Chapter 69 Acknowledgement
Wen Yao kicked the door open completely, walked forward, grabbed the hilt of the knife on the manager's chest, and pulled it out. The manager's already cold body slid down and hit the ground with a "thump".
"They killed them all." Jiang Qiaosheng came in and took a quick look, seeing the room full of corpses scattered all over the place. Miao Shan had obviously not even spared the few gamblers who hadn't had time to leave. The head of the Killer Pavilion smiled, "The monk was quite ruthless."
"He knew we weren't in the city tonight." Wen Yao lowered his eyes to look at the steward's body and said, "How did he know?"
Bai Xiaosheng's apprentice had been kidnapped, but no one had publicized the incident. Qiu Huiying had only just gone to the City Patrol Office to mobilize troops today. From the time they set out to the time they returned to the city, it had only been an hour. How could Miao Shan, who was in prison, have escaped during this period by sheer chance?
Master Kongji's figure twisted for a moment in front of the scorching fire. Wen Yao frowned and threw the knife in his hand aside.
Wu Peiming rushed over and was shocked by the tragic scene inside the gambling house. He was quite puzzled. "That's impossible! I removed one of his hands and gave him a muscle softening powder. The more he uses his internal energy, the stronger the effect. He killed people and set fires, and he was still able to run away."
Zhao Xuanxu had been standing behind Wen Yao. When Wu Peiming finished speaking, he suddenly stepped forward, looked up at the bodies lying on the side, and said, "How long have they been dead?"
Wu Peiming leaned in to take a closer look. "It's already stiff. In this weather...it'll take almost an hour."
Wen Yao was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized, "The fire at Cihuai Temple had just started not long ago. Miao Shan first came to the gambling house to kill someone, and then went to Cihuai Temple."
The gambling den's inmates weren't just any thugs; killing them wouldn't be easy for Miao Shan. Then she'd rush to Cihuai Temple. The Softening Muscle Powder would surely have affected his muscles and bones, preventing him from running far. Perhaps he was hiding in Cihuai Temple, or perhaps even among the monks.
The fire at Cihuai Temple started beneath a tree on the southeast wall. That old tree, centuries old, had accompanied the temple's founding, and today, it was consumed by flames. The yamen runners were sweating profusely, while the monks sat cross-legged around the temple, facing the temple and chanting the Prajna Sutra in low voices.
As daylight dawned in Gusu City, the city's commoners and wealthy merchants, upon hearing the news of the fire at Cihuai Temple, had already flocked to the temple, scrambling to contribute money. Many came with children in their arms, sincerely hoping to gain some good karma.
"Get out of the way—"
The clatter of hooves, mingled with the sharp crack of whips, cascaded from the street corner. Everyone, including Qiu Huiying, who was about to mount his horse, turned to look. The Feathered Guards, arriving from the imperial city of Bianliang, were a formidable presence, a dark cloud descending, completely blocking the street corner. They halted in a trembling mass, then parted to reveal a dark carriage slowly approaching from the center.
Qiu Huiying loosened the reins, lifted his sleeve, and hurried forward, bowing: "Your Highness Prince Yan, have you found any clues?"
Wen Yao lifted the curtain and a face peeked out from inside: "Master Qiu, tell the people to disperse first. Don't let any monks go. Send Master Kongji over here."
Qiu Huiying, confused, did as he was told. Yamen runners held wooden sticks against the people outside, urging them to retreat quickly. Someone, remembering the corpse at Cihuai Temple, bravely raised their arms from a distance and shouted, "The murder has nothing to do with Master Kongji. The officials are not allowed to investigate. They are not allowed to slander a good man!"
As soon as this was said, there were many responses.
Amidst the noise, Kong Ji held the Buddhist beads in his hand, closed his eyes slightly, and walked forward step by step.
Wen Yao glanced at the people outside. They were a bit far away, so she could see them, but she couldn't hear what was being said inside. Pulling the curtain with one hand, she said to Kong Ji, "Master Kong Ji, the gambling house owner who identified Miao Shan as Qi Shun Zi has just been murdered. Including the gamblers and servants, no one survived."
After years of caressing, the bodhi wood becomes hard and mellow. Kong Ji's breathing quickened slightly as his fingers moved the beads one by one.
"Some say Miao Shan came to Gusu five or six years ago, became a nun, and became your last disciple. I see you have a strong bond as master and disciple, and your similarities in appearance are quite rare." Wen Yao looked at Kong Ji, smiled, and said, "Now that things have come to this, Master, why don't you stop chanting and just have a word?"
The crisp sound of the bodhi wood stopped. Kong Ji's wrist trembled slightly, and his snow-white beard and hair trembled: "Female donor..."
Wen Yao: "Is Miao Shan your son?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Qiu Huiying and the surrounding prefects and yamen runners were stunned. The monks around were also shocked when they heard it and stopped what they were doing.
Kong Ji looked at Wen Yao steadily.
Wen Yao pointed to Cihuai Temple and said, "Say yes or no in front of your Buddha."
"It's my fault." Kongji was silent for a long time, so long that those around him thought he wouldn't answer. But he finally spoke. Extremely tired and heavy, he slowly exhaled the breath that had been stagnating in his chest for a long time. "He lost his mother at a young age and wandered away, his heart crooked. I brought him back with the intention of educating him, but who could have foreseen the consequences today?"
Kong Ji actually admitted it.
Everyone was stunned, in disbelief. Kongji had achieved fame at a young age and dedicated his life to the study of Buddhism. If Miaoshan was his child, it would mean that the renowned monk Kongji had actually broken his vow of chastity and brought the child back to raise him. To do such a thing under the Buddha's nose, and yet live peacefully for so many years—regardless of whether he possessed the heart and bones of a Buddha, this mindset was truly rare among ordinary people.
Qiu Huiying was the first to digest this shocking news. He couldn't help but lean forward and said, "Those people were also killed by Miao Shan. He buried the bodies in Cihuai Temple. Did you know that or not?"
"I didn't know he killed anyone." Kong Ji lowered his head, his skinny bones rising from his back, a look of old age and desolation. "He has a grudge against me. I sowed the seeds of today's actions, and I will bear the consequences of today's consequences. I have nothing to say."
This is exactly why Wen Yao dislikes monks. Baldy, he gets sick of his occupational illness whenever he asks questions. He spouts Buddhist verses, all mysterious and mystifying.
"Okay, if you want to reflect, you have plenty of time to kneel before the Buddha and reflect. Now, first give an explanation for the dozens of lives you have taken. Let me ask you, where is Miao Shan now?"
Kong Ji: "Poor monk——"
The crisp sound of objects breaking.
Zhao Xuanxu reached out of the car door, a jade teacup between his slender white fingers. He suddenly let go, and the cup fell to the ground, the porcelain shattering into pieces, and the scalding tea soaked the corner of Kongji's clothes.
"I'm only here to find an excuse, you know that." Zhao Xuanxu raised his thick lashes, a hint of impatience. He waved his hand, and a feathered guard stepped forward to close the carriage curtain. Zhao Xuanxu leaned back, his hand resting on Wen Yao's back, his eyes dark and dull. "Tell me, and you'll save face. If you don't, the Cihuai Temple's underground vault contains countless scriptures. A single fire won't harm the Southern Buddhist heritage. How about I burn it again?"
Cihuai Temple boasts a long history, boasting a reputation for housing half of the world's scriptures. If it were to be destroyed, Tianshui Buddhism might even be cut short. This would be tantamount to burning books and burying scholars alive, and if it were truly carried out, it would undoubtedly be condemned by the world. However, Zhao Xuanxu's words were highly credible; anyone with a discerning eye could see that His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan truly cared little and was capable of such a move.
Qiu Huiying was watching from the side. When he heard this, he couldn't help but open his mouth, but then closed it in silence.
Empty hands drooped, the bodhi wood beads hanging limply between old fingers. He said, "He was seriously injured. He came to me just now, asking for shelter, but I refused. He changed his clothes and left, and then the ancient wood in the wing room caught fire. I don't know where he is now."
He no longer called himself "poor monk" but "I". At this moment, he was no longer the world-famous Buddhist monk Kongji, but just an old and incompetent father.
Miao Shan possessed a deep-seated vengeance, his methods as brutal and brutal as those of a wild animal. Upon escaping prison, he immediately went to the gambling den, his bloodied arm dragging him to kill someone. His limp muscles were acting up, and knowing he couldn't escape on his own, he mustered the strength to return to Cihuai Temple to seek solitude.
Miao Shan avoided everyone and stood in front of the Buddha covered in dirt and blood, asking her father who was also standing under the Buddha to hide her so that she could escape this disaster.
Kong Ji refused.
Miao Shan was furious and smashed the table beside Kong Ji with a palm. However, since there were martial monks in the temple, he couldn't make too much noise, so he changed his clothes and hurried away. As he left, he happened to run into some young monks who had gotten up early to clean the temple. Miao Shan didn't kill them, but simply sent them away and set a huge fire in Cihuai Temple.
The dissatisfaction and resentment that soared to the sky.
"He is inherently evil, far more than good. For so many years, I have taught him with Bodhi and the Vajra Compassion Sutra, but it has been of no avail, and has instead led to the disastrous consequences today." Kong Ji hunched his body, his face buried in his hands, looking extremely depressed and pale.
Wen Yao ignored his frantic chatter. Miao Shan couldn't get far, she thought. If he wasn't here, where else could he go? The soldiers would search the city, and the streets were definitely not a good place to be. He was seriously injured and would need a quiet place to recuperate.
"Does Miaoshan have any other place to go?" Wen Yao asked Kong Ji, "Does he stay at Cihuai Temple every day?"
Kong Ji didn't answer. The elder monk beside him had already let go of his hand. Seeing this, he stepped forward and nodded, saying, "Yes, Miao Shan comes back every day."
Jiang Qiaosheng leaned against the side of the carriage, uttered a sigh, and said with a smile: "Why don't we search the temple again? Maybe it's hiding in the belly of the big Buddha." Her voice was clear and sweet, her laughter was gentle, and she was innocent, but her words made the monks' faces change suddenly.
Wen Yao remained silent, and Zhao Xuanxu continued to lean aside without reacting. Meanwhile, the Feathered Guards glanced at their master, receiving his tacit approval. They spurred their horses and eagerly dismounted, eager to enter Cihuai Temple.
"No, absolutely not!" The abbot and the monks of the surrounding Cihuai Temple became anxious. Everyone's urging gazes were like branding irons, which were imprinted on Kongji's body and made a sizzling sound.
The once highly respected monk had fallen into such a state. Wen Yao had no idea how Kong Ji felt.
Kong Ji hung his head, his beard and hair trembling in the damp, slightly chilly wind. For a long moment, his eyes were wooden, his lips and eyeballs trembling together. He spoke with difficulty, "His mother's tablet is in the house two blocks away, under the eaves, with a carved swallow's tail. He had nowhere else to go, so he must be there."
The feathered guards holding the carriage curtains retreated. Wu Peiming shook the reins, driving the carriage away, followed by the feathered guards. Someone beside Qiu Huiying tugged at his sleeve and asked cautiously, "Sir, should we follow them, or should we deal with this first?"
Qiu Huiying glanced at Kongji. He had once admired Kongji's profound Buddhist teachings and noble character, but seeing him like this, his emotions were mixed. "No need to follow. Send the monk to a safe place first. Kongji...will be imprisoned temporarily. No one is allowed to approach Cihuai Temple without my warrant!"
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