Chapter 3 Blood Hand Butcher_1

"We are in luck."

Peng Fulai whispered to Li Xuan, "The new 'Fumo Xiaowei' Jiang Hanyun from Liudao Division, who has been in office for less than a month, the 'Iron-blooded Shura', 'Blood Hand Butcher', renowned throughout south Zhili. This woman is notoriously protective and arrogant, unreasonable. I remember two years ago, Situ Zhong was punched by her into a severe injury and couldn't get out of bed for half a month. At that time, this woman was only fifteen."

Li Xuan didn't need Peng Fulai to remind him to recognize the identity of this girl. The part his friend didn't know was that this Xiaowei Jiang was now his boss's boss.

As for the Spirit Fox, Li Xuan also had an impression. In the memory of Li Xuan's original body, it was the descendant of the divine beast Baize and Nine-Tailed Fox, a strong and rare Spiritual Beast.

Li Xuan was somewhat pleased, but also nervous.

Because he had skipped his night shift at Liudao Division yesterday and came to Lanyue House with Zhang Taishan and their group. And his boss's boss was now famously brutal.

Jiang Hanyun, with her graceful and lithe stride, stepped in and meanwhile scoffed, "Indeed, even in death the rich are heavier than Taishan while the lives of the poor are as light as a feather. When Liu the Blacksmith's family on Jinpu Street seven miles from here was invaded by thieves, the whole family was annihilated, but no one has ever asked. Here, however, is good, more than sixty Yayi gathered in one place, what a grand scene."

Then she laughed charmingly at Situ Zhong, "Does Liudao Division even matter? Who said this? Is it you, Iron Heart chief catcher?"

Crackling sounds came from beneath the young girl's feet. The floor made of marble was slowly cracking like a spider web.

Situ Zhong's expression was as dark as water, his eyelids half-drooped as he bowed, "I dare not! Are you sure Xiaowei heard right?"

"And you call yourself the Iron Heart?"

The silver-armored young girl laughed softly. Her eyes were filled with disappointment as she glanced around the grand hall of Lanyue House, "The case of Cui Hongshu's murder is now taken over by my Liudao Division. All Yayi from Ying Tian government here will participate in the investigation, under my command."

Situ Zhong frowned involuntarily. He hesitated for a second then finally spoke, "Xiaowei, this may not be right? The first to discover the body was—"

"Less chatter! The Inspector of south Zhili, Cui Chengyou, has reported the case to my Liudao Division and asked us to quickly expose the murderer."

Jiang Hanyun cut off Situ Zhong's speech with a wave of her sleeve and dismissed him with a high-handed attitude, "Since this case involves nobles and is suspected to be committed by a Wu cultivator, it falls within the jurisdiction of my Liudao Division. Oh, I heard someone say they want to examine Cui Hongshu's body a while ago—"

By then, Jiang Hanyun's eyes had landed on Li Xuan, "I remember you, a subordinate of Ma Chenggong, second son of Earl Chengyi, Li Xuan, the 8th-rank Fumo Xunjian, and a Spirit Undertaker Apprentice?"

Li Xuan quietly let out a sigh of relief. She didn't seem to know about his skipping work. He quickly bowed and said, "I learned Wuzuo before I joined Liudao Division."

"That's a coincidence, I didn't bring any Wuzuo with me this time." Jiang Hanyun gave a charming smile, "I don't know how much you've learned, but I suppose there's no harm in letting you take a look."

"Your Excellency!" Situ Zhong's brow furrowed into a Chinese character, "Chuan" ("River"). "Li Xuan is a suspect in this case! The red palm print on the deceased's back is likely the result of the Cold Breath Fierce Palm from the Li Family!"

"Really?" Jiang Hanyun was taken aback, then she sneered, "I only said to take a look, not to dissect him on the spot. Besides, with so many people around, does he dare to tamper with the corpse? Don't you, Situ Zhong, have eyes to see? Or are you trying to tell me how to do my job?"

Her eyes were glowing with a dangerous blue tint at the moment.

Situ Zhong's features twisted, his face turning flush. He then took a deep breath and decisively took a step back.

"I dare not! But I have to make it clear in advance, he can look at the corpse but he cannot do any damage to it."

Li Xuan gratefully bowed to Jiang Hanyun, "Thank you, Your Excellency!"

The silver-armored young girl turned her head with a half-smile, "What are you waiting for? Go examine the body. Don't disappoint me."

Li Xuan's mind filled with wariness as he moved to the side of the coffin and began to examine Cui Hongshu's body without hesitation.

When it came to autopsy, he was fully confident. Although his predecessor was a spendthrift and only learned half of Wuzuo, prior to his transmigration, Li Xuan had been a forensic doctor for two years and had ample experience in autopsy.

After time-traveling, for some unknown reason, Li Xuan's mental and memory powers became extraordinarily strong, allowing him to clearly recall everything taught by that Wuzuo back then.

The first thing Li Xuan examined was Cui Hongshu's hair and scalp. After carefully scouring for a while, he turned to the mouth and nose: "There's no dirt or white/light pink foam in the mouth and nose, thus, he was already dead before falling into the water. There's a faint scent of alcohol from his nostrils, his muscles show no significant contraction, and his corneas have blotchy cloudiness.

Looking at his livor mortis, we can infer that the time of death was around the Chou hour, likely between the second and fifth quarter of the Chou hour.

There are two knife wounds in the back of his body, almost in the same spot. The first knife was blocked by a rib, the next one pierced directly into the heart, causing a fatal injury. The victim showed no resistance or struggling during these two stabbings. Considering the angle of the stabs, the murderer was probably right-handed.

There's goosebumps and a palm-shaped light red mark in the liver area of the victim's back, signs of contact with a low-temperature object either before or after death. This isn't right."

Li Xuan's techniques are remarkably skilled and thorough. From the victim's hair to his fingernails, no detail has been overlooked.

As he spoke, a few expressions of surprise emerged on the faces of Situ Zhong and his subordinates.

Jiang Hanyun raised her eyebrows slightly: "So, what's off?"

"It doesn't match the characteristics of my family's Cold Breath Fierce Palm technique." Li Xuan looked at this silver-armored girl: "My family's Cold Breath Fierce Palm, forms deep red blotches and may even cause frostbite all over the victim's body, two hours after death."

The color of livor mortis depends on the color of hemoglobin. Normally, it's a purplish-red color. However, under low temperatures, oxyhemoglobin doesn't dissociate easily, so the color of the livor mortis tends to be brighter red.

Therefore, the color of frostbite livor mortis generally ranges from bright red to light, while the palm mark on the back of Cui Hongshu has more of a purple-black color, similar to the livor mortis that appears normally after death.

There is only one possibility. The low-temperature object the victim came in contact with was not cold enough, far less than his Cold Breath Fierce Palm.

"Indeed, your Li Family's Cold Breath Fierce Palm technique has an astoundingly cold power."

Without batting an eye, Situ Zhong chimed in: "But that depends on who uses it. Your father could freeze a river ten miles long with one palm. As for you, with your half-baked skills, leaving such a mark is perfectly normal. In addition, we should consider the temperature. It's the peak of summer, even at night, the water temperature is very high, enough to resolve the cold power of one palm."

Li Xuan sneered, giving a glance at Situ Zhong's arm still lingering with cold power: "If the Chief Catcher believes that my Cold Breath Fierce Palm technique is mediocre and can be easily dismissed, then I have nothing else to say."

Indeed, his former self's 'Cold Breath Fierce Palm' technique wasn't very powerful. The key was his mastery of the "Hunyuan Celestial Scripture", despite practicing it for seven or eight years, he had only reached the second level.

Even so, merely reaching the second level was also quite significant, as it was enough to stimulate the cold power of the 'Cold Breath Fierce Palm' technique.

Ever since he took over, there had been a great turnaround.

As for Situ Zhong's argument about the temperature, Li Xuan was even more unconvinced. No matter how high the temperature was in the Qinhuai River, it could not cause the livor mortis to change to such an extent.

This was related to the mysteries of the 'Cold Breath Fierce Palm' technique. His Ice Style vitality could stay in a person's body for a long time, continuously making an impact.

Since this man dared to say so, Li Xuan couldn't be bothered to argue over this matter.

"However, there is something I have yet to mention--"

Li Xuan coldly stared at Situ Zhong: "Judging from the palm marks, they are caused by squeezing, not by bruising."

The expressions of squeeze injuries are primarily hematoma and edema, cyanosis, while bruising is characterized by subcutaneous bleeding.

He believed that Situ Zhong, as a famous catcher, wouldn't fail to notice the problem with this wound.

Just as he was about to ask questions based on the palm marks, he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. It was a pimp from Lanyue House, carrying a few bowls of chilled sour plum soup meant to ease the guests' hangovers.

Li Xuan's mind stirred, and a flash of inspiration struck.