Сhaptеr 17: Sеriаl Мurdеr Case 3
Воth Jiang Ming аnd Jing Lin were stаrtlеd. А lооk оf delight aрpeared on Jiang Мing’s fаcе as hе hurriеdlу rеcоrdеd thе dеtаils of this imрortant discоvеry with а charcоal pеncil, prаising аs hе wrоtе, “Тrulу worthy оf thе Greаt Раvilion Сommаndеr! I am utterlу сonvinсed! With your kеen insight, I believе thе Innеr Guard Вureau will soоn unсоver thе truе сulрrit in this саse!”
Zhu Yаn рursed hеr lips, hеr gaze invоluntarilу rеturning tо the shоuldеr оf thе silk robe. Indeеd, no clothing with such embrоidery had bеen seеn in the саpitаl recently, but how could Shen Du remember so clearly what styles a silk workshop had sold and when, even after all these years?
He really was a monster!
With such confidence, if his memory were flawed, wouldn’t he lead everyone astray?
As Zhu Yan silently grumbled, she heard Shen Du speak again: “The archives in the library contain the case files from the Brocade Workshop incident. Among them is an illustrated catalog documenting the patterns and designs used by the Brocade Workshop over a decade. Jing Lin, after returning, cross-check and confirm this to avoid any errors.”
“Yes!” Jing Lin promptly replied.
After speaking, Shen Du’s gaze seemed to sweep past Zhu Yan’s face. It was just a fleeting glance, but she couldn’t tell if it was her imagination—she thought she saw the corners of his thin lips curl into a mocking smile.
Yet when she focused her attention, Shen Du’s expression remained as calm as ever, with nothing amiss.
Zhu Yan touched her own face. Had her skepticism been too obvious just now, and had Shen Du noticed it?
Jing Lin’s eyes swept over the room full of corpses, feeling as if a chilling wind had swept through, raising the hairs on the back of his neck.
“If all these people were killed by the same person, then the murderer is truly deranged. In my opinion, it must have been a strong and powerful man to manage this. The murderer even dared to cut open chests and remove hearts—perhaps he was a butcher who slaughtered pigs,” Jing Lin speculated.
Jiang Ming, already impressed by Shen Du’s earlier deduction, thought that anyone by the Great Pavilion Commander’s side must also be capable and nodded in agreement. “What the young brother says makes sense.”
Feeling validated by Jiang Ming’s approval, Jing Lin added smugly, “These coffins were all excavated from the Western Brightness Temple. It’s possible that someone in the temple collaborated with the murderer!”
“No, in my opinion, the murderer is likely a woman.” Zhu Yan already had her own thoughts, which differed from Jing Lin’s, and she couldn’t help but voice her disagreement.
“Why?” Jing Lin and Jiang Ming asked in unison.
Jiang Ming frowned. “Zhu Yan, Zhu…”
At the Ministry of Justice, Jiang Ming had always addressed the young girl by her full name. He knew that although Zhu Yan was young, she was exceptionally clever and must have her reasons for saying this. Naturally, he wanted to understand her reasoning.
But as soon as he uttered her name, he suddenly remembered that she was now married to Shen Du, and her status was no longer what it once was. If this were the Ministry of Justice, it might not matter, but her new husband was right here—the formidable Great Pavilion Commander who struck fear into everyone’s hearts. He quickly changed his address:
“What insights does the Document Secretary have?”
“Look at the wounds on each female corpse’s face—their positions, lengths, and depths are almost identical. This shows the murderer didn’t slash randomly but did so deliberately. If it were a man, what reason would he have to destroy a woman’s face?”
Zhu Yan pointed toward the bodies in the room. “Only a woman would resent another woman’s face enough to ruin her appearance.”"Exactly!" Lu Chuichui, enlightened by Zhu Yan's analysis, clapped in agreement. "Moreover, the murderer arranged the male and female corpses in an embracing posture. With such a sentimental and lingering mindset, perhaps this woman has even suffered from heartbreak."
Jiang Ming pondered for a moment. "That does make sense."
"Sense, sense—you're just a fence-sitter with no opinions of your own. Better to keep quiet," Jing Lin said irritably.
He turned to Zhu Yan. "If it's a woman, how could she kill twelve people over six years? These men weren't old, weak, or sick—each died in their prime. Could they really be no match for a woman?"
"If we dismiss possibilities simply because we haven't seen them before, many strange cases in this world would never be solved."
Facing Jing Lin's skepticism, Zhu Yan remained calm and composed.
Lu Chuichui chimed in, "Exactly! Maybe she's a martial arts expert. Who says a woman can't defeat a man?"
As they went back and forth, Shen Du's face turned ashen, his deep eyes gradually frosting over with a chilling, layered coldness.
Wu Taiming, standing beside him, had felt something was amiss when Zhu Yan spoke. Sensing Shen Du's displeasure, he hurriedly said, "Great Pavilion Commander, these two girls have always been fond of mischief and wild speculation. Please do not take offense."
He shot Zhu Yan a meaningful glance, signaling her to say no more. Zhu Yan promptly sealed her lips, silently chiding herself for getting carried away in the heat of the moment.
Since this matter had been handed over to the Inner Guard Bureau, and she belonged to the Ministry of Justice, she naturally had no business interfering. Shen Du had always been wary of her; if she rashly voiced her opinions, he might never allow her near the Western Brightness Temple again.
Zhu Yan couldn't help but glance at Shen Du, wanting to argue a few points. But before she knew it, Shen Du strode forward and grabbed her sleeve.
"Since the bodies have been examined, and the Inner Guard Bureau has many affairs to attend to, we shall take our leave."
Before she could react, Zhu Yan was dragged by Shen Du toward the door.
Shen Du was considerably taller than her, and with his long strides, she stumbled to keep up.
"What are you doing?" Zhu Yan couldn't help but whisper in protest.
Hearing that the Inner Guard Bureau had come to investigate, a crowd of onlookers had gathered outside—mostly farmers living around the Western Brightness Temple.
Shen Du walked briskly, and as Zhu Yan was pulled along, she accidentally collided head-on with a woman.
Most of the female spectators were farmwives, dressed in simple cloth garments and hairpins, their faces bare.
But this woman appeared to be around thirty, wearing a silk brocade robe with ruyi patterns, her dark hair coiled into a round bun adorned with a delicate silver hairpin studded with emerald beads. A light layer of powder graced her face, and her fingers, slender as peeled scallions, held a White Silk Gauze Fan with Peonies.
The scent of white brain incense from her sleeves wafted into Zhu Yan's nostrils. Zhu Yan instinctively looked up at her and saw the woman take a step back, slightly bow, and use her fan to cover half her face.
Zhu Yan nodded in apology and, though she had already taken two steps forward, couldn't resist glancing back.
The fan did not conceal the woman's almond-shaped eyes. Their gazes met, and the woman, not expecting Zhu Yan to look back, quickly lowered her eyes, completely cutting off the connection.
Seeing Shen Du emerge, the commoners outside all showed expressions of fear, kneeling one after another to pay their respects. Yet this woman's face remained utterly composed, showing neither fear of the corpses nor dread of Shen Du.
Turning away, Zhu Yan couldn't help but fall into thought.
"If you have time to stand pondering in the middle of the street, you'd be better off focusing your efforts elsewhere."Shen Du looked at her with contempt in his eyes. After releasing his grip, he deliberately took out a roll of golden silk handkerchief and meticulously wiped his hands, as if he had just touched something filthy.
Zhu Yan watched, rolling her eyes so hard they nearly reached the sky. Crude words were on the tip of her tongue, but then she heard Shen Du say, "Let's go, to the Ministry of Justice."
The Ministry of Justice?
Zhu Yan was puzzled, thinking that the Inner Guard Bureau handled cases under the Emperor's orders. With their extensive network of informants and allies, investigating cases should be far more convenient than the Ministry of Justice.
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