Половины жизни, посвященной музыке и макияжу

Глава 106

Xiao Changqing chewed on lotus seed candy, looking somewhat listless and pouting: "All I know is that, whether he's a man or a woman, this person is quite abnormal." It's clearly jewelry meant for women; why would a normal person put it in a man's hair!

Zhou Yufei's face was still a little pale, but he nodded in agreement, "That's beyond doubt. A normal person would never do such a thing..." He would rather die than go along for an autopsy next time! That blood-red lotus flower had already unsettled him, and this was even worse. If you dragged any normal man to see that kind of scene, it was hard to guarantee that he wouldn't have a mental block for a considerable period of time!

Zhan Yun had also been pondering the hairpin, and now, following Duan Chen's earlier words, she chimed in, "This blood jade hairpin has a warm and smooth texture, and the workmanship is exquisite. It simply cannot be bought for less than a thousand taels of silver. Given the Mu family's financial situation, they probably cannot afford it." Therefore, it was reasonable for the little maid to say that she had never seen this jade hairpin before.

As Zhan Yun spoke, his handsome brows furrowed slightly: "But why was it that when the two women were killed before, the murderer took a piece of jewelry, but this time, he left behind one of his own belongings..."

Duan Chen's lips curled slightly, and a faint smile appeared in his half-lowered phoenix eyes. He thought to himself that this person was indeed meticulous, just like himself.

Zhao Ting suddenly said from the side, "Have you guys noticed that this guy surnamed Mu has a very effeminate appearance?"

Xiao Changqing chuckled, Zhou Yufei's lips twitched, and Zhan Yun and Zuo Xin also smiled. Even Duan Chen's lips curled slightly as he glanced at Zhao Ting.

Zhao Ting was quite pleased by Duan Chen's glance, and raised one eyebrow, saying, "What, is there something wrong with what I said?"

Seeing Zhou Yufei's forced smile beside him, Xiao Changqing laughed even harder. Zhan Yun cleared his throat twice and asked with a smile, "Zhao Ting, then according to you, what would you call someone with Yiran's appearance?"

Before Zhou Yufei could stop him, Zhao Ting had already answered frankly, "Beautiful!" As he spoke, he glanced at the person whose face was turning from green to black. This kid had been a boy with feminine features since he was a child. Fortunately, he had the height and a pair of very heroic eyebrows. He also always had a carefree and roguish look, so he didn't seem effeminate.

Zhan Yun immediately let out a muffled laugh, Xiao Changqing was already out of breath, and Zhou Yufei glared at Zhao Ting through gritted teeth: "Zhao, Ting!" Are those two words used to describe a man?!

Zhao Ting glanced at him, as if to say, "Do you have any objections? If you do, let's settle this one-on-one. I'm ready."

Zhou Yufei knew he couldn't beat this person, and his frustration only grew. He pursed his lips and stared at the people around the table for a long time before slowly saying, "A bunch of ignorant fools. With my looks, I'm more popular with girls."

Xiao Changqing chuckled and chimed in, "Yes, yes, girls all like pretty girls like you..."

Zhou Yufei's eye twitched, and he growled in exasperation, "I'm not pretty! I'm handsome, handsome, okay!"

Everyone laughed even harder. Zhou Yufei cursed under his breath, crossed his arms, and leaned back in his chair, sulking. How could this happen...? Just as he turned his head, he caught sight of a man and a woman walking past the window. Zhou Yufei's almond-shaped eyes instantly lit up, and he exclaimed in a low voice, "My God, they are absolutely gorgeous!"

Following his gaze, everyone saw only the backs of two people. One of them was dressed in snow-white robes, with a slender figure and graceful movements. Even from behind, she seemed like a beauty capable of captivating a nation. Her long, black hair was styled in a loose, flower-like bun, and whether it was due to the sunlight or something else, her raven hair had a hint of red, which, combined with the blood-red hairpin in her hair, gave her an unusual and eerie appearance.

Duan Chen and the others' expressions changed. Duan Chen was the first to leap out of the window, followed closely by Zhan Yun and Zhao Ting. They had only taken a few steps when the two figures vanished in the blink of an eye. The wide street was bustling with people, but the snow-white figure from before was nowhere to be seen. The three exchanged glances and then turned back into the house. Xiao Changqing was eagerly inquiring about the woman's appearance, and the three of them sat down to listen to Zhou Yufei's detailed account.

"According to you, this person does have the facial features of a woman from the Central Plains." Zhao Tingjian frowned, somewhat puzzled. "But that red hair..."

Zhou Yufei, still savoring the memory, leisurely praised, "There truly are immortals in this world; the ancients were right!"

Xiao Changqing, however, smiled and said, "Perhaps this person is the real culprit in this case!"

Zhou Yufei immediately shuddered, a chill running down his spine: "I finally met a stunning beauty to lift my spirits, senior, can you please not be so discouraging!"

Zhao Ting, however, remained cold and stern, adding a dash of cold water: "We had only just chased after them when they vanished without a trace. Judging by her ethereal beauty, the blood-jade hairpin in her hair, and her uncanny lightness skill, these two are very likely the real culprits we're looking for!"

Zhan Yun's voice was slightly cool, and his crescent-shaped eyes showed a hint of deep thought: "Also, what a coincidence that there were two people. I think the figure of that man just now is somewhat similar to that man surnamed Bai from before..." But then again, since that man surnamed Bai was someone by the young master's side, he shouldn't be accompanying a woman like this.

Zuo Xin's expression turned serious: "To be able to disappear right under your noses, this person's skills are quite extraordinary."

Zhou Yufei slumped weakly onto the table, trembling as he pointed two fingers at the crowd: "You... you're not comfortable unless you're putting me down, are you..."

As they were talking, the ordered porridge and side dishes were served, and everyone began their breakfast. Zhou Yufei pursed his lips, looking dejected, picked up a steamed bun, and took a big bite, venting his pent-up anger and resentment...

Duan Chen ate his porridge while lost in thought. If one of the murderers was a stunning beauty like the one he'd just seen, then some things wouldn't be so hard to explain…

The group returned to Kaifeng Prefecture, where the Junior Registrar was already eagerly awaiting them in the backyard. Upon seeing them, he hurried forward, holding a stack of neatly cut Xuan paper, his eyes sparkling: "Gentlemen, do you have any leads? My master went out today to inspect the people's conditions and instructed me to write down any leads you find..."

Zhou Yufei rolled her eyes in annoyance: "What's there to remember! Going to the coroner's office will scare you to death!"

The young clerk turned pale upon hearing the word "coroner," waving his hands repeatedly: "My...my master said I don't have to go into the coroner's room..."

Duan Chen took the stack of Xuan paper from the registrar and asked softly, "Did you find anything about the pond water yesterday?"

The young clerk's face immediately fell, and he replied timidly, "Not yet..."

Everyone sighed, picked up a bowl of tea from the stone table, and drank it silently, some standing and some sitting.

Xiao Changqing drank a bowl of sweet and sour, icy tea, smacked his lips, and turned to Duan Chen: "Little Duan, I think it's normal that nothing can be found in that pool of water." Seeing everyone looking at him, Xiao Changqing put away his usual joking expression and explained seriously: "Think about it, this morning that constable surnamed Huang said that when they first went in, there was no smell in the room. In other words, that crimson smoke and that sweet, fishy smell only appear after a while. Wasn't it the same yesterday afternoon at the Shi residence? You parted all the lotus flowers and leaves in that lotus pond, and it was only after a while that the constables next to you felt uncomfortable..."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ting raised one eyebrow: "Mr. Xiao means..."

Xiao Changqing stroked his chin and looked up at the sky: "I only said that there is such a possibility. Whether it is true or not, we will have to wait until the murderer is caught to confirm..." Xiao Changqing paused for a moment, his dark eyes rolled, and a somewhat mysterious smile appeared on his lips: "I suspect that one of the murderers is a poisoner."

Everyone was startled upon hearing this. Zhan Yun frowned slightly and said gently, "Senior, the matter of poisonous people is mostly hearsay spread by people in the martial arts world. It's similar to the Gu poison in the Southwest, so it shouldn't be believed entirely."

Xiao Changqing smiled and waved his hand: "The kind of poisonous person I'm talking about isn't the kind of mysterious figure rumored in the martial arts world. It's actually documented in some obscure medical books." He popped a lotus seed candy into his mouth and slowly explained: "They're usually children from wealthy families. They're born with poor health, and their families are willing to spend money and effort to keep them healthy. Besides using various tonics, they often soak them in medicinal baths. If such people can survive, and then learn some internal energy cultivation techniques, they'll grow up to be stronger than the average person."

Everyone nodded; this was easy to understand. Xiao Changqing continued, "But you must know that every medicine has some degree of toxicity. In addition, some people practice unorthodox internal energy cultivation techniques. Over time, such people's bodies will undergo some changes."

As Xiao Changqing spoke, he narrowed his round eyes, his deliberately softened tone carrying a hint of coldness: "For example, changes in hair and eye color, or, for example, the blood in one's body containing some kind of toxin..."

Everyone's spirits lifted upon hearing this. Zhao Tingjian raised an eyebrow, his dark eyes flashing with a sharp light: "Just as Mr. Xiao said, many aspects of this case can now be explained!"

Zhou Yufei blinked her peach blossom eyes, still somewhat puzzled: "But why did the smoke and smell only appear after a while?"

Zhan Yun, fanning himself with a folding fan, smiled gently and said softly, "That's not hard to understand. Yesterday at the Shi residence, it was only after we parted the lotus leaves that the pond water was directly exposed to the midday sun, revealing the scent and color. Today, when we first entered the house, the sun was just rising, so we only smelled the scent; the second time we entered, it was already bright, so we not only smelled the scent but also saw that crimson wisp of smoke."

Xiao Changqing smiled and gave Zhan Yun a thumbs up: "Little Yunyun is indeed smart!"

Duan Chen listened attentively, nodding slightly. That unsettling aura only manifested with a certain temperature. She hadn't considered this, but it was the only explanation.

Zhao Ting's eyes turned cold, and he said in a deep voice, "In that case, those two people from earlier are highly suspicious." Their hair color was unusual, they wore blood jade hairpins, and they had bewitchingly beautiful faces. In addition, the person following them had unpredictable lightness skills. These two people are very likely the real culprits that they have been painstakingly tracking for many days!

Zuo Xin frowned and looked at Zhao Ting and Zhou Yufei: "Should we issue an arrest warrant?"

Zhou Yufei scratched his head, also somewhat troubled: "This is difficult!" Everyone was just sitting here deducing the suspect's characteristics, and the two people from before happened to match several of them. But they hadn't witnessed the crime, and no one else had pointed it out. It didn't seem to be following the rules!

Zhao Ting pondered for a moment, exchanged a glance with Zhan Yun, and smiled slightly: "I can first inform the city guards to be careful these next few days and not let these two leave the city." Otherwise, it would not only be against the rules, but they would also have to be careful not to alert the enemy.