14 Mistaken Idenity (1/2)

In a desolated part of the capital, there was a small bureau, where not many living souls would dare to venture. The surrounding homes that could afford to move have already long been abandoned, leaving a road of eerie silence that was a ghost road in the middle of the capital.

Xu Fei was dressed in his constable robes and walked down this desolated road that led to the Capital's Morguetury. Surprisingly the morgue was not as busy as one would expect with the large population of people and even larger count of the number of deaths each day.

On the contrary, it was quite peaceful on this dark and frigid night.

One would almost mistake this place for a bureau that processed paperwork if it were not for the unmistakable stench of rotting flesh. This was mainly because there were not many corpses that made its way to the morgue in a timely manner.

Xu Fei walked the steps up to the wooden door and knocked on the lion handle. It was said that the bronze lions would prevent evil spirits from entering and taking possession of the corpses, but that was merely a tale from long ago. Today, its main purpose was to serve as fancy decor, or welcome other officials into this forsaken place.

The knocks vibrated the entire door, sending off three loud knocks. Xu Fei waited silently and patiently for someone to open the door. He looked at the empty streets and silently shivered, hoping that the one to open the door would be human and not ghost.

”Creek…” The wooden doors opened, Xu Fei kept his eyes on the person that opened the door. His old and wrinkled hands gave the constable the chills.

”What's the matter, constable Xu?” An ancient voice resounded, there was almost an echoing sound that could be heard from the interior of the old walls.

[How does that person know my name?] Xu Fei was internally creeped out by this, but he silently endured, after all, he had come here on official business for Ruan Wang, and it would not bode well for him if he suddenly decided to escape.

He looked up to see an old man, dressed in a white uniform, the man looked old and shriveled, his hair was a color of ash, and his eyes a dull, murky brown, at this point, Xu Fei was unsure whether the person he had laid his eyes upon was human or spirit.

”Ahem,” He cleared his throat and began to speak ” I am here for information on Yan Lei Tang's death.” Xu Fei said solemnly.

”Hmm…, come with me.” The man said as he walked down the corridors, the paper lantern he held in his hands gently swayed, distorting the shadows on the walls, giving the appearance of demons dancing in the night.

Xu Fei silently followed the old man past the corridors. He kept his eyes down on the stone ground, only following the light that swayed back and forth.

”We're here.” The old man said bleakly, as he looked at the constable with his head down, and continuing to walk.

Perhaps, a warning given any later would have caused Xu Fei to accidentally knock himself out. Luckily, he was reminded, and raised his head, only to be greeted by a room full of the dead.

The air was a refreshing smell of ginger and incense, strangely, there was not the hint of the scent of rotting flesh that he smelled when he was outside. If it were not for the tables that were covered in cloth, outlining the distinctive shape of a human body, Xu Fei would have most likely believed that he had walked into a parlor or a barbershop.