CH 32

In the end, Bó Ruò Yōu selected a dissection knife that was the size of a willow leaf which was extremely sharp and thin.

Just as everyone was curious as to how she was going to use this object to open the skull, they saw her walk up to the north face of the coffin bed and use that dissection knife to slit open the corpse’s scalp in a deft and accurate manner. In the next moment, she lifted up a piece of scalp that was on the back of the deceased’s head.

“Vomit—”

Wú Yú’s face became ghastly pale, and he could not help but dry heave. When he saw Huò Wēi Lóu looking over with wrinkled brows, Wú Yú covered his mouth with one hand, an apology welling in his eyes as he half-clasped his hands as a parting salutation before he turned around and stepped out of the door.

After stepping out, he breathed in and out deeply through his mouth. At the side, Fu gonggong peered at him with a crinkle-eyed smile, “Wú daren isn’t accustomed to it, is he?”

Wú Yú was still dry heaving, and he squeezed out a bitter smile upon hearing that remark. At this moment, an additional person joined him which made him raise his eyes, but the fact that it was Yuè Míng Quán came as a surprise. Yuè Míng Quán’s brows were tightly knit as he hissed out the cold air, and when he noticed Fu gonggong and Wú Yú staring at him, he raised a hand to touch his hair before speaking in a rough voice: “I fucking felt like my own scalp was being peeled away—”

After hearing him describe it that way, Wú Yú’s scalp numbed unbearably as well.

Yuè Míng Quán asked Fu gonggong in a low voice: “Where did Hou’ye find such a character?”

Fu gonggong replied smilingly, “From Qingzhou.”

Everyone was aware that Huò Wēi Lóu came from Qingzhou, and Yuè Míng Quán wanted to inquire about this topic further, but when he thought about Huò Wēi Lóu’s temperament, then recalled the calmness with which Bó Ruò Yōu took a knife to slice off a person’s scalp, the internal desire to ask more inexplicably fled from him.

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At this moment, crisp knocking sounds travelled out from the room.

Yuè Míng Quán and Wú Yú exchanged glances before the pair turned around to look inside the room again. Wú Yú shrank back in a hurry while Yuè Míng Quán’s lip corners twitched, before he obediently turned around to stand outside the door.

In front of the coffin bed, Bó Ruò Yōu was holding onto a knife with her left hand and pressing the sharp edge of the blade against the skull as she held a small iron hammer in her right, knocking the hammer on the blade handle in an attempt to pry open the skull.

“Ding ding ding,” the sound of impact was crisp and sonorous, each hit jolting the hearts of the people present. Let alone Wú Yú and his group, even Huò Wēi Lóu was slightly surprised. He had witnessed corpse dissections, but it was really the first time he saw the opening of the skull.

If a living person had their skulls pried open, their death was without question, but to the deceased, as long as the head was injured, the injury would always be obvious, and most coroners could deduce whether it was the fatal wound by touching the bone. Zhèng Wén Chén had fallen to his death from a building because his head had taken the brunt impact back at Marquis Anqing Residence, and Bó Ruò Yōu hadn’t opened his skull then.

His gaze landed on Bó Ruò Yōu’s visage, only noting that her dark eyebrows were still knitted together. Because she had been bending over for a long time, a fine layer of sparkling perspiration had gathered on her forehead, but her eyes were narrowed slightly, as if any clues would find it difficult to escape her eyes.

Those jointed, daintily slender and elegant fingers were extremely steady as they held a knife and hammer, and while the sound of the hammer strikes was clear and melodious, the reality was that the pressure exerted by the knife point was measured and exceedingly precise. Huò Wēi Lóu squinted his eyes, unexpectedly finding a delightful and heart-warming sensation of watching a technique being brought to pin-point perfection, as if it wasn’t a rather horrifying, rotting skull in her hands, but a chunk of fine jade with a roaming tint of green.

Bó Ruò Yōu’s expression was solemn, her gaze focused to the extent where she could not even sense the almost substantial force in Huò Wēi Lóu’s gaze. Her eyes only reflected the bluish-purple scalp and the purplish-red network of veins in his head, her blade edge was jammed inside the skull, and each strike caused it to go deeper. Her body was half-slanted from beginning to end, though the angle of the blade changed a few times, and it took two full pillars of incense (one hour) before a complete piece of his skull was extracted by her.

Nothing could be perceived when the skull was stuck to the brain, but once it was taken out, obvious cracks could be seen on its surface, and the fracturing on the two sides were uneven, one of the halves going as far as splitting into two separate layers of the top and bottom. Bó Ruò Yōu held that skull and scrutinised it momentarily, then placed it at the side to look inside the brain cavity that was underneath the skull. It was unclear what she saw but it left her deeply pensive for two seconds before she retrieved that piece of skull and pressed it back tightly, then she lifted the scalp to cover it again. In a short moment’s work, only the first incision was visible on his head.

The wound at the corner of his forehead was extremely similar to Zhèng Wén Chén’s wound, but Bó Ruò Yōu refused to be negligent in this examination, and she cut open this area as well to inspect it.  The injury was close to the temple and the bone was badly damaged too, and logically speaking, a bone fracture of this degree should cause the blood vessels lining the membrane of the brain to rupture, thereby causing the blood to clot, but Bó Ruò Yōu only discovered a near-negligible outflow of blood at this area.

Furrowing her brows, she straightened up and checked the other injuries on the deceased’s body.

The deceased had been dead for numerous days and sporadic spots of fungi could be seen. Owing to the fact that it had been soaked in water before it was dredged up, the wet spots on the robes were gathered around the back, which caused to the back, buttocks, and thighs of the corpse to putrefy the most, and insect eggs were spawning on top. At the very beginning, apart from the wounds and surrounding bruises, the corpse’s outer appearance did not have other obvious injuries, but once Bó Ruò Yōu used the white vinegar, the injuries on the corpse slowly emerged, especially on the back, abdomen, and arms, thus adding to the tally of obvious purplish-black contusions. 

Bó Ruò Yōu carefully examined the corpse once more, then released a breath as she straightened her body. She gazed at Huò Wēi Lóu, “Hou’ye, min’nü has completed the examination.”

Huò Wēi Lóu nodded, “What is the cause of death?”

Bó Ruò Yōu said with a decisive tone: “There are a number of injuries on the deceased’s body, and there are six to seven external wounds, namely the forehead corner, front chest, left abdomen, left arm and thigh, all of which saw blood, but none of them are mortal wounds. The fatal wound, is on the back of the deceased’s skull.” Bó Ruò Yōu was standing beside the deceased’s head, and she pointed at the injury to punctuate her point.

“The deceased’s skull had fractured, causing the parietal bone of the skull to cave in and shatter into smaller pieces, the external parietal bone was less fractured than the internal parietal bone because the inner bone is thinner and more fragile, and after both parts of the parietal bone were fractured and caved in, the blood vessels underneath the parietal bone ruptured, thus causing a large volume of blood to pool inside the skull. When min’nü examined it just now, there was indeed a lot of blood traces in the soft tissues of the brain and between the nerves of the deceased.”

Having said that, Bó Ruò Yōu pointed at the wound at the corner of the deceased’s forehead, “The wound the deceased suffered here was severe enough to cause death, but the outflow of blood is exceedingly little, and merely a minute amount flowed and stayed between the nerves; therefore, this wound was not fatal.”

After giving a pause, Bó Ruò Yōu glanced at Wáng Qīng Fǔ who was still lingering around at the door, like she was hesitating.

Huò Wēi Lóu stated, “There is no harm in speaking directly.”

Bó Ruò Yōu finally said: “To create this situation, the deceased must have suffered a mortal wound at the back of his head first, thus causing a large outflow of blood, going as far as causing death, before the forehead corner was subsequently injured. Since the deceased was close to his last breath and his heartbeat was becoming sparse, the blood flow slowed, which was why the blood vessels rupturing at the forehead corner near the temple only led to a small amount of blood flowing out.

“The same situation also manifested on other areas of the deceased.”

Bó Ruò Yōu walked to the left side of the coffin bed, “The wounds on the deceased’s torso, abdomen, arms, and legs, are all wide and crude, and there are big and small bruises and abrasions surrounding the wounds, and it is likewise accompanied by the breakage of bones underneath. Min’nü reckons that these open wounds were created by a crude but solid object, and the bruises and bone fractures, were formed from the brunt trauma of falling down from a high place.

“Which also means that, these injuries were caused after Féng daren fell off the mountain precipice, and before Féng daren fell off the precipice, the back of his head was already inflicted with heavy damage. He was first injured by someone, and just as he took his last breaths, he was thrown off the precipice of the back mountain.”

Yuè Míng Quán had previously stated that Féng Lún had lost his footing and fell off the mountain precipice, but with a single statement from Bó Ruò Yōu, it certified that Féng Lún’s death was, unequivocally, a homicide.

The atmosphere in the room stagnated instantaneously.

Huò Wēi Lóu’s voice dropped in temperature, “Are there any other clues?”

Huò Wēi Lóu had been observing Bó Ruò Yōu down to the finest detail just now, and he had absorbed every change in her facial features into his retinas. He was naturally aware that Bó Ruò Yōu’s discovery was not limited to these. Sure enough, Bó Ruò Yōu continued to say: “It started raining from the first watch that night, and it lasted for an hour at least. When min’nü saw the large number of wrinkles on the deceased’s clothes at the start, she had assumed that he had plummeted off the mountain precipice before it rained, but after inspecting the wounds, min’nü realised that it wasn’t necessarily the case.

“The deceased’s clothes, hair, and footwear were all stained with mud, but in some of these external wounds, not a single trace of mud could be found, especially on the deceased’s forehead and chest area. According to the wound vestiges and its arrangement, it is exceedingly likely that he fell into a heap of flagstones and the injuries were subsequently created when he was cut into by the sharp points. Furthermore, the fabric on the chest and other areas have been dampened by water, hence why the bloodstains on the robes became fainter, but the bloodstains at the back of the neck and shoulders of the deceased’s robes did not become fainter at all.

“The deceased was lying on his stomach and looking down after he fell, and he happened to come into contact with the accumulated water on the ground that was left after the rain, which proceeded to soak the clothing that was closer to the ground. If he descended before it rained, then the fabric at the back of his neck and shoulders should be drenched by the rainwater as well, and in the same vein, the different saturations of bloodstains on his robes should not exist.”

Lù Kē was listening at the side, and seeing that Bó Ruò Yōu was done speaking, he immediately said: “Hou’ye, her words are correct. The place that Féng daren fell on was a depression, and there were a lot of rocks near it. When we found Féng daren, Féng daren’s back was dry, but the rain had stopped for quite some time, and the subordinates merely assumed that the clothes had dried on its own, and the thought that Feng daren had never been rained on did not occur [to us].”

In spite of how Lù Kē’s statement confirmed Bó Ruò Yōu’s words to be true, Bó Ruò Yōu shook her head, “No, the bloodstains only prove that Féng daren had fallen off the mountain precipice after the rain stopped, and that he wasn’t affected by the rain for a long period of time after he was injured, but it doesn’t necessarily indicate that he hasn’t been drizzled on by the rain.”

Bó Ruò Yōu gestured at the robes that were placed at the side, “The outer robes that the deceased was wearing that is made out of first-rate Jiangnan silk, and if this grade of silk isn’t properly ironed after it comes into contact with water, it will definitely leave a lot of wrinkles. Hou’ye, please take a look, the deceased’s hemline, back, and other areas already have wrinkles. This signifies that when it was raining that night, Féng daren had gotten wet in the rain.”

Huò Wēi Lóu’s pupils shrank, “Which also means to say, when it was raining that night, Féng Lún was not inside his own meditation hall, and it is exceedingly likely that he had a dispute with someone before he was murdered, and the rain had stopped when the murderer pushed him off the mountain precipice.”

Bó Ruò Yōu nodded, “Precisely so. Besides the mortal wound on the back of the deceased’s head, there are quite a few bruises on his body, min’nü deduces that it was left behind after coming to blows with someone… and on the deceased’s footwear, it was stained with quite a bit of mud. After inspecting it just now, min’nü discovered that most of it was dark brown in colour, and there was a smidgen of rotting vegetation. Is there a pine and cypress forest in the temple somewhere, or perhaps an old bamboo forest?”

Lù Kē quickly said: “There is a bamboo forest near the back mountain cliff.”

The back mountain cliff happened to have a bamboo forest close by…

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Huò Wēi Lóu asked: “When was it discovered that he wasn’t inside his meditation hall that night? Were there any abnormalities before and after?”

Lù Kē replied: “That night, it began to rain just as this subordinate reached the foot of the mountain, and when he arrived inside the temple, half of the first watch had passed (after 8PM). The other three Daren welcomed this subordinate, but Féng daren was nowhere to be seen. Since this subordinate was representing Hou’ye, he planned to discuss with the officials about what should be done with the skeletal remains, and upon noticing that Féng daren had yet to appear, someone was ordered to invite him, but Féng daren was already missing from his meditation hall. Hence, this subordinate said the night was getting late and the discussion would continue the next day, and the other officials proceeded to depart. During that time, we were seated together for around two pillars of incense (one hour), then Great Master Jìng Míng brought this subordinate to this area. This subordinate took over the guarding of this area with some men, and checked the material evidence before resting up. [I] went back shortly after the rain stopped, and apart from Féng daren being absent from his meditation hall, there were no other abnormalities.”

Lù Kē had met Wú Yú and the other two when it was halfway past the first watch, the four had been together for two pillars of incense before they dispersed, and it was already the second watch sharp (9PM) by then. If Féng daren had yet to meet with his demise when the group dispersed, then the crime must have happened afterwards.

Huò Wēi Lóu turned around to look towards Wáng Qīng Fǔ, “After the few of you dispersed, where did you go?”

Wáng Qīng Fǔ hurriedly said: “Xiaguan and Wú-xiong went back to the meditation hall today and we did not leave again, Wú-xiong can testify for zaixia.”

Wú Yú entered through door, “Indeed, Hou’ye, we can testify for each other.”

Yuè Míng Quán came in a step later, saying in a rough voice: “Hou’ye, xiaguan returned to his own meditation hall as well. It was still raining back then, and the hour was getting late, so xiaguan went to bed.”

Huò Wēi Lóu asked: “Are there any witnesses?”

Yuè Míng Quán’s complexion changed slightly, “This… there aren’t any witnesses, but xiaguan did not step out of the doors once that night…”

Huò Wēi Lóu glanced at him briefly, to which Yuè Míng Quán chuckled bitterly, “When xiaguan was working as an official in Luozhou, he got along with Féng daren in great harmony, and there was no discord. When xiaguan entered the Zhenxi Army later, Féng daren was promoted and entered the capital, hence there were scarcely any correspondences afterwards. It’s not possible that xiaguan would harm Féng daren, and what happened that year, xiaguan has already fulfilled his respective duties…”

After giving a pause, Yuè Míng Quán said, “Apart from us, there are a lot of monks in the temple, especially those disciples of Great Master Jìng Kōng. If they are trying to pin the blame of Great Master Jìng Kōng’s demise on our heads, they bear the possibility of harming someone.”

Huò Wēi Lóu stared at Yuè Míng Quán, unwavering, “It hasn’t been confirmed if that set of skeletal remains is Great Master Jìng Kōng.”

There were a lot of gains from the post-mortem autopsy, and the officials that had come under suspicion had all restrained their expressions, only wanting to get rid of their suspicion as soon as possible. When they thought about how all these case details had been provided by Bó Ruò Yōu’s examination, the gaze that they regarded her with became stricter.

Presently, it was genuinely getting late. Lín Huái said hesitantly, “Does Hou’ye want to examine the bones tonight?”

The bones were inside the central hall, and based on Huò Wēi Lóu’s personality, it could be assumed that he did not want to waste any time. It was just that… Lín Huái peered at Bó Ruò Yōu, observing as she took off her protective gloves and kept her tools. He was somewhat hesitant because that guniang was wearing undisguisable fatigue on her face, and it was unknown if she could carry on.

“It will be examined tomorrow.” After saying that, Huò Wēi Lóu looked at Yuè Míng Quán and his group with a strict gaze, “All of the personages here possess high positions and heavy authority, and the original intent of gathering here was to investigate the old affair which dates back years ago, and in the best-case scenario, successfully track down the Śarīra, but the same personages might be related to Féng daren’s death. For the next few days, everyone will have to be under the embroidered emissaries’ supervision.”

Yuè Míng Quán and his group did not dare to be irreverent, and they quickly clasped their hands and responded in the affirmative.

Huò Wēi Lóu then said: “[We] will end here tonight. All of you will be questioned about a lot of details tomorrow, withdraw for now.”

The trio quickly bowed before turning around and withdrawing.

Huò Wēi Lóu instructed Lù Kē: “Dispatch some men to stare at them.”

Lù Kē complied, going out of the door to make the arrangements. Bó Ruò Yōu was in the midst of cleaning her hands at the side when Lín Huái uttered: “Hou’ye should rest as well, it must have been rather tiring on the journey here.”

Huò Wēi Lóu nodded, “Where is Great Master Jìng Míng?”

Jìng Míng had been waiting outside the entire time and he stepped through the room door at the moment. Huò Wēi Lóu stated: “Tell the inner disciples of the temple to not randomly move around for the next few days.”

Jìng Míng replied: “Hou’ye may be at ease, ever since Féng daren met with his demise, all of the classes within the temple have ceased.”

Huò Wēi Lóu hummed in response, then surveyed the room again before turning around to walk outwards. Bó Ruò Yōu naturally followed him upon seeing that, and once they crossed the threshold, Jìng Míng started to lead the way as he said: “Hou’ye’s meditation hall is very near to Lín daren’s, except this female benefactor—”

Huò Wēi Lóu asked, “Are there wing-rooms within the meditation hall?”

Jìng Míng nodded, then Huò Wēi Lóu said: “It will suffice for her to stay in the same hall as benhou.”

Jìng Míng quickly agreed, whereas Lín Huái’s expression deepened slightly when he heard that. Although the pair were staying in the same hall, they were staying in separate rooms; it could be seen that their relationship was not what they perceived it to be.

The group walked out of the courtyard entrance, heading towards the prepared meditation hall under Jìng Míng’s lead.

There were quite a lot of halls built along the mountain incline in the Buddhist temple, extending boundlessly into the distance, and while it was hard to see them distinctively amidst the night colours, its silhouettes could still be distinguished. The entire temple was pervaded with incense fragrance, occasional knockings of the wooden fish could be heard as monks cultivated within their monastery, and it was rather tranquil and peaceful. If it were not for the skeleton hidden within the Buddha statue, and a homicide just occurring within the temple, even Bó Ruò Yōu would be tempted to enter the palace hall to pray.

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As they travelled towards the meditation halls, the distance from the Buddhist palace halls correspondingly increased. Bó Ruò Yōu was just retracting her gaze when, suddenly, she caught sight of a young man holding a night lantern standing outside a courtyard pavilion at the front.

Bó Ruò Yōu was puzzled, but then she saw Huò Wēi Lóu halt his footsteps, “Lín Zhāo is here too.”

Lín Huái said smilingly, “Last year, His Majesty ordered him to compile the Chinese Buddhist Canon. With half of the Buddhist books and records being slated to move to the Capital’s Xiangguo Temple, there was the fear that something would go wrong, so he was asked to come along since he was knowledgeable about this discipline.”

The young man was double-ten in age, clad in a green garment, looking justly handsome and leisurely. Upon seeing their group, he moved towards them in quick strides before he raised his cupped hands and bowed with a smile, “One pays his respect to Hou’ye.”

His attitude was bright, devoid of the fear that Wú Yú and the rest had towards Huò Wēi Lóu. When Huò Wēi Lóu saw him, his voice was also natural and relaxed, “The fact that you and your father came here together to handle official business, is quite hard to come by.”

Lín Zhāo said with a smile: “With Father’s sincere advice, it is reckoned that no mistakes will occur during this errand. Is Hou’ye going to rest up?” Just as those words landed, Lín Zhāo noticed Bó Ruò Yōu, who was standing behind Huò Wēi Lóu, at a glance. His complexion changed slightly, “This individual is…”

Huò Wēi Lóu said in an indifferent voice: “A coroner that benhou recently found.” He did not elaborate further, “The hour is already late, surely a rest is due.”

Lín Huái coughed lightly, saying: “Hou’ye is weary from his travels, you shouldn’t hold him up.” Having said that, he pulled Lín Zhāo aside, “Hou’ye, please—”

Huò Wēi Lóu nodded before lifting his foot and leaving. Bó Ruò Yōu followed Huò Wēi Lóu in departing, but Lín Zhāo’s eyes remained on Bó Ruò Yōu with some shock. Slightly annoyed, Lín Huái lightly nudged Lín Zhāo with his finger, first sending Huò Wēi Lóu to his meditation hall before doubling back.

The pavilion courtyard was the father and son’s temporary lodging. By the time Lín Huái returned, Lín Zhāo had already recovered his wits, and he asked: “Father, that lady is the Marquis’…”

Lín Huái laughed sourly, “She is what the Hou’ye literally meant, a coroner that he recently found.”

Lín Zhāo issued a soft hiss, “She looks like she is just fifteen- or sixteen-years-old, she’s a coroner? A lady as a coroner?”

As Lín Huái stepped through the door, he said, “She’s a coroner, and she’s an especially skilled coroner.” He sighed, “I didn’t believe it at the start either, but think about it, for Hou’ye to choose to keep her by his side, how could she be without her own expertise?”

Lín Zhāo recalled Bó Ruò Yōu’s appearance, shaking his head, “It really doesn’t look like it.”

……

“Just now was Assistant Minister Lín’s noble son, he became an advanced scholar after passing brilliantly in the imperial examinations at an early age, and is currently serving in the Hanlin Academy as an imperial compiler. One did not expect that His Majesty is planning to transfer the Buddhist ancient books and records to Xiangguo Temple, it is no wonder why Great Master Jìng Míng’s complexion was so unnatural just now.”

After entering the hall, Fu gonggong proceeded to open his chatterbox since Great Master Jìng Míng had already left. 

Realisation dawned on Bó Ruò Yōu as she thought about how the father and son of the Lin Family had arrived at Luozhou for official business together. Likewise, she felt that it was rather coincidental. 

The meditation hall prepared for Huò Wēi Lóu was very large: there were three principal rooms, and adding the left and right wing-rooms, there were more than ten rooms in total. While all the rooms were simple and unadorned, this was a place for Buddhism; they could not forcibly ask for more. 

Huò Wēi Lóu pointed at the first left wing-room, “You’re staying there.”

Her room was very near the principal rooms. Bó Ruò Yōu promptly responded in the affirmative. After hastening on their journey for the entire day, everyone was at the limits of their exhaustion, and seeing that there were no further instructions, Bó Ruò Yōu went to bed. 

Within the principal room, Fu gonggong said smilingly, “Hou’ye must have admired Yōu Yōu quite a bit today, no? In the beginning, the few Daren did not believe that Yōu Yōu was a bona fide coroner, and then they were rendered speechless.”

Huò Wēi Lóu declined to comment, but his countenance was coloured with satisfaction.

At this moment, Lù Kē came in from outside, “Hou’ye, the arrangements have been made. Prior to this, there wasn’t enough manpower, but now that there are enough hands, the whole area has guards, and the three Daren are also being monitored.”

Huò Wēi Lóu then asked: “On the day you arrived, was there anything abnormal about the three of them?”

Lù Kē pondered briefly before shaking his head, “No abnormalities could be perceived. This subordinate has only met Wú daren and Wáng daren before, and has never acquainted with General Yuè prior to this. The meeting that day was brief, and nothing can be discerned from it.”

Huò Wēi Lóu continued to speak, “On the day Féng daren’s corpse was discovered, how did the three of them react?”

Lù Kē took a moment to recall, “The three of them were coloured with grief, but… the three of them unanimously presumed that Féng daren had tripped and fallen off the cliff to his own death at the start. It doesn’t mean much if it was during the day, but it was raining the night before, and it was the dead of night; there was no reason for Féng daren to wander to the bamboo forest at the back mountain alone. Just based on this point alone, Féng daren’s death became rather suspect.”

Huò Wēi Lóu’s irises darkened. Wú Yú and Wáng Qīng Fǔ were officials within the capital, and whenever he was in the capital, they did meet face-to-face by technicality, but between the two of them, one was in Ministry of Rites while the other was in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices; neither of which were part of what he had jurisdiction over, so he was not familiar with them. By comparison, he had a greater understanding of Lín Huái, and while he had encountered Yuè Míng Quán a few times when he returned to the capital to report his circumstances, they were strangers at best.

Then there was one Féng Lún. The four personages were supposed to be investigated for the old case, but before they could begin investigating what happened that year, Féng Lún up and died first. In spite of that, it proved that the loss of the Śarīra and Jìng Kōng’s disappearance were mysteriously linked.

However, it was a case that happened ten years ago; it could not be denied that it would be hard to investigate.

That thought flashed past his mind, before he recalled Bó Ruò Yōu’s expression when she was examining the corpse today. Unexpectedly, Huò Wēi Lóu’s heart did not feel that heavy, as if this case would be easily solved like a bamboo splitting when it met a knife’s edge because Bó Ruò Yōu was present.

The night was already deep, and Huò Wēi Lóu fell asleep very quickly. He had always been a light sleeper, but perhaps because he was overly exhausted, his slumber was extremely deep, such that he actually had a strange dream just as the skies were about to brighten.

Inside the dream, the morning sun was like fire, and a gentle and soft voice issued a murmur next to his ear— To pass on one lamp to all lamps, and ten thousand lamps will all be bright at the end. Hou’ye’s wish is the same.

Huò Wēi Lóu woke up in shock.