Chapter 106: Reappearance of the Light of Day
Seeing his feigned profundity, Shen Zhenzhu also feigned profundity, shaking the lotus flower and spreading her hand: "Why bother with all this trouble? Why not let me calculate your future here?"
The abbot laughed heartily: "Fairy, there's no need for you to trouble yourself. We monks have already traversed three thousand Buddha-lands before our feet even touch the ground. Our lives as wanderers are nothing more than a journey home."
What is that?
Shen Zhenzhu didn't understand, but that didn't stop her from nodding leisurely: "That makes sense, that makes sense."
The abbot then asked, "Would the fairy nun like to come to the inner hall for a cup of coarse tea?"
Seeing the monk's demeanor and speech in person was far more impressive than hearing about him. Chen Zhenzhu praised, "Master, you have a dignified bearing and a dignified appearance. Your temple must be very popular. Since you have invited me again, I will go and have a seat."
They spoke in front of the stage. Gu Yanzheng and the others, as agreed, decided to let Xiaobai go in with Chen Zhenzhu. They would meet her at the agreed-upon location outside the temple.
If Gu Yanzheng could go, that would be the best outcome. He might be able to fool unsuspecting civilians, but the menacing aura emanating from him would set off alarm bells for criminals.
During the magical contest, the abbot of the Songlin Bodhisattva Temple personally invited a "miraculous fortune teller" to take the seat, and the news quickly spread throughout Wuxian County.
The sudden magical duel disrupted the abbot's "selection of a concubine," and the pilgrims who had spent lavishly watched the abbot leave with regret.
Shen Zhenzhu didn't know what the common people were saying; she was focused on walking in the Temple of the Bodhisattva of Sending Off the Unicorn.
The scene during the day is completely different from that at night. The monks here work in an orderly manner, perhaps because the abbot is present.
Because the purpose of the Dharma contest was to spread Buddhist teachings, the temple gates were open, and an old monk was giving sermons to the worshippers in the outer hall.
Shen Zhenzhu heard his aged voice and realized that it was the same person who had persuaded the woman to have an affair at night.
What a bunch of hypocritical, sanctimonious rulers... and fake monks.
The abbot was very hospitable, introducing the temple's scenery to the "Miraculous Fortune Teller." The small temple was described in a fascinating way, and even the old banyan tree by the pillars could be told a story.
If it weren't for the headless female corpse, if it weren't for the insane Qiaoqiao and the missing sisters, Chen Zhenzhu thought that strolling here with Gu Yanzheng would be quite nice.
However, the closer she got to the inner sanctum, the heavier Chen Zhenzhu's heart became.
She occasionally observed the abbot's facial expressions. He talked boastfully and made no attempt to hide his charm, making it impossible to imagine the cruel and violent side he displayed in the Heavenly Eye's retrospective.
The abbot would occasionally inquire about Shen Zhenzhu's background, to which Shen Zhenzhu would reply that "it doesn't matter where I come from or where I go."
The two tested each other under the guise of discussing scriptures, while the Kitchen Goddess followed cautiously behind, her neck sweating with tension.
She couldn't imagine that someone who had done such a despicable thing could have such a kind and approachable face, and be the abbot of a temple, a figure worshipped and trusted by countless pilgrims.
Xiao Bai gained a deeper understanding of the criminals faced by frontline criminal investigators, and at this moment she also understood the helplessness of her father who was often unable to come home in his early years, leaving her to live with a nanny.
Upon reaching the inner hall's archway, the vermilion doors were already open. After handing the key to the abbot, the fat monk grinned, revealing a double chin, and greeted Chen Zhenzhu and Xiaobai.
Xiao Bai still remembered how arrogant he was at the door. She and Lu Ye squeezed into the crowd, listening to ordinary people begging him to open the door and pray. His snobbish face was unforgettable, and Xiao Bai turned her face away, not wanting to look at him anymore.
Fortunately, their makeup was heavy, and the fat monk was currently in a well-mannered and knowledgeable manner, so he dared not offend the abbot's honored guests.
Upon entering the inner hall, one finds that instead of goldfish, a group of small turtles are swimming around in the fish ponds on both sides, which Chen Zhenzhu finds quite fitting.
The abbot did not allow them to enter the Hall of the Bodhisattva of Sending Off the Unicorn, but instead invited them to a meditation room next door to politely brew tea: "Every morning, disciples go to the mountains to collect flower dew from the riverbank, which is used to brew tea. It is refreshing and fragrant. Fairy, please have a taste."
Before coming over, the abbot had tried several times to get Xiaobai away, but Xiaobai was like Chen Zhenzhu's little tail, refusing to leave no matter what. Seeing that the monks hadn't brewed her tea, she cursed the bald monks inwardly, but pretended to be completely indifferent.
“This kitchen lady, if you’re tired, there’s a guest room over there.” The abbot said gently, “Since you’re not locals, why don’t you stay in the guest room? Although Buddhism and Taoism are not the same, we are all practitioners, so it’s not wrong to take care of each other when we’re traveling.”
"Thank you, Master, but we have other people with us, so it's not appropriate for them all to come and stay." Chen Zhenzhu downed her teacup in one gulp, pushed it towards the abbot, and wiped her mouth. "There are parasites in the tap water outside. We'll boil the water again later."
The abbot's romantic mood was ruined by her heavy drinking and lack of tact. He glanced at the pearl and jade bracelet again, composed himself, and said, "I suppose the fairy must have lived a very good life before she became a nun. Our Buddhist community is quiet and simple, and we eat plain food. I'm sorry to have troubled you."
“There’s nothing to feel wronged about. We’re not at a disadvantage here.” Shen Zhenzhu pointed to her face, belatedly realizing that she was covered in heavy stage makeup, and said without any embarrassment, “This is a nice place. Since we’re already here, why don’t we go and pray to the Bodhisattva?”
"This..." The abbot hesitated for a moment, there was still a lot to say. He then said, "Alright then, it's a rare opportunity, this way please."
Shen Zhenzhu gave Xiaobai a wink; they planned to thoroughly inspect the inner hall to see why the main gate was always locked.
If Qiaoqiao's sisters were also imprisoned in the inner hall, the only place they could be imprisoned would be in the Hall of the Bodhisattva Songlin.
The abbot, draped in his robe, pushed open the door to the meditation room. It had started raining outside without his noticing, which made him frown.
Shen Zhenzhu quickly whispered something in Xiaobai's ear, and Xiaobai hummed in response, then quietly followed behind.
Inside the inner hall, the Bodhisattva Sending the Unicorn, just like in the Heavenly Eye Recall, has eyes full of compassion and pity, accepting the worship and donations of the precious pilgrims.
"Amitabha Buddha, the Bodhisattva who sent off the unicorn originated during a time of war. It is said that the resentment of the infant spirits in a certain village turned into black mist, causing no children to be born within a hundred miles for decades. If a woman was pregnant, she would inevitably suffer a difficult childbirth, resulting in the death of both mother and child. The white-robed Bodhisattva learned of the people's suffering and came under the moon, holding a lotus vase of pure water in his left hand and an infant in his right. He sprinkled sweet dew to dispel the black mist and transformed it into golden threads to tie around the wrists of women in labor for protection."
The abbot slowly recounted the past of the Bodhisattva who sent off the unicorn: "The two Arhats, holding vajras, broke through the bloody light, and the withered trees where the temple was built later revived, allowing the vitality of the surrounding area to continue."
Shen Zhenzhu and the abbot were touring the inner hall when Xiaobai looked around suspiciously. While Shen Zhenzhu was distracting the abbot, Xiaobai searched the area but found nothing amiss. When she tried to catch up and report to Shen Zhenzhu, she saw Shen Zhenzhu pointing to the incense table with her hand behind her back.
"Master, what are the backgrounds of the left and right Dharma Protectors Arhats?" Seeing the abbot about to turn around, "Wonderful Calculation Fairy" grabbed his wrist and said with great interest, "This place is much more interesting than I imagined."
The jade bracelet was right in front of him, bringing a smile to the abbot's lips. Ignoring Xiaobai, he led Chen Zhenzhu to the Arhat and said, "The names of the two Arhats are taken from Sanskrit, which translates to 'destroying evil and nurturing good.' This Arhat who destroys evil is in charge of suppressing the evil spirits of abortion."
Out of the corner of her eye, Chen Zhenzhu saw Xiaobai pull out a hand saw from under the incense table, quickly stuff it into her ankle-length skirt, and then use the hem of the skirt to cover the arched part.
Seeing that Chen Zhenzhu was silent, the abbot was about to turn his head when he heard the "Miraculous Fairy" say, "This Arhat is too ugly. I don't know if he is ugly in heart or ugly in appearance, or beautiful in heart but ugly in appearance."
Seeing that she was genuinely interested and knew nothing about Buddhism, making her easy to fool, the abbot laughed and said, "This Arhat is in the form of a Yaksha Arhat, capable of destroying evil obstacles and protecting the good roots of infant spirits. If I had to say, he would definitely be the type who is beautiful inside but ugly outside."
When Shen Zhenzhu saw Xiaobai follow her, and the abbot glanced at her and showed no interest in Xiaobai, she was slightly relieved: "There are plenty of wicked people in this world who are beautiful on the outside but ugly on the inside."
The abbot didn't notice that Chen Zhenzhu was cricketing in front of him, and nodded in agreement with Chen Zhenzhu's words.
"Knock knock knock knock knock"
That voice again.
Chen Zhenzhu stopped, wanting to listen carefully. The abbot immediately gently held Chen Zhenzhu's wrist and said in an unyielding tone, "There is also a calla lily in the temple, which is in full bloom in June. Why don't you go and admire it?"
Shen Zhenzhu knew about calla lilies; their flowers resembled horseshoes, elegant and pure white, representing unwavering loyalty.
It's such a waste to leave it here.
"...Ugh." Xiao Bai groaned as he walked and his leg was scratched by the handsaw.
Shen Zhenzhu did not turn around to refuse the abbot's invitation. Instead, she withdrew her hand and said with a smile, "Since it's raining, let's come another day. My people are still waiting down the mountain, and I don't want them to wait in the rain."
Outside the wall, Lu Ye and Zhao Qiqi, dressed in raincoats and pretending to be worshippers, received a signal from Gu Yanzheng and slowly slipped into the crowd.
Gu Yanzheng quickly climbed over the railing, returned to the crowd, and waited for Chen Zhenzhu at the temple gate.
Before long, the "Miraculous Calculator" and the "Kitchen Goddess" were personally escorted to the door by the reluctant abbot.
"I have to give a sermon in the outer hall today, and time is tight, so I won't keep you any longer. I'll definitely invite the fairy to come and admire the flowers another day."
"goodbye."
Xiao Bai, holding an umbrella and bracing his elbows against his waist, followed Chen Zhenzhu down the steps.
Along the way, we encountered many pilgrims who had come to listen to the scriptures while getting soaked in the rain; they were going against the current.
"I just saw a woman in the outer hall glaring at you." Xiao Bai said inexplicably, "You didn't provoke her."
"Never mind." Chen Zhenzhu also felt confused. She walked halfway up the mountain, took the umbrella, and walked side by side with Xiaobai.
"Is it a saw?" Chen Zhenzhu asked, whispering in Xiaobai's ear.
Xiao Bai whispered, "Yes, I used an evidence bag to pad it to ensure that the traces are not damaged."
Fearing that monks might follow them down the mountain, they remained silent the entire way.
After getting into the car and meeting up with her brothers, Chen Zhenzhu finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Xiaobai has obtained the suspected murder weapon, and we need to conduct a forensic examination immediately."
Gu Yanzheng glanced at her in the rearview mirror as he drove: "I'll do the trace evidence test when we get back. You take a rest."
He saw that Shen Zhenzhu had discovered the suspected murder weapon, but instead of being happy like them, she seemed preoccupied.
"Are you worried about Sister Qiaoqiao and the others?" Gu Yanzheng asked.
Lu Ye, still basking in joy, continued, "Perhaps it has nothing to do with the monks. We've already been to the inner palace, but we didn't find a place to imprison them, did we?"
Shen Zhenzhu gazed quietly at the rain scene outside the window and said with concern, "I have a feeling that something is wrong."
Shen Zhenzhu returned to Uncle Xiaoshan's self-built house. Ever since he learned that they were coming to handle a case, Uncle Xiaoshan had become much more enthusiastic and his asking price was no longer so exorbitant.
He was cooking in the kitchen, while Zhao Qiqi and Qiaoqiao went over to supervise. Gu Yanzheng took the hand saw to the Second Hospital to borrow equipment.
"Xiao Bai, you deserve credit this time." Chen Zhenzhu opened the aluminum lunchbox, inside which were cotton balls soaked in iodine solution used in clinics: "I noticed the saw was rusty, so I'll go with you to get a tetanus shot after lunch."
Xiao Bai had a faint bloodstain on her thigh, a cut from a handsaw. She gritted her teeth and insisted on going down the mountain, only handing the child over to Gu Yanzheng when she reached a safe location.
"I heard tetanus shots hurt a lot," Xiaobai said with concern. "Won't it be okay if Iodine is used for disinfection?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "How could nothing be wrong? In these kinds of things, it's better to be safe than sorry. Getting an injection will prevent any future problems. Listen to me."
There was no escaping it, so Xiaobai directed all her resentment at the evil monk.
Gu Yanzheng returned quickly. Everyone else in the self-built house had already left. Uncle Xiaoshan finished cooking, collected some hard-earned money, and went to eat in another room by himself.
With only his own people left in the room, Gu Yanzheng closed the door, looked at the mediocre four dishes and soup, picked up his rice bowl, sat down, and said, "The blood type on the saw teeth matches the headless female corpse. I visually compared the cuts on the body with the cuts on the murder weapon, and they also match. We extracted four fingerprints from it and uploaded them to the information department via the internet. We also had someone examine the metal shavings from the cuts. If the tests show that the two match, confirming that the saw is the murder weapon, we will make the arrest immediately. You all need to eat more so you don't go hungry when we're on the move."
Chen Zhenzhu shoveled some rice into her mouth and said, "There are more than ten monks in the temple. We can't arrest them all, but what if they are accomplices if we don't arrest them?"
Gu Yanzheng said, "I have submitted an application to my superiors, and the officers from the police station in the nearby county will assist in the arrest."
Zhao Qiqi has been getting along well with Qiaoqiao lately, and he took the initiative to accept the garlic eggplant that Qiaoqiao picked out for him. He smiled kindly, ate the eggplant, and then turned to Gu Yanzheng and asked, "Boss, what's the point of passing fingerprints?"
Lu Ye said, "The crime was definitely brutal and violent. There was no hesitation or pause after cutting off the head of the corpse. The boss guessed that this was not the first time he had committed the crime."
Shen Zhenzhu had a similar guess. She still didn't know the abbot's real name. She always felt that after meeting him once, there was a layer of ethereal veil between them.
After dinner, Chen Zhenzhu and Gu Yanzheng began studying the map of Qilin Mountain to determine their escape route. After reviewing it, they concluded that there was only one exit—the ticket office at the mountain gate—that offered a way out.
“Because of the continuous rain, the path behind the mountain has been closed due to a landslide. If the suspect were to escape, the chances of breaking through the mudslide in the rain would be extremely slim.” Chen Zhenzhu pointed to another spot and said, “There is also a river here that connects to the canyon behind the mountain. After the rain, the river is very rapid, so it is impossible to cross the mountain from here.”
"Then let's arrange for people to guard the ticket booths first." Gu Yanzheng glanced at his watch and assigned the arrest operation.
"After the verification is completed, we still need to get an arrest warrant from Director Liu. You should get some sleep first." Gu Yanzheng saw that Shen Zhenzhu's face was tired. He remembered that she had been memorizing scriptures all night but hadn't been able to use them yet. He felt both sorry for her and wanted to laugh.
Zheng Ge told her to rest, so Shen Zhenzhu obediently climbed into bed and lay down fully clothed next to Qiao'er, who was fast asleep. It seemed that she fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.
Zhao Qiqi stood outside the door, holding car keys, and called out, "Xiao Bai, are you still going to get a tetanus shot?"
Xiao Bai hurriedly ran out and said, "Fight! I'll go with you. Don't call for Sister Pearl."
Zhao Qiqi glanced into the room. Gu Yanzheng was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at the map. Shen Zhenzhu was sleeping on the side with her brows furrowed, looking uneasy.
"Weren't things going smoothly for you guys?" Zhao Qiqi opened the car door and got in, saying to Xiaobai, "Why is Sister Pearl acting strange?"
Xiao Bai said, "I don't know what happened either. Maybe she was worried because we didn't find the head or the missing woman?"
"Hey, we'll know once they catch him and interrogate him." Zhao Qiqi had a positive and optimistic view on this.
Xiao Bai glared at him: "Does Sister Pearl need you to teach her?"
Zhao Qiqi thought about it and agreed, so he decided to focus on driving Xiaobai to the hospital.
When they returned from the hospital, they saw Gu Yanzheng still in the room with the light on, seemingly looking through documents, while Chen Zhenzhu was sleeping on the bed next to him. Upon their return, Gu Yanzheng closed the documents and told Xiaobai to leave.
Outside, Gu Yanzheng asked Xiaobai about going to the inner palace again, and Xiaobai told him everything.
Gu Yanzheng pondered for a long time but couldn't figure out what could have upset Chen Zhenzhu, or why she made a worried and confused expression while sleeping.
"The chemistry testing team just said the results will be out tomorrow morning. You should go and get some rest too." Gu Yanzheng glanced at his watch; it was already 11:30 p.m.
Xiao Bai was also a little tired. After washing up quickly, she went to the bedside and saw Qiao Qiao squeezing next to Shen Zhenzhu. She had no choice but to go around to the other side and sleep next to her Zhenzhu sister.
Shen Zhenzhu slept very uncomfortably.
In my dream, I repeatedly saw the scene of a headless female corpse being murdered, accompanied by the sound of "thump thump thump thump thump thump" once again.
This is not the first time this has happened.
She frowned, drinking tea with the abbot in her dream. As they drank, the abbot, who had been chatting and laughing with her, suddenly turned into a blue-faced, fanged demon, lunging at her to strangle her.
Shen Zhenzhu struggled incessantly, trying her best to break free from Yaksha, but no matter what she did, she couldn't break free.
Just as I was about to suffocate, I heard the "thump thump thump thump thump" sound in my ears again.
This time the sound was louder than ever before. She noticed in the subtle details that the sound was not regular, but rather like the sound of two people striking a long wooden fish in an alternating pattern.
"It's not a wooden fish—!" Shen Zhenzhu suddenly shouted, sitting up and gasping for breath.
Xiao Bai ran down to the ground and turned on the light, terrified: "Sister Pearl, did you have a nightmare?"
"Sister, sister, don't be afraid. Qiaoqiao is here to save you!" Qiaoqiao reached out to hug Chen Zhenzhu, but Chen Zhenzhu pressed her back onto the bed: "Qiaoqiao, be good, you go to sleep first."
Shen Zhenzhu didn't bother to answer Xiaobai's question or put on her shoes. She ran to the door and flung it open, only to see Gu Yanzheng, wearing a military green vest, standing there. "What's wrong?"
"I've figured out what's wrong!" Chen Zhenzhu said quickly, "There's something wrong with the inner hall's floor!"
Lu Ye rushed over and, upon hearing this, asked while putting on his clothes, "What's the problem?"
Chen Zhenzhu said, "Well!"
Lu Ye was confused by what she said.
Shen Zhenzhu ran to Uncle Xiaoshan's room and banged on the door frantically.
Uncle Xiaoshan yawned and pushed open the door: "What are you doing in the middle of the night?"
Chen Zhenzhu said, "Last time you said there was a well in the temple. Do you know where the well is in the temple?!"
"Why are you asking about a well in the middle of the night?" Uncle Xiaoshan yawned again, looking sleepy. "The well in the temple probably won't work either, so why are you asking—"
Shen Zhenzhu angrily said, "Answer me quickly, where is the well located in the temple!"
Startled by her urgent tone, Uncle Xiaoshan immediately said, "Well? The Bodhisattva's water is definitely right under the Bodhisattva's nose."
Xiao Bai exclaimed in astonishment, "The inner sanctuary? We didn't find a well in the inner sanctuary!"
Shen Zhenzhu confirmed her guess. She turned to Gu Yanzheng and said, "Brother Zheng, I heard a 'thump thump thump' sound in the inner hall. After judging, it was not the sound of a wooden fish. I suspect that someone is calling for help from down the well!"
These words shocked everyone present!
Zhao Qiqi rubbed his scalp vigorously, feeling like he had gained some brainpower: "Could it be Qiaoqiao's older sisters?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "I don't know if it could be them, but the situation is very dangerous!"
Gu Yanzheng asked, "Are you sure?"
Shen Zhenzhu looked him straight in the eyes: "Brother Zheng, I'm very sure that the well has been sealed under the floorboards!"
"Let's act now, we can't wait any longer." Gu Yanzheng said, pressing on Chen Zhenzhu's shoulder, "Stay rational, get in the car with me."
Shen Zhenzhu ran back to her room and saw Qiaoqiao sitting quietly on the edge of the bed, looking at her.
Shen Zhenzhu went over and hugged her: "Qiao'er, stay here and be good. I'll try my best to bring your sisters back."
Qiaoqiao seemed to understand Chen Zhenzhu's words, and patted the bedside, saying, "Qiaoqiao is not going anywhere, she will wait here for her sister."
When Shen Zhenzhu went out, she saw Uncle Xiaoshan, who was using Gu Yanzheng's cell phone to call his daughter: "There's someone here who needs looking after. Can you come and help? It's not convenient for Dad and her to be alone together."
"This Uncle Xiaoshan seems alright except for his greed." Sitting in the Cherokee, Lu Ye turned around and saw Uncle Xiaoshan's daughter rushing past on her bicycle.
While driving, Gu Yanzheng said to Shen Zhenzhu, "Director Liu specifically asked you to take charge of and coordinate this case. He called you while you were sleeping."
"Understood." Shen Zhenzhu nodded, gripping the passenger seatbelt.
She could feel the bureau's support in nurturing her; as a young grassroots cadre, she needed constant honing.
Before getting off the bus, Chen Zhenzhu handed the small silver knife to Xiaobai: "Take this for self-defense, and give it back to me when it's over."
Xiao Bai solemnly accepted the small silver knife that Chen Zhenzhu had kept with her for three years and held it tightly in her hand.
After getting off the bus, Shen Zhenzhu saw many uniformed officers standing in place, waiting for orders. Among them, she spotted a policewoman eating instant noodles, and several comrades who had been guarding the mountain gate. Some of them were unfamiliar faces; they were comrades transferred from police stations in neighboring counties to help out.
Unlike the members of the Major Crimes Unit, who were always cautious, the police officers from the local station made some noise after arriving. Fearing that they might alert the suspects, Shen Zhenzhu quickly got into position and assigned arrest tasks.
We now have evidence that the abbot is the murderer. His height and build match those recorded by the Sky Eye, and the hand saw we found can almost certainly be identified as the murder weapon.
What concerned Shen Zhenzhu most was the hidden well; she deduced that someone inside was constantly sending out distress signals. Perhaps they were struggling to survive in the gap between the floor and the well opening.
Half a month has passed since the scene was retraced by the Heavenly Eye, and Shen Zhenzhu is afraid that the other party will not be able to hold on and will fall into the well.
"Liu Jinhua, Lu Dawei, you are in charge of the northern route. No one is allowed to enter or leave." Shen Zhenzhu assigned the task to the instant noodle lady and another operative.
Following the arrest plan she had discussed with Gu Yanzheng beforehand, she called in several groups of people to guard different locations.
"Gu Weiyong, Han Xiaojun." Shen Zhenzhu called them over; they were two unfamiliar faces.
"Are we going to arrest the murderer? Did that abbot really kill someone? Are all the monks in the temple murderers?" The man standing in front of Shen Zhenzhu noticed her glancing over and quickly saluted, saying, "Reporting, my name is Gu Weiyong, from Fangkou County Police Station. This is Han Xiaojun, from Maoershan Police Station."
Shen Zhenzhu looked at Han Xiaojun. He was tall and strong, standing at 1.8 meters, tall enough to put Gu Weiyong down.
"Please guard the mountain path as I instructed, and do not allow anyone to descend the mountain."
"yes."
"yes!"
Han Xiaojun was not only tall, but also had a loud voice. Hearing his reply, Shen Zhenzhu nodded and prepared to go up the mountain.
"The fingerprints have been matched, we've found something!" Xiaobai came over to Chen Zhenzhu and took her arm, saying, "Captain Gu wants to see you."
Shen Zhenzhu rushed over, and Gu Yanzheng stood by the car looking at her and said, "The fingerprints have been matched, and they match the rape and murder case in Hongshan City 20 years ago."
The Hongshan City rape and murder case instantly brought to Shen Zhenzhu's mind this brutal family annihilation case that shocked the entire nation. The perpetrator raped a woman, and when the mother of a young girl discovered it, he murdered all seven members of the family in a rage, not even sparing the infant.
Aside from the mangled remains of the young girl, and the blood and mangled limbs scattered throughout the house belonging to her relatives, only one fingerprint remained. The killer had been on the run for 20 years, seemingly vanished from the face of the earth.
"Director Liu issued a verbal arrest order, demanding that we do everything in our power to capture the devil."
Shen Zhenzhu was invigorated; with an arrest warrant, she had a powerful tool at her disposal.
The team began their ascent up the mountain at four in the morning. The climb was fraught with peril, and Shen Zhenzhu's calves began to ache from the effort. But the thought of that horrific massacre only fueled her determination to catch the killer.
Nearly twenty police officers, led by her, raided the Songlin Bodhisattva Temple.
"Ah—who! Who is it!" The dignified old monk, who had been hiding in the meditation room during the day, was counting money, with beer bottles and duck feet on top of the donation box.
When he was caught, cash was scattered all over the ground.
Inside the outer hall, the group of drunken monks continued their nightly revelry, playing drinking games and boasting, waiting for their "dividends" this month.
"Once I'm old enough to sleep with women, I'm going to sleep with as many as possible and have as many sons as possible."
“You can’t tell my wife back home about this, she thinks I’m working on a construction site.”
"I'm rich, so I'm the sky; women are the earth. The earth deserves to be covered by the sky, hahaha."
"It's a pity I didn't manage to get any women today. They promised to bring a few over, but then this damn fortune teller showed up! Sigh, what a shame—"
Shen Zhenzhu kicked the door open, her figure appearing before them amidst the wind and rain: "What you'll regret is yet to come!"
A group of police officers rushed in from behind and quickly subdued the dozen or so monks who were fleeing in a disheveled state. Chen Zhenzhu found the fat monk in the middle, took the key to the inner hall from his waist, and ran quickly towards the corridor.
The fat monk wanted to shout, but all his voices were hidden in the thunder and lightning.
Inside the inner meditation room, the abbot got up from his bed and put on a vest. The woman beside him was the same one who had glared at Chen Zhenzhu on the street earlier that day.
She nestled shyly against the abbot and whispered, "Ah Jun, we agreed not to sleep tonight, why are you up?"
He didn't mind being given such a common name as "Ah Jun," and he didn't intend to reveal any information about himself to the women anyway.
He tiptoed to the door, pressed his ear against it, and said, "Did you hear anything?"
"What's that sound?" The woman, wrapped in a towel, was about to get down and pull him onto the bed, wanting to make sure she had a good "harvest" today. Unexpectedly, the door was violently broken open from the outside, and her Ah Jun, caught off guard, fell backward, landing right on top of her.
The scene was too gruesome to bear. Shen Zhenzhu turned to the side so the agents could handcuff the abbot, and covered Xiaobai's eyes with her hand, saying, "Amitabha, don't look around."
"What are you doing?!" The abbot knelt on the floor, staring wide-eyed at the "Miraculous Fortune Teller," and roared, "Are you taking over my territory? You're trying to mess with me!"
Chen Zhenzhu ignored him and stood outside the door, pointing to the Hall of the Bodhisattva Songlin, saying, "It's right here. I'll take you there."
The abbot's face turned deathly pale, not only his face but also his bald head: "What...what exactly do you want?"
Shen Zhenzhu had already rushed into the Hall of the Bodhisattva of Sending the Unicorn in the rain.
Seven or eight agents stood beneath the statue of the Bodhisattva of Sending the Unicorn, holding crowbars and awaiting her instructions.
"Knock knock knock knock knock"
The sound of constant banging appeared again in the rainy night. Chen Zhenzhu knelt down with a thud, pressing her ear to the floor to carefully identify the source of the sound.
She changed positions several times, then finally stood up, pointed to her toes, and said, "Right here, dig!"
Xiao Bai nervously swallowed behind her. Lu Ye took the lead, picked up the crowbar, and tried twice along the crack in the old floorboards. A piece of floorboard was pried open.
“There are bricks.” Lu Ye nodded to Chen Zhenzhu: “Your judgment was correct.”
Chen Zhenzhu breathed a sigh of relief: "Keep digging."
Seeing this, the other operators quickly pitched in, prying open a large section of the floor. Foul-smelling well water gushed out. Zhao Qiqi, camera in hand, was ready to take pictures of the rescue, but as the well opening came into view, someone screamed, "Ah—!!"
"How could this happen!" Lu Ye shouted, gripping the crowbar tightly.
Everyone stopped what they were doing, their expressions filled with panic. Even the usually composed Shen Zhenzhu took a step back, almost bumping into Gu Yanzheng.
Gu Yanzheng looked over her head and saw a horrifying scene—
What emerged from the well water were white bones.
One skeleton after another, skin and flesh still attached.
Whenever it rains, they thump their heads against the floor, making a "thump thump thump thump thump" sound.
After countless rainy nights and thunderous roars, it finally emerged from the well.
They saw the light of day again.
The scene was bizarre and shocking.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Lu Ye's crowbar fell to the ground with a dull metallic thud.
"My God!"
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Author's Note: ******
See you tomorrow, there's a red envelope coming! [hugs]
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