Chi Can frowned in disgust, asking Qiao Zhao in a low voice: “This is the person you’re looking for?”

Qiao Zhao widened her eyes slightly, carefully examining the person.

Though she had a good memory, it had been many years since she’d seen him. The person’s face was so dirty that his features couldn’t be made out, making identification difficult for the moment.

Shao Mingyuan stepped forward and crouched halfway in front of the person: “Coroner Qian.”

His voice was firm and powerful, without the slightest hesitation.

The person’s eyelids twitched but didn’t open. He simply rolled over and continued sleeping.

This reaction convinced Qiao Zhao that this was indeed Coroner Qian. She stepped forward and called out: “Coroner Qian—”

The person still showed no reaction.

Chi Can raised his eyebrows, and his body had just moved when Yang Houcheng grabbed him.

“Let’s first see what Miss Li and the others are trying to do.”

Chi Can sneered: “What do you think I’m going to do?”

Yang Houcheng chuckled.

They couldn’t just randomly beat people up—if they needed something from him, beating him would ruin everything.

Chi Can snorted lightly, crossed his arms over his chest, and watched coldly from the side.

When calling out once got no response, Qiao Zhao had a thought and asked directly: “Coroner Qian, do you still remember Physician Li?”

The lying person suddenly sat up.

His graying hair hung loose, clearly unwashed for a long time, clumped together and emanating a sour smell. His previously closed eyelids finally lifted, and his cloudy gaze stared directly at Qiao Zhao.

The young girl before him had a calm expression and gentle eyes. Despite being so close to him, she showed not the slightest trace of disgust.

“What relation are you to Physician Li?” After examining Qiao Zhao for a long time, Coroner Qian slowly asked.

He seemed not to have spoken for a long time—his voice carried a harsh quality, like rusted iron, making people feel very uncomfortable.

Yet the girl’s expression didn’t change at all as she smiled: “I’m Physician Li’s granddaughter.”

“Nonsense!” Coroner Qian flew into a rage, his fierce gaze fixed on Qiao Zhao. “At such a young age, spouting lies—Physician Li’s granddaughter is much older than you!”

Hearing this, Shao Mingyuan unconsciously clenched his fist.

This Coroner Qian had seen Qiao Zhao before.

At this moment, Shao Mingyuan’s emotions were particularly complex.

If not for Miss Li’s suggestion, he probably would never have known that on this barren mountain outside a small city, an old man who looked like a beggar had seen his wife Qiao Zhao, and had seen her more than once.

Yet he, as her husband, was a stranger to Qiao Zhao.

That regret and guilt wove into a fine, dense net that wrapped tightly around Shao Mingyuan’s heart, making it hard for him to breathe.

He couldn’t help but wonder: What would it be like if Qiao Zhao were still alive? Perhaps today it would be her accompanying him to visit Coroner Qian.

“You’ve seen Physician Li’s granddaughter?” Qiao Zhao didn’t mind Coroner Qian’s scolding and smiled sweetly. “So you admit you’re Coroner Qian? Grandfather Li once told me he had a friend living in Taishui City who was the finest coroner in the world.”

“Who exactly are you?” A flash of sharpness appeared in Coroner Qian’s cloudy eyes as he stared fixedly at Qiao Zhao. “Little girl, don’t try to deceive me. I’ve seen Physician Li’s granddaughter—she was already your size many years ago!”

“I’m Physician Li’s other granddaughter.” Having provoked Coroner Qian into admitting his identity, Qiao Zhao stopped being mysterious. “Grandfather Li only recognized me as his adopted granddaughter at the beginning of this year, so you don’t know me, but he did mention you to me.”

Coroner Qian squinted as he examined Qiao Zhao. After a long while, he asked: “Why didn’t Li Zhenhe come himself?”

This was a formal acknowledgment of his identity.

“Grandfather Li passed away.” Qiao Zhao lowered her eyes, her voice dropping.

“Impossible!” Coroner Qian opened his mouth and spat a thick glob of phlegm on the ground, saying coldly: “I’m still alive and well—how could Li Zhenhe have died? You people came here to deceive me—what’s your purpose?”

That glob of thick phlegm landed right beside Qiao Zhao’s feet. Chi Can could tolerate no more and walked over, looking down from above: “What a ridiculous statement!”

His gaze shifted, showing no courtesy: “You’re barely clothed, with only one shoe left—even if we were deceiving you, what could we possibly gain?”

Coroner Qian opened his cloudy eyes to look at Chi Can, moving his lips slightly: “So you came to find me just to announce a death?”

“You—”

Shao Mingyuan gently shook his head at Chi Can.

An ordinary person might be intimidated by the subtle noble bearing emanating from the visitors, but this old man before them clearly had no desires or demands, looking ready to die—how could he be frightened by mere words?

“Coroner Qian, we came to find you to request that you come out of retirement.” Shao Mingyuan took over.

Coroner Qian turned a deaf ear: “First, tell me how Li Zhenhe died.”

“Physician Li went to sea to gather medicinal herbs and, unfortunately, encountered a shipwreck.”

After hearing this, Coroner Qian was stunned for quite a while, then lay back down. One of his arms pressed directly onto the phlegm on the ground, but he didn’t care at all.

Chi Can, who was naturally fastidious about cleanliness, trembled his lips, and even Yang Houcheng couldn’t help making a retching expression.

“Coroner Qian—” Shao Mingyuan called out with an unchanged expression.

When he first arrived in the Northern Territories, he had even seen cannibalism—what did the scene before him amount to?

“Stop calling. You should all leave—I won’t come out of retirement.”

“What would make you willing to come out of retirement?” Chi Can crouched down, asking while suppressing his nausea.

Coroner Qian didn’t move.

Chi Can’s brow furrowed tightly: “Name your conditions—we’ll do our best to satisfy them.”

Coroner Qian, with his back to the group, began laughing: “Young man, stop talking nonsense and leave quickly.”

“Coroner Qian, my friend is rather direct in speech—please don’t take offense. We came from the capital just to request that you come out of retirement. Could you please help us for Physician Li’s sake?” Shao Mingyuan asked politely.

Hearing this, Chi Can couldn’t help but look at Qiao Zhao.

He had never known that they had traveled from the capital to this place just to request this temperamental old beggar to come out of retirement.

Qiao Zhao’s expression showed no change at all. Chi Can looked at Yang Houcheng, who wore a puzzled expression, clearly also just learning of this.

Chi Can could only smile bitterly in his heart.

So Third Miss Li had already discussed this with Shao Mingyuan long ago, but hadn’t mentioned a word of it to him.

“Stop wasting your time here. What I’ve said won’t change.” Coroner Qian rolled over and resumed his sprawled position, his wrinkled eyelids covering his cloudy eyes as if he had already fallen asleep.

Yang Houcheng tugged at Shao Mingyuan and asked quietly: “Must we get this person to come out of retirement?”

Shao Mingyuan glanced at Qiao Zhao and nodded: “Yes.”

Yang Houcheng rubbed his hands: “This person is a dead pig that doesn’t fear boiling water.”

Shao Mingyuan sighed.

The most troublesome thing was indeed a dead pig that didn’t fear boiling water—those methods he used against enemies couldn’t be employed on such an old man.

At this point, Qiao Zhao spoke: “Coroner Qian, Grandfather Li once said something to me.”

Coroner Qian made no sound, but the words “Grandfather Li” made his ears twitch.