Chapter 131: A Daughter of the Fang Family Named Tingyu

The next day.

Eight skeletons were neatly laid out on the floor inside the room.

"Were any of these bones mixed up? For instance, could this person's hand be attached to that person's body, or a rib cage swapped with another's?" Dongsheng asked.

Wen Jing nodded, "That is probably inevitable. The statures of these eight bodies are quite similar, and they are all female. To match them up completely is nearly impossible. I have done my best to separate them based on the degree of skeletonization and bone age. The mix-ups Master Dongsheng mentioned should not exceed five instances."

Not expecting Wen Jing to validate his observation, a hint of complacency involuntarily appeared in Dongsheng's eyes. It was a rare occurrence for this Wen Seventh Miss not to argue with him; this was truly the first time in history.

"Can you determine their causes of death and ages?" Ji Changge asked.

Wen Jing put on her gloves and said, "I can only determine them approximately. Take some paper and a brush to make a note."

"I'll do it, I'll do it." Dongsheng was currently idling about and feeling bored. Hearing that there was something he could do, he quickly stepped forward.

Wen Jing glanced at Dongsheng and nodded.

*You don't even know who he is... yet you dare to put him to work like this...* Ji Changge couldn't help but click his tongue in silent amazement.

Wen Jing took out a wooden ruler and began measuring the skeletons.

"The first deceased: approximately twenty-five years old, height around four feet and three inches (approx. 143 centimeters), time of death about two years ago. There is a crack on the skull, two broken ribs, and a fractured left leg."

Wen Jing raised her head and looked at Dongsheng, who was staring at her blankly. She said, "Why are you staring at me? Write it down quickly. If there are characters you don't know how to write, use phonetically similar ones as placeholders for now."

"Oh." Dongsheng hurriedly started writing, without the slightest trace of anger on his face.

Ji Changge cast a marveling glance at the two of them. They always said that enemies and friends were often just a step apart; he remembered that just yesterday the two of them were at each other's throats like fire and water, so what wind was blowing today? Usually, if anyone dared to speak to Dongsheng like that, who knew where their head would end up the next moment? Truly, every creature had its master.

"The second deceased: approximately nineteen years old, height around four feet and seven inches (approx. 159 centimeters). Died of poisoning. Time of death about a year ago."

*This deceased person's bones are clearly longer than the rest,* Ji Changge mused to himself.

Dongsheng wrote while asking skeptically, "Just by casually feeling them a couple of times, you can tell all of this?"

*Casually?!*

Wen Jing lifted her gaze and said softly, "Every profession has its master. Just because Master Dongsheng cannot see it, doesn't mean others cannot."

Dongsheng was rebuffed, his expression turning slightly resentful.

Ji Changge wryly watched the two of them. Sure enough, their civility couldn't last three minutes before they started bickering again.

"The third deceased: approximately twelve years old, height around three feet and six inches (approx. 120 centimeters). Cause of death: temporarily unknown. Dead for at least five or six years."

Wen Jing carefully examined this youngest skeleton. There were no visible wounds on the body, and the bones were not blackened; it was perhaps a case of drowning or death by illness.

"The fourth: age approximately... over forty, height around four feet and two inches (approx. 150 centimeters). There are blade wound marks on the abdominal ribs, and the time of death exceeds ten years," Wen Jing continued.

After examining all the remains, aside from the third deceased whose cause of death was unknown, all the others showed blackening or trauma on the bones. None of them died of natural causes, and it was highly likely they were murdered.

"The times of death for these individuals are vastly different, yet they were buried in the same pit. And the one who led us to this pit was the murderer who killed Daoist Nun Mingqing and the abbess. Could the murderer be the same person?" Ji Changge said.

Wen Jing shook her head. "Not necessarily. Since the murderer has concealed this for so many years, there is no reason for him to expose this secret himself—it brings him no benefit whatsoever. However, it is also possible that the killer is a psychopathic individual who is confident we cannot catch him, and is simply playing a cat-and-mouse game with us."

Dongsheng rolled his eyes inwardly, thinking: *That's just a bunch of nonsense.*

Ding Wu's voice sounded from outside the door.

"My lord, this subordinate has found out about the background of Daoist Nun Jingyi," Ding Wu said to Ji Changge.

"Let's hear it."

"Jingyi's original name was Fang Tingyu, and her ancestral home is Luoyang. In her early years, she followed her father, Fang Yuankang, to the capital. Fang Yuankang is an imperial physician of the Imperial Medical Academy."

"I am actually quite acquainted with Imperial Physician Fang. To think she is his daughter—how did she end up reduced to staying in this Daoist temple?" Dongsheng said with a tinge of regret.

Ding Wu continued, "Originally, this family lived a harmonious and joyful life. Fang Yuankang had a total of five daughters and three sons. His eldest son already has offspring, so it was truly a household full of children and grandchildren..."

"Get to the point," Ji Changge interrupted with a tight frown. Looking at Ding Wu's vivid and animated expression, his inner gossipmonger nature was showing again.

Wen Jing pursed her lips in amusement. If Ding Wu grew too old to serve as a guard, he could certainly consider working as a storyteller in a teahouse; he investigated cases just like telling tales.

"Yes, my lord. This Fang Tingyu was deeply hurt by love and attempted suicide several times, though she was rescued each time. Fearing that she would seek to end her life again, Lord Fang sent her into this Daoist temple in March of last year to cultivate her character and nurture her mind. He originally intended to fetch her back after some time, but who would have thought that once Fang Tingyu came here, she refused to leave? Last year, Fang Yuankang came to pick her up several times, but she rejected him every time."

"Who was Fang Tingyu's lover?" Ji Changge asked.

"This... this subordinate didn't ask..." Ding Wu finished with his head lowered, feeling the scorching gazes fixed upon his forehead.

Ji Changge shook his head. He failed to ask what needed to be asked, yet rattled on about a whole bunch of irrelevant details.

"This subordinate will make another trip," Ding Wu said with nervous apprehension.

"No need. Go summon Daoist Nun Jingyi here."

Ding Wu acknowledged the order, turned with a steady stride, and walked out the door. Once outside, he broke into a frantic run, terrified that Ji Changge might change his mind and drag him back.

"Is there any way to draw Baili Moran out from inside Jingyi's body?" Ji Changge asked, looking at Wen Jing.

Wen Jing remained silent. Multiple personality disorder was extremely rare to begin with; even in the modern world, there were only around fifty diagnosed cases globally. She had not had much exposure to it, and Ji Changge's question truly stumped her. The emergence of an alternate personality required a certain trigger point to activate it, but what that trigger was, no one knew.

"When Baili Moran appeared last time, was there anything unusual?"

Ji Changge pondered for a moment and shook his head. "No. After reading the confession he wrote, I felt something was amiss. At the time, I thought it was written by Jingyi, so I summoned her. But the one who came was Baili Moran."

"In other words, by the time the confession was written, Jingyi was no longer Jingyi, but Baili Moran. Something must have happened beforehand to trigger the alternate personality within Jingyi," Wen Jing analyzed.

"I recall that day only involved that minor accident with Mingzhi, but there was nothing special about it. Perhaps Baili Moran had already surfaced prior to that," Ji Changge recalled.

"That's entirely possible. We could try hypnosis," Wen Jing suddenly said.

*Hypnosis?*

Dongsheng and Ji Changge exchanged glances. This was yet another term they had never heard before.

"Hypnosis can awaken the subconscious mind within a person and guide them into revealing their deepest secrets. Perhaps this is the only method to awaken Baili Moran."

"Then let's try it!" Dongsheng said excitedly, clearly full of curiosity about the method Wen Jing described.

Wen Jing gave him a faint look and uttered a few words: "I don't know how."

Ji Changge and Dongsheng were instantly struck speechless, thinking to themselves: *If you don't know how, why did you speak about it with such certainty and a look of absolute confidence?*

Wen Jing was only speaking the truth. She was not omnipotent; as for hypnosis, she had merely listened to a few public lectures on the subject out of curiosity while studying psychology, and had never actually practiced it in reality.

"Oh right, last night in the middle of the night, Daoist Nun Mingzhi came running over to talk to me about Zhu Chengde. She is entirely certain that a man was here on the day the abbess died." Wen Jing suddenly recalled the midnight incident she had almost forgotten.

Ji Changge fell into deep thought. Although he felt what Mingzhi said was not entirely credible, it was a lead nonetheless, and confirming it wouldn't hurt. "Mn, I will send someone to investigate."

While they were talking, Jingyi had already been led over by Ding Wu.

Jingyi looked at Ji Changge with some apprehension and asked, "Why has Your Honor summoned this poor nun?"

Wen Jing cast a calm gaze at Jingyi. Her appearance was ordinary, and her expression was one of panicky unease—resembling a child who had done something wrong. A woman like this reminded her of Wen Third Miss, similarly timid. Even after being abandoned by her lover, her only thought was suicide. Truly pitiful.

"Just a casual chat, you don't need to be afraid," Ji Changge smiled gently.

Jingyi nodded, her expression still tightly drawn. "Your Honor, ask whatever you wish; this poor nun will tell you everything she knows."
"Is your secular name Fang Tingyu? Is Fang Yuankang your father?" Ji Changge asked.

Jingyi was clearly somewhat surprised. Hearing the name Fang Tingyu felt as though she were listening to someone else's name; no one had brought up that name in a very long time. She was merely Jingyi now.

"Yes."

"Do you really have no recollection of the name Baili Moran at all?" Ji Changge continued to ask.

Jingyi shook her head. "Your Honor has asked me this question for the second time. Such an uncommon name—if I knew him, I certainly wouldn't forget."

"Who is your lover?" Ji Changge fired off question after question.

Jingyi's expression grew increasingly tense, her gaze shifting restlessly. "I... I don't have a lover."

"You do. Because of him, you even attempted suicide. Look at the scars on your wrist." Ji Changge took Jingyi's hand and pointed to the slender scar on her wrist.

Jingyi stared blankly at the scar on her hand, then said, "I accidentally injured this myself, it was not a suicide attempt at all."

"Fang Tingyu, come, look at this sphere."

Jingyi looked at the iron ball that appeared before her eyes, swinging back and forth. Her gaze involuntarily followed the swaying iron ball left and right.

"You are very sleepy now. Sleep. It is very safe here, and no one will disturb your peaceful life," Wen Jing said softly.

Ji Changge and Dongsheng looked at Wen Jing—who had just vanished a moment ago and reappeared from goodness knows where—and at the swinging iron ball in her hand. Was this what they called hypnosis?

Watching Jingyi's gaze gradually lose focus, Wen Jing continued, "Sleep. No one will ever come to hurt you again. All those bad men are gone."

Jingyi slowly closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Dongsheng and Ji Changge looked in astonishment at the sleeping Jingyi. So hypnosis meant putting someone who didn't want to sleep into a slumber? But since she was asleep now, what else were they supposed to ask?

"Shh!"

Wen Jing made a silencing gesture, indicating she would explain it to them later.