What do you mean by saying that the corpses I sew are all ominous creatures?

For the next two days, Jiangcheng was shrouded in a strange calm.

The feeling was like the low pressure before a storm, with the air filled with a damp and oppressive atmosphere.

But I enjoy this peace.

For a mortician, peace means no violent deaths, no murders, and less violence in the world.

December 12th, Christmas Eve.

The funeral home was quieter than usual.

Most of the staff had left early to spend time with their families or go on dates. Apart from Uncle Qin, who was guarding the gate, I was the only one left on duty.

The streets outside are brightly lit, and you can occasionally hear Christmas carols and the laughter of young people in the distance.

I sat in the duty room, holding a cup of hot tea, watching the rows of black and white images on the monitor screen.

The morgue, corridors, and incineration workshop were all deserted.

"Xiao Chen, it's a holiday tonight, aren't you going out for a stroll?"

Grandpa Qin, wrapped in a military overcoat and carrying a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), pushed open the door with a smile.

"Isn't this what you young people like to do? Giving an apple or something."

"I'm used to it."

I smiled and shook my head, then poured Grandpa Qin a cup of hot water. "Someone has to stay here. It wouldn't be good if there was an urgent job coming in and no one was there to take it on."

"You child, you're just too heavy-hearted."

Grandpa Qin sighed and placed a few washed apples on the table.

"Have a 'peace apple' for good luck. In our line of work, safety is the most important thing."

"Thanks, Uncle Qin."

I picked up the apple and took a bite; it was crisp and sweet.

There was nothing particularly urgent that night.

Only at 3 a.m. did the hospital bring in an elderly person who had passed away peacefully.

The old man passed away peacefully at over ninety years old; it was a happy death.

Although the family members are grieving, they are all in stable condition.

I helped the old man wash his body, changed him into the burial clothes that had been prepared, and tidied his appearance.

During this process, I did not use any evil energy whatsoever.

The corpse-stitcher cultivates malevolent energy and refines his heart.

If the mind is disturbed, the evil energy will backfire, turning the person into a monster who only knows how to kill.

Only by maintaining absolute awe and compassion when facing life and death can one truly harness this power.

……

October 26th, afternoon.

I was organizing my toolbox when the encrypted communicator suddenly vibrated.

It was a message from Lu Yan, containing only one short line:

"Special item, arriving in ten minutes, please pick it up."

Although I was a little confused about what Lu Yan meant by "special item", I still replied with "Received".

Ten minutes later, a black Jinbei van without any markings drove into the back door of the funeral home.

The car door opened, and two men in plainclothes with serious expressions stepped out carrying a black body bag.

The man in the lead glanced at me and asked in a low voice, "Chen Yang?"

"It's me." I nodded.

"That's what Director Lu told me."

The man didn't say much and handed me the stretcher directly.

"You can complete the paperwork later; you handle the body first. Director Lu said he wants you to see if you can find anything."

After saying that, they turned and left, decisively and cleanly.

I pushed the stretcher directly into the autopsy room on the basement floor.

Lock the door and turn on the operating light.

Under the blinding white light, the black body bag appeared particularly oppressive.

This is the special item Lu Yan mentioned; it's actually a corpse?

Logically, the Bureau of Folklore should have a corresponding forensic system, so why was it sent to me?

Recalling what the plainclothes man had said, I decided to examine the body first.

I took a deep breath and unzipped the zipper.

The deceased was a man, around forty years old, slightly overweight, with fair skin, and well-maintained.

Judging from his hands, there were no calluses, and his nails were neatly trimmed, clearly indicating that he was a pampered person.

But he looks terrible now.

Bleeding from all seven orifices.

The dark red blood had congealed in the corners of his eyes, nostrils, and mouth, making his entire face look like a demon.

I put on gloves and began the physical examination.

There were no external injuries.

There wasn't a single bruise on his entire body, his skin was intact, and there was no obvious misalignment of his bones.

This is strange.

Bleeding from all seven orifices usually indicates increased intracranial pressure or massive internal bleeding.

If there are no external injuries, then it's either poisoning or... internal energy injury.

I reached out and placed my hand on the deceased's chest.

The malevolent energy circulated within him, probing into the corpse through his fingertips.

Upon this investigation, I couldn't help but frown.

chaos.

It's too messy.

The deceased's internal organs had completely turned into a porridge-like mess.

His heart ruptured, his lungs collapsed, and his liver was shattered into pieces.

This kind of injury is definitely not something an ordinary person could cause.

This was caused by a master using extremely powerful internal force to shatter the internal organs directly through the skin and flesh.

"Hitting a cow from across the mountain?"

I muttered to myself.

Those who can achieve this level are at least masters of internal martial arts in the martial arts world, or sorcerers who know a special way of exerting force.

Moreover, I sensed something unusual in his stomach.

There was a dense, lingering aura of death there, more concentrated than the surrounding flesh and blood.

I picked up the scalpel and made a cut in the deceased's abdomen.

"I'm sorry."

As the blade sliced ​​through the flesh, I discovered the source of the anomaly in the deceased's stomach.

It was a wax pellet.

The wax pellet was covered with a thick layer of wax seal, and although it had been partially corroded by stomach acid, it remained intact.

The deceased swallowed this thing before he died.

To keep this secret, he risked having his internal organs shattered.

I placed the wax pellets on a tray and rinsed them clean with water.

I didn't rush to open it, but first carefully checked the seal of the wax pellet.

These wax pellets are typically used to seal medicines and letters that are susceptible to moisture or should not be exposed to light.

In the martial arts world, some special sects also use this method to transmit confidential information, which is called "books in the belly".

After confirming that there was no poison gas, I picked up a scalpel and gently scraped away the wax layer on the surface.

As the wax layer peeled off, a small metal tube was revealed inside.

The metal tube was also sealed. After unscrewing the cap, a tightly rolled piece of thin paper was poured out.

I unfolded the paper, on which were written several lines of tiny characters in fine calligraphy:

"The goods have been stored. At midnight in Jiangcheng in seven days, the furnace will be opened for the ritual. It requires 360 living souls and 7 ounces of blood from the heart of a child."

The date is recorded at the end: December 22nd.

Above the time stamp is a red seal with a familiar design—a cauldron.

It's the same pattern tattooed on the back of the head of that heretical cultivator in the underground palace!

Guardian of the tripod!

Looking at these few lines of text, I felt a chill run from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head.

Three hundred and sixty living souls, seven ounces of blood from the heart of a child!

Just how many atrocities have these lunatics committed!

"Seven days later, at midnight"...

I glanced at today's calendar; it's the 26th.

Four days have passed.

I rolled the note up again, stuffed it back into the metal tube, then took off my gloves, took out the encrypted communicator, and dialed Lu Yan's number.

"How's it going? Did you find anything?"

Lu Yan's voice sounded tired, and the background noise was very loud, like it was in a command center.