"What is this powder?" Arui leaned closer and asked.
Lin Taichu shook his head. "I don't know yet, but this powder was most likely left behind by the murderer. Do any merfolk in Atlantis use this kind of black powder?"
The king and the ministers all shook their heads. Aron said, "Most merfolk in our clan use spears and sickles. Very few use powder-like substances, and I've never seen this kind of black powder before."
Lin Taichu carefully collected the powder and placed it in a small pouch. "Keep this powder safe for now. It may prove useful later. Also, I suggest bringing the body back to the Royal Palace for a thorough examination. We might find more clues."
The king agreed and had the body carried away. Then he said to Lin Taichu, "Lin Taichu, I'm entrusting this matter to you. The clan is in a panic right now. Only you can uncover the truth and calm them."
"Rest assured, Your Majesty. I'll do my best," Lin Taichu said.
After the king and ministers left, Lin Taichu remained in the coral forest and continued examining the scene.
After walking for about an hour, he found a crushed shell at the far western edge of the coral forest. Beside it was a trail of faint footprints.
The footprints belonged to a merfolk, but they were somewhat larger than ordinary merfolk footprints. They had likely been left by a tall, powerfully built merfolk.
The footprints extended out of the coral forest and all the way to the sandy beach by the sea, where they disappeared—the seawater had washed them away.
Standing on the beach and watching the seawater, Lin Taichu pondered, *The murderer probably left from here. Tall, carrying a serrated tool and a poisoned needle, and possibly possessing black powder