Chapter 474 The Guanyin statue, is it her likeness?
Sure enough, the most suspicious thing was Jie Kong in front of him!
Unfortunately, by the time Jiechen realized something was wrong, he had already been quickly dragged away by the guards hiding in the shadows.
After turning behind a large tree, Jiekong tore off the human skin mask from his face and head.
It turns out that this Jie Kong was actually Sha Er in disguise, wearing a mask, while the real Jie Kong had already been tied up.
Sha Er quickly took off his monk's robe, sneered, and stuffed the mask into his pocket: "With a brain like that, you think you can fight our girls?"
Before long, only a handful of monks remained in the entire Ningyuan Temple.
The other monks all mysteriously disappeared.
The remaining monks were terrified and quickly reported the matter to the abbot.
Soon, Zongzheng Zhiyuan also learned of this news.
"They were alive and well, and then they all just disappeared?"
"How is this possible?"
"Ningyuan Temple is a sacred Buddhist site. How could it be haunted in broad daylight?"
"Wait! Where are those merchants?"
"Why haven't you brought it to me yet!"
As they were talking, a eunuch stumbled in.
"Princess, something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened—"
"The guards you sent to arrest that merchant's wife, they've all disappeared!"
Zongzheng Zhiyuan stood up abruptly.
"Damn it! How is this possible!?"
The eunuch said, "And, and, I just took some people to look for them, but all those merchants have disappeared too."
"The yard was full of things, but there wasn't a single person in sight."
Zongzheng Zhiyuan: "Quickly take me to see this!"
When Zongzheng Zhiyuan arrived at the south wing where Li Qingluo had stayed, she saw that the remaining guards around her had already searched the room.
Finally, the guard came out hurriedly, holding a portrait in his hand.
"Your Highness, we found a portrait of Guanyin on the table."
Guanyin?
Zongzheng Zhiyuan, as if possessed, picked it up and wanted to take a look.
But when she took a closer look at the picture, she was instantly terrified.
Her originally rosy face quickly faded and turned deathly pale.
Princess Changning, who was standing nearby, asked curiously, "Mother, what's wrong with you?"
Isn't this a portrait of Guanyin?
Why does Mother look so scared?
The prince consort, who had been standing with his hands behind his back, came over and took a look. He murmured, "No, this isn't a portrait of Guanyin..."
Because although the person in the painting has that face, it is not dressed as the deity sitting on the altar.
It looks more like...
Changning: "Who is that? Father, what's wrong with Mother?"
The prince consort sneered: "An old acquaintance. He's afraid now because your mother did something wrong.
"Changning, remember this: a person should never do too many evil things. Otherwise, nightmares will haunt you for the rest of your life."
Zongzheng Zhiyuan slapped the prince consort across the face.
"When did you become the one to speak here?"
"Zhang Tingjiu, don't forget who you are! Get out of here!"
Before the prince consort could react, Princess Changning had already stepped in front of her father.
"Mother, how could you hit Father?"
"And there are so many servants watching..."
Changning's eyes were filled with disbelief.
For more than twenty years, the relationship between my father and mother has been very cold.
The two were said to treat each other with respect, but it would be more accurate to say that the prince consort completely disregarded Princess Zongzheng Zhiyuan.
Zongzheng Zhiyuan never tried to please her husband with gentleness or attentiveness; instead, she indulged in the luxurious life of a princess.
Only when visiting Ningyuan Temple each year would the imperial son-in-law, Zhang Tingjiu, accompany him.
This is also one of the few times the couple travels together.
With red eyes, Changning stood in front of Zhang Tingjiu, unable to understand why her mother was so cruel to her father.
Zongzheng Zhiyuan flicked her long robe, snorted, and strode away.
"Guards, quickly take me to Abbot Jia Guan!"
Zongzheng Zhiyuan left in a hurry.
Changning quickly turned around and touched her father's face, "Father, are you alright? Does it hurt?"
The humiliation in Zhang Tingjiu's eyes slowly dissipated after seeing his daughter's concerned gaze.
"Father is alright. Changning, be good. Ningyuan Temple is not peaceful today. You should go back to the courtyard and stay there."
"Father, go and check on your mother, lest she do something wrong."
"Guards, take the princess away and keep a close watch on her. She is not allowed to wander off. If anything happens to her, I, the Prince Consort, will hold you all accountable!"
After saying that, Zhang Tingjiu ignored Changning's shouts and quickly chased after Zongzheng Zhiyuan.
Inside the Guanyin Hall.
Li Qingluo emerged from the secret passage under the table.
She patted the ashes off her hands, then quickly turned around and lifted the curtain to let Duan Rongshi out as well.
However, there was so much dust down there that Duan Rongshi, who was dressed in black but covered in dust, couldn't help but frown.
Li Qingluo quickly patted him on the back, saying, "It's okay, it's okay. We'll go back and change into something clean later."
Is she trying to coax him?
Duan Rongshi: ...
After a moment of surprise, Duan Rongshi saw her hands patting his body and quickly grabbed them.
"I understand. How exactly did you find this place?"
Li Qingluo smiled and said, "Of course it was Jinhua's natal Gu that helped."
"And Ah Shi, I also know a little bit of witchcraft now. Whenever I want to find a place, I can control the little insects nearby, and they will quickly lead the way for me."
"Hehe, am I awesome?"
She stood with her hands on her hips, looking quite smug.
Duan Rongshi flicked her forehead.
"Those witchcraft spells will deplete your internal energy and damage your meridians, yet you dare to use them recklessly?"
"You want me to teach you a lesson, don't you?"
Li Qingluo never expected that he would criticize her so harshly instead of praising her for doing such a big thing.
This is outrageous!
"It's just that my skills aren't up to par yet... I won't use them recklessly unless absolutely necessary."
Duan Rongshi: "I know. But from now on, you are not allowed to use witchcraft indiscriminately unless absolutely necessary."
Li Qingluo nodded repeatedly to indicate that she understood.
Duan Rongshi: "Since we've hidden everyone down here, let's wait for the fish to take the bait."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside.
Duan Rongshi and Li Qingluo leaped lightly onto the high platform, and the two quickly hid behind the Guanyin statue.
Li Qingluo and Duan Rongshi both involuntarily looked up at Guanyin's face.
Kind-faced and compassionate, with a deep love for all living beings.
This is Zongzheng Qingyue, yet it is not her.
The palace doors were pushed open.
It was Zongzheng Zhiyuan who walked in.
Holding the portrait that Li Qingluo had deliberately dropped in her hand, she sneered at the statue with a pale face: "Zongzheng Qingyue, I never thought that even after you've been dead for so many years, a portrait of you would suddenly reappear."
“Over the years, I, Zongzheng Zhiyuan, have worshipped every Buddha statue imaginable.”
"I absolutely refuse to worship your Guanyin statue!"
Do you think that just because your portrait appears on the tables of those lowly merchants today, I will be afraid?
"You think that just because those monks have disappeared, I'll assume it's you haunting the place?"
"Besides, even if it were you, so what?"
"You're dead, yet you still won't behave. If you piss me off, I'll send men to Daliang to pour a bucket of black dog blood on your grave and kill you, you evil spirit!"
"If you dare to cause trouble again, I will dig your corpse out of your grave and nail it with those soul-locking nails, so that you will never be reincarnated for all eternity!"
"Did you hear me, Munemasa Kiyotsuki?"
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