Chapter 15: Chang'an Tong Que Ming (Melody of Golden Age)

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Chang'an Tong Que Ming (Melody of Golden Age)

 Chapter 15: 

The Serial Murder Case (1)

“It’s already this hour and you’re going to Ximing Temple?” Zhu Yan muttered as she ran into Lu Chuichui.

Lu Chuichui’s face was pale as she bluntly said, “Liuniang, more bodies have been unearthed at Ximing Temple.”

“Adding to the ones of Kuang Zhanxin and Liang Chenzhong, there are now twelve bodies in total, six pairs of men and women. The conditions of these bodies are the same as those of Miss Kuang and Young Master Liang; all were found embracing each other. Moreover, the coroner has discovered identical knife wounds on the ribs and faces of the women, which means—”

Zhu Yan's expression grew serious. “They were all mutilated in the same way, with their hearts ripped out and their faces slashed. This is a serial murder case at Ximing Temple.”

Once a bustling and prosperous place of worship, Ximing Temple had been transformed into a scene of horror due to the recent exposure of these gruesome murders.

The incense ash in the furnace had already cooled significantly. The abbot had cleared several rooms to store the bodies, while a dozen monks walked from the long corridor to the main hall, reciting scriptures to guide the spirits of those who had died tragically in the temple.

The continuous chanting filled the air, while the inner guards, methodically sealing off the crime scene, mingled with the local constables who were dressed in short jackets and trousers, their noses covered with white cloths. The constables complained bitterly, “The sun has been scorching these past few days, and the stench inside is getting worse. It’s suffocating. I don’t know how these Inner Guards can stand it. And that Grand Chief Guard just now, he went straight to inspect the bodies despite the awful smell. Doesn’t he fear contamination from the corpses? It’s really—”

“Silence! This is a crime scene; no private conversations allowed.”

As they were speaking, Zhu Yan walked in wearing plain attire.

The constables, all addressing her as "Scribe Zhu," hadn't even asked how she was yet when they saw her gaze shift to the other side.

Following her line of sight, they saw Jing Lin standing on the opposite corridor. Behind him, dressed in a purple robe with a jade belt, was Shen Du, his expression dark and his brows slightly furrowed, showing signs of displeasure.

The officers felt their hair stand on end. As Shen Du walked down, their knees went weak, and they nearly knelt to the ground. However, Shen Du reached out, grabbing Zhu Yan and pushing her back.

“Go back. Who allowed you to come here?”

Zhu Yan was initially stunned by his abrupt action, but quickly regained her composure. “I am a Scribe, the official record keeper, from the Ministry of Justice. If there is a case, it is my duty to be present and assist with the records. Why shouldn’t I be here?”

As she finished speaking, someone called out, “Zhu Yan!”

Jiang Ming, the head of the Ministry of Justice’s arrest division, came running from outside. His square, resolute face showed a look of relief upon seeing Zhu Yan. But as he took a few steps forward and noticed Shen Du, he stopped abruptly.

“Subordinate greets Grand Chief Guard,” Jiang Ming said, quickly folding his hands in salute.

Shen Du cast a sideways glance at Jiang Ming, then shifted his attention back to Zhu Yan. Jing Lin, accustomed to Shen Du’s ways, directly asked, “Where are the corpses of the pair that were discovered?”

Jiang Ming promptly led the way.

Shen Du followed, his gaze moving away as he headed towards the back courtyard. Zhu Yan, hearing Lu Chuichui chattering behind her about how terrifying Shen Du’s gaze was, shushed her and followed closely behind.

Inside the room, the windows were tightly shut, and a few oil lamps flickered.

On a bamboo mat, a pair of corpses lay embracing each other, but there was no trace of warmth. The man’s body, appearing to be in his twenties, had turned into a dry, blackened, and rough state. His eyes were closed, his face serene, but his chest had been brutally slashed open, revealing a dark, gaping wound.

"This man is from Quanling Village, named Huang Yun. He was a poor scholar with an elderly mother and a wife who passed away five years ago. It is said he was honest, kind-hearted, and diligent in his studies, and he never had any conflicts in the village school."

Jiang Ming provided the detailed information to Shen Du and Zhu Yan.

Zhu Yan crouched down and noticed that Huang Yun's clothes were covered in mud.

Seeing her action, Jiang Ming stood to the side, still slightly uncomfortable despite having seen Zhu Yan handle corpses many times before. The stench in the room was nearly overwhelming. However, seeing Shen Du’s unchanged grim expression and Jing Lin’s impassive demeanor, he tried to suppress his discomfort, pinching his nose.

Shen Du glanced at him briefly, then looked at Zhu Yan, his expression dark and unreadable.

Zhu Yan, unaware of the discomfort around her, rubbed the mud on Huang Yun's clothes and brought it close to her nose.

It smelled like the soil from Ximing Temple.

Frowning, she lifted his clothes and felt the fabric of his undergarments, continuing to examine the shoes. She noticed that Huang Yun's shoes, embroidered with eight treasures, were quite clean and the soles were notably white.

She then turned her attention to the female corpse embraced by Huang Yun. Her face was dark and swollen, with flesh peeling away to reveal her stark white bones. Despite this, it was clear she was a petite young girl, about sixteen or seventeen years old.

The girl wore a complete outfit of apricot-yellow silk, adorned with peach blossom patterns. Although the silk was expensive, the embroidery was also intricate.

Zhu Yan untied the decorative knot on the clothing. All the men turned their eyes away, but Shen Du remained still. Feeling his gaze, Zhu Yan turned around and scolded, "Turn away!"

Shen Du’s eyes flickered slightly before he turned his back, distancing himself from the scene. The Inner Guards had encountered countless dead bodies, and Shen Du’s detachment from the corpses was as routine as it was for the forensic experts.

Zhu Yan, thinking of Shen Du’s past in the Hidden Chamber and his current high position, lowered her gaze and continued her examination. She noticed that the girl was not wearing any undergarments, similar to the earlier case of Kuang Zhanxin.

Moreover, the girl’s heart was missing, her face was slashed, but her body was devoid of bloodstains or dirt.

“Earlier, Kuang Zhanxin was found embraced by Liang Chenzong’s corpse. Is this pair also in such a position?” Zhu Yan asked.

“Indeed.”

Jiang Ming continued, “We haven’t identified the girl yet. However, she had been staying at an inn in the city before the incident. According to the innkeeper, she was from Yuezhou and came to the capital to find her relatives. The innkeeper mentioned she traveled with very little, only carrying a piece of moth-shaped jade.”

Shen Du’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Moth-shaped jade?”

Zhu Yan asked, “Do you have any leads?”

Shen Du’s posture remained rigid. “No. However, a finely carved moth-shaped jade is likely to be of high quality—Jing Lin.”

“Yes.” Jing Lin bowed and immediately left, presumably to investigate further.

Shen Du was wary of Zhu Yan and would not share any clues with her, even if he had them. Zhu Yan shifted her focus and said to Jiang Ming, “In that case, it seems the girl has no direct connection to Huang Yun.”

Jiang Ming nodded. He glanced at Shen Du, who was focused intently on the two corpses and clearly not paying attention to him. Jiang Ming let out a sigh of relief and then heard Zhu Yan ask, “Leader Jiang, when did these two people die?”

“The coroner has confirmed that these two were killed last month. They were placed in a wooden coffin and buried under the bamboo grove in the back mountain of West Ming Temple.”

Jiang Ming continued, “The coroner has determined that Huang Yun was twenty-three years old this year, and the unidentified woman was seventeen.”

“This time, twelve bodies have been unearthed from Ximing Temple, each pair in separate coffins, making a total of six pairs. Because the coffins were filled with multiple layers of charcoal and herbal remedies to slow down decomposition, these two bodies appear almost lifelike when removed from their coffins.”

Jiang Ming then gestured for everyone to follow him further inside.

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