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Capítulo 42

The modified jeep easily crossed the pebble riverbed and drove directly to the foot of Fengling Temple.

The two heavy wooden doors were tightly closed and locked. Since Master Yidu died, no other monks from the province have been sent to Fengling Temple.

Song Diweng was the first to leap over the temple wall, followed by the leader and others who jumped into the temple.

Standing under the thousand-year-old ginkgo tree, Song Diweng pointed to the ground beneath his feet and said, "Master Yidu's body is buried here."

The leader looked down and examined it carefully, then said with some surprise, "This soil looks like it was recently disturbed."

Song Diweng squatted down and grabbed a handful, also finding something strange. So he instructed Master Fei, "Ziyun, go to the temple and find a hoe."

Master Fei turned around shortly afterward, carrying an iron hoe, and began digging the soil as instructed by his master.

Before long, all the soft soil had been dug out, but Master Yidu's body had vanished without a trace...

Chapter Sixty of the main text

Aoli Village is a small mountain village located east of Tongguan, Shaanxi Province. It is situated on the banks of the Yellow River, and when looking northwest, one can see the faint silhouette of the Nantongpu Railway Bridge spanning the Yellow River.

In the early morning, Nizi got up and went to the vegetable garden to pick bok choy. Several bright red dragonflies landed on the fence, and several apricot-yellow butterflies fluttered around the pumpkin flowers. The old elm tree outside the garden was covered with bluish-white elm seeds, and a faint fragrance wafted in the wind, making people feel relaxed and happy.

Holding a handful of tender green bok choy, Ni Zi silently gazed at the misty Yellow River in the distance, a wave of sorrow and melancholy washing over her. How long had it been since Grandpa died…? She seemed to have forgotten. And Da Hei, her loved ones had all left her, leaving Ni Zi all alone in the world.

A few days ago, Youliang secretly ran back to Fengling Temple, but it was deserted and desolate. Master Yidu was nowhere to be found, and the mountain gate was locked. After returning, the two thought about it for a long time, but they still couldn't figure out where their master had gone. "Don't worry, Nizi, I will take care of you," Youliang said to her.

Youliang's parents were simple, honest farmers who were frail and sickly and lived a very hard life. However, they treated Nizi very well and even discussed in private that she should marry Youliang as her daughter-in-law in the future.

Nizi stared down at the brass thimble in her hand. It was given to her by her grandfather before his death. Master Yidu of Fengling Temple had also told her that this thimble held a secret, a keepsake left by Guo Pu. Who was Guo Pu…? Nizi didn't know. And what was the “Tomb of Feng Hou”? She was a descendant of the Guo family; what secrets had the Guo family left behind…?

"Nizi, have you finished picking the vegetables?" Youliangniang's voice came from inside the thatched hut.

"Coming!" Nizi quickly grabbed a few handfuls of bok choy and ran back to her room.

Breakfast consisted of a little vegetable porridge with very few grains of rice, just clear broth. As Liangniang said, spring was a time of scarcity, and they wouldn't be able to have a full meal until the autumn harvest.

After finishing her meal, Nizi went outside to the courtyard, sat under the old elm tree, and took out the martial arts manual that Master Yidu had given her from her bosom to continue reading.

The Five Forms of Bodhidharma contained very few words, mostly simple pictures. The pictures showed naked men with red and blue lines running horizontally and vertically across their bodies. Nizi didn't know that those lines represented the meridians of the human body, looking like a tangled mess. "Alas, martial arts are so difficult to learn," Nizi sighed, closing the manual.

The sound of rattles and drums echoed from the village entrance, accompanied by a man's hoarse shouts: "Move out! Move out! Move out!"

Nizi knew that the village peddler had arrived.

Nizi carefully tucked the secret manual away and dashed off. In the countryside, the arrival of a peddler was a joyous occasion for women and children. In those days of scarcity, the peddler's carrying pole was practically a mobile shop, filled with a dazzling array of goods: needles and thread, brightly colored hair clips and ties, and all sorts of candies. The peddler brought hope to people, and for children, it was a place brimming with temptation.

A kind and honest middle-aged man with a regional accent stood at the entrance of the village. He carried a bamboo carrying pole on his broad and strong shoulders. Two specially made large bamboo baskets were filled with all kinds of small commodities. At the two ends of the carrying pole, there were colorful hair clips that women liked and notebooks and pencils that children used to go to school, which were hung with red ropes.

Seeing more women and children coming out, the peddler shook his rattle drum even more vigorously, shouting incessantly, "Heave-ho... Heave-ho..."

The village girls and wives came running out, laughing and joking. Some clutched handfuls of hair, others held several pairs of old plastic shoes. They shyly approached the peddler, handing him their meager possessions. After some haggling, they exchanged their needles, thread, buttons, and colorful hair ties and clips for the appropriate price, then left satisfied. Some children secretly took a few eggs from their pockets, exchanged them for a handful of candy or biscuits, and then happily hid away to eat them.

"Little girl, what do you want to exchange?" The peddler asked when he saw the girl standing timidly to the side.

Nizi shook her head; she had no money and nothing to exchange.

A bald boy of about eleven or twelve years old ran over excitedly, calling out, "Nizi..."

“Brother Youliang.” Nizi looked at him in surprise.

Youliang handed five or six red-skinned eggs to the peddler and said happily to Nizi, "My mother told me to exchange them for some candy for Nizi."

Nizi happily accepted a handful of brightly colored, paper-wrapped fruit candies, unwrapped one, and popped it into her mouth. It was sweet and delicious! She looked at Youliang gratefully…

"Hey, what's this?" Youliang's gaze fell on the peddler's basket, where a piece of paper was pasted on it. It was a picture of an old monk sitting in meditation with his eyes closed. His appearance was very similar to that of Master Yidu. Next to it was written a line of words: "The Nirvana and Deliverance Ceremony of Master Yidu of Fengling Temple will be held at Foya Temple in Tongguan on the 16th day of the third lunar month. Lay Buddhists along the way are cordially invited to attend."

“It’s Master Yidu!” Youliang exclaimed in surprise.

"Little boy, do you recognize this old monk in the painting?" the peddler asked Youliang, his eyes fixed on him with a puzzled look.

"Uncle, what do these two words mean?" Youliang asked, pointing to the words "Nirvana".

“Oh, ‘Nirvana’ means death,” the peddler explained.

"Master is dead?" Youliang was stunned, muttering to himself, "No, Master couldn't possibly be dead..."

"Children, are you from this village?" the peddler asked kindly.

"Nizi, let's go." Youliang grabbed Nizi and ran away quickly.

"Hmm, finally found it." The peddler said to himself as he watched their retreating figures.

That night, the moon was bright and the wind was gentle. The banks of the Yellow River were shrouded in a light white mist. The people of Aoli Village had all fallen asleep. All around was quiet, except for the incessant chirping of insects, which added to the tranquility.

Under the moonlight, two dark figures climbed over a small hill along the peach grove and arrived at a simple farmhouse. These three rooms were Youliang's home.

The two men, dressed in black and wearing high-top, soft-soled yellow sneakers, lay crouching behind the old elm tree, quietly observing. One of them was the middle-aged peddler who had come to the village during the day.

The peddler nodded, indicating that they could get started. So the two of them each took out a white mask, put it on, and then crept forward stealthily.

The man in black pulled out a dagger and gently inserted it into the gap between the two doors, slowly prying open the latch. The peddler took out a small sewing machine oil bottle, poured lubricant into the two door hinges, and then silently pushed open the wooden door.

Upon entering, one finds the kitchen, with a room on the east and west sides respectively. The two men pressed their ears against the doors of the east and west wing rooms. The snoring coming from the east wing room clearly belongs to an adult, interspersed with occasional rough coughs. The man in black shook his head; this room is not for children.

With a slight creak, the door opened, and the two stepped into the west wing. By the dim moonlight filtering through the window, they could clearly see two children sleeping on the earthen bed.

The peddler spotted the long-haired girl, suddenly covered her mouth with his hand, then forcefully pulled her out of bed, tucked her under his arm, and turned to leave...

Nizi was suddenly awakened from her sleep, and tried to scream in terror, but her mouth was covered tightly, so she could only make moaning sounds, her little feet kicking wildly in the air. As she left the west wing, her feet slammed into the door, making a loud "crack, bang..." sound, which was especially loud in the quiet night.

"Who is it?" a man asked from the east room, coughing as he got up to see what was going on. He was Youliang's father, who had contracted tuberculosis.

"What are you doing!" Youliang's father exclaimed in surprise as he pushed open the door and saw men in black kidnapping Nizi.

The man in black quickly scanned the peddler, who nodded.

A flash of white light appeared, and the black-clad man plunged a sharp dagger into Youliang's father's chest. He then twisted his wrist, pulled out the knife, and blood spurted out, splattering all over him. With a thud, Youliang's father collapsed dead on the threshold.

"Dad, what's wrong with you..." With a cry of surprise, Youliang's mother got up from the ground, trembling, and walked out with faltering steps.

Without hesitation, the man in black lunged forward and thrust his dagger straight into Youliangniang's abdomen with a "thud."

A piercing scream shattered the silence of the night. "Child, run..." Youliangniang cried out as she gripped the black-clad man's wrist tightly with both hands.

"Mother!" Youliang woke up in an instant, jumped off the ground, and rushed out.

The peddler kicked Youliang in the chest, sending him flying through the air. Youliang's head slammed against the door frame with a loud bang, and he immediately lost consciousness.

"Light a fire and burn this house down," the peddler ordered hastily, carrying Nizi along.

The man in black kicked Youliang Niang aside, pulled out a lighter from his pocket, and lit the dry grass on the woodpile in the kitchen. Flames instantly shot up, and thick smoke billowed out.

The blood that had spurted from Youliang's father trickled down the peddler's fingers and into Nizi's lips. Nizi licked it with difficulty; it was salty, slippery, and fishy...

The warm blood finally triggered a reaction from the blood fleas inside Nizi's body...

Chapter Sixty-One

The giant blood flea, which had been sealed in a porcelain bottle of corpse oil by Mengla Chaweng Bing for six years, had already regained its bloodthirsty instincts within Nizi's body. However, Nizi was unaware of this and did not know how to utilize it. Now, the giant blood flea smelled the blood of a living person and couldn't wait to come out.

Nizi felt a heat in her throat, and her mouth involuntarily opened slowly.

Seeing that the fire was already burning, the peddler nodded in satisfaction and said, "The fire will destroy all traces."

Before the peddler could finish speaking, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his palm. He quickly withdrew his hand and looked closely. In his palm, there was a huge, scarlet flea, its sharp mouthparts sucking blood from his flesh...

After the initial shock, he suddenly felt lightheaded, experiencing an intense sense of pleasure that caused him to let out silly "oh oh" laughs...

"What's wrong with you?" the man in black asked him in surprise.

The peddler slowly put Nizi down, his bewildered eyes staring at the man in black. He raised his palm, still muttering "oh oh" repeatedly.

The man in black's eyes widened. My God, such a huge scarlet flea...

In the blink of an eye, the giant blood flea leaped up and clung to the man in black's forehead. Its sharp mandibles instantly pierced his flesh, even penetrating his skull and embedding themselves in his brain tissue.

"Oh oh..." An excited smile appeared on the man in black's face, and a sticky drool dripped from his open mouth.

Nizi was stunned, her mouth agape. But then the giant blood flea flashed red and silently disappeared back into her mouth, and she didn't even notice it because she was too shocked to react.

Mongla Chawong Bing, known as the "Number One Sorcerer in Southeast Asia," possessed a secret "Blood Sorcery" that was a peerless and extraordinary curse, striking fear into the hearts of the Thai royal family and sorcerers of all ranks. This secret technique of Blood Sorcery was passed down from Elder Fang during the Ayutthaya Kingdom of Siam. After Mongla Chawong Bing's death, only Ni Zi in the world today knows it. Although she is currently unaware of it, one day, Mongla Chawong Bing's incantation technique will awaken Ni Zi's memories. At that time, the greatest sorcerer since the Thonburi Kingdom will descend upon the world.

"Let those two bad guys burn to death..." Nizi thought resentfully.

The peddler and the man in black, as if bewitched, embraced and gazed at each other, lying obediently and happily on the blazing haystack. The flames burned their clothes and devoured their flesh, a stench of burning flesh filled the air, their skin cracked and their burning fat sizzling...

“Nizi…” Youliangniang gasped for breath and uttered a weak sound.

“Auntie…” Nizi rushed to her side.

"Quickly, take Liang away... When you grow up, you must marry, marry Youliang..." Youliang's mother's dying eyes were fixed on Nizi, and then slowly froze.

The fire ignited the thatched roof of the shed, and flames dripped down. The roof of the thatched hut had been burned through, making a crackling sound.

With tears in her eyes, Nizi ran to Youliang's side and dragged him by the legs towards the outside. Just as they reached the courtyard, they heard a "thud" and the entire roof collapsed instantly. Youliang's parents and the two men in black all perished in the flames.

South of Tongguan in Shaanxi Province lies Songguo Mountain, which, from a distance, resembles a Buddha's head, hence the local name "Buddha's Head Cliff." The main peak rises to 1800 meters, majestic and precipitous, with jagged rocks and winding mountain paths. In the tenth year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty (636 AD), the Buddha Cliff Temple was built against the peak, overlooking the ravine. The main building, the Bodhisattva Temple, had five main halls and ten monks' quarters. Overlooking the surrounding mountains, one sees ancient pines and cypresses reaching for the sky, with the Yellow River flowing eastward like a ribbon on the horizon. The main hall houses a statue of Bodhisattva, and people from dozens of miles around often come here to worship and pray for blessings.

The incense burns continuously.

The plaque above the main hall is engraved with the three large characters "Foya Temple". Outside the gate is a blue stone more than a person tall, on which is carved a poem, "Mountain Slope Sheep: Reminiscing about Tongguan", by Zhang Yanghao, Minister of Rites during the Zhizhi era of Emperor Yingzong of the Yuan Dynasty:

The peaks stand like a gathering of people, and the waves surge like a raging storm.

Tongguan Road, nestled between mountains and rivers.

Looking westward towards the capital, I hesitated.

Heartbreaking are the places where the Qin and Han dynasties once stood; countless palaces have all turned to dust.

When a dynasty prospers, the people suffer. When a dynasty falls, the people suffer.

The sixteenth day of the third lunar month is the birthday of Bodhisattva Cundi. Early in the morning, countless devout men and women flock to Buddha Head Cliff along the Tongguan Road to offer incense. Bodhisattva Cundi is the mother of all Buddhas of the three worlds, with profound spiritual influence. All sentient beings, both in the human and spiritual realms, are protected by her, and her merits are immeasurable.

Outside the main hall, incense smoke swirled, while inside, the clear, melodious sound of wooden fish drums accompanied the chanting of scriptures, bringing a sense of tranquility and peace.

"I bow in reverence to Susiddhi, I prostrate myself before the seven kotis, I now praise the great Cundi, I only wish for your compassionate protection. Namo Saptanam, Samyak Sambuddha, Kotinam Tadyatha Om Chale Cule Cundi Svaha..." That was the old monk of Foya Temple reciting the Cundi Mantra.

On the bustling hilltop, several burly men in tight-fitting clothes stood under a tree, their indifferent gazes sweeping over the crowd. Leading them was a plump middle-aged man, who squinted at several children running and playing. This was Zhang, the leader of the "Yuncheng Archaeological Team," who had once spent the night at Fengling Temple. Today, they were tasked with finding the young monk from Fengling Temple and a girl named Guo Ni.

A few days ago, two of his men went missing. One of them had disguised himself as a peddler and traveled through villages and towns in Tongguan County on the south bank of the Yellow River to investigate the whereabouts of the two children. He was instructed by his superiors to search for them under the guise of a Buddhist ceremony for the deceased by Master Yidu of Fengling Temple. If the two children knew this information, they would definitely come back.

Both of his subordinates were skilled in martial arts and very alert. How could they have suddenly disappeared without a trace? Team Leader Zhang vaguely sensed that some kind of danger was approaching, and thus his mood became restless and uneasy.

"Captain Zhang, will those two kids come?" one of his subordinates asked him quietly.