Chapter 87 The Immortal in the Hermitage (30) This was originally a touch-sensitive artifact. ...
In recent days, their impression of Miaohua had been based on descriptions from others: beautiful, slender, and aloof.
Yu Qi then added a line, "Perhaps Miaohua's height is the same as Huixin's."
This means that the murderer deliberately soaked the body in water for a long time to make the body unrecognizable, so that everyone could identify the deceased as Huixin based on the tattoo!
As the sun set, its rays streamed through the doorway, falling on Jiuli's back, yet sending a chill down her spine. She suddenly remembered the day Huixin had invited her to speak; Jueming and Jueguang had been watching from the front of the house at the time. Even if she wanted to kindly remind her of something, why did she have to choose that moment?
"Could it be that Huixin deliberately reminded me under the noses of those two old nuns that day? With such a big incident happening in the temple at that time, even if Dajue Temple had sent an invitation, Jingzhen would definitely have declined. Only Jingzhen and the others were worried that she would talk too much and reveal the temple's affairs, so they wanted to send her away so that she could leave Qinglian Temple legitimately. That was her real purpose!"
Jiuli spoke slowly, rising from her seat, circling the eight-immortal table twice, and then returning to Yu Qi. "But the tattoo on the corpse's back wasn't newly tattooed; the coroner clearly examined it!"
“What’s strange about it? It’s probably from last year’s stabbing.” Yu Qi gestured with his chin toward the table. “Pour me a cup of tea.”
"Oh." As she turned to pick up the teapot, she realized that the tea had been brewed that morning and had been steeping for most of the day. It had lost its aroma and was now strong and astringent. He was always particular about his tea, so she hesitated. "I'll ask them to brew a fresh pot. This one is too astringent to drink."
"It's alright. I'm thirsty right now. I'll sit for a bit and then go eat up ahead. Why bother?" Yu Qi smiled, feeling a pleasant surprise. She suddenly realized how to care for people in these small ways. Perhaps gentleness and thoughtfulness are innate talents of women.
However, the thought that he inspired this talent made me feel somewhat ashamed.
Jiuli handed him the teacup, scrutinizing his expression. He lowered his eyelids unnaturally as he sipped his tea, an almost evasive gesture that told her he had probably regained consciousness again today.
She was somewhat disgruntled, but it was expected; if he could be so easily blinded by lust, he wouldn't be him. She calmly sat down again, "How did you suddenly realize this was a substitution trick?"
Yu Qi was about to speak when he happened to hear the door next door open, and Du Zhong called out "Lord Qi" from the corridor.
Then Xu Bai replied with a smile, "I'll call Mr. Yu and Yu'er to have dinner."
The voice was right outside the door. Jiu Li quickly glanced at Yu Qi, whose expression showed a moment of panic. He looked at her solemnly and smiled helplessly, as if to say: "See? This immoral relationship is something that not only I, but even you yourself cannot accept."
It's unclear how long Xu Bai stood outside, but fortunately, they didn't say anything out of line inside; they only talked about the case. Jiu Li walked towards the door in a huff, just as Xu Bai turned to the door, bowed, and said, "Mr. Yu, someone came from the front and said dinner is ready."
The group then went to the dining hall for a meal. Since Jingzhen and the others were arrested and taken to the yamen, the current supervisors of the temple are two nuns who are nearly forty years old. One used to be the treasurer and the other was in charge of the Qinglian Temple's land. According to Jingzhen and the others, the past events had nothing to do with these two, which is why they were spared.
The two nuns, wanting to clear Qinglian Temple of its stigma, discussed the matter and, taking advantage of the mealtime, came over to Yu Qixu and put their palms together in prayer. "Now that there are many vacancies in the temple, we don't care about anything else, but for the position of abbot, we would like to ask the government for instructions, either to choose from within the temple or to find someone from another temple."
Xu Bai understood the implication: for the sake of Qinglian Temple's future reputation, having the government appoint an abbot would make it appear as if Qinglian Temple were under government control. However, he was unwilling to take on this task, as it would not benefit him and would instead incur a favor from Yan Shu. In officialdom, owing favors is the most dreaded thing.
Seeing that he neither agreed nor refused, the two nuns turned to Yu Qi. Yu Qi didn't want to get involved in this, but looking around, he saw dozens of nuns sitting in the dining hall, all of whom would rely on incense offerings for their livelihood. In truth, aren't all Buddhas just clay statues? Whether sculpted in a dark ditch or in a bright hall, there's no difference. People come to worship, simply to fulfill their own desires; where one worships doesn't matter.
Moreover, Jiuli secretly tugged at his sleeve from below and whispered in his ear, "You've agreed, haven't you? If you investigate the case thoroughly, Lord Yan will be very grateful to you."
He nodded. "Alright, once the case is cleared up, I will inform Lord Yan and ask him to select a reliable abbot."
As soon as he finished speaking, it seemed as if all the nuns in the hall breathed a sigh of relief, and the two nuns also happily took their leave. Although Yu Qi had agreed to this, Jiu Li felt that he was the one who had persuaded him, and thought that he had done a good deed. So, with a sense of accomplishment, he happily picked up his rice bowl and had a hearty appetite.
Xu Bai was momentarily embarrassed, fearing she might be dissatisfied with him, and not wanting to dwell on the matter, he changed the subject with Zhang Da, asking, "Did you find anything useful when you searched through all the rooms?"
Zhang Da was shoveling rice into his mouth when he heard this, so he put down his bowl and wiped his mouth. "They're all just ordinary things, nothing special. But Miss Yu'er picked up a bag of broken porcelain shards. I wonder what she pieced together?"
"That thing was smashed into too many tiny pieces. Forget piecing it together, I haven't even figured it out yet." Jiu Li's face fell, and she turned to Xu Bai, asking, "What about you? Have you found anything?"
"There was nothing there. I spent half a day reading Zen scriptures in Huixin's room, and I almost cast aside my seven emotions and six desires."
Du Zhong joked, "Don't you suddenly have an epiphany and become a monk too!"
Xu Bai smiled and shook his head, "Actually, you can't take all these Buddhist and Taoist sayings seriously. If a person really has no desires or wants, what's the point of living a whole life?"
Zhang Da laughed and said, "The Buddhists say that the karma of this life is for the sake of the next life. If this life is meaningless, maybe we can make the next life better."
These words were like a wake-up call. Yu Qi suddenly put down his chopsticks and bowl. Seeing that he seemed to be lost in thought, everyone dared not make a sound and just looked at each other.
After a while, Jiuli asked quietly, "Uncle, you just said that the body wasn't Huixin's. Is it because something was found in Huixin's room?"
This left Du Zhong and Zhang Da bewildered. Du Zhong hurriedly asked, "What do you mean the corpse isn't Huixin's? What's going on?"
Jiuli then recounted the deductions she and Yuqi had made in the room. Just then, Jingyue brought a bowl of assorted buns and placed it on their table, hands on her hips, saying that it was a new recipe she had learned and inviting them to try it. In reality, it was just her way of thanking them for their agreement to let the government select the abbot.
Jiuli understood immediately and, not wanting to offend her, picked up the plates and placed them in front of everyone, urging them to eat. As she did so, she turned to her and asked, "I haven't asked you yet, how tall is Miaohua?"
“Miaohua is half a head taller than you, and the same height as Huixin.”
That's right, Jiuli nodded with a smile, "Thank you for the steamed buns."
Xu Bai had overheard her conversation with Yu Qi outside the door earlier, and was not shocked at the moment. He simply said, "If the body is not Huixin's, then it explains why the murderer sent the body back to Qinglian Temple. The purpose was to let people know that Huixin was dead and that Miaohua was highly suspicious."
Yu Qi suddenly spoke up, "The murderer's purpose is not just this."
Zhang Da hadn't even grasped Xu Bai's words when he was completely bewildered. He nearly choked on his steamed bun and hurriedly swallowed, asking, "Then why did the murderer do this?"
Yu Qi glanced around but didn't say anything for the time being.
After dinner, everyone dispersed from the dining hall. Some nuns rushed to the front to ring the bell. As the sun set, the golden bell resounded. The nuns returned to their rooms to tidy up and then hurried to the lecture hall at the front to conduct their evening prayers.
Yu Qi and the others, having eaten two extra steamed buns, felt bloated and, instead of rushing back to their rooms, leisurely strolled around the main hall. Candles flickered beneath the Buddha statues, incense smoke curling gently, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.
As they walked, Yu Qi said, "I originally thought that the murderer went to great lengths to move the body back just to make us all believe that Huixin was dead. But what you were saying about the cycle of life and death just now suddenly reminded me that the murderer may not have had any grudge against these people. On the contrary, it may have been to atone for their sins so that they would not fall into evil paths in their next life."
Du Zhong hurriedly asked, "What evil path?"
“You’re still young, you don’t even understand this.” Zhang Da laughed and told him, “The so-called six realms are the three good realms and three evil realms in Buddhism. The three good realms are the realm of gods, the human realm, and the realm of Asuras; the three evil realms are the realm of hell, the realm of hungry ghosts, and the realm of animals. The Buddhist concept of reincarnation refers to the fact that after a person dies, their soul is reincarnated and can never escape these six realms.”
Du Zhong slapped his chest with his other hand, "I understand. If you do good deeds in life, you will be reborn in a good realm after death; if you do evil deeds in life, you will be reborn in an evil realm."
"Buddhism has five precepts and ten virtues. Those who perfectly uphold the five precepts will not only be reborn as humans in their next life, but will also be born into a wealthy and noble family." Yu Qi crossed one arm behind his back, looked at the Buddhas high above, and said as he walked, "The five precepts are not to kill, not to steal, not to lie, not to drink alcohol, and not to commit adultery. As for the deceased Liaoyi, Cilian, Miaohua, and the others, regardless of whether they did it willingly, they all violated the precept against adultery."
Jiuli hurried over to his side and nodded, saying, "Could it be that the murderer killed them to offset their sins of evil by using the calamity of their 'unnatural death'? Did the murderer believe that Buddha would forgive them with compassion and allow them to be born into wealthy families in their next life?"
Yu Qi looked at the statue in front of him and said, "I don't know if gods and Buddhas have any compassion for humanity, but the murderer probably had that belief. So the victims were placed in the water after their deaths, probably to cleanse their souls with water."
Xu Bai thought of the countless scriptures in Huixin's room and nodded. "It seems Huixin was the mastermind, but what about the man who committed the crime? Who is he? What is his relationship with her?"
Yu Qi turned to look at Du Zhong and Zhang Da, "Do you guys remember anything strange about the house that Miao Hua rented?"
After pondering for a while, the two of them said, "Apart from being extremely clean, there's nothing strange about it. However, this is not surprising either. Firstly, both Miaohua and Huixin are very clean people. Secondly, they committed a crime in that room and were afraid of being discovered, so they naturally had to clean it up."
Yu Qi smiled and shook his head. "I was talking about that bed. I remember the old woman next door saying that Miao Hua bought the bedding and pillows herself. Since there are two pillows on that bed, it means that someone else shared a bed with her in that room. We naturally assumed it was that mysterious man. But what if it wasn't that man, but Hui Xin who visited Miao Hua and stayed overnight in that room? The pillows were so clean that not a single hair was left on them. Two women without hair wouldn't have any hair left on the pillows."
Jiuli grabbed his arm in amazement and laughed, "So that's why you thought there might not be such a man at all, but that Huixin was a woman disguised as a man! No wonder you wanted to check Huixin's room when you came back at noon."
Yu Qi sighed softly, "Unfortunately, no clues were found about her disguise in Huixin's room."
Zhang Da was skeptical, "but the old woman spoke with absolute certainty that she had seen a man."
Jiuli turned her head and retorted, "Don't forget that it rained for days on end. When the old woman saw that man, it was raining, and he was holding an umbrella. The umbrella was tilted, which could have completely obscured his features."
“But their movements are different. I think no matter how a woman pretends, it’s easy to tell from her actions. Surely that old woman isn’t so blind?”
As we spoke of this, the sky had already turned gloomy. The group emerged from the side hall and saw that evening prayers had ended in the lecture hall across the way. The nuns were bustling about heading towards the back, their robes fluttering in the night wind. Under the deep, dark sky, they were nothing more than tiny gray mayflies.
A young nun, about ten years old, ran over and said, "This afternoon we cleaned up the north room where Master Chen used to stay. Mr. Yu, you can sleep in that room tonight."
Yu Qi nodded his thanks and led the group to stroll in from the left side of the main hall. Jiu Li walked beside him, gazing into the distance. The nuns, dressed in gray or brown robes, filed into the cave, appearing like patches of gray in varying shades. Since arriving in Nanjing, she had seen too many women and couldn't help but sigh, gripping Yu Qi's arm tightly.
Yu Qi glanced at his arm hanging down and asked in a low voice, "Are you cold?"
Jiuli just shook his head. He continued, "Since the rains of the past few days, the nights have felt a bit like autumn. Don't lift the covers when you sleep at night, especially in these mountains."
Jiuli glared at him and muttered, "You're treating me like a child again. I don't want you to give me these kinds of instructions."
The two were whispering something to each other up ahead. Xu Bai watched as Jiu Li gripped his forearms with both hands, sometimes glancing at him and sometimes pouting. He felt a cool breeze sweep into his chest, leaving his heart feeling empty.
While the young nun was serving tea at night, Xu Bai, after much deliberation, intercepted her in the corridor, picked up the teapot, and knocked on Yu Qi's door. Yu Qi, seeing the tea in his hand, guessed he had something to say, turned and went inside to let him in.
Xu Bai placed the teapot on the table, smiled hesitantly, and said, "I would like to ask you, sir, if this case was indeed committed by Huixin alone, do you think she would commit suicide? That is why we have been unable to find her at various city gates and checkpoints."
Yu Qi had already sat back in his chair, lifted his shirt, crossed his legs, and leaned back in his chair, looking at him with a half-smile. "I don't think Lord Qi came here to ask me this. These things are trivial matters that are not worth worrying about in Lord Qi's mind."
Xu Bai couldn't help but chuckle, "Mr. Yu, you misunderstand me. These kinds of murder cases are always important official business for the county. If I don't care about this, what else could I care about?"
"Lord Qi has lofty ambitions; how could he be content to serve as a mere county magistrate? I've heard that you will have a guest coming to Nanjing some time from now. This man's name is Lu Shao, and he's mining iron ore in Sichuan. Is that correct?"
Xu Bai's expression changed. "How did you know?"
Yu Qi smiled and said, "Zhao Liang is no pushover."
Xu Bai's expression darkened, but he sat down with a smile. "You've betrayed Lord Zhao. If the Prince knew that Lord Zhao already knew about this—"
Yu Qi still smiled, "Prince Zhao has always valued talent, and Zhao Liang is a rare talent. I think His Highness is in need of capable people and will not be harsh on him."
Zhao Liang has served in the Ministry of Personnel for many years, and many officials in various provinces and regions have been promoted through his efforts. If he can persuade King Zhao to usurp the throne and mobilize Zhao Liang, he will surely win over many officials.
His bluntness today suggests that Zhao Liang may already be inclined to submit.
Xu Bai smiled with relief, "Since Mr. Yu is willing to speak frankly, I also sincerely advise you with a word of advice. Even if you don't care about your reputation, you should still consider Xiaoyuer's well-being. You have raised Xiaoyuer with kindness. Even if the world knows in the future that you are not related by blood, they will not be able to accept the change in this relationship. It's not so much a problem for men, but Xiaoyuer is ultimately a woman. The nuns of Qinglian Temple were deceived and forced into those deeds by Jingzhen and others, but Buddha still considered them to have broken the precept against immorality. The world is the same; a mistake is a mistake. They will not care about the helplessness in the matter, but will only focus on that one mistake. I hope you will not let Yuer get too mired in this."
He must have come here tonight just to say that. Yu Qi's smile froze for a moment. He neither confirmed nor denied it, and only said, "I understand. You may leave now."
Xu Bai walked down to the corridor and closed the two doors for him. Through the crack, he saw that his expression gradually became lost and dejected. These few words seemed insignificant, but they still touched his heart. Who told him that he couldn't bear to see Jiu Li suffer any misfortune in the future?
He turned around, smiled, and rode back to his room on a cool night breeze.
Yu Qi was still in a dilemma, with Jiu Li on both sides. Just then, he heard a knock on the door. It was Jiu Li again. She came in carrying the bag of broken porcelain shards, clattering as she turned around and closed the door. She walked over excitedly and carefully placed the bag on the table next to him.
Yu Qi glanced at the bundle and asked, "You pieced it together?"
She quickly opened it and took out a three-inch-long hollow cylinder that she had glued back together to show him. "I've pieced it together a little, but I still can't tell what it is. I think it's something like a stick."
Yu Qi glanced at the hollow cylinder, which was about two inches in diameter, and then at the remaining fragments in the cloth bag. A thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately remembered the locked empty box in Huixin's room.
So that box was used to store this item. That explains it. No wonder Miaohua already had a tattoo on her back that was the same as Huixin's.
As she was thinking, Jiuli still had the thing on her thumb and brought it close to his eyes. "If it's a thumb ring, it's too big and too long, it doesn't look like it—can you tell what it is? Give me a hint so I can piece it all together."
He glanced at her, feeling a slight burning sensation in his ears, and said calmly, "No need to fight anymore, she's no good."
"Huh?" Jiuli pulled up a stool and sat down in front of him. "You know what it is? What is it?"
If he didn't tell her, she might rather stay up all night than leave him here. He had no choice but to avoid her eyes and pretend not to care, saying, "This is a double-headed tentacle, also known as 'Mr. Horn'."
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Author's note: Thank you for reading.
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