[The watch drum in Chang'an West Market has been beating for the third time, and the candlelight in the morgue flickers on and off.
When Wu Zuo opened the white cloth of the seventh corpse, Pei Yuanqing's inkstone fell to the ground with a "snap" - the backs of the seven corpses were all branded with the same green-faced fang Gu pattern.
"Master, this is the third day." Su Jiuniang, the maid holding the lantern, shrank her neck. The copper bell on her fingertips rang softly in the night wind. "The day before yesterday, I was a rice merchant in the south of the city. Yesterday, I was a clerk in the Ministry of Personnel. Today... I am a Qing guest in Zuoxiang's Mansion."
Pei Yuanqing tightened his grip on the wooden plaque engraved with "Jingzhao Mansion" around his waist.
He originally thought it was just a murder in the city, but he heard a strange chant coming from the back alley - it was the "soul-controlling poison" he had seen in documents from the Western Regions, which could turn living people into zombies that could be controlled by others.
What's even more frightening is that although these seven people died in different circumstances, they all came into contact with the same person before the incident: the newly appointed chief steward of Zhenbei General Mansion.
And that general was the powerful official who opposed all opinions and advocated the abolition of Chang'an Guard half a month ago.
"Jiuniang, take my copy of "Tang Lv Shu Yi"." Pei Yuanqing wiped the blood stains from the corners of the corpse's eyes, and touched a very shallow scratch on his fingertips, "Go to the medicinal material shop in Chaxi City. Someone bought too much Datura recently."
Then... Go to the ruined temple in the south of the city. "He suddenly raised his head and looked through the broken window of the morgue," a beggar child said yesterday. He saw a man in a black cloak delivering a red cloth package there - red cloth, which is used to calm souls in witchcraft rituals. "
