There is a god in the sky

Chapter 236 The Mummified Corpse Case 29

As darkness approached, Zhao Xuan sent a maid to inquire when they would return to the city.

Xiao Ji then remembered that his fiancée was still nearby, but when he turned around, Zhao Xuan was no longer there.

"Where is your daughter?" Xiao Ji asked in surprise.

The maid pointed to the woods in the distance, "Miss felt bored, so she went to pick wildflowers."

Where do wildflowers come from at this time of year?

"I'll send someone to escort you back first; it will take some time here."

Shen Lan's examination is nearing its end, but the remains still need to be properly disposed of, which will take some time.

Zhao Xuan originally came along to attract Xiao Ji's attention.

To everyone's surprise, the two didn't exchange a single word all day.

On the other hand, he and the female coroner worked together seamlessly, chatting and laughing, looking like a perfect couple.

On the way back to the city, Zhao Xuan handed a stack of drawings to her maid.

"Find a reputable bookstore and print several thousand copies of these paintings so that everyone can see how our first female coroner of Daxi performed autopsies."

The maid looked down and gasped.

In the first painting, a beautiful woman in white holds a skull in her hands, her eyes smiling, exuding a ghostly aura.

Turning to the second image, one sees a beautiful woman washing a human thigh bone, with countless human bones scattered around her feet.

In the third image, human bones are arranged neatly, with a large fire burning below and steam rising from the bones above.

Further down, there are images of beauties and skeletons, each one sending chills down your spine.

“Miss…do you really want this to get out? Young Master Xiao will know at a glance that this was your idea.”

Zhao Xuan was skilled in painting, which was no secret among the high-ranking families in Bianjing.

Although this woman doesn't look like the coroner Shen and has a completely different temperament, among all the people present today, only she has outstanding painting skills.

"So what if I knew? I just drew a few pictures; who would know that these were real scenes?"

Zhao Xuan felt cold, so she wrapped herself in a thick cloak, held a hot water bottle, and looked out the window.

"Besides, is she allowed to do it but no one else is allowed to know? She dug up people's graves and steamed human bones, she deserves to be struck by lightning!"

Once they entered the city, Zhao Xuan had her maid deliver the painting to a bookstore in the city.

Although Jifeng Study was famous in Bianjing, it wasn't the best-performing business.

Outside the bustling bookstore, Zhao Xuan watched as the maid handed the manuscript to the shopkeeper before heading home.

Shen Lan neatly arranged each skeleton into the coffin, and then reburied the coffin.

These coffins were purchased privately by Xiao Ji to comfort the spirits of the deceased.

Shen Lan burned paper money and made offerings at the grave, and also erected a blank tombstone for them.

“When we find out your identities, Shen Landing will return and add your names.”

After finishing all this, the group packed up and went down the mountain.

"Coo coo..." Bird calls rose and fell, and then the birds in the trees spread their wings and flew away.

"Something's not right," Sui Feng said, stopping the others.

Officer Xing looked around and laughed, "Brother Suifeng, you're too cautious. That's how it is on mountain roads at night. With so many of us, the birds and beasts would definitely be scared away."

Shen Lan switched the toolbox from her right hand to her left, and held a small knife between her fingers.

Xiao Ji stood beside her and whispered, "If you don't see anything amiss, you should run away first."

With Shen Lan's light-footed skills, escaping wouldn't be difficult.

Shen Lan shoved the toolbox into his arms, saying, "Just keep an eye on my tools, sir. I'll be fine."

A group of people walked on the mountain path covered with withered branches and fallen leaves, making rustling sounds that blended with the calls of birds and animals.

Shen Lan had keen hearing. After calming down and discerning for a moment, she pointed in a direction and said, "Over there!"

She heard panting; it was a human voice.

He drew his sword and slashed in that direction, cutting a path through the dense branches.

Suddenly, a dozen arrows flew from the front. He used his sword to block them and sped past them.

In the darkness, figures leaped from the treetops, and then a group of men in black landed, surrounding Xiao Ji and the others.

The officials drew their weapons and protected Xiao Ji in the center.

"A professional assassin," Officer Xing thought to himself, realizing something was wrong.

"Protect the adults!" He was the first to attack the assassin, which led to a chaotic battle.

Amidst the flashing blades and the occasional screams of agony, the scene unfolded.

Although the government had the advantage in numbers, ordinary officials were no match for professional assassins.

Xiao Ji grabbed Shen Lan's hand and pulled her along the path down the mountain.

Two men in black were hot on her heels. She pushed Xiao Ji, "Sir, please go first!"

She turned to stop the two assassins, one wielding a knife and the other a whip, their coordination was impeccable.

Shen Lan was no match for him and was whipped several times. She could only rely on her agility to survive in the gaps between the two sides.

"Shen Lan, get out of the way!" Taking advantage of her dodging, Xiao Ji threw a jar of wine at her.

The jar hit the ground, the wine spread out, and its aroma filled the air.

The next instant, a tinderbox was thrown over, and the dry grass and fallen leaves on the ground were instantly ignited, and the fire spread.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shen Lan escaped and continued running down the mountain with Xiao Ji.

"Their target is me. Go down the mountain and get help!" Xiao Ji turned and ran into the dense forest.

Shen Lan did not pause at all and continued running down the mountain.

The sound behind her gradually faded, but she dared not stop. She ran to the foot of the mountain, grabbed a horse, and galloped into the city.

At this hour, the city gates were closed, a curfew was in effect, and there were no passersby.

An arrow landed in front of the horse, forcing Shen Lan to stop.

The guards on the city wall shouted, "Who goes there? Get out of here immediately, or the next arrow will be fatal!"

Shen Lan, mounted on horseback, shouted upwards, "Open the gate! I have urgent news to report!"

"Nonsense! The city gates are closed. Without the Emperor's decree, no one has the right to open them!"

Shen Lan recognized the man; it was the Jinwu Guard Captain she had met by chance on the road the previous night.

"Captain Zhang, I am a coroner from the Criminal Investigation Department. Lord Xiao has encountered assassins outside the city and is in grave danger. Please send troops to rescue him!"

Zhang Xinghui also recognized the girl outside the city. Despite his surprise, he couldn't help but laugh out loud after hearing her words.

"What a joke! We are responsible for guarding the capital. How can we abandon our posts just because someone is in danger?"

Zhang Xinghui practically said that Xiao Ji wasn't worthy of their help.

"But sir, Lord Xiao is investigating a case on the Emperor's orders. He just uncovered a clue when he was attacked. It is clear that the murderer hired someone to kill him. This matter concerns the safety of the capital. Isn't this also within your scope of duty?"

"I haven't received any orders from above, so how can I know if what you're saying is true or false? What if you're a spy trying to trick me into opening the city gates?"

Shen Lan was furious, and her emotions caused the horse beneath her to pace restlessly.

"Could you send a message to the Provincial Judicial Commissioner and the Xiao residence?"

"Alright, you wait here." Zhang Xing casually sent a guard to report the news.

From the city gate to the Xiao residence, it would take at least an hour to make a round trip.

Shen Lan was well aware of this, and asked again, "Could Lieutenant Zhang lend me a bow and arrows?"

"Of course not! How can military equipment fall into the hands of outsiders? If you use military weapons to injure someone, wouldn't I be implicated?"

"So, in Captain Zhang's eyes, killing the enemy to protect oneself is considered malicious injury!"

Shen Lan had no time to waste. She stood up from her horse, leaped, and landed on the city wall with her toes, forcefully plunging the knife in her hand into a crack in the wall.