Chapter 135

Four corpses

Meng Xian was a solemn and earnest person, his speech always direct. At that moment, as the words fell here, Meng Xian stepped over to the nearby wooden case, reached out, and pulled off the white cloth on it.

Instantly, the four gruesome corpses appeared before Nie Jinxuan's eyes.

Seeing this, Nie Jinxuan immediately glanced at Meng Xian, then walked over without a word and began to carefully examine the four corpses before her...

At this moment, Mo Yujue also came up from behind, and softly explained.

"Third Miss, these four corpses were discovered from left to right in that order. The places where they were found are also different. The first deceased is named Wang Erqiang, a ruffian in the city, found seven days ago dead beside the official road outside the East City Gate. The second deceased is named Jia Xin, the proprietor of the Jia Ji Tea House in the city, usually kind-hearted and widely acquainted with officials and nobles, found six days ago dead in the moat west of the city."

"The third deceased is named Zhou Si, a villager of Zhou Family Village west of the city, usually timid and seldom offending anyone, found three days ago dead in his own backyard. As for the last deceased, named Zhao Liang, a schoolteacher in the city, he was found dead yesterday morning in the Ten Li Pavilion south of the city."

After briefly stating the identities and general circumstances of the four deceased, Mo Yujue looked up at Nie Jinxuan, but all that could be seen was Nie Jinxuan staring fixedly at the four corpses before her; after a while, she suddenly spoke softly.

"Hmm, I understand. Then let's begin!"

"Hmm!"

She nodded in response; Mo Yujue then turned and ordered someone to bring the autopsy tools, and Nie Jinxuan, without hesitation, readied herself and immediately began the autopsy.

The four corpses each needed to be re-examined; by the time Nie Jinxuan finished checking all four, it was already evening.

Of course, Mo Yujue had once suggested that Nie Jinxuan take a brief rest, but she refused. Then, after the autopsy was finished, Nie Jinxuan set her tools aside, took off her leather gloves...... Once everything was tidied up, she finally looked up at the elderly coroner Meng Xian, who had also been watching in the room all day.

"Old Mr. Meng, you have previously examined these four corpses; may I first hear your opinion?"

Nie Jinxuan also held Meng Xian in high regard, her words being very polite. Upon hearing this, Meng Xian did not decline, slightly raised his hand to stroke his beard, and then spoke loudly.

"Since Third Miss says so, let me first speak...... The first deceased, Wang Erqiang, suffered multiple knife wounds, his left hand was cut off by the killer, but the fatal cause was a sharp weapon piercing his heart instantly. The second deceased, Jia Xin, was whipped, had flesh cut, and his hand and foot tendons severed before death, but in the end the killer threw him into the moat, where he drowned."

"As for the third deceased, Zhou Si, the killer inflicted no violence on him but directly gouged out both eyes and then strangled him to death with a rope. As for the fourth deceased, Zhao Liang, he likewise suffered whipping from the killer and was ultimately killed by a sharp weapon piercing his heart."

"Therefore, judging solely by cause of death, the first and last cases both involved a sharp weapon piercing the heart, so it is very likely the same perpetrator. Of course, this is merely my guess; specifics still need investigation. As for other matters, please forgive my inability; I cannot yet determine them."

Meng Xian is an upright person; although Nie Jinxuan is much younger than him, when she speaks she still maintains a strictly professional demeanor, without any arrogance. Upon hearing this, Nie Jinxuan immediately nodded.

"Yes, Old Mr. Meng, you are correct."

Nie Jinxuan said this politely in a low voice, but as soon as she finished speaking she couldn't help glancing at the silent Mo Yujue beside her; when their calm eyes met, Mo Yujue was first startled, then immediately understood, and promptly said to the several yamen runners in the room.

"You all step out first; we have important matters to discuss in detail."

"Yes!"

Because of his special status, although Mo Yujue is merely a fourth-rank armed guard, in the Ministry of Punishments he actually oversees major criminal cases; thus, sometimes even the Minister of Punishments, Zuo Wei, has to listen to him!

So, upon hearing Mo Yujue say that, the several yamen runners in the room responded respectfully and then left one after another. After they had departed, Nie Jinxuan turned to Meng Xian and said.

"However, Old Mr. Meng, there are a few matters on which my view differs from yours!"

"Oh? What differences? Third Miss, please speak freely."

"Very well, then I will speak frankly; if I offend, please do not take it to heart, Old Mr. Meng......"

After politely nodding at Meng Xian, Nie Jinxuan shifted her gaze to the four corpses before her.

"The first deceased, Wang Erqiang, Old Mr. Meng's judgment is correct: he was indeed first wounded by the killer, then his left hand was cut off, and the cause of death was a sharp weapon piercing his heart...... However, there is a point Old Mr. Meng may have missed: although one of the wounds directly pierced the heart, leading one to think the killer was wildly stabbing with a sharp weapon and accidentally hit the heart, causing death......"

"But in fact, judging by the corpses' wound reactions, these wounds—even including the severed left hand—were all inflicted while the victim was alive! That is, after the killer plunged the sharp weapon into the victim's heart, he never touched the body again. Old Mr. Meng, what do you think this indicates?"

Nie Jinxuan asked this in a low voice, her eyes never leaving the corpse for a moment. Upon hearing this, Meng Xian, who had been listening attentively, couldn't help but startle; before he could speak, Mo Yujue on the other side spoke first.

"Could it be that Third Miss means the killer was deliberately torturing the victim?!"

"Exactly!"

After a decisive reply, Nie Jinxuan then continued.

"Think about it, you two: if the killer were merely madly stabbing the victim, in a frenzy or venting hatred, how could he strike the heart once and then immediately stop? Thus, the only possibility for this result is that the killer was fully lucid while committing the act, clearly knowing what he was doing and how to do it."

Nie Jinxuan said this softly, then turned her gaze to the second corpse.

"The second deceased, Jia Xin, is the one among the four with a relatively gruesome appearance. Whipping, cutting flesh, severing hand and foot tendons—each act alone would make one wish to die. Yet regarding cause of death, my view differs from Old Mr. Meng's! I believe this victim's true cause of death was not drowning, but rather being bled to death while alive."

Nie Jinxuan spoke with certainty, but at that moment Meng Xian immediately frowned and said.

"Oh? Third Miss, what makes you say that?"

"Yes, Old Mr. Meng, I understand your doubt. After all, the victim's mouth indeed contained sand and soil, which is undeniable, so at first glance it indeed looks like drowning. But in fact, it is not!"

Speaking, Nie Jinxuan briskly put on the leather gloves again, then reached out and pulled apart the trachea and esophagus of the corpse that had been opened during autopsy.

Mister Meng, please look here: there is a lot of silt in the deceased's mouth and nose, which indeed makes one suspect drowning. But Mister Meng, imagine if the killer really drowned the victim—when inhaling river water while breathing, not only the mouth and nose, but also the trachea and esophagus would retain some silt traces. Yet this deceased's trachea and esophagus are spotless, with not a speck of dirt—don't you find that strange, Mister Meng?!

Therefore, based solely on this point, the victim's true cause of death is not drowning, but a facade fabricated by the killer to look like drowning. In short, the victim was tortured to death by the killer. Finally, after the victim died, the killer stuffed silt into the mouth and nose and threw the body into the moat.

In the small room, it was dead silent. At that moment, waiting for the words to finish, Nie Jinxuan let out a slight sigh, then reached out and turned the corpse over.

Furthermore, please look, the second victim, Chen Xin, although his body bears whip marks, the wounds are distinctly different. That is, the killer whipped the victim while alive, and after death also desecrated the corpse with whipping! Therefore, I can confidently say that the killer bears intense resentment toward the second victim, Chen Xin.

As for the third victim, Zhou Si, it is as Mister Meng previously said, except that the killer gouged out both eyes while the victim was alive, then strangled him with a rope or similar. As for the last victim, Zhao Liang, although his body shows whip marks, these were likely inflicted while alive; after death the killer did not touch him, and the cause of death, as Mister Meng previously stated, is a sharp weapon piercing the heart.

At length, Nie Jinxuan, in front of Meng Xian and Mo Yujue, announced her autopsy findings. Upon hearing this, Meng Xian and Mo Yujue were visibly startled, and Mo Yujue immediately lowered his voice to ask.

Then, Miss San, what do you think of these four cases? Could the killer be a single person?

Mo Yujue did not understand autopsy, but he knew Nie Jinxuan would certainly tell him some clues. Upon hearing this, Nie Jinxuan slightly narrowed her eyes, then surveyed the four corpses before her, fell silent for a moment, and then spoke softly.

Since Master Mo has asked, I will speak directly… I believe that, judging by the extent of damage, the most severe is the second victim, Chen Xin, and the lightest is the fourth victim, Zhao Liang. Without exception, the killer tortured the victims before death and then killed them. Moreover, the wrists and ankles of all four victims show nearly identical binding marks; therefore, I suspect the true killer of these four victims is very likely the same person!

In such a short time, the victims appeared one after another, and each had suffered great torment while alive; without doubt, the killer is largely the same person.

Nie Jinxuan spoke with certainty; upon hearing this, Meng Xian and Mo Yujue exchanged a silent glance, and then Mo Yujue asked again.

Then, Miss San, do you have any clues about the killer?

As for clues, I have none for now. After all, although the victims died in gruesome ways, this only shows that the killer is a ruthless villain, bold yet meticulous, with careful thinking. From the fact that the killer knew how to stage the second victim, Chen Xin, as a drowning, we can infer that the killer knows some basic autopsy knowledge… but these are internal traits, rarely visible outwardly, so to call them clues…

However, there is one point worth noting: the dumping sites—beside the official road, the moat, the victims' homes' backyards, and the Ten Li Pavilion outside the city—without exception, these places are not very remote; indeed, they are quite conspicuous. This indicates that the killer did not deliberately conceal his murderous acts, and perhaps even wanted the bodies to be found quickly! Thus, if so, the killer may well strike again.

Nie Jinxuan was not speaking alarmingly. Upon hearing this, Meng Xian, standing nearby, widened his eyes, while Mo Yujue instantly narrowed his eyes, and his stern face sank slightly.

At that moment, waiting for the words to end, Nie Jinxuan also furrowed her brow slightly, but then she lifted her gaze to Mo Yujue and spoke.

So, according to my opinion, if Young Master Mo still has no leads right now, it would be better to start investigating from the second victim, Chen Xin! After all, among these four victims, Chen Xin's corpse is the most severely damaged, and he was also mutilated by the killer. So I think the killer must have a deep personal grudge against Chen Xin. Therefore, Young Master Mo might as well first investigate Chen Xin, see if he had any grudges with anyone before, and then see if we can find some clues about the killer.

……

Nie Jinxuan voiced her speculation. Afterwards, several people were chatting in the room; at that moment, Meng Xian really wanted to discuss with Nie Jinxuan what is **reaction, as well as some autopsy techniques, but since it was already late, they just gave up.

Therefore, not long after, Nie Jinxuan left. Mo Yujue personally saw her to the door; at that moment, the Minister of Punishments Zuo Wei, who had not shown up all along, actually came over as well.

This was Nie Jinxuan's second meeting with Zuo Wei. Although she is no longer the Princess Consort now, Zuo Wei remained as courteous and respectful as ever toward her. It seemed he had deliberately come to see her off. Naturally, Nie Jinxuan was also very grateful; after saying a few more words, she got on the carriage and left.

After waiting for Nie Jinxuan to leave, until watching her carriage disappear into the dusk, Zuo Wei then couldn't help but turn his head to look at Mo Yujue beside him.

"Yujue, do we have any leads on the case?"

"There are some, but we still need to investigate."

"Hmm, that's good~! Looks like this... uh, we should now call her the Third Miss, truly divine skill! Hmm, very good~hehe~"

Although he didn't ask directly, Zuo Wei understood. Having leads must be thanks to Nie Jinxuan's help. Upon hearing this, Mo Yujue beside him slightly narrowed his eyes and then spoke softly.

"However, the Third Miss also said, the killer is very likely to strike again!"

"Uh... ah?! Strike again?!"

Instantly, upon hearing that another case might occur, Zuo Wei's mung-bean-sized eyes widened. At that very moment, a gate guard Yamen Runner poked his head out and said.

"Eh? Sirs, could the person who just left be the former Consort of Prince Chen? But didn't everyone say she was a shrew? Yet from what I just saw, she seems fine~! So is she really that or not?"

Obviously, this Yamen Runner had come to gossip. Upon hearing that, Mo Yujue suddenly turned his gaze, gave him a cold stare, and then turned and left directly.

Then, seeing Mo Yujue leave, the Yamen Runner felt puzzled and turned to look at Zuo Wei. But the usually kind-hearted Minister of Punishments Zuo Wei couldn't help but widen his mung-bean-sized eyes, then glared at him for a while, and suddenly shouted.

"Shrew?! You're the shrew! Your whole family are shrews!"

Having said that, Zuo Wei didn't care what the Yamen Runner still wanted to say, and also turned and went back.

Late at night, all was silent; the entire capital city was shrouded in darkness.

At that moment, inside a side room of the Chen Wangfu, it was dim and yellowish.

Yin Fengzhan sat alone in the room drinking alcohol; his cold face revealed a chilling aura that made people fearful.

On the table before him was also a mess; the room, which had looked rather elegant during the day, now inexplicably exuded an indescribable sense of loneliness.

All around was silent; Yin Fengzhan pressed his lips and said nothing. Soon after, a knock sounded at the door, and then Han Luoxue pushed the door open and entered.

"Grandfather~"

Speaking softly, Han Luoxue stepped forward to Yin Fengzhan's side and then gently continued.

"Grandfather, don't drink anymore, it's late; you should rest soon~!"

Actually, ever since Nie Jinxuan and Yin Fengzhan divorced, Yin Fengzhan has been silent all these days. Although his complexion isn't exactly gloomy, he inexplicably gives off a frightening aura, and consequently everyone in the Chen Wangfu feels uneasy.

At that moment, Han Luoxue was speaking softly, but seeing that Yin Fengzhan still had no reaction, she couldn't help but move closer, slowly leaning her soft body against his, and whispered.

"Grandfather......"

That soft call was soul‑stirring and utterly tempting. Yet Yin Fengzhan still held his wine cup, unmoving. Seeing this, Han Luoxue couldn't help but twitch her brow, then slowly reached out toward his chest.

"Get out!"

Yin Fengzhan's expression didn't change, but his cold, low voice startled Han Luoxue. She immediately withdrew her hand, and with a composed demeanor said.

"That concubine is leaving; grandfather, take care of your health!"

Saying that, Han Luoxue left directly; after hearing the door close, Yin Fengzhan only then lifted his gaze and rose to walk out.