At the Crooked Neck Tree.
Lu Huaice and Yu Yang stood silently before the corpse crawling with snakes, insects, rats, and ants.
Pei Lai vomited directly and was dragged away.
Yu Yang sniffed the air and said, “It’s Mi Wan.”
Lu Huaice looked at her.
Yu Yang explained, “Mi Wan, a medicine made primarily from Western Region honey flowers. It emits fragrance upon contact with blood, attracting snakes, insects, rats, and ants. Because it’s cheap to produce, it’s often used to destroy evidence by having the corpse devoured to bones quickly. If coroners aren’t careful, touching the bones can transfer the scent and even infect them with insect toxins from the corpse.”
Lu Huaice said, “I’ve heard of this. Corpses contaminated by Mi Wan are called Mi Shi and are usually disposed of by burning.”
Yu Yang nodded, “They should indeed be burned. Smell this – the corpse carries at least five different poisons. Careless movement might cause a toxic epidemic. Have everyone keep their distance.”
Of course, there was no real risk of a toxic epidemic – this corpse was her handiwork after all. Though gruesome, it wasn’t particularly dangerous.
Upon hearing this, Lu Huaice immediately had everyone step back.
Frowning deeply, he said, “Pei Chiye likes carrying poisons. These might be his own toxins.”
Yu Yang didn’t argue, speaking calmly, “Sprinkle some insect repellent powder, then rinse with water, alcohol, and vinegar. Preserve whatever traces remain. If that doesn’t work, I’ll examine the corpse later – I’m not particularly afraid of poison.”
Lu Huaice called his subordinates.
“Do as Miss Yu says!”
Many knew about Yu Yang’s experience as a poison tester.
Now only Yu Yang could serve as the coroner.
While the subordinates were handling the corpse.
The two went to examine the female corpse under the tree.
The very same hanged corpse that had been inhabited by the time traveler.
Yu Yang felt the cross-section of the rope, seriously participating in the investigation.
“This cross-section… was it cut by a knife?”
Lu Huaice looked as well, “Probably severed during a fight.”
They circled around.
Yu Yang sighed, “Someone has cleaned up the traces. No clues about the killer can be found.”
Lu Huaice wasn’t surprised.
“With the corpse destroyed, cleaning up traces makes sense. But the cleanup was indeed thorough – the killer must be an old hand…”
He frowned deeply, “Fortunately, the corpse remains. We’ll see if the autopsy reveals new clues. Meanwhile, let’s have people investigate this female corpse’s origins.”
‘The old killer’ Yu Yang said irritably, “I was fishing nearby around noon. Now that someone has died in Nanpu, and my family has the most experts in Nanpu, if we can’t find the killer, the Pei Family head will surely hold my family accountable.”
She sat down impatiently beside the female corpse.
After glancing at the corpse, she stood up and thoughtfully adjusted the deceased’s appearance.
Lu Huaice: “……” What kind of habit is this of Yu Yang’s…
By the time the subordinates finished processing the corpse, nearly another hour had passed.
Yu Yang looked at the bloody, bone-exposed corpse and took the coroner’s gloves.
“I’ll handle this. The coroner can guide while I perform the examination.”
The coroner looked grateful.
The corpse showed blackened areas everywhere, clearly highly toxic.
Lu Huaice could only nod.
Yu Yang squatted down, first removing some personal items from the corpse.
Soon, she placed a small brocade pouch on the ground, then continued dissecting the corpse without looking away.
Lu Huaice opened the pouch and retrieved a slightly damp Talent Recruitment Board.
Yu Yang could only feel the atmosphere around her suddenly shift. From the corner of her eye, she could see Lu Huaice’s shocked and furious expression.
The gloves were already stained with blood.
After finishing the autopsy, she said, “He choked to death after his throat was slit by a short blade. There’s one more thing…”
Lu Huaice looked at her.
Yu Yang pointed to the remaining half of the lung.
“When I first saw it, it was just black. But just now, it suddenly changed.”
The coroner also nodded in shock.
“Yes, I saw it too.”
Numerous spots had suddenly appeared on the lung.
The coroner said, “This indicates the person died from lung fever!”
Lu Huaice: “Lung fever?”
He looked at Pei Lai, whose face was ashen, “Did Pei Chiye have lung fever?”
Pei Lai shook his head numbly.
“Young master was in perfect health, how could he have lung fever…”
He suddenly paused, “No, wait. Young master did have childhood lung fever, but that was when he was seven or eight years old. He recovered long ago.”
Yu Yang slightly lowered her gaze, appearing thoughtful as she said, “Now that you mention it, I recall something too. General Lu knows that Divine Doctor Ji had been treating me earlier. He once told me that Pei Chiye had childhood lung fever when he was young. The old doctor went to see him back then and declared him incurable. Unexpectedly, Pei Chiye suddenly recovered and lived until now.”
In truth, this was a casual conversation she had vaguely overheard between Divine Doctor Ji and her uncle while she was unconscious.
If not for the All Things Suitable Talisman, she wouldn’t have remembered it, nor would she have preemptively damaged the corpse to expose the lungs.
After all, it wasn’t necessary – coroners rarely performed autopsies.
She looked at the corpse with a serious expression, “But just now, this corpse’s lung suddenly changed. One person with two fatal causes of death…”
Lu Huaice tightened his grip on the brocade pouch in his hand.
Confirmed! Pei Chiye was a ghost!
One that had been hiding for over a decade!
He could no longer concern himself with who killed Pei Chiye, only knowing this matter was extremely serious.
The cousin of Chief Pei, who proposed establishing the Celestial Guard, was actually a ghost who had been hiding all these years.
Chief Pei… was his brother-in-law!
He stood up and said, “Burn the corpse.”
Yu Yang was surprised.
“Burn it already? Shouldn’t we wait for the Pei Family to arrive?”
Lu Huaice said, “No need. This corpse carries poison, keeping it is dangerous. Guards, take the corpse to the riverbank…”
Yu Yang suddenly said, “No!”
She looked at Lu Huaice with great determination, “General Lu, the sudden death of Young Master Pei near my Yu Family is a serious matter. If we dispose of Young Master Pei’s corpse without finding the murderer, what will happen when the Pei Family comes knocking? My family merely engages in business – we cannot afford to offend the Chief!”
Pei Lai also urgently said, “You can’t burn it! Young master’s body must be returned to the Pei Family!”
Lu Huaice shouted at Pei Lai, “You have no say here!”
Then he looked at Yu Yang and said gently, “I will testify for the Yu Family. Pei Chiye’s death has nothing to do with the Yu Family. Not only that, but Miss Yu has actually helped the Pei Family.”
Yu Yang pretended not to understand.
“Helped?”
Lu Huaice nodded.
“Yes. Thanks to Miss Yu’s presence, we managed to save the corpse that was nearly destroyed by the culprit. I, Lu Huaice, guarantee that neither the Pei Family nor Chief Pei will cause trouble for the Yu Family over this matter.”
Yu Yang showed hesitation, but only for a moment before she gritted her teeth and looked at Lu Huaice with determined eyes, “Since General Lu has given his word, then Yu Yang believes you.”
The beauty trap is also one of the thirty-six stratagems – sometimes it’s not entirely unusable.
Sure enough, Lu Huaice couldn’t control the upward curve of his lips.
It seemed Yu Yang wouldn’t need to worry at all about Pei Chiye dying on Yu Family territory anymore.
Yu Yang stepped aside.
By the riverside.
The fire pile was lit.
Crackling sounds emerged from the flames.
A barely perceptible flicker of amusement passed through Yu Yang’s eyes.
Given the imperial court’s stance toward transmigrators, as long as Pei Chiye’s identity as a transmigrator was exposed, there would be no consequences whatsoever.
Everything had truly gone smoothly today.
Indeed, all matters had fallen into place.
Pei Chiye’s corpse was burned, though the brocade pouch containing the Talent Recruitment Board was carefully wrapped in cloth by Lu Huaice.
Just then, a cool breeze swept by.
Yu Yang turned her head aside and coughed lightly a few times.
Cheng Liu approached and handed Yu Yang the cloak she had removed earlier for the autopsy.
Lu Huaice hurriedly said, “The night is deep and damp with dew. Since this matter is settled, Miss Yu should return home and rest.”
Yu Yang waved her hand.
Her voice slightly hoarse, she said, “We still don’t know which family that young lady came from or why she hanged herself. Moreover, after such a major incident, I must personally visit the Pei Family…”
Lu Huaice replied, “I will set off for the Pei Family immediately, so there’s no need for you to make the trip. As for that young lady, the head of the Pei Family will investigate it himself.”
Yu Yang nodded.
It appeared the person responsible for the female corpse’s hanging would not escape death.
After all, the Pei Family head’s rage needed an outlet.
This could be considered vengeance for the resentful spirit.
Yu Yang said ‘weakly’, “My health is rather uncooperative, so I won’t insist on competing with General Lu. I’ll return first to reassure my aunt. Regarding today’s events, I’ll trouble General Lu to explain everything to the Pei Family head.”