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墨書 Inktalez
“Poisoning?” I guessed.
The body showed no external injuries, no bruises, and no rope marks. The hyoid bone showed no abnormalities; it was not a case of hemorrhagic shock, nor did it appear to be mechanical asphyxiation. The primary consideration should be poisoning.
“Oh? So you don’t believe in those ghost stories either,” Ren Pingsheng said, his peach blossom eyes sparkling with intelligence. He reached for seven long silver needles and began inserting them precisely into the corpse’s esophagus, stomach, liver, and large intestine, starting from the throat.
None of the seven silver needles turned black.
I burst out laughing.
To my surprise, the handsome man laughed too as he pulled out each silver needle, saying, “This won’t do, right?”
My smile faded. I had thought that ancient people firmly believed in the efficacy of silver needles for testing poison; surely the coroner here couldn’t detect poison for that reason. However, this man seemed to think otherwise.
“I believe silver needles can only test for arsenic,” he stated succinctly.
That was indeed the case. Even in modern times, in martial arts films or palace dramas on television, the method of testing for poison involved only silver chopsticks or spoons. I recalled a netizen who turned his silver spoon black while eating kiwi and panicked, rushing online for help.
In fact, silverware can turn black when eating kiwi or eggs.
The substances that cause a chemical reaction with silver are primarily sulfur compounds, which form a layer of black silver sulfide on the surface of the silverware. This is why silver needles turn black. Some common foods, like egg yolks, also contain sulfur; thus, even in the absence of poison, this effect can occur. In ancient times, the main poison used was arsenic. The extraction process for arsenic back then was not advanced and often contained small amounts of sulfur and sulfides. It was this sulfur that reacted with the silver needle.
This meant that if poisoning occurred, it had to be arsenic and could not be high-grade arsenic; otherwise, testing with a silver needle would be nonsense.
My “real father” died from barbiturate poisoning; that type couldn’t be tested with a silver needle.
“This kind of poison is quite clever; I thought I was the only one who could make it,” the handsome man chuckled lightly. “I extracted a deadly poison from bitter almonds that causes suffocation upon ingestion. After taking it, a person essentially suffocates to death. The eyelids turn this cherry red color.”
A chill suddenly ran down my spine. When he smiled while saying this, it somehow made me feel as if he had tested this poison on living people.
Bitter almonds. When I saw him peel back the corpse's eyelids and lips to reveal an unusual cherry red on the mucous membranes, I suspected this was indeed poisoning. Bitter almonds contain a cyanogenic glycoside; I just didn’t know how pure he could extract it with current techniques.
If blood is shed, it is certain to seal the throat. Its effects are swift, rapidly causing a drop in blood pH, leading to metabolic acidosis and resulting in massive cell death due to hypoxia. What Ren Pingsheng said is true; those who suffer from poisoning essentially suffocate.
The art of poison-making in this world cannot be underestimated, nor can the ability to investigate. Ren Pingsheng is the second extraordinary master I have encountered after Nie Qiuyuan. In some ways, his abilities surpass those of Qiu, which only adds to my astonishment.
"Ah Ying, you are the most special woman I have ever met," Ren Pingsheng said as he removed his mask, revealing a pair of exceptionally beautiful eyes that gazed at me. He rarely suppressed his smile, and his words suddenly took on an ambiguous tone.
My heart raced at the temptation brought by the handsome man with high intelligence before me, so I quickly changed the subject. "Is it really murder? Where did the murderer go? How did the murderer manage to make him ingest the poison?"
"Certainly not suicide!" Ren Pingsheng chuckled lightly. "Your Brother Qiu Yuan wouldn't do that. In such circumstances, suicide would be quite unnatural, wouldn't it? Besides, there are no vessels around for holding poison, right?"
I felt a chill in my heart.
"You clearly recognize me; why pretend otherwise?"
Ren Pingsheng smiled and said, "Ah Ying, where am I pretending? I am the Registrar; when the county magistrate from the neighboring county visits, I need to know about his family members. But I truly do not know your name! I was present when you met Lord Ge last night; you simply did not regard me."
A person like him would stand out even in a crowd. I frowned.
Ren Pingsheng seemed unfazed and merely narrowed his eyes slightly. "Lord Nie is no ordinary person; he has the wisdom of both sun and moon within him. Being by his side naturally makes you exceptional; otherwise, I wouldn't have invited you here. It seems my judgment was correct."
This peculiar Feng County and its strange Registrar held some unclear awkwardness that I couldn't quite grasp at the moment.
"I investigated one more thing than they did: the identity of the deceased," Ren Pingsheng said slowly.
Indeed, he was an expert. Investigating identity could lead to uncovering motives for the crime; with a motive established, it would be possible to narrow down suspects.
"This person appears to be an unassuming scholar but is actually a highly skilled master. He belongs to a mysterious organization in the martial world called 'Mirror Gate.' This individual is a traitor of Mirror Gate."
So it was someone from Mirror Gate who came to eliminate a traitor? No wonder this person was so secretive and cautious about locking all doors and windows while staying at an inn. But what exactly is this Mirror Gate organization?
"Don't know about Mirror Gate?" The handsome man noticed my thoughts and smiled. "Mirror Gate is a mysterious organization in the martial world, very large with numerous hidden connections, currently sitting firmly at the top of the martial world hierarchy. It is said that Mirror Gate was founded by a divine constable from a previous dynasty who was dissatisfied with the Sui Emperor's debauchery and abandoned the nominally defunct laws and punishments of the court to establish such a hidden organization in the martial world."
As I listened, my mind wandered endlessly: Batman, Iron Man, The Flash, Spider-Man, Green Lantern...
Ren Pingsheng noticed my dazed expression but didn't mind. He continued, "Since its inception, Mirror Gate has taken it upon itself to uphold justice. Therefore, the disciples trained by Mirror Gate are all elite detectives. However, they operate in the shadows and adhere to strict discipline. Cases they uncover can lead to extrajudicial actions."
It sounded like a not-so-bad organization. But for the new emperor, it might be a significant threat.
Li Shimin's words on Wanzi Mountain echoed in my mind once again—those beautiful aspirations about how the Tang Code could protect the lives and property of the people from threats. Somehow, I had a bad premonition that a storm was brewing.
"However, Mirror Gate's handling of traitors is quite severe, especially in recent years; it's become particularly ruthless." Ren Pingsheng smiled again. "The guy who died was hiding in an inn in Feng County, probably waiting to make contact with someone. So it's uncertain which faction killed him."
"Aren't you from Mirror Gate? Don't you always operate in secrecy? How did you find out all this?" I asked incredulously.
"Because I have my ways," Ren Pingsheng replied with a grin.
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