Chapter 1016 Shoe Prints

With the young novice monk from Yutan Temple leading the way, Lin Yuesha arrived at the courtyard without any trouble.

It is autumn now, the courtyard is full of greenery, and flowers and plants are planted under the eaves, filling the air with fragrance.

Lin Yuesha looked around, her mind filled with memories.

The courtyard is located in the back hall, not far from the side hall. If the side hall had not been renovated, Lin Yuesha would have found the courtyard easily, instead of the illusion that Sun Xiangxiang claimed, where only those with a special connection could see the old monk.

The old monk's talismans were expensive, but Lin Yuesha bought them for peace of mind. She remembered the old monk saying that she was born with a childlike destiny, and if she escaped this calamity, she would be either rich or noble.

Looking back now, her acquaintance with Qi Heng was quite dramatic, perhaps an inescapable fate.

Regarding Jiang Baozhu and Zhang Jing, the old monk also offered his opinion: the two were not destined to be husband and wife.

The door was tightly closed and the inside was locked; only the window was open.

Lin Yuesha came to the window, stood on tiptoe, and saw a square table in her line of sight. The old monk was lying on the table, and there was a bloodstain on the ground.

The blood was dark in color and had a slightly foul odor, making it appear as if the person had died from poisoning.

"Amitabha."

Lin Yuesha clasped her hands together, accepted the three incense sticks from the young novice monk, and bowed devoutly.

She had brought Wuya to Yutan Temple to offer incense, hoping to see the old monk one last time, but little did she know that they would be separated forever.

Lin Yuesha's eyes reddened slightly, and she sighed heavily.

Upon hearing that General Qi and his wife were also there, Abbot Yuanzhen of Yutan Temple hurriedly rushed to the courtyard.

Yuanzhen was filled with anxiety. His junior brother had caused a lot of trouble, but his master had instructed him to take good care of him before he left. He couldn't very well send the boy down the mountain, so he left his junior brother to live alone in the courtyard.

I am usually influenced by the incense smoke of Yutan Temple, and I hope that my junior brother will soon have a heart of repentance.

His junior apprentice was extremely talented, but he never used his talent in the right way.

He was bewitched by women in his youth and lived a lonely life. In his old age, he saw things clearly and began to indulge in wine and meat.

"Young Madam, have you ever had any dealings with my junior brother?"

Amitabha Buddha, please don't.

Yuanzhen felt utterly dejected. His junior brother was gone, leaving him with a huge mess.

"Master Yuanzhen, please accept my condolences."

Lin Yuesha bowed to the abbot and said very politely, "I was fortunate enough to receive guidance from Master Fuhui."

The old monk's Buddhist name was Fu Hui, but for some reason no one mentions it.

Lin Yuesha's words only made Yuanzhen's expression extremely unnatural.

His junior brother has caused a lot of trouble, and even General Qi's wife can be among his victims; the range is too wide.

"What goes around comes around, and retribution is inevitable."

Yuanzhen sent someone into the room to open the door, but the group did not go inside. Instead, they stood in the courtyard talking and waiting for the officials to question them.

He had warned his junior brother not to deceive the Buddha, but Fu Hui did not heed his advice.

Now that's bad. The person suddenly died, and Yuanzhen has no idea what the cause was.

Buddhism emphasizes cause and effect. Lin Yuesha heard the abbot's words and felt disappointed, thinking that Master Fuhui had revealed a heavenly secret.

Lin Yuesha is very grateful for this.

Lin Yuesha kept expressing her gratitude to the master, which made Abbot Yuanzhen's teeth ache. He hoped that the young mistress wouldn't tear down Yutan Temple in a fit of rage after learning the truth.

Why bother fooling a tough nut to crack?

At this moment, Abbot Yuanzhen was covered in cold sweat, and kept turning the prayer beads in his hands.

After waiting for about an hour, the government officials who were handling the case finally arrived.

The two leaders, Wang and Li, were in charge of the case at Yutan Temple.

After the two men arrived, they first checked the doors and windows. They found footprints on the windowsill, but the door was not damaged.

"Officer Li, when we arrived, the door was locked from the inside."

Lin Yuesha took it very seriously and was determined to find the murderer.

Who exactly was it, and what deep-seated hatred led them to kill the master?

"It seems highly likely that the murderer entered through the window."

The two officials, Li and Wang, took out a ruler and measured the shoe print, discovering that the shoe size should belong to a woman.

It's rather strange that a woman would enter the courtyard of the esteemed Yutan Temple abbot through a window.

Yuanzhen sighed repeatedly. He had no idea that his junior brother would dare to meet with a woman in secret. It was possible that the deceived pilgrim had learned the truth and then killed him in a fit of rage.

However, he knew his junior brother well enough that he probably wouldn't swindle too much money.

As for deceiving a woman's feelings, an old man like him is willing but unable.

Next, a coroner came to examine the poison. Strangely, Master Fuhui was poisoned, and there was a strong reaction of poison in his lips and mouth, while the tea, teacups, and other items on the table were all normal when tested with a silver needle.

Unless someone poisoned the teapot and teacups and then replaced them.

"This is my junior brother's usual tea set, and there's still a full pot of tea inside."

After examining him, Yuanzhen analyzed, "Junior Brother didn't have time to drink tea. He must have eaten something before drinking tea."

There were no food scraps in the room. Yuanzhen found an unopened jar of wine in the cabinet. His face turned red, but he didn't say a word of explanation.

Master Fuhui died from severe poisoning, which seemed like suicide by poisoning. However, the woman's footprints in the room made the case more complicated.

The two officers, who were experienced in handling cases, immediately dispatched men to measure the soles of the shoes of everyone who came to the temple to offer incense.

First, we screen out the suspicious individuals.

"This size is almost identical to the young mistress's."

The two officers were very responsible and did not neglect Lin Yuesha because of her special status, so Lin Yuesha cooperated even more.

This size is not uncommon among women, but she has an alibi; she has been with Uya ever since entering Yutan Temple.

"This matter has nothing to do with my wife."

Qi Heng pointed to the shoe prints on the ground and said, "Look closely, the soles of the shoe prints are wavy, which should be to make the soles thicker for wear resistance and slip resistance."

Lin Yuesha was wearing flat shoes and left a footprint that was very different from the marks left inside the room.

"Thank you for your guidance, young general."

Based on the shoe prints, the number of people who entered the room was narrowed down once again, and after investigation, it finally came down to Huang Ying.

Sun Xiangxiang believed her maid's words and was racking her brains to lie, claiming that she had never seen the old monk. Unexpectedly, her maid was the first to be exposed.

What's going on?

Sun Xiangxiang didn't quite believe it. What did the old monk's death have to do with her maid? Huang Ying had no reason to kill him; there must be a mistake.

"There's no mistake. Miss Sun, please come with us with your maid."

About a hundred women from the Yutan Temple were offering incense. No one's footprints matched the oriole's. By comparing the size and the sole of the shoe, the person was immediately identified.

"Miss, I did not kill anyone."

Huang Ying thought she would get away with it easily, but she was discovered so quickly that her body began to tremble.

Sun Xiangxiang wasn't stupid. Observing coldly, she guessed that something was definitely going on, so she said, "Brother officer, I will take the person over right away."