Bone Painting Coroner

Actually, she was not sure. "But at least, there are two possible timings. If Guo He died on the night of the 12th, then Lin Shu is lying. The evidence is concrete. Even if he was not the murderer, he was there for sure. So he definitely had something to do with this case. But if Guo He died after the early morning of the 13th, then Lin Shu's explanation doesn't make sense. He is obviously nervous and guilty as he is definitely hiding something."

An apprentice entered the room holding a bowl of medicine. He bowed to Teacher Yu before he put the bowl on the side table.

"Teacher, it's time for you to take your medicine. This is the medicine was just prepared according to the prescription of Young Master Mo. Would you like to drink it while it's still warm?"

Teacher Yu waved his hand in dismissal. He was not in the mood.

"But if you don't drink it…"

"Take it away."

What a stubborn little old man!

The apprentice continued to persuade him patiently, "Teacher, please do take your medicine. I know you are concerned about Guo He's case but you should still take your medicine."

Teacher Yu coughed a few times, "I said, take it away."

Shang Zhuo stepped forward and nervously said, "Teacher, you should take the medicine. Since you are not feeling well, please have a rest after taking the medicine."

Ji Yunshu also said, "Teacher, since you put your trust in me, I will investigate everything until the truth is revealed. But now, your health takes priority. Mo Ruo's prescription is not just some ordinary prescription either. You should take a rest after taking it. "

They were all trying to persuade him! Teacher Yu had no choice but to take the medicine. The apprentice then helped him to his bedroom.

When the apprentice came out from the room, he sighed. He wrinkled as he indignantly said, "Damn it. Despite Teacher Yu's attentive instruction, the students here are so disappointing. Guo He was raised by Teacher, but he was getting more and more naughty and stubborn, so Teacher was very disappointed. Because of him, the academy was often filled with the smell of alcohol. He got me into trouble as well. I always had to help him get rid of the smell of alcohol so that Teacher would not find out. Now I realized I was really stupid. I should've told Teacher earlier, so he would not have gotten too addicted to alcohol and become so wild, then maybe he wouldn't have gotten himself..." killed!

The apprentice said to Shang Zhuo, "Only you live up to the expectations. Although you are not as smart as Guo He, you are respectful to Teacher and are good at painting. But look at Lin Shu. Guo He led him astray. After Guo He was gone, we still got Lin Shu, although Lin Shu was more clever in hiding his misdeeds. He didn't drink openly in the academy but secretly. During the evening Guo He left, I bumped into Lin Shu in the cloister of the backyard. He stank with the smell of alcohol and his face was so red. Didn't such a student make Teacher lose face?" He was angry and distressed. After he shook his head, he was about to leave.

But—

"Wait!" Ji Yunshu stopped him. "So, during the evening Guo He left, you bumped into Lin Shu in the cloister and he was covered with the smell of alcohol?"

"Yes. He must have been drinking secretly."

"Then do you know what kind of wine he was drinking?"

"I don't know. I haven't had any wine before." Pursing his lips, the apprentice thought about it for a moment, then his eyes brightened. "Though I don't know the type, I remembered the smell of it. It was the kind of wine that Guo He secretly drank in the library, because every time I went to clean the library, I always smell it. It was like... the taste of pine flowers. Lin Shu was also drinking this kind of wine that night. Look, don't you think Lin Shu was being led astray by Guo He?"

Ji Yun Shu was suddenly enlightened when the apprentice mentioned "pine flower". With certainty, she said, "Lin Shu does not drink at all, and he even hates the smell of wine."

What? The apprentice did not get it, "How could that be? I remember clearly that he stank of alcohol when I ran into him. He must have been drinking secretly."

"But just that one time, right?"

"Well...just once, but maybe he drank secretly somewhere else as well. Maybe he was just better at hiding it." The apprentice insisted on his own opinion. However, Ji Yunshu already found the answer.

Shang Zhuo, who was next to her, did not know why she asking about drinking again and again, so he asked, "Teacher, did you think of something?"

"I think…" Her words have not been finished yet —

"It looks like that guy Lin Shu is the murderer!"

Who?

Several people wearing official uniforms suddenly appeared outside the door. Each of them was tall, with cold expressions and sharp eyes. Their bronzed faces and short beards made them look as ruthless and fierce as the ghost guards of hell. They also had wide flat scimitars in their hands, looking extremely powerful!

Their unfriendly faces practically had the words "do not approach" on them, and it was obvious that they were officials that ordinary people could not afford to offend.

Such cold and uncaring officials! Their leader had a serious expression and his black eyes felt as though poison dripped from them. People would get a little chill when those eyes stared at them.

After about the time to burn a joss stick, all the students of the academy gathered in the backyard, where the bones were placed. But Jing Rong was not present! It was strange that he was missing from such a huge ruckus.

The officials stood in front of the crowd domineeringly.

Lin Shu was grabbed by two of them and he could not move at all. "Let me go, on what grounds are you arresting me for?" He was so angry.

The fierce-looking leading official stepped forward to Lin Shu. Without a word, he used his sword hilt to strike  Lin Shu's belly.

Ah! Lin Shu's face was distorted and his neck turned red because of the pain. It felt as though he was going to vomit bile.

The man wrinkled and furiously said, "Why are we arresting you? What do you think? Now that you have killed someone, you are now a criminal. Of course you should be arrested. You just have to wait to go back to yamen with us and be judged there. However, I suggest that you better admit it yourself to avoid being tortured."

Wow, isn't this basically a forced confession!

Lin Shu's belly hurt for a long time before he could speak again. "I...didn't kill anyone!"

"There is evidence that you are the murderer. Kid, how dare you not confess to the crime."

The man slammed his belly sharply with the sword handle again.

The pain was so much that tears came out of Lin Shu's eyes. The crowd felt extremely sorry, but no one dared to step forward.

Everyone knew the officials from the Bingjing Yamen were basically the reincarnations of King Yama from hell. They were brutal and cold. Even the county magistrate was afraid of them. In particular, the leader Lu Hu is infamous for his terrible temper.

Lu Hu said in a mocking tone, "I know that you are all students of Mingshan Academy. You will all definitely become senior officials in the future. But now, you are just a bunch of little kids. If you made a mistake, you should be punished. If you are unhappy about that, then wait until you become officials in the future, so you can come back and teach me a lesson."

How bold! Then in that case, when we become officials, we're supposed to peel off your skin then?