Secret Recipe | Chapter 38 | The River Corpse's Marks | Novela.app

Even though she had a lingering sense of foreboding, Qin Jiuye truly had no idea that Kang Renshou had died in the river. Not only had she heard nothing of the matter, but she had also rarely ever visited Ershui Bank, the place where the body had been discovered. However, she quickly surmised that Lu Zican’s solemn questioning was likely a test to gauge her reaction. What she couldn't understand was this: if the murder truly were linked to her, what benefit would there be in involving her now? After following Lu Zican across half the city in a daze, Qin Jiuye found herself standing at a wide, triangular stretch of water. The place was called Ershui Bank—as the name suggested, it was the shore where two rivers converged. The Li River and the Daoxiao River met here, curving before flowing toward the southeast. Because the water was once clear and slow-moving, the common folk from the eastern part of the city used to wash their clothes and rice here. Later, wealthy families upstream on the Li River began extensive construction of gardens and estates, causing the silt at Ershui Bank to increase and the current to grow murky. No one washed their things here anymore; only the occasional child catching loaches would play by the water’s edge. Kang Renshou’s corpse had been discovered by a group of such half-grown children. The weather was sweltering, and the body had been soaking in the river for so long that it had bloated like a leather raft. Because the corpse was tangled in water weeds from head to toe, the children hadn't realized at first that the floating object was a dead man. They had even bet that it was a soft-shelled turtle spirit and tried to reach it with bamboo poles used for catching cicadas. A passing woman, sensing something was wrong, had stepped forward for a closer look and was nearly scared to death, leading her to report it to the authorities. Several capable young soldiers had already dispersed the crowd of onlookers and were guarding the shallow beach tightly. A coroner in green robes crouched by the old, moss-covered stone steps; even with a cloth mask covering his face, his expression remained grave. "How is it?" The coroner snapped back to attention, rising to report to the young Protector-General standing behind him. "Reporting to the Protector-General, the body has been soaking in the river for some time, making it difficult to determine the exact hour of death. However, it was likely the day before yesterday." Qiu Ling listened and gestured for the man to pull back the white cloth covering the corpse by the riverbank. Having not seen him for a day, the Protector-General appeared even more exhausted, the shadows beneath his eyes nearly merging into one. Qin Jiuye couldn't help but steal a few glances. When she turned back, most of Kang Renshou’s face had been revealed from beneath the cloth. Due to the water immersion, his features were puffy and grey. Only the hairy mole in the center of his chin remained distinct, barely allowing one to recall his appearance in life. *Renshou, Renshou—Benevolence and Longevity.* In the end, he had met a violent end and failed to live out his natural span. The coroner briefly cleaned the area around him, then took out a clean white cloth to wipe his hands. "Adjutant Lu was concerned that people walking about would disturb the scene, so he led a search of the vicinity earlier, but no bloodstains were found. Therefore, this official concludes that Master Kang may not have been attacked and fallen into the water nearby. He was likely swept here after falling into the river somewhere upstream, though the exact location remains unknown." Lu Zican looked at Qiu Ling and picked up where the coroner left off. "The bloodstains found in the city on the night of the incident were near Red Pheasant Ward. Although that area intersects with these two rivers, it is in the south of the city and quite a distance from here. There are many suspicious points. Does the Protector-General wish for me to send men along both banks to question the residents and see if anyone heard anything unusual that night?" Qiu Ling remained silent, clearly weighing the efficiency and significance of such a move. The Li and Daoxiao Rivers were winding and treacherous, passing by no fewer than a thousand households. Even if someone had heard something, questioning them house by house would take many days, and the true culprit might have long since fled upon hearing the news. Beside them, Qin Jiuye’s thoughts were also racing. If Li Qiao hadn't lied to her, then that night he had escaped from the secret passage of Treasure Mirage Tower to the vicinity of Red Pheasant Ward before leaving. This could be connected in a line with the bloodstains Lu Zican mentioned. If the city gates were already closed then, his only way out of the city would have been to hide on a cargo boat and leave via the West Feng Gate along the waterway. For a man who was injured and desperate to shake off pursuers, what were the chances he would encounter and kill Kang Renshou on the river, then casually dump the body? Of course, the premise of all this reasoning was that Li Qiao had not lied to her. Steadying her mind, she forced herself to focus on the information before her. She had managed to get here with great difficulty; she had to use this limited time to secure the best chance of survival for her own people. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but take a step forward and say cautiously, "This commoner has spent many years traveling and has some humble experience. Since Adjutant Lu has brought me here, would you allow me to step forward and take a look? With several lords watching, I certainly couldn't pull any tricks in public." Lu Zican didn't speak, only looking toward Qiu Ling, who for some reason looked back at her. The three of them exchanged glances for a moment before the young Protector-General finally nodded. Qin Jiuye breathed a sigh of relief and quickly leaned in. After carefully examining Kang Renshou’s corpse, she spoke in a heavy tone. "The Bitter Xing grass tangled in this body's hair is only found around the Purple Jade Bridge area where the Li River passes. There isn't a trace of the fine river sand from the upper reaches. Therefore, Master Kang’s point of entry into the water was either near Purple Jade Bridge in the east of the city, or in the stretch before the Li River leaves the north and enters the east. This should save some time in your inquiries." Lu Zican listened expressionlessly, but inwardly he was impressed. This green-robed coroner had been dispatched from the prefectural magistrate's office; it was hard to say if he was one of Fan Tong’s men. His Protector-General was worried that Fan Tong would use this opportunity to stir up trouble, which was why he had ordered him to bring this village girl who ran a pharmacy outside the city. Initially, Lu Zican had been reluctant, feeling that a village girl wouldn't be of much use. But the Protector-General had said that since she dared to confront Fan Tong in court and was now implicated in the case, she would surely do everything in her power to clear herself, which would benefit the investigation. Looking at it now, it was indeed so. While Lu Zican’s admiration for his superior was evident, Qin Jiuye was busy with her own little schemes. The reason she offered these deductions was indeed to help Qiu Ling solve the case, but the underlying motive was to clear the suspicion from Qin Sanyou as quickly as possible. The Su family and Kang Renshou’s Huichun Hall were both in the north of the city, while Purple Jade Bridge was in the southeast. The two were half a city apart. Qin Sanyou’s small vegetable boat didn't even have a bamboo canopy. To travel all the way to the east of the city to kill someone and dump the body—not to mention how long it would take—it would be impossible not to run into night patrol soldiers. Wouldn't that be looking for trouble? She understood these twists and turns, and Qiu Ling naturally understood them as well. But these were at most circumstantial evidence; they couldn't truly prove anything, nor could they directly pinpoint the real killer. The young Protector-General’s gaze turned toward her. For once, there was a flicker of a different emotion in his eyes, but it was gone in an instant. "I didn't expect Shopkeeper Qin to be so knowledgeable." It seemed he had previously thought she was ignorant. Having gone from a suspect to receiving a sudden compliment, Qin Jiuye didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "This commoner makes a living from this; I must recognize these things. Besides, I said I would help, so I must be of some use." As she spoke, an officer from the magistrate's office placed a bundle of examined items on the stone steps by the water and presented a recorded ledger to Lu Zican. The latter flipped through it while reporting to Qiu Ling. "According to the inventory of items just checked, Kang Renshou was carrying three taels of silver, a hundred-tael banknote, a cloth handkerchief, and his high-quality jade pendant and hairpins are all still there. His valuables don't seem to be missing, though his outer robe hasn't been found yet. Additionally, the people from Huichun Hall said Master Kang never went anywhere without his medicine chest. It was just found on a shallow bank in the east of the city. Because it was some distance away, it took some time to confirm. There are over thirty taels of silver inside. The rest of the items are waterlogged; we can have the pharmacy assistants identify them later to see if anything is missing." The medicine chest was also in the east. To some extent, this corroborated Qin Jiuye’s deduction. But it couldn't be ruled out that the killer had dumped the body in one place and then disposed of the medicine chest in another. But why do that? Had Kang Renshou been carrying the chest when he died? Countless deductions flashed through Qiu Ling’s mind, but his face remained cold as he gave Lu Zican a look. Lu Zican immediately spread open the cloth bundle. Inside were miscellaneous items stained with river mud, presumably things found on Kang Renshou’s person. Qin Jiuye glanced at them, not paying much mind at first. But for some reason, the scene of the consultation at the Su residence that day jumped into her mind, making her stare at the items in the bundle a bit longer. "Is there... a gourd in there?" Lu Zican looked at her strangely upon hearing this. Seeing that Qiu Ling didn't reprimand her, he flipped through the ledger again before asking, "What gourd?" Strange. Wasn't that golden gourd said to be an imperial gift? Kang Renshou should have kept it on him at all times. Now, even a handkerchief had been recovered, so why was the gourd alone missing? Had it been swept away by the river? The words were on the tip of her tongue, but Qin Jiuye suddenly stopped. For some reason, she decided to be cautious and didn't finish her thought. "A head shopkeeper of a pharmacy like Master Kang would usually carry a gourd for pills when making house calls, containing his pharmacy's life-saving medicine. I just suddenly remembered and was curious, so I asked." Lu Zican looked suspicious, but he didn't say anything more. Beside them, Qiu Ling was clearly more concerned with something else and had turned back to the coroner. "Has the cause of death been determined?" "The deceased has two external injuries in total. One is on the left side of the forehead, near the temple, caused by an impact. There are abrasions at the skin lesion; it is speculated that this was formed when he fell or struggled and hit a hard object like a stone step. As for the other one..." The coroner’s voice trailed off, his stiff face showing a rare hesitation. The next moment, Qiu Ling’s gaze shifted over. The coroner quickly composed himself and stepped forward, slowly pulling back the white cloth that had been covering Kang Renshou’s chin. Even though everyone present had seen their share of trouble, the air around them seemed to freeze for a moment. Kang Renshou’s neck had been nearly shredded. Half of his windpipe was exposed, and the mangled flesh of the wound was white and swollen from the river water. One could vaguely discern the dislocated end of his collarbone; the sharp bone had nearly pierced a hole through his inner tunic. Killing a man is but a moment's work. What kind of deep-seated hatred would lead someone to ruin a living human being like this? Qin Jiuye’s heart began to pound. The coroner’s voice rose again. "The other injury is this wound on the neck. The deceased did not die from the blow to the head, but from excessive blood loss. This fatal wound to the neck drained nearly all his blood. It shouldn't have been done after death; it looks more like his throat was torn open while he was still alive." Torn open? Unpleasant memories surged uncontrollably. Qin Jiuye stumbled, and though she quickly steadied herself, she was noticed by the man beside her. "What is it? Did Shopkeeper Qin remember something?" She tried her best to act as if nothing were wrong, but her hand uncontrollably rose to touch her neck, as if wiping away sweat. "This gentleman’s description is truly terrifying. I was just a bit startled." Qiu Ling’s gaze fell heavily on her face, his tone meaningful. "You should indeed be startled. Although there are still some suspicious points to be cleared, based on the current state of the body, Master Kang and the night watchman attacked on Mulberry and Hemp Street half a month ago were likely killed by the same hand. This culprit is truly arrogant and cruel, no better than a wild beast. I fear he will strike again sooner or later." Qin Jiuye realized he was trying to rattle her, but she wasn't stupid. She knew the best counterattack right now was to play dumb. While playing dumb, she also took a moment to recall the events of that night. That night, Li Qiao indeed had quite a bit of blood on him, but his face seemed fairly clean, and there was no blood in his hair. If he had bitten someone into this state, it would be very hard to keep his face clean. Even if he had washed his face or the rain had washed some away, traces would have remained in his hair. Furthermore, the case on Mulberry and Hemp Street was half a month ago; Li Qiao had been normal then and hadn't yet encountered that sinister young master. Qin Jiuye secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly felt her relief was misplaced and quickly straightened her expression. At that moment, the coroner used a white cloth to slightly lift Kang Renshou’s head, revealing the only intact patch of skin on the back of his neck. He pointed to a purple mark on the skin and said, "There is one more thing. Although it cannot be considered an injury, it is quite strange. Protector-General, please look." Qiu Ling and Qin Jiuye leaned in simultaneously, then both pulled back slightly upon noticing the other's movement. Qin Jiuye blinked, reminding herself to focus on the corpse. On Kang Renshou’s neck was indeed a strangely shaped bruise, about the size of a fingernail. The center looked like the four claws of some animal, with blurred edges. Could this be the mark of some martial arts sect? She didn't look at the young Protector-General, but instead asked Lu Zican standing beside him. "This bruise is so unusual. Is it possible it was a vendetta? Or perhaps he was caught in a conflict between martial sects?" Lu Zican was also deep in thought. He was a bit surprised to be addressed so suddenly; he hadn't expected her to discuss the case with him. He paused before saying, "I have never heard of any sect in the martial world using such a crest. However, I have heard that if someone in the martial world strikes and doesn't want descendants to seek revenge, they will tamper with the fatal wound to hide the traces of the weapon. In my view, the killer tearing open the victim's throat might just be to mislead us." Qin Jiuye nodded as she listened. Though she had never entered the martial world, she had dealt with many people who had been hacked half to death over the years—some pursued by enemies, some failed avengers, and the rest from normal skirmishes between sects. Among the patients she had treated, it was indeed rare to see a wound so messy and irregular. Martial weapons were mostly sharp and swift; few would leave such a mark. If one truly wanted to track the killer by the weapon, there would indeed be no clues. But... something still felt wrong. "Just to hide traces, there's really no need to make it so unsightly. Besides, Master Kang was just a pharmacy manager; how could he be involved with people from the martial world? If it were just a common sword wound, it could be explained as a robbery gone wrong. The family and the authorities might not pursue it so doggedly. Why go to such lengths and instead invite scrutiny?" As her words fell, the surroundings went silent. Qin Jiuye sensed something and looked up, meeting the sharp gaze of the young Protector-General. Qiu Ling looked at the woman before him, whose eyes showed a boldness beneath her timid exterior. That sense of contradiction grew stronger, and for some reason, his heart stirred. He could have taken this chance to state his own conclusion, but after a moment of silence, he chose to throw the question back to her. "I have heard that As Expected House has treated many from the martial world. Shopkeeper Qin must have seen many strange injuries. In your opinion, what kind of weapon could have left this wound?" This Qiu Ling was truly fearsome; he had even uncovered the shady business As Expected House did in secret. Was asking her this now truly out of curiosity, or did he know something and was testing her? After all, even this white-bearded coroner from the magistrate's office couldn't figure it out. Asking a physician like her to answer didn't seem like he had good intentions. But who told her to have a guilty conscience and speak up just now? Qin Jiuye licked her dry lips and decided to play the fool to stall. "Perhaps it was... a mace?" The coroner beside them indeed let out a scoff, clearly disagreeing with her. "What this young lady says is truly erroneous. Setting aside how heavy a mace is—a single blow would shatter the skull—this corpse’s neck and skull are intact. Furthermore, if the culprit truly used a mace, would not a single person in this city of Jiugao have seen such a conspicuous weapon?" Having no intention of offending the man, Qin Jiuye immediately bowed and scraped. "The gentleman is right." But the young Protector-General didn't seem inclined to let her off, asking further, "Of all the weapons in the manuals, why did you say a mace?" She had no choice but to bite the bullet and answer. "The edges of this wound are uneven and rough, with signs of tearing. It looks like tooth marks, but perhaps deeper. There aren't many weapons with iron teeth; this commoner thought a mace wasn't too far-fetched..." "Wait," Qiu Ling interrupted before she could finish. "Did you just say... tooth marks?" The more the other party rushed to confirm something, the more Qin Jiuye wanted to retreat. She immediately tried to smooth things over. "The wound has been soaked in the river; it is indeed difficult to distinguish. The mention of tooth marks has no basis. It is better for the Protector-General to rely on what this gentleman says." Lu Zican, however, seemed to remember something and spoke with disbelief. "Could it be... that this wasn't done by a person?" As soon as he spoke, the coroner also seemed to realize something. "Speaking of which, this official once examined the body of a hunter. He was attacked by a bear when he went into the mountains in early spring. A chunk of flesh was torn from his thigh, and he died three days later after the wound festered. Recalling the wound on his leg now, it does bear some resemblance to the one on this corpse. It is currently early summer, a time when wild beasts are active. It's possible..." If it wasn't a person, could a wild beast have slipped into the city? Lu Zican’s brow furrowed, and he immediately began to doubt his own words. "That's also unlikely. Not to mention that the city gates are guarded day and night, and the defenses are even tighter after curfew. Even if someone in the city were secretly keeping a tiger or leopard and it escaped, with so many shops and residents near the streets, why has no one witnessed it until today? Why would it only come out at night to harm people?" Qin Jiuye’s heart rose and fell with their conversation, churning so much it felt like it would jump out. Hearing this, she quickly picked up the thread. "This commoner feels Adjutant Lu has a point. If it were a beast attack, why is it that although the wound is terrifying, nothing is missing? Why would a beast only harm a person but not eat them? Furthermore, the body ended up in the water, which looks intentional. If it were just a wild beast, how could it be so?" Qiu Ling turned his gaze toward her once more. "So you think it is still a human crime?" After today’s exchange, she had begun to understand his way of doing things. This Protector-General from Qingzhong Mountain Academy, though he had the imposing aura of a man forged on horseback, was ultimately someone who liked to reason. Even if his words were full of tests, he wouldn't pose a substantial threat until a crime was proven. Compared to that Master Fan who tried to force a confession from the start, he was actually much easier to talk to. Qin Jiuye didn't look up at him, answering with her head bowed and body hunched. "I am only speculating. This case is so bizarre; if no one were pulling the strings, it would seem quite inexplicable. Since many things are still unclear, why not re-examine the residents and boatmen along the river in the east? Perhaps someone heard something. With witnesses to corroborate, the killer will surely surface sooner..." As if to prove her words true, in the next moment, a familiar and loathsome voice rang out from the riverbank. "So the Protector-General is here! You truly were hard to find." *** **Glossary** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation --- | --- | --- 二水滨 | Ershui Bank | The confluence of the Li and Daoxiao Rivers. 黎水 | Li River | One of the main rivers in the city. 黛绡河 | Daoxiao River | The second river that meets the Li River at Ershui Bank. 苦荇草 | Bitter Xing grass | An aquatic plant (Nymphoides) used to identify the location of the body. 紫玉桥 | Purple Jade Bridge | A bridge located in the southeast of the city. 青重山书院 | Qingzhong Mountain Academy | The prestigious academy where Qiu Ling was educated. 九皋 | Jiugao | The name of the city where the story takes place.