The sky was cloudless.
The sun radiates its charm to the world during the day, and now, as evening approaches, Yan Liang's head is still faintly hot.
It's not out of shame.
It was exposed to the sun.
Yan Liang reached out and touched his smooth, burning head, feeling a pang of sadness as he looked into the wind: This familiar touch, it really makes me nostalgic.
He underwent chemotherapy as a child, which caused him to lose his hair for a period of time. His hair gradually grew back after the chemotherapy ended. Many years later, feeling that familiar touch again brought back fond memories.
The original owner was a young monk at Putian Shaolin Temple, currently seventeen years old, having been a monk for seven years, with the Dharma name Wuji. He was lazy and gluttonous, and had a very weak presence in the temple.
Therefore, the cause of this person's death remains a mystery.
Yan Liang glanced at the system panel, where several large, glaring words read: 【Find the murderer who killed Wuji.】
There are one daily task after another.
The system said that Wuji had already been reincarnated through connections and didn't care about the murderer; he would be content as long as he was reborn into a good family. However, this mission was specifically issued out of concern for Yan Liang's personal safety.
Yan Liang was deeply moved. He touched his smooth head and went through the original owner's inorganic memories again and again, only to find no clues.
...Isn't this even more dangerous?
The person who killed Wuji was unaware that Wuji was still alive and might strike again at any time. Wuji was clueless and was an easy target.
Yan Liang stood in the sunlight, staring at the tree he had seen when he woke up.
Wuji died from poison. When the poison took effect, he went to the kitchen alone to steal food and died all alone under this tree.
Perhaps we should be grateful that the person who poisoned him didn't use anything extremely potent; at least he died without suffering.
Yan Liang thought with a hint of irony.
Faint sounds came from outside the courtyard. They were three young monks, all from Putian. Because of their poor family background, their parents sent them to Shaolin Temple.
"Senior Brother Wuhua is back!"
"real?"
"Go quickly!"
As the sound faded into the distance, Yan Liang thought for a moment, then left the courtyard and followed the young monks at a distance.
Wuhua and Wuji weren't particularly close, but Wuji had a very good impression of him. Everyone in Putian Shaolin Temple, and even in the martial arts world, admired him greatly.
Because of his handsome appearance and extraordinary talent, he was known as the "Seven Wonders Monk" for his exceptional skills in playing the zither, cooking, poetry, painting, and chess.
There seems to be no other word to describe such a person except "perfect".
However, when Master Tianhu appointed the future sect leader, he did not choose Wuhua, but instead chose Wuxiang.
Wu Xiang was kind and honest, and apart from not being as good as Wu Hua, he was also very popular in Shaolin Temple.
When Yan Liang arrived at the temple gate, he saw a man in the distance. He was handsome and elegant, with a gentle smile on his face. His white monk's robe was spotless, and he smiled very warmly at the young monks.
He compared the person in his memory with this person's face and finally confirmed that this person was Wuhua.
Wuhua handed the strings of candied hawthorns to the young monks, looked up and saw Wuji standing under the tree looking at him. He walked towards him and said, "Junior Brother Wuji."
Yan Liang sighed inwardly, marveling at Wu Hua's extraordinary bearing, which was more three-dimensional and also more... distant than the image in Wu Ji's memories.
He nodded and smiled, "Senior Brother Wuhua."
Wuhua was personally raised by Master Tianfeng and held a high position in the temple. He was free to come and go as he pleased, enjoying more freedom than ordinary disciples, and had a wide circle of friends. On this trip down the mountain, he also brought some sweets for Wuji, the very food that Wuji had secretly told him about before he left.
Unfortunately, inorganic matter is no longer available.
Yan Liang felt a little sad, but he still smiled and accepted it, saying, "Thank you, Senior Brother."
Wu Hua smiled slightly, bid farewell to Yan Liang, and turned to visit Master Tianfeng—he had been down the mountain for many days, and upon his return, he would naturally report to Master Tianfeng, who was both his teacher and father.
Yan Liang thought to himself that this was somewhat like an ordinary family, and for some reason, he felt a little happy.
He weighed the paper package in his hand, looked at the children staring at him, and smiled: "Want some? I'll share half with you."
"eat!"
The child was still young, and although he was surprised that Wuji, who was always lazy and stingy, suddenly showed such kindness, he still eagerly ran over when he saw the sweets.
Wuhua glanced back at Wuji, who was surrounded by little monks, and frowned slightly.
Why is he still alive?
Wu Hua was utterly bewildered as to who was actually responsible for the poisoning.
Even if the poison takes effect slowly, he should have died long ago after so many days.
Wu Hua was confused, but thinking about what he was about to do, he composed himself, put on a gentle yet highly deceptive expression, and slowly walked towards Master Tianfeng's residence.
He's nothing but an ant; we'll deal with him after we've finished with what we need to do next.
Wu Hua thought to herself.
Yan Liang felt a chill run down his spine and sneezed.
...It seems someone is talking about him.
Wu Hua's return to the Putian Shaolin Temple this time was precisely to eliminate evidence.
The only way to destroy the evidence was to kill Master Tianfeng, who had raised him.
Master Tianfeng is the only person in the world besides Shi Guanyin who knows that Wuhua is the son of Tianfeng Shisilang. Once he dies, no matter how much Chu Liuxiang speculates, he will not be able to obtain any evidence.
Wuhua had no hesitation. He was already old enough to remember things when he was adopted by Master Tianfeng, and he remembered his deceased father, Tianfeng Shisilang, and that Shi Guanyin, who now kept male concubines in the desert, was his mother. His father's dying words still echoed in his ears, and Wuhua was willing to do anything to fulfill them.
He has already killed many people, including his own younger brother, so Master Tianfeng is no exception.
Wu Hua walked slowly, and no one could have imagined that this ethereal figure harbored malicious thoughts.
Yan Liang distributed a lot of the sweets and took the rest back to Wuji's bedroom—or rather, the shared bedroom he shared with the other disciples. Apart from Wuji, who was always lazy, everyone else in the temple had a fixed schedule, such as chanting scriptures, discussing Zen, welcoming pilgrims, and interpreting fortune sticks for them. So at this time, the courtyard was still quite deserted.
Putian Shaolin Temple is located on a mountain with rugged paths, making both the ascent and descent difficult. Furthermore, Wuji spends his days idly, doesn't take martial arts seriously, is physically weak, and rarely descends the mountain; therefore, the only possible explanation for Wuji's poisoning is that it occurred within the Shaolin Temple.
Yan Liang picked up a broom and began sweeping the yard—one of the daily tasks on the system panel—and began to think again as he swept.
Although I hadn't figured it out before, thinking more is always better than not thinking at all.
Even in the inorganic form, residual toxins remain in the body. While they won't kill again, they pose a significant long-term health risk. If Yan Liang wants to live a long and healthy life, he needs to find the poisoner and obtain the antidote.
The moment he thought that, the system popped up: [There are universal antidote pills in the shop, cheap and delicious, why not buy a few?]
Yan Liang knew, of course, that there was a universal antidote pill in the store, but since the mission was to find the murderer, he might as well just take it from the murderer once he found him.
Yan Liang, who was diligent and thrifty, refused the system's sales pitch.
The system transforms into a salesperson: "We also have wigs! They'll give you incredibly realistic, beautiful hair!"
Yan Liang reached out and touched his bald head, shamefully feeling a stirring of attraction.
Once the murderer is found and the antidote is taken, he will return to secular life and wander the world, indulging in food, drink, and pleasure.
The system sensed the host's thoughts and was very pleased. In the previous world, Yan Liang had many concerns, but this time he could probably have some fun—and it could also enjoy more delicious food.
As Yan Liang envisioned a bright future under the rule of the Shaolin Temple, the deep sound of a wooden fish drum suddenly echoed from outside. He froze, his hand gripping the broom halting. Then, after the drumbeats stopped, someone laughed loudly: "The Shaolin scriptures are renowned throughout the land. Masters, could you lend them to me for a look?"
Has someone come to steal the scriptures?
Yan Liang gripped the broom tightly.
There were constant noises outside. Yan Liang stood in the corner and held his breath. He heard someone approaching quickly and swung the broom as the person jumped down.
While surprised, the man dodged the attack, lightly touching the broom tip with his toes and landing opposite Yan Liang.
The two stared at each other for a moment in the shadows.
After putting away the broom, Yan Liang caught a whiff of the faint scent of tulips in the air. A thought struck him, and he remembered someone Wu Hua had mentioned in his inorganic memories.
Wu Hua had a wide circle of friends, and when he talked about famous figures in the martial arts world in the temple, he often mentioned the legendary thief Chu Liuxiang. His deeds were so interesting that even Wu Ji, who had no interest in anything except food, was fascinated by them.
Chu Liuxiang came and went like the wind, leaving behind only the faint scent of tulips.
At this moment, smelling the fragrance of tulips, Yan Liang couldn't help but connect the person in the temple with Chu Liuxiang.
It was already evening, and the candlelight was dim. The temple was desolate, and the darkness made the desolation seem even more poignant.
Chu Liuxiang looked at the young monk opposite him, who was holding a broom, and admired his patience in sweeping the floor in the darkness and loneliness.
Those who can endure loneliness are no ordinary people.
Chu Liuxiang was unaware that the person in front of him was too lazy to get the candle and instead greatly admired Yan Liang. However, due to the urgency of the matter, he only had time to say "Excuse me" before leaping away and heading to the courtyard where Master Tianfeng was to the west.
Yan Liang watched his figure, recalling what the man had shouted earlier, and thought that the place did not seem to be the Sutra Repository.
Beyond this wall lies Master Tianfeng's residence, where, according to custom, Wuhua should be brewing tea for him at this moment.
Chu Liuxiang and Wuhua should be friends, so why are they acting so furtively, putting aside the theft of the scriptures?
Yan Liang was somewhat confused.
When he left the Zen temple, he saw Chu Liuxiang and Wuhua walk past him one after the other, and the atmosphere was subtle.
Chu Liuxiang saw the broom in Yan Liang's hand and smiled slightly at him.
Wu Hua smiled gently at him and followed Chu Liuxiang towards the back mountain.
Yan Liang stood there, watching the two leave, feeling that the two were about to fight.
The mountain breeze carried the scent of earth. Yan Liang sneezed, looked up at the night sky, and calculated with his fingers that it would rain soon. He hurriedly grabbed a broom and ran back to the courtyard, took an oil-paper umbrella from his bedroom, and went to where the monks were eating.
On the back mountain, a brawl between Chu Liuxiang and Wuhua had begun.
The rain poured down, the wind howled, lightning flashed and thunder roared.
Chu Liuxiang neutralized Wuhua's moves one by one and dodged the final hidden weapon, leaving Wuhua with no choice but to admit defeat.
In his final moments, he thought of Wuji, who for some reason had not yet succumbed to the poison. Now that the conspiracy had been exposed, it didn't matter whether Wuji lived or died.
Wu Hua and Chu Liuxiang had a discussion about "law" and "sanctions," and in the end, Wu Hua committed suicide by swallowing poison.
Chu Liuxiang stared at his corpse, his expression somber.
With so many monks at Shaolin Temple, it was no surprise that Chu Liuxiang and Wuhua were seen leaving Master Tianfeng's residence. The commotion they caused in the back mountain was considerable. Braving the angry gazes of hundreds of monks in the pouring rain, Chu Liuxiang, carrying Wuhua's body, arrived at Master Tianfeng's residence.
Master Tianfeng stood under the eaves, his expression sorrowful. He had guessed Wuhua's scheme, but after all, he was the child he had raised, and he hoped Wuhua could change his mind. But Wuhua would rather commit suicide than turn back.
Master Tianfeng let Chu Liuxiang leave.
Chu Liuxiang exchanged a silent glance with Master Tianfeng, then turned and strode away.
Yan Liang held an umbrella in one hand, took a bite of the fruit he was holding, and watched Chu Liuxiang leave this place sadly among the monks.
Yan Liang: ...What exactly happened in the time it takes to eat a meal??
Author's Note: A new world has begun!
Newly emerging profession: fortune-telling monk (not really)
I hope the novel coronavirus pneumonia can be brought under control!! Everyone stay safe and well~ Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2020-01-24 21:57:44 and 2020-01-25 20:55:51~
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: one live little angel has been caught;
Thank you to the little angels who watered with nutrient solution: Mumu Xin (6 bottles); I Want to Produce Food (5 bottles); Natsume Mio (2 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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