I am the old, fiery-faced man from the senior department.

"Are you being considerate of my old age and frail health, or are you afraid that I will discover that you have done something shameful?"

"No, no, no...we...we..."

Lu Huaide's words were astonishing, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

The three Walpers trembled and could not speak.

"Hmph. The cicada has fallen to the ground and is now silent."

Lu Huaide put down the list, turned around and looked at the mourning hall, his words seeming to have a hidden meaning.

"Your Excellency, I...did not understand what you said."

Walper then moved closer to him, defending himself.

"You can understand."

Lu Huaide looked at him, raised his hand and tapped his chest, then said:

"I'm afraid my words have hit a nerve with you all."

"This... If the Prefect suspects us of any wrongdoing, we are willing to submit to any punishment."

Walper narrowed his eyes slightly, listening to his confident reply.

"Yes, we are willing to accept whatever punishment we receive."

The other two chuckled and echoed his sentiments.

"What a silver tongue!"

Lu Huaide scoffed.

“You know perfectly well that I can’t produce any evidence of your wrongdoing, yet you speak so arrogantly.”

"But don't get too excited yet."

Lu Huaide turned his head to look at Gu Liangchen's memorial tablet, and cupped his hands towards the sky.

"Even if I can't investigate, the imperial court will send capable officials to uncover the mystery of Magistrate Gu sooner or later."

"We also hope that the imperial court will send someone to investigate the truth behind Magistrate Gu's death... right?"

Walper looked around, and the two immediately echoed his sentiment.

"Hmph, just wait. They'll come."

Lu Huaide lost interest in arguing with them and instead went to the memorial tablet.

"Ok?"

He saw Kal'tsit.

"This gentleman... he looks unfamiliar?"

"Ah, Your Excellency, this is a close friend of Magistrate Gu, who came all the way from the capital to pay his respects. He just arrived."

Volper immediately explained Kal'tsit's identity to him.

"..."

After the two bowed to each other, Kal'tsit turned to leave, but was stopped by Lu Huaide.

"I was unaware that he was a close friend of Magistrate Gu. I have offended him in the first place."

"Is this Prefect Lu, the esteemed Prefect Lu?"

When Kal'tsit was stopped, she asked him the question.

"Don't dare."

"It is I who have repeatedly petitioned the court, hoping that the court can send a good magistrate."

He then sighed and said regretfully:

"But before Magistrate Gu could take office, he died under mysterious circumstances."

"No matter what caused that fire, I am to blame."

Lu Huaide sighed deeply, his face full of self-reproach.

"Lord Lu..."

Kal'tsit glanced at the three minor officials following behind him and said softly:

"Please, let's talk in private."

With that, Kal'tsit turned and walked into the mourning hall. Lu Huaide glared at the three who tried to follow, then caught up with Kal'tsit.

"Mr. Lu."

Kal'tsit bowed to him and said:

"I was a close friend of Magistrate Gu during our time together. Before Lord Lu's passing, I have a request."

"You speak."

Seeing that he agreed, Kal'tsit said:

"I have some basic knowledge of coffin inspection, and I would like to ask Lord Lu for a favor."

"Oh! You want to... exhume the body for an autopsy?"

Lu Huaide pointed at the coffin, his eyes gleaming.

"Exactly."

"Oh dear, this is outside the rules."

Lu Huaide pondered for a moment, then said loudly:

"it is good!"

"Since Mr. Kal'tsit was a close friend of Magistrate Gu during his lifetime, then I will make an exception!"

He patted his chest, his words resolute:

"Whatever happens, I'll take responsibility!"

"Thank you very much, Elder Lu!"

Kal'tsit, having received permission, turned and walked toward the coffin.

As Kal'tsit approached, the fat man and the thin man jogged up to her and stared intently at her.

"Ugh……"

The moment Kal'tsit's fingertips touched the coffin, the two men raised their arms and pressed down on the coffin lid.

"...What? Am I not even allowed to see my friend's remains?"

Kal'tsit's words left them speechless.

"Uh... Mr. Kai has misunderstood."

The fat man immediately defended himself:

"It's better not to look at Magistrate Gu because he died in a fire and his remains were too gruesome to bear."

"Oh right, it's better not to watch it."

"presumptuous!"

Lu Huaide's reprimand rang out, and he pointed at Kal'tsit.

"Mr. Kal'tsit has traveled a long way to see the remains of his deceased friend. Isn't that only natural? Why are you stopping him?"

Lu Huaide waved his sleeves, put his hands behind his back, and glared at the two men:

"Could it be that you've tampered with the corpse?"

"No, no, no! I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare!"

The two dared not say anything more and quickly waved their hands in defense.

Clerk Wolper, standing to the side, shook his head helplessly, waved his hand, and shouted:

"Open the coffin!"

Returning to the Twenty-Sixth Diagnosis

The black coffin lid was lifted and moved aside by four constables, revealing the charred, lifeless corpse inside.

Kal'tsit leaned close to the coffin, rested her right arm on it, and reached out her left hand to touch the corpse.

The skin and flesh, shrunken from the intense heat and scorching of the fire, felt terrible to the touch, like touching a toad's skin that had dried out under the sun.

Her emerald eyes slowly moved downwards, and her fingertips groped down from the top of the corpse's head. Then, she picked up a bit of charcoal ash from the area near the corpse's mouth.

Lu Huaide and the Registrar of the Vulper approached one after the other, both with serious expressions and different gazes toward Kal'tsit.

"..."

The lynx tilted its head slightly and raised its hand. As its fingertips caressed the ash, the speck of coal turned into extremely dry granular dust, which then scattered back into the coffin. Seeing this, the lynx's delicate eyebrows involuntarily furrowed.

Seeing this, Lu Huaide asked:

"Has anything unexpected happened?"

"...Lord Lu, thank you very much."

Kal'tsit shook her head and flicked away the remaining ash from her fingertips.

"No surprise, they died in the fire."

"..."

Upon hearing this, the fat and thin men exchanged a glance, each seeing a look of relief in the other's eyes.

Kal'tsit glanced again at the ash in the coffin, then strolled away from the mortuary.

Clerk Walper wanted to say something to Lu Huaide, but Lu Huaide ignored him and followed him directly.

"Tsk... Time to close the coffin!"

Walper had no choice but to give up, ordering the constables to restore the coffin, and then he hurried after the two men.