“Ugh…” The young scholar standing behind Zhong Li couldn't help but be curious. Peeking through the gap in front of the person ahead, she felt her stomach churn at the sight and the strong smell of blood that permeated the air.
“Wear this.” Just as she gagged, something was placed in her hand.
The young scholar looked down and realized Zhong Li had given her a mask and a pill.
“This…”
“It’s ginger to stop nausea. As for the mask, I’m afraid you’ll vomit all over the scene,” Zhong Li explained.
The young scholar had initially found the person in front to be quite caring because of the first half of Zhong Li’s sentence, but upon hearing the latter half, her lips couldn’t help but droop in displeasure.
Zhong Li didn’t have the time to concern herself with the other person’s mood. As the young scholar put on the mask, Zhong Li handed her the oil lamp. “Hold this for me, and then follow me.”
Saying that, she glanced at the pile of straw on the ground by the light of the oil lamp and slowly walked to the body to begin the autopsy.
The young scholar was reluctant, but since she was the only one in the woodshed, she sighed and held the light for Zhong Li.
The body had been largely consumed by ants. Many ants were even carrying rice-sized pieces of the corpse along the straw, moving them elsewhere.
Zhong Li took out some mugwort from her medicine chest and then took the oil lamp from the young scholar to light the mugwort.
As the smoke from the burning mugwort rose, the greedy ants on Li Kun’s body slowly retreated, revealing the stark white bones, with only a few pieces of flesh connecting them. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
“How could it be so gruesome!” the young scholar exclaimed, seeing the sight.
Zhong Li glanced at her faintly. “A word of advice: when you are in the presence of the dead, especially those who have died unjustly, speak less.”
The young scholar froze, her small, palm-sized face instantly filled with fear. She bit her lip tightly, looking as if she wanted to cry but couldn’t, which was rather comical.
“Brother Zhong,” she bit her lip, leaning closer to Zhong Li.
Zhong Li continued with her work. She opened a clean square of cloth, carefully wrapped the jewelry from the body inside, and then began to examine the abdominal cavity, which was covered by the clothing and had not yet been completely devoured by the ants.
“What is it?” she asked casually.
“Why can’t I speak in the presence of the dead?” The young scholar’s attention was no longer on the scene but entirely on Zhong Li’s previous remark.
Zhong Li turned her head and gave him a smile.
It was this smile that made the young scholar tremble. “Do you mean that ghosts think I sympathize with them and will possess me? I don’t want that…”
As she spoke, the young scholar could no longer bear it and threw her arms around Zhong Li.
Zhong Li turned to look at the young scholar, whose face was as red as a peach blossom. “As expected, you are a woman.”
The young scholar started, instinctively releasing Zhong Li and covering her chest with her hands. “You…”
Zhong Li remained silent, lowering her gaze to examine Li Kun’s entire body. It was only when she discovered that among Li Kun’s skin, blood, and rotten flesh, there was actually the component of honey, that she instantly understood the murderer’s method of operation.
The young scholar didn’t notice Zhong Li’s subtle change in expression.
She stomped her foot in anger, standing far away from Zhong Li, biting her lip fiercely. “How could you do this? What if Master Lan finds out I hugged another man and doesn’t marry me, doesn’t like me?”
Zhong Li looked up at her and asked a seemingly random question, “What is your name?”
“Hmph, who would tell you my name is Hua Yao… Mmph…” Hua Yao realized she had been tricked and bit her lip in grievance.
Zhong Li took out Li Kun’s half-eaten stomach, picked out the undigested food inside, and examined it under the light. “Come closer, I can’t see!”
Hua Yao wanted to retort but then obediently walked over to Zhong Li and held the lamp for her.
“Don’t worry, I won’t marry you. As for you and your Master Lan, I won’t say anything to him either,” Zhong Li said.
Hua Yao was thoroughly angered, pouting. “Who asked you, this stinky coroner, to marry me!”
Zhong Li glanced at her, not offended by Hua Yao’s impolite address, as she had provoked her first.
“Do me a favor and help me move the body.” After finishing her examination, Zhong Li tidied her tools and said to Hua Yao.
Hua Yao’s eyes widened as she looked at Li Kun’s body. Just as she was about to refuse, Zhong Li added, “Oh, right, remember Li Kun’s current position. You’ll need to sketch it later.”
“Oh.” Hua Yao nodded.
“Hurry up,” Zhong Li said, having already moved to Li Kun’s head while Hua Yao was agreeing, and urged her on.
Hua Yao had no choice but to brace herself and go.
When Li Kun’s body was placed on a white linen sheet, Zhong Li walked back to Li Kun’s original position and, without hesitation, quickly moved aside the straw covering the ground.
As the straw was moved, a dense mass of ants on the ground scattered wildly, fleeing as if in a frenzy.
“Ah!” Hua Yao let out a surprised cry at the sight and hid behind Zhong Li in fear.
Soon, she recovered and jumped away from Zhong Li, retreating to the corner of the wall.
Zhong Li glanced at her, not surprised by Hua Yao’s fear, as some people indeed suffered from trypophobia.
She picked up the oil lamp and observed the ants. “Hua Yao, as a woman, why do you enjoy doing this kind of work, sketching crime scenes?”
Hua Yao was stunned. At first, she thought Zhong Li couldn’t tell, but now she realized that perhaps Zhong Li had known about her little secret long ago.
“This is Master Lan’s specialty. Yao’er wants to be a little closer to Master Lan,” Hua Yao murmured.
Master Lan?
Zhong Li turned her head to look at the shy Hua Yao. “The Master Lan you’re referring to, is it Lan Heng, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review?”
Hearing Lan Heng’s name, Hua Yao’s cheeks turned even redder.
Zhong Li knew she had guessed correctly. “As far as I know, Master Lan is currently in Jinzhou, not Suqing. If Miss Hua likes Master Lan, shouldn’t you be in Jinzhou?”
“Does Brother Zhong not know about this matter?” Hua Yao blinked her eyes, looking at Zhong Li.
“What matter?”
“Master Lan was attacked in Suqing four years ago, and the case has yet to be solved,” Hua Yao said.
Zhong Li heard this and said, “So you came to Suqing to investigate this case?”
“Mm!” Hua Yao nodded.
“Have you found anything?” Zhong Li asked again.
Hua Yao sighed. “You could say I’ve found something, and you could say I haven’t…”
Her gaze fell on Li Kun’s body in the corner, and she continued, “Every time I find a lead, it breaks off right there.”
Zhong Li understood upon hearing this. “Don’t worry, everyone who has done something wrong leaves a trace, whether they are alive or dead.”
“Mm!” Hua Yao’s dejected face brightened at this. She squatted on the ground and began to help Zhong Li tidy the dry grass.
Before long, the dry grass was mostly tidied. Zhong Li once again took the oil lamp and shone it on the ground. Sure enough, under the straw and in the gaps of the wooden walls of the woodshed, she found many ant holes.