民国4年,袁世(shì )凯(⛲)意图称(🥇)帝,政(zhèng )局动(dòng )荡是(🌰)年秋(qiū )(🕋),吴淞(🕸)镇大火,灾民(🍥)数(shù )以万计(jì ),本就鱼龙混杂的(de )(🏴)吴(wú )(🗼)淞镇显得更为动(dòng )荡不(bú )安。因地方善款筹集(jí ),吴(⚫)淞镇(zhèn )重(🔸)修居民,却在某宅架梁时出现(🔲)意(🥄)外,期间(🚥)爆出(🕌)一具男(🎿)尸,其状诡(guǐ )异,引(😻)得镇上流(🐶)言(yán )(🥀)纷起,镇民惶恐,募资请僧道做法驱邪超度,期(😞)间(jiān )亦(yì )有(yǒu )江湖术士混事,搅得镇(zhèn )上一(📙)派乌(wū )烟瘴(🏂)气(🙌)。镇(zhèn )保卫团团(👓)长陆悦戎(róng )行伍出身(shēn ),最是不信神鬼之说(shuō )(🕙),,见(jiàn )此(👺)情形(xíng )不由大怒,一面下令(🤖)驱散(sàn )僧道术士,一面差人找(zhǎo )来(🥊)镇上义庄(zhuāng )仵工吴云(😊)根、柳归元师徒,命其验尸查明死因,以(🐩)正视听。镇上(shàng )落(🎥)魄乡绅少(📧)爷石乐(lè )志少(shǎo )(📛)年游历颇广(🥤),得知此案(àn )后便赶来(🔞)查看,又(yòu )见陆香邑(👄)在场,欲(yù )有(yǒu )所表现(xiàn )(🌸),当下一味指(🍁)点评(👛)说,言(yán )语(yǔ )间对(🚻)吴云(🔪)根(gēn )、柳归元师徒颇为不屑。吴(💑)云根对此不(🍹)以为意,自顾检验死者身(shēn )上的绿芽(yá ),神(shén )(🈂)情颇为震惊(jīng )(💛),继而借(jiè )故推托似(🈸)有隐(yǐn )情(🛌),期间(jiān )语焉不(bú )详。