replied. “Our criminal psychology expert analyzed Zi Yan’s video too and concluded that when he talked about the events from back then, there was no sign of guilt or hesitation. This shows he’s very confident in what he’s saying. I also lean toward believing he knows something, but I still think this mask is fake.”gJDZHTTKtQvZnJyOBdnkBlnHwntiSm

Dr. Pompeii analyzed, “When you first saw the mask, you were fooled, believing it was real because Zi Yan created an atmosphere of strong psychological suggestion. After that atmosphere faded, rational thinking made you begin to doubt. This is a logical psychological process and highly credible. If the mask couldn’t convince you even under intense suggestion, then it’s most likely fake.”cOYYzHDweAeDuGypLaCPKTGPiQkpMg

Gong Yingxian rubbed his brow. “But what if this is a form of reverse psychology?”jOAjmpcDudBypDmHWMVeiKbnUYUCna

“You mean, multiple layers of suggestion? Because you’re resisting internally, even if the mask might be real, you’re suggesting to yourself it’s fake, just to rationally doubt it.”mpLcujjNzkXxFnCBEMcwNJxRHGtzoo

Gong Yingxian let out a weary “Mm.” “What I doubt most now is my own memory since it’s incomplete to begin with.”PfmhFuCuwmRTlmdFlcFugTHxFFuyFj

Ren Yi felt a headache coming on as he listened.RQKtgBjaAoeWfcvGYSriaezgUyoePy

“You certainly have reason to doubt your memory. We don’t need to rush to conclusions, as the situation is complex and not something we can untangle all at once,” Dr. Pompeii said. “Let’s continue with the assumption that Zi Yan knows something but lacks the details. He might be gambling on the fact that you were young at the time and might not remember the mask’s appearance clearly, so he’s using this mask to test you. Regardless of success or failure, it seems he has nothing to lose.”nJSPmmUgtoVnBJDtcHEMedXFjdnrnD

“Is he doing all this just to mess with me?” Gong Yingxian gritted his teeth. “The moment I saw the mask, I did feel a bit panicked.”rNqhvWRrkrsbVZuPenVejPByoogywU

“To throw you into confusion, to instill fear—that way, it’s easier for him to manipulate you. But he underestimated your capability, as you still managed to defuse the crisis. The subsequent incidents, including the package and the barbecue shop, all indicate Zi Yan’s anger. He feels humiliated by you, sees you as a challenge to his authority. With Bai Yan being wanted and the failed explosion at the barbecue shop, he’s likely to escalate his crimes to retaliate and reclaim his pride,” Dr. Pompeii said. “I suggest that, at this point, you don’t just silently investigate. You should retaliate in his own way.”swOGZYZpTlngNTyVQyNxCUcDZXlBIc

Ren Yi’s eyes widened. “How do we retaliate?”dPJVsSZBDhEbUMCJnlehJgYwzOOOsS

Dr. Pompeii narrowed his eyes. “If you want to understand the significance of this mask, put it on Seraphim.”GRVJfZPxcctRzPESiVXRRbBxdjcKjS