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Capítulo 44

“The bad guy was burned to death too,” Nizi said truthfully.

"Burned to death?" The old monk Weidu was quite surprised.

"Yeah, those two bad guys were pretty happy lying on the fire," Nizi said seriously.

The old monk thought to himself, "Who would be happy when they are about to be burned to death? This child must have been terrified."

"Uncle-Master Weidu, how did my master's body end up at Foya Temple?" Youliang asked sadly.

“One night, someone placed Brother Yidu’s body on a donkey cart and parked it outside the temple gate, leaving a letter. The letter said that Master Yidu had passed away and his body had been sent to Foya Temple. It requested that a cremation ceremony be held on the sixteenth day of the third month, the birthday of Bodhisattva Cundi, and that many believers would come. It was signed by a lay Buddhist from Fenglingdu Town,” said the old monk Weidu.

"Who is the Hermit of Fenglingdu Town?" Youliang asked, puzzled.

“I don’t know, perhaps this person will be here today. In any case, returning my senior brother’s body is a great act of merit. Amitabha…” The old monk, Weidu, clasped his hands together and chanted the Buddha’s name.

"Children, how did you learn that the cremation ceremony for Brother Yidu was being held at Foyai Temple?" the old monk Weidu suddenly asked.

“Uncle-Master, Nizi and I learned about today’s Dharma assembly from a peddler in the village. The notice was posted on his basket,” Youliang replied.

"Who could have sent the notification? Hmm, it should be the virtuous 'Fenglingdu Layman' who returned the body of the first-stage ascetic," the un-crossed monk speculated.

"That was the night Youliang's parents were killed by bad guys, and their house was burned down," Nizi muttered to herself.

"Which night?" Wei Du asked warily.

"The day the peddler came to the village," Nizi replied.

"Oh no, this might be a trap..." the old monk suddenly realized.

Chapter Sixty-Three

Footsteps sounded at the door, and a monk hurried into the house, saying to the elderly monk Weidu, "Abbot, there are many worshippers in the main hall who wish to invite Master Yidu to come out and pay homage to the Dharma body."

The old monk nodded and said, "Yes, it's about time."

"This humble monk will go and prepare immediately." The monk then turned and left.

"Nizi and Youliang, you two go back to the kitchen first and don't show yourselves for now. I have my own arrangements," the old monk Weidu instructed.

"Yes, Uncle-Master." Youliang led Nizi away.

The old monk turned his head and glanced at the body of the monk Yidu, murmuring, "Brother, yin and yang are like illusions, life and death are like dreams, like illusions and dreams. The Guo family has no heir, and the secret pact of a thousand years is finally about to be broken..." After saying this, he sighed, turned around and walked out of the house towards the front hall.

Inside the main hall, incense smoke swirled, people thronged, the melodious sounds of fish-shaped chimes filled the air, and Buddhist chants lingered.

Wei Du's gaze swept across the crowd, and an old man dressed in black Taoist robes caught his attention. The man was about fifty or sixty years old, with a youthful face and white hair, and a slight smile on his face. His right eye was gleaming white, while his left eye was bright and piercing. This man was a one-eyed dragon...

The old monk Weidu felt a chill run down his spine. He thought to himself, "Nizi said that the one who shot and killed my senior brother was a one-eyed Taoist priest surnamed Fei. Could it be this person?"

"It is an honor to have a fellow Daoist grace our temple with his presence. Amitabha! I am Weidu, the abbot of Foya Temple." Weidu took two steps forward and stood in front of the old Daoist in black, greeting him with one hand clasped together.

In his haste, the old Taoist in black hurriedly returned the greeting, blurting out without thinking, "This humble Taoist is Fei Ziyun, from Jiexiu..." He immediately realized his mistake and shut his mouth.

"Oh, so it's Abbot Fei Ziyun of the Daluo Palace in Jiexiu, Shanxi. Please come to the guest room for tea." The old monk Weidu knew a lot about the famous Buddhist and Taoist figures in the Shanxi and Shaanxi areas.

Master Fei glanced down and then said, "Alright, please."

Wei Du's gaze followed, landing on a small dwarf less than a meter tall below the crowd. The dwarf's head was enormous, his eyes frosty and cold, and his temples bulged high—clearly a master of internal martial arts. Their eyes met briefly, and the old monk Wei Du thought to himself, "This person is not to be underestimated."

"Is this benefactor with Master Fei? Would you please join us for tea?" Wei Du tentatively invited.

The little dwarf nodded slightly, expressionless.

“Yes, thank you, Abbot.” Master Fei agreed after obtaining his master’s permission.

Inside the guest room, the old monk Weidu, Daoist Fei, and the little dwarf took their seats as host and guest, respectively, and a young novice monk served them fragrant tea.

"Master Fei has personally come to our temple. What advice do you have for us?" the old monk Weidu asked.

Master Fei took a sip of hot tea, put down the teacup, and said, “I heard that your temple is holding a cremation ceremony today. I once met Master Yidu of Fengling Temple in Shanxi, so I came here to pay my respects. Please forgive me if this is inconvenient.”

The old monk Weidu smiled slightly and said, "Master Fei, you flatter me. Jiexiu Daluo Palace is the number one Taoist temple in the world. 'Above the Three Pure Ones is Daluo.' I have long heard of it, but unfortunately I have never had the chance to see it. Today, thanks to the cremation of Master Yidu, I have the honor of meeting the abbot of Daluo Palace. How could there be any inconvenience? If our temple has failed in its hospitality, I hope Master Fei will forgive us."

Master Fei bowed respectfully and said with a sorrowful expression, "Alas, I was deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Master Yidu. I am comforted to hear of the cremation ceremony at Foya Temple. However, I am puzzled as to why Master Yidu, a highly respected monk from Hedong, did not hold the ceremony in Shanxi but instead crossed the Yellow River to Shaanxi for his cremation."

The old monk thought to himself, "This is exactly what I want to know."

This person must be the Taoist priest surnamed Fei that Nizi mentioned who plotted against Senior Brother Yidu. The little dwarf beside him also seems to be up to no good. It seems something is going to happen today. Weidu thought to himself and said, "This old monk also has the same question."

Master Fei's expression changed slightly, and he slowly said, "This humble Taoist does not understand."

Wei Du said: "A few days ago, in the early morning, a donkey cart brought Brother Yi Du's body to the outside of the mountain gate, leaving a note saying that Master Yi Du had passed away and hoped that a cremation ceremony would be held on the birthday of Bodhisattva Zhunti on the 16th of March. At that time, lay Buddhists and believers from Hedong would come to pay their respects."

"Who left the letter?" the little dwarf suddenly interjected, his voice low and gloomy.

Wei Du glanced at him and then said, "I only found it when I opened the temple gate this morning. No one came. The letter was signed 'Fenglingdu Jushi'."

"The Hermit of Fengling Ferry?" Fei Dao asked, puzzled.

Wei Du watched coldly. Master Fei's expression didn't seem to be fake. Could it be that Senior Brother Yi Du's corpse wasn't brought by them?

“Yes, I don’t know who this ‘Fenglingdu Hermit’ is, but it is a meritorious deed after all, and I am very grateful.” Weidu stared at Master Fei and said, word by word.

At this moment, the little dwarf slowly said, "I wonder what illness Master Yidu suffered from that caused his sudden death?"

“My senior brother wasn’t sick; he was shot and died,” Wei Du said.

“Since it’s a shooting, it’s a murder case. Abbot Weidu, could you call the police?” the little dwarf asked immediately.

"Never," Wei Du replied.

The little dwarf's eyes gleamed, and he said in a gloomy tone, "Why didn't the abbot call the police? Human life is at stake. Is there some unspeakable reason for this?"

This little dwarf's words are so sharp, he actually turned the tables on me... When I examined Yidu's body back then, I already knew that my senior brother had died while guarding the tomb. If I reported it, it would definitely cause a lot of unnecessary trouble, so I kept it a secret. Today, this person has seen through it in one sentence. It seems that I need to be more careful... Weidu thought to himself, all's fair in war, I need to provoke this little dwarf.

"It's because Senior Brother Yidu foresaw his impending doom before his death and left behind some words..." Weidu deliberately stammered and spoke vaguely.

"What message did you leave behind?" The little dwarf was getting impatient.

“He said…” Wei Du glanced meaningfully at Master Fei and said, “He will surely die from the machinations of a Taoist priest someday. Grudges are irrelevant; the human body is just a shell, cremated…”

Master Fei was speechless upon hearing this. The eyelid of his left eye was trembling slightly, which the old monk Weidu had already noticed. His trick had worked.

Ordinary people would not believe these words, but the little dwarf Song Diweng was skilled in divination and numerology, so he believed them without a doubt. He thought to himself, "Master Yidu is indeed a highly accomplished monk. If he were still alive, I would be willing to befriend him."

"Alas, those who can foresee their own life and death are truly extraordinary masters," Song Diweng sighed sincerely.

"Knock knock..." With the knocking, a monk came in with a letter in his hand, handed it to Abbot Weidu, and then turned and left.

The old monk, who had not yet been saved, tore open the envelope, read it silently, and then calmly said, "A letter has arrived from 'Fenglingdu Layman'."

Song Diweng and Fei Daozhang remained silent, waiting for the old monk who had not yet been saved to speak first.

The old monk, who had not yet been saved, handed the letter to Master Fei, his face unusually stern.

Master Fei was reading the letter when Old Man Song couldn't help but peek over. Immediately, their expressions changed drastically...

The letter stated: The murderer who killed Master Yidu was Daoist Fei Ziyun of the Daluo Palace in Jiexiu. It was signed – Fenglingdu Jushi (Layman of Fenglingdu).

"Slander! This is a slander!" Master Fei shouted, his face flushed red.

Song Diweng frowned, stood up, and walked out without saying a word. His sharp eyes immediately locked onto the messenger monk in the crowd. He caught up with him in three steps and grabbed the monk's arm.

"Young master, please wait!" Song Diweng said in a low voice.

"What is it, benefactor?" The monk looked at the little dwarf with surprise and asked in confusion.

"Who asked you to deliver that letter just now?" Song Diweng asked.

"I don't know. I just felt someone tap me on the back, and then this letter appeared in my hand, but I didn't see a single person," the monk replied, puzzled.

"Oh..." Song Diweng snorted and released the monk.

"Such swift movements! Someone's scheming behind this..." He pondered thoughtfully. Who could it be? Was it the group of tomb raiders the commander mentioned, also eyeing the "Feng Hou Mausoleum"? But how could they be so certain that Fei Ziyun killed Master Yidu? Were they also present that night, knowing the burial site and digging up Master Yidu's body, then transporting it to Foya Temple by donkey cart? But he hadn't noticed anyone else near the temple at the time. There are probably very few people in the world who could hide unnoticed... So, only one person is most suspicious: the solitary abbot of Baiyun Temple in the capital, Jia Shiming. This person not only knew that Fei Ziyun killed Master Yidu, but he might not have gone far, hiding somewhere nearby and witnessing the burial of the body under the ginkgo tree.

Yes, it was definitely him. With Jia Shiming's martial arts skills, it was indeed impossible for me to detect him. This guy not only stole Yidu's corpse and sent it to Foya Temple, inviting people from all directions to attend the Dharma assembly under the name of "Fenglingdu Layman," but he is now hiding in Foya Temple, secretly watching me and Fei Ziyun together in the guest room. No wonder the monk didn't even see a shadow when he delivered this letter; only he could do such a fast movement. But why? Since Jia Shiming has already agreed to join forces with me, why would he still tamper with things behind my back...?

Song Diweng chuckled coldly twice, called out to the messenger monk who was about to leave, and together they returned to the guest room.

"Abbot, may I borrow your paper, pen, and envelope?" Song Diweng said politely to the un-ordained old monk.

The old monk was very surprised and did not understand what the little dwarf was going to do.

“I’m going to write a reply to ‘Fenglingdu Hermit’,” Song Diweng said with a sneer.

Chapter Sixty-Four

The monk held a letter aloft in his hand, walking around in the bustling crowd. The envelope was inscribed with the words "Fenglingdu Layman".

As he was walking, the monk suddenly felt a gentle breeze blowing from behind. He turned around and looked, but saw nothing amiss. When he looked up again, the envelope in his hand was gone...

In the corner of the Foya Temple, a tall, thin old man, dressed as a farmer from northern Shaanxi, with a white sheepskin headscarf, black trousers and a cloth belt, squatted down. He held the letter in his hand, gently tore it open, and took out the contents to read.

The letter paper had six lines of varying lengths drawn on it, from top to bottom: one long, two short, one long, four short, one long... Apart from that, there was not a single word.

The old man smiled slightly. This was the twenty-first hexagram in the I Ching, "Biting Through," composed of the trigram Li (fire) above and the trigram Zhen (thunder) below, named "Fire and Thunder Biting Through." Biting Through signifies gnawing and joining together. The incompatibility of things stems from the existence of gaps; the harm of these gaps must be eliminated. Indulging in desires leads to obscurity, excessive desires lead to greed, unrestrained desires lead to moral decay, and extreme desires lead to the destruction of life. The burdens of material desires are like a poisonous sore on the back; therefore, Biting Through helps to remove the fishbone stuck in the throat…

Hmph, this little dwarf wants to warn me that material desires are like a poisonous sore, and if I don't stop, I'll have to get rid of them. He really underestimates me, Jia Shiming...

Since that night when he unearthed Master Yidu's body, he ordered Captain Zhang to take it to Foya Temple in a donkey cart, leaving a letter under the name "Fenglingdu Layman." At the same time, he instructed Captain Zhang's men to disguise themselves as peddlers and search for Nizi and the little monk within a hundred-mile radius south of the Yellow River. So far, only the two who went to the Qin Dong Town area have disappeared without a trace. He had a premonition that something must have happened to them there; both were young, strong, and skilled in martial arts, most likely killed by Song Diweng and his group. Seeing the little dwarf and Master Fei appear at Foya Temple today only strengthened his belief.

Master Jia stood up and walked towards the mountain gate, arriving at the foot of a large tree.

"Master, we still haven't found any trace of the two children," the team leader, surnamed Zhang, said quietly as he stepped forward.

"Hmm," Master Jia hummed.

"Master, could it be that the two children are still unaware of Master Yidu's death and the cremation ceremony at Foya Temple?" Captain Zhang asked suspiciously.

Master Jia did not answer his question, but instead asked, "Did you see that little dwarf in the dark blue Zhongshan suit and the one-eyed Taoist priest?"

"I saw them, and I think there's something fishy about those two." Captain Zhang nodded.

“Indeed, these two are our adversaries: Song Diweng from the capital and Fei Ziyun from the Daluo Palace in Jiexiu. I suspect that the sudden disappearance of your two peddlers is related to them,” Master Jia said thoughtfully.

"Damn it," Captain Zhang muttered through gritted teeth.

Master Jia instructed, "I will lure the little dwarf away. You all try to capture that one-eyed Master Fei. Don't do it in the temple; find a secluded place to strike."

"Okay, I'll take care of this." Captain Zhang said, rubbing his hands together eagerly.

"Master Fei is the abbot of the Daluo Palace and is highly skilled in martial arts. Are you all confident in your abilities?" Master Jia asked hesitantly.

"Don't worry, we've all brought our weapons," Captain Zhang said, patting his waist.