There is a god in the sky

Chapter 235 The Mummified Corpse Case 28

Zhao Xuan raised her hand and lifted the veil slightly, looking directly at Xiao Ji and said, "Yes, I heard you're going to investigate a case from over ten years ago. I'm also very curious and would like to go with you to see."

Don't worry, I won't disturb your investigation; I'll just watch from the sidelines.

“We’re going to dig up graves and examine corpses. The scene isn’t pleasant; it’ll scare you,” Xiao Ji gently advised.

He had a handsome face, a gentle voice, and was very polite; he didn't seem like someone who was trying to fool people.

Zhao Xuan bit her lip lightly and said coquettishly, "I'm not afraid. I've investigated cases with my dad before, and I love listening to detective stories."

She glanced at the carriage, her eyes reddening. "Will my presence disturb you?"

"No, but outsiders really shouldn't be present during a case investigation."

"Am I an outsider?" Zhao Xuan's eyes flickered, and she gave him a charming glare.

Xiao Ji had no choice but to agree to let her come along, but at the same time he made three rules with her.

"Once you are outside, you must not wander around or leave on your own, as there may be wild beasts in the mountains outside the city."

Zhao Xuan was scared, but she forced herself to remain calm and said, "Okay, I'll do whatever you say."

With her around, Xiao Ji couldn't easily return to his own carriage, but he also couldn't share a carriage with his fiancée, so he simply rode his own horse.

The eight bodies were buried by the government, and the case file only recorded a general address.

"Found it, this should be the place." Officer Xing was the first to spot the location.

More than a decade ago, he was a minor official who had been involved in this case. He even helped fill in the soil when the body was buried.

"To save time, the eight bodies were buried together. I remember there were a few crooked trees around the pit, and that should be the place."

The officials took their tools and prepared to dig.

Shen Lan then opened a red umbrella, tied it to a wooden stick, and stuck it into the ground.

She had a wooden platform built here, and the red umbrella was placed directly above the platform.

Immediately afterwards, she took out bottles and jars from her toolbox, and even took a brazier from the carriage.

The maids of the Zhao family surrounded their master, moving chairs, laying out cushions, and setting out snacks, tea, and fruit, as well as many bottles and jars, keeping them very busy.

Both sides are busy with their own things and do not interfere with each other.

With this young lady around, the officials were a little hesitant to work freely.

I don't know what Miss Zhao was thinking, that she would come to play in such a filthy place.

Zhao Xuan covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, her gaze fixed on Shen Lan.

"What is she doing? The sun doesn't even shine in here, why is she holding an umbrella?"

The bright red umbrella was really eye-catching.

The maid chimed in, "Who knows if she uses any sorcery? I heard she dressed strangely and used bizarre methods when she performed autopsies."

Another maid said, "What kind of behavior is it for a young lady to keep touching a corpse like that?"

Zhao Xuan rebuked, "Don't talk nonsense. That's her skill. If I asked you to do an autopsy, would you dare? Would you even know how?"

"We're not going to touch that dirty, smelly stuff."

Zhao Xuan smiled slightly but didn't say anything more.

By this time, the pit dug by the officials had reached a certain depth, and the atmosphere on the other side became subtle.

Some people started tying cloths to their faces, some stuffed ginger into their mouths, and some simply took a deep breath and held it.

Shen Lan also put on a mask and gloves, and put a slice of ginger in her mouth.

The spiciness hit her head, clearing her mind and invigorating her spirits.

Zhao Xuan pushed some of the food she was holding away, saying, "Quickly put it away! Don't take the food out."

She's not that inconsiderate; how could she possibly eat anything in such a cold and damp place?

The maids thought about it and agreed. They put the food away and only brought out tea to cook.

Dust flies over there, while here one enjoys leisure and tranquility; they truly are two different worlds.

"We've found it!" someone shouted, and Shen Lan immediately picked up her toolbox and went over.

She laid a large white cloth on the ground, prepared for the possibility that her bones would fall apart and need to be put back together.

Moreover, the bodies were buried together, so it may be impossible to tell whose skull or whose arms and legs were intact.

But the scene she envisioned did not appear.

After digging through the soil, some sawdust and some rotten bamboo strips and cloth were found, but the skeleton was completely wrapped in rags.

The body had been buried for over a decade and had almost lost its odor, which greatly relieved the officials.

Shen Lan gestured to a spot and said to them, "Be gentle from now on, and try to lift the entire skeleton up."

But as soon as the officers started to lift it up, they heard the sound of bones dislocating.

The once intact skeleton fell apart in an instant.

They looked apologetically at Shen Lan and quickly placed a corpse on a white sheet on the ground.

"It's okay, at least the bones are still there."

Shen Lan restored the bones one by one. They weren't too messy, except that some joints were loose. She just rearranged them neatly.

"The deceased was a male, aged between thirty and forty, and between five and six feet tall. He had severe tooth loss and was probably close to forty years old."

He has no fractures or cracks in his bones; any dislocations or loosenings in his joints are normal.

Sui Feng brought a large bucket of clean water and watched as Shen Lan put the remains into the bucket to wash them, just like washing large bones.

When they saw her arrange the washed bones on the mat, with a charcoal brazier underneath, everyone's expressions became somewhat subtle.

No one approached Shen Lan within a ten-step radius.

Everyone stared at her hands, watching her sprinkle vinegar and then pour wine on the bones. If it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, it would really look like she was cooking.

Zhao Xuan had turned away as soon as the remains were unearthed.

The maids occasionally peeked at it, but when they saw the bones being steamed, they couldn't help but vomit.

"What...what is she doing?"

"Is she crazy? Even if someone has been dead for more than ten years, treating their remains like this is extremely disrespectful."

Shen Lan ignored their chatter and, when it was almost time, had someone move the red umbrella over.

After examining the first skeleton, Shen Lan felt that the process was too inefficient, so she decided to dig out all the skeletons, arrange them, and register their basic information.

Xiao Ji would compare this information with the information recorded at the time. Although he could not find out the identity of the deceased, it was better than nothing.

"The fifth skeleton has a crack at the back of the brain, suggesting it was struck by a sharp, hard object... The seventh skeleton is that of a woman, between twenty and thirty years old, with a height of..."

The eighth skeleton had a broken leg and a fractured lumbar vertebra, and had appeared to have been beaten. The cause of death for this corpse was likely different from the previous ones.

Xiao Ji found the corresponding corpse in the records; it was the tallest and strongest among all the dead.

If Shen Lan's guess is correct, then he is also very young, in his prime, and should be a strong young man.

Shen Lan squatted down beside the skeleton and raised his right hand. "The knuckles of his ten fingers are obviously larger than those of an ordinary person. This person must have used his fists often. Maybe he was a martial arts master or something."

A lamp was brought closer, and Shen Lan looked up to find that it was already dark.

They stayed here all day.

Everyone was starving, their stomachs rumbling, but their eyes were bright and alert.

In fact, apart from putting in some effort at the beginning of digging the pit, they spent the rest of the time watching Shen Lan handle the remains, occasionally lending a hand.

They watched as the little girl skillfully assembled the human body, knowing the location of every single bone, as naturally as eating and sleeping.

How many times must one practice to become this proficient?