Chapter Seventy-Four: An Inscribed Jade Bracelet

Nothing strange happened on the rest of the journey. When Fang Mu arrived at the county office of Jinglong, he heard a commotion inside. The main gate was wide open, and as Fang Mu approached the entrance, he caught sight of constables and clerks gathering within.

“Hurry, bring the coroner here,” came Magistrate Wang’s voice from inside.

A clerk rushed out and bumped straight into Fang Mu, freezing for a moment.

“Brother Fang, it’s good you’re here!” the clerk exclaimed in surprise. “Come in quickly—Madame Zhao has died.”

Fang Mu frowned. “Madame Zhao is dead, so why are you assembling the team?”

“Sun Wei is missing. The magistrate is ordering a search,” the clerk replied hurriedly. “Come with me first, the autopsy is urgent.”

Without further explanation, the clerk led Fang Mu into the county office.

Just as Fang Mu entered, the constables were heading out, and Magistrate Wang caught sight of him, an awkward expression flickering across his face.

Fang Mu said nothing and went straight to the examination room.

Inside, Madame Zhao’s body lay upon a straw mat.

“We managed to stabilize her injuries at first,” Magistrate Wang explained as he entered. “But then her condition suddenly worsened. We summoned the physician, but it was already too late.”

Learning that Fang Mu had previously beaten up constables and the former magistrate—and remained unharmed—Magistrate Wang had grown wiser.

Fang Mu approached the corpse and donned his gloves.

According to Magistrate Wang, a sudden aggravation of injuries had caused her death. What the magistrate didn’t know was that Madame Zhao had previously fallen victim to something sinister.

Ordinary methods of examination might yield no further results, but Fang Mu’s unique corpse-touching skill could.

Not only with the uncanny, but even those harmed by strange forces could reveal useful clues through this technique.

Fang Mu reached out, and the familiar prompt sounded in his mind.

[You touch an unnamed female corpse and gain a trace of true energy.]

[You touch an unnamed female corpse and obtain a clue: jade bracelet. Effect unknown.]

A vivid green bracelet appeared in Fang Mu’s mind. He glanced at Magistrate Wang and shook his head.

“No clues?” Magistrate Wang asked.

Fang Mu packed away his tools. “No clues.”

There were no obvious external injuries, and Fang Mu had no intention of dissecting the body, knowing this matter was related to the uncanny. The bracelet in his mind was the key clue.

But such things could not be explained to ordinary people; speaking of it would only cause unnecessary complications.

To draw an analogy: if someone’s entire life had been spent with men above and women below, and you suddenly told them it could be the other way around, you would open a door to a new world for them.

“Sir, all the constables and clerks have been dispatched,” another clerk entered respectfully, reporting to Magistrate Wang.

Magistrate Wang nodded and immediately went out to arrange other affairs.

Once the magistrate left, the examination room was empty, leaving Fang Mu alone.

Fang Mu took out the jade bracelet and examined it closely.

It was green, but filled with many impurities. Even without expertise, Fang Mu could tell by sight that its quality was mediocre.

The Sun family was wealthy in Jinglong County, and Madame Zhao was the Sun family’s lady. The bracelet ought not to be such a common—or even inferior—item.

Fang Mu turned the bracelet over, his gaze sharpening.

On the inner rim, a small line of characters was engraved: “Gifted by Duan Ling.”

“Duan Ling?” Fang Mu stroked his chin, thinking, “There’s a major issue here.”

In this world, gifting a bracelet was one of the ways to express affection. According to local custom, the one named Duan Ling seemed to be Madame Zhao’s lover.

This directly contradicted what Duan Gen had said. By Duan Gen’s account, his father Duan Wei was Madame Zhao’s lover. Why, then, had Duan Ling appeared?

Fang Mu left the examination room and made his way to the county jail.

Most of the clerks and constables were out searching for the missing Sun Wei; only two jailers remained inside.

The jailers recognized Fang Mu and glanced at him.

“The magistrate sent me to make some inquiries. Where are the Sun family’s relatives?” Fang Mu asked.

The jailer pointed out their location and returned to his seat.

Fang Mu went to the end of the jail and found the Sun family relatives.

After Madame Zhao’s mysterious death, their spirits were shattered; all were curled up in the corners, visibly distraught.

They merely glanced at Fang Mu before lowering their heads.

Fang Mu stepped before the cell, holding up the bracelet. “I’m the county coroner. Does anyone recognize this bracelet?”

The cell was silent. No one answered Fang Mu; everyone kept their heads down, trembling in fear.

Fang Mu noticed a middle-aged woman whose eyes darted away nervously, retreating a step as she bowed her head, doing her best to minimize her presence.

While the others kept their heads down, this woman alone stepped back. Fang Mu beckoned her forward.

After a moment’s hesitation, the woman approached Fang Mu, separated by the bars.

“What’s your name, and how are you related to the Sun family?” Fang Mu asked.

The woman kept her eyes lowered. “My name is Wu Li, I am a servant of the Sun family.”

Fang Mu shook the bracelet. “Do you recognize this?”

Wu Li shook her head violently, insisting she did not, her hands gripping her clothes tightly in anxiety.

“You need to understand the situation,” Fang Mu said with a smile. “Sun Chang is dead, Madame Zhao is dead, Sun Wei is missing. Do you know what that means?”

Wu Li remained silent, her body trembling uncontrollably.

Fang Mu pressed on, threatening her gently. “If the murderer is found, all will be well. If not, then someone will have to be chosen as the culprit. Who fits the role best? Only those among you.”

Wu Li said nothing, trembling even more.

Fang Mu sighed and put the bracelet away. “It seems you still won’t speak. In that case, you’ll remain here and await your fate.”

At these words, Wu Li remained motionless, but the other relatives immediately cried out.

“If you know something, speak up now!”

“That’s right! All those who managed the Sun family are dead—what are you still afraid of?”

“Do you want to doom us all? We don’t want to die because of you!”

The cell erupted in noise, a stark contrast to the previous silence.

The jailers outside heard the commotion and were about to intervene, but Fang Mu stopped them.

“The magistrate doesn’t want too many ears listening,” Fang Mu said calmly. “Stand guard outside.”

The jailers paused, then promptly left to wait outside.

Pressed by the crowd, Wu Li’s expression shifted from hesitation to resolve.

“Sir, I’ll speak!” Wu Li gritted her teeth. “I’ll tell you everything I know!”

Fang Mu smiled pleasantly. “Go ahead.”

Wu Li took a deep breath and began to reveal all she knew...