Chapter Thirty-Six: Song Mo Paints the Shadowy Figure, Unfurling a Scroll That Captivates the Soul

Mist and cold grass shrouded the courtyard, while celestial beings seemed to scatter fragments of white clouds at random. Taking advantage of the morning light, Song Mo painted, on a sheet of rice paper, the enchanting woman with the allure of a lantern parade goddess who had appeared during the recent corpse preparations.

Brush and ink could only capture a fraction of her charm. The woman in the painting wore a gauzy robe; her figure was voluptuous, her every glance and smile exuded grace, and even the tilt of her hand was filled with subtle allure. Though it was but a rough sketch, her seductive power was already formidable. If Song Mo did not possess the foundation of the Court Rituals, he might have been ensnared in idle longing like any other man.

"This woman is no ordinary person," Song Mo muttered with unease, rolling up the rice paper and tying it securely with coarse string. He then turned to open the door of the corpse preparation room.

Two constables with sabers at their waists awaited outside—the same Ma Xiaosi and Zhu Ke who had come the previous day to deliver the body. They greeted Song Mo with a gesture but said nothing, moving past him to collect the prepared corpse of Han Bing, the night watchman, and place it into the coffin on their ox cart.

"Brother, that's fine handiwork," Zhu Ke remarked. He noticed that the gaping wound on Han Bing's chest had been neatly closed, the stitches were barely visible, and the chest had not collapsed—clearly, something had been used to fill the space where the heart was missing.

"Just doing my duty," Song Mo replied calmly. In truth, he had intentionally left the stitches visible—partly to save time, and partly because he understood the dangers of standing out too much.

Zhu Ke nodded, preparing to drive the ox cart away.

"Are you two officers from Changning County?" Song Mo asked, stepping in front of the cart as he saw their eagerness to depart.

Ma Xiaosi grunted in affirmation. Song Mo pressed on, "Is Lord Tang still in Changning County?"

"Lord Tang? Which Lord Tang?" Ma Xiaosi asked irritably, unhappy at being delayed.

Song Mo clarified, "Tang Yi of the Six Gates."

"Why does a corpse preparer care whether Lord Tang is in Changning County?" Ma Xiaosi replied impatiently.

Zhu Ke raised a hand to silence Ma Xiaosi's grumbling and apologized to Song Mo, "Please forgive my comrade—there have been many cases recently, and he's anxious."

Song Mo waved it off, signaling he took no offense. Zhu Ke continued, "To be honest, Lord Tang Yi is indeed still in Changning County."

Song Mo nodded, produced the rolled-up rice paper, and handed it over. "Since Lord Tang is still here, I must trouble you both to deliver this portrait to him."

Zhu Ke, puzzled, accepted the painting and frowned. "Brother, what is this?"

Song Mo lowered his voice, "I fear the person in this portrait is connected to the recent string of deaths in Changning County."

After a brief pause, he warned, "Do not open the scroll before delivering it to Lord Tang."

Zhu Ke's expression darkened. "Are you saying you don’t trust us?"

Song Mo quickly shook his head. "Not at all. It’s just that the portrait is peculiar—one wrong move could ruin everything."

Zhu Ke's expression softened and he nodded solemnly. "Don’t worry, I’ll deliver it to Lord Tang myself."

Song Mo bowed. "Thank you both for your trouble."

With that, Song Mo stepped aside. Zhu Ke drove the ox cart away from the corpse house in the southern part of the city. Song Mo closed up shop and strolled toward the old street.

Old Lin’s breakfast stall was as crowded as ever; when Swallow saw Song Mo, she was first delighted, then resumed her calm demeanor and led him to a seat in the corner. Song Mo noted that she was not wearing the jade hairpin he had chosen for her.

...

The ox cart, bearing the dark coffin, left Jian'an through the Xuanle Gate and traveled along the county road. Passersby and merchant caravans gave it a wide berth. As they neared Changning County, travelers and traders became fewer, suggesting that rumors of unrest had already spread.

"Brother Zhu, do you think that fellow is playing us? He’s just a minor corpse preparer and has never even been to Changning County—how could he have any useful portraits?" Ma Xiaosi grumbled.

Zhu Ke considered this and shook his head. "The southern corpse house answers to the Demon Suppression Bureau, and those who work with corpses belong to a shadowy profession. Don’t forget the county coroner—his skill with white smoke and ghost interrogation is legendary. Who’s to say that boy doesn’t have some special methods?"

Ma Xiaosi’s eyes darted to the rice paper scroll. Lowering his voice, he said, "If that’s the case, maybe the person in the portrait really is the culprit. Why not open it and see for ourselves?"

Zhu Ke shook his head. "No. We were told to deliver the portrait to Lord Tang. If we open it without permission, we might offend him."

After a brief silence, Ma Xiaosi grumbled, "After Lord Zhang Wei died, why did Fatty Xia get his post? In terms of experience and skill, you’re far superior. If he hadn’t used money and connections, the command would have been yours."

Zhu Ke’s eyes flashed with a trace of malice, but he quickly concealed it. Ma Xiaosi, absorbed in the scroll, failed to notice the change.

"Brother Zhu, don’t overthink it. If we solve this tricky case, not only will you get promoted, you might even become the chief constable," Ma Xiaosi encouraged. "As for Lord Tang Yi, don’t worry—he’s not interested in fame or power. If we break the case, he won’t stand in your way."

With that, Ma Xiaosi took the scroll from Zhu Ke and began untying the string. Just as he was about to unroll it, Zhu Ke snatched it back.

"Xiaosi, we must follow our conscience," Zhu Ke said gravely, tying the string again. "Besides, the boy warned us this painting is strange—we should be cautious."

Ma Xiaosi sighed, but said nothing more.

...

In the morgue behind Changning County’s yamen, a corpse lay quietly on a table. There was not a mark on the body, but the eye sockets were empty—both eyes had vanished.

"This man was a county procurement officer. No one knows how he ended up dead at the marketplace," Xia Yu said, rubbing his forehead, clearly vexed.

Coroner Liu Qi examined the body thoroughly, his brow furrowing. Aside from a faint scent of rouge lingering on the corpse, he found nothing unusual.

"Lord Tang, may I try a special technique?" Liu Qi asked Tang Yi, who was equally perplexed.

Tang Yi nodded. Liu Qi fetched a copper basin from the corner, threw in a handful of mugwort leaves, and set them alight. Soon, white smoke filled the morgue.

After a while, the smoke dissipated.

"Well?" Tang Yi asked. He was curious, having heard of Liu Qi’s methods.

"There’s still no trace of resentment," Liu Qi replied, feeling uneasy—this was indeed bizarre.

Tang Yi saw that Liu Qi’s skill had yielded nothing and was disappointed, though he did not show it. "Did the deceased have any enemies?" he inquired. With so many violent deaths, and rumors of supernatural involvement, it was easy for someone to take advantage of the chaos for nefarious purposes.

Xia Yu shook his head. "His name was Chen Aniu, just a lowly procurement officer. He had no money and lived honestly. He never made enemies."

This ruled out revenge and robbery.

Just then, two men hurried in.

"What are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to investigate Han Bing?" Xia Yu snapped, annoyed to see Ma Xiaosi and Zhu Ke.

Ma Xiaosi bristled with anger, while Zhu Ke remained calm.

"We are here to see Lord Tang Yi," Zhu Ke replied with dignity.

"Don’t make a nuisance of yourselves," Xia Yu scolded, waving them away.

But Tang Yi turned and asked, "You’re looking for me?"

Zhu Ke nodded. "The southern corpse house asked me to deliver this painting to you, my lord. The preparer said the person in the portrait is linked to the recent murders."

Tang Yi’s eyes lit up—he was well aware of Song Mo’s abilities.

"Where is it?" he asked.

Zhu Ke quickly handed it over, but Xia Yu snatched it and gave it to Tang Yi. Tang Yi, though displeased, hid his feelings.

He slowly unrolled the rice paper. A woman appeared—draped in sheer fabric, of extraordinary beauty, with a lush figure. Aside from Tang Yi, everyone in the room was instantly enthralled by her seductive allure, their breathing quickening.

"Wake up!" Tang Yi’s stern shout jolted them back to their senses. Zhu Ke and Ma Xiaosi turned pale, shaken by how close they had come to disaster.

"Have any of you ever seen this woman?" Tang Yi asked coldly, eyes sweeping the room.