Xiao Zhe’s hand trembled, and he looked up sharply.
“A transcendent?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
“How else? Mr. Xu was Sequence 8. Who else do you think could kill him?”
Xiao Zhe finally realized the weight of it.
It was true. Old Xu was Sequence 8, and a Coroner at that!
One of a Coroner’s special abilities was physical enhancement and delayed pain perception.
Moreover, they were highly immune to toxins. How could it be easy to kill him silently?
Looking at it that way, Yin Yang’s analysis made perfect sense.
“The blade work was crude, the skinning of the limbs was incomplete, too much muscle tissue was left behind, and there was no scent of corrosive potions.”
“Based on these clues, we can determine that this was a copycat crime.”
Xiao Zhe looked on in awe.
“Incredible!”
“I say, why bother calling in a Coroner from another city? You’ve been doing the Coroner’s work in Wangduan City anyway. They should just train you to be one.”
“Didn't Lord Mei say a promotion potion was nothing to him?”
“How about this? I’ll get you a Corpse Bearer promotion potion first. You can become a Corpse Bearer.”
“Once you’ve fully digested the potion and feel ready to advance, we’ll go to Lord Mei and ask for the Coroner promotion potion!”
“By then, you’ll be the new Coroner of our Wangduan City!”
Xiao Zhe spoke with a face full of anticipation. Yin Yang looked at him with an amused expression.
“If I become the Coroner, what will you do?”
“Wangduan City is a small place. Supporting one Coroner is already plenty. Do you really think the higher-ups have so much excess funding?”
Xiao Zhe was moved by this.
“Good brother, I didn't realize you were looking out for me!”
“But don't worry, I don't have any plans to become a Coroner for the time being.”
“Speaking of which, since you don't plan on becoming a Coroner, why do you keep working here?”
“The pay is low, and the work is filthy and exhausting. What are you after?”
“It couldn't be for my sake, could it?”
Yin Yang was speechless. He lowered his head to continue examining the corpse’s skin.
“One can never have too many skills. I’m just gaining experience.”
Xiao Zhe nodded half-comprehendingly. Holding his notebook, he walked to the other side of the body.
“But if you don't intend to become a Coroner, what use is learning all this anatomical knowledge?”
Yin Yang didn't answer.
He couldn't tell Xiao Zhe that being here allowed him to accumulate malevolent spirits and souls, and more importantly, it allowed him to regularly dissect bodies to understand human anatomy.
Only then, when he went to reclaim his own internal organs, could he make those people experience exactly what he had endured!
“There are also signs of cauterization within the skin, though it’s only slight. It melted a portion of the fat, so the temperature likely wasn't very high.”
“He used this method to separate the skin from the flesh. His control over his power is very precise.”
“If the opponent is a transcendent, he must be an expert.”
As he spoke, he flipped the human skin over. After inspecting it, he finally found a slight indentation near the heart.
“There’s a mark over the heart. This is different from the previous six bodies.”
“It’s just that a Coroner’s body is unique, so it’s hard to tell if he was flayed while alive or after death. Just write it down as post-mortem for now. It’ll be easier for Mr. Xu’s family to accept.”
Yin Yang took off his gloves and pushed the body back into the cold storage.
“These are just my preliminary judgments. We’ll have to wait for the new Coroner to arrive tomorrow morning to know for sure.”
Xiao Zhe closed his notebook, his expression turning serious.
“I think your judgment is the right one. We should report this.”
“Otherwise, if the Coroner’s judgment tomorrow is the same as yours, how will you get any credit?”
Yin Yang waved him off.
“I’m not a Coroner. My autopsy reports have no legal standing.”
“In the past, my reports could only be submitted after Mr. Xu signed them. Those are the rules.”
Xiao Zhe looked indignant.
“What kind of garbage rule is that? Why is it so hard for the people who actually do the work to get ahead?”
Yin Yang washed his gloves as he spoke.
“You can't be so absolute. Even if we do more work, we also learn more things.”
“That’s equally important to us.”
Xiao Zhe looked at him with a 'why are you so hopeless' expression.
“You, you’re just too easy to bully!”
Yin Yang smiled faintly. After putting the gloves into the sterilization cabinet, he said, “Alright, the examination is over. Go back and get some sleep, or you won't be able to get up tomorrow.”
Xiao Zhe let out a yawn.
“Where am I going to find a taxi at this hour? This is the mortuary.”
“I’ll just make do at your place for the night.”
As he spoke, he walked toward Yin Yang’s room. The further he went, the colder it got, causing him to sneeze.
“Yin Yang, I’m serious. This place is too gloomy. You’ll get rheumatism sooner or later. Just move out with me.”
But in Yin Yang’s eyes, over a hundred malevolent spirits were drifting toward Xiao Zhe with venomous gazes.
Their expressions seemed to say: We’re all dead, so why are you still alive?
Boom!
The brawny shadow of the malevolent ghost appeared again. Its zanbato swept out in a horizontal arc, forcing all the spirits back.
The blade-wielding ghost!
The spirits didn't dare approach Xiao Zhe, so they rushed toward Yin Yang instead.
Just as they were about to reach him, a white paper lantern appeared out of thin air.
The spirits felt as if they were facing the sun itself. The heat was unbearable, and they retreated with wails of agony.
A giant ghostly shadow appeared behind Yin Yang. It held an umbrella in one hand and a lantern in the other, with a massive wooden book box strapped to its back.
The lantern-carrying ghost!
With these two ghosts protecting him, the surrounding spirits could only retreat in frustration.
In Xiao Zhe’s perception, he only felt a gust of wind blow past, after which the surroundings felt much warmer.
“Achoo! This damn place. One moment it’s cold, the next it’s hot. I’m going to catch a cold sooner or later.”
...
Whew—
Early the next morning, a blast of cold air woke Yin Yang from his deep sleep. It was a warning from the lantern-carrying ghost.
When he opened his eyes, the forms of the lantern-carrying ghost and the blade-wielding ghost gradually faded away. A moment later, a knocking sound came from the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Is anyone there?”
“At the invitation of Lord Mei, Coroner Wei Baixiang of Mangyang City has come to examine the body.”
Yin Yang rubbed his face, straightened his clothes, and got up to open the door.
On the other side, Xiao Zhe sat up with a yawn.
“They got here fast.”
Creeak.
The mortuary door opened inward. Wei Baixiang felt a cold wind hit his face and instinctively took a step back.
“Hello, Mr. Wei. I am Yin Yang, an apprentice here.”
“Lord Mei already informed us of your arrival. Please, come in.”
Yin Yang respectfully moved aside from the doorway, but Wei Baixiang didn't enter immediately. Instead, he carefully scrutinized the surroundings.
He looked at the mortuary, and he looked at Yin Yang.
“Yin Yang? As in the Yin of Yin and Yang?”
“It is the Yin for 'prosperous'.”
Yin Yang wore a sincere smile that no one could find fault with, yet Wei Baixiang still felt his scalp tingle.
‘Something’s wrong.’
‘There’s something strange about this place!’
Wei Baixiang’s expression shifted uncertainly, feeling a sense of resistance toward entering the mortuary.
Seeing this, Yin Yang followed his gaze and asked with a curious look, “What is the master looking at?”
As Yin Yang’s voice rang out, Wei Baixiang felt increasingly uncomfortable. He felt as if countless 'people' were staring at him from all sides!
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