After years away from home, Xue Runan had finally boarded a merchant ship for the journey back. One night, news suddenly came that the shipowner's tribute had died. When Xue Runan went closer to look, she found her own corpse, already dead for some time.
The night was silent. Who killed me?
The scholar: Last night, I heard a tail slapping the water. When I went outside to look, I saw the butcher killing a mermaid. The merchant traveling with us had bribed him to cover up the evidence.
The butcher: The scholar lusted after the mermaid, and when he couldn't have her, he flew into a rage and killed her. The merchant who was in cahoots with him tried to bribe me when he saw that I'd found out, hoping to cover it up. When I refused, he framed me.
The merchant: I was born into a prominent family and went into business at sea. But then the scholar traveling with us tried to take advantage of the mermaid. The butcher caught him and wanted to kill both the scholar and the mermaid, then sell them for money. When the two realized I'd discovered what happened, they tried to kill me. When that failed, they tried to bribe me.
*Inspired by "Murder Before the Main Mystery."
Theme: Cherish the people by your side.
