Coroner's Diary

The hour of midnight was fast approaching. At these words, everyone present frowned deeply.

Zhan Yang said, "Wasn't he just delivering a painting? Why would he stay inside for so long—"

Earlier in the day, Qin Guan had already voiced her suspicions about Ning Buyi. At the time, everyone found it quite unbelievable, since Ning Buyi was acquainted with all the yamen officials and had helped them on numerous occasions before. Both Zhan Yang and Zheng Baishi had been greatly surprised upon hearing Qin Guan's words. Yet now, even Zhan Yang and Zheng Baishi were beginning to have doubts.

Ning Buyi appearing in this area for no apparent reason was one thing, but staying inside for so long without emerging was another. It was almost midnight—could something have delayed him?

"Who owns that residence? Surely he isn’t visiting a friend and planning to stay the night?" Zheng Baishi remarked.

The others looked grave. After a moment of contemplation, Yan Chi said, "Bai Feng, send someone to check."

Bai Feng nodded and turned to leave. Yan Chi rose and walked to the window. Looking out, he saw that the streets and residential areas nearby were shrouded in darkness, with only two taverns in the distance still emitting a dim glow. Yet even they lacked the earlier bustle and noise.

The later the hour, the fewer people were on the streets. At this time, anyone emerging would be immediately spotted. If he were the killer, it would be best for him to find a place to hide.

"Your Highness, there are only two incense sticks’ worth of time left until midnight," Qin Guan reminded, her gaze turning eastward.

The residence where Ning Buyi was staying was quite far away, and from their position, it was impossible to tell whether any lights were on inside. But Qin Guan had already been suspicious of Ning Buyi, and now that his behavior seemed unusual, her doubts only grew. Midnight was approaching swiftly—if Ning Buyi intended to take action, he would need to begin preparations soon.

Yan Chi narrowed his eyes. "Let’s go take a look."

Once outside the tavern, the street was empty and silent. Yan Chi glanced toward the dark eastern streets and led the group toward the residence at the end of the road. After only a few steps, Bai Feng returned and reported, "Master, our men have checked. The residence is pitch black inside—no lights are on. Should we infiltrate?"

Ning Buyi had clearly entered the house, so why was it completely dark inside? Could he truly be visiting a friend and staying the night? If that were the case, it would be reasonable for him to have retired by this hour. Under such circumstances, infiltrating would be inappropriate.

"Hold off on infiltration for now. There are still two incense sticks of time left. We’ll reconsider when only one remains," Yan Chi instructed.

He then led the group eastward. After a few more steps, two agile figures emerged from the darkness. Further ahead, several more shadowy figures clad entirely in black appeared. All moved with silent, trained steps, their expressions stern and disciplined—clearly, they were Yan Chi’s men.

By the time the group reached the eastern residence, there was still no sign of light inside. The surroundings were utterly silent.

Yan Chi and the others melted into the night, their faint outlines somewhat eerie at first glance.

Yan Chi asked Bai Feng, "No movement elsewhere?"Bai Feng shook his head, "No, our people arrived at noon and haven't seen any suspicious individuals. Unless the killer lives here, there's no way we could have missed them. On these two streets, there are twenty-six shops of various sizes and seventeen residential households. We have people discreetly watching every location."

Hearing Bai Feng's detailed report, Zheng Baishi and Zhan Yang realized Yan Chi had invested considerable effort and manpower this time. As time ticked away, they grew increasingly anxious—worried about another death from delay, yet fearful that premature action might alert the killer or cause misunderstandings.

Yan Chi, aware of the urgency, commanded, "Go scout the area, but don't enter the buildings."

Bai Feng acknowledged the order and swiftly moved toward the residence. The onlookers saw his figure soar and descend like a hawk before disappearing behind the high courtyard wall.

Yan Chi's gaze swept over the house and then the entire long street. Every building and shop here had been thoroughly investigated by his team. If even this failed to uncover any trace of the killer, how incredibly elusive must they be? Or were their martial arts so superior that his men couldn't even grasp their methods?

Zheng Baishi, sensing Yan Chi's thoughts, remarked, "Your Highness, the killer is indeed cunning. Previously, we had people stationed everywhere, yet the killer still escaped. Only during the last incident, when the heir apparent Feng was injured, did we get closest to the killer—but they still slipped away. Later, we saw the Wu family's third young master emerge from that residence, but there was no other evidence."

Yan Chi nodded, "The killer operates from the shadows and is well-prepared, making them difficult to capture."

As he finished speaking, Bai Feng leaped out from the residence and landed before Yan Chi in a few bounds. "Master, there are people inside—more than one, in the main hall. However, no one is speaking. The house appears very old and seemingly seldom occupied."

Yan Chi frowned. If it was rarely inhabited, why would Ning Buyi come to deliver a painting? And why would he remain inside without emerging?

Qin Guan also sensed trouble. "We should go in and investigate."

Yan Chi agreed and led the group toward the house. Several black-clad guards flanking him sprang onto the roof from both sides, while one dropped into the courtyard to open the gate. As Yan Chi and the others entered the courtyard and approached the entrance, a figure suddenly flashed past in the main hall. Yan Chi raised a hand to halt everyone, stepping forward cautiously.

Just as Qin Guan grew concerned, a loud "bang" echoed as the main hall's door was yanked open from inside. A man stumbled out frantically. Zhan Yang immediately drew his blade, poised for defense, but the next moment, everyone's expressions shifted in shock—

The emerging figure was a young man who froze upon seeing Yan Chi and the crowd. As they recognized his face, they realized it was Wu Yu, the third young master of the Earl of Weiyuan's household!

Wu Yu stood stunned, completely unprepared for the crowd outside. A flicker of hesitation and calculation crossed his face before he quickly approached Yan Chi. "Crown Prince! Princess! Please, you must save him—save Brother Ning!"Yan Chi and the others took advantage of the darkness to enter the courtyard. Upon hearing the commotion, Yan Chi immediately signaled. Bai Feng took out a fire starter and lit it. As the flame ignited, everyone immediately saw the bloodstains on Wu Yu—his hands and body were covered in blood, making him appear particularly cruel and terrifying. Wu Yu had initially looked anxious, but as the light flared, he too noticed the blood on himself. His expression changed abruptly, and he hurriedly exclaimed, "It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me! Hurry and save him, but this matter truly has nothing to do with me—"

Yan Chi frowned and strode toward the inner chamber. Bai Feng stepped forward first to light the lamp in the room. As the lamp brightened, the scene inside shocked everyone, their faces paling drastically. The room was old and covered in dust, but at that moment, a long table stood in the center, upon which lay a person—Ning Buyi.

Ning Buyi lay with his eyes tightly shut, his upper body bare. When they had entered in the afternoon, he had been a living person, but now, a cross-shaped gash marked his chest. The wound was deep, and blood streamed down his chest, soaking the entire long table. Drops of blood trickled from the table, pooling into a small puddle on the floor.

Today’s perpetrator intended to carry out a live sacrifice in the Hell of Blades and Saws. Seeing Ning Buyi in this state, it was clear he was to be burned as an offering. With this, the identity of the culprit was unmistakable!

Zhan Yang and Zheng Baishi had already suspected Wu Yu, and now they had caught him red-handed. What more could Wu Yu possibly say?

Zhan Yang turned around and sneered, "At this point, Third Young Master, surely you’re not going to fabricate a story about accidentally stumbling in here?! Who would have thought you could be so depraved and vicious!"

Wu Yu’s face turned ashen. "Zhan Butou! It wasn’t me! Truly, it wasn’t me!"

Zheng Baishi frowned deeply. "Third Young Master, whatever you have to say, you may say it at the magistrate’s office."

Yan Chi turned and glanced at Wu Yu, issuing a calm order, "Seize him!"

At his command, guards descended from the roof, all charging toward Wu Yu. Wu Yu retreated two steps, initially intending to resist, but after barely a dozen exchanges, he was subdued by several black-clad guards.

Forced to his knees, Wu Yu glared indignantly toward the room. "It wasn’t me! Truly, it wasn’t me! Today, I had ordered a painting from the gallery, and Master Ning personally delivered it to me. When he arrived, we were drinking tea together, but after just a few sips, he suddenly fainted. Naturally, I was shocked, but then I also lost consciousness. When I woke up, it was just moments ago!"

Wu Yu was frantic but managed to speak coherently. "I smelled blood, realized something had happened to Master Ning, and stumbled out in a panic. I had just reached the doorway when I saw all of you! Zhan Butou! Lord Zheng, you must believe me!"

Inside the room, Qin Guan had already approached the long table to check Ning Buyi’s pulse.

Soon, Qin Guan announced, "He still has a breath. He can be saved. The blood loss isn’t excessive—"

As she spoke, Qin Guan immediately took out a handkerchief to clean Ning Buyi’s wound, instructing Baiying while she worked, "Baiying, return to the residence and fetch needles, thread, and hemostatic medicine—"

The place wasn’t far from the Marquis’s residence. As soon as Qin Guan gave the order, Baiying turned and hurried out.

Yan Chi stepped forward. "Will you treat him here?"

Qin Guan nodded. "Right here. You go ahead and handle the interrogation. Don’t worry, I won’t let him die."As she spoke, Qin Guan glanced at Wu Yu being restrained in the courtyard. The person she had suspected was Ning Buyi, but she never expected that upon entering, Ning Buyi would turn out to be the victim, while the murderer was actually Wu Yu!

Saving lives was what Qin Guan excelled at most, and Yan Chi had the utmost confidence in entrusting this task to her.

Yan Chi nodded and strode out of the room. In the courtyard, Wu Yu’s eyes were red with anger, his face full of stubborn defiance. "It wasn’t me! Truly, it wasn’t me! Every word I’ve said is true—"

Zhan Yang sneered coldly, "Not long after this case occurred, Third Young Master came to the magistrate’s office to report it. Was it to pressure the office and divert our attention? Later, Third Young Master repeatedly visited the Mortuary Temple and the magistrate’s office, gaining a thorough understanding of the case. That day, when Third Young Master fled into his own residence, we could have convicted him, but we lacked conclusive evidence. So we let it go. But this time, even with a silver tongue, you won’t be able to talk your way out of it!"

Wu Yu stiffened his neck. "Zhan Butou! I know this situation looks suspicious, but it really wasn’t me! I truly was drugged after drinking tea. It was someone else—someone else who wanted to harm Master Ning and frame me—"

Zhan Yang frowned. "Then why don’t you tell us, Third Young Master, if there was a third person in this room?"

Wu Yu’s expression shifted slightly, but he couldn’t find the words to respond. Zhan Yang scoffed, "Why don’t you explain why you’ve been so ruthless as to kill five people in a row?"

Wu Yu gritted his teeth. "It wasn’t me! I told you, I didn’t kill anyone…"

Yan Chi strode out of the room. "Then, Third Young Master, can you explain why you showed up here today?"

At this question, Wu Yu’s eyes darted nervously. Zheng Baishi added, "Does this residence also belong to you?"

Wu Yu lowered his gaze, then after a moment raised his head again. "Lord Zheng, this residence belongs to a friend of mine. I intended to redecorate it today. Since it’s close to the magistrate’s office—unlike my residence in the west, which is too far away—I asked Master Ning to deliver the painting here. I never expected something like this to happen!"

At this point, no matter what Wu Yu said, Zheng Baishi and the others were unlikely to believe him easily.

Zhan Yang pressed further, "This case has spanned over a month. If you could kill so many people, why wouldn’t you be able to fabricate a plausible excuse? If you were the only one in this residence, then tell me, who else could have harmed Master Ning?!"

Wu Yu smiled bitterly. "How would I know that…"

Zhan Yang said coldly, "Of course you don’t know—because you’re the murderer!"

Inside the room, Qin Guan had already performed basic first aid to stop Ning Buyi’s bleeding. Baiying had not yet returned with the medicine, so Qin Guan began examining the room’s layout. It was clear that the room had only been cleaned a few days ago—cobwebs still lingered in the corners of the ceiling. Wu Yu’s explanation seemed plausible enough, but the one puzzling detail was this: if there was no third person present, not even a servant, then who had administered the poison?!

Wu Yu claimed he had been drugged after drinking tea—

Qin Guan turned her attention to the teacups on the nearby table. There were two cups and a teapot. She walked over, inspected the teapot, then examined the two cups. Frowning, she soon strode out of the room."Third Young Master, you claim the poisoner was someone else, yet there was no Dreamland Drug in the teapot—only the two teacups contained it. Please tell us, which of these two cups of tea was yours?"

Wu Yu lifted his head, "The one on the left was what I drank—"

Qin Guan's eyes darkened slightly, "That confirms it. The tea in the left cup remains largely untouched, while the right one has been more than half consumed."

Upon hearing this, Zhan Yang hurried into the room to verify. Indeed, it was just as Qin Guan had described. Returning outside, he remarked, "Third Young Master likely didn't anticipate we'd trace the evidence directly here, hence these oversights in covering his tracks."

Wu Yu wore an anxious expression, yet he found himself unable to refute the points raised by Qin Guan and Zhan Yang. Glancing at Ning Buyi lying unconscious on the long table, he seemed on the verge of tears, "My friendship with Master Ning isn't deep, and I bear him no grudge—why would I want to harm him?!"

Zhan Yang frowned, "To prepare your altar, of course!"

"Altar?! What altar?!" Wu Yu looked utterly bewildered.

Zhan Yang shook his head, "Keep making excuses, Third Young Master. You can save these words for when you're in prison."

Zhan Yang decided to press no further and instead turned to Zheng Baishi and Yan Chi. Yan Chi added, "Search the premises thoroughly. Interrogations can wait until tomorrow. We must also wait for the Lady to revive Ning Buyi and hear his account."

Zhan Yang nodded and immediately led a team to conduct the search. He soon returned to report, "This courtyard is quite similar to Wu Yu's previous small residence—very old and dilapidated. Only the main room is somewhat clean; the rest is uninhabitable. The kitchen only has a stove for boiling water, and the adjacent Warm Chamber contains writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Aside from these, there's just one set of tea utensils that's usable."

In summary, this was far from an ideal place to receive guests.

After a short wait, Baiying returned with the medicine, and Qin Guan promptly began suturing Ning Buyi's wound anew.

Having frequently needed sutures for wounds, Qin Guan had taken to making her own from catgut, which now came in handy. Zheng Baishi and the others watched in astonishment as she used needle and thread to stitch human flesh. Once the wound was closed, medicine was applied and bandaged, and only then did Qin Guan wipe the faint sweat from her brow and relax.

"He should wake around dawn. It would be best to wait half an hour for the bleeding to clot before moving him from here." As she spoke, Qin Guan gazed at Ning Buyi's deathly pale face and added, "This time, it seems my deduction was mistaken."