Hibiskus als Gemälde

Kapitel 45

"Fei Ziyun has met with me before, so it's inconvenient for him to show himself. Remember, you must get some useful information out of him no matter what," Master Jia instructed.

"Yes," Captain Zhang replied, then called his men to discuss the matter.

Master Jia looked into the mountain gate and thought to himself, "Old Song, you and I serve different masters, I apologize for the offense."

Inside the guest room of Foya Temple, Song Diweng waited quietly...

"Knock, knock, knock." The knocking sounded, and the messenger monk came in again, looking bewildered and puzzled. He said, "Abbot, another letter has arrived."

This time, the envelope clearly bore the three large characters "Song Diweng," and the old monk handed the letter to the little dwarf.

Song Diweng unfolded the letter, glanced at it, and saw that it read: "Song Diweng alone at Black Dragon Pool..." and was signed "Fenglingdu Hermit".

“Abbot Weidu, where is Black Dragon Pool?” Song Diweng asked.

"Go east for two miles outside the mountain gate, and you will find two pools in the pine forest. One is called 'Black Dragon Pool,' with dark, eerie water. The other is called 'Yellow Dragon Pool,' which is crystal clear. The water in both pools is clear, sweet, and truly a creation of nature," the old monk replied.

“Alright, I’ll be right back.” Old Man Song stood up.

“Master…” Master Fei began.

“‘Fenglingdu Jushi’ has invited me to go alone, so you can stay in the temple and wander around and look around.” After saying this, Song Diweng pushed open the door and left.

Just then, a monk came to report that the cremation ceremony for Master Yidu was ready and that Abbot Weidu was invited to preside over the ceremony.

The old monk Weidu stood up and said calmly to Fei Ziyun, "Master Yidu is being cremated. Shouldn't Daoist Fei go to see him off?"

“I consider Master Yidu a close friend, so of course I must personally see him off,” Master Fei quickly said, and then went to the main hall with the old monk Weidu.

The body of Master Yidu lay peacefully cross-legged in a lotus-shaped vat, surrounded by lit incense and candles, the air thick with the scent of sandalwood. The monks chanted the *Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra*: "I bow to the naturally pure land, the Great Compassionate One with boundless Buddha-treasure. Fragrant clouds rise from the southern world, fragrant rain and flower clouds, and flower rain. Countless kinds of precious rain and precious clouds, auspicious and virtuous, adorn everything. Heavenly beings ask the Buddha why this is so, the Buddha replies: Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva has arrived. The Tathagatas of the three worlds praise him together, the Bodhisattvas of the ten directions take refuge in him..." The scene was solemn and sacred, the chanting of sutras filled the air, bells and chimes resounded, and some devotees were already in tears.

The old monk, who had not yet been saved, stood in front of the vat of the deceased monk and led the chanting, while at the same time he sprinkled clean water into the air with a willow branch, and the devotees bowed in unison.

Standing beside Master Fei, two pilgrims wearing white sheepskin headscarves were whispering among themselves: "Those two children down the mountain are truly sincere. The little monk broke his leg, and the little girl can't carry him, yet they still want to go up the mountain to attend the Dharma assembly. Sigh..."

Master Fei heard it clearly and his heart stirred. He quickly asked, "Fellow villager, where is the child you mentioned?"

“It’s right at the foot of the Eighteen Bends Mountain, and it’s probably still there now,” one of them replied.

"How old are those two children?" Master Fei asked quietly, suppressing his excitement.

"Well, the little monk is eleven or twelve years old, and the little girl is probably six or seven," the villager said after thinking for a moment.

Master Fei was overjoyed upon hearing this. Without a doubt, the two children must be Guo Ni and the young monk Youliang from Fengling Temple. He had to hurry down the mountain to catch them; he couldn't wait for his master to return, or they might escape. In any case, catching the two children would be a great achievement, bringing honor not only to his superiors but also earning him respect from his master.

Master Fei quietly left the main hall and then hurriedly headed down the mountain.

From Buddha Head Cliff to the foot of the mountain, there is a winding mountain road with eighteen bends. At this moment, there are no pilgrims on the road. The mountain breeze is gentle and the sound of pine trees is very quiet. Master Fei almost ran all the way down the mountain.

When he arrived at the foot of the mountain, panting heavily, he looked around but couldn't find the two children anywhere...

Under an old locust tree, two young locals were resting in the shade, wearing white sheepskin headscarves and with dark complexions.

Master Fei cleared his throat and quickly stepped forward to ask, "Fellow villagers, have you seen two children, a little monk of about twelve or thirteen years old, and a little girl with long braids?"

"Oh, you mean that little monk who broke his leg?" one of them asked, sizing up Master Fei.

"That's right, where are they now?" Master Fei asked anxiously.

“Look, someone took them to a nearby traditional Chinese medicine doctor who specializes in treating sprains and bruises,” the man replied.

"Fellow villagers, could you please take me to that traditional Chinese medicine doctor's house?" Master Fei pleaded.

"No, we need to rest for a bit before we have to get to the front to unload the goods," the villager refused outright.

Master Fei chuckled and said, "You don't earn much from odd jobs. I'll give you fifty yuan as payment for guiding you. How about that?"

"This..." The villager hesitated, as if he couldn't make up his mind.

"One hundred yuan," Master Fei added.

The person next to him gently tugged at the fellow villager's sleeve, indicating that the deal was worthwhile.

"Alright then." The villager agreed, took the hundred yuan that Master Fei handed over, looked at it carefully, then folded it and put it in his pocket.

Master Fei followed the two men over a small yellow mound and into a black pine forest. After walking for about ten minutes, they saw a small wooden house sitting on the edge of the pine forest.

"That's it," the villager said.

"Is this the home of traditional Chinese medicine?" Master Fei asked with skepticism.

"That traditional Chinese medicine doctor is also a forest ranger in the village," the villager explained.

Master Fei was furious and wanted to catch Ni Zi. In a moment of carelessness, he didn't think things through and easily trusted the two people.

"Hey, Dr. Zhang, an old Taoist priest is looking for my child." The villager shouted loudly when he was still dozens of meters away from the wooden house.

Master Fei arrived in front of the wooden house. With a creak, the door opened, and a slightly overweight middle-aged man walked out.

Master Fei's head buzzed. Oh no, he'd fallen into a trap!

He recognized at a glance that this so-called traditional Chinese medicine doctor was the same person he had seen under a tree outside the gate of Foya Temple not long ago...

Master Fei reacted immediately, pushing off the ground with both legs as he was about to leap up, when he suddenly felt a cold gun barrel pressed against his lower back...

"Tie them up," the fat middle-aged man ordered. This man was Captain Zhang.

Master Fei was bound hand and foot, his feet were also tied with several ropes, making him completely unable to move. He was carried into the wooden house by the two villagers who had led the way.

Inside the house was a man who was tied up, with a towel stuffed in his mouth, staring at them with terrified eyes. This man was the real forest ranger.

"Who exactly are you people?" Master Fei asked, his mouth dry.

Captain Zhang smiled slightly, his eyes scanning Master Fei up and down, and said coldly, "Where are those two peddlers?"

Chapter Sixty-Five

"What peddler?" Master Fei asked, puzzled, as he was tightly bound to a chair.

"Playing dumb, is that it?" Captain Zhang sneered, bending down close to Master Fei's face and slowly saying, "My two peddlers have disappeared in the Qin Dong Town area. You wouldn't say you don't know, would you..."

"I really don't know," Master Fei said, looking quite aggrieved.

"Alright, how did you learn that the cremation ceremony for Master Yidu was being held at Foya Temple in Tongguan?" Captain Zhang questioned.

"Well..." Master Fei observed the other party with his left eye, trying to guess their identities, and gave a vague answer.

"Speak!" Captain Zhang's face hardened, and he demanded sharply.

"The news has spread far and wide. I only heard it secondhand. Master Yidu and I are both famous figures in the religious circles of Shanxi. We met once before. Upon hearing this news, I naturally came to pay my respects," Master Fei replied, avoiding the real issue.

"That old fox..." Captain Zhang thought to himself, then leaned back in another chair and said casually, "In that case, let's start from the beginning. Don't try anything funny. Tell me your true identity first."

Master Fei's eyes darted around as he mentally plotted his escape, while he spoke eloquently: "I am the abbot of the Daluo Palace in Jiexiu, Shanxi, an advisor to the Religious Affairs Bureau of the Provincial United Front Work Department, and also a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. I am a prominent figure in the domestic religious circles. Hmm, do you know Jiexiu? Do you know Jie Zitui? He was one of the 'Five Worthies' when Duke Wen of Jin, Chong'er, was down on his luck. When Chong'er was trapped in the mountains without food, it was Jie Zitui who cut off a piece of his own buttock, pretending it was animal meat, to make soup and feed it to him, thus saving his lord with loyalty and righteousness." He was worthy of being remembered for generations. Later, when Chong'er returned to his country and ascended the throne, he overlooked Jie Zitui when rewarding those who had rendered meritorious service. Jie Zitui refused any reward and resigned his post, living in seclusion with his mother in Mianshan Mountain. Duke Wen of Jin realized his mistake and sent people to invite him out of seclusion, but Jie Zitui remained steadfast in his refusal. Duke Wen, unable to persuade him, ordered the mountain to be set on fire to force him out. As a result, Jie Zitui and his elderly mother perished in the flames, dying while embracing a willow tree. Alas… a tragic song of the Spring and Autumn Period, a towering figure to be revered. From then on, the state of Jin decreed that during the month of Jie Zitui's suffering, the people of the state could not light fires and could only eat cold food. Thus, the "Cold Food Festival" was established, which is the origin of today's Qingming Festival.

"Hmph, a pedantic scholar of all time," Captain Zhang snorted disdainfully.

Master Fei's voice was vivid and captivating, and his men in the room listened with great interest. Even the forest ranger who was tied up and gagged was listening intently, forgetting his terrible predicament.

Master Fei glanced at it, feeling quite pleased with himself, and then continued his grand discourse: "The Daluo Palace is built on the mountain where Jie Zitui was burned to death. Every day, I stroke that reborn thousand-year-old willow tree, thinking of Jie Zitui's noble sentiments of loyalty to the emperor and love for the country, and I am often moved to tears. Therefore, I renamed it 'Ziyun'. By the way, are you a member of the Communist Party?"

Captain Zhang replied warily, "So what if it is?"

"Comrade!" Master Fei suddenly shouted, startling Captain Zhang. "I am also a Party member. We are all revolutionary comrades. There must be some misunderstanding between you and me. Come, untie me and let's have a good talk."

"Bullshit! It seems you won't confess honestly unless I get serious." Captain Zhang cursed, standing up abruptly and fixing his gaze on Master Fei's white, blind eye.

"What are you going to do?" Master Fei asked, trembling with fear.

"Heh heh," Captain Zhang said with a sneer, "this idiot of a traditional Chinese medicine doctor like me wants to perform surgery on your blind eye..."

Master Fei turned ashen-faced upon hearing this.

“Master Fei, although you are over fifty, you still have rosy lips and white teeth, and your charm remains. It’s just that this blind eye is a real eyesore and affects your appearance. From what I’ve observed, the lens of your eyeball is a bit cloudy. If we cut off a layer, maybe the inside will still be fine.” As he spoke, Captain Zhang took out a red Swiss Army knife from his pocket and broke apart a sharp knife, a small saw, a small chisel, and a twist-top bottle opener, as if considering which one would be more suitable to use.

Master Fei was trembling with nervousness, while Captain Zhang's men watched with wide-eyed amusement. The forest ranger was pale and on the verge of collapse.

Captain Zhang finally decided to use the sharp knife. He folded up the other tools, pried open Master Fei's eyelids with his left hand, and held the knife close to the cloudy eyeball with his right hand, gently stabbing it... Instantly, Master Fei's whole body trembled.

Captain Zhang's lips twitched cruelly, but he said in an extremely soft voice, "Master Fei, I'm sorry, this lousy traditional Chinese medicine doctor didn't prepare any anesthetic. You'll just have to bear with it."

"Stop! What exactly do you want to know..." Master Fei finally broke down and surrendered.

Captain Zhang chuckled coldly as he sheathed his Swiss Army knife, staring intently at Master Fei, and calmly asked, "Where are those two peddlers?"

"This humble Taoist priest truly knows nothing about this. This is the first time I've ever heard of a peddler. Please, you must believe me!" Master Fei pleaded earnestly, tears welling up in his eyes.

"So, who is the little dwarf who's with you?" Captain Zhang asked, changing the subject since he didn't seem to be lying.

"He is my master, named Song Diweng, and is the president of the Beijing Archaeological Association," Master Fei said truthfully.

"What exactly do you want to do at Tongguan Foya Temple?" Captain Zhang then asked.

"We want to find out who brought Master Yidu's body to Foya Temple," Master Fei replied.

"And then?" Captain Zhang pressed.

"You already know that we were also looking for the whereabouts of those two children, otherwise we wouldn't have fallen into their trap," Master Fei said regretfully.

"Stop talking nonsense and tell me everything you know about those two children," Captain Zhang said sternly, his face darkening.

Master Fei stammered, "We believe that the girl named Nizi must have run away with the little monk. We have conducted a thorough investigation in the Hedong area, but there is no trace of them. We are currently seeking assistance from the public security authorities in Shaanxi."

Hmm, it seems that Master Jia Shiming's deduction was correct. This guy really does have some skills. Not long ago, the higher-ups instructed his team to unconditionally obey the leadership of this uninvited guest. Everyone was still unconvinced at the time. Captain Zhang smiled to himself.

"What is your purpose in searching for 'Feng Hou's Tomb'?" This question from Captain Zhang was the key to all the questions, because even he himself didn't know.

"My master told me to look for it, saying it's a state secret, and I don't know anything about it either," Master Jia answered truthfully.

"Looks like there's no use keeping your blind eye around..." Captain Zhang decided to bluff him one last time. This old Taoist priest was probably just like him, spouting nonsense about obeying orders from superiors, dealing with state secrets, and not being allowed to inquire or discuss them.

Captain Zhang fiercely raised his sharp Swiss Army knife again.

"The Ghost Pot! The goal is to find the Ghost Pot..." Master Fei shouted hoarsely.

"What 'ghost pot'?" Captain Zhang asked in surprise.

"I really don't know, it's probably a teapot..." After saying this, Master Fei collapsed.

East of Foya Temple, at the Black Dragon Pool, amidst dense pine forests and ink-black water, stands a gaunt old man with his hands behind his back, dressed in a black trousers and jacket, his head wrapped in a white sheepskin turban.

Song Diweng stopped in his tracks, chuckled coldly twice, and said in a gloomy tone, "'Fenglingdu Hermit' is actually Daoist Jia Shiming."

Master Jia slowly turned around and said calmly, "President Song, how have you been?"

Song Diweng's face was full of anger, and he said indignantly, "Master Jia, since we have joined forces, why are you still secretly playing tricks on me?"