Eight people were killed overnight. This shocking case attracted great attention from the Dali Temple and the entire court. Under pressure from all sides, the case was quickly solved. After receiving the case file from the Dali Temple Minister, the young emperor could not calm down for a long time. For this reason, he specially summoned his uncle back to the imperial city from Nandou Mountain, just to have a good communication with him.
As soon as Prince Jin sat down in the hall, the little emperor handed him a thick stack of information and said, "Uncle, please take a closer look."
After half an hour, Prince Jin calmly said, "Is there anything wrong with this case?"
"No, nothing is right! Uncle, you are a smart man. I don't believe you can't see the weirdness here." The little emperor frowned, his face full of worry. It turned out that the case was soon solved. The eight people were kidnapped by a group of robbers who wanted to take away the old man's blood, which was rich in natural treasures. They hung the old man upside down from the beam of the house and drained all his blood like a pig to be slaughtered. They then packaged the blood into small porcelain bottles and sold them on the black market.
The black market was a mixed bag, and the news quickly spread through various channels. When they heard that the bottles contained the old man's blood, dozens of buyers contacted the robbers that day, vying to divide up the blood. The price ranged from five or six hundred taels per bottle to three or four thousand taels per bottle. The blood from the apex of the heart was even sold at a high price of fifty thousand taels.
The government could not investigate any further after it reached the black market, because most of the people who bought these blood bottles were powerful nobles whom they could not afford to offend, so in the end they could only arrest a few robbers and be done with the matter. The young emperor had just assumed power and had no intention of investigating the matter further, so the case was closed.
But during the investigation, the Dali Temple learned some shocking news. On that day, there were six or seven groups of people who tried to attack the old man. Apart from the bandits, the other groups had mysterious backgrounds and showed strong organization when taking action. If they had not arrived too late, a group of rabble would not have succeeded. Only these illiterate robbers would kill the chicken to get the eggs and bleed the person directly after catching him. If the old man fell into the hands of others, he would probably be kept in captivity and become a medicine man who provided blood for a long time.
However, the person is already dead, and all the speculations are buried in this beautifully written file, but the little emperor still can't let it go. He stared into the eyes of the emperor's uncle and whispered, "Uncle, do you remember what Lin Xianchang said when the old man left Xuanqing Temple? If she hadn't repeatedly emphasized that the old man's body contained powerful medicinal power that would not dissipate for ten or twenty years, the old man would probably still be alive now. She is a person who is very good at speaking, and she can decide a person's life or death with just a few words. Others only know that she is very accurate in fortune-telling, but how can they think that she is the mastermind of all this? If she hadn't repeatedly mentioned that those natural treasures still existed in the old man's body, this tragedy would not have happened. Not only did she know what fate the old man would face, but she also pushed him. Emperor, don't you think she is terrible?"
The little emperor paused, and then continued, "After seeing this case file, I called the servants of the Cai family for interrogation. Guess what? On that day, when she lit the calming incense, not only did Cai Yi not yawn, but she did the same. I always felt strange at the time, but I couldn't tell what was wrong. Now I understand - the reason why Immortal Lin can see Cai Yi's mind so thoroughly is because she and he are actually the same kind of people. She looks kind on the surface, but in fact she doesn't have much emotion. Uncle, you have to be careful and don't fall into her trap."
The young emperor was not willing to think badly of Lin Dan, but for the lifelong happiness of his uncle, he had to think more about it. He originally thought that Lin Dan was a very kind and warm person, but today, he is not sure.
Prince Jin was not as sad as he expected. He even smiled happily and shook his head, saying, "I can see what kind of person Lin Dan is better than you. I personally think that a person's nature can be divided into three parts: human nature, divine nature, and devil nature. Good people always have a dark side, and bad people always have a sunny side. Even the emperor is not perfect. Do you agree with this?"
The little emperor nodded.
Prince Jin continued, "When facing Xu Miaomiao and Yao Bishui, Lin Dan would be angry or happy, angry or laugh. This is her human nature. When facing patients, she would do her best to save them regardless of their status. This is her divinity. When facing evil people, she would fight back without mercy. This is her devil nature. She is not a bad person. She is just a person with extremely contradictory characteristics who combines the truth of human nature, the goodness of divinity, and the fierceness of devil nature. In fact, I don't think she is scary at all. I think there will never be another person in the world who is as clear about what she loves and hates and is as gentle and lovely as her. In my eyes, she is the best. Even if she falls, I will admit it."
Having said this, Prince Jin smiled, his eyes filled with admiration and deep affection. No matter what the world thinks of Lin Dan, whether he is a fairy or a demon, he only believes what he sees and feels. He felt extremely warm next to Lin Dan, and that was enough.
The young emperor was deeply moved by his uncle's words. He picked up the case file and looked through it again, and he had a different feeling. What the old man and his son did was not worth wasting such precious medicinal herbs to save them. Lin Dan gave him a life, so naturally he could take it back. In fact, she did nothing but set up a chess game and pushed these people into the game as chess pieces. The rest will naturally evolve according to cause and effect. Those people will reap what kind of results they sow, and it has nothing to do with Lin Dan.
She even warned the old man and left him a way out in the chess game. With one word she can give life or death to a person, which shows that her divinity occupies the vast majority of her nature. She is like a god who knows everything and can build a world just by shaping a framework. As long as she wants, she can manipulate anyone's fate at will.
However, it was precisely because of this nature of hers that she was restrained from entering the world. She stayed in Nandou Mountain all day, staying away from the hustle and bustle of the world and had no desire for power and wealth. If the patients and believers are willing to give incense money, she will accept it; if they don’t want to, she will not ask for it. Her greatest pleasure every day was tending to flowers and plants, refining elixirs, chanting scriptures, meditating, teaching disciples, and curing illnesses and saving lives. Apart from that, she did not have any bad habits at all.
Will she flatter and curry favor with the powerful in pursuit of fame and fortune? Would she do evil and commit crimes for her own selfish gain? The little emperor had no way of imagining such a scene. At this moment, his tense face finally relaxed, and he said self-deprecatingly: "Uncle, I was mistaken. Father's suspicion killed Mother and almost killed you and me. I didn't expect that I would be infected with his faults soon after taking power. Immortal Lin is a true hermit. Even if there are thousands of temptations in the mortal world, they cannot shake her heart. I really don't need to be afraid."
Prince Jin nodded without saying anything.
The little emperor recalled Lin Dan's indifferent attitude when facing him, and laughed again. After laughing, he suddenly asked anxiously: "How long will Immortal Lin stay in seclusion this time? Will it delay your illness?"
Prince Jin shook his head and said, "She recites scriptures and meditates in the Sanqing Hall every day. I don't know how long she will be in seclusion. But don't worry, she will definitely do what she promised me."
"I can't feel at ease, so I might as well go and ask her myself. Uncle, I hope you can have a good sleep this winter and no longer have to endure the torture of the cold." The little emperor seemed to have made up his mind, his eyes full of determination.
…………
The aftershock of the tragic murder of the old man’s family had not yet faded when another shocking scandal broke out in Hanguang Temple. A woman came to the temple gate holding a boy of two or three years old, threatening that the boy was the abbot's child and that she would hold the abbot responsible. The woman shouted so loudly that it alarmed the believers who came to worship Buddha. Everyone was unwilling to believe it at first, but fell silent after seeing the boy. There is no other reason, the boy looks like the host. They are 90% similar. No matter how much you argue, it seems pale and powerless in front of two almost identical faces.
The host was unable to resist the woman's nagging and revealed his true colors immediately, which greatly disappointed the believers. After a few more days, the matter not only did not calm down, but became more and more serious. It turned out that in order to shut the woman up and make her admit that she was a lunatic, the host was willing to give her tens of thousands of properties and hundreds of acres of fertile land. When his other women heard the news, they could no longer sit still and brought their children to Hanguang Temple to make a fuss.
In order to deal with Xuanqing Temple, the abbot invested millions of his family property, and the remaining things were not enough for his seven or eight wives and concubines and a dozen children to share. No one wanted to suffer a loss, so naturally they became enemies and fought until they ended up in the government office, where they united to sue the host.
In order to find evidence that the abbot had embezzled and concealed the public property of Hanguang Temple, the officials went to search his room, and unexpectedly found dozens of love letters with obscene words, all written by Wan Ling, the granddaughter of Wan Zhongliang, a second-rank official. She was only fourteen years old this year and had an affair with the host who was nearly forty years old. She was deeply involved and could not extricate herself. She wanted to find a man who was easy to control and marry him so that she could continue to maintain this improper relationship with the host.
Following a series of romantic disputes, the police found physical and human evidence that the host was trying to seize the land of Xuanqing Temple. It turned out that the family that was killed was all instructed by him. They used one trick after another and even threatened to kill people. Monk Huiming confessed all his sinister schemes. He had to confess, as he was also involved in the embezzlement of public property from Hanguang Temple. He would even dress up the prostitutes from the brothels as pilgrims and secretly bring them up the mountain to provide for his fellow disciples. kinky. happy.
As the scandals were exposed one after another, the people who went to watch the trial felt sick and wanted to vomit. They cursed loudly and some even covered their ears to show that they didn't want to listen anymore. As devout as the believers of Hanguang Temple were in the past, they were now as angry as ever. They climbed up the mountain in the dark, smashed the towering copper and iron temple gate, and even attempted to violence the monks in the temple.
Fortunately, these monks ate well and slept well, and they were all fat and strong. They still had the strength to resist and fought off these people. But this approach was obviously even more inappropriate. It not only completely angered the believers, but also caused the reputation of Hanguang Temple to completely collapse.
However, in just a few days, the temple that was once prosperous and solemn had become dilapidated and infamous. The monks in the temple were either arrested, returned to secular life, or escaped, and most of them were gone. Xuanqing Temple is only a hundred meters away from Hanguang Temple, but no one dares to disturb it, making it a pure land of its own.
The scandal and lawsuit surrounding Hanguang Temple lasted for more than a month. In early winter, another piece of bombshell news spread throughout the capital. In order to seek medical treatment for Prince Jin, the young emperor planned to climb the dangerous Nandou Mountain on foot, and then kowtow and worship in front of the gate of Xuanqing Temple, asking Immortal Lin to come out of seclusion.
Everyone knows that the little emperor is willing to do anything to cure Prince Jin's illness. He could kowtow to the Medical Saint back then, and now he can also kowtow to Immortal Lin. What's more, Immortal Lin can even save those who are doomed to die, and his medical skills are far superior to those of the Medical Saint. So on the day of the event, people who came to watch the fun crowded around the foot of the mountain, creating a spectacle of empty streets.
The Imperial Guards guarded all the major roads leading to Nandou Mountain, and only allowed royal family members and high-ranking officials above the third rank to wait at the top of the mountain. Not only did the little emperor come, but even Prince Jin, whose condition was getting worse day by day, came. The two of them supported each other and climbed the steep steps, then knelt down and kowtowed three times in front of the gate of Xuanqing Temple.
Yao Bishui was extremely anxious and kept walking into the Sanqing Temple, trying to persuade Lin Dan to stop the two from kneeling to avoid shortening their lifespan.
"You think too much." Lin Dan said slowly, "They did this to show their sincerity and to elevate my status and tie me to the royal family. If they want to act, I will cooperate. Both sides are happy. What's wrong with that? If I rush out to flatter, it will really ruin the reputation of Xuanqing Temple and ruin the emperor's plan. So just bear with it. I once said that I want to be a living immortal in Nandou Mountain. This is not empty talk."
Yao Bishui was stunned after hearing this, then he slapped his forehead and left the Sanqing Temple.
Lin Dan continued to meditate, and after half an hour he ordered two adorable Taoist children to open the mountain gate and invite Prince Jin and the little emperor, who were still kneeling there, to enter the temple.
The royal family members and nobles waiting on the side almost had their skin cracked by the biting mountain wind, but they did not dare to express the slightest dissatisfaction with Lin Dan's actions. Not to mention Lin Dan's profound Taoist skills in deciding life and death and slaying demons, her superb alchemy skills alone were enough to make them kowtow in front of her.
People will die sooner or later. If they can get a chance to prolong their life before death, they are willing to pay any price. If the Emperor and Prince Jin had not already done so, all the clan members and high officials would actually like to kneel in front of the mountain gate and kowtow a few times to show their respect and devotion to Immortal Master Lin.
Soon after everyone entered the Taoist temple, two guards carefully carried out a blank plaque with a black background and gold edges. Later, the young emperor came out with a group of ministers. He held a sheep-hair brush in his hand, dipped it in thick golden ink, and wrote three large characters "Xuanqing Temple" in a flamboyant style. He then took out a scroll of imperial edict and conferred the title of Nan Dou Zhenren on Lin Dan.
Even among the devout Taoists. During the time of the ancestors, no Taoist priest could obtain the title personally conferred by the emperor, but Lin Dan did it, and no official in the court stood up to object.
After receiving the imperial edict, Lin Dan went into seclusion again. From beginning to end, he never showed any fear or ecstasy. The little emperor could tell at a glance whether her indifference and calmness were real or fake, and thus completely dispelled his doubts.
…………
The emperor's kowtow and enthronement pushed Lin Dan's reputation to the peak. Overnight, Xuanqing Temple replaced Hanguang Temple and became a holy place that people longed for. There were countless people in the entire Daqi who wanted to send their children to study in the temple, but none of them could get in. Lin Dan also had no intention of seizing the territory of Hanguang Temple. She promised the young emperor that during her lifetime, Xuanqing Temple would never be expanded or recruit Taoist priests on a large scale. She doesn't care about this world, she just wants to stay quietly in Nandou Mountain and be a free and easy living immortal.
Eighteen out of ten nobles are officials in the capital. Jiu is Lin Dan's believer. After completely recovering from his illness, Yong Xin Hou climbed up the mountain from the foot of the mountain, kneeling three times and kowtowed nine times to thank Lin Xianchang for saving his life. His wives, concubines, and children also knelt on the ground. Instead of being ridiculed and despised by the noble circle, this move caused heated discussion. If they had known that three kneelings and nine kowtows would make Immortal Lin open the door and welcome them personally, they would have been willing to do so. The thick stack of incense money hidden in their sleeves was eager to be given inside!
In short, Lin Dan, an abandoned woman of humble origin, has now become a person standing at the pinnacle of power, and Xu Zuguang and Wan Xiuer, who originally wanted to plot against her, cannot reach even a corner of her clothes even with the help of a ladder.
In order not to offend the man on the top of the mountain, Censor Wan, who knew the inside story, made the same choice as in his previous life. So one day in early winter, Wan Xiu'er's aunt was expelled from the house by Wan Yushi, on charges of jealousy, gossip, theft, etc. The two children she gave birth to, Wan Xiu'er and her younger brother, were both crossed out from the family tree by Wan Yushi, ending up with an even more miserable ending than in the previous life.
Wan Xiu'er's aunt brought her son to the Xu family for help, but Xu Zuguang was already struggling to take care of himself, so how could he have the energy to help them? To put it bluntly, now it is no longer a question of whether he should let Lin Dan go, but whether Lin Dan will bother with him.
Lin Dan was the Southern Dipper Zhenren appointed by the Emperor himself, and also took in Prince Jin. He and Prince Jin were in daily contact and they had a deep friendship. What is Xu Zuguang, a sixth-rank official, in her eyes? If she thought of past grudges, or if she suddenly felt unhappy one day, she could crush Xu Zuguang into powder with just her mouth. How long Xu Zuguang can remain at ease depends on her mood. If she was in a good mood, she might forget about this person; if she was in a bad mood, Xu Zuguang would be wiped out in an instant.
Xu Zuguang himself is also very clear about this, so he has not been able to sleep at all in recent days. He lives in fear and anxiety every day. How can he have the mind to fantasize about the glory and wealth in his previous life? Wan Xiu'er's condition was even worse. She locked herself in the room all day and ignored even her mother and brother.
At first, the sound of porcelain breaking could be heard from her room. Later, when the impoverished Xu family no longer had any porcelain for her to smash, she finally became completely quiet. After a long time of trouble, the baby in her belly was finally born safely. It was a boy, and he looked very thin. If he was not taken good care of, he might die one day.
It is said that a mother is strong, and the arrival of this child completely ended Wan Xiuer's self-torture. She seemed like a different person. Not only did she walk out of the dim room, she also began to manage the family business seriously, trying to leave something for the child. On the contrary, she was annoyed even to look at Xu Zuguang for one more second. Somehow, this couple who were once extremely loving had become strangers to each other.
Xu Zuguang gradually realized that Wan Xiu'er was also reborn. Thinking about her in her previous life and looking at her now, Xu Zuguang suddenly understood that if she had not been trampled under Lin Dan's feet and became a concubine of lowly status and lost the care of her family, she would not have been so flattering, gentle and considerate to him. Their so-called deep friendship is nothing but a helpless mutual deception.
She clearly remembered her past life, but she hid it from him, trying to hold him hostage from the moral high ground, and using the power of her mother's family to control him. Finally, she tricked him into transferring the most profitable shops to her name. But what did she get in the end? She got a lot of debt and an empty dream!
Looking at this dilapidated home, Xu Zuguang was extremely unwilling to resign himself to the fact that when his superiors asked him to participate in the arrangements for the imperial examination, he could not resist the temptation, took the candidates' money, and leaked the examination questions. This matter was discovered by his superiors not long after, and he repeated his mistake and was sent to prison again. When the bailiffs put shackles and chains on him, he was so scared that he trembled. He took just two steps and peed all over the floor, becoming a laughing stock for everyone.
Wan Xiuer hid in the room holding the child. She never came out to see him off, nor did she say a word of comfort.
Xu Zuguang was smelling of urine. Wei was taken to the prison cell, where there were several other prisoners. They were whispering something, and vaguely one could hear words like "smoothing out relations, rescuing people, clearing names" etc. The jailer who was guarding the prisoners sneered, "Come on, this time it's the Emperor and Prince Jin who are personally investigating the cheating in the imperial examinations. Just clean your necks and wait for the beheading. Don't have these unrealistic dreams. There is no one who can get you out of here unscrupulous. The two at the top have endured it to the end, and they won't give anyone face."
Another jailer put a scented pill to his nose, sniffed it with great intoxication and said, "You are wrong. There are still people in the capital who can get through to those two."
"Who are you talking about?" the former jailer asked curiously.
"Isn't there only one person in our capital who has such extraordinary means?"
"Well, it's useless for you to say that! That living god won't take care of such a thing."
"I know she doesn't care about these mundane matters. What I mean is that he is the most prestigious person in the capital."
"Of course not. Even the emperor has to bow to her when he sees her."
As the two of them were talking, the topic went off track and they began discussing the various miracles performed by Master Lin. In despair, Xu Zuguang's eyes suddenly lit up, then he clenched his teeth, feeling anxious and troubled. In unspeakable torment, he fell asleep and walked like a wandering soul in a magnificent mansion. He felt that this place was inexplicably familiar, that place was extremely kind, and every blade of grass and every tree was lovely and colorful, making him linger. Suddenly, a thin woman walked into the hanging flower door with her head down. After entering the hall, she put down the medicine box in her hand and said happily, "My husband, I have cured General Du's hidden disease. Don't worry, he will not only not die, but will live a long life. He has promised to do your thing. You just wait for good news at home."
The woman raised her head, revealing a face that, although smiling, looked extremely weathered.
"Lin Dan!" Xu Zuguang suddenly woke up, tried to recall for a moment, and finally remembered many details that he had deliberately forgotten.
It turned out that it was not a dream, but something that really happened in my previous life. In order to help him return to official career, Lin Dan went from house to house every day, treating all kinds of people. She gave up her face, her comfort, and even her reputation, and finally gained his wealth. She could trample him into the mud or lift him up to the sky. She possessed so many abilities that ordinary people could not reach. It was ridiculous that he always thought that he could live such a smooth life only because of his own strength and talent.
After being reborn, Lin Dan taught Xu Zuguang a lesson with her decisive departure - without me, you are nothing!
Thinking of this, Xu Zuguang completely collapsed. He first covered his face and cried loudly, then banged his head against the wall over and over again. He didn't want to live at all.
At the same time, Wan Xiuer gathered all the property in the house and fled in a car, leaving even her mother and brother behind. She wants to leave here and start over. She still has a child. When the child grows up, passes the imperial examination and becomes a high-ranking official, he will definitely avenge his mother!
This idea was very inspiring, but unfortunately, the driver slowly drove the carriage into a dense forest, stopped in a field, and then drove away without looking back. Xu Weibai and Xu Yuling emerged from the bushes, each holding a sharp knife in their hands. They acted very quickly. One of them covered Wan Xiu'er's mouth and the other came up to snatch her child. Wan Xiu'er was still in confinement and had no strength to resist.
"You, what do you want to do? I have silver, I will give you the silver, please let me and the child go!" Wan Xiu'er said sobbingly.
Xu Weibai smiled grimly, then strangled the child to death without mercy, his face full of madness and hideousness. Xu Yuling put a sharp knife against Wan Xiuer's neck and said sarcastically, "Aren't you going to get rid of us for this child? How about it, are you heartbroken now?"
Wan Xiuer is crazy. He stared blankly at the dead child, his pupils dilating and shrinking, and he had lost his soul. After a long while, she suddenly laughed crazily and said word by word, "Xu Weibai, do you still remember Wan Ling? She had sex with monks from Hanguang Temple and got pregnant. She came to me and told me that she wanted to marry a man with a lowly family background who was easy to control so that she could continue to hang out with those monks. I recommended you without thinking, but your mother was too capable. She saw at a glance that Wan Ling was pregnant with a bastard and would never agree. But no matter what she said to you, you didn't believe it. Instead, you accused her of spreading rumors and making trouble, and completely turned against her. It was me, I alienated the relationship between you and her, it was me who wanted you to wear a green hat for the rest of your life and be someone's cuckold! It's ridiculous that you were still grateful to me and kept calling me mother. Do you know how happy I was at that time? I could wake up laughing in my dreams, hahahahaha!"
Xu Weibai's face turned purple with anger, and then he pressed down on his chest which was heaving violently, as if it would collapse at any moment.
Wan Xiuer looked at Xu Yuling and said sinisterly, "Xu Yuling, do you still remember Huang Lang? He was also the one I prepared for you, but it's a pity that your mother was too close to you to let you elope. Do you know where he came from? The so-called farming and reading family, the high talent, and the gentleness are all fake. He is just a scoundrel who eats, drinks, gambles, and has only a good-looking face. The number of women he killed in bed is too many to count on one hand, and he also got dirty. He won't live for many years! I originally planned to wait until you left, and then go to the small mountain village to collect your body in a few years, but I didn't expect you to be so lucky that you actually escaped. Seeing you resent your mother and go against her every day, do you know how happy I am? Every time you go home to stay for a while, I am happy to eat a few more bowls of rice!"
Wan Xiu'er looked into the void and laughed: "Look at you now, and then look at Lin Dan now, have you discovered how stupid you are? She is so powerful now. She is the Nan Dou Zhenren appointed by the emperor himself, and a living immortal respected by everyone in Daqi. Without you two idiots dragging her down, she lives a more glorious life than in her previous life! Hahaha, you are so stupid. You threw away such a big backer as soon as you arrived! God let you be reborn just to let you see with your own eyes how you die of stupidity! Hahaha, uh uh uh..."
Wan Xiuer's crazy words came to an abrupt end as Xu Yuling's sharp knife cut her throat. A column of blood spurted out, dyeing everyone red.
Wan Xiuer fell down, and hugged her son's body tightly before dying. She used all her strength to make a last laugh, but it was not directed at Xu Weibai and Xu Yuling, but at herself. It was ridiculous that she thought that after being reborn once, she could destroy Lin Dan first, and then regain everything she had, and even more. But in the end, she discovered that all the wealth, splendor, fine clothes and delicious food in her previous life were just charity from Lin Dan. Without Lin Dan, they are living worse than pigs and dogs!
How wonderful it would be if there was no rebirth! This thought came to the minds of the three people at the same time. Xu Weibai sat slumped in a pool of blood, his expression numb. Xu Yuling grabbed handfuls of her hair and murmured, "Mother, I regret it! Mother, I shouldn't have disobeyed you! Mother, I don't hate you anymore, please forgive me!"
The only response she got was the whistling mountain wind, like the howling of an evil spirit, woooo, woooo, woooo...
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