Chapter 135: The Examiner

Su He had barely departed when Prince Yong, accompanied by Zhou Yi, headed straight for the Pavilion of Soothing Spirits.

No one could have foreseen how many variables might be woven into that journey to the pavilion.

Inside the Pavilion of Soothing Spirits, the examiner Chen Liu was instructing his acolytes to register all the corpses, categorizing them by gender and age. He then began an examination of one of the bodies. The lineage of the examiners held many profound mysteries.

Legend has it that long ago, there was a young man of great talent, but his family was destitute and he had an aged mother to support, leaving him unable to make a living. Through the recommendation of others, he eventually became a coroner at a government office. At that time, being a coroner was a profession held in contempt, considered the lowliest of tasks. Though it provided a meager living, everyone avoided coroners as if they were ghosts.

The young man often lamented his fate, despairing that in the prime of his life, he was destined to deal with the dead every day. His heart was heavy with resentment. However, he met his benefactor—an old coroner who was also a man of sorrow. Having examined corpses his entire life, the old man remained childless. Seeing that the youth possessed innate wisdom, he decided to take him on as an apprentice. He feared that the art of examination would die with him. Initially, the youth refused, feeling that his life should have been different—perhaps riding a white horse through the streets as a man of status.

The old coroner said nothing, simply inviting the youth to watch every examination. Afterward, he would recount the life story of the deceased. The youth, however, was still a youth. Despite his disdain for the coroner's status, he possessed a passionate heart and could not bear to see a murderer go unpunished or an innocent person die in vain. Gradually, he stopped looking down on the work. Like the old coroner, he became meticulous and earnest with every body.

As time passed, the youth grew, and the old coroner silently aged. Over time, the youth discovered a profound wisdom within his craft. By the time the old coroner passed away, the youth had achieved an enlightenment regarding the mysteries of life and death. From then on, he vanished from the mortal world, his whereabouts unknown.

This is the most widespread legend regarding the lineage of examiners, serving as a testament that there are three thousand paths to the Truth, and the Way can be found in any station of life. Even in a lowly position, as long as one’s original intent remains pure, a firefly can shine with the brilliance of the full moon.

It is said that the techniques used by later generations originated from that time, though it is far too ancient to verify. Chen Liu was a true descendant of this lineage. To become an examiner in this tradition, one had to possess a unique gift: a pair of "eyes of wisdom." Once trained to a certain level, an examiner could discern the truth of a case simply by sight. However, this was extremely difficult, and few ever achieved mastery.

A moment later, the acolyte finished the registration. He walked over to Chen Liu and asked, "Master, everything is recorded. Shall we begin the examination?"

Chen Liu nodded. "Bring me my tools. Watch closely, and if you have any questions, write them down first."

"Yes." The acolyte fetched the tools, tucked a notebook under his arm, and held a brush in his mouth.

He placed the brush on his tongue, adjusted it, and peered at the body. "Master, this old man has many wounds. We know he was beaten to death without even checking. Must we go through the trouble of examining him?"

"Our founder once said: though we are disliked by the living, we are the only ones the dead can rely on. If we cannot secure justice for them, who else will seek the truth?"

Chen Liu finished speaking, selected a tool, and made an incision in the chest. He then inserted a golden hook and, as if fishing, began to extract the internal organs one by one. Not a drop of blood was spilled; each organ remained intact. He instructed the acolyte to place them in a copper basin. The basin was small, yet it seemed to hold everything with ease. The acolyte, accustomed to his master's methods, remained calm despite the gruesome nature of the task.

"But with so many wounds, what if it was a combination of injuries that caused death?"

Chen Liu carried the basin to the desk and held one of the organs under the light, comparing it carefully. In his eyes, the veins and vessels seemed magnified a thousand times. Which marks were caused by the assault? Which were the result of illness? Everything was clear at a glance. He inspected the first, found nothing, and put it back. He then picked up the heart.

Suddenly, he looked up. "Bring me the knife."

"Oh, right away." The acolyte quickly handed him the blade, holding the notebook and asking curiously, "Master, did you find something?"

"There are some interesting things, but I cannot draw a conclusion until I examine the others."

The acolyte was delighted and hurriedly scribbled it down. "Master, you are truly amazing."

Chen Liu glanced at him, then returned his attention to the organ, carefully dissecting it. "Even with multiple injuries, there is an order and a degree of severity. Once we clarify this, the killer will have nowhere to hide."

Just then, another acolyte reported, "Master, His Highness Prince Yong is waiting in the parlor."

Chen Liu set the heart back into the basin. "Keep these safe. Do not let anything be lost."

Seeing the burning intensity in the eyes of the two acolytes as they looked at the corpse, he added, "You may use this body to learn, but you must be respectful and cautious. Do not be negligent. I am going to meet the Prince; ponder what you have learned thus far."

"Yes." The two acolytes were instantly energized. They lacked the Master’s "eyes of wisdom" and his "golden hook" technique, but they could certainly perform the routine examination.

They returned the notebook and the basin of organs to the secret chamber, then came back. One pulled the tray of dissection knives to the side of the body, each blade glinting with a cold, sharp light. The other fetched hot water and clean cloths, along with a tray of vials and jars. Under the flickering lamplight, the scene was enough to send a chill down one's spine.

The one with the knife reached out to make the first cut, but was stopped by the other. "Wait, wait. The Master said that when we examine the interior, we must clean the exterior first. Wait until I have wiped him clean; then we can proceed."

"He has no open wounds or bleeding, what are you washing?"

"You blockhead. What did the Master say? To be respectful and cautious. We must clean him to show our sincerity. That way, when your hand shakes later, he won't take offense. Have you forgotten how much trouble we've been in each time your hand shook in this chamber?"

The one with the knife nodded in agreement. "You're right. I'll wait. You go first."

After a long while, the acolyte cleaning the body asked, "Do you think this old man was beaten to death with fists or palms? Aside from those, there are no other injuries."

The other looked at the knives. "Hard to say. We cannot draw conclusions from the exterior alone. We must open him up to be sure."

As soon as the words were spoken, the knife was already in his hand. Once the other stepped back, he made the incision. In truth, they didn't really know; they just wanted to see for themselves. Since the Master had already removed the most important parts, they were content to study the rest.

While the two were fully absorbed in their work, unaware of any fear, a crisis was quietly approaching.

At the Nine Luminaries Tower, Wang You knocked out her patron as usual. She then slipped silently into the dense forest, where several dark shadows emerged and knelt at her feet.

"Mistress, something terrible has happened," one of them said in a panic.

The man was named Wang Quan, one of her patrons. Entranced by her beauty, he had gone to great lengths to become her favorite. He never imagined that this would lead him into a bottomless abyss. At this point, they were, for all intents and purposes, the living dead, though they remained unaware of it. Instead, they looked at the woman before them with increasing obsession and frantic desire.

Wang You frowned, her beautiful brows knitting together. "What has happened?"

It was broad daylight, and she feared being discovered. Thinking of the Red Widow's words from that day, her heart constricted, nearly suffocating her.

Wang Quan stammered, "Some of the people from Small Zhou Village... a few of our brothers couldn't control themselves, so... they did that to one of the women."

"What did you say?" Wang You froze, doubting her own ears. Everything had been proceeding according to plan, waiting for Baili Suhe and the others to fall into the trap. She never expected that the fire she had set in the enemy's camp would burn her own.

Wang Quan knelt on the ground, stealing a glance at Wang You’s expression. Seeing her rage, he was terrified. "The woman had a sleeve, which was covered by a broken flowerpot. The brothers were only concerned with silencing her and didn't notice it. Who would have thought Baili Suhe would make a return? He found it before dawn, and now... now it has been handed over to Prince Yong."

"Give me the result."

Fools. All of them were fools. If this was the case, their discovery was one thing, but she feared it would implicate her. In her current situation, she could not afford such an accident.

Wang Quan replied, "Prince Yong has already arrived at the Pavilion of Soothing Spirits. The brothers tried to fix it, but the pavilion is protected by royal aura and corroded by yin energy. We cannot enter. We implore you, Mistress, what should we do? If Prince Yong gives that sleeve to Chen Liu, our identities will surely be exposed. Please, save us."

Wang You closed her eyes, unwilling to look at them. "Go back. I will handle this."

If not for her own sake, she would have killed them on the spot.

"As you command."

Wang Quan and the others knew they had caused a catastrophe. They feared exposure, but they feared Wang You’s whim even more. Wang You was like poison to them; once addicted, there was no turning back. Their lives were filled with desire, and if they could not have her, they would go mad for other women. That was the root cause of the incident, a fact they all understood. But they had no choice. If they did not be with her, finding other women was futile, like drinking poison to quench thirst. Only by being with her could the burning sensation in their hearts subside. This relief lasted only half a month before they had to return to the Nine Luminaries Tower, repeating the cycle.

Wang You scanned the surroundings to ensure no one was watching, then slipped back into the tower. While her patron remained unconscious, she took three drops of blood from his finger into a teacup. She then pricked her own finger with a hairpin and added a drop of her blood. Instantly, thin wisps of green smoke rose from the cup.

At the same time, at the Pavilion of Soothing Spirits, Chen Liu was meeting with Prince Yong. After the formalities, Chen Liu asked, "Why has Your Highness come at this hour? Why no prior notice?"

Prince Yong replied, "I came uninvited because there is an item I must entrust to you."

"What item?"

"See for yourself, Examiner." He produced the sleeve and had Zhou Yi present it.

Zhou Yi walked to Chen Liu and held out the sleeve. "Please look, Examiner Chen."

Chen Liu took the sleeve and lowered his eyes. "Does Your Highness wish for a comparison?"

"Exactly."

Just as he spoke, an acolyte shouted from inside, "Master, something is wrong!"

The expressions of all three men changed instantly.