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墨書 Inktalez
Lin Mingchang split the team into two groups, with each pair assigned to a specific task. He took Xiao Zhou with him to inspect all the Funeral Paper Shops in Spring City, while the second group of officers focused on investigating the commonalities among the recent three bizarre suicide cases.
The funeral industry in Spring City had been thriving since the mid-Qing Dynasty, with a total of twenty-seven Funeral Paper Shops currently recorded. After two full days of inspections, Lin Mingchang had already eliminated a portion of the Funeral Paper Shops based on their locations, the quality of paper used, and the craftsmanship of the Paper Man.
Rubbing his aching temples, he looked at the list before him and realized that he would likely be working through the night again. Just then, he suddenly remembered someone who might be able to help!
The next morning, after the rain had cleared, the stone-paved streets of Spring City were refreshingly slick. Lin Mingchang walked into Ju Xiang Yuan tea house, a century-old establishment where the wooden stairs creaked underfoot.
In a corner on the second floor, he found the person he was looking for. This individual was an old tea enthusiast, and Lin Mingchang knew without guessing that he would surely find him here. A thin old man dressed in a gray long gown was leisurely sipping tea early in the morning. Although he had long retired from his position as the Old President of the Spring City Chamber of Commerce, he still appeared wise and sharp. If anyone wanted to learn about the industry secrets of Spring City, he was like a living map.
Upon seeing Lin Mingchang, the Old President was slightly surprised. He nodded and gestured for Lin Mingchang to sit down, then poured a small cup of spring tea for him.
"Officer Lin has come to seek out this old man so early; it must be something urgent," he said.
Lin Mingchang sat down opposite him and briefly explained his purpose.
The Old President set down his teacup and leisurely outlined the history of Spring City's Funeral Paper Craft Industry: "The Funeral Paper Craft Industry in Spring City flourished during the Qing Dynasty's Tongzhi Era. If we talk about history, Fu Yuan Zhai and Shou An Fang are the oldest establishments here; both have been around for over a hundred years. Fu Yuan Zhai's techniques were brought from Xiangxi by the Hong Family ancestors, known for their vivid Paper Man figures and exquisite materials. Shou An Fang is a local family business from the Wang Family, famous for its paper-crafted buildings, especially those intricately made paper mansions."
The Old President took a sip from his teacup and continued, "Later on, in the early years of the Republic, Rui Ji emerged. Its founder, Du Ruisheng, was originally an apprentice at Fu Yuan Zhai but later established his own business and improved many techniques. However, when it comes to craftsmanship finesse, it still cannot compare to Fu Yuan Zhai. Recently flourishing is Tian Yuan Zhai; this shop is somewhat special. The shopkeeper's surname is Mo; he is originally from Jiangnan and is said to have traveled extensively in that region to gather various techniques. Their Paper Man has a unique method that reportedly incorporates some ancient skills to 'guide souls and protect spirits,' making it quite popular among certain discerning families."
Lin Mingchang took out a Paper Man found at one of the crime scenes for the Old President to examine.
The Old President scrutinized it closely and pinched it between his fingers. "The texture and patterns of this paper, along with its crafting technique... there are only three places in Spring City: Fu Yuan Zhai, Shou An Fang, and Tian Yuan Zhai."
"However..." The Old President paused and furrowed his brow as he said, "Ordinary paper figures are typically prepared for funerals; if they appear in a living person's home, that would be quite inappropriate."
Based on the clues provided by the Old President, Lin Mingchang arranged for officers in plain clothes to visit all three funeral paper shops discreetly without alarming anyone.
The officers first went to Shou An Fang and discovered that the shopkeeper had been bedridden since New Year’s Day. The shop was barely being managed by his son and apprentice and had not received any large orders recently or created any similar Paper Men. They then visited Tian Yuan Zhai and found that this shop's Paper Men were distinctly different in form and incantations from those involved in the cases.
After ruling out these two shops, Lin Mingchang was now certain that Fu Yuan Zhai was likely the source of these strange Paper Men.
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