Chapter 8, Night Guests

The young constable was taken aback: "How did you know I am a woman?"

Song Yang was also smiling, his eyes sparkling, and he thought to himself: I am just Guo Degang's foolish nephew

The more potent the internal energy, the more fierce its manifestation; this is the remarkable aspect of this particular medicine. Song Yang did not intend to argue, merely explaining the pharmacology casually. After a short while, he withdrew the silver needle and smiled, saying: "It is done. After tonight, I will help you restore your sense of smell. However, I must ask you not to speak of my needle and stone techniques to others"

Rong Youquan heard that Doctor You indeed lived in Yanziping, and his expression brightened: "Indeed, it is this Guo Degang!"

Song Yang spread his hands and said once again: "There is no way around it; this is what the forensic examiner does."

The barbarian and the Han cannot coexist; this "inn" has once again become a crime scene. The corpse transporter would not reason with them. However, she followed closely behind Song Yang, straining her ears but only hearing the joyful chirping of night insects. The young constable was unaware that Song Yang's strengths extended beyond just his sense of smell; he possessed keen acuity in all five senses.

Song Yang, being straightforward, said: "Let’s put it this way, if I can’t smell it, the dog has no chance either"

The young constables were completely unaware of whom they were speaking about, looking utterly perplexed. Song Yang, however, appeared to understand completely, smiling as he said: "Tall and thin, with a foul temper and dark circles under his eyes, I see now, you are talking about Guo Degang. He was originally from another place and only settled here over a decade ago, and he has been here ever since"

Under the inquiry, both young men displayed a disdainful smile, while the plump middle-aged man politely stepped forward and clasped his hands, saying: "I have met the official in charge. My surname is Rong, Rong Youquan. We are all merchants, having come from the Yan state. Three days ago, we completed a shipment in Qingyang Prefecture ahead. After finishing our business, we took the opportunity to visit an old friend." As he spoke, he reached into his bosom, saying: "I still carry the documents used for customs clearance, which can be presented for your inspection."

Song Yang did not argue with him, but simply said: "Let’s wait until the hour of the rat. First, let’s see if there are any lingering scents and whether we can pursue. If we can pursue, then we will see if we can catch up. As for any matters, we will discuss them once we truly catch the murderer. Originally, I planned to go by myself, but I didn’t expect you to return."

As soon as the words were spoken, a voice nearby exclaimed: "It’s mine, it’s mine, this is my silver, I’ve been looking for it for several days." While speaking, Song Yang quickly stepped forward, took the silver into his hands, and smiled with immense joy

The young constable, filled with curiosity, paused his gaze on Song Yang's nose for a moment: "Is your nose comparable to a dog's nose? Can you smell everything that a dog can?"

The little constable's temper was like the rain clouds in the mountains, fierce when they arrived but dissipating even faster. While laughing and expressing his astonishment, he soon returned to the main topic: "You are trying to send me away, planning to pursue the murderer by yourself? You are not being fair, wanting to take all the credit for such a significant achievement. Hmm, you are also somewhat overestimating your abilities; if you were to confront the murderer who killed twelve corpse handlers, wouldn't you just be walking to your own death?"

Rong Youquan nodded slightly: "Are you returning together? So you are the officials from Yanziping. That's quite good; I want to visit an old friend whom I haven't been in touch with for many years. It's just right to ask the two of you for some information." His words were directed at the young constable, as the young constable was dressed in official attire and should be more credible.

At this moment, the people outside also saw the Yin Family Inn, and one person exclaimed in surprise: "In such a remote area, there is actually an inn?" As he spoke, he let out a few cold laughs, seemingly thinking that an inn in such a place would not be a good establishment

The little constable fidgeted, causing anyone to furrow their brows in confusion, not understanding what was wrong with him. However, Song Yang wore an expression of "understanding it all" and chuckled, saying: "You finally figured it out... The scent of the Ziyin Seal is something women cannot tolerate. How can you accompany me to pursue the murderer? This Yin family inn has seen countless corpses come and go, tainted with the Ziyin Seal powder that must be measured by the pound. By the time the hour of the rat arrives, you won't be able to stay any longer. Now you understand why I wanted to send you away."

Song Yang took over the conversation, not directly asking whom the other party was looking for, but instead pointing towards the direction of the town: "Not far, thirty miles to the south. However, unfortunately, heavy rain has caused a flash flood, blocking the road, so you won't be able to pass tonight"

The officials and constables in the various counties of Nanli are privately recruited and do not hold public office, nor do they receive a salary, earning only ten taels of "work and food silver" over the course of a year. The silver ingot presented by the person surnamed Rong is already equivalent to the annual income of an ordinary constable. If it were a head constable or an official, they would have already exchanged it for a smile, but the constable before us does not fall for this trick. He raises his voice and admonishes: "You dare! Bribing a public official, do you not know it is a crime?" The silver ingot presented by the person surnamed Rong is already equivalent to the annual income of an ordinary constable. If it were a head constable or an official, they would have already exchanged it for a smile, but the constable before us does not fall for this trick. He raises his voice and admonishes: "You dare! Bribing a public official, do you not know it is a crime?"

After a while, the commotion brought by the newcomers became even clearer, to the point that even the young constable could hear it distinctly. She felt even more confused and looked at Song Yang, whispering, "Han people?"

Rong Youquan did not mention the name: "My old friend, tall and thin, with a bad temper and not very talkative. The most recognizable feature is that he has weak vitality, insufficient sleep, and has had dark circles under his eyes for many years."

Temporarily seal your sense of smell. If you cannot detect any scent, the natural effects of the poison will be ineffective against you. Later, you will accompany me to pursue the culprit

Three warriors from the State of Yan came to seek out Doctor You. They did not expect that Doctor You had retired from public life yet had not changed his name, which is why they only described his features without mentioning his name

The young constable slowly drew his waist knife, pressing it diagonally behind him to prevent the blade's reflection from being noticed by approaching individuals. In the deep mountains, during the late night, the only ones who would come to the Yin family's inn would be the mountain stream barbarians and the corpse transporters.

The young constable felt as if facing a formidable enemy: "What is it?"

Song Yang received the money and, at this moment, with a spirit of "speak without reservation," did not wait for the other party to ask further questions, but continued: "Guo Degang is not alone; he has a nephew who, it is said, was carried by Guo Degang to settle in Yanziping while still in swaddling clothes. This year, he is also fifteen years old, but his nephew has congenital deficiencies, which is not very good here..." As he spoke, Song Yang pointed to his head. He continued: "Guo Degang is not alone; he has a nephew who, it is said, was carried by Guo Degang to settle in Yanziping while still in swaddling clothes. This year, he is also fifteen years old, but his nephew has congenital deficiencies, which is not very good here..." As he spoke, Song Yang pointed to his head.

The person with the surname Rong spoke amiably and immediately nodded, saying: "We shall leave right away, but I would like to ask the official for guidance on one matter. How far is Yanzi Ping?" Standing nearby, Song Yang, who was smiling and silent, felt a slight surprise in his heart upon hearing this. He had grown up in Yanzi Ping, chatting at the front door of one house and sleeping in the courtyard of another; he was thoroughly familiar with the situation. He had never heard of anyone having relatives or friends in Dayan, but he and Doctor You had quite a few 'acquaintances' in Dayan.

Having traveled a long way from Dayan, the night traveler who treats the black shop as a joke would hardly care about a mere constable. However, Rong Youquan had matters to attend to and did not wish to complicate things further, so he changed his tone and smiled: "Your Excellency has misunderstood; this silver was something I just picked up on my way here. Unable to find the owner, I can only hand it over to you."

Upon mentioning "foolish nephew," a glimmer of light briefly appeared in Rong Youquan's eyes. He momentarily disregarded Song Yang and turned back to his two subordinates, laughing softly and saying, "Indeed, very good"

At that moment, Song Yang suddenly took a long breath through his nose and then smiled at the person with the surname Rong

At this point, the young constable understood: "When the hour of the rat arrives, the 'rat's lust' will emit a strange odor, and by following that scent, there will be a chance to pursue the culprit"

The young constable stood frozen in place, completely at a loss for words. Song Yang reached into his bosom and took out a needle pouch, opening it to carefully select a few from the dozens of silver needles of varying lengths, arranging them for use. He waved to her with a smile and said, "Come here"

The young constable was momentarily invigorated, but quickly realized: "We don't have a dog, how can we pursue? Moreover, it has been raining all day; what scent could possibly remain?"

Moments later, Song Yang's expression gradually shifted from vigilance to confusion as the approaching figures drew nearer, accompanied by the sounds of footsteps, horse hooves, and conversation in Han language. The mountain path was rugged, and the other party was leading their horse on foot. However, a corpse transporter never travels at night with a horse, nor do they make any noise, let alone speak in Han language

The young constable readily agreed: "As for my identity as a woman, you must keep it a secret!" By the time she spoke again, her voice was already the hoarse tone characteristic of someone severely injured by wind; her nasal passages were completely blocked, rendering her unable to detect any scent, and she could only breathe through her mouth. Then she recalled something: "It smells so bad here... and your sense of smell is particularly keen, wouldn't that make it even more torturous for you?"

Soon, three men leading horses arrived in front of the Yin family's inn. The first two were young men dressed as ordinary traveling merchants, yet they walked with steady strides, their eyes gleaming with vitality. Each carried a long bundle slung over their shoulders, containing either a knife or a sword. The last was a plump middle-aged man; despite his corpulence, he moved briskly and with composure, as if strolling in his own garden while traversing the muddy mountain path. Even the inexperienced young constable, upon seeing the appearance of these three men, could understand why they dared to stop at a place they knew to be a 'black shop'.

"Medicine is just medicine; there is no distinction between noble and base." Song Yang continued, "The second effect of 'Zi Yin Feng' is encapsulated in the character 'Feng'. It can dispel dampness and suppress decay. The mountain stream's barbarian refinement of this medicine is specifically for the purpose of suppressing corpses. In this case, 'Zi Yin Feng' was ground into powder and applied all over the corpse. The murderer took the body and left, along the way..." In this case, 'Zi Yin Feng' was ground into powder and applied all over the corpse. The murderer took the body and left, along the way...

The young constable, full of himself, said: "You think it's that easy to shake me off? Even the heavens are on my side..." Just as he was speaking, he suddenly remembered something, and his expression became flustered and awkward. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it

"The dog is unnecessary; I can manage on my own." After saying this, Song Yang felt somewhat awkward and reached up to touch his nose: "My sense of smell is exceptionally strong, far surpassing that of ordinary people. Moreover, the scent of the Ziyin Pan is unique and can be easily tracked by me. However, this heavy rain has come at an inopportune time, so I can only give it a try."

The young constable is now entirely preoccupied with the thought of "pursuing the culprit at the midnight hour" and does not wish to complicate matters further. He waves his hand and says, "Forget it, no need to look. A serious crime has just occurred here; you should leave quickly and not delay the official investigation."

Regardless of the circumstances, it was not the mountain stream bandits who arrived. Song Yang and the young constable both quietly breathed a sigh of relief, lighting the candles as they welcomed the guests. However, the other party was taken aback upon suddenly seeing an official emerge from the "black shop." The young constable, trying to appear authoritative, raised his hand to display his badge: "I am an officer handling a case; who are you?"

Song Yang appeared somewhat impatient: "I just mentioned that my sense of smell is keen; I detected the floral scent on you the moment we met. Moreover, the scents of men and women inherently differ. However, your skills in disguise and voice alteration are quite impressive, with hardly any flaws."

"You can also perform acupuncture? What a skill!" The young constable jumped over with delight. With a gentle twist of the silver needle, Song Yang's movements were not fast, but exceptionally steady... While receiving the acupuncture, the young constable did not forget to boast a bit: "Actually, I have internal strength to protect myself. When my energy circulates, it can definitely neutralize the effects of the drug, but it's still safer this way. It's always good to be prepared for any eventuality."

Rong Youquan frowned slightly, and Song Yang comforted him, saying, "The water in the mountains rises quickly and recedes just as fast. As long as it doesn't rain again, it should be back to normal by tomorrow afternoon. At that time, we can return together."

As she spoke, she truly wanted to take action against the person, but unfortunately, she had left in a hurry this time and did not bring any iron chains. The only option for binding someone was to use a belt, which left her momentarily hesitant

The young constable shrugged his shoulders and turned to look at Song Yang. She had just arrived at Yanzi Ping and did not even know how many horses were in the yamen, making it impossible for her to help find anyone. However, Rong Youquan misunderstood the situation and thought the young constable was deliberately making things difficult. With a knowing smile, he subtly waved his large sleeves and slipped a silver ingot over, saying, "I kindly ask the esteemed officer to facilitate this matter."

Everything is in order, just waiting for the hour of the rat. As the young constable waited in boredom, Song Yang suddenly jumped up, extinguished the candle, and whispered, "There is movement outside." Saying this, he approached the door and listened intently.

The young constable was about to act again, but Song Yang did not give her the chance to speak. He asked Rong Youquan: "What are the names of the people you are looking for? The town is small, and I am familiar with every household. As long as they are in Yanzi Ping, I will definitely know them."

However, if the three outsiders were to know that this place is not a black shop but a "corpse station," I wonder if they would still dare to approach.

Another voice laughed and said: "A black shop is still a shop; it can start a fire to dry clothes and has beds to sleep on"