Huo Ning stepped out of the Mortuary Temple, drenched in cold sweat.
The sky had darkened, and eerie winds howled through the temple. He had no desire to linger a moment longer.
To slow the decay of Song Rou's corpse, the crude Mortuary Temple had been filled with blocks of ice. Yet even so, after several days, the side hall where her body lay reeked of putrefaction...
"Ugh... I can't take it anymore. It's revolting!"
Huo Ning brushed at the nonexistent dust on his sleeves, as though trying to shake off the stench of death.
His attendants, Fei Quan and Nan Feng, stood nearby—one holding a Scent Pill, the other a folding fan—one fumigating, the other fanning, both eyes brimming with concern.
Fei Quan and Nan Feng were both named after ancient zithers, as Huo Ning had an elegant fondness for music and named all his servants after famous instruments. He also had two maidservants, Du You and Lu Qi.
"Young Master, you've worked so hard, making a special trip here again. If Madam knew, her heart would surely break. Let's hurry back to the manor and have Lu Qi prepare a bath for you. Then you can drink a bowl of Aversion Elixir brewed by Du You."
Fei Quan's voice was earnest—his concern for Huo Ning genuine, but his own fear was just as real.
He had tried his best not to look at the corpse, but even the glimpses caught from the corner of his eye had nearly scared his soul out of his body. He couldn't stand this place for another moment. He couldn't fathom why his master had suddenly taken an interest in the case involving the master of the house.
Huo Ning coughed lightly and swatted away the Scent Pill in Fei Quan's hand. "Get that away from me! That's something the girls at Spring Fragrance House use. What are you doing fumigating me with it?!"
Fei Quan forced a bitter smile. "Young Master, this is the only thing that can mask the smell on you. The fragrance might be a bit... flamboyant, but at least it's better than the stench clinging to you!"
Already dizzy from the corpse's foul odor, Huo Ning now found the overpowering, pungent scent of the perfume churning his stomach. He glared at Fei Quan. "Your master is a man of dignity! What use do I have for this trash? Scram!"
He strode forward a few steps but didn't leave, instead scanning the distant street.
Fei Quan reluctantly tucked away the Scent Pill, while Nan Feng stepped up beside Huo Ning, following his gaze. "Young Master, what are you waiting for? It's getting dark—aren't we returning to the manor?"
Huo Ning snorted. "I'm waiting for someone!"
Nan Feng and Fei Quan exchanged glances. "Who are you waiting for?" Nan Feng asked, surprised.
"Xu He. I made arrangements with him—he's coming today to conduct another Corpse Examination."
Nan Feng and Fei Quan paled, their eyes trembling. Fei Quan could barely speak. "Y-Young Master... you're going to assist Coroner Xu with the examination? Does the master know about this? Does Madam?"
Huo Ning lifted his chin. "Mother doesn't need to know about men's affairs outside the home. As for Father... I'll inform him once I have results." He turned a sharp glare on them. "And you two—keep your mouths shut!"
Fei Quan and Nan Feng pouted, their faces crestfallen as they muttered their assent.
Just then, a slender figure appeared at the end of the street, jogging toward them.Xu He was of average height and extremely thin. His bamboo-like frame carried a large case of tools, making his running gait appear laborious. Huo Ning watched Xu He with tightly knitted brows. Ever since the old coroner from the prefectural yamen had died of illness half a year ago, this new coroner had taken his place. The new coroner had previously served in a small county office under Jinzhou, and it was said he hadn’t handled many cases. Moreover, seeing how he struggled just to run while carrying a case, he was likely unreliable.
Huo Ning sighed, but there was no other choice. The coroner’s role was a lowly one, yet it required skill and experience. Xu He was so young and had handled so few cases—it was obvious how capable he was.
If only the old coroner hadn’t died of illness.
While Huo Ning lamented to himself, Xu He finally arrived, panting heavily.
"Young Master, I—I’ve come…"
Huo Ning gave him an impatient glance and tilted his chin slightly. "Why are you so late?!"
Xu He bent at the waist with an ingratiating smile. "This humble one was sorting through old documents at the yamen this afternoon, which delayed me. Young Master, shall we begin the corpse examination now?"
Huo Ning exhaled and glanced at the dimly lit mortuary temple, reluctant to enter.
"You go in and examine it. I’ll wait here."
Xu He’s lips twitched at this. Night was already falling, and though lanterns could be lit inside, being alone in there was still unsettling. Yet as he hesitated, a figure flashed through his mind—someone even slighter than him, yet standing before gutted corpses with unshakable composure.
Xu He straightened his back. "Very well. Please wait a moment, Young Master…"
With that, he strode into the shadowy main hall.
Huo Ning raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. He looks timid and frail, yet his courage isn’t small."
Fei Quan sighed. "Young Master, he’s a coroner. This is his trade. They’ve seen so many corpses that a pale, lifeless body probably looks no different from a slab of pork to them. Why would he be afraid—"
Huo Ning kicked at Fei Quan. "Nonsense! Comparing it to pork right next to the dead—watch out lest they come for you tonight." As he spoke, he gritted his teeth, suppressing the sour bile rising in his throat.
Fei Quan, startled by Huo Ning’s words, clapped a hand over his mouth and bowed repeatedly toward the inner hall. "This lowly one was wrong, terribly wrong! I shouldn’t have spoken carelessly. Don’t come for me, don’t come for me…"
Ignoring Fei Quan, Huo Ning turned to Nan Feng. "Go see what he’s doing."
Nan Feng was reluctant, but under Huo Ning’s sharp glare, he had no choice but to enter.
He went in quickly and returned even faster, gasping for breath the moment he stepped out. "He’s burning medicinal herbs. The stench inside has lessened quite a bit. Coroner Xu seems well-prepared and methodical. Young Master, there’s hope!"
Huo Ning nodded. "That’s more like it. At least the yamen hasn’t been feeding him for nothing."
Nan Feng fanned himself vigorously as the three stood at the mortuary temple’s entrance, watching the last sliver of daylight fade with varying expressions. Less than half an hour later, footsteps echoed from within.
Fei Quan and Nan Feng startled and turned to look. Xu He emerged, his case slung over his shoulder, his face slightly pale.Huo Ning hurriedly asked, "Well? Have you found any new leads?"
On the cool autumn night, Xu He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said with a bitter expression, "Young Master, it's still basically... well, the same as before... The time of death was five days ago, and the cause of death was—"
"Enough, enough!" Huo Ning waved his hand to cut him off. "I've read your examination report at least a hundred times! But what it says is something any outsider could guess. Miss Song's head is missing—of course, the cause of death is obvious, and the time of death naturally coincides with the day she arrived in Jinzhou City. As a professional coroner, can't you find anything useful for the case?"
Huo Ning was extremely impatient. For many days now, this was the first time he had focused so intently on an important official matter, yet after days of study, there were no results. This left him utterly frustrated and agitated!
Xu He wore a look of shame but still spoke unhurriedly, "It's my lack of skill, Young Master. Please don't be angry..."
Huo Ning was already irritated, and seeing Xu He like this only made him even more furious!
"It's been five days since the crime occurred. Apart from what everyone already knows, the prefecture office hasn't uncovered a single piece of information unknown to others. Miss Song's head must be found eventually. If the Duke's family comes to hold the Prefect accountable, the first one to be severely punished will be you. As a coroner, you've done nothing useful—I really don't know what good you are..."
Huo Ning was beside himself with anger, almost venting his frustration on Xu He. Yet Xu He listened with a humble and apologetic nod, making Huo Ning feel as though his punches were landing on cotton—utterly powerless. Just as he was too annoyed to even curse, Xu He suddenly raised his head. "Young Master, to solve this case, we may need to ask for help from an expert—"
Huo Ning froze. "What expert?"
Xu He's eyes flickered, and he lowered his head. Yue Qiong and Huo Huaixin had both warned him not to reveal Qin Guan's involvement in the corpse examination. But facing Huo Ning, for the sake of solving the case, he still brought it up. However, he couldn't speak too plainly—whether they could invite this person or whether they would succeed wasn't up to him. But if they didn't try, the case might drag on for weeks without progress.
Taking a deep breath, Xu He cautiously said, "There's an expert in Jinzhou City who knows how to examine corpses. The Prefect knows of this person. Since you're eager to solve the case, perhaps you could ask the Prefect about it."
Hearing this, Huo Ning's eyes immediately lit up. Xu He was in the coroner's profession, so he was naturally the most likely to know about retired old coroners. Frowning, Huo Ning snorted coldly, "Why didn't you say so earlier?!"
With that, he immediately strode onto the long street with two servants in tow.
Xu He exhaled a breath as he stood at the eerie entrance of the mortuary temple, the cold wind howling around him.
The rumor that the Ninth Miss of Qin Manor had jumped into the river for Huo Ning—he had heard whispers of it while coming and going from the Prefect's residence. If this proud young master were to learn that the so-called expert was none other than the Ninth Miss of Qin Manor, he wondered what expression he would wear.
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