Chapter 8 Exploring the Mortuary

Chapter 8: Investigating the Mortuary

The dusk of late autumn arrived earlier than expected, the setting sun cast the long shadows of an old scholar tree, while the sunset shimmered on the dark green rooftops. A crow at dusk perched on the eaves, watching coldly Qin Jiao and his group.

Scattered on the ground of Nanzhou’s public mortuary were partially burnt funeral paper money. When the wind blew, the paper and black ashes mingled and curled together.

Two white lanterns swayed gently at the entrance of the mortuary; faint candlelight flickered before some of the coffins, and the faint smell of cheap incense drifted in the air.

"Your Highness, please watch your step. This is the Nanzhou public mortuary. The bodies of the two previous victims and today’s victim are all temporarily stored here."

Xiao Nianzhang and Luo Bei had gone to investigate canal transport and the Floating Flower Market, taking the incessantly noisy He Zhao with them. Before leaving, Xiao Nianzhang instructed his capable subordinate, Xiao Yue, to lead Xie Nai and Qin Jiao to the Nanzhou public mortuary.

The mortuary keeper had been notified in advance and was now waiting with his men. Bowing respectfully to Xie Nai, he presented a stack of dark cloths:

"Your Highness, the condition of the victims’ bodies is not good. These cloths have been soaked in a mixture of mashed garlic, ginger, and vinegar; they can mask the stench of the corpses. Please take them."

A black-clad guard took a cloth and handed it to Xie Nai. Qin Jiao also took one. Then the group, led by the mortuary keeper, proceeded into the mortuary.

In truth, Qin Jiao had mentally prepared himself when the keeper mentioned the poor condition of the bodies, but when the white cloths covering the three corpses were all lifted, he still couldn’t help turning pale.

In the dim hall of the mortuary, white candles flickered faintly. The three victims’ bodies were all horrifically disfigured.

The first body on the left was today’s victim; the second, judging by its size, appeared to be a man; and the third was petite, likely a young woman.

"This is the first body found. Due to severe damage, her identity has yet to be determined," said Xiao Yue, pointing to the petite corpse.

Standing beside Xie Nai, Qin Jiao suppressed his discomfort and carefully examined the female corpse.

Because the first female corpse had been fished out of the river, it was now swollen, pale, and rotting. When the coroner had lifted the cloth earlier, a gentle touch had caused a piece of skin and flesh to fall off. More horrifyingly, the female corpse’s hands had also been severed. The young woman, originally as beautiful as a flower, had her face slashed beyond recognition, making it impossible to identify her original appearance.

A young woman as exquisite as brocade, in the prime of her life, had bled out in the water, suffering heart-wrenching pain... Qin Jiao turned away, unable to bear looking any longer.

Xiao Yue continued his report: "This is the second victim. He was discovered on the north side of Vermilion Bird Street. His identity has been confirmed: Zhu Qi, twenty-seven years old, a wealthy young lord from Nanzhou. Beside him is today’s victim, Xue Lin, nineteen years old, a student of Liming Academy."

Qin Jiao swept his gaze over the three victims, feeling a subtle unease. At that moment, Xie Nai, who had not spoken a word since arriving, asked, "Was the first female corpse violated?"

Xie Nai’s voice was inherently cold, and paired with the eerie atmosphere of the mortuary, it sent a chill through the room.

"Reporting to Your Highness, after the female corpse was retrieved, the coroner found her lower body intact, with no signs of violation," Xiao Yue replied respectfully.

Qin Jiao thought to himself inwardly that Xie Nai was likely thinking the same thing.

This case involved three victims: one female and two males. Their conditions had similarities but also differences.

The similarities were that all three victims had their faces slashed and their hands severed. The differences were that in the second and third murders, the male victims not only had their hands severed but also had their legs hacked off and their genitals slashed.

Why were the injuries different for the male and female victims? Was it because the murderer was inexperienced in the first killing, or was there another reason?

Glancing at the silent Xie Nai beside him, Qin Jiao asked softly, "Did the three victims know each other? Did they have any connections in life?"

"Except for the first female corpse, whose identity remains unknown, investigations by the constables have shown that the other two were not acquainted and had no interactions with each other."

Though Qin Jiao appeared young, his noble bearing and elegance rivaled Xie Nai’s, so Xiao Yue, though unaware of his identity, answered his questions diligently.

"Could it be... that the murderer was randomly targeting victims?" Qin Jiao murmured to himself.

Xie Nai remained silent, as if deep in thought. After a while, he removed the cloth covering his nose. Seeing his movement, Qin Jiao said, "Your Highness, there’s no need to try. I’ve already examined—there’s no trace of that strange scent in the air."

Although the cold weather preserved the bodies for a few more days, that was all. Time would erode some evidence, making the case unsolvable.

"I have also had the constables question the nearby residents and passersby around the Guest Come Teahouse. No one noticed anything unusual when the third student was killed..."

Speaking of this, Xiao Yue felt disheartened. Not only was there nothing unusual, but the locals said they didn’t even hear a scream.

Inquiries near the Guest Come Teahouse had turned up nothing, and the visit to the mortuary yielded little progress. Everyone was somewhat discouraged, except Xie Nai, whose expression remained unchanged, as if he had anticipated this outcome.

Scanning the three bodies, Xie Nai gave orders: "First, have the bodies encoffined. Then send notices to neighboring prefectures to identify the first female corpse. At the same time, check whether any of the three victims had enemies or grudges, and investigate where each victim had been in the seven days before their death."

Xiao Yue replied, "I will see to it immediately."

As the long day ended, the last blush of pink was swallowed by the twilight. The night of Nanzhou City arrived silently.

Having been on the move all day, Qin Jiao initially didn’t feel the fatigue due to the shock of the murders, but now that things had temporarily settled, an overwhelming fatigue crept over him.

The mortuary staff were divided into groups to encoffin the bodies. Xie Nai stood there, tall like bamboo, with an awe-inspiring demeanor. Qin Jiao gently tugged at his sleeve.

"Your Highness, since this matter is concluded for now, may I return first?"

The young man turned to look at Qin Jiao.

The refined and lively young master blinked his sparkling, limpid eyes at him, looking like moonlight carried across thousands of snowy mountains—delicate, tender, exquisite, and fragile.

"Your Highness?" Qin Jiao called again.

"Mm. I’ll escort you."

"That’s not necessary..." Qin Jiao’s first instinct was to refuse, but Xie Nai turned and walked away directly.

Qin Jiao: Great, this is the second time today I’ve tried to shake the unshakable...

----------------------------------------