Chapter 1579: No Starting Point

Seeing Zhang Zitong's face flushed with excitement, Zu'an remained noncommittal: "Do you think Grandmaster Seven was murdered?"

"Yes," Zhang Zitong nodded. "Grandmaster Seven was naturally cautious and possessed profound cultivation; how could he have accidentally fallen into the water and drowned? What troubles me is that his autopsy showed no anomalies; all the evidence points to his death being an accident."

A feeling of grief and indignation emerged as she spoke, as if she were blaming herself for her inadequacy, unable to find the killer and avenge him.

Zu'an looked at Xiao Jianren: "Have you examined Grandmaster Seven's body?"

Xiao Jianren was startled: "Miss Zhang has already examined it..."

Mid-sentence, he shuddered, realizing he had made a mistake.

Zu'an gave him a deep look. It seemed this old man was truly infatuated, making such a blunder.

Zhang Zitong was not dull; she immediately reacted: "What? Are you suspecting me of fabricating evidence?"

"It's merely routine procedure, Miss Zhang, please don't take offense." Zu'an continued, "Where is Grandmaster Seven's body? Don't tell me it has already been buried?"

"Of course not," Zhang Zitong said with a straight face. Although he said it was routine, it was clear he suspected her, so it would be strange if she were in a good mood. "Grandmaster Seven's remains are stored in the building, under special guard."

The "building" she referred to was, of course, not the Imperial Embroidery Tower in the palace, but the offices of the Embroidered Envoys in various regions, all built in imitation of the capital's Embroidery Tower.

"Let's go take a look." Time was tight tonight, so Zu'an got straight to the point.

Although she felt a little displeased at being suspected, Zhang Zitong secretly admired him. This Golden Emblem Eleven was indeed more professional than the people under his command.

She quickly led them to the Yi Commandery Embroidered Envoy's office residence. The Embroidered Envoys stationed there were thrilled to see Zu'an's Golden Emblem attire; finally, another Golden Emblem Envoy had arrived.

Ever since Grandmaster Seven's incident, they had felt like rootless duckweeds, living in constant anxiety.

Soon, Zhang Zitong led everyone to the backyard, signaling the guards to open the door. A blast of cold air immediately hit them.

She explained, "I was worried Grandmaster Seven's body might decompose and destroy some evidence, so I specifically found an ice coffin to store him. I also sought out a runemaster for protective runes."

These measures, of course, couldn't guarantee permanent preservation of the body—otherwise, everyone capable in the world would do it—but they were sufficient for several months. Zu'an approached the ice coffin, gently pushed open the lid, and saw a particularly slender figure lying inside.

He sighed inwardly. This was indeed Golden Emblem Seven. He had fought alongside Golden Emblem Seven when he passed through Yi Commandery, and although the other person was wearing a mask at the time, his unique physique and aura couldn't be faked.

It was his first time seeing Golden Emblem Seven's true face: an ordinary face, the kind that wouldn't warrant a second glance if he were thrown into a crowd.

In fact, such a face was most suitable for an Embroidered Envoy. After all, if everyone were as handsome as he was, they would attract attention everywhere, making their daily work impossible.

He reached out and placed his hand on Golden Emblem Seven's body, channeling vital energy to examine his internal condition. He found no other injuries or signs of poisoning on him.

Of course, he wasn't a professional in this field. After his examination, he gestured for Xiao Jianren to step forward.

Xiao Jianren was something of an all-rounder; he knew a thing or two about autopsies. If not for his dull and unsociable personality, he wouldn't have remained unappreciated in the Tower for so many years.

Xiao Jianren put on gloves, took out a small knife, and bowed to Golden Emblem Seven: "Pardon the intrusion."

Zhang Zitong's eyelids twitched: "After the previous examination of Grandmaster Seven, the incisions were already sutured. Now it's happening again... I didn't expect Grandmaster Seven to suffer the pain of the blade even after death."

Hearing her words, Xiao Jianren's hand trembled slightly, worried about displeasing his 'goddess'.

Zu'an said solemnly, "I have worked with Grandmaster Seven and understand his character well. I believe he would want us to find the true culprit and wouldn't mind these procedures."

Hearing this, Xiao Jianren finally relaxed. He then proceeded to cut open Golden Emblem Seven's body and began a meticulous examination.

Zhang Zitong couldn't bear to watch, so she turned away and looked at Zu'an. "Grandmaster Eleven, have you worked with Grandmaster Seven before?"

Zu'an nodded: "Yes, and it was just a few months ago."

Zhang Zitong was surprised, having never imagined the two had this connection. A flicker of surprise appeared in her eyes; she opened her mouth but ultimately swallowed her words.

Seeing Xiao Jianren's procedures, Zu'an's stomach churned. Forensic pathology was indeed not a job for just anyone.

He averted his gaze and asked the high-ponytail girl, "Who was Grandmaster Seven's most trusted subordinate normally?"

Zhang Zitong proudly puffed out her chest: "Grandmaster Seven was reserved in his emotions and usually kept his distance from everyone. If you're talking about trust, I suppose I would be among the most trusted. After all these years, our relationship was like that of father and daughter."

"Did he leave any words or letters for you?" Zu'an asked. This case had no clues whatsoever, making it feel impossible to start.

Zhang Zitong shook her head in confusion: "No, Grandmaster Eleven. Why do you ask?"

Zu'an replied, "The last time I saw him, he revealed he was investigating a major matter. From his tense demeanor, it seemed highly significant, perhaps even leading to his demise. Do you have any impression of this major matter he mentioned?"

Zhang Zitong looked at him in surprise: "I've been following Grandmaster Seven for so many years. Why have I never heard him mention such a thing?"

Her expression seemed a little doubtful, as if thinking: *You only met Grandmaster Seven once. If there was truly such an important matter, why would he tell you?*

Seeing that her expression didn't seem feigned, Zu'an felt a little puzzled. Was she truly unaware, or was she pretending not to know?

If it was the former, why didn't Golden Emblem Seven tell her?

Was it because he didn't trust her...?

By this time, Xiao Jianren had finished his examination. While stitching the body back together, he shook his head at Zu'an: "The cause of death is undoubtedly drowning. There are no other injuries on the body, nor any signs of restraint. Similarly, no traces of poisoning were found. Of course, it's possible it was a light dose of anesthetic that can no longer be detected after so long."

Hearing his words, Zhang Zitong stated flatly, "Absolutely impossible. When I first learned of Grandmaster Seven's death, my initial thought was also that he had been drugged unconscious and drowned. I immediately performed tests for that, and there were no traces of any such drug."

Zu'an frowned. At this moment, he couldn't determine the truth of her words. *If only I had known, I would have gotten some Truth Charms from Xie Daoyun earlier.* However, this woman was, after all, a Silver Emblem Envoy, so Truth Charms might not even work on her.

"Take me to the place where the incident occurred," Zu'an said.

"We had already searched the Blackwater Pool when Grandmaster Seven's body was found; there were no suspicious signs," Zhang Zitong said. Seeing Zu'an remain unmoved, she reluctantly led them there, though she scoffed inwardly. *It's been so long; what could he possibly find? This fellow is just wasting time.*

*Could he be deliberately conducting such a by-the-book investigation just to have something to report when he goes back?*