He lost no time turning in that direction. The barking remained audible, off and on, echoing into the somber sky as Yang fumbled along in the dark. The road soon forked into a shaded trail. And then the sound abruptly stopped.

It took him less than the time it took to burn incense to come striding into view of something lying on the turn of the trail, where rainwater seemed to be shimmering under the faint starlight. To his horror, it turned out to be the flower girl’s body in pools of blood. Her clothing was badly torn, revealing her bare breasts and thighs. It appeared to be pointing to a sex crime, though she had been stabbed multiple times, as if the attacker had intended to kill.

One stab at her head, cutting deep into the right temple. Two more in her chest, with a forceful one close to the heart, leaving scarlet rivulets on the trail beside her. And the final one, viciously into her lower abdomen.

He put his right hand above her lips. He was unable to detect a breath in her. The blood smearing her face seemed to be still sticky to his finger. It had happened just a short while ago. Possibly at the moment the dog started barking.

He came to the realization that she was beyond help. There was no point dragging her body back to the temple, where the monks could do nothing about the dead flower girl. Besides, it was not a good idea to bring a female visitor to the temple, as he had just learned from Nameless – not to mention the possible scandal of moving a dead, half-naked girl into it.

After searching through the scene another time, Yang headed back to the temple, empty-handed.

It took quite a while for Yang to finish his account about the murder of the flower girl. Judge Dee made no interruption during Yang’s narration. Then he said simply, ‘Two victims in a day.’

‘Yes, both of them related to Xuanji. But we have to leave in a day or two, Master.’

‘But you have really done so much today. It’s quite late, Yang. Time for you to go to bed. And I won’t stay up for too long, either.’

With Yang’s figure retreating out of the room, Judge Dee found himself overwhelmed in the entangling swirls of the old and new scenarios.

Indeed, it was quite late. He touched the buttonhole of his long gown, where he had inserted the jasmine bud earlier in the day. It was empty.