Miss Truth
Chapter 243 - 153: Mysterious Blue Carving

Chapter 243: Chapter 153: Mysterious Blue Carving

Ran Yan remembered that Ran Pingyu and Ran Yun were still in the front hall, and without waiting for Wan Lu to return and report, she hastily rushed over with Ge Lan.

It was only a few hundred steps from the inn’s backyard to the front hall. As soon as she exited the gallery, she could hear the noisy voices in the hall, mixed with the cries and screams of women.

Before entering the room, Ge Lan pulled Ran Yan and took a piece of thin gauze from her sleeve to cover Ran Yan’s face, securing it with a hairpin at the back.

As the bamboo curtain was lifted, Ran Yan’s gaze searched among the crowd. She saw Ran Yun trembling in Ran Pingyu’s arms, which made her feel relieved.

When Ran Pingyu saw Ran Yan approaching, he quickly said, "Yan, go back and rest, do not worry about this matter."

Ran Yan stopped in her tracks and looked around the hall. It turned out that the loud bang was due to the wooden staircase leading to the second floor breaking and collapsing. Many spectators who were standing by the railing on the second floor were clearly also trapped upstairs.

On the floor where the staircase collapsed, there were many broken pieces of wood, and among them, fresh red blood slowly spread out. The guests all stood far away, not daring to approach.

As the chaos in the hall gradually subsided, a middle-aged man in a brocade robe rushed in from the rear hall like the wind. Seeing the situation, he immediately pointed at the waiter and shouted, "What are you all staring at, go and save people quickly!"

At that moment, everyone realized that perhaps the person was not dead yet!

Four waiters hurried forward and deftly removed the wood on top. Soon, a middle-aged man with half of his clothing hanging off appeared. His body was curled up on his side on the ground, his face slightly turned outwards, his facial features were contorted, and his expression was frightening. Yet, the skin below his neck was comparatively much paler; blood was dripping from the back of his head.

Most chilling was the half-exposed back showing a piece of blue tattoo—a Buddha head with a faint smile!

The pale blue color contrasted with the man’s horrifying expression, making the Buddha’s smile appear eerie.

Blue tattoo, also known as tattooing, was particularly popular during the Tang and Song dynasties and had already become a lifestyle fashion.

A slightly braver waiter quickly checked the man’s breath with his finger, and in a moment, he abruptly withdrew his hand and said tremblingly, "He’s dead, there’s a dead person!"

Another waiter seemed to remember something and immediately turned around pointing at Ran Yun, "It was this young lady who hurried upstairs, causing the ladder to collapse!"

Could a young lady really collapse a ladder? If said, people would only criticize their inn for not maintaining the staircase properly! The Shopkeeper, in desperation, stomped his foot and said, "Go to the Government Office immediately!"

After shouting, the Shopkeeper calmed down a bit, and bowing to the bystanders, he said, "Today our establishment unfortunately faced this disaster; all your drinks are free. Please stay for a while, till the Government authorities arrive to help clarify the situation. I thank everyone here in advance!"

Having said this, the Shopkeeper bowed deeply in all directions.

Seeing his earnest attitude, and also fearing that leaving now might make the Government Office suspect their involvement in the matter, everyone agreed to stay. Now, even if Ran Yan wanted to leave, she could not.

However, facing a corpse, it was hard for everyone to remain calm; they all stood restlessly against the wall.

To avoid standing out, Ran Yan stood to one side with Ran Pingyu. The moment she saw the corpse, Ran Yan was able to determine that the body had been dead before the collapse of the staircase and not just for a short while.

But encountering such an event on her journey, she had no intention of meddling further. As for Ran Yun, she had simply passed by on the staircase; anyone could imagine that a delicate lady could not possibly break the staircase.

The town was not far from the county; roughly after the time it took for a pot of tea to brew, the Government Office’s men arrived.

The leader was an arrest officer, accompanied by a dozen constables. As soon as one foot stepped inside, his loud voice filled the room, "Where is the Shopkeeper?"

The doorway darkened as a burly man dressed in an official gray uniform walked in. He had a broad face, thick eyebrows, and bright, piercing eyes.

The Shopkeeper quickly went up to greet him, "Officer Qin, you must seek justice for my establishment!"

Officer Qin, robust and imposing in his movements, looked at the staircase and said, "Someone was killed in your establishment, and the family of the deceased hasn’t asked for justice yet; yet you cry foul first!"

"It’s really unfair, sir! Just this year, the establishment was renovated, not to mention anything else, these stairs are made of new wood and couldn’t possibly be due to old age!" the Shopkeeper said as he followed Officer Qin to the side of the body.

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