民国4年,袁世凯意(✒)图称(🥇)帝,政(🏽)局动荡(dàng )是年秋,吴淞镇大火,灾民数以(🔧)万计,本就鱼(yú )龙混(hún )杂(zá )的(de )吴(wú )(🗼)淞镇显得(😧)更为动荡不安。因地方善款(📼)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(jù )男尸,其状诡(guǐ )异,引(yǐn )得(dé )镇上流(🐶)言纷起,镇民惶恐,募资请僧道做法驱邪超(🚨)度,期间亦有江(jiāng )(💱)湖术(shù )士混事,搅得(💻)镇上(shàng )一派乌烟瘴气(🙌)。镇(🤸)保(🌞)卫团(tuán )团长(🙀)陆(lù )悦(💪)戎行伍出(chū )身,最是不(👃)信神鬼之(🤲)说(shuō ),,见此情形不由大怒(🕐),一(yī )面下令(🤖)驱散僧道术士,一面(miàn )差人(rén )找来镇上(👊)义庄(💍)仵工吴云根、柳(liǔ )归元师徒(tú )(🐨),命其验(yàn )(🃏)尸查(💅)明(🌼)死因,以(yǐ )(🐩)正(💯)视听。镇(🙎)上落魄乡绅(shēn )少爷石(shí )乐志少(shǎo )年游历颇广,得知(♌)此案后便赶来查(🏴)看,又(🔎)见陆(🔙)香邑(yì )在(🐖)场(chǎng ),欲有(💣)所(🔥)表现,当(dāng )下一味(wèi )指点(diǎn )评(👛)说,言语间对吴云根、(👚)柳归元师徒颇为不(bú )屑(xiè )。吴云根对此(🚩)不以(⛴)为意(❄),自顾(⏺)检(🧥)验死(👅)者身上的(de )绿芽,神情颇为震(zhèn )惊,继而借故推托似(🈸)有(yǒu )隐情,期(qī )间语焉不详。