nagpurpolice Chapter 72: The Old Case of Ink Marks
Chapter 72: The Old Case of Ink Marks
Lin Yan walked alone along the narrow alley paved with bluestone slabs toward the row of solitary cells on the west side of the inner courtyard. He had changed into the newly made official robes of a seventh-rank inspector—indigo-blue brocade with cloud patterns, tailored to fit him perfectly, making his figure appear even more upright.
Sun Wenyuan was already waiting at the entrance of the prison courtyard. Upon seeing Lin Yan arrive, this usually calm and capable clerk also showed a hint of solemnity on his face, and said in a low voice, "Lord Lin, the chief has ordered you to examine the body to see if you can find any more clues. Deputy Chief Zheng and the coroner are still inside."
Lin Yan nodded slightly, said nothing, and stepped into the small door covered with iron sheets.
The scene inside the courtyard was exactly the same as when he first heard the terrible news that morning, except that the sweet, fishy, and acrid odor in the air seemed even stronger, mixed with the damp, musty smell inherent in the stone house, piercing straight into one's nostrils. The four corpses still lay stiffly in their original positions, and Zheng Tong and the old coroner were squatting beside Mo Laogui's body, discussing something in hushed tones. When Lin Yan entered, Zheng Tong merely raised his eyes, his chiseled face still expressionless, only nodding slightly as a greeting.
Lin Yan first bowed to Zheng Tong, then walked to the corpses of the three ordinary evil cultivator prisoners. Unlike a typical investigator, he did not immediately bend down to examine them closely; instead, he closed his eyes slightly, as if regulating his breathing. In fact, the moment he stepped into the courtyard, the ancient Spirit Devouring Mark on his chest and abdomen emitted a faint, almost pulsating warmth.
This feeling had appeared occasionally ever since he devoured the tree spirit's core in the Misty Ancient Forest. Especially when he came into contact with certain things containing special life force or highly poisonous and filthy substances, this mark would quietly awaken like a dormant beast, attempting to "perceive," to "analyze," and even... to "devour" certain qualities contained within them. This wasn't something he actively activated; it was more like an instinctive, keen sense of the nature of "energy" and "matter" stemming from his Soul-Devouring Body.
At this moment, in this narrow courtyard filled with the stench of death and poison, this sense of touch was amplified.
He opened his eyes, his gaze calmly falling on the dark red, almost black, bloodstains around the seven orifices of the corpses, on the eerie spiderweb-like patterns on their skin, and on the inconspicuous pools of filth mixed with stomach contents in the corner of the stone house. To an ordinary person, it would only be disgusting and terrifying, but in Lin Yan's perception, subtly enhanced by the power of the Soul Devouring Force, these filth and deathly aura seemed to have been stripped of their appearance, revealing within them a trace of extremely faint, "plant-like" "aura" that had been thoroughly distorted and alienated.
He slowly stepped forward, ignoring the slightly surprised looks from Zheng Tong and the coroner, and squatted down three steps away from the corpse. He extended his uninjured right hand, his fingertips not touching anything, but hovering a few inches above the filth and bloodstains, moving slowly.
A wisp of pure yet extremely restrained gray-black Devouring Spirit Essence quietly seeped from his fingertips, not to devour, but to transform into "tentacles" a thousand times finer than a hair, cautiously probing towards the remnants. The instant the essence made contact with the remnants, a mixed, violent, and chilling aura filled with destruction and deathly stillness suddenly surged back, causing a slight numbness in his fingertips.
But amidst this chilling, deathly aura, he "captured" a few extremely stubborn "marks" that seemed to have completely merged with the toxins themselves, yet retained some original characteristics of the plants.
The first sensation is a sharp, piercing pain like an ice needle, carrying the damp, cold, and fishy smell of moss on the shady side of a deep mountain cliff, yet mixed with the bitterness of rusted metal—"Shadow Moss," which thrives in extremely cold and gloomy places, filled with the smell of corpses. Its sap is colorless and tasteless, extremely cold in nature, and can slowly freeze blood and qi, numbing the meridians.
The second wisp was scalding hot, yet strangely mixed with a sweet, honey-like illusion, like the thickest sap in the center of a rotten summer fruit—"Red Heart Corroding Bone Grass," which grows mostly on the edge of poisonous swamps. Its flowers are as bright as blood, and the juice from its crushed roots boils when it comes into contact with blood. It can corrode bones and dissolve tendons, causing people to experience ecstatic hallucinations before suddenly dying.
The third wisp, the most subtle and almost imperceptible, is a faint, lingering, and slightly acrid scent, similar to the bitter aftertaste of aged sandalwood burned in a raging fire. Yet, it possesses a strange and captivating allure – "Soul-Guiding Sandalwood Ash." It is not made from natural materials; legend has it that the ash is obtained by burning sandalwood of a specific year, mixed with various hallucinogenic drugs and corpse oil, at a specific time. It is said to amplify and trigger other toxins, confuse the symptoms of poisoning, and interfere with detection.
These three "herbal" auras intertwined and catalyzed each other, undergoing bizarre changes that Lin Yan could hardly describe, ultimately forming a complex and deadly poison that was difficult to detect with silver needles, capable of latent eruption, and leaving a unique blood pattern after death. If he did not possess the Soul-Devouring Body, which gave him an extraordinary perception of the nature of "energy" and "matter," ordinary coroner's methods would likely have been insufficient to discern its origin, even with all his efforts.
Lin Yan slowly withdrew his finger, the wisp of true energy at his fingertip silently vanishing. He stood up, his face still calm and expressionless, but a cold understanding flashed deep in his eyes.
He didn't immediately reveal his discovery. While revealing the poison's composition at this point would certainly demonstrate his ability, it wouldn't be of much significance. The poisoner, Wang Simao, had already "committed suicide out of guilt," and the trail seemed to have gone cold. The urgent task was to find the source of the poison, the people who prepared and used it, and uncover any deeper connections that might exist behind it.
"Lord Zheng, did the coroner find anything?" Lin Yan turned to Zheng Tong, his tone as usual.
Zheng Tong straightened up, brushed off non-existent dust from his hands, and said in a flat, emotionless voice, "Consistent with our previous assessment: death by deadly poison, suspicious source, and covert method. Wang Simao is dead; his suicide note stated that he failed in his duty of guarding the body and committed suicide to atone for his sins." He paused, his sharp eyes turning to Lin Yan, "Inspector Lin, have you found anything?"
Lin Yan shook his head and said calmly, "Poisonous creatures are unpredictable and extraordinary. It is difficult to fully understand them by looking at the corpse alone. I would like to check the old files to see if there have been similar cases in the past in the branch or even in Qingzhou Prefecture, which may provide some reference."
Zheng Tong glanced at him and nodded: "Very well. The archives in the document room are vast; if Lord Lin is interested, he may find something useful. I'm here; please make yourself at home."
"Thank you for your trouble, Lord Zheng." Lin Yan bowed and took his leave, turning to walk out of the courtyard filled with the aura of death. The sunlight fell on him again, but it couldn't dispel the chill in his heart. He knew that his opponent's move this time was not only ruthless but also cautious and experienced, having almost erased all the obvious clues.
But the more experienced the person is, the more it suggests that this poison and this method may not be the first time they've used it.
***
The courtyard where the document room was located remained the same old, somber place. The walls were peeling, covered in moss, and a few half-dead old trees stood forlornly, most of their leaves gone, leaving only a few withered yellow remnants hanging from the branches, rustling in the breeze. Pushing open the creaking wooden door, the familiar scent of aged paper, ink, and dust wafted out.
However, this document room now holds a different meaning for Lin Yan. Since he was promoted to inspector and gained Zhou Yan's favor, and often came here to check files, the old clerk Zhou Yunqi, who used to be hunched over, with cloudy eyes and a lazy attitude, has quietly changed his attitude towards him.
At first, he was just a little reserved, but when Lin Yan asked about the files, he became much more efficient. Later, when Lin Yan came occasionally, he would bring a bag of osmanthus cakes from the old-established "Gui Xiang Zhai" shop on East Street, or two strings of candied hawthorns. The items weren't worth much, but they conveyed a sense of warmth and kindness. Zhou Yunqi couldn't refuse, so he accepted them, and a faint, living light would flash in his cloudy old eyes. Later still, when Lin Yan sometimes came to look at some less important old files, Zhou Yunqi would even bring a stool for him to sit and read at his leisure, while he would stand aside, slowly wiping the inkstones and brush washers that seemed to never be cleaned. Occasionally, he would ramble on in his hoarse voice about some unimportant matters.
When Lin Yan stepped into the document room today, Zhou Yunqi was squinting as he sewed a needle and thread, mending an old official uniform with worn-out cuffs, using the sliver of sunlight filtering through the courtyard. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw Lin Yan. On his face, which was crisscrossed with wrinkles like old tree bark, a smile almost appeared. He put down his work, stood up, and dusted himself off.
"Lord Lin has arrived." His voice was still hoarse, but it lacked the aloofness of the past and had become warmer.
"Old Zhou." Lin Yan cupped his hands in greeting, took out a small oil paper package from his sleeve, and handed it over. "I passed by the West Market and saw some freshly roasted sugar chestnuts. They smelled so good, so I brought you some while they're still hot."
Zhou Yunqi accepted the oil paper package with both hands; it was still warm, emitting a sweet fragrance. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he said in a low voice, "You've gone to so much trouble for me again, sir... I can't accept this." Despite his words, he carefully tucked the package into his robes, the lines on his face seeming to deepen. "Sir, you've come today to investigate..."
"I'd like to check some old case files." Lin Yan walked to the old wooden table covered in dust. "Especially... those related to poisoning, sudden death, or suspicious circumstances of death. The dates can be as old as ten or twenty years ago."
Zhou Yunqi's cloudy eyes darted around, as if he were recalling something. He didn't ask any further questions, simply nodded, and turned to disappear into the dark labyrinth of towering dossiers. Inside, there were rustling sounds of rummaging, occasionally punctuated by a suppressed cough or two.
Lin Yan sat down at the table, his gaze sweeping across the room. The light here was always dim; the light filtering through the high skylights was fragmented into beams of light by countless dust particles, hovering in the air and drifting slowly. Time seemed to flow exceptionally slowly here, each dusty file like a sleeping secret, covered in the dust of the past.
After about two incense sticks' worth of time, Zhou Yunqi emerged from the depths of the shelf carrying a thick stack of files, their pages already yellowed and brittle. He placed the files on the table, stirring up a small cloud of dust.
"My lord, as you said, all the cases recorded in the archives over the past thirty years that involved bizarre deaths or were clearly recorded as deaths by poisoning, and all those with some special characteristics, are here. Some were handled by the Demon Suppression Division, and some were reported by local authorities and copies were kept." Zhou Yunqi took a breath and wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
"Thank you for your trouble, Elder Zhou," Lin Yan said, and then began to read through the books one by one.
The ink on the files was mostly faded, some handwriting was illegible, and the edges of the pages were brittle, requiring extra care when turning them. Lin Yan examined them slowly and carefully. He wasn't searching aimlessly; rather, he kept in mind the possible symptoms that the mixture of the three poisons might cause—latent incubation, sudden death, dark red blood seeping from the seven orifices, spiderweb-like blood patterns on the body, and suspected organ erosion…
Most of the case files recorded either ordinary poisoning or the effects of demonic possession, with inconsistent descriptions of symptoms. Time slipped away quietly between the yellowed pages, the sun gradually setting in the west, and the light in the courtyard grew increasingly dim. Zhou Yunqi had already sat down again, using the last bit of daylight from the window to continue mending his old clothes. Occasionally, he would glance up at Lin Yan, who was writing furiously at his desk, then lower his head again. Only the faint sound of threading the needle and the rustling of turning pages echoed in the quiet room.
Just when Lin Yan was almost convinced that he would gain nothing today, he opened the last volume of the file.
The cover of this file is made of thick, dark blue paper with severely worn edges. The cover is written in neat regular script: "Case of Wu Tiankui, Deputy Commander of the Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou Prefecture, who died suddenly in the seventeenth year of the Hongguang reign."
The seventeenth year of the Hongguang reign was exactly fifteen years ago.
Lin Yan perked up and quickly began browsing.
The pages were extremely brittle, making a faint rustling sound as they were turned, as if they might break at any moment. The records inside were mostly trivial matters such as monsters disturbing the people, cultivators fighting, and unexplained casualties, but the handwriting in the annotations was strong and powerful, exuding an undeniable rigidity.
Flipping to roughly the middle to the back, a few lines of text suddenly caught my eye:
"On the 23rd day of the 11th month of the 17th year of the Hongguang reign, Wu Tiankui, the Deputy Chief of Criminal Investigation of the Branch, died suddenly in his private residence. His condition: his face was bluish-black, dark red bloodstains seeped from his seven orifices, and reddish lines were faintly visible on his body, suggesting either an acute illness or poisoning. The coroner's initial examination, including a silver needle probe of the throat, revealed no reaction to common poisons; however, the autopsy showed unexplained signs of erosion in the internal organs, making the situation highly suspicious. Due to the urgency of his duties and the suspicious nature of his death, the matter has been reported to the head of the department and the prefectural government has been requested to assist in the investigation. Follow-up: Due to unclear clues, difficulty in identifying the poison, and the approaching end of the year with numerous affairs, no definitive conclusion has been reached. The case is temporarily closed and filed as 'sudden onset of a serious illness, with no time for treatment.' — Recorder: Zhou Yunqi. Review: ..."
The signature at the back was blurred and illegible due to water stains.
Lin Yan's pupils suddenly contracted. His face was bluish-black, with dark red bloodstains in his seven orifices, crimson markings on his body, making it difficult to detect with a silver needle, and his internal organs were corroding... How similar this was to the description of the deaths of Mo Laogui and the others this morning! Although Wu Tiankui's case record was more brief and did not mention whether multiple people died at the same time, the unique characteristics caused by the complex herbal poisons were already obvious!
Fifteen years ago, a powerful deputy captain in charge of criminal matters died suddenly in almost the same way! This was no coincidence.
Lin Yan suppressed his shock and continued reading. The following pages contained scattered records of the case: brief statements from Wu Tiankui's servants, all saying that he ate and drank normally that day and showed no abnormalities before nightfall; the vague re-examination conclusion of the old coroner at the prefectural government (still unable to determine the specific poison); and a few notes of internal debate within the branch about whether to continue the investigation, all of which ultimately came to nothing. The handwriting on the records was mostly "Zhou Yunqi".
He closed the booklet, his fingertip lingering for a moment on the three characters "Wu Tiankui" on the tattered cover, then looked up at Old Zhou in the corner, who seemed focused on wiping but was actually listening intently.
"Old Zhou," Lin Yan's voice rang out in the quiet document room, not loud, but clear as pearls falling on a jade plate, "this old document from the Hongguang era, was it recorded by your own hand back then?"
Old Zhou paused, looked up, and his gaze first fell on the yellowed booklet in Lin Yan's hand, then moved to Lin Yan's face. A hint of understanding flashed in his cloudy eyes, followed by a deeper emotion that seemed to have been sealed away by the years. He put down the damp cloth, clapped his hands, and slowly walked over to sit on the low stool on the other side of the table, his back hunched over badly.
"Yes, it's what I remember." His voice was hoarser than usual, and his gaze was somewhat unfocused, as if he were looking through the old pages of paper at that bitterly cold winter night fifteen years ago. "That year, I was still working as a clerk in the torture chamber. Deputy Chief Wu... sigh, that man..." Old Zhou hesitated, carefully choosing his words.
Lin Yan keenly sensed the unusual tone in Old Zhou's voice and pressed further, "Old Zhou seems... to have a different opinion about Deputy Chief Wu?"
Old Zhou remained silent for a moment, and the room grew even quieter. His withered fingers traced the rough edges of the booklet before he finally spoke slowly, his voice even lower: "Since Lord Lin has asked, I will not hide anything from you. What is written in this booklet is all official jargon. In reality... Deputy Chief Wu's reputation is not very good."
"Oh?" Lin Yan raised an eyebrow slightly.
"This man... is addicted to gambling." Old Zhou spat out these two words with obvious contempt. "His salary isn't small, but he often loses it all and incurs a lot of gambling debts. When he loses money, he's in a bad mood and takes it out on his wives and concubines when he gets home. It's said that his first wife died of depression because he beat and scolded her too much. The concubine he took later, surnamed Liu, nicknamed Qiqi, is from Liu Family Village outside the city. She's quite pretty, but after she started following Deputy Captain Wu, she also suffered a lot of beatings and scoldings."
As Lin Yan listened, his image of Wu Tiankui gradually became clearer—not a righteous and capable official, but a gambler and violent villain.
"There are some rumors circulating," Old Zhou's voice was almost a whisper, carrying the mysterious air unique to recounting secrets, "saying that Liu Qiqi couldn't bear it any longer, so she got together with Zhao Kun, the apprentice of Deputy Chief Wu..."