Corpse

Bone Replacement must begin with Bone Extraction. The corpse's abnormality made Jiang Shuo think of this immediately, but then he shook his head.

Jiang Shuo had studied at the Hundred Flowers Sect for some time, and he realized that the method of Bone Replacement was unknown to the outside world, likely unique to the Chiyun Tribe. Although the corpse was missing bones, it didn't necessarily mean it was used for Bone Replacement—the killer might simply harbor deep hatred for Dream Red Pavilion, resorting to such cruel revenge.

The strangeness on Jiang Shuo's face flickered and vanished, but Taohong was watching him, her delicate brows furrowing for some unknown reason.

"May I ask if Senior would allow me to examine it?" Jiang Shuo spoke. Relying on naked-eye observation alone, he couldn't see the full picture.

"Since Ruyan invited the two young masters here to investigate this matter, there's naturally no objection." Liu Ruyan stepped aside slightly.

Jiang Shuo lifted the corpse's forearm again and carefully examined the wound. The edges of the wound were uneven, all rotten flesh—not cut by a sharp blade, but rather the killer used their formidable martial arts to dig their fingers into the flesh and forcibly yank the bone out. Judging by the degree of blood coagulation and color, Jiang Shuo could also determine that the wound was inflicted while the victim was still alive. Imagining someone still living while their bone was violently gouged out by brute force, Jiang Shuo couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine, and his doubts deepened.

According to the records in the Chiyun Village altar, when performing Bone Replacement, the bone to be replaced must be dug from a living body. Jiang Shuo didn't know if this was related or merely a coincidence.

Burying this thought deep in his heart for now, Jiang Shuo raised his hand and touched the corpse. Forcibly digging out a bone wouldn't kill a person—Jiang Shuo had to find the cause of death.

He extended two fingers and gently pressed on the corpse. Though it was a corpse, it was still female, and it was inevitable to touch some sensitive areas. Seeing this, Sun Daoming beside him wore a strange expression and couldn't help but sneer, "What kind of autopsy is this? Utterly shameless."

With that, Sun Daoming shoved Jiang Shuo aside and began his own examination.

His father, Sun Man, held a high position in the Hundred Flowers Sect. Growing up in a good family environment, Sun Daoming far surpassed his peers in both medicine and martial arts, which was why he achieved decent results in the selection.

Jiang Shuo was pushed aside. He turned his head and gave Sun Daoming a cold glance, but said nothing.

He had already examined the first corpse thoroughly and reached a certain conclusion. Instead of arguing with Sun Daoming, he requested Liu Ruyan's permission to inspect the other six corpses.

With Liu Ruyan's authorization, Jiang Shuo examined them one by one. This time, his pace was not as slow as with the first corpse, and he finished quickly. The six corpses also had missing bones. The last one, due to being the earliest to die and the hot weather, was unrecognizable and badly decomposed. Jiang Shuo showed no disgust and examined it as usual.

"How do you two young masters find it?" Liu Ruyan inquired.

Sun Daoming answered first, "The killer's method of taking bones is fierce and direct, with high martial arts skill. We can start investigating from martial arts related to Eagle Claw. Additionally, the cause of death for all victims was a palm strike that shattered their meridians. There aren't many people in Yulin City with this level of power, unless they came from elsewhere."

"Young Master Sun is absolutely right." Liu Ruyan nodded deeply, showing an appreciative expression, then turned her head to the other side. "Young Master Jiang, do you have any thoughts?"

Sun Daoming glanced sideways at Jiang Shuo. The dead were dead and couldn't speak—Jiang Shuo's information was probably the same as his, or even less.

Ignoring Sun Daoming, Jiang Shuo calmly added, "Following the sequence of taking the bone first and then killing, the victims would have put up fierce resistance before death. But their bodies show no signs of struggle."

"I already said the killer's martial arts are exceptionally high—one strike kills. How could they have time to resist?" Sun Daoming said disdainfully.

"If the killer's martial arts far surpass the opponent's, and the sole purpose is murder, then it could indeed be done easily. But the killer also had to take the bone. Bone is the foundation of the human body. Even an ordinary person facing such danger would struggle desperately, making it hard for the killer to succeed. Moreover, looking at the bones of these corpses, they were clearly martial artists." Jiang Shuo voiced his doubts. "Also, their expressions show no panic or fear, but are quite calm—that's another hard-to-understand point."

"This..." Sun Daoming was momentarily at a loss for words.

Liu Ruyan seemed to ponder, then continued, "So, Young Master Jiang, your view is..."

"Several corpses have wounds on the front of the body. For the killer to approach and strike from the front would be very difficult, so it's very likely, as Senior Liu said, that it was done by an acquaintance from Dream Red Pavilion." Since Feng En said Liu Ruyan knew he was eavesdropping outside back then, Jiang Shuo naturally saw no need to keep up the pretense. "Of course, another possibility can't be ruled out—that the victims were drugged unconscious before death. That would explain the various anomalies on the corpses. To verify this, the victims' stomachs and intestines would have to be cut open, and due to factors like the drug's nature, bodily fluids, and time, the results might still be skewed. Also, this junior's knowledge is shallow—doing this would require assistance from my sect to confirm."