C13 That Stormy Night

Feng Wuqing quickly returned to the front yard. Seeing Ximu Longchen, he shook his head, indicating everything was fine. Only then did Ximu Longchen wave his hand, signaling Xiao Zhu to stand up. Xiao Zhu let out a quiet sigh of relief, though a hint of suspicion and confusion flickered in his eyes.

As night fell, Lo Li returned to her place, a small room where the only occupant was a solitary corpse. As a seasoned forensic pathologist, she found the dead more reliable and approachable than the living. The deceased wouldn’t deceive or harm you; they were the most honest, showing their truths no matter how unfairly they’d been treated. Perhaps this was why some experienced forensic pathologists and examiners preferred not to interact much with the living.

Lo Li didn’t bother with a blanket, instead lying down on another wooden bed. Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the room’s sole corpse. Unable to sleep, Lo Li turned over, her gaze settling on the face of the female cadaver. Something felt off. During the day, the body had only shown some livor mortis, nothing more. But now, under the moonlight, she noticed faint dark spots on the corpse.

“I have to perform an autopsy,” Lo Li resolved, swiftly heading to the kitchen to grab a kitchen knife.

Now, this was the only tool she had on hand.

On her way back, she passed by the stable and spotted an axe leaning against the door.

So, when she returned again, she was holding an axe and a kitchen knife.

"Crack!" The clear sky, with the moon hanging high just a moment ago, suddenly filled with dark clouds. A bolt of lightning struck overhead.

A torrential downpour followed, with thunder and lightning illuminating the small room. In the shadows, a stretched-out figure swung the kitchen knife down hard...

First, the kitchen knife, then the axe, and then the kitchen knife again.

If someone didn't know better, just watching the shadow, they'd think it was a pig being slaughtered.

After a long while of this busy work, the heavy rain paused briefly, turning into a steady drizzle. Finally, a long sigh echoed through the house.

But within that sigh was a sense of boundless joy:

"I knew something felt off, so that's what it was..."

The next morning, Lo Li got up early to buy groceries. She had specifically asked Xiao Leng about it, and he mentioned that the morning market was filled with farmers selling fresh and cheap produce.

Buying groceries was easy, but finding a wilted eggplant of just the right size was a challenge.

Lo Li searched almost the entire market before she found what she needed from an elderly woman.

To be on the safe side, she bought two or three different types, planning to use them alternately.

From then on, eggplant became a staple at the magistrate court's dining table. Lo Li prepared it in various ways, though she never ate it herself.

As she was paying and packing the eggplants, she overheard a conversation nearby.

"Did you hear? The reason our country was taken over by Ximu is because of Princess Mingyue," said Farmer A.

"Princess? Didn't Princess Mingyue already marry the crown prince of Ximu? She's with them now, so what more do they want?" Farmer B asked, puzzled.

"See, that's what you don't know," Farmer A said, glancing around to make sure no one was listening, then whispered, "Even though Ximu is powerful, one of the top five on the continent, there's tension between the emperor and the crown prince. They were originally uncle and nephew. The emperor, having no heirs and due to a previous prophecy, appointed Ximu Longchen as the crown prince."