Chapter Thirty-Four: The Shameless Pair Dares Defy Heaven, Ghosts Questioned Amidst White Smoke in Changning County

"Hold on." Seeing that the ox-cart driver and Chang Qing were no longer mentioning Wang Biao's corpse and seemed eager to slip away, Song Mo spoke in a low, commanding voice.

"Is there anything else you require, sir?" The ox-cart driver, already terrified out of his wits, shrank even further, forcing out a smile more miserable than tears.

Chang Qing, meanwhile, stole a glance at Song Mo. When they’d first met that morning, he’d been enveloped in the stale scent of the mortuary, hardly appealing. But now, freshly washed and dressed in clean clothes, his handsome features and sturdy physique made him stand out like a crane among chickens.

A blush of desire stirred within Chang Qing. When she looked at Song Mo now, her gaze was thick with flirtatious intent.

How could Song Mo not see through her petty schemes? Resisting a shudder, he turned his eyes away and asked coldly, "How did you discover that Wang Biao’s corpse had disappeared?"

Indeed, this was what puzzled Song Mo most. By rights, with the corpse sealed in a thin wooden coffin, one would not notice the loss of weight until reaching their destination. Changning County was fifty li south of Jian’an’s southern capital. With an old ox pulling the cart, it would be impossible to return in less than half a day. Yet, in under two hours, Chang Qing and the driver had already found the body missing. Clearly, there was more to the story than met the eye.

After Song Mo asked, Chang Qing fell silent. The driver hemmed and hawed, refusing to answer.

"Hmph, you both dodge the question—could it be you’ve hidden Wang Biao’s corpse to blackmail us?" He Yiming interjected with a snort, his tone threatening.

"Your honor, I swear this has nothing to do with me!" The ox-cart driver’s face changed dramatically. He dared not offend this true official in his magistrate’s attire, and so he spilled the story in detail.

It turned out the driver had been seduced that morning by the wanton Chang Qing. Unable to contain himself, he whipped the ox into a trot, stopping in a bamboo grove outside the city. There, the two succumbed to their passion, intending to have their way on the spot.

But Chang Qing, finding the bamboo leaves too prickly, decided in her lust to use the coffin lid containing Wang Biao’s corpse as a mat. After their tryst, when they moved to replace the lid, they glanced into the cart—and nearly died of fright. The thin wooden coffin was empty; Wang Biao’s body had vanished without a trace.

At first, the driver suspected a corpse had risen—after all, making love with a man’s wife in front of his corpse was beyond the pale. But Chang Qing quickly remembered the recent rash of missing corpses in Changning County. Since the body was already gone, she reasoned they might as well go to the Mortuary Office to demand an explanation—thus leading to the farcical “melon incident.”

When the tale was told, everyone present looked upon Chang Qing with utter contempt. Her husband’s bones were not yet cold, and she could not resist scratching her itch, brazenly lifting the coffin lid to couple with the driver—a scandalous, shocking affair.

He Yiming’s expression was frigid. He cast a look of utter disgust at Chang Qing. "Get out! Do not sully this place of death," he commanded.

The driver, overjoyed, kowtowed in gratitude. He hurriedly gathered Chang Qing and the thin wooden coffin blocking the doorway, and drove the ox-cart away as fast as he could.

Once they were gone, the gathered onlookers quickly dispersed, eager for rest after a sleepless night.

Song Mo approached He Yiming and Wu Wanlin, bowing his thanks. "Thank you, gentlemen."

He Yiming waved a hand. "Think nothing of it, a small matter."

Wu Wanlin, a little embarrassed, cautioned Song Mo, "Take care these next few days."

He left the rest unsaid, but all three understood. Remembering the mysterious disappearance of the mortuary worker, Wu Wanlin nearly urged Song Mo to eat and drink well, and settle any unfinished business while he still could.

Song Mo thanked them again, then returned to Mortuary Room Seven. He found himself with a new respect for the two minor officials—they, at least, retained some decency and conscience. In turn, He Yiming and Wu Wanlin found themselves liking this well-spoken, proper young man.

...

Changning County Government Office, rear courtyard mortuary.

A corpse with a gaping, bloody wound in its chest lay on the cold stone table—its heart gone without a trace.

The coroner, Liu Qi, fetched a copper basin from the corner. Its inner walls were blackened from years of use. He grabbed two bundles of mugwort, lit them, and soon the room was full of swirling white smoke.

"No grievance?" Liu Qi frowned as the smoke slowly dissipated, unable to believe it.

Coroners belonged to one of the four dark professions and had their own methods. This one was called "White Smoke Divination." Mugwort warded off poison and evil. In the mortuary, where yin energy lingered, the white smoke of burning mugwort was essential. An experienced coroner could discern from it whether a corpse bore a mortal grudge.

This was the white smoke divination.

The body before him had arrived just that morning. Liu Qi recognized it at a glance as Han Bing, the county night patrolman.

Liu Qi, a man in his forties, wore a coarse linen robe over a stained undergarment. His face was weary—evidence of chronic blood loss from years spent in the mortuary’s yin-laden air. Yet his eyes were sharp as a hunting hawk.

He had joined the dark profession at fourteen and served as a coroner for over thirty years.

Years of experience told Liu Qi this was no simple case. It did not seem the work of men—more like something supernatural.

A glint of light flashed in Liu Qi’s eyes as he began to ponder.

To serve as a night watchman in Changning County, one’s background had to be spotless, with no history of petty crime. Unlike neighboring counties, Changning was a place of hidden talents, requiring caution. The magistrate cherished his reputation and would never risk hiring a dubious watchman.

Thus, Han Bing must have been an honest man with no enemies.

Similarly, Changning County was strictly governed, its people simple and upright. If not quite to the point of never picking up what was dropped on the road or sleeping with doors unlocked, at least such monstrous crimes were unheard of.

"This will be difficult," Liu Qi sighed.

At that moment, his gaze grew grave. Carefully, he plucked a fine hair from the mutilated wound on Han Bing’s chest.

A chill ran down his spine, and a flicker of terror crossed his eyes.

Footsteps sounded outside the mortuary. The newly appointed constable, Xia Yu, led a group inside.

"Old Liu, where’s the corpse that arrived this morning? Master Tang from the Six-Fan Gate in the capital wishes to see it," Xia Yu said in a gentle tone.

In fact, Xia Yu was a sturdy man, six feet tall and weighing two hundred pounds. He was usually friendly and had a knack for catching thieves. After the previous constable, Zhang Wei, died, Xia Yu had taken his place.

Liu Qi eyed the capital’s Master Tang—a figure in black, handsome and cold, a willow-leaf saber at his waist, imposing in bearing.

It was none other than Tang Yi.

A trace of disappointment crossed Liu Qi’s face—clearly, he had assumed Tang Yi was just another pampered official’s son gilded by the capital.

"Go back. This is not a case you can handle," Liu Qi said, turning away from Xia Yu’s group.

"Old Liu, what are you doing?" Xia Yu was startled. The Six-Fan Gate, though it had declined in recent years, was not an agency a humble coroner—or even the county—could afford to offend. He feared Tang Yi would take umbrage.

"Don’t mind him, Master Tang. He’s just stubborn," Xia Yu said apologetically.

"I mean it, Master Tang. This is not a case you can handle," Liu Qi repeated, gravely.

Xia Yu was at a loss.

Tang Yi did not take offense. Instead, he asked in a low voice, "Then who should investigate?"

Liu Qi thought for a moment, then said frankly, "Six-Fan Gate cannot handle this case. It would be best to have the Demon Suppression Bureau take over."

Xia Yu and the others broke out in cold sweat, cursing Liu Qi’s tactlessness. Now they had surely offended Six-Fan Gate.

Tang Yi merely nodded, taking out a waist token and flashing it before Liu Qi’s eyes—the badge of Demon Suppressor Jiang Wanyi.

At this, Liu Qi’s demeanor changed. If Tang Yi could produce the Demon Suppression Bureau’s badge, even if he were not one of their agents, he must have some genuine skill.

"Where is the body?" Tang Yi asked.

Liu Qi promptly led him to Han Bing’s corpse. Even from a distance, Tang Yi sensed a faint trace of demonic energy.

"This was not done by human hands," Tang Yi said after a careful examination.

Liu Qi’s expression changed. He muttered, "So it’s true…"

After a moment’s hesitation, Liu Qi said, "Master Tang, I have an important clue—but I can only share it with you alone."

Though unsure what Liu Qi was up to, Xia Yu and the others left the mortuary.

When they were alone, Liu Qi lowered his voice. "I found this on Han Bing’s chest."

He opened a wooden box with great care, revealing a single strand of hair.

Tang Yi frowned at the sight. "Is this… could it be from a fox demon?"