民国(guó )(🕕)4年,袁世凯意图(tú )称帝(📼),政(🏽)局动荡是年(🃏)秋(qiū ),吴淞镇大火(huǒ ),灾民数以万计,本就鱼(🛤)龙混杂(🔬)的(🏴)吴淞(sōng )镇显得(😧)更为动荡不(bú )安。因地方善款筹(chóu )集,吴淞镇(🕔)重(🔸)修(xiū )居民(🤷),却在某宅架梁时出(chū )现(xiàn )意外,期间爆出一(yī )具男尸,其(qí )状诡异,引得(dé )(🚸)镇(zhèn )上(shàng )流言纷起,镇民惶恐,募资请(📎)僧道做法驱邪超度(dù ),期间(🖲)亦有(❔)江(jiāng )湖(hú )术士(🎛)混(hún )(🌊)事,搅(🥔)得镇上一派乌烟(yān )(🐑)瘴(🏂)气(qì )。镇保(🌞)卫团团长(zhǎng )陆悦戎行伍(wǔ )(⏰)出身(🍄),最是不信神鬼(guǐ )之说(🕙),,见此(👺)情形(🏯)不由大怒,一面下(🧣)令驱散(sàn )僧道术(shù )士(shì ),一(❕)面差(💹)人找来镇(zhèn )(🍑)上义(yì )庄仵工吴(🦇)云根、(➡)柳归元师(⛏)徒(tú ),命其验(yàn )尸(🌪)查明死因,以正视听。镇(🙎)上落(luò )魄乡(xiāng )绅少爷(yé )石(shí )乐志少(shǎo )(📛)年游(yóu )历(lì )颇广,得知此案后便(biàn )赶来查看(kàn ),又见陆香邑在(zài )场(chǎng )(🆙),欲有所表现,当(⏳)下一味指(🍁)点(diǎn )(🔲)评说(🕕),言语(🎦)间对吴云根、柳归元师徒颇为(wéi )不屑(xiè )。吴(wú )云根对此不以为意,自(🈺)顾检(🧥)验死者身上的绿(lǜ )芽(yá ),神(🈂)情颇(pō )为震惊,继而(🐅)借故推托似(sì )有隐情,期间语焉不详。