"The deceased is female, approximately five feet two inches in height."
"Due to the absence of the head, the identity cannot be determined at this time."
The atmosphere in the side hall shifted instantly. Huo Huaixin couldn't help but interject, "What does Ninth Miss mean by this? Although the head hasn't been found, this person was wearing a wedding gown and followed the bridal procession. It must undoubtedly be Song Rou."
"Prefect, you're jumping to conclusions."
Qin Guan calmly refuted him before leaning over the body again.
Huo Huaixin wanted to argue further but was suddenly struck by the intense focus emanating from Qin Guan. Despite his decades of life experience, he found himself inexplicably intimidated by her presence at this moment.
The side hall fell silent. Qin Guan's gaze was almost tangible as it meticulously swept over the corpse wrapped in the wedding gown.
"Since we cannot perform an autopsy, we can only examine the body externally. If anyone feels uncomfortable, they may step out."
Her voice was icy calm, carrying a chill reminiscent of the Cold Moon.
No one moved. Huo Huaixin glanced at Huo Ning, but the latter stood stubbornly near the doorway, refusing to leave. With a sigh, Huo Huaixin turned his attention back to Qin Guan's examination.
Qin Guan didn't immediately remove the clothing. Instead, she carefully observed first. "Coroner Xu, have you moved the deceased's garments?"
Xu He hurried forward. "Yes, but... but the Prefect instructed not to damage Miss Song's remains, so I didn't remove them completely. I only examined her shoulders, back, and legs for wounds before rearranging everything properly." He paused slightly. "We conducted the initial examination on the first day the body arrived. There were no obvious injuries."
Qin Guan didn't acknowledge Xu He's findings. She gave a faint nod before stating solemnly, "The wedding gown is intact. Aside from faint bloodstains at the collar, there are no other traces of blood."
As she finished speaking, Yan Chi had already recorded her words.
Qin Guan suddenly looked at Huo Huaixin. "Has Miss Song's bridal sedan been inspected?"
Huo Huaixin nodded hastily. "Yes, it has. The sedan was a proper Eight-Carrier Treasure Sedan without any mechanisms. Neither the carpets on the ground nor the surrounding curtains and window frames showed any bloodstains. It's very strange."
Qin Guan frowned, her expression darkening. She examined the severed neck of the corpse, then without hesitation, placed her hand over it, carefully removing the maggots. Moments later, she began undressing the body.
Though it was a female corpse, six days had passed. Even with the ice basin, the body under Qin Guan's hands had already swollen and decayed. When she fully removed the wedding gown, the stench intensified. What should have been the body of a young maiden had turned into a bloated, greenish-purple corpse covered in cadaveric spots, a sight too gruesome to behold.
"Rigor mortis has disappeared. Cadaveric spots cover the entire body, dark purple and unyielding to pressure. The corpse has begun decomposing, with noticeable bloating in the lower abdomen. Green decomposition spots have formed on the private areas and the back of the thighs. There are no obvious external wounds except for the fatal injury at the severed neck."
As she spoke, Qin Guan used Cold Moon to pry open the blood clot at the neck.
"The wound at the neck is clean, and the spinal bone is severed smoothly. It was likely a single fatal strike."The wound had already begun to fester and rot. Though Qin Guan wore gloves, this young woman of peerless beauty remained utterly composed as she calmly examined the putrid, maggot-infested flesh. Her serene demeanor was unshakable, her clear spring-like eyes deepening into an abyss, reflecting the lamplight in the room and casting an inexplicable aura of solemnity and sanctity around her.
"The time of death should be approximately six days ago. The presence of an ice basin in the room has slowed the decomposition of the corpse. However, without performing an autopsy, a more precise determination cannot be made."
Qin Guan's words, spoken emotionlessly and syllable by syllable, carried an eerie chill in the grim confines of the shabby room. Huo Ning stood nearby, watching her conduct the corpse examination. The more he observed, the more he felt she was drifting further away from him. The truth lay before his eyes, and he knew he had been wrong to doubt and belittle her. A tumult of emotions—anger, bitterness, humiliation, disappointment, and shame—swirled within him, leaving him in a daze.
"There are no obvious wounds on the victim's neck. However, due to the absence of the head, other potential injuries remain to be investigated. That said, we can preliminarily conclude that the victim was decapitated while still alive."
Her words sent a chill through the room. Qin Guan pointed to the severely decomposed severed neck and continued, "The scab is extremely dark in color, and the muscle fibers at the severed neck are severely contracted. Additionally, blood has deeply penetrated between the victim's spine and trachea. If the decapitation had occurred postmortem, the blood penetration wouldn't be this pronounced."
Qin Guan's reasoning was meticulous, yet to Huo Huaixin and the others, the severed neck was so decayed that nothing discernible remained. As she spoke, Qin Guan suddenly let out a soft exclamation.
"Bring the lamp closer—"
Yue Qing hurried to move the lamp from the corner nearer to the corpse. The closer he got, the more nauseating the sight became. Yet, as he glanced at Qin Guan, admiration welled in his eyes.
"Ninth Miss, what is it?" Huo Huaixin couldn't help but ask.
Qin Guan didn't answer immediately. Instead, she said, "Since the victim was decapitated while alive, blood would have sprayed outward. Yet, the bloodstains on the collar of the wedding gown are faint and sparse. This proves the victim wasn't wearing the gown at the time of death."
Huo Huaixin gasped. "But... but she was found wearing the wedding gown. Does that mean... she was already dead when someone dressed her in it and placed her in the bridal sedan?"
Qin Guan nodded. "The bridal sedan wasn't the murder scene."
Huo Huaixin pressed urgently, "Then where was she killed?"
This time, Qin Guan didn't respond. She suddenly began meticulously examining the wounds on the corpse, as if searching for something. Moments later, she shifted her position, moving to the side of the long table. Her gaze settled on the victim's private area.
After death, the areas most prone to decomposition are wounds, followed by the orifices and private regions. With the head missing, Qin Guan could only focus on the latter. Having previously witnessed her examine the genitals of a male corpse, the onlookers remained composed this time.
Qin Guan bent down, inspecting the swollen and decayed lower abdomen. Suddenly, she raised her hand, pinching something between her fingers. "Coroner Xu, do you recognize this?"
Xu He frowned and stepped forward to look. To his astonishment, Qin Guan was holding a tiny ant between her fingers.
Xu He's expression shifted dramatically. "Is this... a White-Toothed Ant?"Qin Guan nodded. "The White-Toothed Ant originates from the south of Great Zhou, feeding on rotten wood and often inhabiting birch tree clusters. Earlier, I noticed signs of gnawing on the victim's wounds but didn't expect it to be these ants."
Huo Huaixin was still stunned when Qin Guan looked at him and said, "Prefect, this makes everything clear now."
Regaining his composure but still confused, Huo Huaixin asked, "How... how is it clear—"
"The killer beheaded the victim with a single slash—brutal and precise. This suggests the murderer is a man trained in martial arts. He must have acted covertly. On the day of the incident, the victim was escorted into Jinzhou City with the bridal procession. The killer couldn't have struck within the procession, as there was no opportunity along the way. The only chance would have been during the resting stops the night before or at noon."
"White-Toothed Ants gather in colonies and only appear among birch trees, which aren't common in the south. Even when present, they form small groves. So, Prefect, if you check the resting spots of the bridal procession for nearby birch groves, you can likely locate the murder site." She added, "The victim's head was probably discarded there."
Huo Huaixin's eyes lit up, and he immediately exclaimed, "Ninth Miss, you're truly brilliant! I'll send men to search at once!"
The case had stalled for days, but with this new lead, Huo Huaixin felt reinvigorated. He cupped his hands in gratitude toward Qin Guan before rushing out to dispatch his men. Watching him leave, Qin Guan raised a brow and turned to Xu He. "Coroner Xu, bring me the white vinegar."
Handing her the vinegar, Xu He asked, "What else do you need to examine, Ninth Miss?"
Qin Guan shook her head. "Since we can't perform an autopsy, we must scrutinize the corpse's surface as thoroughly as possible."
As she applied the vinegar, she remarked, "The body has begun decomposing, so findings may be limited. If it's too uncomfortable here, step outside for some air."
The room fell silent as Qin Guan waited after applying the vinegar. Yue Qiong was the first to move, opening the window for better ventilation. Unable to bear it any longer, Yue Qing joined him by the window.
Qin Guan remained still, her gaze fixed on the corpse. Suddenly, she frowned and leaned closer to inspect the shoulder.
Yan Chi, who had been observing her, approached as well.
The cadaveric spots had spread severely, and greenish decay had formed around the wounds on the shoulder. Qin Guan's eyes were locked on the mottled purple and green patches on the left shoulder.
After a moment, she carefully used Cold Moon to peel away the rotting skin, revealing crimson flesh beneath.
Even without expertise in corpse examination, Yan Chi could clearly see tiny black dots amidst the red.
He couldn't help but ask, "What is this?"
Qin Guan's expression flickered with surprise, but she quickly masked it with calm composure. Narrowing her eyes, she replied in a voice so soft only Yan Chi could hear, laden with quiet significance:
"These are bite marks."
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