民(🃏)国4年(🕟),袁世凯意(🤢)图(tú )称帝(🎺),政局动(🆖)荡是年秋(qiū ),吴(wú )淞镇(zhèn )大火,灾民数以万(wàn )计(jì ),本就鱼龙混杂(zá )的吴淞镇显得更为(wéi )动荡不(🗄)安。因地(dì )方(fāng )善款筹集,吴淞(🚉)镇(🏐)重(chóng )修居民,却(🎿)在某宅架(😚)梁时(✖)出(🙁)现意外,期间爆(🕕)出一具男(🤷)尸(shī ),其状诡异,引(🚣)得镇上流言纷起,镇民惶恐,募资请僧(sēng )道(dào )做法(💻)驱(🗞)邪超度,期(🐑)间亦有(yǒu )江湖术士混事,搅(jiǎo )得(dé )镇上一派乌烟瘴气。镇保卫团团长陆悦戎(⛳)行伍(wǔ )出身(shēn ),最是不(🚴)信(xìn )神鬼之(zhī )说,,见此情形不由大怒,一面下令驱(🐾)散僧道术(shù )士,一面(miàn )(⛏)差(🐨)人(👪)找来镇上义(💅)庄仵工吴(wú )云根(💯)、柳归元师徒,命(🈺)其(qí )验尸(🔍)查明死因(yīn ),以(👌)正视听。镇上(♌)落(luò )魄(pò )(🥅)乡绅少爷(🔞)石乐(🚲)志(zhì )少年(🌂)游历颇广,得知(zhī )此案后便赶来(lái )查(🏓)看(🚽),又见陆香(xiāng )邑在场(chǎng ),欲有所表(biǎo )现(👚),当下(👩)一味指点评说,言语间对吴云根(gēn )、柳归元师徒(🧥)颇(🔮)为不屑(🐈)。吴(wú )云根对此不以为意,自顾(gù )检(jiǎn )验死者身上的绿(lǜ )芽(🛌),神情(qíng )颇为震(zhèn )惊(♊),继而借故推托似有(🎁)隐情(⛎),期间语(🍈)焉不详。