Three Kingdoms: Rebirth of Liu Bei, the Zhaolie

No, no.

Eastern border patrol officer Cheng Xiao hurriedly waved his hand, "Zhang Hun's cause of death was also because the murderer slashed his neck with a backhand sword... The coroner has examined Zhang Hun's body. On the right side of his neck, there was a wound about three inches long, from which a large amount of blood was gushing out. This was Zhang Hun's fatal wound. There were also two cuts on the base of his wrists, one from the lower right to the upper left, but these were not fatal. Apart from that, Zhang Hun had no other wounds on his body."

Liu Bei had a question in his mind:

"Cheng Youjiao, are you sure the wound on Zhang Hun's neck is a sword wound, not a knife wound?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiao remained silent, then pondered for a moment before saying:

"Whether it's a knife wound or a sword wound, they both fall under the category of cuts and scrapes. Although there are subtle differences, they are probably imperceptible to the naked eye..."

"Hmm."

Liu Bei frowned slightly. "In other words, the coroner in the county office didn't tell you the detailed process of the autopsy, but only the result—Zhang Hun was killed by someone with extremely skillful swordsmanship."

"Yes."

Cheng Xiao nodded in agreement, then couldn't help but ask, "What's the difference between a knife wound and a sword wound?"

Liu Bei spoke eloquently:

"A knife is a single-edged weapon. A sword is a double-edged weapon. Knife wounds are irregular and accompanied by contusions from the pressure of the back of the blade, generally wedge-shaped. Sword wounds are regular, symmetrical, and generally rhomboid. If the coroner observes carefully, they are quite easy to distinguish."

"You have such keen observation skills; you are a thoughtful person."

Cheng Xiao nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. "—According to the coroner, the murderer's swordsmanship was extremely skillful. He first deliberately exposed an opening to lure Zhang Hun into attacking with his knife, then suddenly advanced with his sword, combining defense and offense. He first slashed Zhang Hun's wrists and palms, then quickly circled around to Zhang Hun's side and, with a backhand strike, severed the blood vessel on the right side of Zhang Hun's neck. Just like how you killed that bandit from White Stone Mountain."

Liu Bei listened and nodded approvingly, then asked:

"Cheng Youjiao, did that coroner at the county office tell you all this?"

"Exactly."

Cheng Xiao nodded.

"Wow, that's amazing!"

Liu Bei couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Simply by examining the wounds on the corpse, he can deduce the murderer's actions in such detail. It seems this county coroner might also be a master of martial arts."

"No."

Cheng Xiao shook his head. "He's called a coroner, but actually he was just a minor clerk in the county government responsible for copying documents. He wasn't a full-time coroner. He was only entrusted with the important task of investigating crime scenes and examining corpses because of his keen observation skills. This minor clerk wasn't skilled in martial arts; he just clearly saw the footprints at the scene of the fight and came to this conclusion. Because his analysis was insightful and the evidence was conclusive, no one could refute it. That's why the county magistrate adopted it. As for the specific details of the crime, we'll find out once we catch the murderer and verify everything."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei silently said:

"No matter what, this minor clerk is a reclusive master in our Zhuo County."

At this moment, Liu Bao, a border patrolman from the south, walked over and shouted:

"He is a reclusive master, and so are you, Xuande. If it weren't for your intervention today, I might have lost my life to these bandits from White Stone Mountain. How is your swordsmanship so superb? You usually don't show off, but you truly amazed everyone at this crucial moment."

Liu Bei smiled sheepishly. "Brother, I usually just practice secretly by myself behind closed doors, and who knew it would actually work. This is the first time in my life I've ever killed someone. I didn't feel anything at the time, but thinking about it now, my heart is pounding. I still feel a bit scared."

His words made everyone burst into laughter.

The way Liu Buyi, Liu Bao, and Liu Ping, three members of the Liu family from Zhuo County, looked at Liu Bei was quite different from before; their expressions were now filled with pride and respect.

"Xuande!"

A shout came from afar.

Liu Bei looked in the direction of the sound and saw his childhood friend Geng Yongzheng, his uncle Liu Yuanqi, and the clan chief Liu Jing walking quickly a hundred paces away.

The elderly man, dressed in a black robe and in his fifties, is Liu Jing, the current patriarch of the Liu family in Zhuo County and one of the three elders of Renyi Township.

The other man, a middle-aged man around forty years old and dressed in a blue robe, was Liu Yuanqi, a cousin of Liu Bei's father, Liu Hong.

Within the clan, Liu Bei had a relatively close relationship with his cousin Liu Yuanqi.

"Eldest Uncle, Second Uncle."

Liu Bei quickly greeted him with a smile.

Liu Jing and Liu Yuanqi quickly approached.

Everyone bowed and greeted them.

Cheng Xiao, a border patrolman from the east, and Liu Jing, one of the three elders of Renyi Township, were already acquainted and had social connections with each other. Within Zhuo County, they were always running into each other.

At this moment, outside the Wu family hotel, a fierce battle had just taken place, and a trace of blood still lingered at the scene.

This made Liu Jing feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Liu Jing was already fifty years old, with a gray beard and wrinkles on his face that showed his advanced age.

Seeing that Liu Bei didn't seem panicked, he quickly asked:

"Xuande, you haven't caused any trouble, have you?"

Liu Bei hurriedly said:

"I'm sorry to have troubled you, Uncle. I would never do anything immoral or unethical. Please don't worry, Uncle."

"Um."

Liu Jing knew Liu Bei very well and believed his words completely. He then turned to Cheng Xiao and said, "Cheng Youjiao, I heard you kidnapped Xuande?"

Cheng Xiao said somewhat embarrassedly:

"It was all a misunderstanding. Now that it's been cleared up, Uncle, there's no need to worry."

"That's good."

After observing everyone's expressions, Liu Jing figured that nothing serious had happened, and a weight was finally lifted off his shoulders as he rushed over.

"Father, let's go to another hotel for dinner."

Liu Buyi said to Liu Jing.

Liu Jing was surprised. "Isn't the Wu family hotel quite good?"

Liu Bao, the southern patrol officer standing nearby, could no longer contain himself and recounted the brief events of the Commandant's Office sending troops to apprehend the bandits of Baishi Mountain. He concluded by saying:

"Now, the Wu Family Hotel is dilapidated and the owners are still cleaning it up, so we have to find another place."

Liu Jing suddenly realized:

"No wonder, I smelled blood as soon as I arrived here. The bandits on White Stone Mountain are getting more and more arrogant. They dare to openly come to Wu Family Inn to eat and drink in broad daylight. Aren't they courting death?"

He then looked at Liu Bei, frowned, and said:

"It's a good thing that you assisted the government troops in suppressing the bandits, but... when did you learn such superb fighting skills? You... killed the bandits of Baishi Mountain, will their leader let you go? Alas, it seems that we need to strengthen patrols and vigilance after returning to Lousangli. Speaking of which, the inner gate and inner walls of Lousangli should be reinforced."

Liu Buyi immediately said in a deep voice, "Xuande acted decisively to save me and Abao. Father, please don't blame him. Besides, Father, you can rest assured. Our clan's troops are more than capable of dealing with those bandits from White Stone Mountain. When the time comes, we will make sure they don't return alive."

Liu Bao added, "Uncle, I'll notify Bu Yi at the slightest sign of trouble so he can be on guard. Those six outposts in Zhuo County aren't pushovers, and our spies are everywhere. Let's see if the bandits from Baishi Mountain dare to come!"

……

In the southeast corner of the house, there was a mulberry tree over five zhang tall. From a distance, it looked like a carriage canopy, and passersby all wondered why it was such an extraordinary tree. Li Ding from Zhuo said, "This family will surely produce a noble person." When the emperor was young, he played with the other children of his clan under the tree and said, "I will surely ride in a carriage with a feathered canopy like this." The clan head, Liu Jing, said to him, "Don't talk nonsense, or you will exterminate my entire family!"

—From the Annals of Emperor Zhaolie in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty