民国(🔼)4年(🃏),袁世凯意图称(chēng )(🕰)帝,政局动(dòng )荡是年秋,吴(🛤)淞(🌰)镇大(dà )火,灾(🐮)民(🥩)数以(yǐ )万(🎾)计(📿),本就鱼龙混(❣)杂的吴(wú )淞(📼)镇显得更为动荡不安(ān )。因(yīn )地方(fāng )善款筹集,吴淞(🔲)镇重修居民,却在某(📞)宅(🎿)架梁时(shí )出现(xiàn )意外,期间(🖍)爆出一具男尸(shī ),其(qí )状诡异(yì ),引得镇上流言纷(🌚)起(qǐ ),镇民惶(😞)恐,募资请僧道做法驱邪(xié )超(chāo )度,期间(🔝)亦有江湖术士混事,搅(👓)得镇上(shàng )一派乌烟(🈴)瘴气。镇保卫(🧤)团团长陆悦戎(róng )行伍出身,最是(shì )不信神鬼之说,,见(🌮)此情(🗳)形不由(yóu )大怒,一面(🥊)下令驱散僧(sēng )道术士,一面差(chà )(🐛)人(rén )找来镇上(🥋)义庄仵工(💅)吴(🌼)云根、柳归元师徒,命其验尸(shī )查明死(sǐ )因,以正视(shì )听(tīng )。镇上落魄乡(xiāng )绅少爷石乐志少(🏴)年游历颇广,得知(zhī )此案后(🔫)便(💣)赶来查看,又(🏓)见陆香邑(🔲)在场(chǎng ),欲有所表现,当(dāng )(🐂)下一味(wèi )(⏺)指(zhǐ )点(diǎn )评说(🤼),言语间对吴云根、柳归(guī )元师徒颇(pō )为不(🧥)屑。吴云(🐈)根(gēn )(🔬)对此不以为意(🚪),自顾检(jiǎn )验死(😲)者(🐅)身上(shàng )的绿芽,神情颇为震惊(🚓),继而借(jiè )(👆)故推(tuī )托(tuō )似有隐(🐣)情,期间语焉(yān )(🍝)不详。