He was not born disabled. Ten years ago, he was a famous child prodigy in Hangzhou Prefecture. After accidentally witnessing a murder, he reported it, only for officials bribed by the real killer to dismiss his testimony in court as “the ramblings of a foolish child.” They even framed him. To silence him, the criminals poured boiling tung oil down his throat, burning it beyond repair. From then on, he lost his voice, along with any chance of passing the imperial examinations and entering government service to clear his father's name. Later, an elderly coroner took him in and taught him the art of examining corpses.
Unable to speak, he developed a terrifyingly keen eye for observation. He communicates with people through abdominal speech, a low, even voice devoid of emotion, impossible to read for joy or anger. It gives him an aloof air that makes people think twice before underestimating him.
The story takes place in Liyang County, Jiangning Prefecture, a water town in the south far from the capital. The protagonist takes no part in court politics. Instead, in this little corner of the county, he joins forces with Lu, a constable at the county yamen whose cold exterior hides a warm heart. Armed with a chest of forensic tools, they uncover one human tragedy after another, each misrepresented by the locals as a ghost story from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.
