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墨書 Inktalez
We might as well start by examining the bodies in this house.
As my body gradually warmed up, it felt like the ice in my mind was melting too, and my thoughts began to come alive. With my brain functioning properly, my nervous system became sensitive, and suddenly, I felt a wave of fear wash over me.
After all, an entire village had inexplicably perished all at once. This seemed like a scene straight out of a foreign horror movie, something that was hard to believe I was experiencing firsthand.
Nie Qiuyuan didn’t ask if I was scared or if I felt awkward; he simply squatted down and skillfully tore open the clothing of a male corpse. Having gone through quite a bit with Han Meilan, he must have had enough trust in my psychological resilience. Thinking about it this way gave me some comfort.
I stood to the side, watching Nie Qiuyuan conduct an external examination of the corpse with practiced ease. This wasn’t the first time I had seen him perform an autopsy; I had occasionally witnessed him do so back in Yichuan County. Each time I watched, it stirred something within me.
If a man is someone you admire, then every gesture he makes is beautiful. The brand of clothing he chooses will make you remember the designer's name, the way he ties his scarf becomes the most scientific method in your eyes, and his professional skills are nothing short of exquisite—even when he’s handling a corpse.
Old Liu’s autopsy skills were certainly on par with Nie Qiuyuan’s, but whenever I watched Old Liu at work, I never found him attractive; I only felt a bit nauseated by the sight of the body (sorry, dear mentor, but that’s just the truth).
However, the one examining the corpse now wasn’t Night but Autumn. So I couldn’t just casually approach and point things out or discuss the cause of death with him. Instead, I quietly stood behind Autumn, carefully observing everything visible on the body.
After examining one corpse, Nie Qiuyuan moved on to the second and third. The more he looked, the tighter his brows furrowed.
He glanced at me for a moment; his delicate features were at odds with his somber attire. I thought he hesitated briefly—perhaps wondering whether to let me see this—but then he suddenly waved his hand, and before me appeared seven or eight strange butterflies as if by magic.
Oh my gosh, it’s winter! How could there be butterflies? But then again, butterflies had appeared in late autumn before; that was Night Phantom’s doing.
The difference was that Night Phantom’s butterflies were black, while Nie Qiuyuan’s were as white as snow.
The white butterflies fluttered in the air for a moment before landing on several corpses. Before long, all of them transformed from their pristine white color into a shocking crimson red.
Oh my gosh, are they drinking blood? And drinking from corpses… oh my gosh… I suddenly felt a wave of nausea.
“Are you scared?” came Nie Qiuyuan's voice beside me.
I indeed found the scene a bit terrifying, and unconsciously reached out to tug at his sleeve. He stood up and naturally wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close to his side. Although he was wearing someone else's clothes, I could still sense his unique presence from the points of contact—an invigorating scent of soap that brought a sense of calmness to my heart.
"Liuying, don't be afraid. Let me tell you about these butterflies. They are specially bred for toxin detection. They feed on human blood, and if there is poison in the blood, they will display different colors depending on the type of toxin. Right now, the butterflies are red, indicating that there is no poison in these people's bodies."
Suddenly, I remembered that Nie Qiuyuan and Night Phantom were both from Mirror Gate, and it was quite normal for them to share some similar skills given their close relationship. Night Phantom's butterflies were used for tracking, while Nie Qiuyuan's butterflies could be used for corpse examination—how astonishing.
Where did they usually hide the butterflies? I couldn't help but feel curious.
However, this was not the time for curiosity, as it was already strange enough that an entire village had died at once. But that wasn't even the strangest part; the most bizarre aspect was their cause of death.
Although people had died, there were hardly any bloodstains in the village, and almost all the corpses showed no signs of bleeding. When an entire village dies simultaneously without any obvious wounds and poisoning has been ruled out, what could be the cause of death?
The most incredible thing was this. I saw Nie Qiuyuan flipping open their eyelids and examining their faces and nail beds. It was evident that their lips were purplish-blue, their nail beds were purple, and there were petechial hemorrhages in the conjunctiva. Most exhibited "Rose Teeth." "Rose Teeth" refers to the teeth of asphyxiated victims showing a rosy color at the gum line; it even holds some value in identifying whether a decayed body suffered from asphyxiation. Yes, all these signs pointed to death by asphyxiation.
Yet, there were no abnormalities on these victims' necks—no rope marks, no strangulation marks, no fractures or subcutaneous bleeding, and no signs of suffocation from covering their mouths or lips.
In other words, they weren't strangled, hanged, throttled, or smothered; poisoning leading to cellular hypoxia had also been ruled out. Yet they all died from asphyxiation—how could that be? It was as if the air had suddenly been sucked out of this village, leaving them to suffocate!
Such a situation was impossible.
I thought Nie Qiuyuan must have shared my confusion; he surely noticed all these details. I had no doubt about his expertise in this area.
"Brother," I tightened my grip on him. "What should we do now?"
"We'll wait until the rain stops and then quickly leave for the nearest county to have the officials come investigate."
I nodded; this was indeed the best course of action. There wasn't much we could do right now anyway, and this place seemed very dangerous.
Just then, I felt Nie Qiuyuan's body suddenly stiffen.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
He made a shushing gesture.
I immediately felt tense. I sensed nothing, but he was different; he was much more perceptive and alert, likely sensing the presence of danger.
He held me close, and with his other hand, he picked up the branch he had previously cut. He moved quietly through the main room, approaching a side room. As we neared the door, he gently positioned me behind him and slowly pushed the door open.
The moment the door creaked open, a strong gust of wind rushed toward us, followed by a massive stone mill that came crashing down. Nie Qiuyuan channeled his internal energy, twisting the branch in his right hand and executing a move called "Four Ounces Deflecting a Thousand Pounds," redirecting the stone mill to the side. With a thunderous crash, the mill smashed through the door, sending wooden splinters flying.
A voice from inside shouted angrily, and then a table was hurled toward us. Nie Qiuyuan struck out with an empty-handed palm, shattering the table with a crack. He then shifted his stance, aiming the branch at the attacker’s body.
The branch halted at the attacker's throat. The person froze for a moment and then burst into tears. I focused my gaze and realized that this person was actually a boy around twelve or thirteen years old!
Could it be that this millstone and table were thrown by this child? His strength was astonishing!
"What on earth is happening here?" Nie Qiuyuan pressed the branch against the boy's throat as he asked.
"I don't know! I don't know! How could this happen? Why is everyone dead?" the boy cried out in despair. "I'm scared..."
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