nucmednet Chapter 195 Lin Bo, the Blacksmith's Apprentice
Chapter 195 Lin Bo, the Blacksmith's Apprentice
As Shi Wanxia flipped through the case files in the county government office, she felt that the case of the blacksmith's death had been closed too easily. The murder weapon used to kill the blacksmith was very unusual, so she sent someone to invite a coroner to re-examine the body.
After examining the body, the county coroner rushed to the main hall to report the situation. Miss Shi was a clever and decisive young woman, and it was thanks to Lord Cui that she was brought into the county office.
At first, I looked down on Miss Shi because of her gender. I never expected her to be so capable, handling both investigations and accounting with ease.
After bowing, the coroner reported, "Reporting to Miss Shi, blacksmith Liu from the blacksmith shop was in his thirties. According to the autopsy, he was injured by a weapon similar to a mace. He suffered a heavy blow to the back of his head, which was fatal."
Shi Wanxia frowned slightly and asked, "Have you found any other clues?" The coroner shook his head and said, "There were no signs of a struggle at the scene, and Liu the blacksmith had no other wounds. His belongings were not missing either, which is very strange."
After a moment's thought, Miss Shi said, "You may go now and continue to investigate the scene. Report back immediately if you find anything." The coroner accepted the order and left.
Miss Shi turned to the constable beside her and said, "It seems this is no ordinary murder case. The murderer's methods were clean and efficient; he must be a master. Go and investigate Liu the blacksmith's connections immediately to see if he has any enemies."
The constable acknowledged and led his men to investigate. Miss Shi then went to the crime scene to examine it carefully, hoping to find some clues.
Shi Wanxia and the coroner examined the scene for a long time, but found nothing suspicious. Lin Yu, along with Shu Yao and Shu Qin, rushed to help, but even with everyone working together, they still couldn't find any clues. Shi Wanxia frowned, her heart filled with doubt and resentment.
Just as everyone was at a stalemate, Lin Yu suddenly noticed some subtle traces. He carefully crouched down, examining the marks on the ground with a hint of excitement in his eyes.
"Miss Shi, look here!" Lin Yu said, pointing to the marks on the ground.
Upon hearing this, Shi Wanxia immediately stepped forward and looked in the direction Lin Yu was pointing. She saw some shallow footprints on the ground, indicating that someone had stayed there.
"These footprints look very fresh; they must have been left not long ago," Lin Yu analyzed.
Shi Wanxia nodded, a glimmer of hope igniting in her heart. She immediately instructed the coroner to examine the footprints in detail, hoping to find some useful clues.
The coroner carefully examined the footprints, then looked up and said to Shi Wanxia, "These footprints are similar in size and shape to the deceased's footprints, but they are shallower."
Upon hearing the coroner's words, Shi Wanxia had a sudden thought. She immediately considered one possibility: the murderer might have left footprints here wearing the victim's shoes to mislead the investigation.
"Lin Yu, do you think the murderer might have left footprints here wearing the victim's shoes?" Shi Wanxia asked.
Lin Yu nodded and said, "That's possible. We can check the deceased's shoes to see if there are any signs that they've been worn."
Shi Wanxia and Lin Yu immediately led the coroner to the deceased's room and examined the deceased's shoes. Sure enough, they found some signs that the shoes had been worn, and the shoe size matched the footprints on the ground perfectly.
"It seems our guess was correct; the murderer left footprints here wearing the victim's shoes," Shi Wanxia said.
Lin Yu nodded and said, "Now that we have found some clues, what we need to do next is to investigate further and find out the identity and motive of the murderer."
Shi Wanxia and Lin Yu exchanged a glance and then nodded. They knew that the investigation would be even more difficult, but they were also convinced that as long as they persevered, they would be able to find out the truth and seek justice for the deceased.
Shi Wanxia led Lin Yu and the others back to the county government office, intending to interrogate the two suspects they had arrested. With a sharp crack, the gavel struck, and the blacksmith's apprentice trembled in fear, repeatedly begging for mercy: "Your Honor, I'm innocent! I know nothing!"
Shi Wanxia frowned and said coldly, "If you don't know anything, why were you brought here?"
The apprentice, with a mournful face, said, "I really don't know! I'm just a blacksmith's apprentice. I just follow my master around and work on blacksmithing. I've never done anything wrong!"
Shi Wanxia glanced at him, then at the other suspect beside him, and had already made up her mind. She slowly said, "You say you're a blacksmith's apprentice, so can you forge weapons?"
The apprentice nodded: "I know a little, but it's all ordinary weapons."
Shi Wanxia smiled slightly: "That's good. Do you know that a murder case has occurred in the city recently? The deceased was your master, and the cause of his death was that he was killed by a weapon."
The apprentice's face changed: "Sir, I really don't know! I've never forged any weapons before!"
Shi Wanxia's face darkened: "Still dare to argue! Men, beat them up!"
Upon hearing this, the constables nearby immediately stepped forward and began beating the apprentice. The apprentice cried out for mercy, begging for his life.
Seeing this, Shi Wanxia chuckled inwardly. She knew that this disciple must know something, but he was just being stubborn. She decided to put more pressure on him and get him to tell the truth.
Lin Bo's face turned pale instantly, and a hint of panic and fear flashed in his eyes. He opened his mouth, trying to say something, but ultimately no sound came out.
Lin Yu stepped forward, looked coldly at Lin Bo, and said, "You dare to impersonate Liu the Blacksmith's apprentice? Who exactly are you?"
Lin Bo lowered his head, not daring to look Lin Yu in the eye. His body trembled slightly, as if he were afraid of something.
Just then, a young man stepped out from the crowd. He looked at Lin Bo and said, "You liar, I am Liu the blacksmith's apprentice."
Lin Bo looked up at the young man, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He seemed not to have expected to encounter the real apprentice of Liu the blacksmith here.
Lin Yu looked at the young man, nodded, and said, "You did very well. You are Liu the blacksmith's true apprentice."
The young man walked up to the blacksmith, looked at Lin Bo, and said, "Why are you impersonating my master's apprentice? What is your purpose?"
Lin Bo remained silent for a moment before finally speaking, "I... I just wanted to learn the blacksmith's skills, but I didn't have the opportunity, so I pretended to be your master's apprentice."
Lin Yu looked at Lin Bo and said, "If you wanted to learn the blacksmith's skills, then why did you kill Liu the blacksmith?"
Lin Bo lowered his head and said, "I... I didn't. You and I have been wronged."
Lin Yu smiled and said, "No? Is that so? Then why were you at Liu the blacksmith's shop yesterday?"
Lin Bo looked up in surprise and said, "How come... I stayed at home all day yesterday and didn't go out."
Lin Yu looked at Lin Bo and said, "Is that so? Now that things have come to this, are you still not going to tell the truth?"