A piercing pain shot through Ye Fan, causing him to abruptly open his palm.
The next moment, he saw blood gushing from his palm, but instead of flowing down, it slowly trickled towards the fragment.
In fact, the blood beneath his palm seemed to flow upwards.
Ye Fan frowned, his face etched with shock.
"How could this be?"
Shen Tianyin, closest to him, saw it clearly.
Ye Fan remained silent, gazing intently at the fragment.
The fragment seemed to possess immense suction, drawing the blood from the wound in his palm unceasingly, only to be absorbed by the fragment.
As more blood was absorbed, the fragment's color began to change, transforming from dull and lusterless to increasingly radiant.
Finally, the once rough surface became entirely smooth and lustrous.
"Earthworm track pattern?"
Elder Lei and Ji Nanshan both leaned in. Upon seeing the change on the fragment's surface, Elder Lei exclaimed.
"The earthworm track pattern of Jun porcelain, how is this possible? It was just an ordinary pottery shard moments ago, and now it has instantly become genuine Jun porcelain? What is going on?"
Ji Nanshan was equally stunned, his eyes bulging.
Anyone witnessing this transformation would be deeply shocked.
After all, Jun porcelain pieces are extremely rare, and any single piece is considered a priceless treasure.
Even a mere fragment holds immense research value.
"What is the earthworm track pattern, and what does it have to do with Jun porcelain?"
Among the four, only Shen Tianyin knew little about antiques, so her face was filled with confusion as her speaking, large eyes fixed on Ye Fan.
Ye Fan remained silent, his expression still somber, his gaze locked onto the fragment.
Meanwhile, Ji Nanshan quickly interjected to explain, "The so-called earthworm track pattern is a type of texture found on Jun ware. Jun ware is one of the Five Great Kilns, renowned with the saying, 'Better to discard a thousand gold pieces than a shard of Jun ware,' highlighting its preciousness. Jun porcelain reached its artistic peak during the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty, when artisans could freely control the kiln's transformation. The earthworm track pattern is one such texture on the glaze of Jun ware, named for its resemblance to the path of an earthworm. Therefore, it is exceedingly valuable."
Ji Nanshan recounted all he knew to Shen Tianyin, emphasizing that the preciousness of Jun ware far surpassed that of ceramics from other kilns.
"I see. No wonder they would try to imitate this kind of thing."
Shen Tianyin murmured softly, a look of solemnity crossing her face.
"Ye Fan, what should we do next?"
Looking at Ye Fan, who was still deep in thought, Shen Tianyin inquired.
Ye Fan's expression remained grim, a chill even evident in his eyes.
"This matter is of great importance and cannot be taken lightly. Tomorrow, we will examine Xue Zhonglong's body again. Perhaps there is something we have overlooked."
Ye Fan's gaze swept past Shen Tianyin, looking towards the window behind him, a sharp glint in the depths of his eyes.
However, Shen Tianyin and the others failed to notice Ye Fan's unusual demeanor.
Shen Tianyin nodded, "Alright, I'll accompany you tomorrow."
Outside the window, a dark shadow flickered past.
Seeing the shadow depart, Ye Fan's lips curved into a faint, cold smile.
Now that he had found a direction for his investigation, it was time for him to strike back.
...
The next morning, Ye Fan found Xu Sanhu and proposed to re-examine the body at the funeral parlor.
Xu Sanhu paused for a moment, then readily agreed with a smile, even offering to accompany Ye Fan personally.
At the funeral parlor, the bodies of Xue Zhonglong and Xue Tao were placed in the outer room, as they were not locals and could not be housed in the inner hall.
"Xue Zhonglong's body is over here."
Xu Sanhu pointed to a corpse and said.
Ye Fan walked over slowly, lifted the white cloth, and as the death had occurred just yesterday, only some lividity was present, with no signs of decomposition.
"Village Chief Xu, please prepare some white vinegar and a red paper umbrella for me."
Shen Tianyin asked from the side, "What do you need white vinegar and a red paper umbrella for?"
For some reason, this decisive second daughter of the Shen family seemed to transform into a child with many questions whenever she was in Ye Fan's presence.
Xu Sanhu also looked at Ye Fan in confusion, not understanding his intentions.
"You'll know shortly. Village Chief Xu, make sure there's plenty of white vinegar."
Seeing Ye Fan keep them in suspense, Xu Sanhu didn't pry further and quickly went out to have the items prepared.
Soon, a large basin of white vinegar and an exquisite red paper umbrella were brought over.
"What a beautiful oil-paper umbrella."
Upon seeing the red paper umbrella, Shen Tianyin's face lit up with joy, and she held it in her hands, unable to put it down.
Xu Sanhu said with a smile, "These are all made by our villagers. Miss Shen, as you know, we live in isolation in Qianfo Mountain, so many of our crafts have been passed down. Umbrella making is one of them. If Miss Shen likes it, you can choose a pattern, and I'll have someone custom-make one for you."
Xu Sanhu's enthusiasm made Shen Tianyin feel a little embarrassed, and she quickly replied with a smile, "Thank you very much, Village Chief Xu."
While they were talking, Ye Fan had finished his preparations. He poured the entire basin of white vinegar onto Xue Zhonglong's body and then lit dozens of candles beneath it.
"Brother Ye, what are you doing? Burning the body is the greatest disrespect to the deceased."
Seeing Ye Fan's actions, Xu Sanhu exclaimed in alarm.
Shen Tianyin also frowned, bewildered.
"A corpse is the last proof a person leaves in this world. Many things can be discerned from a corpse. Today, I will make this corpse speak."
Ye Fan narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed intently on Xue Zhonglong's body.
As the candles burned, the temperature gradually rose, and the white vinegar splashed on Xue Zhonglong's body began to evaporate.
The room was soon filled with the pungent odor of acetic acid.
Shen Tianyin covered her nose and mouth, her face pale.
Despite her unconditional trust in Ye Fan, such an act was difficult for her to accept.
Moreover, the smell of acetic acid made her feel dizzy.
Xu Sanhu, on the other hand, maintained a stern, expressionless face, clearly showing a hint of displeasure towards Ye Fan's actions.
After more than ten minutes, once the vinegar on Xue Zhonglong's body had completely evaporated, Ye Fan extinguished all the candles.
Then, he opened the red paper umbrella, completely covering Xue Zhonglong's body.
The entire body of Xue Zhonglong was enveloped in red, as if bathed in the setting sun.
Ye Fan's gaze was focused, scrutinizing every inch. When he saw Xue Zhonglong's face, he froze for a moment.
Xue Zhonglong's face was now incredibly fair, as if he were a refined scholar.
However, the rest of his body, under the red paper umbrella, appeared a vivid red.
"What is happening?"
Shen Tianyin had also noticed the anomaly and exclaimed.
"The blood in his face has been drained."
Ye Fan replied coldly, then put away the red paper umbrella.
"It seems this is not the work of any malevolent spirit, but someone intentionally did this with the purpose of taking the blood from his face."
"Could it be..."
Shen Tianyin covered her mouth, her face filled with panic, but Ye Fan winked, signaling her not to speak rashly.