Chapter 45: The Change in the Corpse

  The grand event of opening a coffin and examining the body was something everyone wanted to witness, so in front were officials from the government clearing the way, while behind followed many common people.

  Chengjiao Fanggang was just a piece of abandoned land on the outskirts of Tianchang County, where some ordinary people with little money buried their dead. Wu Jun's family was also average, and he could only bury his father here.

  They went out of the city gate and came to the suburbs, where they saw a few crows perched on the branches, not afraid of people at all, but instead calling out to them as if welcoming their next meal.

  Everyone who sees the crow thinks it's unlucky, but Hualang just smiles faintly. The crow is not lucky or unlucky, it's just that its sense of smell is keen and can detect the scent of death on people in advance.

  Bai could not bear the cawing of a few crows towards him, he bent down to pick up a stone and threw it at the crows. The crows were frightened and flew away with flapping wings.

  Wu Jun led the way ahead, and they finally arrived at the place where his father was buried. Bao Gong saw this and immediately ordered two prison guards to start digging graves. When digging graves, Hualang observed around and found that there were many high and low tombstones around, with grass growing on the tombstones. It seemed that it had been buried for many years. In the grass, a few ants jumped out from time to time, and the sound of cicadas came, echoing with the sound of a pine tree on a nearby tombstone.

  The weather was somewhat sultry, the sun slowly becoming scorching hot. Those few grave-digging bailiffs were now drenched in sweat, their clothes all wet through. However, very soon they let out a sound of relief, for they had finally dug up the coffin.

  It was a coffin that wasn't very good, Wu Jun's father had only been buried for a few days, and one corner of the coffin had already begun to rot and had been gnawed by rats, it was unbearable to see.

  Bao Zheng gave the order, and two bailiffs carried out the coffin. After the coffin was carried out, Wu Jun immediately knelt down, said a few words of unfilial piety, and then allowed people to carry out the body.

  The corpse had begun to rot, emitting a foul odor. When the crowd smelled the stench of the corpse, those who had eaten more in the morning couldn't help but vomit, while those who had eaten less also dry-retched several times before getting used to it.

  At this time, Bai Bu Tong covered his nose with his hand and asked: "Now that the body has been carried out, how do you plan to autopsy? You can't just take a look and conclude that I killed him, can you?"

  Hualang glared at Bai Butong, then ordered his men to remove the clothes from Wu Jun's father's corpse and wash off the maggots with clear water before starting the examination.

  After a thorough examination, the sweat on Hualang's forehead grew more and more, while Bai Butong watched from the side. Thinking that he had been the chief clerk for many years and had seen quite a few corpses, he sneered coldly as Hualang examined: "There isn't even a single wound on the deceased's body, how can you be sure I killed him? Hmph!"

  After listening to Bai's nonsensical words, everyone's expression became tense. They were all staring at Wu Jun's father's corpse, and they looked very carefully, but there was not a single wound on the body. They began to suspect that maybe Wu Jun's father had been in poor health to begin with, and it was just the shock that killed him?

  Thinking this way, they all started to worry about Hualang. The proposal to open the coffin and examine the body was made by Hualang himself. If nothing is found, Hualang will be held responsible for his actions, with punishment ranging from flogging to exile.

  Bai Bu Tong was standing aside with a smug expression, and Wen Meng saw his appearance, really wanting to go forward and teach him a lesson. Just then, Hua Lang stood up and bowed to Bao Quan, saying: "Brother Bao, looking at it this way, there doesn't seem to be any wound."

  Everyone heard Hua Lang's words and whispered to each other, while Wen Meng, out of concern, hastily rushed forward and asked: "How is it possible that there are no scars? Did you examine incorrectly?"

  At this time, Bai Bu Tong also walked forward and said coldly: "Since there is no wound, I am innocent. You must be responsible for your actions, hum."

  The complacent expression of Bai did not have any impact on Hua Lang, who smiled faintly at Bao Zheng and said: "Just because the scars can't be seen doesn't mean they're not there. I need some tools, I hope Brother Bao can send someone to buy them."

  Bao Zheng saw Hua Lang and had no tense expression, so he relaxed and said: "What does Brother Hua need? I'll send someone to buy it right away."

  Hualang nodded and said: "I need wine, vinegar, and a few sheets of the best Xuan paper. I hope Brother Bao can send someone to buy them."

  These things are very common, Bao Gong didn't ask much and directly dispatched a yamen runner to buy them in the city.

  After the yamen runners left, Hualang ordered several yamen runners to lay Wu Jun's father's body flat and expose it to the scorching sun. The onlookers were perplexed but did not dare to ask questions.

  It was Huā Lang who, after doing this, smiled at the crowd and said: "Fortunately, it's summer now, the weather is hot, and it's not difficult to raise the body temperature. If it were winter or autumn, we would probably have to dig a big pit, first burn the pit with firewood to heat it up, and then put the body on it to warm it up."

  Everyone who heard Hualang say this felt that they couldn't understand it. What's the point of warming up a corpse? Could warming it up really reveal wounds?

  When the body temperature was almost the same, the officer who went to buy wine vinegar and paper rushed back, Hua Lang took over the wine vinegar and paper they bought, and splashed the wine and vinegar on the paper. After the paper was full of wine vinegar, Hua Lang stuck the paper with wine vinegar on Wu Jun's father's body. After sticking many like this, Hua Lang slowly got up and smiled slightly at Bai Bu Tong.

  Bai Butong saw Hualang's smile and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, thinking that Hualang's smile was eerie.

  "What's the use of sticking paper on a corpse, can you find out the wound?" Bai Butong tried to calm himself down by talking, but after saying this sentence, he found that his heartbeat was faster and the sweat on his face increased.

  Hualang saw that the time on the paper stuck to the corpse was almost up, and he smiled at Bai Wutong again, saying: "You'll know soon."

  The young man crouched down and took off the papers one by one from the corpse. After all the papers were removed, everyone present was shocked to see that on the abdomen, which had no scars just a moment ago, there was now a footprint.

  Hualang stood up and looked at Bai Wutong: "Please ask Master Bai to take off his shoes for verification."

  The flower boy let Bai Rutong take off his shoes, he agreed. Bao Zheng saw this and angrily said: "Come on, take them off for him!"

  Two bailiffs took the order and seized Bai Butong, taking off his shoes and handing them over to Hualang. Hualang smiled slightly and compared the shoe with the footprints on the corpse. After comparing, Hualang stood up and said to the crowd: "The footprint matches the shoe perfectly."