民国4年(nián ),袁世凯意图称帝(📼),政局动(dòng )荡是(🌰)年秋(🕋),吴淞镇大火,灾民数(shù )以万计,本就(🐉)鱼龙混(hún )杂的吴淞镇(zhèn )显得更为动荡不安。因地方善款筹集,吴(⚫)淞(🐿)镇重修(xiū )居(🎩)民(mín )(🤷),却在某宅架梁时出现(🔲)意(yì )外,期间(🚥)爆出(🕌)一具男尸,其状诡异,引得镇上流言(yán )纷起,镇民(mín )惶恐,募资(🌙)请僧(sēng )道(🚣)做法驱(🌚)邪超度(🛑),期(😞)间亦有江(💱)湖术(shù )士混事(㊗),搅得镇上一(📙)派(🔝)乌烟瘴气。镇保卫团团长(zhǎng )陆悦(💪)戎行(🎾)伍出身,最是不信(🧤)神鬼(guǐ )之说,,见此(cǐ )情形不由大怒,一(yī )面下令驱散(sàn )(🕯)僧道(👣)术士,一面差人找(zhǎo )来镇(zhèn )上义庄仵(🚗)工吴云根、柳归(🐛)元(yuán )师(⛏)徒(🐨),命其(🤷)验(🃏)尸(shī )查明死因,以正(zhèng )视(shì )听。镇上落魄乡绅少爷石乐志少年游历(lì )颇(pō )(📸)广(🥤),得(dé )知此(💸)案后(hòu )便赶来(lái )查看(kàn ),又见陆香邑(yì )在场,欲有所表现,当下一(yī )味指(🍁)点评说,言(yán )语间对吴云(yún )根、(👚)柳归元师(shī )徒(tú )(💅)颇为不(📬)屑。吴(wú )云(yún )根对此不以为意,自(🈺)顾检验(🔮)死(👅)者(🈳)身(shēn )上的(de )绿(🔍)芽(🌲),神情颇为震惊,继而借(jiè )故推托(💨)似有隐情,期(🕵)间(jiān )语焉不详。