民国(guó )(🕕)4年,袁世凯意图称(🥇)帝(dì ),政局(jú )(🐌)动(🍩)荡是年秋,吴(🕟)淞镇(zhèn )大火(huǒ )(🕰),灾民数(🎺)以万(🎗)计,本(běn )就鱼龙混杂(zá )的(de )吴淞镇显得(dé )(😧)更为动(🌫)荡不(⏬)安(ān )。因(yīn )地方善(♑)款筹集,吴淞镇重修居民,却在某(mǒu )宅架梁时(shí )出现意外(wài ),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,募资请僧道做法驱(qū )邪超度(🛑),期间亦有江湖术士(🎛)混(🌊)事(㊗),搅得镇(zhèn )上一派乌烟瘴气(🙌)。镇(🤸)保卫团团长陆(lù )悦戎行伍出身,最是不信神(🔔)鬼之说,,见此情形不由大怒,一(yī )面下令驱散僧(🌮)道术(shù )士(shì )(🤘),一面(💝)差人找来镇上义庄(💍)仵工吴(🦇)云根(gēn )、柳归元(yuán )(🌹)师徒(🐨),命其验尸查明死(sǐ )因(💹),以(🐩)正视听。镇上(shàng )落魄乡绅少(shǎo )爷(yé )石乐(lè )志少年游(yóu )(👌)历颇广,得(👵)知此(💸)案后(hòu )便赶(gǎn )来查看,又见(jiàn )(🌂)陆(lù )(🔙)香邑在场,欲有(💣)所(🔥)表(biǎo )现,当(dāng )下(🏓)一味指(zhǐ )点评说(shuō ),言语(🎦)间对吴云根(🐂)、(👚)柳归元师徒(tú )颇为不屑。吴云根对此不以(yǐ )为意,自顾(gù )检验死者身上(🔬)的绿芽,神情颇为震惊,继而借故(🏡)推(tuī )托(💨)似有(yǒu )(🙅)隐(yǐn )情,期间语焉(📯)不详。