55 - A Good Painter

Chapter 55 – A good painter

“Over here! It’s a man!”

The female constables moved forward immediately and at the same time, resented the four head constables for blocking their way.

“Sorry……..please give way……..” Gong Wuhuan spoke to Yi Dingfeng without showing any expression and ignored his slightly stunned gaze as she walked to the naked corpse to examine it carefully.

Shangguan Yan also carefully inspected the man’s naked body and checked it from head to toe. She inspected the not-so-important parts and as to the more important parts, she examined even more meticulously.

“ Yi? Why is this man’s thing so short?”

“Eldest Senior Sister, that thing is not short. It has been cut.” Hua Qianqian pointed out.

“Really? How come I can’t see it?” Bai Yuxiao was surprised.

“It’s because he had undergone a skillful operation and after recovering, it can’t be seen.” Gong Wuhuan explained.

“That’s odd. Don’t men like it better if it’s longer?” Bai Yuxiao asked curiously.

“Not necessarily so. If he is a xiaoguan *, then it’s possible that he had it cut shorter.” After staying in the dance hall for a long time, Hua Qianqian was very familiar with this kind of thing.

(Xiaoguan means a male prostitute who serves men only.)

“He probably wanted to maintain his appearance as a woman.” Gong Wuhuan speculated.

Some men with the looks of beautiful women who wanted to prevent the emergence of male characteristics as they grow older such as beards or Adam’s apples would cut off their penis but at the same time, they also hope to keep its function. Thus, it became like this……half the length but not short.

When the Four Great Constables saw the four women discussing the naked body of the man so brazenly and seriously, they became speechless. One showed complicated eyes, one was stunned and some of them felt their mouths quivered but they hurriedly focused on the investigation again.

It was undeniable that they had underestimated the four female constables. The women examined every corpse carefully, read through the autopsy reports, and also exchanged notes on the clues they had gathered.

However, the four head constables believe that the four female constables will never find more clues than them.

However, they were wrong, for Gong Wuhuan found a clue that they did not know about.

When the four female constables were discussing in a low voice, Gong Wuhuan said in a voice that only the four women could hear. “This wound looks very familiar.”

Upon hearing this, the other three women’s eyes burned brightly like torches and they concentrated on listening carefully.

Gong Wuhuan continued. “I have suffered this injury before. It was cut by a very thin silk thread.”

After listening to her, the other three women immediately thought of one person. The person was the mysterious man who had once chased and wanted to kill Gong Wuhuan in the Jiangnan Salt Administration case a year ago…….Rong Shaoying.

“But isn’t he dead?” Hua Qianqian asked.

Gong Wuhuan frowned and said in a low voice. “This is exactly the thing that gives me a strange feeling. The cut on the corpse looks new, so it shouldn’t be him. I saw him fall in with my own eyes………”

Speaking up to this point, Gong Wuhuan suddenly stopped. Then seemingly as though she had thought of something……the next instant, her face showed astonishment.

Shangguan Yan voiced out the doubts in Gong Wuhuan on her behalf. “You only saw him fall into the ice lake but you didn’t see him drown, is that it?”

Gong Wuhuan looked at her Eldest Senior Sister and nodded silently. The eyes of the other three women burst into dazzling lights.

If Rong Shaoying is the murderer, then they can lock down the target!

Investigating a case also depends on the matter of luck. It is obvious that luck is on their side and the case has made great progress!

Bai Yuxiao suppressed the ecstasy in her heart and her voice became even lower. “But we don’t know what he looks like!”

Hua Qianqian immediately replied. “Not to worry, just get someone to draw him.”

Shangguan Yan agreed. “We have to find someone who can draw a picture of him with eighty percent similarity.”

However, the painter has never seen that person before. If it is just relying on someone else’s verbal description, then everything has to depend on the painter’s skill but that is also not enough. It also depends on whether the painter can figure out what the narrator wants to express. It must be noted that to be able to draw out the demeanor of that person, in addition to excellent brushwork, the painter’s perception is also very important.

Just as they were discussing who they should look for to paint the picture, a faint voice suddenly sounded from behind Hua Qianqian……….

“I can do it.”

It was not a ghost who spoke…….it was Yeqing.

The four women were already used to his unpredictable ghostly appearance and disappearance and were not surprised at all over his weird behavior. However, what surprised them was that Yeqing could paint and even Hua Qianqian was taken aback.

After being with him for so long, how come she did not know he could paint?

Without further delay, the four women immediately took their leave from the Emperor saying that they wanted to look elsewhere based on the clues they gathered. In reality, they wanted to find a place for Yeqing to draw out the painting of Rong Shaoying immediately.

Gong Changxiao had never seen Rong Shaoying before but he knew that his wife was almost snatched away by this man. Although they had never met, they were already enemies.

After Yeqing had painted Rong Shaoying’s appearance based on Gong Wuhuan’s description, even the cold-faced Gong Wuhuan could not help but be surprised and gave Yeqing a thumbs-up sign.

“This painting is so similar to that person…….not only it’s lifelike, but it also brought out his demeanor. Great skill.”

Yeqing clasped his hands into a fist and held up his hands. “Thank you for the praise.”

The two people exchanged some opinions again and discussed whether to touch up the painting to show more expression and actions so that the person in the painting appears more vivid.

“Now that we have this painting, it can be handed over to the brothers of the Cao Gang so that they can help to locate him. Since the brothers are spread all over the provinces, more people will lighten the work and it will be much faster than just relying on the few of us.”

After Gong Wuhuan finished speaking, she turned around to look for Gong Changxiao to discuss the matter, only to find that he was staring at the painting. His face had turned pale and his whole body exuded a murderous air.

Overcome with a weird feeling, she asked. “What’s wrong with you?”

Gong Changxiao turned his head to look at her and asked in a deep voice. “Is he the one who had brazenly and shamelessly clung to you like a lingering soul?”

As soon as the words left his lips, everyone’s eyes simultaneously focused on the Chief of Cao Gang.

Someone seemed to have forgotten that he had also brazenly and shamelessly clung to Wuhuan like a lingering soul in the beginning.

However, when he is not smiling, this Chief of the Cao Gang also has an intimidating and oppressive aura as if he had completely changed to another person.

At this time, the usually indifferent Gong Wuhuan showed a gentle smile when she saw the appearance of her husband gnashing his teeth, and the coldness in her eyes was replaced by a gentle light.

She stretched out her hands to cover her husband’s hand and said in a soft voice. “If he is not dead, there surely will be clues left to follow. If the brothers of the Cao Gang can get hold of news of his whereabouts, then we can gain merits in front of the Emperor. In that way, you can avenge me.”

Her words made Gong Changxiao’s hostile aura disappear immediately and he gripped her soft white hands in his broad palms. His stone-carved solemn face showed a smile, his expression turned gentle and his eyes became firm.

“I will capture him for you.”

“Alright.” Gong Wuhuan nodded. The corners of her lips curved into a slight smile filled with a gentleness that was rarely seen.

She turned her head around and found that everyone was looking at her. She could not help but wonder. “What’s the matter?”

Bai Yuxiao tsked in amazement. “Second Senior Sister, we didn’t know that you, who had always been cold-hearted and unemotional, can be so gentle when facing Second Brother-in-law.” Bai Yuxiao voiced out the words that were in everyone’s heart.

Gong Wuhuan smiled indifferently. “He is my husband and if I am not gentle to him, then who should I show my gentleness to?”

Of course, this is only natural but in Gong Changxiao’s ears, it sounded as beautiful as the heavens. He hugged his wife’s waist excitedly and assured her. “With your words, I am willing to climb up the mountain of knives and dive into the cauldron of oil* .”

(Climb up the mountain of knives and dive into the cauldron of oil is a metaphor meaning to go through sufferings or dangers for others.

The Chinese people believe that after death, people who had committed wrongs would be punished according to the severity of their crimes. There are 18 levels in hell with the most severe at the bottom level and the punishments become more severe as one descends the levels. The punishments of climbing up the mountain of knives and diving into the cauldron of oil are only 2 out of the 18 punishments.)

Gong Wuhuan gave him a slight smile. “It doesn’t have to be so troublesome. You only need to help us to find Rong Shaoying’s whereabouts.”