Trip, Wukong, and Elders Mu and Jing had arrived at a small room behind the village infirmary that served as the morgue.

Two women were working on the body of Gao Xin, preparing her for the three days of viewing before burial. One of them had completely white hair and deep wrinkles, the other had grey hair braided into a bun.

The white-haired woman's eyes were vacant, her expression blank as she mechanically wiped Gao Xin's face. She looked like someone who had lost the last light of hope and laughter in their world, and was still trying to process it. The grey-haired woman was lacing up a pair of embroidered cloth slippers on Gao Xin's feet, weeping softly as she did so, dabbing at her tears with her sleeves.

The grey-haired woman looked up as the group entered. She moved unsteadily towards Elder Mu, burying her head in his chest, sobbing. Elder Mu's expression was a hard as iron, but his hands were gentle as he held her and stroked her head. Softly, he murmured "I told you, you didn't have to do this. Someone else-"

"No! It had to be... Mother and...I had to..." said the woman, between sobs.

Elder Mu turned to Trip and Wukong. "My apologies. This is my wife, Gao Luan."

Wukong sniffled and clamped one hand over his nose and mouth, turning away to face the wall.

"Who are these people?" a hoarse, yet majestic-sounding voice rang out.

"Mother" Elder Mu inclined his head deeply towards the white-haired woman, who was now standing between the group and Gao Xin's body. Although she looked frail and was only as tall as Trip's collarbone, her posture was straight and her gaze was unwavering. Somehow, she gave the impression of a valiant warrior, willing to defend the body behind her to her last breath.

"This is Trip, and this is Wukong. Trip is a capable investigator who has volunteered to help us identify Gao Xin's murderer. Trip, this is my mother, Gao Shu." continued Elder Mu.

At the word "capable", Madam Shu glanced sharply at her son, before turning her gaze back to Trip.

"Very well. What do you need?"

"I'll need to examine the... examine Gao Xin. Please."

Madam Shu hesitated for a moment. Then she took a few steps to the side, gesturing towards Gao Xin's body.

Even in death, it was obvious that Gao Xin had been a rare beauty. Porcelain skin, dark slim eyebrows, long eyelashes, and a generous mouth made for smiling... that would smile no longer. Her face was marred with small cuts, scratches and bruises. Her eyes, nose, and cheekbones were so bruised, they were almost black.

Trip examined the rest of Gao Xin's body, lightly touching here and there, then lifting parts of Gao Xin's clothing to peer underneath. Finally, she reached for Gao Xin's neck and began unbuttoning her robes.

"What are you doing?" Madam Shu said. Her tone was sharp and ferocious, like a mother tiger ready to pounce on anything threatening her cubs.

"I need to check under her clothes. Don't worry, I'll be discreet." said Trip, her tone gentle and respectful.

Gently, she lifted the corner of Gao Xin's robes to inspect the area underneath. She repeated this for as much of Gao Xin's body as she could while preserving her modesty. She could tell that even after death, it was something important to this intimidating old lady.

Finally, she turned to Madam Shu and Gao Luan.

"Did the two of you find anything when you cleaned her?"

"Nothing much... other than all the cuts and bruises, blood coming out from her nose and mouth... and the...the residue from... inside her... proof she had been... had been..." Gao Luan stopped, unable to continue.

"I understand. Anything else?"

"... there was this, it was found near her... " said Gao Luan, holding out a thoroughly-trampled circlet of flowers on a tray.

"You didn't find any mud or dirt sticking to her? Her clothes or her hands?"

"No... only a bit of grass in her hair."

"Hmm. I'll need writing ink, a brush, and some paper."

Gao Luan nodded, moving towards a table in the corner. As she prepared the writing ink, Trip opened Gao Luan's mouth, peering inside. Then she closed it, nodding in a satisfied manner.

"You found something?" said Elder Mu.

"I might have. I'll need to take some impressions from her body onto ink and paper, in order to make sure." said Trip.

Elder Mu looked at his mother, who seemed content to wait and see. He nodded at Trip. "Do what you must."

Trip took the brush from Gao Luan, dipping it into the black writing ink. With Gao Luan to help her hold Gao Xie's mouth open, she reached inside to paint the bottoms of her teeth. When she was done, she folded a piece of paper into a stiff rectangle that she could insert into one side of Gao Xie's mouth without bending it.

"Please close her mouth and hold it firm... alright, open it again."

Trip withdrew the piece of paper, then repeated the process with another piece of paper, inserting it into the other side of Gao Xie's mouth.

When she was done, she held up both pieces of paper together, showing the others a perfect impression of Gao Xie's bite marks.

Trip continued by taking impressions of various bruises around Gao Xie's arms, legs, and neck, by painting the bruises then wrapping a piece of paper around them. When she was done, the pieces of paper showed either a left or right hand imprint, with long and tapered fingers.

"Ei? That... does not look like Bajie's hands?" said Elder Jing.

"No. It does not." said Elder Mu, his tone as grim as an executioner's axe.

"Madame, when will the viewing ceremony take place?" Trip asked Madam Shu.

"In a short while. We were almost done when you came. It won't take long to clean her up again."

Trip turned towards Gao Cai, but a wrinkled hand gripped her by the shoulder and turned her back.

"Listen. As long as you find justice for our Gao Xin, my family and I will be behind you, all the way. Do you hear me?"

"I do. Thank you." Trip nodded firmly at the old white-haired lady.

There was one last thing she needed to do, before the viewing ceremony.

She had to go have a good chat with young Master Gao Lang.

-- Chapter 28, End --