Qin Wan stepped out of the carriage. Her heart stirred slightly when she saw that Yan Chi had lifted the curtain for her.
She descended gracefully and bowed to Yue Qiong and Huo Huaixin, “Greetings, Marquis. Greetings, Prefect.”
Huo Huaixin hurriedly came down the steps, his face warm and welcoming as he said, “Please rise, please rise. Miss Nine’s presence is truly appreciated. How could I accept such formality? Miss Nine, rest assured that only a few know of this matter. Others will not know of it. Once this is done, we’ll send you directly to the Marquis’s residence to see the Imperial Princess. Not a word will leak out.”
Qin Wan nodded and glanced up, slightly surprised to see Huo Ning there. Given Huo Ning’s identity, she understood the reason and spoke solemnly, “Have all the necessary tools been prepared?”
“Everything’s ready!” Xu stepped forward with a respectful smile. Rest assured, Miss Nine. We’ve prepared everything as previously required at the Marquis’s residence.” As he spoke, Xu patted the large box he carried.
Qin Wan nodded and was about to climb the steps when Huo Ning, standing stiffly to one side, suddenly came forward, “Wait!”
Qin Wan raised an eyebrow and stopped. Both Yan Chi and Yue Qiong frowned, while Huo Huaixin’s smile froze as he looked at Huo Ning with embarrassment and slight anger, “What are you doing?!”
Huo Ning’s face was pale, his hands clenched into fists, appearing as if someone had greatly angered him, “Why her? How can it be her? Father, is she the expert you spoke of?”
Huo Ning was shocked beyond belief. The fact that the expert was a woman was already unbelievable, but combining “expert” with “woman” had made him feel expectant. He didn’t look down on women in general, and if there truly was such a female expert, he would only feel excited and inspired. The prospect of meeting such an extraordinary woman would have filled him with honor.
However, it could have been anyone but Qin Wan!
He didn’t look down on women in general, but he knew too well what kind of person Qin Wan used to be. Moreover, he had genuinely despised her, taking advantage of her admiration for him. Yet since their reunion at the Marquis’s residence, this formerly timid and unremarkable person had changed, not only mocking him repeatedly but no longer considering him worthy of her attention!
He felt humiliated and angry, trying every means to make achievements in this case to show her. But he never imagined that the expert he had eagerly anticipated, someone who could potentially determine whether this case could be solved smoothly, would turn out to be Qin Wan!
This couldn’t be! It was impossible!
She was merely a lonely daughter of the Qin family, unremarkable and obscure. What right did she have to make the Anyang Marquis and his father lower their stance? What right did she have to be the extraordinary woman they spoke of? What right did she have to be escorted by His Highness the Crown Prince? What right did she have to… make him realize, after all his confidence, that she was the one beyond his reach?!
“Nonsense! Don’t be disrespectful to Miss Nine!” Huo Huaixin’s face flushed red with anger. “Don’t you want to solve this case?! Yes, Miss Nine is indeed the expert who helped clear Second Young Master’s name before! This time Miss Nine is here to help us out of righteousness. Stop this nonsense and step back… I shouldn’t have let you stay!”
Speaking thus, Huo Huaixin quickly changed to a smiling face when looking at Qin Wan, apologetically saying, “Miss Nine, please pay him no mind. He’s always been unruly and ill-mannered!”
Yue Qiong looked at Huo Ning with slight surprise. Being perceptive about people, he naturally knew Huo Ning was spoiled, but he didn’t think Huo Ning was spoiled to this extent. Thinking about the reason, Yue Qiong suddenly recalled some rumors mentioned by Lady Jiang.
While Yue Qiong was puzzled, Yan Chi and Yue Qing, even Xu He, all understood Huo Ning’s thoughts perfectly.
Yue Qing stepped forward, continuing with a half-smile, “What’s wrong with Young Master Huo? Why can’t it be Miss Nine? Miss Nine’s medical skills are exceptional – she cured my grandmother’s illness. The previous autopsy was witnessed by the Prefect himself. For such a major case, would my father and the Prefect act carelessly?”
Yue Qing’s words carried displeasure, and Huo Huaixin’s face grew even more uncomfortable. “Second Young Master speaks truly.”
Yan Chi raised his eyebrows slightly at seeing how Yue Qing defended Qin Wan this time, glancing at Huo Huaixin before saying coolly, “Time is running short. The Prefect cannot delay. If we wait any longer, the mortuary may not remain undisturbed.”
Though Yan Chi’s words showed no anger, they carried an unspoken pressure. Huo Huaixin instantly broke into a cold sweat!
It was one thing to displease the Yue father and son, but angering this demon prince would be truly terrifying!
Huo Huaixin nodded repeatedly in agreement, shot Huo Ning a knife-like glare, and then gestured for Qin Wan to enter, “Miss Nine, let’s go inside. Just ignore him. Everything is prepared inside—”
Huo Ning still stood stiffly in place. Though he knew how foolish he looked, he still couldn’t control himself from rushing forward. As soon as his words came out, he knew he had completely lost. From start to finish, Qin Wan had only calmly looked at him once. She didn’t need to say a single word – his father’s scolding and others’ gazes had thoroughly cast him into hell.
Qin Wan nodded, completely unaffected by Huo Ning’s questioning. She slightly lifted her skirts and slowly ascended the steps. Huo Huaixin led the way beside her, while Yan Chi and Yue Qiong followed behind. Even Fuling quickly walked inside.
Soon, only Huo Ning remained at the entrance, his face ashen.
Feiquan and Nanfeng were also full of surprise. As Huo Ning’s servants, they knew everything about Huo Ning and the Ninth Miss of the Qin family. Feiquan took a deep breath, “Heaven, how can it be Ninth Miss? She used to be…”
“Look at how Master treats her, how the Marquis treats her, and even His Highness the Crown Prince, this is simply…” Nanfeng was so shocked his jaw nearly hit the ground, speaking dazedly, “Ninth Miss has changed…”
The early autumn morning breeze was cool. As the cold wind swept by, Huo Ning’s stiff back gradually came back to life. He turned his eyes, glaring fiercely at Feiquan and Nanfeng, gritted his teeth, turned around, clenched his fists, and strode into the mortuary.
His manner suggested he was going to hit someone, but only he knew how unwilling he felt inside.
He still didn’t believe it. He wanted to see with his own eyes what abilities this Qin Wan had!
The mortuary was dark and gloomy in the morning hours. Uncle Kuan, responsible for guarding the mortuary, was thin and hoarse-voiced, wearing coarse black hemp clothing. He stood at the side hall entrance holding a lamp, and when he saw Huo Huaixin’s group escorting a beautifully dressed young lady enter, his withered face remained expressionless, though surprise flashed briefly in his eyes. After examining Qin Wan for a moment, he respectfully pushed open the side hall door.
As the door opened, a penetrating cold air mixed with the stench of death rushed out. Almost instantly, goosebumps rose all over Qin Wan’s body. Behind her, Xu He quickly stepped forward, entering the side hall first, “Miss Nine, please wait a moment. This servant will light the purifying incense.”
Having witnessed Qin Wan’s previous autopsy, Xu He had already prepared Cang Zhu medicinal incense to dispel the corpse smell. Meanwhile, Qin Wan walked in unhesitatingly, completely composed. Behind her, Yue Qing, who had been eagerly following, hesitated at the doorway, but seeing Qin Wan’s composed figure, he steeled himself and followed.
Afterward, Yue Qiong and Yan Chi entered in succession, their faces showing no obvious change, having been bloodied on battlefields before.
Fuling stood last, looking at the scene in the side hall through gaps between people, her small face instantly turned pale.
A long table was placed in the hall, with a headless figure lying on it. Around the room, besides ice basins, there were white soul-summoning banners and colorful paper offerings. Combined with the smell of burning paper money and incense permeating the air, it was exactly like an eerie and horrifying spirit hall. More frightening was that the deceased wore a blood-red wedding dress!
“Fuling, wait outside.”
Without turning around, Qin Wan seemed to know Fuling’s fear and gave a light command.
Fuling instinctively sighed in relief. She hadn’t witnessed Qin Wan’s previous autopsy, so this was her first time seeing such a scene. However, seeing Qin Wan fearlessly walk in, Fuling felt both relieved and somewhat hesitant.
She had made up her mind to study medicine with her young miss – how could she be afraid of blood when treating patients and saving lives in the future? What if she saw people with broken arms and legs? Thinking this way, Fuling gritted her teeth and stepped into the hall!
But in just that one step’s distance, Fuling saw the most horrifying scene she had ever witnessed in her life.
Up close and vivid, she saw Song Rou’s headless corpse!
The wedding dress was a striking red, eerily and horrifyingly draped over Song Rou’s body. Her bare neck showed a grotesque brownish-black color, and her hands protruding from the sleeves were grey-white and twisted, with purple patches visible on the backs.
Under her body on the brown table, a pool of foul-smelling, unidentifiable liquid had gathered near the neck area. Fuling’s heart was gripped by extreme fear, yet she seemed frozen in place, staring straight at the corpse with wide eyes. Suddenly, she noticed something moving at Song Rou’s severed neck. She held her breath and struggled to look closer—
She saw purulent fluid dripping from where brownish-black blood scabs covered the severed neck, and within that grotesque rotting flesh, something was wriggling out. Fuling’s eyes grew wide, and at one moment, she saw very clearly a white maggot fall from Song Rou’s severed neck. Looking again, she saw that the putrid liquid on the long table was teeming with maggots. Fuling retched and rushed out—
Though Fuling’s reaction was quite noticeable, no one looked surprised. If these grown men could barely handle it, how could a young maid like Fuling? In comparison, Qin Wan’s unchanged expression was truly remarkable.
Meanwhile, Qin Wan secretly sighed and took out a sachet from her sleeve.
She removed several pills and handed them to Yue Qing, “Everyone should take these.”
Yue Qing was already uncomfortable but forcing himself to endure. Hearing this, he quickly accepted with a smile. Lin Daxing’s corpse from last time had at least been fresh, but Song Rou’s case was very different, having been dead for six days. If not for the ice basins, Song Rou would have been even more unbearable to look at.
It was at this moment that Huo Ning walked in. He had just encountered Fuling outside and thought that no matter how capable Qin Wan was, she must have lost composure. But unexpectedly, upon entering, he saw that the most composed person in the room besides Yan Chi was Qin Wan!
Yan Chi was one thing, but how could Qin Wan not only be unafraid of the dead but also not feel disgusted?
Huo Ning watched in shock and awe. At this moment, Qin Wan glanced at him calmly. Huo Ning thought she would mock him again, but she merely gave him an indifferent look before turning away unmoved.
This was even more uncomfortable than being mocked!
Meanwhile, Yue Qing smiled and said, “Would Young Master Huo like one of Miss Nine’s pills?”
Huo Ning’s expression was cold and angry, “I don’t need it.”
Yue Qing raised his eyebrows but said nothing more, while Huo Huaixin snorted and didn’t bother with him either.
Meanwhile, Qin Wan took a pill herself. She took out the protective gloves Yan Chi had given her that day, putting them on while examining the corpse. Seeing Qin Wan preparing for the autopsy, Huo Huaixin hurriedly said, “Miss Nine, this time is different from Lin Daxing’s case.”
Qin Wan frowned, “How is it different?”
Huo Huaixin smiled bitterly, “Miss Song’s status is not ordinary. The Duke’s household hasn’t arrived yet, and Young Master Wei instructed earlier that we must not dissect the body and damage Miss Song’s remains. As such, it’s truly difficult to find any substantial clues or evidence.”
Qin Wan had finished putting on her protective gloves. This time she didn’t borrow Xu He’s tools but directly took out Han Yue from her sleeve. She slowly approached, examining the headless corpse as if inspecting an object.
“Not being able to dissect the body is indeed somewhat hindering.”
Huo Huaixin hearing these words quickly nodded with a bitter expression, “Indeed it is.”
“However—”
Qin Wan changed her tone, reaching toward Song Rou’s collar, “It’s not impossible to find clues.”
These words made Huo Huaixin’s eyes brighten, while Qin Wan glanced at the brush and examination report placed aside.
She had meant to indicate Xu He to help her record, but unexpectedly, with just one glance, a slender-fingered hand picked up the report. Following that hand upward, Qin Wan met Yan Chi’s eyes, dark as the night.
Yan Chi looked at her steadily, “You speak, I’ll record—”
Their eyes met for a moment before Qin Wan turned back to her task. Her expression was solemn and focused, and after a moment she spoke calmly.
“Female deceased, approximately five feet two inches in height.”
After a slight pause, Qin Wan continued, “Due to the missing head, identity cannot be determined at this time.”