Chapter 69: White Bone Hairpin (End) The Saint's Blessing (Part 2)
Before the majestic shrine, everyone knelt, but Bi Tao stood alone, standing out. She lowered her eyes to observe the kneeling figures, her emotions filled with mixed emotions.
Just a moment ago, they wanted to kill her, but now, they knelt before her and worshipped her.
No, not kneeling to her, but kneeling to the temple behind her, kneeling to the non-existent goddess, kneeling to the long-standing obsession and the fading faith.
It really seems like a joke.
Wuweizi cleared his throat, and Bitao came back to her senses and continued, "Everyone, please stand up."
Wuweizi was once again the first to rise, his face adorned with exaggerated respect. His voice, his breath deep in his dantian, carried across every corner of the square. "May I ask why the goddess has appeared today? Is it just to tell me, the mortal, that you're leaving?"
The square fell silent, and everyone looked at Bitao intently, waiting for her response.
Bi Tao shook her head slightly and spoke softly, her voice filled with compassion for all living beings: "I have appeared today not only to bid you farewell, but also to entrust you with a favor. My maiden vacancies are now filled, so please do not send any more Saints to the Divine Palace or hold any more prayers for them. As for the blessing hairpin, after I leave the Divine Palace, I will no longer be able to bless it with divine power, so it will naturally be useless. The girls in Ningyuan Village are all excellent. I believe that after returning to the Heavenly Palace with me, they will soon be able to join the ranks of the immortals. When they ascend, and a vacancy becomes available for my maiden, I will return to Ningyuan Village and select a suitable Saint to bring to the Heavenly Palace."
"Goddess, are you short of a boy?" the village chief suddenly asked, his face showing some courtesy. "I have a grandson at home, he just turned ten, and he's very smart—"
Bi Tao waved her hand, interrupting him. "For the past few decades, you've sent girls to the Divine Palace. Why are you thinking of boys now?" Wu Wei Zi's reminder came from beside her. Bi Tao paused and said hurriedly, "My time in the human world has come to an end. I will be leaving soon. Please take care. I will remember your kindness and will protect every villager in Ningyuan Village every day in the Heavenly Palace."
After saying that, Bi Tao closed her eyes, lost consciousness, and fell backwards. Wu Wei Zi was quick to catch Bi Tao's falling body. His voice was so sharp that it almost made Bi Tao unable to pretend: "Farewell, Goddess, return to heaven!"
——
"We respectfully send the goddess back to heaven!" Yu Chang imitated Wu Wei Zi's behavior just now, laughing so hard that he fell backwards. "How can this sound like sending the goddess back to heaven? It's clearly a funeral. Wishing her a speedy and peaceful rest!"
Xun Shu also smiled, pursing his lips: "Master Wuweizi looks unreliable, but he is very convincing when acting. If I hadn't known the whole story in advance, I would have been fooled by him."
Li Xuanhe opened a small oil-paper package and placed it in front of Xun Shu, revealing a few large white teeth, as if to take credit for something: "I just passed by the market and saw some freshly baked sugar cakes, so I asked Yuchang to buy some. Come and try them while they're hot."
Shou Zhiyue, who was standing by, shuddered at the sight of them. "You guys don't even try to avoid people."
Xun Shu took a bite of the cake and said seriously, "He is my third brother, why should we avoid him?"
Xun Shu's eyes were clear, and he spoke with great seriousness. Li Xuanhe, standing beside him, opened his mouth, his expression a mixture of anger and grievance, a rather amusing sight. Shou Zhiyue took it all in and sighed, "Now that the Saint Maiden's blessing is over, have you all decided what to do with me?"
Time goes back to two hours ago.
After fainting, Bi Tao was carried into the shrine. Moments later, under the gaze of the crowd, she gradually regained consciousness and performed another scene, completely oblivious to the world. Afterward, Wu Wei Zi stepped forward, first commending the village chief and the head of the village for their years of hard work in organizing the blessing ceremony for the Saint. He then praised the villagers' piety and sincere devotion, which had led to the Saint's ascension today. Finally, he stated that witnessing the Saint's appearance was a blessing that could not be achieved in several lifetimes, and that everyone must carefully follow the Saint's instructions to secure her everlasting protection.
The villagers instantly accepted Wuweizi's words, cheering loudly and expressing their joy. Although the village chief and the Donglizheng felt that something was wrong, they couldn't figure out what was wrong and were helpless.
At this point, Xun Shu and Li Xuanhe's plan was mostly completed.
After the blessing ceremony ended hastily, Wuweizi returned to the village chief's house. Chixiao followed him to keep an eye on him, and Bitao also returned home with her relatives.
The gathered villagers gradually returned to the village, and the area surrounding the shrine returned to silence. Just then, an explosion sounded, and before the stunned gazes of those still within sight, the hidden passage was blown to pieces, and the shrine itself, concealed within, was reduced to ruins in an instant.
Everything in the shrine completely disappeared on this day.
Xun Shu, Li Xuanhe and others did not look back. They mixed in the crowd, crossed the entire village, and came to Wei's house again.
Shou Zhiyue, still dressed like a young man, entertained a few people in the main hall. She listened to their laughter and chatter, but her heart was still hanging in the air. Finally, she couldn't help but ask the question she had just asked.
Li Xuanhe took the handkerchief handed to him by Yuchang and slowly wiped the syrup from his fingers. He said, "Now that the passage to the north is open, reinforcements can enter the village at any time, so I will not hide it from you anymore. I am the Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple. I happened to pass through here and did not expect to encounter such strange cases. As an official, I naturally cannot condone your killing. I am afraid that your plan to take Shou Changze's life will not be possible. As for Shou Duan and Cai You, they are dead after all. I will not stop you from making any magic circle you want. If this formation can resolve the hatred and regret in your heart regarding the case of the continuous loss of souls in the Dali Temple, then go ahead. But in exchange, I want you to do me a favor."
Shou Zhiyue's smile was thin, superficial, her heart filled with resentment. But what else could she do? She wanted to plot again, to chop Shou Changze into pieces, but she didn't have time.
She sighed and finally accepted her fate. "Thank you for helping the entire Ningyuan Village. I believe you have already informed the authorities about my situation. When they arrive in Ningyuan Village, they will come to arrest me... I don't think I can stay here for much longer. I will do my best to help you with whatever you need me to do."
Li Xuanhe pulled a document from his sleeve, placed it on the table, and pushed it forward half an inch. "This is a record of the whole process of this case, written by me personally. I have affixed my personal seal to this document. Once submitted, it will be recorded. Afterwards, according to Daliang law, the Dali Temple will send personnel to this place to arrest you and bring you back to the capital to await execution in the autumn."
Shou Zhiyue stared at the document intently, as if she was watching the date of her death: "When will you present it, sir?"
She reached out to take the document, but Li Xuanhe held it down with a finger, preventing her from moving. Li Xuanhe took the document away and continued, "But if I don't submit it, it will just be a piece of waste paper. Cai You and Shou Duan's deaths will still be closed as accidents, as the village chief intended. No one will ever know the truth."
Shou Zhiyue's voice trembled slightly: "What do you mean, sir?"
Li Xuanhe didn't beat around the bush. "Although the Saint Maiden's Blessing has been temporarily suppressed with the help of Schisandra chinensis and Peach Blossom, given time, the village chief and the East Village Chief might come up with a new plan, devise a new way to amass wealth, and create another Saint Maiden's Blessing to control the villagers. They might even continue to sacrifice innocent girls in the village. What I need you to do is stay in Ningyuan Village and act as the eyes of the Dali Temple."
Shou Zhiyue was puzzled. "I was wondering this morning: why not just make the truth public? Why not just arrest the village chief and Dong Lizheng?"
Li Xuanhe shook his head. "The conflict between Ningyuan Village's Ningdong and Ningxi districts has been going on for years. For all these years, the village has remained governed by the village chief and the two village heads, East and West. It's not that no one has tried to merge the two districts, and the court has also tried to send a county magistrate to incorporate the village into Shannan or Jiangnan Provinces, but it has always failed. This shows that the situation must be much more complicated than it appears. Now that the West Village Head is dead, if the village chief and the East Village Head are removed, the three most prestigious people in the village will also be removed. The village will be leaderless, and new chaos will surely arise. The villagers will be uneasy and panic. Even if the court sends people, they can only rely on force to suppress the rebellion, which will not ensure true obedience, and may even result in unpredictable casualties. This is not what the court, not what Your Majesty wants to see, and it is not the best way to resolve this matter."
Shou Zhiyue's heart was pounding as she whispered, "You want me to lurk in Ningyuan Village and completely subjugate it, bringing it under the jurisdiction of Shannan or Jiangnan Province? But I have no official position, and no one in the village trusts me. How can I help you?"
Li Xuanhe sneered, "You think you're too important." He paused, but didn't keep the secret. "You've been in Ningyuan Village for many years, and your wives are also from Ningyuan Village. They are very familiar with the village's situation, whether it's Ningdong or Ningxi. The position of Xilizheng is vacant now. You provide the money, and I will help you buy the position from the village chief. From now on, you will remain in Ningyuan Village as Wei Wulang, serving as the eyes of the Dali Temple and the court. As long as you don't commit any new crimes and obey my arrangements, this document will be sealed in my hands forever, and all your past deeds will be wiped out. Are you willing?"
It was like she had reached a dead end and discovered a paradise. Shou Zhiyue's eyes gradually became moist. Without a moment's hesitation, she spoke firmly and signed the contract: "I couldn't ask for more."
-
The gap in the sky on the north side of Ningyuan Village was cleared and restored on the morning of the day when the saint prayed for blessings, but at that time everyone in the village gathered near the temple and no one noticed it.
Xun Shu and Li Xuanhe didn't want to linger any longer, leaving Ge Qi and Chi Xiao behind to clean up the mess and help Shou Zhiyue take the seat of Xili Zheng. The others loaded their luggage back onto the carriages and, without even having lunch, hurriedly left the inn, heading north towards the southern road on the mountain.
Xun Shu sat in the carriage, opened the curtains and looked out the window.
The streets are bustling with people coming and going, the restaurants and bars are packed, and the clothing and cloth shops are also filled with laughter and joy.
In just a few hours, everything returned to normal, or perhaps the saint's prayer for blessing was just a dream that never really existed.
Xun Shu sighed, lowered the curtains, and turned to look at Li Xuanhe across from him: "I didn't expect you to let Shou Zhiyue go."
Li Xuanhe hadn't slept all night and was extremely sleepy. He didn't open his eyes when he heard this, but only replied vaguely, "Solving a case isn't just about telling stories; it requires real, concrete evidence. It rained a few days ago, and all the evidence has been destroyed. If we really want to convict Shou Zhiyue, I'm afraid it will be difficult."
"But the hearts of those two people are still—"
Xun Shu was halfway through his sentence when he understood Li Xuanhe's point. Now that the secret passage had been blown up, the bodies of the two men would never be recovered. As for the two hearts in the jar, they were likely rotten and stinking, making it impossible to tell whether they were human or pig. How could they prove they were the two deceased? As for Shou Duan's two servants, their faces were completely disfigured, a confusing matter that had a ripple effect on the entire situation.
How could Shou Zhiyue be convicted if they couldn't even find the deceased? Even if they could find him, how could they explain everything in the secret passage? The goddess's deception could no longer continue.
Xun Shu breathed a sigh of relief, as if he felt relieved for Shou Zhiyue.
"Besides..." Li Xuanhe stretched and opened his eyes. "This is definitely not something that can be accomplished by one or two people. The entire Wei residence is probably implicated. Do I have to arrest them all and convict them all? It's better to turn a blind eye and let them be used by the Dali Temple and the court. Help resolve the ownership of Ningyuan Village as soon as possible and completely annex it to Shannan Dao. After all, some people are much more valuable alive than dead."
Xun Shu was about to say something when the carriage suddenly stopped. Xun Shu staggered and almost hit the carriage door, but Li Xuanhe was quick enough to grab her.
Just as Li Xuanhe was about to lose his temper, the carriage door was pushed open. Yu Chang said to the two people inside through the door curtain, "Sir, someone wants to see you."
Xun Shu was a little curious, so he lifted the door curtain and saw Bitao standing in front of the carriage, tightly clutching a small bundle. She looked extremely scared, but her eyes were still shining, as if she had infinite courage.
When Bi Tao saw the carriage stop, she glanced at Li Xuanhe, then at Xun Shu, and said firmly, "Young lady, are you in need of a maid? I have helped my parents take care of my younger siblings since I was young, and I have also worked in restaurants and weaving workshops. I can chop wood, light fires, embroider, and cook. I can do everything and I will definitely take good care of you."
What does this have to do with anything? Xun Shu blinked: "I don't need a maid."
Bi Tao still refused to give up: "Miss, are you in need of someone to entertain you? To be honest with you two benefactors, my family can no longer accommodate me, and I don't want to stay here anymore. I'm afraid they will sell me out again. I know you two benefactors are leaving Ningyuan Village, so could you give me a ride? If you two really don't have anyone available, you can just drop me off when you get to Shannan Road."
Li Xuanhe narrowed his eyes and looked at Bitao. He saw that she was always looking in the direction of Xun Shu. Her eyes were bright and she didn't seem to have any other thoughts.
He really wanted to find a maid who was skilled in martial arts and could take care of Xun Shu, but he was worried that Xun Shu would reject him. Xun Shu looked obedient and gentle, but she was a very thoughtful person. If he forced her to arrange her life, he was afraid that she would be pushed further away.
If Xun Shu could really keep Bitao, it would be a good idea.
Even so, Li Xuanhe still didn't dare to say anything, but turned to look at Xun Shu, expressing his attitude.
Everything is left to Xun Shu to decide.
Xun Shu thought for a moment. Although he didn't want to interfere with other people's karma, he felt that helping a girl was a good thing.
As long as you follow your heart and do good deeds, you shouldn't think too much.
Xun Shu moved to the inside of the carriage, making room for a seat, and smiled, "I don't lack a maid, but I do need a companion. Miss Bitao, would you like to get in?"
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