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墨書 Inktalez
"In the Mass Grave, we did not find any hair. This clearly indicates that the victims had their hair removed before being thrown into the Mass Grave. At present, we still do not know what Mother-in-law Hui Niang did with this hair; we only know that they needed it and were unwilling to discard it along with the victims. This is also why they chose not to use a knife to sever the victims' heads.
A clean cut may be satisfying, but the blood that splatters would soil the hair and could get everywhere, so poisoning became their best option.
Brother Chang, take a closer look. Although all the bones are blackened, doesn't the degree of blackening and the distribution of toxins vary?
Chang Tai carefully examined the remains of those suspected to have died from poisoning and found that the degree of blackening in the bones indeed differed based on where they were poisoned.
"Could it be that different poisons are involved?"
"Brother Chang, although you are in public service, you must have heard about some matters in the underworld. Many people in the underworld are skilled in using poisons, but their methods of poisoning and extracting toxins vary greatly. For example, Wild Kudzu is a plant-based toxin that is relatively easy to find, and poisoning methods are straightforward, usually involving mixing it into the victim's food. Then there’s Plague; its spread is often related to rats, so it can also be categorized as Insect Venom. Among various methods of poisoning, the most insidious and terrifying would likely be what we are about to discuss—the fourth method of murder: Gu Poison.
"Witchcraft Poisoning?" Chang Tai had clearly heard of such things before. As soon as Xing Ruyi mentioned Gu Poison, his expression changed: "In remote areas, how could they use such methods to harm people?"
"Gu Poison originates from remote areas; it would actually be abnormal for it to appear in places like Divine Capital Luoyang." Xing Ruyi led Chang Tai to another corpse that had not completely decomposed: "The deceased is emaciated, with skin showing a very distinct yellowish-white color, sunken eyes, exposed teeth, and varying degrees of retraction in both the upper and lower lips. Brother Chang, look at his abdomen; it is also sunken in."
"The deceased is skin and bones; given this state, a sunken belly seems normal."
"Brother Chang, look again!" Xing Ruyi said as he pulled a Silver Hairpin from his head and pierced it into the victim's abdomen. By the light of the fire, Chang Tai saw that the end of Xing Ruyi's hairpin had turned golden.
"What is this…"
"Shh! Brother Chang, wait a moment."
Xing Ruyi took the Silver Hairpin outside and approached those villagers who had just been gathered around watching but were now waiting for Li Mao to bring medicine. He raised his voice and asked, "Excuse me, does anyone have Soap Pod? Could you please bring some water?"
After a moment of silence, Xing Ruyi didn't mind repeating his question twice more. On the third inquiry, a voice finally responded: "I still have some Soap Pod at home, but it's quite old."
"That's fine; I would appreciate it if this sister could fetch some for me. Just two soaked in a basin of clean water will do. Oh, Soap Pod needs to be crushed first; I appreciate your help."
"It's no trouble at all; my home isn't far from here."
"I would trouble Brother Chang to accompany this sister back home; it's almost Midnight now, and I feel uneasy about her going alone." Xing Ruyi glanced at those Guests nearby. Chang Tai nodded and accompanied the woman back home.
The round trip didn't take long; it seemed that what the girl said was true—her home was indeed close by.
The wooden basin was a common one found in farmhouses, with Soap Pod densely covering its surface. It was evident that she was an honest person. Xing Ruyi placed the golden end of the Silver Hairpin into the water and let it sit for a moment. When he took it out again, its color remained unchanged. He then wiped it with a Silk Handkerchief, which also showed no change."
“Fox Demon, what are you doing?”
Chang Tai looked at Xing Ruyi in confusion.
“She is verifying whether the poison on this Silver Hairpin is Golden Silkworm Poison.” The fox, who had somehow wandered over, kindly explained when he heard Chang Tai's question. After finishing his explanation, his expression changed slightly: “Tsk tsk, Golden Silkworm, I think I know what that cave is for.”
“The cave?” Xing Ruyi also thought of the cave filled with cocoons. She turned to look at the fox, who nodded regretfully: “It seems that in recent days, not only has your mind become dull, but even my own has followed suit. That Human Skin Brocade might just be an incidental gain from the practitioner of Gu, what he truly wants is Gu Poison.”
Xing Ruyi stared at the Silver Hairpin in her hand, “In that case, what I was thinking earlier was indeed too simplistic. The fox is right; I am verifying whether this Silver Hairpin contains Golden Silkworm Poison. I first came across the name in a book and found it interesting enough to remember. When I was examining those bones earlier, I noticed that several victims exhibited symptoms very similar to those described in the book for Golden Silkworm Poison, which is why I used the Silver Hairpin to pierce the deceased's abdomen for testing, including washing it with this Soap Pod water.”
“Young Master Yin's cave is…”
“A cave not far from here. The fox and I originally followed Hui Niang there and later discovered the remains of Hui Niang's parents inside, along with a large number of Cocoon. We initially thought those Cocoon were naturally occurring and were inadvertently discovered by Mother-in-law of Hui Niang. But now it seems more likely they were man-made. By the way, there’s also that garment we brought back from Yun Manor. Fox, that is Human Skin Brocade, and both Yun Madam and Red Willow's disappearances are related to that garment. Once things are settled here, Brother Chang, you should also visit Yun Manor to inform Lord Yun of the truth.”
“Human Skin Brocade! What is that? How does the matter of Yun Manor relate to this?”
“It’s not just related; it’s an entangled relationship from the start. Brother Chang, have you forgotten? That Human Skin Brocade was originally purchased by Yun Madam from Yun Sheng's Ready-to-Wear Store, and Yun Sheng is Hui Niang's husband, the young master of this courtyard. Moreover, that Human Skin Brocade was made from a complete piece of human skin. You would never guess whose human skin it is.”
Chang Tai looked at Xing Ruyi with some surprise. Although he repeatedly visualized that garment in his mind, he still could not equate it with human skin. He understood Xing Ruyi, knowing that if the Fox Demon had not clarified matters, she would never share such an unbelievable story with him or allow him to relay such information to the master of Yun Manor.
“This entire situation is a personal tragedy. Mother-in-law of Hui Niang, driven by greed, targeted her in-laws and personally killed them; the crime took place in that cave filled with cocoons we just passed through. We do not know what happened to Hui Niang's mother in that cave; we only know that her flesh became that piece of Human Skin Brocade, which was later picked up by her father-in-law and given to his son, Yun Sheng, to be sold at the tailor shop. As a result, it caught the eye of Yun Madam, who was visiting her maternal family, leading to two mysterious disappearances in Yun Manor.
As for this Golden Silkworm Poison, I initially thought it was something learned by Mother-in-law of Hui Niang for convenience in killing; now it seems that the person who refined the Gu Poison might have lived in this courtyard as well.”
Xing Ruyi, handing over the Silver Hairpin, wrapped in a Silk Handkerchief, said: “The next steps are up to you, Brother Chang. When interrogating Mother-in-law of Hui Niang, you might as well ask them whether the person who refined the Golden Silkworm Poison is still alive. As for that cave, I have already destroyed it with the fox.”
“Don’t worry; I will get to the bottom of these matters.”
Xing Ruyi pulled at her lips, intending to say more when she suddenly heard urgent hoofbeats. Looking up, she saw that it was Li Mao% driving the carriage towards them; in no time at all, he arrived before them.
“Shopkeeper, the medicine has been prepared; should we distribute it now?”
“Go ahead and distribute it. Do you remember how I instructed you to administer it? Make sure to give those instructions to everyone. The matter regarding the Corpse Poison cannot be taken lightly either.”
Li Mao acknowledged and drove off towards where people were gathered. As soon as those villagers saw the carriage, they rushed forward eagerly until they surrounded it completely. Fortunately, the soldiers summoned by Chang Tai had returned with quite a few officers, which helped control the situation.
Before the officers arrived, the fox had already taken Xing Ruyi further away. Watching those armored soldiers wielding sharp weapons made her feel both secure and anxious. She gently squeezed the fox's hand and asked: “Will there be any more trouble tonight?”
"Don't worry, even if we don't show up tonight, Chang Tai will be just fine. Your Brother Chang is far more capable than you think."
"I know he's impressive. If it weren't for his disdain for the deceitful politics, with his abilities, how could he possibly be just a Constable in Luoyang City? However, after tonight, even if he doesn't want to, he might not be able to hide anymore."
Hearing the word "hide," a meaningful smile appeared at the corner of the fox's mouth. However, at that moment, Xing Ruyi had focused all her attention on the noisy crowd and the Carriage surrounded by people, not noticing the subtle change in the fox's expression.
"Should we go help Li Mao? There are so many villagers and so many Wanted criminals; I'm really worried he won't be able to handle it."
"Don't worry, with your Brother Chang around, things won't get out of control."
"That's good!" Xing Ruyi sighed in relief. "What about next? Should we stay here to watch the excitement or head back to Xing?"
"Let's not go back to Xing yet; I want to take you somewhere else!"
"Hmm?" Xing Ruyi looked suspiciously into the fox's eyes. " Yin Chensi, what else are you hiding from me? Or what do you know that you haven't told me?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down; I don't want others joining in on the fun. By the way, don't you want to know how Hui Niang is doing now? And what about Yin Yuan, your mischievous Son? Don't you want to know where he went?"
"Yin Yuan!" Xing Ruyi suddenly remembered that she hadn't seen Yin Yuan around earlier. That rascal must have gone off to see what excitement the fox had just stirred up.
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