The Mysterious Detective Tales of Song Ci

Daybreak came, and the morning mist drifted gently over the road outside Bianliang. A black lacquered carriage rolled slowly along. Though plain and unadorned, it carried no ordinary passenger.

Song Ci, courtesy name Huifu, was a judicial commissioner of the Great Song. Dressed in a blue robe, he had a lean face and a piercing gaze. His forehead was slightly raised, marked by the wrinkles that years of pondering cases had etched there. His hands rested on his knees, and he seemed lost in thoughtlessness, yet his mind was already churning like a stormy sea.

The day before, an urgent report had arrived in Bianliang from Jiangnan. It stated that three bizarre murders had occurred in quick succession in Yangzhou Prefecture. All the victims were skilled martial artists, and every one of them had died from a strange poison. When their bodies were found, strange smiles remained on their faces, as though they had witnessed some supreme pleasure before they died. The prefect of Yangzhou was at a loss and had no choice but to report the matter to the court. Upon hearing the news, the emperor ordered Song Ci to hurry to Yangzhou and assist with the investigation.