Chapter 49

At the sound of the magistrate's loud command, the coroner quickly turned around and bowed, replying, "To let this young master know, the cuts on the body are smooth, indicating that they were made with a sharp blade in one swift stroke. As the young master said, the victim was already dead before being dismembered. The fatal wound was a powerful slash across the neck with a sharp blade, after which the body was chopped into pieces. Additionally, the three victims were two men and one woman. Besides the dismemberment, the two men had multiple puncture wounds on their bodies. The woman had numerous bite marks and puncture wounds on her body, which were so severe that they were unrecognizable. As for the victims' backgrounds, that is not within my jurisdiction; it is being investigated by Head Constable Zhao. By the way, while examining the body, I found that one of the victims had chilblains, which is quite puzzling. Although it is not yet the summer solstice, the weather has already become warm, and chilblains should not appear."

Xia Hongsheng was taken aback upon hearing this. Chilblains? It means the victim had been in an ice room! Xia Hongsheng turned to the magistrate and asked immediately, "Magistrate, how many ice cellars are there in Luhun County? Have there been any missing persons recently?"

"The ice cellars... are not something that ordinary households can afford. Only a few wealthy families have them, and there are only two such families," the magistrate scratched his head and replied.

Xia Hongsheng bowed and said, "Sir, please temporarily detain all those who manage the ice cellars in these two families and investigate anyone associated with them. I am certain that the culprit is among these people. Please have Head Constable Zhao come here, and I can provide a way to solve the case."

The magistrate nodded at the coroner, who then ran out to call Head Constable Zhao. After entering, Head Constable Zhao greeted the magistrate and listened to his order, "Head Constable Zhao, since the case occurred, you have been responsible for investigating the victims' identities. Have you made any progress? You must answer the young master's questions truthfully."

"Yes!" Head Constable Zhao bowed to Xia Hongsheng and said, "Young master, please ask your questions."

"Thank you, Head Constable!" Xia Hongsheng returned the bow and asked, "I would like to know if these three victims had any relationship with each other or any similarities, such as their body types, hairstyles, ways of speaking, actions, or even expressions. Any similarity at all?"

"Well... I truly do not know! I don't even recognize them... As for their relationship, since the bodies were so mutilated and the heads have not been found, we have not yet determined their identities, and thus, we do not know their backgrounds," Head Constable Zhao said, somewhat apprehensively, glancing at the magistrate.

Sure enough, the magistrate's eyebrows shot up, and his eyes widened as he was about to kick Head Constable Zhao, "Rascal! I'll kick you to death! This is a matter of life and death, and after three days, you still haven't identified the victims! I see that you don't want to be a constable anymore!"

"Sir, please calm down! Without the heads, and with the bodies so mutilated, it is indeed difficult to determine their identities. The priority now is to find the heads as soon as possible," Xia Hongsheng quickly interceded.

"Hmph, for the sake of Young Master Xia's plea, I will spare you this time, but you must go and investigate immediately!" the magistrate glared at Head Constable Zhao.

Xia Hongsheng had no choice, as this was not the modern era with advanced technology. Identifying people still relied on their faces, and there were no photographs to compare. It was difficult to find any connections between the victims.

"Sir, the culprit you are looking for is a middle-aged man with great strength. He is likely one of those managing the ice cellars in the two wealthy families, or at least associated with them. You can search the ice cellars of these two families, and perhaps find clues about the victims. Additionally, the most important point is that this man, despite his strength, is impotent, and his wife may be having an affair. You can start from this angle to identify the suspect. Based on my reasoning, the first two victims, one man and one woman, were likely his wife and her lover. The third victim, either in appearance, clothing, or behavior, resembled the first man, or was also having an affair. Upon discovering his wife's infidelity and recalling his own impotence, he became enraged, killed the two, and then mutilated them in a fit of anger. He then harbored a deep hatred for those who commit adultery and took it upon himself to eliminate them. If not caught soon, more people may die."

"Wow! How did Young Master Xia know all this? Even about his impotence?!" The magistrate's mouth dropped open in shock as he looked at Xia Hongsheng, who did not seem to be lying. The magistrate was astonished.

"Sir, please have the constables outside be more vigilant. The culprit is likely nearby, possibly among the crowd. You can search them first and then strictly monitor them to prevent anyone from leaving. On the other hand, follow the approach I just mentioned, and you will surely make progress," Xia Hongsheng said.

The magistrate nodded and left the room to make arrangements. After the magistrate and the others left, Xia Hongsheng's legs suddenly gave out, and he plopped down into a chair.

Yan Shigu lifted the water pot and poured a cup of water, placing it in front of Xia Hongsheng.

"Thank you, Master Yan!" Xia Hongsheng wiped the sweat from his forehead and drank the tea in one gulp.

Yan Shigu asked, "Jing Shi, I have also served as a local official and handled many cases, but I have never seen anyone like you. Without examining the scene or finding clues, you can deduce the details of the culprit so accurately, even knowing... How did you know all this? Just from a few questions to the coroner?"

Xia Hongsheng scratched his head, unsure how to explain. Should he tell them about criminal profiling? This is just a minor skill; the real experts in criminal psychology are much more impressive! After some thought, Xia Hongsheng said, "Master Yan, there is a field of study that focuses on understanding the different thoughts and psychological states of different people. Different personalities lead to different behaviors, and these can be traced. For example, when Head Constable Zhao spoke, his eyes darted around, he avoided looking at the magistrate, and he kept scratching his head and nose. This is a sign of nervousness and guilt. It shows that he did not complete the magistrate's task well and was anxious and tense. This psychological state manifests in his body language, such as avoiding eye contact and fidgeting. I deduced the culprit's psychological state from his treatment of the bodies and then inferred his actions based on that, giving me a general understanding of him."

"Ah, I see. There is such a field of study in the world. I am indeed ignorant," Yan Shigu nodded, stroking his beard.

"Master Yan, this is something I learned from a wise person I met on Laojun Mountain. It may have been lost long ago," Xia Hongsheng said, somewhat embarrassed, scratching his head.

"Jing Shi, are you feeling anxious now?" Yan Shigu smiled and asked. Xia Hongsheng was taken aback, realizing he was still scratching his head, and he smiled.

"You noticed," Xia Hongsheng bowed to Yan Shigu.

When Xia Hongsheng and the others came out of the room, the bodies had been removed, but the bloodstains remained. The magistrate was giving a speech, and the sky was already bright. Xia Hongsheng stood above and observed everyone carefully. He first excluded the elderly, women, and children, which reduced the number by half. Among the remaining men, he excluded those who were weak and unsteady on their feet, leaving about ten people. These ten men were now standing quietly, listening to the magistrate without any unusual expressions.

Xia Hongsheng thought for a moment, then had an idea. He quickly walked down to the magistrate's side, interrupted him, and whispered a few words in his ear. The magistrate nodded and ordered the constables to spread the people out. Xia Hongsheng then approached the first man, looked him up and down, and whispered something in his ear. The man frowned and glanced at Xia Hongsheng with disdain. Xia Hongsheng noted his reaction and leaned in again, whispering another word. This time, the man's face turned red with anger, and he looked like he wanted to punch Xia Hongsheng but held back because of the constables and the magistrate.

Xia Hongsheng remained calm and approached the second man, looking him up and down, and whispered something. The man sneered and glanced at Xia Hongsheng with disdain. Xia Hongsheng leaned in again and whispered another word, and the man reacted the same way as the first.

Xia Hongsheng continued this method with several more people, and they all had similar reactions after hearing the two whispers.

When he approached the next person, Xia Hongsheng leaned in and whispered something. Suddenly, the man's face turned red, and he glared at Xia Hongsheng, shouting, "Nonsense! Utter nonsense!"

Xia Hongsheng stepped back, shrugged, and leaned in again, whispering another word. Instantly, the man's eyes widened, and he grabbed Xia Hongsheng by the neck!

The constables finally understood what was happening and rushed over, pointing their batons at the man. The man struggled, but Xia Hongsheng could not break free, and he was tightly held by the neck.

"Back off! Or I'll kill him!" the man shouted, one arm tightly around Xia Hongsheng's neck, the other pointing at the constables, "Let me go! Or he dies!"

Although Xia Hongsheng was struggling to breathe, he felt a surge of excitement. His plan had worked, and the culprit had exposed himself! This was his first practical application of criminal psychology, and it was a success! How could he not be excited?