"Hmm..." Chu Chu furrowed her brow and studied carefully for a moment before suddenly pointing at one line. "This one! It must be this one!"
"Why?"
"This is the only prescription that mixes medicine powder with vinegar to apply on the body. I remember - aside from the burned victim, all three other corpses had the smell of vinegar! I noticed it during my first corpse examination!"
Xiao Jin Yu's brow tightened slightly. "Why didn't you record this in the corpse manifest?"
Chu Chu's face flushed red as she buried it in Xiao Jin Yu's chest. "I thought it was the smell of me being jealous..."
Xiao Jin Yu patted her head with both amusement and exasperation. If jealousy could actually produce a smell, then during his moments of jealousy, people in the Turkic camp would probably be able to detect it...
"Chu Chu... this is a topical prescription."
"Topical application works too! Mr. Gu said that Devil's Snare poison works the same whether applied externally or ingested, it just takes effect more slowly."
"What else did Mr. Gu say?"
"Well... he said as long as you take good care of your health, you can have as many children as you want!"
Xiao Jin Yu's face darkened. "Chu Chu... I was asking about Devil's Snare."
"Oh... then that's all."
Xiao Jin Yu examined the prescription carefully. It was quite simple - soak live dung beetles in honey water until they die, bake and grind them into powder, then mix with vinegar and apply to broken sores.
Dung beetles, honey water, vinegar...
"Chu Chu, is Devil's Snare poison effective against insects?"
"I don't know either..."
Xiao Jin Yu sighed softly and folded the paper in his hand. "We can only try."
"Try what?"
"Chu Chu... are you still sleepy?"
Chu Chu shook her head. The thought of the case made her too excited to feel any sleepiness.
"Let's make a bet."
"Bet on what?"
"Dung beetles."
At some point, an upside-down bowl had appeared on the table in the room. When Chu Chu lifted it as Xiao Jin Yu instructed, sure enough, two plump dung beetles scrambled out eagerly.
"Wang Ye, where did these come from?"
"Jing Yi... caught them."
Chu Chu scooped the two black little creatures back into the bowl, watching with interest as they persistently clawed at the smooth bowl walls, futilely pushing their round bodies upward. "Wang Ye, what are we betting on?"
Xiao Jin Yu relaxed in his wheelchair. "Draw two lines on the table, place them on the lines, and bet which one reaches the end first."
Chu Chu frowned at the two black, chubby creatures crawling aimlessly in the bowl. "Will they... run in straight lines?"
"If they run crooked, just nudge them back onto the line and continue."
"Hmm..." Chu Chu pointed at one dung beetle that was desperately clawing at the bowl wall with all its limbs. "This one seems more energetic, it'll definitely run faster!"
Xiao Jin Yu smiled faintly. "Your choice... but I'll have to poison mine with Devil's Snare."
Chu Chu giggled. "Then you better watch it carefully, don't let it commit suicide halfway through!"
"Alright..."
"So what's the wager? I don't have any money!"
"Not money..." Xiao Jin Yu glanced over Chu Chu. "Let's bet clothes."
"Clothes?"
Xiao Jin Yu curled the corner of his mouth slightly. "Whoever loses takes off their clothes."
"Deal!"Chu Chu drew a line on the ground. Xiao Jin Yu placed the dung beetle she had given him into a teacup, took out a small paper packet from his sleeve, and sprinkled a pinch of powder into the cup. After the sluggish dung beetle lazily stirred inside for a while, he retrieved it with a handkerchief.
"Wang Ye, are you ready?"
"Mm."
"One, two, three... go!"
The moment the two dung beetles took a few steps, Chu Chu was dumbfounded. Though Xiao Jin Yu’s beetle moved unhurriedly, it obediently crawled straight along the line. Hers, on the other hand, scurried quickly but veered east and west, making her sweat profusely from the frantic effort. In the end, Xiao Jin Yu’s beetle reached the finish line first.
Calm and composed, Xiao Jin Yu picked up both beetles with his handkerchief and returned them to the bowl. Smiling, he pulled the fuming Chu Chu close. "My prize?"
Only then did Chu Chu catch the full amusement in his eyes. "Wang Ye! You... you knew all along!"
"Not certain... that’s why we had to test it."
Chu Chu flushed with frustration. "You... you cheated!"
Xiao Jin Yu’s smile deepened. "A bet is a bet. Those in the coroner’s profession must keep their word."
Chu Chu bit her lip, blinked, then suddenly reached out and yanked away the blanket covering Xiao Jin Yu’s legs. Before he could react, she had stripped him bare in a few swift moves.
"You..."
Chu Chu stared defiantly at the helpless Xiao Jin Yu. "You only said the loser had to strip—you never specified who!"
"......!"
"Wang Ye, since it’s already done..."
"......Chu Chu, I have court session today..."
"Mmm..."
"Be gentle..."
"Mm!"
Before the hour of Wei, when Chu Chu accompanied Xiao Jin Yu to the central army tent, the soldiers had already formed ranks around the tent according to their ranks. A vast, orderly sea of people stretched as far as the eye could see, dark and imposing.
Just as Xue Ming had said, the snow had fallen intermittently all night without stopping, and by daybreak, large goose-feather flakes swirled down. The soldiers stood motionless, snow blanketing their heads and shoulders, their faces grim and overcast. The sight made Chu Chu’s heart pound nervously. In contrast, Xiao Jin Yu stood straight-backed, his expression cool and composed. He walked forward without a single glance sideways, as if the crowd did not exist at all.
The curtains on all four sides of the central army tent were rolled up, revealing a table facing south inside. Several rosewood chairs were arranged on either side of the table. The tent was already filled with people, and Chu Chu immediately recognized Leng Pei Shan and Xue Ming at the forefront. Both wore icy expressions, while the lower-ranking officials appeared increasingly tense. Despite the harsh winter, with wind blowing and snow drifting, beads of sweat glistened prominently on their foreheads.
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