民国4年(🌠),袁世凯意图称帝(📼),政(🏽)局动荡(dàng )是年秋(🕋),吴淞(🕸)镇(zhèn )大火,灾(zāi )(🤴)民数(🎺)以万计(🎹),本就(jiù )鱼龙混杂的吴淞镇显得(😧)更(gèng )为动荡不(⏬)安(🎲)。因地方(🏇)善(shàn )款筹集(jí ),吴淞(🐿)镇重修居民,却在(🎡)某宅架梁(🙍)时(shí )出现意外(wài ),期间(🚥)爆(bào )出一具(📞)男尸,其状(😚)诡(guǐ )(🍮)异,引(😻)得镇上(🚑)流(liú )言纷起,镇民惶恐,募资请(📎)僧道做法(fǎ )驱邪超度,期(😞)间亦有(❔)江(jiāng )湖(🦗)术士混事,搅得镇(zhèn )上一派乌烟瘴气。镇(🤸)保(🌞)卫团团(tuán )长(🙀)陆悦戎行(háng )伍出(🈴)身,最是不信神(shén )鬼之说,,见此情形(🏯)不(bú )(🤳)由大(dà )怒(nù ),一面下(xià )令驱散僧道(dào )术(shù )士,一面差(💹)人找来镇上义庄仵工吴云(yún )根、柳归(guī )元师徒,命其(qí )验尸查明死因(💹),以正视听。镇(zhèn )上落魄乡绅少爷石(😙)乐(lè )志少(shǎo )年(nián )游(yóu )历(lì )(💏)颇(📸)广,得知此(💸)案后(hòu )便(🍽)赶来查(chá )看(🚲),又见陆香邑在场,欲(🔫)有所表现,当下一味指点评说(shuō )(🕕),言语(yǔ )间(📤)对吴云根(🐂)、柳归元(yuán )师(shī )徒颇为不屑。吴云(yún )根对此不以为意,自顾(⏺)检验死者身上的绿芽,神情颇为(wéi )震惊(💛),继而借故推(tuī )托似有隐(yǐn )情(qíng ),期(🕵)间(jiān )语焉(yān )不详。