Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 100 The Man Who Died Twice

Zhou Zhao withdrew his gaze from Tang Mu and approached the corpse.

Liu Huang had already covered the mouth and nose with a white cloth early in the morning and squatted down to begin the autopsy. "The deceased was about twenty-five years old, and the time of death should have been around midnight yesterday. There were blunt force trauma marks on the back of the head, and the skull was fractured, which was the only visible fatal injury."

"There were obvious bruises and some small wounds on his arms and legs, indicating that he had been fighting with someone before his death."

"There are many red rashes on his face and scratch marks on his left cheek. It should be itchy hives, probably from contact with or ingestion of something."

Upon hearing that it wasn't an epidemic, Tang Mu, who was standing nearby, breathed a long sigh of relief. "That's great."

Zhou Zhao listened attentively, walked to the corpse's feet, picked up a torch and shone it on the sole of the corpse's shoes. Upon closer inspection, she saw that the bottom of the straw sandals was stuck with many fine wood splinters and wood chips. She reached out, pulled one out, and then, with a quick glance, pulled another one out, revealing a small metal ring embedded in the sole.

“The deceased’s fingertips were rough, and there were some notches on his knuckles. You can see that there is a short black line on both his right thumb and index finger.”

"The ink lines couldn't be washed clean even after being soaked in the river, which must have been caused by years of hand-stamping ink. Looking at the soles of his straw sandals, there are quite a few splinters embedded in them... so the deceased was very likely a carpenter."

"He died after being struck on the back of the head with a blunt object, such as a brick or a hammer. After his death, the murderer tied him up and threw him into the Dongshui River. However, the heavy object tied to him was washed away, and his body floated downstream and was hooked by a fishhook and pulled ashore."

As Zhou Zhao spoke, he stepped through the grass to the water's edge and looked upstream.

At this moment, it was pitch black upstream, with only a faint bright spot visible. If one's eyesight were poor, one might mistake it for a star in the sky.

The nearest place along the Dongshui River where a carpenter could be found...

Su Changying followed Zhou Zhao's gaze and pondered for a moment, "That's the Star-Picking Tower. We just came from that side on patrol."

"The place is brightly lit, and there are still many people going in and out making arrangements, probably in preparation for the day after tomorrow. Because of the curfew, Zhaixinglou informed the Northern Army in advance."

As he spoke, he exchanged a glance with Zhou Zhao, and the two immediately understood what the other was thinking.

Su Changying raised her hand and looked at Zhu Li, "Carry the body up, pass by Zhaixing Tower, and then return to Tingwei Temple."

"Yes, sir!" The Northern Army soldiers skillfully loaded the corpses onto the vehicles, and then the group headed towards the Star-Picking Tower.

The Star-Picking Tower wasn't too far from here, and only when Zhou Zhao got closer did he truly feel its magnificent grandeur rising from the ground. Outside the tower, it was bustling with activity, as many craftsmen were busy dismantling the bamboo scaffolding outside.

Su Changying coldly glanced around, reined in her horse, and raised her long sword. "Is the master here? There is a case that requires you to identify a corpse."

As soon as he finished speaking, all the craftsmen present stopped what they were doing.

Zhou Zhao looked closely and saw Chu You sitting on the scaffolding on the second floor, directing something. Hearing the noise, she turned her head sharply.

Her hair was wrapped in a dusty gray headscarf, but she was radiant. When she saw Zhou Zhao next to Su Changying, she waved and nimbly climbed down from the scaffolding. At that moment, a slender man pushed through the crowd and walked in front of the craftsmen.

He lowered his sleeves, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Su Changying, paused slightly when he saw Zhou Zhao, and then lowered his head again.

"General Su, Lord Zhou, my name is Chu Hang. I am in charge of building the Star-Picking Tower. If you have any questions, please ask me."

Seeing that many people were looking over, Zhou Zhao did not hesitate and immediately had the body brought over. "Take a look and see if you recognize this person?"

Chu Hang picked up the lantern and shone it on the face of the deceased, but his hand trembled in terror, and the lantern fell to the ground. His legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground if Zhou Zhao hadn't reached out to support him.

Zhou Zhao frowned as he looked at him. "Uncle Chu, what's wrong? Is there some problem?"

Chu Hang's mouth trembled, clearly unable to answer. Zhou Zhao had no choice but to turn his gaze to Chu You, who had just approached.

When Chu You saw the face of the deceased, her eyes widened in shock.

“That’s impossible! This man is Wang Liu. He used to work as a carpenter at Zhaixing Tower. Because he gets frizzy when he’s near paint, we paid him about seven days ago. His master, Wang Xun, arranged for him to go to the outskirts of the city to help his master carve the decorative windows for the local temple.”

If that were all, Chu Hang wouldn't be so frightened.

He was Chu You's uncle, and he always traveled all over the country building things. People like him had seen quite a few corpses and dead people, so he wouldn't be so frightened.

"But... Wang Liu is already dead!"
We personally took him to the mountain to bury him! How could his body be here!

An uproar erupted around them!
The craftsmen's faces changed, and some of them were already trembling as they went to look for incense and candles.

Zhou Zhao's expression turned serious. "When did Wang Liu die, and how did he die?"

"On the very night he received his wages," Chu Hang, now composed, stood before Chu You and answered first, "he took the money to buy drinks, drank too much that night, and the next morning his roommates found him dead from a sudden heart attack."

"The master of the house had chosen an auspicious day to welcome guests early, so we've been working day and night these past few days. After Wang Liu passed away, I took it upon myself to buy him a thin coffin, and his master, Wang Xun, led the brothers of the Wang family troupe to carry him up the mountain..."

As Chu Hang spoke, his face turned ashen, "Today is his seventh day since his death."

The scene suddenly exploded.

"Did Wang Liu come back to visit the Star-Picking Tower on the seventh day after his death?"

"Could it be that he resents us for not saving him? But we didn't kill him."

"How could a corpse move? How could it come back!"

The dead were resurrected, and then killed again.

interesting!
Ah Huang just said that Wang Liu died around midnight yesterday. If he had been dead for seven days, the body would not be in such a state of decomposition.

"I need to go inside and investigate."

Zhou Zhao looked at the magnificent Star-Picking Tower before him and said with certainty.

Chu You's earlier words matched Ah Huang's deduction: the red bumps on Wang Liu's face were not an epidemic, but rubella. He would develop red bumps on his face and body after coming into contact with the lacquer water.

It is highly likely that before he died at midnight last night, he returned to the Star-Picking Tower and came into contact with the lacquer water there.

Or perhaps, he had come into contact with someone in front of him who was covered in paint.

The Star-Picking Tower may be the scene where the body was dumped, and the person with paint on their body may be the murderer.