Another dangerous case

As dawn broke, the first rays of sunlight pierced through the solemn ancestral hall and shone in.

Lanxin, still half-asleep, was startled awake by Xiaoxi's calls.

Before she could even sit down in her room, two burly old women came to urge her on. After changing into simple clothes, she was ushered onto the carriage bound for Miaoyue Nunnery.

Pulling back a corner of the curtain, the street was still bustling with activity, teeming with people.

The carriage passed by a pastry shop, which was almost full of customers.

"parking!"

The driver ignored him and continued on his way.

"I told you to stop the car!"

"The lady has instructed that this old servant should escort the young lady directly to Miaoyue Nunnery."

"Stop the car, or I'll jump and see how you explain yourself."

Enraged, Lanxin flung open the car door, making a move as if to jump out.

The carriage braked suddenly, and Lanxin lost her balance and fell to the side.

Xiao Xi stepped forward to help her up, asked her a few words of concern, and Lan Xin got off the carriage with her help.

"You know what you should and shouldn't say, right? If you dare to go back and talk nonsense, I'll go back and tell Father that you bullied me. You should know that Father is still the head of the Xu family."

Lanxin and Xiaoxi squeezed their way out of the pastry shop and finally bought the pastries they wanted.

She couldn't wait to squat down by the wall outside the shop and start eating.

The milk cake has a delicate and smooth texture, and its sweet and sour taste is very appetizing.

Concentrating on the pastries, she didn't notice someone approaching until the embroidered, dark blue patterned hem of her dress came into view.

With a pastry in her mouth, Lanxin's gaze followed the hem of the newcomer's clothes, and she was so surprised when she saw who it was that she dropped the pastry in her mouth.

"Lord Cen, would you like some?"

He gave an awkward laugh and held up the pastry in his hand.

This is what a large-scale social death scene looks like.

Lan Xin wished she could dig a hole and bury herself; she was so embarrassed that she could dig her toes out of a three-courtyard house.

How could I let such a handsome man see me being so gluttonous and unladylike?

"No, Miss Xu, please enjoy your meal."

He had intended to step into the pastry shop, but then he turned around.

"Miss Xu, would you like to sit in the teahouse over there for a while?"

You can never easily refuse a handsome man's request.

Lan Xin nodded blankly, then casually patted the crumbs off her mouth.

The second floor of the teahouse was quieter than the downstairs hall, and the melodious sound of the pipa drifted into the private rooms.

The private room was furnished with an exquisite tea table, and two calligraphy and paintings hung on the right wall. On the small tea table sat a three-legged incense burner, from which wisps of smoke rose, creating an extremely elegant atmosphere.

"Lord Cen, is there something you want to say to me?"

Lan Xin played with the rim of the teacup, but her eyes remained fixed on the other person without any shyness.

"Cough," the man raised his hand and coughed lightly, then looked back.

"Xiao Cui committed suicide by biting her tongue. The specific details were not obtained during the interrogation. The blacksmith shopkeeper did not change her confession even after torture, so the case was put on hold."

Taking a sip of tea, Lan Xin chuckled softly, "Lord Cen, are you feeling guilty?"

"This case should have been solved by you, sir, but I, a woman, sacrificed my reputation to prove my innocence. Now, you're telling me it's a cold case? Shouldn't you offer me some compensation?"

Even without his official robes, that man exuded an air of authority and a cold, aloof demeanor.

The guards beside him had quite a few interesting expressions on their faces, one of shock followed by a look of ambiguity.

"Miss Xu, how would you like to make this compensation?"

"My lord, how about you grant me a small favor in the future? I promise that within your capabilities, I will never break the law or violate morality."

At this moment, his eyes were dark and deep, making them unfathomable and unpredictable.

Lan Xin returned the gaze generously, her eyes pure, as if silently conveying that she was a good person.

"good!"

Lan Xin was surprised that he actually agreed; she had just made up a story.

Little did she know that in the near future, she would actually go to him to fulfill her promise.

Watching Xu Lanxin walk away, the guard beside Cen Yan couldn't help but ask, "Why did you agree to her, Master?"

"Don't you find it quite interesting that a sheltered young woman can understand autopsies and has more experience than the coroners of the Dali Temple?"

Cen Yan looked down at the beautiful figure downstairs. His imposing manner had vanished, replaced by a sinister aura, and his eyes were torn between interest and inquiry.

As soon as I stepped off the carriage, a plaque with three gilded characters stood above the entrance to Miaoyue Nunnery.

The temple is surrounded by lush pine and cypress trees, so the environment is not exactly tranquil.

Pilgrims flocked to the temple, demonstrating its popularity and prosperity.

After Lanxin entered Miaoyue Nunnery, she was led by a young novice nun to a meditation room behind the temple.

Before leaving, he only told me not to wander around.

A large "quiet" character hangs on the wall, and a low table and a futon are placed on the bed.

A white rosewood chair was placed in the middle of the meditation room.

"Xiao Xi, I'm going out for a walk, do you want to come along?"

"Girl, didn't that nun forbid us from going out?"

Xiao Xi, who had just put down her luggage, turned around and walked to Lan Xin's side.

"Who said that? Did you hear it? I certainly didn't."

The backyard of the temple is secluded and quiet, unlike the bustling incense offerings and crowds in front of the temple.

A deep sandalwood scent wafts through the air, mixed with a hint of fruitiness and a touch of sweetness.

As soon as they reached the corner of the corridor, Lanxin quickly pulled her maid aside and hid.

He covered her mouth with one hand and made a shushing gesture over her mouth with the other.

The maid stared with her round eyes, nodded, and only then did she let go.

A young nun, followed by a man in blue robes, walked toward the moon gate.

I only caught a glimpse of it just now, so I didn't see it very clearly.

This Miaoyue Nunnery is really interesting!

Only after the two people had disappeared from sight did Lanxin walk out from around the corner.

He hadn't gone more than a few steps when someone called out to him.

"Believing believer, why are you here?"

The person who came was an elderly nun in her forties, whose clothes were a darker color than those of younger nuns, and who wore prayer beads on her wrist.

“Master, this is my young lady. She is the eldest daughter of Lord Xu, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites,” Xiao Xi explained after bowing.

The old nun's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this, but her eyes betrayed her, revealing a deep-seated disdain.

"Mr. Xu, please return to your room. Tomorrow at dawn, someone will take you to the Buddhist hall for morning prayers. After the prayers, you will need to copy scriptures in the Buddhist hall. Every day at noon, after lunch, return to your room."

“After noon, the benefactor stayed in the meditation room to meditate.”

"If Benefactor Xu does not calmly reflect on his faults, this humble nun will truthfully inform Lord Xu."

She clasped her hands together in front of her chest in a gesture of prayer, and seeing that Lan Xin remained unmoved, she then spoke again:

"Benefactor Xu, do you not know the way back to your room?"

"yes"

She couldn't be too presumptuous now, so she could only back down gracefully, her expression softening.

"This humble nun escorts Benefactor Xu back to his room."

The following days were dull and monotonous, consisting of nothing but chanting and copying scriptures, and we were not allowed to leave our rooms without permission after lunch.

Even though there was no one guarding the door, she was always asked to return as soon as she stepped out of the room.

Could there be an unspeakable secret here?

Lanxin recalled the man she had seen when she first arrived, who could freely come and go from the temple.

Let's check it out tonight!

The courtyard was bathed in the silvery moonlight, making it clearly visible even in the dead of night in ancient times, without streetlights.

Lanxin arrived at the nuns' residence, where lights could still be seen flickering in some of the rooms.

The creaking sound of the door opening made her quickly hide behind the artificial hill.

A middle-aged man dressed in gaudy brocade clothes approached, half-embracing the nun he had seen around the corner that day.

This nun at this moment showed none of the detachment and asceticism expected of a Buddhist practitioner. Her flirtatious manner, disheveled clothes, and seductive eyes were no less than those of a prostitute in a brothel.

Good heavens, were nuns in ancient times really this unrestrained?

As they drew nearer, their voices became clearly audible.

"My lord, am I not enough to satisfy you? You still need to light the lamps now. How can an inexperienced woman like me please you as well as I do?"

"You little rascal, you have no idea how wonderful lambs are!"

Amidst their lewd and obscene words, the two gradually walked away.

Lan Xin followed at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, and there were no guards along the way.

I followed them all the way to the Buddhist hall of the temple. There were two old nuns guarding the entrance to the hall, so I couldn't get any closer.

I watched from a distance, hiding in the shadows, and the two people didn't come out again after entering the Buddhist hall.

After waiting for a long time, fearing that she would be exposed if she stayed in the room for too long, just as she turned around, two men in plain clothes came out of the Buddhist hall.

There was a roll of paper in the middle, and her sixth sense told her that it was a corpse.

The two men carried the body to the backyard of the temple and went into a storage room.

This place isn't far from her meditation room, so it'll be convenient for her to go back later.

Lanxin leaned against the window and looked inside. There were several clay Buddha statues, two of which had already been painted.

The two men pulled back the mat, and a little girl, about 12 or 13 years old, rolled out. She had messy hair, her mouth was bruised and bloody, and her clothes were tattered, barely covering her body, which was also covered in bruises.

Lan Xin covered her mouth in shock at the thought of the immense suffering she must have endured before her death.

Without stopping, the two men placed the body into the mold and began pouring mud into it.

Lan Xin instantly understood everything, forced herself to calm down, and knew she had to hurry back to her residence.

Before I even stepped out of the yard, I knocked over a potted plant.

"who?"

The noise startled the two people who were doing their work, and footsteps also came from the neighboring yard.

"Thump, thump," Lan Xin's heart began to race, cold sweat began to accumulate on her back, and her fists clenched tightly.

You're so dense, think of something!

"Watering the flowers, watering the flowers, watering the flowers for Father."

Lan Xin's eyes were vacant as she made watering motions with her hands.

The old nun with a sinister expression waved her hand in front of Lan Xin's eyes. When she didn't react, she snatched a knife from the hand of one of the men who had just come out.

He made a slashing motion, but then changed course and aimed for her eye, stopping abruptly 5 millimeters away from her eyeball.

The cold blade tip gleamed coldly in her pupils at close range. The metallic taste of rust spread from the inside of her mouth, and the pain forced her to remain calm, automatically blocking out the danger before her and revealing not a single flaw.

The old nun raised her head slightly to signal, and the man beside her accepted the instruction, using his hand as a knife to slash at the back of Lanxin's neck.

Why not kill her?

"Do you think I don't want to? She's the wife of a fifth-rank official, after all. Let's avoid trouble if it's not necessary. Let's take her back first, and I'll test her again tomorrow."

After they left, Lanxin was certain they weren't coming back, and only then did her shoulders relax as she rubbed her tense, stiff hands.

She shook Xiao Xi awake, and seeing her sleepy eyes, Lan Xin patted her cheek to wake her up.

“Xiao Xi, remember this: I have dissociative identity disorder. Remember, I got this disorder after the murder case.”

Seeing her blank expression, Lanxin shook her vigorously.

"Did you hear me? Xiao Xi, I have dissociative identity disorder, otherwise our lives would be in danger."

Xiao Xi stared wide-eyed in horror, too shocked to speak, and could only nod repeatedly.

Lanxin gave some instructions, then, exhausted, fell into a deep sleep until Xiaoxi woke her up.

"Young lady, the nun said she would take you to the Buddhist hall today."

As soon as Xiaoxi finished speaking, the old nun opened the door without permission and walked in.

Yesterday's sinister look has been replaced by a compassionate expression, and even the expression in his eyes is well concealed, leaving no trace of his true nature.

If she hadn't witnessed it with her own eyes last night, she probably would have been fooled too.

The visitor bowed with his palms together and asked, "Benefactor Xu, have you been getting used to things lately?"

Lan Xin also gave a polite bow; if she wanted to act it out, she could.

"Greetings, Master. Everything is fine here, it has calmed me down considerably."

"Did Benefactor Xu leave his room last night?"

“Master, why do you ask this? I have kept your advice in mind every day since then. I have never stepped out of my room after noon, and I meditate quietly.”

"Benefactor, do you not remember what happened last night?"

"Master, is there anything my daughter should remember?"

"Master, my young lady forgot to tell me last night to pack the things she will need for today's Buddhist temple visit."

Xiao Xi walked from behind Lan Xin to in front of her, blocking her view and changing the subject.

He winked at the old nun and followed her out.

"Master, did my young lady go out in the middle of the night?"

As soon as Xiao Xi finished asking, she immediately knelt down, grabbed the old nun's sleeve, and said in a tearful voice, "Master, ever since that incident happened to my daughter, she often seems lost at night, like, like..."

"Like those suffering from dissociative identity disorder, you can't wake them up no matter how much you call them."

"Master, please, please don't tell my young lady. I'm afraid she'll be traumatized again. What should I do?"

"Please, nun!"

"Thump, thump," Xiao Xi kowtowed several times in a row.

The old nun seemed to feel pity in her eyes. She helped Xiaoxi up and didn't ask any more questions.

Xiao Xi, with a wound on her forehead, walked in. Lan Xin rushed forward and felt a pang of heartache.

"Xiao Xi, what happened to your forehead? Quickly put some medicine on it."

"It's alright, girl, you just bumped into a pillar by accident."

The two performed with great enthusiasm until the old nun, who had been hiding in the corner, walked away.

The two then relaxed, completely exhausted, with Lanxin collapsing onto the bed without any regard for her image.

"Next, Xiao Xi, you have to do something else. In the next few days, when I go to the Buddhist temple, see if there are any of the older worshippers who talk a lot."

Lan Xin sprang up, sat up straight, and cautiously gave her instructions.

"Come closer to my ear."

Xiao Xi did as she was told, but her eyes gradually filled with terror as she retreated in panic.

"Young lady, you mustn't."

Lan Xin's eyes instantly turned cold, interrupting her before she could speak.

"Xiao Xi, if you don't handle this matter well, this place will be our burial ground. Which is more important? You should think it over carefully."

After Lanxin finished speaking, she stopped looking at her, opened the door, and headed towards the Buddhist hall.

Hopefully, that person understands and arrives in time.

Although the nun was temporarily dismissed, she would inevitably slip up if she stayed there for too long.

In the days that followed, I continued chanting and copying scriptures as usual, but with one more thing to do.

To play the role of a sleepwalker.