Hibiskus als Gemälde

Kapitel 19

The group went to Nizi's room, turned on the light, and searched around, but found no clues.

"What is this?" Master Fei noticed a few shiny shards of glass on the ground in the corner with his left eye, and picked them up.

Under the lights, the glass shards are painted with blue seas, castles and golden palaces, creating an exotic atmosphere.

"Are these things from your home?" Master Fei asked Mayor Guo.

"No, I've never seen this before," Mayor Guo said, shaking his head.

"So it was Old Man Guo who passed it on to Nizi? This thing is definitely not from the Central Plains," Master Fei's face was half wrapped in bandages, but his nose was still exposed. He sniffed and smelled a faint, peculiar, pungent odor. His expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in shock, "Corpse oil!"

"What 'oil'?" Mayor Guo asked, puzzled.

Master Fei gave him a disdainful look and explained, "Corpse oil is the oil that drips from roasted corpses; it's a magical tool used in Southeast Asian black magic."

"Oil from a corpse? Black magic?" Mayor Guo had never heard of such things before.

"Now I finally understand why there was poison in the little girl's saliva. It was a curse! She's so young, yet she knows how to cast spells. I really misjudged her. This little girl is actually a vicious little curse caster!" Master Fei said in a moment of realization.

"A sorcerer? Nizi is still an innocent child, how could she possibly know about sorcery?" Youfu had served on the front lines in Laoshan, Yunnan, and had heard of sorcery in Southeast Asia.

Secretary Qin said with an unusually serious expression, "Comrades, the situation is becoming more and more complicated. I am worried that the counter-revolutionary hostile forces from abroad may have infiltrated our area. Therefore, we must be vigilant and find Guo Ni immediately to get to the bottom of this matter."

"Then let's split up and search the Fenglingdu area overnight," Mayor Guo suggested.

"You must keep this confidential," Secretary Qin instructed.

After everyone had a quick bite to eat, they split up to carry out their tasks. Secretary Qin stayed in the old house to direct the operation, Mayor Guo and Taoist Priest Fei went together, and You Fu went alone to begin searching for Ni Zi's whereabouts overnight.

After leaving the old house, Youfu looked up at the night sky. The moonlight was cool, the stars were scattered, and the Milky Way was desolate. He couldn't help but feel a little sad... Alas, Nizi is such a pitiful child.

Yu Fu sighed deeply, then turned and headed straight for Fengling Temple.

Chapter 26, Part 1

In the quiet night, the knocking on the mountain gate carried far.

“What’s meant to happen will happen eventually…” Master Yidu sighed, then stood up, walked inside the mountain gate, pulled open the horizontal wooden latch, and pushed the door open to go out.

Under the moonlight stood the one-armed police special envoy.

"Master, I am Guo Youfu. Do you remember me? I visited you late at night two days ago," Youfu said hurriedly, a fine layer of sweat on his forehead, indicating that he had something urgent to attend to.

“Oh, the special police commissioner of Fenglingdu, I remember him,” Master Yidu nodded and said.

"Master, did a little girl come to the temple today?" Youfu asked anxiously.

“Every day, some worshippers bring their children to the temple to offer incense and make wishes,” Master Yidu replied.

“Her name is Nizi, she’s only six or seven years old, and she came from Fenglingdu,” Youfu hurriedly explained.

“I never inquire about the names and origins of worshippers,” said Master Yidu.

“Master, this matter is urgent, please be sure to tell me,” Youfu pleaded.

Master Yidu remained silent.

Youfu reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out a folded piece of white paper, unfolded it, and handed it to the monk.

Yi Du took the white paper. Under the moonlight, the paper had a line of crooked writing on it: "Master Yi Du of Fengling Temple..." The strokes were very clumsy.

“This is…” Master Yidu looked at Youfu in confusion.

“This is what Nizi wrote. Old Guo specially taught her to recognize and write these characters before he passed away.” Youfu’s gaze was fixed on Master Yidu.

“Alas, Benefactor Guo, what brings you to this child?” Master Yidu sighed, for it was clear that the handwriting was indeed from a child.

After a moment's hesitation, judging from Yidu's tone, Nizi must have already been to Fengling Temple and might still be there. To gain the old monk's trust, he had to tell the truth. "Nizi is in danger. I want to talk to her. Perhaps I can help resolve this crisis. Please, Master, do me a favor," he said sincerely.

Master Yidu nodded and said, "Please follow me."

Youfu followed the old monk into the mountain gate, then closed the two heavy wooden doors from the inside and bolted them.

In the poplar grove outside the temple, Master Fei stood quietly under the shade of the trees, silently watching everything. He had noticed that You Fu's expression was very unnatural when he was at the old house in the evening, as if he had something difficult to say. So he quietly followed him here alone.

Although Youfu was a scout and had paid attention to the movements behind him and around him along the way, he was completely unaware of the presence of a martial arts master like Master Fei.

Master Yidu asked Youfu to wait in the main hall, and then went to the guest room in the side hall to wake up the sleeping Nizi.

“Nizi, Guo Youfu, who lives in your house, has come to the temple. Do you want to see him?” Master Yidu asked Nizi for her opinion.

“Uncle Guo?” Nizi was a little stunned. How did he know that she had come to Fengling Temple? She nodded, then lifted the quilt, got out of bed, put on her cloth shoes, and followed Master Yidu out of the room and headed towards the main hall.

Chapter 26, Part 2

"Nizi! I've finally found you!" Youfu exclaimed with delight as he saw Nizi enter the main hall.

"Uncle Guo, what brings you here?" Nizi stopped a few meters away from Youfu, subconsciously keeping a certain distance from him.

Youfu showed the blank sheet of paper to Nizi and said, "Look, Nizi wrote 'Master Yidu of Fengling Temple' herself..."

Nizi glanced at Youfu, then hung her head and said, "Nizi has gotten into trouble."

Youfu said with a wry smile, "I'm afraid it's more than just causing trouble..."

Master Yidu sat cross-legged on the futon, his eyes slightly closed, as if in deep meditation.

“Nizi, you are an honest child. When Uncle Guo asks you a question, will you answer truthfully?” Youfu said softly.

Nizi nodded.

"Did Da Guai bully you, and that's why you threw soup noodles at him?" You Fu carefully chose his words, trying to avoid hurting the child.

“He peed in my noodle bowl…” Nizi said aggrievedly, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Uncle Guo understands. This is not Nizi's fault. Da Guai has gone too far," Youfu said angrily.

Nizi unconsciously took two steps closer to Youfu. She felt that this Uncle Guo was different from the "landlady" and the others.

"Nizi, do you know any black magic?" Youfu asked, staring at Nizi.

"Black magic? Nizi doesn't understand it." Nizi shook her head and said frankly.

Youfu thought to himself, "This child isn't lying." "Nizi, you have a small glass bottle with the sea and palace painted on it, don't you?" he continued.

Nizi nodded, saying with great regret, "It's a pity it was accidentally broken; the picture on it was very beautiful."

"Was that bottle left to you by your grandfather?" Youfu pressed.

Nizi nodded and said, "Grandpa gave it to me before he died."

"Do you know what the picture on that bottle depicts?" Youfu asked.

Nizi shook her head and said, "I don't know, it seems to be a very far place, not Fenglingdu."

"Do you know what's in the bottle?" Youfu asked nervously.

Nizi shook her head again and said, "I don't know. I've never opened that bottle. It was sealed."

"Did you break the glass bottle?" Youfu continued to ask.

"When Nizi was sleeping, it somehow broke, and some yellowish liquid leaked out. It smelled bad and almost stained her clothes," Nizi replied.

Youfu nodded. He believed that what Nizi said was true. Before his death, Old Guo left Nizi this small glass bottle. Whether it contained corpse oil or not, Nizi herself was completely unaware of it.

"Uncle Guo, can Nizi still go to school?" Nizi asked softly.

“Nizi, I’m afraid…” Youfu said hesitantly, “Master Fei has gone blind in his right eye. He said you spat into his eye and poisoned him… Of course, Uncle Guo doesn’t believe such an unbelievable thing, but you have to wait until you go to school. You can stay at Fengling Temple for now. Uncle Guo will come and pick you up to go home after this is over.”

"Hahaha... Just as I expected, this evil little sorcerer was hiding in this Wind Chime Temple." Suddenly, a sinister laugh came from outside the main hall.

Under the moonlight, Master Fei, with half his face wrapped in bandages, stood fiercely on the stone steps.

Chapter 26, Part 3

Nizi's face changed color, and she frightened herself so much that she buried herself in Youfu's arms.

"Nizi, don't be afraid. Uncle Guo will go and explain the whole story to him." Youfu patted Nizi's head, telling her to wait inside the hall and not come out, while he strode out.

On the stone steps of the main hall, Master Fei had somehow acquired a pair of goggles and put them on his nose. Goggles are common in the dusty Loess Plateau, but wearing them on a windless night seemed out of place.

"What is this...?" Youfu asked in surprise.

"Hmph, once bitten, twice shy. Do you think I would risk my left eye again?" Master Fei chuckled.

“Old Fei, I’ve already asked Nizi. The glass bottle was indeed left by Old Guo, but Nizi has never opened it and doesn’t know what’s inside. As for your eyes, I think it has nothing to do with Nizi,” Youfu explained.

"What do you think? You know nothing! You're actually trying to exonerate that little sorcerer... Get out of the way! I want to question him myself." Master Fei was getting impatient, and in his haste, he even uttered foul language.

Guo Youfu said solemnly, "I, Guo Youfu, am the special police commissioner of Fenglingdu Town, responsible for managing the security of this place. I have investigated and found out that Nizi is definitely not a sorcerer. She is just a simple child. I will not allow you to cause trouble in Fenglingdu, understand?"

Master Fei said disdainfully, "You? A piece of trash with only one arm?"

Upon hearing this, Guo Youfu flew into a rage and shouted, "Trash? I lost this arm for the country! I'm warning you, no matter who you are or how powerful you are, I, Guo Youfu, am not afraid of you!"

"Are you courting death?" Upon hearing this, Master Fei became enraged and pulled out the acupoint peg from behind his neck, preparing to force his way into the main hall.

Not to be outdone, Youfu reached out his left hand and drew his Type 51 pistol from his waist, rubbed it hard against his thigh, and cocked it with a "click." He then said to Master Fei, "Step back!"

Without answering, Master Fei released the acupoint peg, which struck the Shaohai acupoint on the inside of Youfu's elbow joint with lightning speed. This acupoint is commonly known as the "numb tendon." Immediately, Youfu's left arm felt numb as if he had been electrocuted. Then, he lost his grip on the pistol, which fell to the ground with a "crack."

Master Fei, like a shadow, moved closer and pressed his index finger into You Fu's chest at the Tanzhong acupoint. Without even looking, he grabbed the acupoint peg and leaped into the main hall.

For the first time in his life, You Fu witnessed the pressure point technique of a martial arts master, but his body went limp and he collapsed in front of the palace gate.

Inside the hall, Nizi was so frightened that she was frozen in place, trembling all over.

"Amitabha..." A Buddhist chant rang out in the hall, and Master Yidu, who had been in meditation on the futon, rose into the air and stood in front of Nizi.

Master Fei also stopped in his tracks, his left eye peering through his goggles at the long-browed old monk. Judging from his movements, this man possessed profound skill.

"This humble Taoist priest is Fei Ziyun. May I ask the master's Buddhist name?" Master Fei bowed and asked.

"I am Yidu. May I ask that the abbot's visit to my humble temple so late at night, without even a greeting, is a bit too domineering?" Yidu said coldly.

"It was my rudeness. I apologize. Please, Master, entrust this little girl to me. I will leave the temple immediately," Master Fei said, bowing slightly.

"What if I refuse?" Yidu said calmly.

“Master, Buddhist temples are places of tranquility for Pigsy. It might be inappropriate for a woman to stay in a temple at night, wouldn’t it?” Master Fei chuckled sinisterly.

"Buddhism offers refuge, and all beings are equal. I do not see anything wrong with that?" Yidu said calmly.