SS CH119

That was an utterly inconspicuous monk.

About forty years old, of medium build, with ordination scars on his head and calluses on his palms from years of sweeping—there was nothing remarkable about him at all.

Pushed to the front, his expression was a mix of cowardice and terror. The moment he saw Ye Fusheng and Xuan Su, his face went deathly pale. Trembling like a leaf, he couldn’t form a complete sentence.

Hengyuan spoke gently, “Fayuan, explain clearly what happened tonight. Did you see these two benefactors ascend the pagoda? How did the disciples inside die? What exactly do you know?”

The monk named “Fayuan” glanced carefully at the crowd, then hid his body behind Hengyuan and began to wail: “Just past the hour of Yin, the senior and junior brothers on duty with me started complaining of stomachaches one after another. Then they collapsed and died, bleeding from all seven orifices. It was terrifying.”

Since neither Xuan Su nor Ye Fusheng had entered through the doors, they naturally didn’t know what had happened below the seventh floor. Hearing his tearful account, Ye Fusheng frowned, while Xuan Su’s expression grew even colder.

Hengming asked urgently, “Was it poison?”

Fayuan replied, “It was poison. They had just boiled water and drank it. Who would have thought that with just one cup, they swallowed something lethal?”

Ye Fusheng asked, “Who boiled the water? And why are you fine?”

Fayuan glanced at him and said, “Senior Brother Famiao, who boiled the water, also died of poisoning. At that time, my three junior brothers—Fajue, Fazhen, and Faxing—and I were busy sweeping and had no time to drink, so we escaped disaster. We originally wanted to run out and call for help, but then we saw the main doors forced open with a blade. Fearing the mastermind had arrived, we hurriedly lay on the floor and played dead. Squinting, I saw these two benefactors enter. Seeing the corpses covering the floor, they didn’t panic at all and headed straight upstairs.”

Xuan Su marveled at this performance of a thief crying “catch the thief,” while Ye Fusheng raised his eyelids. “You saw us come up with your own eyes? Why didn’t you immediately call for help after we went up?”

Fayuan cowered slightly. “I am not a martial monk and am not skilled in martial arts. My three junior brothers went upstairs on their own to stop you, leaving me to guard the great bell. If they failed to stop you, I was to ring the bell as a warning… I waited below for a while, then suddenly heard a commotion outside. I looked out the window and saw my two junior brothers, Fajue and Faxing, fall from the building one after the other…”

This man was an excellent actor. Though he didn’t point directly at Ye Fusheng and Xuan Su and condemn them as murderers, his wailing ability to invert black and white fueled the crowd’s righteous indignation. Glaring dagger-like stares flew their way, and many had already drawn their weapons, treating Ye Fusheng and Xuan Su like demonic villains on par with Zhao Qing.

Hengyuan lightly pressed a hand down to quiet the clamor and looked at the two. “Do you two have anything to say?”

Xuan Su raised his eyes but answered with a question: “Have Abbot Sejian and my Martial Uncle Duanheng arrived yet?”

The moment he said this, someone shouted indignantly, “Does Daoist Xuan Su think we don’t have the right to hold you accountable?”

Xuan Su replied, “For trumped-up charges, is it your place to question? Please invite the Abbot to establish the truth.”

Hengming argued, “Is what Fayuan said not enough to condemn you?”

Ye Fusheng spoke up. “If a one-sided story can serve as ironclad proof, who knows how many false and unjust cases would pile up in the magistrate’s courts.”

Hengyuan looked at him. “Then, Benefactor Ye, can you prove your innocence right now?”

“Proving my innocence might be a stretch, but I do have a few questions and hope you all can clear up my confusion.” Ye Fusheng raised a single finger. “First, were these three Masters proficient enough in martial arts to actually assist the two high monks?”

Fayuan hesitated, but Hengming answered, “Their martial arts were ordinary, not considered highly skilled among the martial monks.”

“Then that is strange. Since their martial arts were insufficient to aid the two high monks, why didn’t they simply stay with Master Fayuan to guard the great bell, which would also allow them to spare someone to seek help from the nearby pagodas?” Before Fayuan could argue, Ye Fusheng continued, “Second, how were the martial arts of the two high monks?”

Hengming replied, “Although the two Martial Granduncles were advanced in years, their muscles and bones remained strong, their internal energy was profound, and their martial skills were immense. When they joined forces, only Martial Uncle Sekong in the entire temple could fight them to a draw.”

“Everyone can see clearly that both high monks were stabbed in the back, killed in a single strike, with no other injuries on their bodies.” Xuan Su said coldly, “This poor Daoist is twenty-eight this year, and Fusheng is not yet thirty. Our combined ages don’t even equal one of the high monks. Could we kill them in the blink of an eye?”

Hengming froze, and the others realized the discrepancy, looks of doubt appearing on their faces.

Hengyuan finally spoke again. “If ghost-like tricks were used, they would be impossible to guard against.”

“As the saying goes, ‘An open spear is easy to dodge, but a hidden arrow is hard to guard against.’ That does make sense.” Ye Fusheng smiled. “Regarding this matter, this untalented one actually made some discoveries.”

Hengyuan narrowed his eyes as Ye Fusheng walked up to the crowd and asked a sharply dressed woman, “Miss, may I borrow the silver hairpin from your hair?”

The woman glanced at him, swallowed her initial refusal, pulled out a silver hairpin, and handed it to him. “It’s just a hairpin, take it and use it. But if you can’t provide evidence, we will take action.”

“Naturally.” Ye Fusheng smiled, returned to the two old monks, swept his robes aside, dropped to one knee, pressed his palms together in a respectful bow, and then looked up. “Compelled by circumstances, I must show some disrespect to the Masters’ bodies. Please forgive me.”

Fayuan’s face changed. He was about to speak and stop him but was secretly pulled back by Hengyuan.

He tilted his head to steal a glance at Hengyuan’s face. The young monk’s expression remained neutral, but a bone-deep murderous aura condensed in his eyes, vanishing just as quickly.

As he finished speaking, Ye Fusheng inserted the silver hairpin into the dantian of one of the old monks. The hairpin was six inches long, and the old monk was emaciated, so it nearly pierced all the way through. When he pulled the hairpin out, the previously bright silver metal had turned black.

Holding the hairpin with a handkerchief, his gaze turned cold and heavy. “The poison entered the lungs and penetrated the bone marrow. Just as ‘three feet of ice is not formed in a single day,’ could such ghost-like tricks be achieved overnight? We only entered Wuxiang Temple yesterday afternoon. Even if we truly harbored malicious intentions and acted preemptively, what kind of prolonged and meticulous arrangement would be required to deeply poison the two high monks without their noticing?”

Hengming murmured, “The two Martial Granduncles possessed profound internal energy. Ordinary poisons would not affect them; upon entering the body, they would be suppressed and forced out by their internal energy. It could only be done slowly and gradually. However, the water and food sent here do not go through the main kitchen but are prepared by dedicated personnel. Nothing could go wrong there…”

“Master Hengming’s words are very reasonable. So the third question arises: if the poison didn’t come from the water and food, where did it come from?” Ye Fusheng turned and pinched the remaining incense ash from the burner, looking over everyone present. “A month ago, at the Seizing-Blade Challenge at Duanshui Manor in Guyang City, I imagine some of the heroic warriors present were there to witness it. Does this feel familiar?”

A moment of silence fell before someone shouted, “Burial Soul Palace, Bu Xueyao!”

The moment these words were spoken, it was like pouring boiling water into a pot of rolling oil. With a loud sizzle, countless drops of oil splattered, burning people from skin to bone. For a moment, no one spoke again.

Until Ye Fusheng broke the silence. He looked at Fayuan hiding behind Hengyuan. “Master, you said you are a sweeping monk in this pagoda. Replacing the incense on the altar should also be part of your duties. Poison was placed in it, accumulating day by day until it caused this disaster. Were you truly completely ignorant? Monks do not lie; beware the Hell of Tongue-Ripping.”

Fayuan’s face was deathly pale. “I-I…”

Xuan Su spoke up at the right moment, detailing the reasons he came here and the dangerous encounters he just faced, staring fixedly at him. “You said you saw the two of us enter the pagoda with your own eyes, but we both scaled the outside. Because this poor Daoist’s qinggong is poor, I stepped on and shattered a tile on the fourth floor and had to use my finger strength to grip the railing and steady myself. If you don’t believe it, you can go check. So, what the Master saw… was it ghosts or gods?”

The situation reversed abruptly. Everyone’s gaze landed on Fayuan, demanding an explanation. Hengyuan also looked shocked and said, “What exactly is the truth? Speak quickly!”

Fayuan’s spine trembled, his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor, his face the color of dirt. “I…”

“Look out!” Xuan Su shouted, the Wuwei sword shooting out like lightning. Yet he was a step too late. The monk who was just trembling like a sieve suddenly rolled on the ground and executed a horizontal leg sweep, tripping Hengyuan who was standing beside him. A short knife slid from the monk’s sleeve, pressing directly against Hengyuan’s throat!

All cowardice vanished from Fayuan’s face, replaced by the ruthless ferocity of a desperado. Tightening his grip on the blade, he held Hengyuan hostage and backed away step by step. “Get out of the way, or I’ll kill him.”

The blade broke the skin, and blood began to seep out. Even though Ye Fusheng and Xuan Su were already convinced Hengyuan was compromised, they lacked solid proof. Furthermore, in such a situation, no one could simply watch someone die without trying to save them.

“Earlier he claimed he didn’t know martial arts, but now he pulls this move. It seems he can’t keep playing the hidden spy and has resorted to stabbing openly.” The woman who had lent the silver hairpin to Ye Fusheng spoke coldly. She unsheathed her longsword, and the others also drew their weapons.

They stood ready for battle, but none dared to act rashly.

The death of a single monk might be insignificant, but that monk couldn’t be Hengyuan. He was the disciple of the Western Buddha. Even if he wasn’t exceptional in literary or martial arts, his status was pivotal. If someone’s reckless action caused his death, regardless of whether Sekong pursued the matter, that person would definitely not have an easy time.

Hengyuan seemed stunned by the sudden turn of events. He instinctively struggled, only to receive a palm strike to his back, immediately causing blood to appear at the corners of his mouth.

Seeing this, Hengming was horrified. “Let Junior Brother Hengyuan go!”

Coughing up a mouthful of blood, Hengyuan didn’t say another word. Instead, he threw himself against the blade. The crowd gasped in horror, but Fayuan reacted faster. Tipping the blade downward, he sliced an opening on Hengyuan’s shoulder, sealed his acupoints with a tap of his finger, and spat. “Stinking monk, looking for death isn’t that easy! Neither good at letters nor martial arts, your life is in my hands, and I decide your fate!”

Saying this, his sinister gaze swept over the crowd, landing particularly harshly on Xuan Su and Ye Fusheng like two knife cuts. “Get out of the way, or having the Western Buddha’s disciple buried with me won’t be a loss!”

Xuan Su frowned. He knew this was an act, but he couldn’t make a reckless move. For a moment, his grip on his sword loosened, then tightened again.

Whether Hengyuan was intentionally allowing himself to be captured so Fayuan could escape, or using this to wash away his own suspicion, it had to be said this was an excellent move.

Ye Fusheng watched as Fayuan held Hengyuan hostage and retreated step by step, quickly backing out of the cell and nearing the staircase.

Just at that moment, a streak of red silk spiraled from behind Fayuan, wrapping tightly around his neck like a snake. With a forceful downward yank, the man lost his balance, and his grip loosened.

Seizing the fleeting opportunity, Hengyuan awkwardly broke free from Fayuan’s grasp, rolling on the ground to escape his immediate reach. Hengming lunged forward like an arrow, raising a fist and smashing it into the man’s head!

Hengming practiced Wuxiang Temple’s martial classic, the Prajna Sutra. In terms of fist and kick techniques, few in the entire Jianghu could match him. This fury-fueled punch literally shattered the man’s head open, sending him tumbling down the stairs, his face covered in blood.

An embroidered shoe stepped over the corpse. Xue Chanyi had suddenly appeared. Her hair was messy, her forehead sweaty. Upon seeing them, she shouted loudly, “Something has happened at the Sutra Depository!”

Her words shocked everyone present. The pupils of Hengyuan, who had just “escaped disaster,” contracted sharply. Ye Fusheng saw it perfectly clearly: this time, the shock and anger in his eyes were absolutely genuine, without a trace of pretense.

Ye Fusheng narrowed his eyes. He had gathered from the surrounding chatter that the Sutra Depository had caught fire earlier. Supposedly, a monk reading at night had accidentally knocked over a candlestick, causing the fire. Fortunately, it was extinguished in time before causing a major disaster, which was why these people had been able to rush here from different locations.

Hengyuan cried out, “Hasn’t the fire at the Sutra Depository already been put out?”

Xue Chanyi was completely devoid of color. “The fire was just put out. Abbot Sejian personally led people into the pavilion to move some scriptures. Unexpectedly, not long after they entered, a massive change occurred in the Sutra Depository. There was a thunderous explosion, and intense flames suddenly erupted. Of the people who went in… not a single one has come out.”

Hengming’s face changed drastically. Hengyuan staggered a few steps, his legs giving out as he fell to his knees.

Everyone was shocked and furious. What Xue Chanyi described was clearly a situation caused by detonating explosives. But how could a Buddhist temple possess such things?

Looking again at the corpses in the pagoda and thinking of the highly toxic lingering incense, the three words “Burial Soul Palace” sprang to mind, sending a sudden chill through everyone’s hearts.

However, Xuan Su didn’t hear a single word of the chaotic chatter.

His mind went completely blank. His ears rang only with the sentence Xue Chanyi added at the very end—

“Daoist Duanheng is also inside.”

———————————————

Author’s Note:

Chu Xiwei: Height and weight are the same number. Basically, just a circle.

Ye Fusheng: In my youth, I was reckless and arrogant, wild, unrestrained, and loved flirting.

Xie Wuyi: I was so happy when A-Li was born; I picked up my son and tossed him up high. I was too excited and threw him right out… good thing Rong Cui caught him fast.

Xie Min: My mom said the whole day’s plan for a kid starts in the morning. I thought she meant the middle of the night… so I lived a life of waking up earlier than a rooster and sleeping later than a dog.

Xie Li: Looking at you guys above, you know the reason I can’t grow tall now is lack of sleep.

Ruan Feiyu: Back in the day, I almost angered my private tutor to death. I was punished to stand during every class. A living negative example.

Qin Hebai: While practicing horse stance, my master put a burning incense stick underneath me. I couldn’t hold on, didn’t pay attention, and sat right down on it… Sometimes scars aren’t a man’s medal, they are a dark history TAT.

Qin Lanshang: I still remember during my first fight after completing my apprenticeship, I used a reverse thrust and gave my opponent a “Thousand Years of Death” (Kancho)… I really didn’t mean to, I was just too short, it couldn’t be helped.

Lu Mingyuan: The teacher said you have to study Wang Xizhi to practice calligraphy well. I, like an idiot, ate steamed buns dipped in ink for ten months…

Chief Gu (Gu Qifang): I received my first confession in my life. I was so excited, I asked the guy what he liked about me. He said he thought I was super manly and respected me as a real man. I thought about it, and gave him a manly response—beat him until he cried.

Duanqing: …

Ye Fusheng: Shiniang, why aren’t you saying anything?

Duanya: Let me spill the tea! When Second Shidi was thirteen or fourteen, he looked really pretty and delicate. Once, a newly arrived junior brother rushed up and gave him flowers, saying, “Senior Sister, I really like you”… I still can’t forget Secon Shidi’s expression to this day.

Ye Fusheng: I’m more curious about what happened to the guy who gave the flowers…

Duanheng: …This is exactly my dark history.