Before long, Wang Dali came running over, panting and holding a crimson umbrella in his hands."Yangzi, this is the one, right?"
"Exactly." I turned to Forensic Doctor Qin. "May I borrow two pairs of rubber gloves?"
Sitting on a small stool, cigarette dangling from his mouth, Qin nodded toward the toolbox. "Help yourself."
I tossed a pair to Wang Dali and put on my own.
"What are we doing now?" he asked, alarmed.
"Preventing fingerprints on the body."
"Wait—you're not asking me to help you move it, are you?"
"Of course I am. Now quit whining."
He looked like he was about to cry. "Can you not drag me into this?"
"I'll buy you lunch."
With the police watching, he had no choice but to comply. I had him lift the upper body, then grabbed a pair of scissors and cut through the hoodie. Qin glared at me but didn't stop me. With the tongue protruding like that, pulling the hoodie over the head would've only damaged the remains.
As I undid the shirt underneath, Wang Dali kept his eyes shut. When he peeked briefly, he nearly screamed."Damn it, Yangzi! Aren't you scared at all?"
"Afraid of a corpse? Might as well be afraid of a desk."
He looked at me like I was a freak.
To me, there's no real difference. I'd spent many nights in graveyards with my grandpa learning bone inspection. The dead don't scare me.
Due to the crowd, I left the pants alone. "Lift the corpse," I instructed.
With a groan, he hoisted the body. I opened the crimson umbrella slowly. A strange herbal scent spread in the air.
The female officer nearby wrinkled her nose. "Where did you buy that thing?"
"Sorry," I said, smiling.
I'd made this umbrella myself, inspired by the ancient forensic text The Washing Away of Wrongs. According to the book, specific herbs react with sunlight to reveal hidden injuries. I recreated the process and crafted this "inspection umbrella."
Under the sun, the red glow from the umbrella cast across the corpse's chest. While others saw only light, my Eyes of Abyss saw layered patterns—like rainbow-colored filters highlighting subtle bruises.
As I observed, Wang Dali groaned, "Yangzi, hurry up! No need to shade me from the sun."
"I am inspecting."
"With a freaking umbrella?"
"This isn't just any umbrella. I spent my entire monthly budget on herbs to make this. I'd trade it for a girlfriend—if I had one."
"Keep dreaming," he muttered, stealing a glance at the lady officer.
Qin scoffed. "You think a toy umbrella can expose bruises? Why not burn incense and summon the dead to speak?"
I ignored him. Let him mock—he wouldn't be laughing much longer.
After the third rotation, a faint handprint appeared on the corpse's shoulder. Everyone froze. Qin's jaw dropped, cigarette falling unnoticed.
"This… This isn't possible!" he cried.
"Dali, flip the body."
"On it!"
Wang Dali turned the corpse over. More handprints appeared—three, on the back. Smaller, feminine.
"Stop!" the female officer snapped her fingers. "Get a camera!"
Someone brought a digital camera. She had me keep the umbrella up while she snapped photos.
Once done, I had Dali lower the body.
"These lines... They're not palm prints," she murmured.
"No. That's clothing texture. These prints are 'Yang Energy Marks.' When a person dies, their yang energy dissipates. If something blocks the skin at that moment—like clothes—it leaves a trace. Only special methods can reveal it."
"Yang energy?" she asked, skeptical.
"Sounds superstitious, but makes sense if you think about it."
She nodded. "So, this wasn't suicide. It was murder."
"Obviously."
"No way!" Qin stood up. "You're faking it! This is trickery!"
"Trickery? Then fake it yourself."
"You… Do you know who I am?!"
"I don't. I just know you were wrong. You called it suicide and let a killer go free."
He lunged at me, trying to snatch the umbrella. I dodged easily. He shouted, "Let me see that umbrella! You're using witchcraft!"
I grinned. "Didn't you say, if I proved it was murder, the case would be mine, and you'd resign?"
"I heard that too," Wang Dali added.
Qin turned red. "That was a joke! How was I supposed to know it would work?"
"If I had failed, you'd have kicked me out without a second thought."
He fell silent, then turned to the female officer. "Xiao Tao, he's toying with me! Get him out of here!"
She shook her head. "Doctor Qin, everyone here heard the deal. You should honor it."
She graciously ignored the "resign" part. I let it slide too. No need to humiliate the old man.
After a pause, Qin flung off his lab coat and stormed off. "Fine! Let him investigate. If he solves it, I'll leave the force!"
I watched him go, smirking. The face-slap was only beginning.
Just then, a soft hand reached out. It was the female officer.
"I'm Huang Xiaotao. And you are…?"
"Song Yang." I shook her hand. It was warm, soft, and lightly fragrant. My face flushed red.
"Then I'll leave the case in your hands," she said with a smile.
"My pleasure," I replied.
Suddenly, a girl outside the police line screamed,"It was a ghost! A ghost killed my boyfriend!"
All three of us froze.