民(🈯)国4年,袁世凯意图称(chēng )帝,政局动荡(🔼)是(shì )(🌰)年秋(qiū ),吴淞镇(zhèn )大(🔱)火,灾(zāi )民数(shù )以万(wàn )(🎗)计(jì ),本(běn )就(🐉)鱼龙混杂的(🏴)吴淞镇(🥩)显(💤)得更为(📿)动荡不安。因地(dì )方善款筹集(🚤),吴淞镇重修居民(🤷),却在某宅架梁(🙍)时(💆)出现意外,期间爆出一(🛺)具男尸,其状(zhuàng )诡异,引得镇上流(liú )言纷起(🤯),镇民(mín )惶恐,募资请僧(🧚)道做法(🥁)驱邪(xié )超度,期间亦(🔢)有(❔)江湖术士混事,搅得镇上一(yī )派乌(✋)烟瘴气(🙌)。镇保卫团团长陆悦(yuè )戎(róng )行(háng )伍出身(shēn ),最是(shì )不信神鬼(guǐ )之(🤲)说,,见此情形(xíng )不(bú )由(🎋)大(🥕)怒,一面下(🧣)令驱(qū )散(🕯)僧道术士,一面(💝)差人找来(🥊)镇上(shàng )义庄仵(wǔ )工(gōng )吴(wú )云根、柳(liǔ )归元师徒,命(mìng )其(qí )验尸查明死因(yīn ),以(🐩)正(💯)视(shì )听(tīng )。镇上落(luò )魄乡绅少(shǎo )爷石(shí )乐志少年(🔤)游历(💏)颇广,得(👵)知此(💸)案后便(biàn )赶来查(chá )看,又见陆香邑在场(chǎng )(🆙),欲(🔫)有所表现,当下一(🚽)味指点评(👛)说,言语间(jiān )对吴云根、柳归元师徒颇为不(📬)屑。吴(💑)云根对此(🚩)不以(yǐ )为意(yì ),自顾检(🧥)验死者(zhě )身(shēn )上的绿芽,神情颇为震惊,继而借(jiè )(⛅)故推托似(sì )(🈸)有(🙅)隐情,期间语焉不详。