Coroner's Diary

"All girls?!" Huo Huaixin's eyes widened in shock.

As his words fell, muffled shouts rose from the bottom of the well again. Huo Huaixin turned to see the constables by the well calling out, "Sir, they say they've dug up another skull down there..."

Hearing this, Huo Huaixin's eyelids twitched, a creeping numbness spreading across his scalp.

There were already four skeletons above the well, and now another skull had been unearthed below. Just how many more remains were hidden down there? Wiping the thin sweat from his temple, Huo Huaixin turned to Qin Guan and Yan Chi.

"Ninth Miss, can you determine the cause of death?"

Qin Guan was still holding a bleached-white human bone, examining it carefully. After a moment, she shook her head. "The bone color appears normal—they likely didn't die from poisoning. For now, I can't see any wounds on these bones either. The cause of death remains undetermined."

Huo Huaixin sighed. "So many deaths... how could this..."

Meanwhile, Qin Guan frowned deeply and stood up. "Keep digging. Let's see how many more are down there. As for the cause of death... perhaps we should ask Old Madam or Third Uncle."

A few suspicions had begun forming in Qin Guan's mind. She never assumed the worst of others, yet her past experiences had taught her that the world's darkness and cruelty far exceeded her imagination. Staring at the mud-stained bones scattered haphazardly on the felt mat, she mentally reviewed her conjectures. Her cold hands, hanging at her sides, began trembling uncontrollably.

The night rain was bitter, the firelight casting an eerie pallor over the white bones. Yan Chi, holding an umbrella, stepped closer to Qin Guan. "If it's too much, you should return first. It's getting late—digging everything out will likely take until past midnight."

Qin Guan shook her head. "It's fine. I can handle it."

Yan Chi glanced at her. Her lips were pressed tightly together, her eyes icy. At this moment, Qin Guan was even more solemn than when she dissected corpses or examined bones, her entire being radiating an intimidating chill. Beneath her gentle, elegant facade, a sharp, formidable edge emerged, making her slender figure seem as unyielding as a sword or bamboo—not to be underestimated.

Yan Chi's gaze darkened slightly. Meanwhile, Huo Huaixin strode to the well's edge. "Dig faster. If needed, switch out the men down there..."

As he spoke, two muffled shouts came from below.

Huo Huaixin frowned. "Wait—let me ask..."

He turned toward Yan Chi. "Crown Prince, the men below say they can't dig any deeper. However, there's still wet mud and sand to the south."

Yan Chi narrowed his eyes, pondering briefly before replying, "Keep digging. Be careful."

Huo Huaixin nodded and relayed the order to the men in the well.

Qin Guan sighed. "It seems unlikely we'll uncover everything tonight. Over the years, the well's living water turned stagnant, undergoing changes we can't even guess at. The remains might have been carried elsewhere."

With this thought, she turned toward the nearby flower shed. "Though these two wells appear winding, they aren't actually far apart. When Sixth Sister fell in earlier, she said she touched dead bones. Could the underground currents have carried the bones there? Since we have enough hands now, could Your Highness send someone to check?"

Yan Chi glanced at Bai Feng. "Take a few men and investigate."Bai Feng accepted the order and left, while Yan Chi turned to Qin Guan again. "You should go too. It's too cold in this forest."

Qin Guan's lips twitched slightly. She had initially intended to refuse, but considering the importance of whether there were human remains in the well, she nodded. Yan Chi turned around, holding the umbrella to let Qin Guan walk first, escorting her toward the flower shed as if guarding her. Huo Huaixin stood behind, watching the two leave the Purple Bamboo Forest, his eyes filled with lingering fear. He had once entertained the thought of pairing Qin Guan with his own Huo Ning. Fortunately, he had only instructed Yuanshi to visit Qin Manor once without taking further action.

Upon reaching the flower shed, the surrounding corridors made the umbrella unnecessary. Qin Guan stood under the eaves, watching as Bai Feng and several constables lifted the newly laid bluestone paving tiles that had been in place for only a few days.

Once the tiles were removed, the dry soil filling the well had already changed color. Four or five men, armed with tools, quickly set to work. Qin Guan observed from the side, with Fuling attending to her. "Miss, Manager Liu went down to check that day and clearly saw only a withered branch. Could there really be white bones buried underneath?"

Qin Guan shook her head. "I'm not sure. Let's wait and see."

Fuling adjusted Qin Guan's cape, her voice tinged with concern. "Miss, you're freezing. You've been standing outside for too long tonight—might you catch a chill? The hand warmer is almost cold. Let me fetch you a new one."

As she spoke, Yan Chi, who had been standing near the flower shed, approached and said to Qin Guan, "You should return to your courtyard and rest. This well has also been filled in, and it will take time to excavate."

Qin Guan pressed her lips together, hesitating to reply, but Fuling quickly nodded beside her. "Yes, Miss. If you fall ill, the Crown Prince will be without his assistant." Fuling had mustered considerable courage to speak so boldly in front of Yan Chi, her palms sweating after the words left her mouth.

After a brief consideration, Qin Guan seemed to agree and nodded. "Very well, I'll go back first."

Yan Chi said nothing more, only calling out, "Bai Feng, escort Ninth Miss back."

Qin Guan curtsied slightly, and once Fuling opened the umbrella, the two stepped into the rain, with Bai Feng following closely behind to guard them.

It was already past midnight. Though Qin Manor was brightly lit, an eerie silence enveloped the estate. As Fuling followed Qin Guan past the courtyards, a trace of fear surfaced on her face. "Miss, are those remains really all children's? And little girls at that?"

Qin Guan nodded. "Yes..."

Fuling shrank back slightly. "But where did all these children come from? Were they servants of Qin Manor? And how did they die...?"

Qin Guan's lips tightened, but she remained silent for a moment before replying, "I don’t know yet. We’ll have to wait until the Crown Prince and the Prefect have fully excavated the remains and conducted the necessary interrogations."

Fuling glanced around nervously. "No wonder Old Madam insisted on using the Demon-suppressing Stone. The spirits of children are the most likely to linger after death. No wonder she was so fearful. Or perhaps all these years of her fasting and chanting were for this very reason?"

The drizzle continued as Qin Guan walked heavily along the bluestone paths of the manor. Despite the bright lights, the estate was unnervingly quiet, with only a few constables stationed at key intersections. Not a single servant or master of Qin Manor was in sight.Qin Guan knew that the government officers had taken control of Qin Manor. She glanced toward the Buddhist shrine and said, "Those little girls won't turn into ghosts, but Old Madam must have demons in her heart. The reason she fasts and chants Buddhist prayers is likely because she fears the ghosts within her own conscience."

Her words sent a chill down Fuling's spine. Instinctively, Fuling tugged at her collar and fell silent. Bai Feng followed quietly behind them, naturally not adding to the conversation. When the three arrived in front of Orchid Isle Courtyard, they saw Qi Lin lingering at the gate with three officers. Spotting Qin Guan, Qi Lin immediately approached.

"Ninth Miss..."

Qin Guan looked at him curiously. "Captain Qi, why are you here?"

Qi Lin hesitated before answering, "Ninth Miss has helped us repeatedly, and I shouldn't trouble you further. However... the magistrate has ordered all servants to gather at the steward's courtyard for questioning later, so..."

He glanced at the courtyard gate, and Qin Guan immediately understood. She turned to Fuling. "Go call the four of them out. This is just routine questioning. If there are no issues, they can return afterward."

Qi Lin's face lit up with gratitude. "Thank you, Ninth Miss..."

Qin Guan shook her head. "Do you need to question me as well?"

Qi Lin hastily waved his hands. "No, no, of course not... Ninth Miss is certainly unrelated to this case."

Qin Guan's expression tightened slightly, but she said nothing. Soon, Fuling returned with Wan Tang and the others. Wan Tang led the three forward and curtsied before Qin Guan, who said, "Go ahead. You can return once the questioning is over."

"Yes, Miss. Don't worry," Wan Tang replied respectfully.

Qin Guan then turned to Qi Lin. "You've worked hard tonight, Captain Qi."

Qi Lin clasped his hands in salute. "It's my duty. In that case, I'll take my leave now."

Qin Guan gave a faint hum of acknowledgment, and Qi Lin led Wan Tang and the others toward the steward's courtyard. Qin Guan then looked at Bai Feng. "We've arrived. You may return to His Highness now."

Bai Feng nodded. "Ninth Miss need not worry. Rest early."

With that, he bowed and departed. Qin Guan stood still for a moment before entering the courtyard.

"Miss, you should rest now. Save your energy—once all the remains are unearthed, your help will surely be needed," Fuling urged as soon as they stepped inside.

Qin Guan thought for a moment. "I suppose Second Brother won't be able to come tonight."

"Of course not. Every courtyard in the manor is guarded. He definitely can't leave."

Fuling closed the umbrella and removed the cape from Qin Guan's shoulders. "Miss, your cape is half soaked. If you don't rest soon, you might catch a chill by tomorrow. Please don't push yourself."

Once the cape was off, Qin Guan indeed felt a chill. Realizing the remains wouldn't be fully excavated anytime soon, she nodded and went to the side room to wash up before lying down in bed. She draped an extra robe over herself, thinking that if Yan Chi sent someone to summon her, she could rise more quickly.

Seeing Qin Guan sleep in her clothes, Fuling didn't press further. Only after Qin Guan closed her eyes did Fuling extinguish the lamps in the room.As soon as she lay down, exhaustion overwhelmed Qin Guan. Whether it was due to catching a chill or not, she instinctively tightened the brocade quilt around her. It was already midnight, and judging by the pace of Yan Chi and Huo Huaixin, they would likely have excavated most of the area by dawn at the latest. She had to wake up by then. With this thought, Qin Guan slowly drifted into sleep.

In her dream, she was once again on the long streets of the capital, lined with grand buildings adorned with intricate carvings and upturned eaves, stretching endlessly in a majestic panorama.

Qin Guan found herself standing before the Six Ministries' offices. The gates of the Court of Judicial Review were tightly shut, its steps overgrown with wild weeds. Despite being the highest-ranking judicial institution of the Great Zhou, it now resembled a dilapidated, abandoned temple.

Where was the chief official of the Court of Judicial Review? Where were its guards and officers?

Step by step, Qin Guan ascended the weed-covered stairs and pushed hard against the decaying doors.

With a creak, the mottled doors swung open under her force. A wisp of hazy mist drifted past her eyes. She blinked, and the faint fog gradually dissipated.

As the mist cleared, Qin Guan saw a courtyard overrun with wild grass, cobwebs hanging from the beams, and the plaque above the entrance dangling askew. The empty hall was in ruins, devoid of any human presence.

Puzzled, Qin Guan took a few steps inside when suddenly, a desolate well appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the barren courtyard.

Weeds stood tall around the well, partially obscuring its mouth. Qin Guan was startled—how could there be a well in the courtyard of the Court of Judicial Review, an official institution? Just as she pondered this, a faint glimmer caught her eye. To her horror, a pale, skeletal hand emerged from the well...

Her eyes snapped open, and Qin Guan stared wide-eyed at the canopy above, gasping for breath.

It was just a dream, yet the scene had filled her with dread. The Court of Judicial Review couldn’t possibly be overgrown with weeds, nor could there be a well with skeletal hands reaching out—only Qin Manor had such a well...

Beads of sweat dotted Qin Guan’s temples. She took a few deep breaths to steady herself. Just then, footsteps sounded outside the bed curtains. Sensing something, she quickly sat up and pulled aside the drapes. Sure enough, Fuling was tiptoeing outside and jumped in surprise when Qin Guan suddenly appeared.

Clutching her chest, Fuling exhaled. "You’re awake, miss! I thought you were still asleep."

"What’s wrong?" Qin Guan asked, glancing outside to see the sky already bright. Her expression shifted. "Why didn’t you wake me? It’s so late—"

"Don’t worry, miss," Fuling reassured her. "The rain hasn’t stopped yet. The constables have taken shifts several times. They’ve dug to the bottom but still need to expand the search. The entire area has been excavated now."

Frowning, Qin Guan threw off the covers and got out of bed, dressing hurriedly. "Have they found anything new?"

Fuling hesitated before answering, "Four more..."

Qin Guan paused briefly, then moved even faster. "Has Wan Tang returned?"

"Yes, she came back at dawn. Since there’s so much ground to cover, the Prefect has already begun interrogations. Also, Coroner Xu has arrived at the manor and is currently collecting the remains."Qin Guan gave a soft "Mm" in acknowledgment, swiftly dressed herself in no time. Fuling tied her hair into a simple bun, and after a quick wash, Qin Guan set off toward the Purple Bamboo Forest without even having breakfast.

Compared to the previous night, Qin Manor was now bustling with servants coming and going. Fuling whispered, "Those who entered the manor later have been released, while those who've served for over seven years are still being held."

Qin Guan nodded and quickened her pace toward the Purple Bamboo Forest. Before long, she neared the flower shed. From a distance, she spotted Xu He standing beside a long table—newly brought out—now piled high with white bones.

Xu He was examining a bone fragment in his hand when he glanced up and noticed Qin Guan. He immediately waved her over, "Ninth Miss is here! Come take a look, what's the matter with this bone..."

Qin Guan narrowed her eyes and stepped forward. Xu He frowned in confusion, "Is this a finger bone? But why is there an extra segment..."