Chapter 68 The Immortal in the Hermitage (XI) What, you still want to hit me? ...
Jiu Li spoke casually and calmly, turning away as if nothing had happened. Yu Qi was speechless for a long time. Although he didn't know if she was telling the truth, he was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged, and he stared at her profile for a long time.
After a while, still seething with anger, he slammed his fist on the corner of the kang table and roared, "Are you really going to play with your life like this? What do you mean you won't live if he dies? Who are you to Qi Xubai? What gives you the right to spout such nonsense?!"
The table was slammed shut, and Jiu Li's body trembled in fright. However, after what happened last night, she realized that he was also a man with his own cowardices and was not fearless, so she was no longer as afraid of him as before.
She craned her neck toward a picture of Guanyin on the wall, “I’m not joking. Didn’t you ask me to associate with him in the first place? We went to meet people, discussed marriage, and were busy with all that. And now you’re asking me what he is to me? What is he to me? He’s just my fiancé. If my fiancé’s life is in danger, shouldn’t I be worried?”
Yu Qi yanked her around, "I didn't agree!"
"You were the one who wanted to take him as your son-in-law first, and now you're the one who's objecting. You get to say everything, so what am I? Am I your pet cat or dog?"
He gritted his teeth and lowered his voice, "You know perfectly well why I didn't agree. How many times do I have to say it before I stop? Qi Xubai is a man of questionable character and extremely cunning. He is simply not fit to be your husband! I made the wrong choice in the first place, which is why I am now considering the Wei family instead."
Jiuli remained silent for a while, her eyes probing his gaze, suddenly uncovering some thoughts he himself was probably not even fully aware of. If she and Wei Hong were truly in love, what should he do? Could he simply proceed with their engagement and marriage as planned?
I don't think so. He'll probably find fault with the Wei family again and say they're not suitable.
Actually, whether it's Xu Bai or Wei Hong, there's no difference. He might just be making plans for her, leaving a grown woman at home without discussing marriage, fearing that outsiders and she might think he has ulterior motives.
She had reason to suspect that he was just making plans without any real intention of achieving anything. By being picky and delaying year after year, she eventually had to go from being highly sought after to being ignored because of her "old age," so that he could keep her by his side with a clear conscience.
"That idea is so domineering and selfish," she thought to herself with a cold snort.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Yu Qi felt that her gaze had penetrated into his heart, making him quite uncomfortable.
Jiuli blinked, no longer looking at him, tilting her head slightly, her fingers picking at the splinter on the corner of the kang table. She now understood a little about the pride and baseness of older men. In fact, these two traits could both exist in the same person. "Badness" was instinct, but because of the teachings of morality and etiquette, they wanted to maintain a respectable "goodness." Yu Qi was like that; she had lived in his imposing shadow since childhood, which was why she had "deified" him.
Strangely enough, she didn't blame or look down on him because of this. Instead, she felt a sense of warmth and affection, as if he had finally become a person, a living, breathing man.
Yu Qi watched as her hands tore at the splinter in the corner of the table, revealing a bit of the unpainted, earthy yellow wood. He felt as if a corner of his heart had been torn open. The heart wrapped in formal attire revealed dark red flesh and blood, and desire slowly flowed out from that crack.
He became alert, straightened his voice, and warned himself and her, "You must also pull back from the brink."
"It's too late." Jiuli raised her face and smiled. "I already like Xubai. You've watched me grow up, don't you know me well? If Xubai didn't have some cunning and scheming, I might not even like him. Besides, it's not necessarily because of my background that he's approaching me, or that he wants to harm me. You're worrying too much about pulling back from the brink."
Upon hearing the word "like," Yu Qi took a step closer, his face contorted with anger. "Say it again!"
"What, do you want to hit me again?" She also moved her face closer.
Just then, Zhang Da knocked twice on the door, pushed it open, and stood in front of it, smiling as he said, "Mr. Yu, the midwife is still waiting outside."
Yu Qi immediately shouted, "Tell her to wait!"
Having finally deflated the tense atmosphere, Jiuli seized the opportunity to slip away, following Zhang Da out the door. "Uncle hasn't finished his morning tea yet, let's go out and tell the abbot first."
Zhang Da hurriedly pulled her out of the courtyard, letting out a sigh of relief. "I'm not in a hurry to examine the body, I'm here to save you, girl! What if your uncle really beat you up if I didn't find an excuse to barge in?"
It turned out that Zhang Da had overheard their argument from outside. After thinking about it, he realized something was wrong. What kind of elder in a young lady's family could tolerate her having an affair with a man before she was engaged? If she and Xu Bai hadn't gone too far, they would have been beaten up long ago.
Jiuli was certain that Yu Qi wouldn't hit her, and nonchalantly pouted, "Go ahead and hit me, what's there to be afraid of?"
Zhang Da turned his head and saw that Yu Qi hadn't followed, and smiled with relief: "I really admire you, girl. Although marriage is a major event that parents decide, you should also have your own opinions. For Lord Qi, you dared to disobey your elders, which shows that you and Lord Qi are truly sincere. I think the master can't persuade you, so if you persevere a little longer, he will naturally agree."
As they walked, they reached the monks' quarters where the body was kept. The midwife and two constables were waiting outside. Zhang Da called them in and ordered the two constables to open the coffin and carry out the body. Two young nuns were guarding the coffin. Hearing this, they asked why. Zhang Da explained, but the two nuns stopped him and hurriedly went to call Jingzhen, the two senior nuns in charge of the temple, and Huixin.
Zhang Da then explained to Jingzhen, "Abbot, the purpose of examining a corpse is to find the murderer. If we don't even understand the circumstances of the deceased, where are we supposed to find the murderer? Look, your two disciples are absolutely preventing us from having an examination."
Jingzhen clasped her hands together and nodded, "Amitabha. Yesterday, Mr. Yu clearly understood that he died from a stab wound to the chest. I wonder what else needs to be examined?"
Jiuli stepped forward and said with a smile, "Master, how can we find the murderer based on the cause of death alone? We need to find more clues to investigate, such as the murderer's motive. We invited the midwife to examine her to find out why Yi was stripped naked. Perhaps the murderer killed her because of lust."
Before the words were even finished, an elderly nun who was in charge of the temple scolded, "Nonsense! Liaoyi was a nun, how can you slander her with such filthy words?! Liaoyi is already dead, and you still want to throw mud at her. If she has gone to the Western Paradise, how can she have the face to worship my Buddha? You can't verify it, so hurry up and take this old woman out!"
Seeing that the old nun had a sharp tongue and thick skin and didn't seem easy to talk to, Jiuli ignored her and continued to laugh with Jingzhen, saying, "Abbot, you can't say that. Even if it's proven that Master Yi was raped, it doesn't necessarily damage her reputation as a nun. She was harmed, so what? Even if she goes to the Buddha, would the Buddha not pity her but instead blame her? There's no such logic. If that were the case, the Buddha wouldn't be the Buddha, and he wouldn't deserve so many people to worship him."
The old nun became even more enraged, shouting, "How dare you be disrespectful to Buddha! What do you, a living person, know? Even if Liaoyi isn't a nun, she's still an innocent girl, and you shouldn't be allowed to speculate and slander her!"
This made Jiu Li angry, and she put her hands on her hips, "Whether it's speculation or not, we'll know once we test it."
The old nun was about to curse when Jingzhen stopped her with a gesture and said to Jiuli in a calm tone, "Please forgive me, young benefactor. Monks have always upheld the Five Precepts. No one can bear the sin of immorality, let alone Liaoyi, who was a bhikkhuni. Violating the precept against immorality is a more serious sin than that of monks. Although you have a point, people's opinions are a fearsome thing. Liaoyi is dead. How can we allow others to use foul language to criticize her? If that's the case, then let's not investigate it."
Jiuli raised her eyebrows in disbelief, "If the case isn't investigated, wouldn't that let the murderer go free? Aren't you afraid he'll die with regrets?"
Jingzhen glanced at the coffin, put her palms together, and said, "Zen Master Xuanjue said, 'Do not seek the truth, do not sever the delusion, understand that both are empty and without form.' Liaoyi has cultivated for many years, and I believe she has already understood the Dharma and is not attached to this matter. Why can't she die with her eyes open?"
Jiuli didn't understand the first part, but she understood the second part, which was that they believed Yi didn't care whether or not the murderer was found.
She could only turn to Huixin, thinking that she was young and probably not as unreasonable as these old nuns. "Master Huixin, what do you say?"
Unexpectedly, Huixin also put his palms together and said, "The Buddha said, 'One should have nowhere to go, yet give rise to the mind.' Please understand, benefactor."
Just as Jiuli was about to raise her voice to argue with them, Xu Bai spoke up from outside the door, "Buddha has his Dharma, and country has its laws. Regardless of whether the nuns' hearts are in the Western Paradise, as long as they are still in this country and this dynasty, they must be bound by the laws of the country." As he spoke, he walked in from the crowd, "According to the law, mortal murder cases cannot be settled privately. If the nuns don't move aside, they are obstructing official business. I have the right to arrest them, and I will still conduct an autopsy after arresting them. Why bother?"
These words left the nuns exchanging bewildered glances, utterly helpless. Jiuli thought to herself, "They're really asking for trouble," and turned to Xubai with a smile, asking, "Have you had breakfast?"
He smiled and nodded, looking at her smiling face. He felt that her attitude towards him was the same as before, no, it seemed even better than before, and a subtle emotion appeared in his eyes. He thought it was thanks to the kiss last night. He had heard that women are naturally like that, born with a certain ability to play hard to get. He thought people were probably right, and he felt even more strongly that impulsiveness wasn't necessarily bad; sometimes, only impulsiveness could lead to success.
He was pleased and his expression softened towards the nuns. "Abbot, please take these people out."
Just as everyone had dispersed, Yu Qi arrived, still with a cold expression. Zhang Da felt the air instantly freeze again, and couldn't help but try to lighten the mood with a few jokes.
However, Yu Qi completely ignored him and only instructed at the door, "You all come out for now, and leave Yu'er to help the midwife."
Two constables carried Liao Yi's body out and placed it on a board before leaving, closing the door behind them. Seeing Liao Yi dressed in a brand-new monk's robe, Jiu Li could only frown and help the midwife undress him.
The midwife chanted Amitabha Buddha's name while complaining, "What kind of thing is this? This is the first time I've ever examined a dead person."
Jiuli walked over to her curiously, "How do you do a physical exam?"
The midwife spread Yi's legs apart a little, inserted two fingers inside, and tilted her head back to feel inside carefully. "How would a young girl like you know this? Let me tell you, if she was raped the other day, there must be some semen left inside, so she can't do it now."
Jiuli had read some medical books and knew a little about them. He rolled his eyes and said disdainfully, "What's there to not understand? The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic says: 'When a boy is eight years old, his kidney qi is strong, his hair grows and his teeth change. At sixteen, his kidney qi is at its peak, his menstrual blood arrives, his essence overflows and is released, and his yin and yang are in harmony, so he can have children.' Only uneducated people don't know this."
"It seems the young lady knows more than this old woman." The midwife smiled knowingly, then carefully examined the area for a while, her brows gradually furrowing. "Strange—"
"What's strange?"
The midwife looked at her and shook her head. "No sperm."
“What’s so strange about that? It just means she wasn’t humiliated.”
"That's not right, she's not a virgin."
Jiuli was shocked and stared at her intently. "How did you know?"
The midwife wasn't sure at first, and touched her again for a while. "Any virgin woman has a hymen inside her body, you can tell just by touching it. I've been a midwife for twenty or thirty years, I shouldn't be wrong." She stopped and squatted down by the basin to wash her hands. "Really, it's strange, how could a nun not be a virgin?"
While Jiuli was still in a daze, the midwife had already opened the door and gone out, giving a message at the door. The others found it strange and went back into the room. Yu Qi carefully examined the body again and indeed found no signs of resistance. The marks on the body were simply formed naturally after death, indicating that the deceased had not been violated.
Zhang Da asked curiously, "Why did the murderer take off her clothes? Was he looking for something on her? Silver? Jewelry?"
Xu Bai shook his head. "I don't think so. Even if she was looking for something valuable, there would be no need to go through the trouble of stripping her naked. Besides, we asked the people at the temple yesterday, and Liao Yi didn't take any money with her when she went out. Her purse is still in her room. I don't think the murderer was after money. Just look at that sachet, and you can tell that the murderer is probably much richer than the victim."
Yu Qi glanced at him, neither confirming nor denying, but inwardly he also felt that the murderer's actions were illogical. Logically, the murder occurred in the grove, which, while somewhat concealed, was still dark. An ordinary person would be afraid of being seen and, to ensure safety, would avoid all the tedious details. Yet the murderer not only went to the trouble of removing the victim's clothes but also painstakingly moved the body under that large stone slab. What was his intention?
Zhang Da picked up where Xu Bai left off, saying, "If it wasn't for sex or money, then there's only one possibility: a revenge killing."
Xu Bai nodded, then turned to Yu Qi and asked, "What is your opinion, sir?"
Yu Qi ignored him and coldly called out to Jiu Li, "Yu'er, tell me what you mean."
"Huh?" Jiuli came to her senses and walked to the corpse. She looked down and examined Yi's face closely. At this moment, there was no fawning smile on her face. From the uninjured side, one could actually see that she was quite beautiful.
She pondered the midwife's words for a while, then frowned and said, "If it was a revenge killing, we need to investigate Liaoyi's life thoroughly. Jingyue once said that she was brought back to the temple by the abbot when she was fourteen years old. Do you think she wasn't a virgin when she was working as a maid? Could her death be related to this?"
Zhang Da nodded. "We're completely clueless right now. We need to investigate everything that's possible. I'll send someone to her former employer to inquire about her."
After discussing it, the group went out one after another. Jingyue was just coming out of the north kitchen when she saw that the others seemed to have finished their work, so she jogged over. Her gray monk's robe looked even more empty as she ran. When Jiuli saw her, she couldn't help but think of what the nuns had said last night. Could it be that she really had taken over the job of cook?
She immediately went down to the porch and asked, "Why did you come out of the kitchen?"
"Order lunch. Master has ordered me to temporarily take over as head cook." Jingyue glanced at Yu Qi behind her and whispered, "Didn't you promise me you'd ask your uncle to examine Senior Sister Cilian? What, are you trying to renege?"
Jiuli then remembered what he had said and scoffed, "I'm not the kind of person who goes back on his word." He then stepped back and said a few words to Yu Qi.
Although Yu Qi's face was grim, since he had already made a promise, he should keep his word. Seeing Xu Bai walking towards the guest courtyard, and not expecting the two of them to be together again, he said, "Come with me to take a look."
It turned out that all the nuns with some status and seniority in the temple lived in their own rooms. Although the rooms were not big, they were much more comfortable than sleeping in a large communal room. Cilian's room was in a corner of the monks' quarters on the west side, right next to the courtyard next to the main hall. Jingyue led the two of them there, and before they even entered the room, they could hear the sound of vomiting coming from inside.
Jingyue knocked on the door, turned around and said, "She must have vomited again. I don't know why, but for quite some time now, Cilian has been vomiting everything she eats, and she's lost a lot of weight."
A young nun, looking distressed, opened the door. The three went inside and, sure enough, saw a listless young nun sitting on the bed to the side.
Jingyue stepped inside the screen and glanced down at the spittoon in front of the bed. She sighed, "What exactly happened? Was the doctor we saw in the city yesterday still ineffective?"
The young nun serving her sighed, "That's right. The doctor said it was nothing serious, probably just an upset stomach. He prescribed some medicine, and I ate a bowl yesterday and another bowl this morning, but I still vomited up my breakfast."
Jingyue stomped her foot in frustration, "Useless doctor, all he does is rip people off!"
"I told you I didn't need to see a doctor. It's probably just because of the heat. I'll get better when it cools down." Cilian leaned against the headboard and smiled listlessly, her voice unusually gentle due to her weakness. Jiuli peered through the cracks in the screen and saw a gray curtain hanging on the crescent moon, its semi-circular shape obscuring half of her face, revealing only her jade-like lips and alluring chin.
She glanced at the screen and saw two strangers standing outside. She lifted half of the curtain and frowned, "Who are they?"
Jingyue smiled and said, "This Mr. Yu is a famous doctor. It just so happens that he was investigating Sister Yi's case at the temple, so I asked him to come and examine you."
Cilian lowered her hands, and the semi-circular curtain covered the upper half of her face. Only her lips could be seen smiling weakly. "Didn't I say it's not necessary? The doctor I saw yesterday didn't help. Please ask them to leave. I want to sleep for a while."
As she spoke, she lay down and turned over towards the corner of the wall. Jingyue had no choice but to say, "Since they've already come in, let them see. If you don't want them to see, I'll have to go tell Senior Sister Huixin."
Cilian then lazily sat up again. "Don't tell her. She already has a lot on her plate, and now this has happened. I don't want her to worry about me anymore. I'll do as you say and see."
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Author's note: Thank you for reading.
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