“Do you still need the internal organs?” I asked Bingxin.

“No,” she shook her head.

I then cut open the victim’s abdomen with a scalpel and stuffed the internal organs inside, making sure that each of the organs were positioned correctly. Then I fixed them in place with thread and needle.

“What are you doing, Song Yang?” Xiaotao asked.

“I want the victim to have a body that’s as complete as possible,” I answered with a heavy sigh.

“You’re such a kind soul, Song Yang-gege!” exclaimed Bingxin.

I smiled. It was only something any Traditional Coroner would’ve done. I then burnt a stack of joss paper in honor of the victim while softly reciting, “Let the heavens be my witness. In the name of my ancestor, the great magistrate Song Ci, I, Song Yang, vow to find the person who wronged you and bring them to justice. So you can rest in peace and move on to the afterlife now.”

It could just be my imagination, but I heard a faint cry in the morgue in response to what I’d just said. I looked around and saw everyone else just staring at the dead body silently.

After the autopsy, Dali, Bingxin, and I left the police station as there was nothing left for us to do. The minute we left the building, Bingxin took my arm and cooed, “You still owe me a meal, Song Yang-gege!”

“Next time, maybe,” I said.

“You’re not trying to break your promise, are you?” Bingxin pouted. “Who knows when we’ll meet again!”

“Fine,” I reluctantly answered. “Let’s go then.”

All three of us then went to a Korean-style barbecue restaurant. Bingxin had a small appetite, and she ended up not eating much. Because of our similar professions, we spent most of the time talking to each other about work-related things.

Meanwhile, Dali couldn’t get a word in edgewise as Bingxin and I talked, so he focused on eating and managed to finish a stack of plates full of beef slices. It looked more like I was treating him to a meal, not Bingxin.

Perhaps it was because of the case we were investigating, but none of us ordered any pork during that meal.

After the meal, we parted ways at the bus station. Bingxin repeatedly reminded me before getting on the bus to inform her of any progress in the case. She told me that she wanted to see the psychopath who did such a heinous thing captured with her own eyes.

Two days later, Xiaotao called me and said that we should immediately get to the police station. When we got there, she told us that the forensics team had identified the victim. Her name was Xu Xiaohui. She was a freelance painter. Both Dali and I were shocked when we heard that name.

“Isn’t that the same person who went missing?” Dali asked.

“Yes, it is,” replied Xiaotao.

Xiaotao showed us the photo of Xu Xiaohui. She was an innocent-looking beautiful young woman. When I thought of what happened to her, a raging fury surged up inside of me. I just couldn’t imagine what kind of depraved animal would ever do such an unspeakably atrocious thing!

Xiaotao had also investigated all the plastic surgery clinics and hospitals in Nanjiang City. The other police officers had taken the list of drugs that Bingxin prepared and checked them one by one. In the end, it was found that five clinics had recently used all the drugs on the list, which meant that all five clinics were suspect.

I told Xiaotao I wanted to see the locations of these five clinics. She unfurled a large map of Nanjiang City onto the table, then marked the clinics with pins. She then pointed to a sixth location and said, “And here is Xu Xiaohui’s house.”

I looked at the map and silently contemplated for a while.

“Should we go visit each of these locations?” asked Xiaotao.

“I think we should go to Xu Xiaohui’s house first,” I answered.

Xiaotao called for Wang Yuanchao and the four of us then headed to the victim’s house. Old Zhang, the patrolling police officer from before, saw us and shouted, “What are you doing here, Officer Huang? Did something happen to Xu Xiaohui?”

“She was murdered,” answered Xiaotao.

Old Zhang’s eyes rounded to the size of saucers, and he mumbled, “Murdered? She’s dead? But I’d just seen her not too long ago! Such a kind and lovely girl, too. She’d always say hello to me every time we met…”

Old Zhang then led us to the victim’s house. As we stepped inside, we found that the house was clean and tidy. There were some sketches lying around, and the shelves were full of books.

“Do you know her family?” Xiaotao asked Old Zhang.

“Her parents are out of town,” he replied. “She’s studying here, and she’d paint to earn some pocket money. She’s a quiet girl most of the time. I’d never seen her bring any friends back here, much less a boyfriend…. By the way, should I inform her family about this?”

“Not at the moment!” I immediately replied. I was afraid that the news would be too big of a blow to her parents right now. We could just inform them later when more was known about the case.

We put on the latex gloves and began searching the house. I found nothing special in the living room, but all of a sudden I heard Dali shout, “Dude! Look at what I found!”

It was a diary from the drawer of the victim’s writing desk. In it, the victim had neatly jotted down her daily plans and schedule. It looked like Xu Xiaohui managed her time very well.

I quickly flipped the diary to November 7th, the date when Xu Xiaohui went missing. But then I realized that the page had been torn off! On the blank page next to it, there was a handwritten note that read, “Do not investigate this case, Song Yang!”

I showed it to everyone there. Xiaotao gasped and wondered, “You mean someone knew that you were going to come here?”

“Could it be a threat left by the killer?” Dali guessed.

“No, I don’t think so,” I replied. “The murderer wouldn’t do such a bold and risky thing. It would only draw attention to them. I think this was left by that mysterious swordsman who attacked Old Zhang that night.”

“But why would he tear off the most important page of the diary?” Xiaotao pondered.

“The key point is that this person knows me, and he knows that I will investigate this case.”

I was even surer now that the swordsman was the same person who cut off Cao Mou’s ear. The note didn’t sound like a threat, but more like a warning to protect me from danger. But who was he? Why wouldn’t he show his face to me?

I flipped through the diary. It seemed like an ordinary daily planner, but then, I noticed that another page had been torn off—November 3rd. What could it mean?

I contemplated it over and over again, and finally got it. “The victim must’ve met with the murderer on November 3rd! That swordsman probably tore off the page to keep me from questioning the murderer!”

“You really are a genius, dude!” praised Dali.

Xiaotao ordered Yuanchao to track down the victim’s recent call records while the rest of us would remain here and continue searching the house for possible clues. I found an old group photo of a high school class pressed inside an old book. The victim was an introverted person who had few friends. Perhaps she was still in contact with her former classmates from high school?

Yuanchao was impressively efficient. When we went downstairs and was about to leave, he had already returned with the call record in hand. On November 3rd, the same number called the victim three times.

“I asked the IT team,” said Yuanchao. “They said the owner of this number is called Wu Li.”

Xiaotao called the number right away. Wu Li was shocked when she learned that Xu Xiaohui had died. She said that on November 3rd, there was a class reunion party for their high school class. Xu Xiaohui was really late, so Wu Li called her multiple times to check where she was.

This was an important clue. Xiaotao asked Wu Li if we could meet her now, and she agreed and gave Xiaotao an address.

We then met Wu Li at the address she just gave, which turned out to be a café. Xiaotao, Dali, and I walked straight into the café, but Yuanchao stopped at the entrance and just stood outside.

“Aren’t you coming in?” asked Xiaotao.

Yuanchao pointed at the ‘No Smoking’ sign on the door and shrugged.

“Seriously!” uttered Xiaotao.

“Uncle Wang smokes and drinks every day, doesn’t he, Xiaotao-jiejie?” whispered Dali. “Isn’t he worried about getting cancer?”

“Don’t worry about him,” scoffed Xiaotao. “Bullets and knives will get to him before cancer does.”

Dali stared at Xiaotao.

“What? You know I’m right!” Xiaotao retorted.

The three of us took our seats in the café and ordered coffee. Xiaotao ordered an extra cup of latte to go and asked the waiter to deliver it to Yuanchao who was still standing outside.

When I had drunk half of my cup of coffee, an office lady with a short haircut carrying a small handbag entered the café.

“Are you guys police officers?” she asked as she approached our table. “My name is Wu Li!”

Xiaotao invited her to take a seat and ordered her a cup of coffee. Wu Li thanked her, then asked how Xu Xiaohui died. Xiaotao replied that it was not possible to disclose any details at the moment since the case was still under investigation. She then asked Wu Li about the reunion party.

Wu Li recalled that nothing special happened that day. Xu Xiaohui had always been a quiet girl who mostly kept to herself. She only had a few close friends, and they were all girls.

“Is there any plastic surgeon among your former classmates?” I asked.

“Yeah, there is one!”