Chapter 64 : The Crucial Clue, Bite Marks on the Shoulder
64: The Crucial Clue, Bite Marks on the Shoulder
"Deceased female. Height approximately five chi, two cun."[ TN: 1 cun = 0.0333 meters. ]
"Due to missing head, identity cannot be determined for now."
The atmosphere in the side hall shifted instantly. Huo Huaixin couldn't help but say, "Ninth Young Miss, what do you mean by that? Even though the head hasn't been found, this person was wearing a wedding gown and followed the bridal procession all the way here. It must be Song Rou without a doubt."
"The Prefect is making assumptions."
Qin Wan's voice was cool as she refuted him, then bent over the body.
Huo Huaixin wanted to speak again but was suddenly cowed by the aura of solemn focus emanating from Qin Wan. A man who had lived half a lifetime found himself inexplicably daunted by the Qin Wan before him now.
The side hall fell completely silent. Qin Wan's gaze seemed almost tangible as it slowly swept over the corpse clad in the wedding gown.
"If an autopsy cannot be performed, we can only examine the body's surface. If anyone feels unwell, you may step outside."
Qin Wan's tone was icy to the extreme, making her voice seem to carry the cold sharpness of the blade Cold Moon.
After she spoke, no one moved. Huo Huaixin shot a look at Huo Ning, but Huo Ning stood stiff‑necked near the doorway, making no move to leave. Huo Huaixin sighed inwardly and turned his attention back to Qin Wan's examination.
Qin Wan did not remove the clothing immediately. Instead, she first observed meticulously. "Has Coroner Xu moved the deceased's clothing?"
Xu He hurried forward. "I have. However... however, the Prefect instructed that Miss Song's remains must not be damaged, so I did not fully undress her. I only examined Miss Song's shoulders, back, and legs for injuries, then arranged everything back as it was." He paused slightly. "The initial examination was done on the first day the body was delivered. No obvious wounds were found."
Qin Wan did not rely on Xu He's findings. She gave a faint nod, then said with focused gravity, "The deceased's wedding gown is intact. Apart from faint bloodstains at the collar, no other blood is visible elsewhere."
As soon as she finished speaking, Yan Chi had already recorded her words.
Qin Wan suddenly looked at Huo Huaixin again. "Has Miss Song's bridal sedan been thoroughly checked?"
Huo Huaixin nodded hurriedly. "It has been checked. The sedan is a proper eight‑bearer treasure sedan, no mechanisms of any kind. Neither the carpet on the floor nor the fabric curtains and window lattices around it showed any bloodstains. It's very strange."
Qin Wan frowned, her eyes darkening. She examined the severed neck of the corpse, then, without hesitation, placed her hand over it, carefully removing the maggots. After a moment, she began to undress the body.
Though it was a female corpse, six days had passed. Even with ice basins present, the body under Qin Wan's hands was already swollen and decomposing. When Qin Wan fully removed the wedding gown, the stench of decay grew stronger. The body of a young woman in her prime had become a bloated, putrid corpse covered in purplish‑green patches, truly unbearable to look at directly.
"Rigor mortis has dissipated. Lividity is widespread across the body, dark purple in color, not fading under pressure. The body has begun initial decomposition. The lower abdomen is noticeably distended. Green decomposition patches have appeared on the lower abdomen, private areas, and the backs of the thighs and buttocks. No obvious wounds on the body surface. The only fatal injury is the severed neck."
As she spoke, Qin Wan used Cold Moon to carefully probe the scabbed area of the severed neck.
"The wound on the deceased's neck is clean, the spinal break clean. Likely a single fatal blow."
The wound had already begun to rot and fester. Though wearing gloves, Qin Wan, a young girl of lovely appearance, calmly probed the foul‑smelling, maggot‑infested rotting flesh. She was utterly composed. Her clear, spring‑like eyes grew profound, reflecting the lamplight in the room, an aura of solemnity and sanctity inexplicably surrounding her.
"Time of death should be six days prior. The ice basins in the room have slowed the decomposition rate. Additionally, without an autopsy, a more precise determination cannot be made."
Qin Wan's words, spoken one by one without emotion, felt unnerving in this bizarre, crude chamber. Huo Ning stood to the side. The more he watched Qin Wan conduct the examination, the more he felt her distancing herself from him. The facts were before his eyes; he knew he had been wrong to doubt and belittle her. Resentment, bitterness, humiliation, disappointment, and shame churned within him. He stood there as if entranced.
"There are no obvious injuries on the deceased's neck. However, due to the missing head, other possible injuries remain to be investigated. Nevertheless, we can preliminarily conclude that the deceased was beheaded while still alive."
These words made everyone's expressions turn grave. Qin Wan pointed to the severely decomposed severed neck. "The color of the blood scab is extremely dark. Moreover, the muscle tissue at the severed neck is severely contracted, and blood has deeply penetrated between the deceased's spine and trachea. If decapitation occurred after death, the blood penetration would not be this pronounced."
Qin Wan spoke methodically and logically, but to Huo Huaixin and the others, the severed neck area was already a rotten mess, impossible to discern anything from. As Qin Wan spoke, she suddenly made a soft sound of surprise.
"Bring the lamp closer."
Yue Qing quickly moved the lamp from the corner nearer. As he approached, the sight of the corpse became even more nauseating. Looking at Qin Wan again, Yue Qing's eyes held admiration.
"Ninth Young Miss, what is it?" Huo Huaixin couldn't help but ask.
Qin Wan didn't answer immediately. Instead, she said, "The deceased was beheaded while alive. Blood would have definitely sprayed out. Yet the bloodstains on the deceased's wedding gown collar are very faint and sparse. This is sufficient proof that the deceased was not wearing the wedding gown when she died."
Huo Huaixin gasped. "But... but she was discovered wearing the wedding gown. Could it be... the deceased died earlier, and someone dressed her in the wedding gown and placed her in the bridal sedan?"
Qin Wan nodded. "The bridal sedan was not the murder location."
Huo Huaixin pressed urgently, "Then where was she killed?"
This time, Qin Wan did not answer. She suddenly began meticulously searching around the wound on the corpse, as if looking for something. After a moment, she shifted position, moving to one side of the long table. Her gaze fell on the deceased's private area.
After death, decomposition occurs most readily in wounds and in the orifices and private areas. The deceased had no head, so Qin Wan could only focus on the private areas. Having seen Qin Wan examine the male corpse's genitals last time, the group was relatively calm this time.
Qin Wan bent down, examining the decomposed, swollen lower abdomen. Suddenly, she raised her hand, pinching something between her fingers. "Coroner Xu, do you recognize this?"
Xu He, slightly puzzled, hurried forward to look. What he saw was a tiny ant pinched between Qin Wan's fingers.
Xu He's expression changed. "Is this a white‑toothed ant?"
Qin Wan nodded. "White‑toothed ants originate south of Great Zhou, living off rotten wood. They often infest birch tree groves. Just now, I noticed signs of gnawing on the body's wound, but I didn't expect it to be from these white‑toothed ants."
Huo Huaixin was still perplexed, but Qin Wan looked at him and said, "Prefect, with this, it becomes clear."
Huo Huaixin came back to himself, still not fully grasping it. "How... how does it become clear…"
"The murderer severed the deceased's head with a single blow. The act was brutal and clean, suggesting a male perpetrator with martial training. His crime would have been committed covertly. However, on the day of the incident, the deceased entered Jinzhou City following the bridal procession. The murderer could not have killed her within the procession itself. There was no opportunity for the murderer along the journey. The only opportunities were the places where the procession rested the previous night and at noon."
"These white‑toothed ants are colonial and only appear among birch tree groves. Birch trees are not particularly common in the south. Even when they appear, it's in small clusters. Therefore, Prefect, if you check the resting places of the bridal procession for nearby birch groves, you can preliminarily locate the murder site." She added, "The deceased's head is highly likely to have been discarded there."
Huo Huaixin's eyes lit up. He almost immediately said, "Ninth Young Miss is truly brilliant! I will send men to search at once!"
The case had seen no progress for days. Hearing this clear direction, Huo Huaixin's confidence surged. He cupped his hands toward Qin Wan and went out to dispatch personnel. Seeing him like this, Qin Wan raised an eyebrow, then called to Xu He again. "Coroner Xu, bring the white vinegar."
Xu He handed over the white vinegar while asking, "What else does Ninth Young Miss wish to examine?"
Qin Wan shook her head. "Since we cannot perform an autopsy, we can only examine the body's surface to the utmost."
Having said that, she began applying the white vinegar to the corpse. As she applied it, she said, "The body's surface has begun to decompose. We may not find anything. If staying here is difficult, you may step outside for air."
The room was silent. Qin Wan applied the vinegar and waited quietly. Yue Qiong was the first to walk to the window and open it. With the window open, the room indeed felt more ventilated. Yue Qing, unable to bear it any longer, also went to stand by the window.
Qin Wan remained unmoving, her gaze still fixed on the body's surface. At a certain moment, she suddenly frowned, bending to examine the corpse's shoulder.
Yan Chi had been watching Qin Wan's movements. Seeing this, he also walked over.
He saw that the lividity on the corpse had spread severely. The shoulder even had green decomposition patches due to the putrid fluid from the wound. And Qin Wan was staring unblinkingly at the deceased's left shoulder, where purple and green patches intersected.
After a few moments, Qin Wan suddenly picked up Cold Moon and carefully peeled away the decomposed skin on the corpse's shoulder.
Once peeled, the crimson flesh beneath was immediately revealed.
Yan Chi did not understand autopsy procedures, but even he could clearly see several tiny black dots within the crimson.
Yan Chi couldn't help but ask, "What is this?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Qin Wan's expression, but quickly, her composure and calmness suppressed it. She narrowed her eyes, her tone so soft and profound that only Yan Chi could hear.
"These are bite marks."