Chapter 5, Inn

The young constable glared at the distant, vast mountains and uttered a few harsh words, implying that "if the barbarians dare to invade, I alone will be enough"

Song Yang smiled and said: "It's just an inn, there are no thieves, it can't be wrong. I came here a few times when I was young. However, this establishment is not meant for the living; it is a ghost inn, a place for corpse drivers to rest. In Nanli, there are 'Mountain Stream Barbarians' who are skilled in transporting corpses, resting during the day and moving at night. At sunrise, they always look for a place to settle down. In the deep mountains and dense forests, there are often such ghost inns, which do not cater to the living but provide 'convenience' for the dead."

The young constable's eyes twitched incessantly, gritting his teeth repeatedly. In the end, he steeled himself and stepped into the scene, trembling hands and legs, wanting to assist Song Yang in piecing together the puzzle. Song Yang chuckled and shook his head: "No need to help; it's more convenient to do this alone. Having two people might actually make things messier. You can just wait outside."

"Boldly leaving! This official cannot overlook his dereliction of duty." Lord Zhou, in a fit of anger, scolded for a while before calming down. He then patted Song Yang on the shoulder and said, "You go in and examine it. Examine it carefully, thoroughly. If you can truly find useful clues to help solve the case, I will consider it as you redeeming your faults and spare your uncle."

The presence of numerous constables here is of little significance. As they return home alongside the magistrate, at the very least, a subordinate officer must remain to accompany Song Yang. The head constable is contemplating who would be suitable to stay, when a young constable volunteers, which alleviates the head constable's concerns considerably

Song Yang never expected that after running for nearly half an hour, he still had not arrived at the scene of the incident

In accordance with official etiquette, the young constable sent off his colleagues and returned to the case office with a look of disdain: "I don't understand what the master is worried about. This kind of case is aimless and unavoidable, and it has no relation to the effectiveness of local governance. When the court evaluates the performance of local officials, such cases will not be counted."

Song Yang took out a box of green ointment from the small pouch at his waist and tossed it to the young constable: "Apply some under your nose to eliminate the smell of decay." The young constable followed his instructions and felt a cool sensation swiftly coursing through his nostrils, significantly dispersing the strange odor in the Yin family's inn, refreshing him from his head to his lungs.

The man at the head of the table twitched his mouth but did not pay him any mind, only saying: "Hurry up and continue on your way, don't keep the adults waiting."

A vast stone house, strikingly dark red.

Song Yang replied, "Ordinary tasks are fine to handle. For a case of this magnitude, my instincts might be useful, and I cannot be overwhelmed by the scent of ointment." As he spoke, the two of them crossed the front hall and stepped into the second courtyard. As soon as they entered the room, both of them simultaneously gasped in shock! Even though they were aware that a bloody incident had occurred here and had mentally prepared themselves, they were still taken aback.

The county magistrate, surnamed Zhou, was utterly incompetent, a completely muddled official. However, he had one advantage: he rarely displayed any official authority. Earning a salary from the court, he had the opportunity to embezzle some public funds, leisurely passing his days with a constant smile. But this time, a major case had occurred in his jurisdiction, and he could no longer smile. He glared at Song Yang and demanded, "Where is your uncle? Why isn't he here?"

Having run from the small town to the outskirts, covering a distance of over twenty miles, and with no sign of stopping, Song Yang could not help but ask, "Are we not there yet?"

The corpse handler died in the room, but the bodies they brought were not here... Song Yang frowned, returned to the center of the large room, took out a pair of black scaled gloves from his bag and put them on, then squatted down to start gathering the body parts. The young constable suppressed his nausea and asked, "What are you doing?"

Looking across the world, only the "Shanxi Man" is proficient in the art of corpse driving. All the corpse drivers are their kin, and those who possess this secret skill hold a significant status within the tribe

The layout of the Yin family shrine is unique, divided into two sections: the front and the back. The first section is empty and solely serves as a place for rituals, not intended for habitation or the storage of corpses. The second section is further divided into two levels. The upper level is a regular large room, furnished with beds and tables, serving as a resting place for the corpse bearers; the lower level is a cellar covered with incense ash, specifically designated for storing corpses

Song Yang smirked slightly, ignoring such tasteless remarks

There are still ten miles to go, and the adults along with the three brothers have already set off early. We must hurry as well, replied Pan Tou, panting.

The cellar is completely empty, with not a single item present

"No, let's handle one matter at a time. It would be better for you to keep things clear, my lord. If I truly achieve merit, then you shall reward me. As for my uncle, you should punish him as you see fit." Song Yang smiled lightly and turned to walk towards the house

Song Yang stepped into the first hall of the Yin family inn. The place was clean and devoid of any victims, yet the scents of incense for the spirits, a faint smell of decay, and a strong stench of blood mingled together, assaulting the senses. The young constable, who had been following closely behind Song Yang and was quite aggressive, stepped in and exclaimed, "Oh no!" as if struck by an arrow, before turning around and rushing out to vomit.

Song Yang exclaimed in disbelief, "So far?"

By now, everyone was out of breath, with disheveled hair and hats askew. Song Yang was drenched in sweat, lamenting his plight. Only that young constable maintained a calm demeanor, breathing steadily, his steps light and agile, covering a distance of ten feet with each stride. It seemed that if it weren't for the two "burdens," he could have run even faster.

He has gone out and has not yet returned

The young constable rolled his eyes and said, "They dare! If they want to fight, let them fight. I, a dignified member of the Southern Academy, am I to be afraid of a bunch of ruffians?" His complexion and appearance were indeed unremarkable, but his eyes were exceptionally lively, filled with a spirited gaze.

Song Yang laughed heartily, but the young constable's expression darkened: "There are only three official horses at Yanzi Ping? The regulations clearly state that at least nine horses should be allocated to the offices at the town and county levels. What about the other six horses?"

Assembling the dismembered body parts to verify the identity, one must also ascertain how many individuals are "mixed" together. Song Yang spoke in a calm tone: "This is precisely what forensic experts do."

Song Yang's eyes moved as he patrolled back and forth in the large room. After a moment, he rolled up his pant legs and sleeves, stepped to the corner of the room, lifted the wooden board leading to the corpse storage cellar, and looked down.

Song Yang worked without hindrance to his conversation, casually interjecting: "Regarding 'Shanxi Man', it would be strange if the master were not worried."

Pán Tóur looked utterly frustrated: "Who says otherwise! If those people die three miles to the south, it won't be our territory anymore, and there won't be this hard labor."

The young constable was puzzled: "How to say?"

The three individuals quickly ran a few steps and arrived in front of the Yin family's inn. The county magistrate of Yanzi Ping had already arrived.

The young constable had previously spoken with great seriousness, but in truth, he, like Song Yang, was summoned from his bed and rushed over, knowing that something had happened but unaware of the specifics. At this moment, he squinted at the house ahead: "In this desolate wilderness, with hardly any signs of human habitation, someone has even opened an inn here... it must either be a den of thieves or a hideout for criminals. It seems more like a lair for robbers."

The floor, the four walls, and the ceiling are all splattered with blood. ... There are no corpses in the room, only broken bones and minced flesh. ... Countless body parts, each no larger than a fist, are scattered haphazardly everywhere, making it impossible to distinguish which parts belong to which organs, nor can one ascertain how many people have perished.

Although he showed no signs of fatigue, the young constable still puzzledly asked the headman, "Where are the horses? Where have all the horses in the yamen gone?" He had only just been assigned to this post two days ago and was still quite unclear about the local yamen's situation.

The round-headed one extended three fingers: "In the small yamen, there are only three horses in total. One has been ridden away by the master, one is being ridden by the fourth to the prefecture to deliver a message, and the last one... is not much younger than me; it wobbles even when standing on its own. Whoever intends to 'damage public property' can go ahead and ride it."

After running for another ten miles through the farmland without sight, three individuals found themselves in a desolate wilderness. After crossing a ridge, Pandou extended his hand to point towards a distant building resembling an inn, saying: "That is the place!"

After about an hour, the other officials searched the area around the Yin family's inn thoroughly, but found nothing. On Song Yang's side, he was working meticulously, and it would take some time to produce results. The county magistrate grew impatient and, not wanting to linger in this unfortunate place any longer, remarked, "There are many urgent matters in the town that require my attention," and decided to return first.

After a noisy commotion, the county magistrate sighed and led the team back to Yanziping

It is quite a coincidence that last night a traveler passed by and mistook this place for an inn. He entered in a daze to find lodging, only to be scared half to death on the spot, and he ran to the town to report to the authorities... He has already been questioned. When he entered the inn, the incident must have just occurred, as the blood on the ground had not yet congealed and was still flowing everywhere

The young constable re-entered the Yin family inn, returned the ointment to Song Yang, expressed his gratitude, and then curiously asked, "Aren't you going to use it yourself?"

In fact, from the esteemed Lord Zhou to the common constables, not a single person is willing to linger in this room for even a moment. They all take the pretext of "searching for clues about the murderer" and remain outside the Yin family's inn. The young constable would not be blamed for going out, but he is stubborn and possesses a strong sense of responsibility. Upon hearing this, he shook his head, ceased assisting Song Yang in sorting through the body parts, yet he refused to leave.

After briefly introducing the situation, Song Yang paused for a moment and continued: "There are roughly over a dozen corpse transporters who have died here... With so many clansmen tragically killed, the Shanxi barbarians are sure to cause trouble. Although the headless murder case is not included in the performance evaluation, failing to appease the barbarians will certainly ruin the county magistrate's future. Moreover..." As he spoke, his tone became slightly more serious: "If we cannot find and deliver the murderer, the Shanxi barbarians will be the first to not spare Yanziping."

The "Shanxi Man" tribe is known for its fierce temperament, bloodthirstiness, and extreme xenophobia. They once regarded the Han people as demons, leading to continuous conflicts between the two sides. For over a century, the Southern Li court dispatched troops multiple times to encircle and suppress them, but the "Shanxi Man" were exceptionally brave and entrenched in the deep mountains, making it impossible to subdue them. It was only in recent years that the court shifted from suppression to appeasement, which led to a cessation of their disturbances.