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Using a coffin nail to commit murder is something that has never been encountered in the history of investigations in Chang Tai. At this moment, Mo, who is the Coroner, also finds it hard to believe. Taking advantage of Xing Ruyi's distraction, he quietly approaches Chang Tai and whispers, "Is this person really killed by this coffin nail?"
Chang Tai tightens his grip on the coffin nail and looks at the Coroner. "You are the one responsible for examining the corpse, Coroner. Isn't it your duty to determine the cause of death? As for whether this coffin nail is indeed the murder weapon, as the lead Constable in this case, I am waiting for you to tell me!"
"Well..." The Coroner looks awkwardly at Chang Tai and then at the coffin nail in his hand. He steels himself and walks over to Xing Ruyi, forcing a smile. "This, Ruyi, what do you think? You know, although I am a Coroner and can handle ordinary corpses, this peculiar murder case is indeed a bit beyond my grasp. I hope you can enlighten me!"
"You are not unsure; you are unwilling, reluctant, and afraid." Xing Ruyi looks at the Coroner's bent back. "You got this job by accident. For you, it is both a great opportunity and a hidden danger. You understand very well what 'trouble comes from the mouth' means and are familiar with some rules of officialdom. For you, not making mistakes is enough; you never imagined that you could rise to prominence through corpse examination, nor did you think about becoming famous for it. Being a Coroner is just a way for you to make a living, not a career! So even if you have already noticed something unusual and have your own doubts, you choose not to answer when others do not ask."
"Miss, I was wrong!" The Coroner nods repeatedly, but judging by his expression, he is merely appeasing Xing Ruyi.
Regarding the Coroner's reaction, Xing Ruyi does not wish to pursue it further. After all, there has only been one Song Ci in the history of forensic science. It is clear that this Coroner is not cut out for it.
"Alright! Just keep your own matters clear in your mind. Although the Coroner does not preside over cases directly, everything you write and report will influence the magistrate's judgment. Right now, just hope that there won't be any mistakes later." Xing Ruyi glances at the Coroner. "What were you asking me just now?"
"Lord Chang asked if this coffin nail is the murder weapon."
"The back of the coffin nail has obvious signs of being struck; it is evident that someone deliberately drove this nail into the deceased's nasal cavity. Based on the length of the nail and its depth of penetration into the nasal cavity, it could definitely cause death. Additionally, when I examined the corpse earlier, I found that besides abrasions on the wrists and ankles of the deceased, there were also some bruises caused by external force; thus, we cannot rule out external involvement."
"What you mean is that someone forcibly restrained or confined the deceased's hands and feet before driving this coffin nail into their nasal cavity, leading to their eventual death!"
"I did not say that; what I just mentioned were my findings during the examination of the corpse. As for your assumption earlier, it can be understood as a hypothesis or reasoning about the case. The truth will have to be determined by Lord Xie after further investigation."
Xing Ruyi intentionally avoids clarifying her statements fully; firstly because she does not want to be overly involved in the case herself, and secondly to give face to both the Coroner and Chang Tai. After all, they are legitimate officials; if she handles everything that needs investigating or dealing with herself, how would the Coroner and Brother Chang manage?
After thinking for a moment, Xing Ruyi continues: "Since this coffin nail was discovered here and is unique to the deceased's home, it seems unlikely that it was carried by the murderer.
The deceased used to be an apprentice at Gu's Coffin Shop; this coffin nail resembles those used at Gu's Coffin Shop very closely. As far as we know, apart from Gu's Coffin Shop, only the deceased's home has such nails. Therefore, we cannot rule out that this location is where the deceased was murdered—the final scene of the crime.
So I will trouble Brother Chang to personally check around this residence to see if there are any newly fallen nails. I will take a trip to Gu's Coffin Shop.
If this coffin nail was not deliberately prepared by the murderer beforehand but was instead taken from here as an impromptu choice for a murder weapon, then missing nails could indicate where the crime took place."
"If this is indeed the first scene of the crime, then there may still be some traces left behind which could serve as evidence compelling enough for an admission of guilt!"
"There should be some evidence. The deceased's wife clearly knows more than she lets on; her hasty burial of her husband indicates her panic and desire to eliminate evidence.
An emergency situation serves as a good excuse; had it not been for this deceased crawling out of his coffin himself, this case might have truly been buried."
The funeral was hastily arranged, and the deceased's unexpected return caught everyone off guard. Therefore, the first crime scene must not have been thoroughly processed yet.
"I'll go take a look. If I can find the original crime scene, it will make the case review after Lord Xie much smoother."
"Brother Chang, please wait a moment. There’s something else regarding the Fox Demon that I want to discuss with you. After we talk, I need to leave; the fox is still waiting for me outside."
"Young Master Yin has come too?" Chang Tai asked. Seeing Xing Ruyi nod, he added, "Then you should hurry. Don’t keep Young Master Yin waiting."
"Brother Chang, the Fox Demon is getting married!"
"Oh?" Chang Tai was taken aback for a moment before asking, "Has the date been set? When?"
"The specific date hasn't been determined yet. After I ask the fox later, I'll let you know in detail. What the Fox Demon wants to ask Brother Chang now is whether you would be willing to attend as a member of the Fox Demon's maternal family."
"You know that in Luoyang City, the Fox Demon has no other relatives. Besides the fox and Yin Yuan, you are the closest person to the Fox Demon. The only others are Si Niang and Shengzi. The Fox Demon hopes that all of you can be present for this once-in-a-lifetime wedding!"
"Don't worry, Brother Chang will attend and will also prepare a grand gift for you." Chang Tai looked at Xing Ruyi with mixed feelings. "Fox Demon, Brother Chang hopes you can be happy. Remember, in Luoyang City, you are not alone; you have Brother Chang. In this life, no matter when or where you need Brother Chang, I will always be there without hesitation!"
"The Fox Demon knows that besides the fox, you are the best person to me!" Xing Ruyi's eyes turned red, but her expression was exceptionally happy.
She lowered her head and rubbed her reddened eyes before continuing, "There’s still a puzzling aspect to this case. The Fox Demon just made some conjectures in her mind; please consider it as casual talk and at least it gives us a direction."
"Just after discussing your own wedding plans, you've turned back to the case again.
Fox Demon, tell me honestly, is it because Brother Chang often asks for your help that it has brought you some trouble? You were a perfectly fine Rouge shopkeeper but can't peacefully sell your Rouge and Face Powder; instead, you're repeatedly dragged into these murder cases.
Young Master Yin is indeed better than me; compared to him, I am not the one who can bring you happiness in this world. On the contrary, I always ask for your help with difficult problems and drag you into trouble for no reason.
Fox Demon, I'm sorry! At this moment, Brother Chang doesn't know if his initial decision was right or wrong. If—if you don't want to deal with such matters anymore, I promise I will never seek your help again."
"Brother Chang, you're overthinking it. The Fox Demon feels great about everything now. Solving cases may not be my preference, but if it can clear the names of those wronged and prevent more innocent people from suffering unjust imprisonment while bringing more criminals to justice, then I feel very happy.
Just like now, finding various clues on the deceased provides Brother Chang with leads and directions for future investigations makes all my efforts worthwhile. Moreover, this kind of work is quite fun and not really tiring.
Brother Chang doesn’t need to think so much; everything is voluntary on my part. You know my temperament; if I had even a hint of reluctance, neither you nor the fox could do anything about it."
"That may be true, but I still feel that you shouldn't be involved in these matters." Chang Tai patted his chest. "Fox Demon, promise Brother Chang that you'll take good care of yourself. Even when helping me out, I hope you'll prioritize your safety. My heart has always felt uneasy as if something might happen."
"Don't worry! It's nothing!" Xing Ruyi pointed to the door outside. "Even if there is something, there are the fox and Yin Yuan. Anyone who wants to trouble me in this world has to think twice before taking action."
Chang Tai, unaware of Yin Yuan's true identity, took Xing Ruyi's words as mere comfort.
"Anyway, stay alert! And regarding the Gu family's coffin shop, don't act recklessly. I haven't been there myself, but I've heard plenty of rumors about it. I'm worried for your safety. If you must go, I'll accompany you!"
"Gu Anniang is back! She's the only daughter of the owner of the Gu family coffin shop." Xing Ruyi initially didn't want to mention Gu Anniang, but upon hearing Chang Tai's words, she became concerned that Chang Tai might act alone for her safety.
The Gu family coffin shop isn't particularly dangerous, but Gu Anniang is not an ordinary person. Her half-yin, half-yang appearance could lead to unforeseen consequences.
"Regardless, don't go into the coffin shop casually. If you do go, I'll send an official with you." Chang Tai's tone was unusually firm. "Fox Demon, you're getting married; Brother Chang doesn't want you to put yourself in unnecessary danger."
"Alright!" Xing Ruyi did not argue. "As for investigating the Gu family coffin shop, Fox Demon will go with you, Brother Chang. However, the deceased may not necessarily be related to the Gu family; Brother Chang should focus your energy here.
Additionally, the impact on the deceased's chest could be her fatal injury; it's just that the coffin nail incident happened earlier."
"I understand. Don't worry; I won't overlook any detail that might be related to the case."
"That's good!" Xing Ruyi glanced at a corner of the firewood room where a shadow had been standing for a long time—it was a ghost, not a human!
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