Painting Bones

As the saying goes, "You can paint a tiger's skin, but not its bones." In the art of painting, the highest realm, Bone Painting, has not been attained by anyone in a hundred years.

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The best painter in the imperial court died.

Three years later, a young constable joined the Yichuan County Office. Just by listening to eyewitnesses, she could draw criminals' faces with uncanny accuracy.

Yichuan is the most remote county in Great Zhou. Every year, countless criminals flee after committing murder, arson, robbery, and looting, and the county constables can barely keep up with the cases.

Ever since Shen Lingxi arrived, the case clearance rate has soared. The people have come to live in peace and prosperity, leaving their doors unlocked at night.

As for Shen Lingxi, she works at the county office by day, and mostly makes a living by painting skins for monsters at night.

A fair and refined young scholar's skin, five taels of silver.

A beauty's skin, one tael of gold.

Painted skins are guaranteed to last seven days. Honest dealing, no tricks. Come again anytime.

A professional painter, an amateur crime-solver.

Shen Lingxi never expected that solving cases would actually make her the first master of the Bone Painting realm in a hundred years.

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Blurb from the male lead's perspective:

As the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, investigating the annual murders and major cases is simply part of the job.

When Xing Songxue saw Yichuan County's steadily rising case clearance rate this year, he couldn't help but furrow his brow.

Were the cases truly being solved, or were confessions being beaten out of people?

He would have to make the trip himself and investigate.

Theme: Justice and evil are not distinguished by species, but by what lies within.