Chapter 009: Shame in Meeting an Old Friend

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This Li Tongpan, he usually enjoys seeking out ancient artifacts. Those ancient items carry a heavy yin energy, which attracts spirits. If his fate is not strong enough, how could he easily touch them, let alone collect so many? Have you heard of an ancient mirror? It is said that within that mirror lies a malevolent spirit, and later...

Li Gongfu exclaimed in surprise: "What is the reason for this?"

These chefs are just like those taxi drivers under the feet of our emperor, as if there is nothing they do not know or understand, as if they have witnessed everything with their own eyes. The recently deceased Li Tongpan is undoubtedly the focal topic of today and the coming days, unless some official suddenly stirs up a scandal

The kitchen is quite large, extending into a significant area in the northwest corner of the entire residence. The young workers are preparing the ingredients, and before it is time to cook, Yang Han stands at the door, chatting casually with the chef, who is so greasy that he could wring out vegetable oil from his apron and smells strongly of scallions.

Xu Xuan closed the door securely, let out a sigh, placed the medicine box on the table, opened it, and took out several tools. He then went to lift the shroud covering a corpse, which turned out to be the young lady Youge. Although her body had been damaged, her face still retained its original appearance, and the look of terror had softened into a peaceful expression due to the relaxation of the muscles from having been dead for some time.

Xu Xuan smiled and said, "It is the old rule, and a humble person naturally understands."

"Yes, yes, yes." Xu Xuan hurriedly replied and was about to enter the room

The master spoke animatedly, while Yang Han smiled and played the role of the best listener, not interrupting a single word, until the master, feeling thirsty, picked up a large earthen jar and took a sip of cool tea. Only then did he return to the main topic and ask, "So, are we to understand that the body of Li Tongpan is currently in the Wu Zuo room? Alas, even in death, he cannot find peace; it is indeed pitiable"

Outside the room, a scribe stood there with a look of disdain, keeping a distance from the door. Both the scribe and the executioner dealt with the dead and the spirits of the deceased all day long, and people generally preferred not to associate with them. The executioner, in particular, often remained a lifelong bachelor, as very few women were willing to marry them. It is said that those who kill excessively will face retribution if they have offspring, and as for the executioner himself, his heavy aura of death causes even malevolent spirits to avoid him

Xu Xuan examined carefully for a long time, and with a hand stained in blood, he murmured: "How strange, these wounds are all from the inside out, but what could possibly pierce outward from within the human body? This is impossible, isn't it? Could it really be the work of a demon fox?"

Upon thinking of this, Xu Xuan closed the compartment again. However, turning his head to glance at the calm demeanor of Miss Youge, he couldn't help but take a long breath: "Such a death, unheard of, is also a miracle that I am unlikely to encounter again. If I could understand it clearly, it would not only greatly benefit my medical skills, but I might also discover something that could help this girl take revenge. If that were the case, would she be angry if I were to damage her remains?"

After a moment of contemplation, Xu Xuan revealed a fervent gaze, returned to the table, and opened the compartment of the medicine chest. Inside was a neatly arranged row of sharp instruments, varying in type, including very fine knives as well as thick-backed knives capable of cutting through bone, which appeared quite intimidating.

Chang Shuban snorted from his nose and said: "Both corpses are placed inside. Examine them carefully, and later prepare a document for me to submit, as the master wishes to see it"

At that moment, Xu Xuan hurriedly approached with a medicine box and, upon seeing the clerk, politely smiled and said: "Mr. Chang, I apologize for keeping you waiting for so long"

It turned out that the Wu family residence was over there, and Yang Han quietly took note of it

What is the purpose of inquiring about places with heavy malevolent and yin energy? Have you seen that corner? Beneath that soul-stabilizing tower lies the answer. Do you know why we built a soul-stabilizing tower in our residence? It is precisely for the purpose of transcending. If there are indeed those with heavy grievances who are reluctant to leave this world, the pagoda will serve to suppress them.

Upon thinking of this, Xu Xuan gave a long bow to Miss Youge and silently prayed: "It is not convenient to act at this moment; I will return tonight, and I hope the young lady will be forgiving." He intended to make plans, but could only focus on Youge; as for the corpse of Li Tongpan, he absolutely dared not tamper with it. That was a high-ranking official, with many people concerned about him. If it were discovered that he had disemboweled someone, it would be a grave crime.

Upon seeing Xu Xuan emerge, Li Gongfu was also very pleased. The group first took the criminal into custody and handed him over to the authorities of Jiankang for detention, and then they went to a small restaurant. The restaurant was not large, but the dishes were exceptionally delicious. Moreover, during the Song Dynasty, there was no curfew, and the nightlife was extremely vibrant, so there were quite a number of diners.

Xu Xuan's face showed a look of shame, he paused his drinking cup, hesitated for a moment, and then stood up to give a long bow to Li Gongfu: "Nephew is incompetent, bringing disgrace to the family, I truly feel ashamed before relatives and old friends. Therefore, I have severed all ties with my relatives. If it were not for this unexpected encounter today, in front of my elders, I would not dare to pretend not to recognize you. Nephew still... still does not dare to meet you."

Fortunately, a few people reserved a private room, so we do not have to listen to the noise and clamor of others. At the banquet, Li Gongfu drank a few cups of wine, his expression remaining unchanged, clearly indicating that he had a very good tolerance for alcohol. Li Gongfu said: "Xuan'er, how have you spent these ten years? Jiankang and Lin'an are not worlds apart, why have you not been in touch for so long?"

Xu Xuan gently stroked the handles of the row of knives, but hesitated for a moment, murmuring to himself: "Although no one usually comes in, this time the two corpses are different; they are both closely related to the murder of officials. I cannot take the risk. If discovered..."

Where is the Wu Zuo Fang located

At present, no other means can be employed, so Xu Xuan can only rely on conventional methods for examination. Nevertheless, the limited insights he could gather still left him astonished, and the desire to dissect Youge's body to uncover the truth grew even stronger. Once he finished his tasks here, Xu Xuan cleaned his hands and then sat down to draft the examination report. In truth, he was well aware that the information he had gathered so far was of little assistance in solving the case.

After finishing all this, Xu Xuan went to the front yard to meet his uncle. At this time, Li Gongfu had already met with the governor and reported the reason for their visit. The governor then summoned the officers from the police station to take him to handle the formalities, as they had taken someone away from there, who was a prominent scholar in the countryside. It would not do to not inform the local authorities about this.

The interior of the house is not as eerie and frightening as outsiders might imagine; it is bright and clean, with a pot of flowers placed on the table, clearly tended to with great care by Xu Xuan, and they are blooming beautifully.

Every day, the official residence provides lunch, which can be considered a benefit of the government. The lunch for over a thousand people, both high and low, requires more than just a little effort; there are more than twenty master chefs alone.

Then Chang Shuban was about to leave, but suddenly stopped and turned back, saying: "Remember, you must never damage the corpse, as it goes against humanitarian principles. You are only permitted to examine the body through external injuries and other methods."

Chang Shuban nodded slightly and walked away gracefully

Hi! What peace is there? I heard that his body has been turned into a sieve by the monster's magic.

However, this house is indeed empty; apart from a table, a chair, and a flower pot, the walls are bare. There are only four wooden platforms, two of which currently hold corpses covered with white cloth. The ground is made of tightly fitted water-polished bricks, uneven from east to west. By the wall stands a large jar, with a wooden bucket on top, clearly intended for fetching water to wash away the bloodstains.