Even though everyone is on guard and always vigilant, sometimes the malice exceeds imagination.
The next day at dawn, as the morning drums were ringing, Tang Juan followed Fang Qidou back to Linji Temple, where he had not been back for a long time.
It was Yuexi Zi Tan Qing who opened the door today. Her bright eyes were red and swollen, showing that she had not slept well: "Master is burning incense in the palace. I know you will come back... and asked me to take you there."
Tang Juan felt sad in her heart. The master had obviously learned the bad news. She was over 60 years old. At this moment, the white-haired person was giving away the black-haired person. She felt as if she had lost a loved one. Besides being sad, her heart was in a mess. She could not think of a way to comfort the master.
If so, it seems that I need comfort even more.
The three of them silently entered the Xuanyuan Hall and saw the temple leader Yuan Yizi Tong Chunxi prostrating in front of the statue of Taoist God. The black and white Taoist bun made her look even more aged. Three wisps of smoke rose up, and the one who kowtowed with her was Feng.
Yizi Xu Meixiang, Xueyizi Dingmo Niang.
Tang Juan held back tears: "Master, I'm back... I want to avenge Junior Sister Luo Rou!"
After Tong Chunxi kowtowed, he turned around and said, "Juan'er, why don't I think about Jianghu and Jianghu? It's just that the murder case is still under investigation. Even if it is a feud between Jianghu and Jianghu, it will be punished by the laws of the Sheng Dynasty. Even if we are outraged, we can catch the murderer and kill him with a knife.
It's just a matter of fighting violence with violence."
Tang Juan's beautiful eyes were red: "Junior Sister Luo's body was found yesterday, and Brother Qidou was at the scene. Junior Sister Luo... was in a miserable condition. She was tortured to death by a murderer! I... I can't swallow this breath!"
After hearing this, Tong Chunxi also looked sad: "Last night, Marquis Zhang Wu brought the bad guards over, asked about Rou'er's recent whereabouts, and drew a portrait of Rou'er based on the descriptions of people in the temple. The public has its own rules for handling cases, even if we
I can't wait any longer and want to investigate privately. If I can find any clues, I still need to inform them."
Xu Meixiang, Feng Yizi of Guanzhong Prison, suddenly said: "Jing Xizi, Guanzhong disciples have many good friends with Shui Xizi. Who doesn't want to catch the murderer and take revenge? But according to my senior sister and I's speculation, this matter is afraid
It’s not simple, if you sisters and brothers want to dig deeper, you will inevitably put yourself at risk.”
Tong Chunxi nodded slowly: "Rou'er died violently, and I don't want any of you to make the same mistake again. Besides, Rou'er's body is still being held in Wuhou Pu. If you want to do your best, you might as well go and see her on my behalf."
... Try to find a way to keep her body safe and bury her as soon as possible."
Yue Xizi Tanqing, who was standing by the side, sobbed and said: "Master... let me go with Senior Sister... I can communicate with the public, take some ice cubes from my ice cellar, and seal Senior Sister Luo's body...
, to avoid being eaten by insects and rats..."
Tong Chunxi bowed slightly: "That's okay... just say hello to your parents for me. If there are any expenses, Guanzhong can also bear them, but don't embarrass them." Tan Qing also bowed in return and joined Tang Juan again.
One place, hugging each other and crying.
Fang Qidou then clasped his fists and said: "Master Yuan Yizi! This case was revealed from Luofu's camp. I can arrange for people to investigate. But I don't know who Junior Sister Luo has interacted with recently and what forces in the city she has offended.
?”
Tong Chunxi thought for a while and then said slowly: "Since this spring, women have disappeared inexplicably in Luoyang City. Do you know?"
Fang Qidou nodded and said: "This matter caused a storm in the city, how could you not know about it? However, later on, the public arrested a few gangsters, beat them into submission, and hastily settled the case. Although there was criticism among the people in the market, it was just used as a talking point."
Tong Chunxi added: "This is the cause. A young girl from a pilgrim's family, who was only in her golden years, disappeared at that time, and her body was never found. When he came to pray and offer incense, Rou'er happened to be on duty.
After hearing what he said about such tragic events, I immediately agreed to find his daughter for him. Later, although I found nothing, I accidentally found out another strange thing..."
Fang Qidou couldn't help but added: "Junior Sister Luo has always had the spirit of a chivalrous person, and it is best to fight against injustice. We, Fang Qidou, have always admired it. But what is this strange thing?"
Tong Chunxi continued: "... Henan Prefecture has recruited civilians in recent years to dredge rivers to facilitate water transportation. On the surface, it seems to be an effort to improve governance, but in fact it has other agendas..."
As Tong Chunxi spoke, he recounted in detail what Luo Rou said when they met for the last time before she disappeared:
It turned out that in the afternoon of that day, Shui Xizi and Luo Rou had some free time, so they went out alone to continue looking for clues about the disappearance of their young girl. When they crossed Xinzhong Bridge and reached Chengfufang and Lidefang, they were blocked by a group of unscrupulous guards.
After asking about it, I found out that it was Chen Wanglu, the Shaoyin of Henan Prefecture, and Zhu Hongzhiye, the Taiwei Palace, who came to inspect the Tongyuan Canal and the dredging of the Cao Canal, and asked all other people to avoid it. Luo Rou was despised in her heart, but she had nothing to do.
After waiting for nearly an hour, the bad guards finally let them go. Luo Rou saw from a distance that two officials in scarlet and cyan robes dismissed the crowd and led only a few bad guards into Sigongfang.
Luo Rou was curious, so she walked around in a circle and followed in. The two of them left the bad guard outside a restaurant and entered the restaurant in a condescending manner.
Luo Rou went around to the back of the restaurant, listened carefully through the wall, and heard the sound of the two talking from inside.
One person looked like Hong Taizhu, sipping the wine and saying: "The palace envoy asked me to come here. As usual, he wants to know whether there are any stone tablets or the like found in this canal and Xiecheng canal?"
The other person should be Chen Shaoyin. He was chewing something in his mouth and said vaguely: "Brother Hong, don't be anxious! This search has left no trace of the ground. Although there is no harvest, we have tried our best. Besides, you are among these civilians.
How dare the craftsmen who arranged the arrangements slack off? When I go back, I must remember to say a few nice words in front of the palace envoy..."
Hong Taizhu paused for a while and then said: "This matter is related to the official career of the palace envoy. If it is not handled well, neither of us will be able to get away with it! In addition, when Mr. Chen goes back, he must tell his subordinates to be stricter and not to leak the news.
…”
Chen Shaoyin smiled and said: "Don't worry, brother! There are brave men under heavy rewards. I have secretly asked a few reliable people to spread the word, saying that saints worship the ancients. If any antiquities are found during the dredging process, the person who turns them in will be rewarded with ten taels of silver. Privately
The person who hid it will be put in jail and questioned. The benefits and harms involved are self-evident."
Hong Taizhu also smiled and said: "What a 'sage who worships the ancients'! He is worthy of being a filial and honest man, and he is a dragon and a phoenix among people. Mr. Chen has been working hard today. Later, he will go with his subordinates to the Heshang Winery to have a few drinks, and then call Hu Ji to serve him.
, Maiko performs, isn’t it happier than the gods? Hahaha..."
When Luo Rou heard this, her face turned red and she couldn't help but spat: "Two old perverts..."
Just as he was about to leave, he heard a bad guard shouting from a dozen steps away: "Who is it!"
In the restaurant, Hong Taizhu's tone changed slightly: "Partition walls have ears!"
Chen Shaoyin then shouted: "Don't let people run away!"
Luo Rou was not weak in skills, she plunged into the North Market, made many twists and turns, and quickly got rid of all the bad guards who were chasing her. After leaving the North Market, she went east past Yongfang and Yucaifang, and then went to Linlin from the south.
Pass through the pontoon bridge, go all the way south, turn around Taohuafang, and turn west back to Dunhuafang where Linji Temple is located.
Just when Luo Rou breathed a sigh of relief and flashed into Linji Temple, under the old Matsushita outside the temple, accompanied by several sinister laughter, a black energy flashed away.
Luo Rou returned to the temple and told Tong Chunxi everything she saw in the afternoon.
Tong Chunxi thought of a secret that Gongsun Xuantong had told, and his heart moved slightly, and his face became more serious: "Since they are willing to spend so much time to find something, then this thing must be no small matter. Since you are lucky enough to not be found,
If you find out, please don’t pay attention to this matter again! Do you understand?”
Luo Rou nodded with some fear, bowed, and returned to the room where she slept.
The next day after arriving, the fear in her heart had faded a lot, and there was still nothing going on in the temple. Luo Rou couldn't help but think of all the tragic things that might happen to the young girl after she disappeared, and she began to feel restless. Involuntarily, she went out of the temple again,
Go all the way east and search in Luoyang City.
When they walked outside the festival hall, they suddenly heard the sad cry of a young girl inside. Luo Rou felt a little palpitated in her heart and rushed in by accident.
I saw a strong old woman beating an unkempt girl with a bamboo branch. The girl looked like a beggar, holding a small piece of biscuit tightly in her hand and eating it while crying. The blood on her head flowed down her forehead and hung on her side.
There was no time to care about his face.
Luo Rou couldn't bear it, so she rushed forward to stop her. The strong old woman turned her face, but she was not angry. Instead, she smiled kindly and said: "Since the girl feels sorry for this little girl, just take it for her..."
Luo Rou's eyes were caught by the old woman's eyes, and her consciousness quickly blurred. She only remembered that before she fainted completely, she heard the old woman snort: "You've been hit by my 'Soul Capturing Hook Technique', so just follow me..."
…" Then his eyesight completely went dark, and he soon fell unconscious.
When Luo Rou woke up again, she was in a dark and dilapidated house. There were many such abandoned houses in Luoyang City, so she could not identify where she was.
When she was about to get up, she realized that her whole body was sore and weak, her mouth was stuffed with mess, and her arms and legs were tied to a strange armchair.
The ends of the armrests on both sides of the armchair curved upward, extending for more than two feet. My ankles were tightly tied at the bends.
At this time, a sinister laughter rang out, and a big man with a round face, golden eyes, and gnarled muscles took shape in the black air. His appearance and demeanor were exactly the same as the strong old woman from before!
Luo Rou's body was tied up, but her eyes showed awakened anger, and she screamed "woo, woo, woo". Such behavior actually made the golden-eyed man laugh even more proudly: "Jie Jie! Girl is like this,
It was interesting just now! It is better than countless others in the world... Jie Jie Jie!"
The golden-eyed man smiled sinisterly and walked towards Luo Rou. He suddenly stretched out his half-foot-long tongue and licked her face: "If the guys outside remember correctly, you are Mizuki Zi? Same as me.
People who practice Taoism must be well versed in the method of dual cultivation, right? Jiejiejie! Today, a few brothers will help you to make great progress in Taoism and become an immortal. Jiejie, Jiejie, Jiejie..."
The big man with golden eyes laughed wildly, clapped his hands, and several more strong men emerged from the darkness. Judging from the attire, there were Taoists, monks, and warriors. Luo Rou's eyes were extremely frightened, her whole body was shaking, and her head was spinning crazily.
The impact on the back of the chair caused her hair to fall apart.
The big man with golden eyes suddenly dug out the mess in her mouth, and then heard her scream: "Beasts——! I will never let you go! Ah——!"
The golden-eyed man enjoyed the screams, became more and more excited, and pounced on him first. The Taoist, monks, and warriors all followed with ferocious smiles... the dull sound of tearing silk, the shrill wails, and the triumphant laughter of the perpetrators.
, echoing in the night full of evil, pieced together into the sad elegy of an innocent woman...
However, Tong Chunxi could no longer hear this elegy, and neither could the senior sisters... Their last impression of Luo Rou was only the afternoon when she went out on her own. Until they met again, they were already separated by yin and yang.
After Tong Chunxi told Luo Rou what she had seen and heard before she disappeared, everyone fell silent. Fang Qidou clenched his fists loudly, wishing he could tear these cunning officials into pieces.
However, everyone knows that this is just a conjecture. If it is really done by a public servant who wants to kill people to seek revenge, it is not much different from rebellion.
While everyone was silent, a pleasant voice sounded, but it was Cui Wan, Hua Xizi's son, who walked in at some point: "Master, many of my uncles and brothers in the Cui clan are officials and have many friends with the public. If it is true.
Whatever someone in the public family did, my father will surely affect the relationship between the DPRK and China and make those murderers confess their crimes and be punished."
Fang Qidou heard this and said: "If it was really someone from the public sect, even if Zhang Wuhou was selfless, he would probably have many obstacles and it would be difficult to find out the truth and capture the real culprit. Therefore, our investigation in secret is definitely not unnecessary. That's right.
It’s about guarding against officials and protecting each other, so that big problems can be made trivial!”
Xueyizi Ding Mo Niang, who had always been taciturn, also looked at Tong Chunxi at this moment and said: "Senior sister, you might as well call Hua Xizi and Fang Shi nephew give it a try, it is better than running around like a headless fly."
Tong Chunxi turned around, not wanting anyone to see her tiredness: "Feng Yizi, Xue Yizi, the investigation on the surface and the negotiation with Wu Houpu are left to you two, and you must not call anyone from the public sect."
Take it lightly. Hua Xiko, Yue Xiko, even if you have intentions, you can only investigate secretly. Remember to act within your ability and not get involved too deeply."
Tong Chunxi paused, turned around, took out a letter from his arms, and handed it to Tang Juan: "Jing Xizi, you have returned to secular life and got married, and you have a young son who needs care. Just send this letter to her."
As long as you have a clear vision, you are not allowed to interfere in other matters."
Tang Juan said sadly: "Master——"
Tong Chunxi has already stepped into the side hall, leaving only a figure behind: "I have made up my mind, no need to say any more!"