Bone-Touching Picture
The two walked toward the main entrance of Changle Gambling House and saw Yu Shoudao bent over, clutching the door frame as he vomited into the darkness.
Seeing Prince Mu and Lord Lu approaching, Yu Shoudao's aged face flushed slightly. He straightened up and bowed in apology. "I was rude."
Mu Zhaoxin was relieved that the wind had not picked up; otherwise, he might have ended up vomiting alongside the Jade Governor himself.
Jiujin passed by them carrying a basin of water. She glanced over with a slight smirk. "Haven't seen something like this before? And you're still talking about touching bones! I'm not saying this to shame you, but you really should gain more experience—otherwise, you'll just make a fool of yourself."
Yu Shoudao had already been mocked by this girl once, and now he felt even more embarrassed.
Mu Zhaoxin and Lu Qian exchanged glances before stepping inside.
Chen Buyu and Wei Ling greeted them.
"How is it going?" Lu Qian asked, glancing toward the far end of the room. From where they stood, they could only see Miss Yu's back as she worked at the long table.
Chen Buyu smiled. "Miss Yu of the governor's house is truly impressive. Fortunately, Lord Lu suggested that the body had not been tampered with. After Miss Yu's examination, she provided us with detailed clues. She has now confirmed that the deceased's bones had been disturbed. The victim was approximately thirty years old."
"The most remarkable thing is that Miss Yu said she could perform a preliminary facial reconstruction today. Though I'm not entirely sure what that entails, I believe she can restore 70–80% of the corpse's original appearance."
"But for a complete reconstruction, she said it would take at least until tomorrow evening."
Lu Qian's eyes lit up.
"This murderer deliberately shattered the deceased's face," Mu Zhaoxin noted. "I suspect someone in the gambling house recognized him. Once we have the portrait, we can confirm his identity immediately."
"It has indeed been a great help," Chen Buyu agreed, admiration clear in his tone.
Noticing that the Jade Governor's face had turned pale, Chen Buyu smiled and added, "I never expected Lord Yu's daughter to be so bold—and so skilled at bone-touching."
At the mention of "bone-touching," Yu Shoudao's stomach lurched again.
He had just witnessed firsthand how Yu Linlang meticulously reconstructed the unrecognizable head.
He saw her burning atractylodes, washing her hands with medicinal soap, and carefully preparing for the procedure. The sight unsettled him.
Who would have thought that his delicate daughter had such expertise in forensic examination?
Later, when he saw her covering her face with a cloth towel, asking for water to wash the head, and even using a knife to carefully clean the damaged flesh—he couldn't take it anymore. He had rushed outside to vomit.
He had a feeling that horrifying scene would haunt his dreams tonight.
Mu Zhaoxin and Lu Qian stepped closer to observe without making a sound.
The girl stood next to the corpse, her cold gaze fixed in concentration. Though she had an ordinary face, her presence was commanding.
With hands as slender as jade, she methodically traced the contours of the shattered skull.
While examining the bones, she instructed her maid to take notes. Her expression was solemn, her eyes unwavering.
The group watched in silence before quietly withdrawing.
Wei Ling hesitated, a strange expression on her face.
Seeing this, Chen Buyu whispered, "Wei Ling, what is it?"
"If my master were here, even he might not be able to reconstruct the deceased's face by tomorrow night."
Mu Zhaoxin's expression remained neutral. "The Demon Suppression Department's Red Rabbit Division is indeed skilled in corpse examination, but there are hidden experts in this world."
"You're right, Your Highness. It's just… still so strange," Wei Ling murmured, stealing another glance at Yu Linlang.
Was it normal for the daughter of a prestigious family to be so skilled at forensic medicine?
Even Yu Shoudao himself found it unsettling.
What kind of upbringing had his daughter experienced at the farm? Where had she learned such extraordinary forensic techniques?
He recalled the way she handled the corpse with such precision, her delicate hands confidently examining the shattered remains. A chill ran down his spine.
The image refused to leave his mind, and he was certain he wouldn't be able to eat dinner tonight.
---
Yuchunyuan
As Madam Zhao escorted Madam Hu inside, Yu Pianpian sat on a cushion, attempting to comfort a distressed Huo.
Madam Hu was a sharp woman. Seeing the eldest lady's troubled expression, she immediately stepped forward and cried, "Madam, you have been terribly wronged!"
"Everyone in the mansion knows what's happening now. You've barely been back for a few days, and you're already so angered that it's affecting your health!"
Huo picked up a teacup and hurled it at the floor near Madam Hu's feet.
Was she deliberately bringing up the most painful topics?
Madam Hu shrank back, quickly kneeling as the teacup shattered near her. She dared not move.
"Tell me everything about Madam Fang and Hongwei," Huo demanded.
She had underestimated that daughter who returned from the countryside. She never expected her to be so powerful—enough to cause such a disturbance in the governor's mansion.
Madam Hu dared not conceal anything. She recounted in detail how Yu Linlang had been brought back, explaining everything that had transpired.
Finally, she said, "I secretly summoned several old servants from the farm to question them, but none of them could provide any useful information."
"What did they say?"
"They're completely useless! They've served the girl for years, yet they claim to know nothing! They don't even know who she used to associate with!"
Huo clenched her handkerchief. "How could they know nothing? They've been living on that farm for years!"
"That's what I thought, Madam. But according to the servants, Miss Yu always lived in an isolated courtyard. No one was allowed in except for a few maids, including Jiujin."
Yu Pianpian, curiosity flickering in her eyes, asked, "That girl Jiujin… she seems quite skilled. Was she bought as a maid for Yu Linlang at the farm?"
Madam Hu quickly replied, "No, Miss Pianpian. The servants said Yu Linlang picked her up seven years ago. She's as strong as an ox! On the way here, she even beat me up when we had a disagreement!"
Huo's grip on the handkerchief tightened. "And they truly know nothing else about her?"
"That's right. They only said Miss Yu was a sickly child who loved reading and drinking medicine. She often mixed strange herbal concoctions, supposedly based on books she read."
"Oh, and one more thing—the people of Xiaofu Village adore her. Last summer, she saved three children from a family in the eastern part of the village. Since then, the villagers have held great respect for her."
Yu Pianpian's eyes flashed. Softly, she asked, "Are you saying she knows medicine? Do they know who taught her?"
"That remains unclear. She just liked experimenting with herbal remedies, and her medical skills seemed rather basic. Perhaps she learned a few things from a wandering physician?"