Chapter 51: Leaving the City and Heading West
February 14th, 3:30 pm
The two sides were deadlocked for a long time, and Shen Kuo decided to break the deadlock.
"Master, Master. Do you think what I just said makes sense?" he said suddenly.
"Uh, I'm listening. What you said is just speculation, without any evidence?"
"There is indeed no evidence. So far, the problems we have encountered are numerous, but only a few have been able to solve them. Sigh..." He sighed, "I just think that the puppets' two consecutive appearances are a bit strange."
"How is it strange?"
"It is almost mid-February, the time of spring awakening. I looked up the records of Yang Chunguan, and every year at this time, there is spring thunder. The first night these puppets appeared, I heard thunder in the distance from Baifan Tower. Although there was no thunderstorm in the end, it was obvious that spring thunder was approaching. The next day, when you and I parted at Wazikou, thunder also roared in the east. I rushed to the front of the Imperial Street, and the wind was blowing, and thunder was hidden in the clouds, and these puppets appeared again. Perhaps the person behind the scenes is waiting for a thunderstorm to play tricks."
"But it doesn't make sense. If someone behind the scenes wanted to play tricks, and they had already done it, why did they destroy these things? And how did they do it?"
"It is true that the more you comprehend, the harder it is to comprehend thoroughly. In fact, when I looked at the things that Yu Jing confiscated at the stronghold outside the city, there were many blueprints left. Although they are all exquisite things, they cannot be called superb. He had to ask you, Master, for advice when he cast the round mound. It can be seen that his ability is far from that of his ancestor Yu Hao, and he cannot make the most exquisite things of Yu Hao." As he spoke, he kicked the puppet beside him.
"Yeah, I agree with that."
"After checking the list of Maitreya sect members, we found that there are four guardians below the Saint Lady, and Yu Silang is only one of them. Perhaps there are other masters in the sect."
"Oh, do you have a name?"
"At first glance, they are all fake names, and there is no point in saying them out."
"If it is inconvenient to tell me, I won't ask."
"Master, please forgive me. I was the one who spoke out of turn. It's okay to mention them. One of them is called Saint Fox Yong'er, and the other is Zhuge Suizhi. The other name was burned, so I can't see it clearly."
"They don't sound like real names."
The monk stood up and said, "I thought I could dismantle the interlocking joints and thousands of ingenious buckles of Senior Yu Hao today, but I didn't expect this. I'll take my leave first. I'll keep your matter in mind. If I can figure out the secret, I'll come back to find you."
"Thank you, Master."
Huailiang said goodbye and left. Shen Kuo was left on the second floor staring at the wreckage. He realized that his words had shocked Huailiang. Huailiang had always been careful in his exploration and took a step-by-step approach. Except for the fact that he was a little reckless in accusing Xiaoping, he was like that in all other matters. For example, fourteen years ago, he had tried many times to explore which of the two balls would fall from the top of the tower first. When investigating the collapse of the dome, he had to boil out the salt first before he could reach a conclusion.
This bold assumption of mine, which was made without any reasoning, probably scared him.
However, there are indeed many signs that the Hat Monster has not appeared recently, and only these puppets have appeared. Is there something wrong with the people behind the scenes?
His intuition told him that the puppet's revival was coming with the first wave of spring thunder in this year's Jingzhe.
But Master Huailiang pointed out the logical flaw in it. If they wanted to play tricks, why did they destroy these things?
He sighed deeply and went downstairs. He didn't know how many times he sighed this morning.
The old coroner came forward and handed over some papers. Yesterday, he drew pictures of tattoos on several corpses according to Shen Kuo's instructions. Originally, the corpse list only wrote the general shape of the flower embroidery on the female corpse, because it was common for men in the market to have tattoos, so there was no need to record it. But Shen Kuo wanted to know, but he didn't dare to see the corpse with his own eyes. Later, he bought wine and food to share with everyone. The old coroner was also a very serious person. After drawing carefully, he put the corpse into the coffin and piled it against the back wall.
Shen Kuo took it and looked at it for a few times. It was all fragmented patterns. This was easy to explain, because the skin of these corpses had been burned to varying degrees, and the tattoos and embroidery on them were not very clear.
He looked through them all, but there was no complete shape. However, he gradually realized that all these broken tattoos on different corpses seemed to be somewhat similar?
He quickly read it seven or eight times, trying to piece together the remaining parts in his mind. Gradually, an outline emerged in his mind. It was a woman sitting on a lotus pedestal. The woman had no upper body and there were ten thousand words on her chest. It was the half of the human figure on the broken stone tablet he found in Yu Jing Manor that day.
However, these people died on different streets and their identities were completely unrelated, so why do they all have this tattoo?
A terrible thought came to my mind - these people must be related.
Their deaths from lightning must be somehow connected to the resurrected puppets. He has not thought of this connection yet, but the truth seems to be there, within reach.
He hit his head several times, trying to wake himself up.
"Command." A captain of the police reported, waking Shen Kuo from his deep thoughts.
"Brother, just speak your mind."
"Sir, there seems to be a corpse in the backyard. Everyone is discussing that at this evil time, why not take advantage of the daylight to drag the five corpses to the mass grave outside the city, and wait until someone comes to claim them."
"No victim will come to claim the throne." Shen Kuo said confidently, "Let's go! Let's see how the corpse transforms."
"good."
The messenger did not lead the way, but just followed Shen Kuo.
When Shen Kuo arrived at the backyard, he saw that the coffin lid of the top coffin on the pile was broken. Someone brought a chair over, and he stood on the chair to support the coffin and looked down. There was a crack, but the crack was downward. If the corpse inside had resurrected and wanted to break free, it seemed that the crack was in the opposite direction.
He wanted to climb up the peach branch by stepping on the coffin, but found that the coffin creaked when he stepped on it. It seemed that the money that Lao Bao allocated for buying coffins had also been embezzled. These coffins were probably the cheapest .
He held onto the peach branch and looked around.
"I guess he must be a light-hearted person?"
"What?"
Send someone downstairs to ask.
"Nothing, where is Xu Jie?"
"He went out to investigate a case. I was looking for him, but he wasn't there."
He jumped off the chair and patted the sawdust on his hands. He didn't know how much money the messenger had embezzled to find such a sparse coffin. He touched it casually and found sawdust on his hands.
He walked to the barn and looked at the old donkey.
"I always praise you for being alert in front of others and calling out to people when you see them, but why didn't you call out earlier last night?"
He patted the donkey's head vigorously, then led the good horse out of the barn. Just after putting on the saddle, Xu Chong came back from outside, exhausted.
"Brother Shen is going out?"
"I suddenly thought of something and decided to go out and look for clues."
"Any directions?"
"Not yet, but the wind was blowing from the east the night before, and I wanted to go to the west of the city to have a look."
"What a coincidence. Today I went to check where Xiao Ping and Jin Er went yesterday, and I found out that they also went to a small courtyard in the west of the city. I remembered that you said there was a donkey that you hadn't returned, so I came to inform you. Why not take this stupid donkey with you? It's just the right time to return it to her."
"I also feel deeply guilty towards Xiao Ping, but today is official business, so I will come to your house another day to apologize and return the donkey."
"Okay, let's go together and come back before the city gates are closed."
For some reason Xu Chong was so enthusiastic, and Shen Kuo was happy to have him by his side. The two rode side by side and went out of Wangchun Gate to the west.
Of course Xu Chong didn't understand why Shen Kuo went west, but he had other things in his mind. Along the way, he kept talking about how he had asked a lot of people to find out where Xiaoping lived. However, Xiaoping and Jin'er left at noon, so he had to ask for favors again before he found out their new whereabouts. They said they were at the Yellow River ferry in Zhongmuxian.
Shen Kuo couldn't understand why his personality changed so drastically. He was not such a frivolous person before. Although it was obvious that he was somewhat interested in Jin'er, he was not so persistent. He was just like a young master in the capital.
"Brother Xu, Xiao Ping saw you talking to Jin Er upstairs and praised you as a good man who understands romance and can coax people."
"Ah... I know she's making fun of me. I also know that being so impatient is really ugly, but all I want is to see her and talk to her for a few more words. However, I dare not delay my official duties. Tomorrow I will find some free time to look for their village. If I find it, it will be convenient for you to come."
"Why are you in such a hurry?"
"Because I threw the sword yesterday and injured the puppet, it must have been possessed by evil spirits. I am afraid I won't live long."
"So that's it?" Shen Kuo didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Are you afraid of getting a stroke like Ah Si, the butcher?"
"Yes, if she looks like that with a crooked mouth, squinting eyes, and spitting everywhere, she would be ashamed to face people even if she doesn't die. Last night, Jin'er said that she wanted a puppy. She said Xiaoping loves cats, and she likes cats too, but she likes dogs more because civet cats seem to be unfaithful, but domestic dogs never mind the family's poverty. She said it unintentionally, but I kept it in my heart, so I wanted to send her to the countryside to find a kitten or a puppy for her. While I am still like a brave man, I will see her for the last time and stay in her heart from now on. This is also my last token of my love." Xu Chong said sadly.
"You, you, are so confused."
"How are you confused? Are you saying that I don't have to be as ugly as that butcher?"
"Of course not."
Xu Chong seemed to be relieved, but he still looked unconvinced: "However, the butcher Ah Si was indeed struck by a stroke, his mouth is crooked and his eyes are slanted..."
"That Ah Si was probably poisoned."
"poison?"
"I read the confiscated 'Sacred Teachings, Talismans and Medicine Contracts' and found that one of the items in it can cause external wind and can also poison livestock, and it is difficult to trace afterward."
"That day, we tried the pig food and pork with chickens and dogs, but not a single one died."
"The poison in the cult's pharmacopoeia is called half-day half-dissipation. It only takes half a day for the toxicity to be reduced by half, and another half a day for it to be reduced to nothingness, so it is harmless to consume. I checked the information and found that after Ah Si rushed out of the wooden door, he drank a mouthful of water from the bucket on the edge of the well."
"You mean to say that someone poisoned the water the pigs drank that night?"
"I calculated that the poison was not given that night, but that day. Therefore, when Ah Si drank the water, half of the poison had already disappeared, so it was just an external wind. When Bao checked again the next day, he naturally had no way to verify it. Moreover, this poison attacks the heart, not the liver, so the inspection method is not appropriate."
“Can it be retested?”
"It's difficult. This poison is produced in the brine in the salt marshes in Tubo. We can't get it in the Song Dynasty. However, now we have a way to find out indirectly and verify it."
“How to retest?”
"Then it depends on you. If you have nothing to do tomorrow, my guess is probably correct."
"Hey, you're making fun of a rough guy like me again." Xu Chong was slightly relieved. He knew that since Shen Kuo could tease him, it meant that the problem was not serious. If he kept sighing, it would be a big problem.
"Brother Shen, why did the east wind blow last night, but we went out through the west gate?" He then remembered to ask the main question.
"I dare not conclude, I just try my luck."
"What's your guess? Tell me."
"I always feel that there are changes within the Maitreya sect."
"Has there been a change? Bao Longtu and Wen Shuxiang also said so."
"It's not just a normal change, but a sign of internal strife. From the books seized from the Maitreya sect, we know that there are three people below the Saint, namely Yu Jing, Saintess Hu Yong'er and Zhuge Suizhi. I think if there is an internal fight, it must be among these people."
"How... did you know this?"
"Because the five dead seemed to be ordinary people."
“…”
Xu Chong was completely confused and had no idea what Shen Kuo was talking about.
"Oh, there are some things you don't know yet. The coroner just collected the tattoos on the five people. Although they are all incomplete, after piecing them together, they look very similar to the seated statue of the Mother of No Birth on the broken stele of the Maitreya Sect. There are also ten thousand characters on the chest."
"You mean, they are the followers? Then they are killing themselves?"
"I do think so. I came to this conclusion after seeing the bodies and talking to the coroner in detail. The coroner said that the bodies were different from those struck by lightning and he couldn't understand them. However, I have seen similar ones and recorded them in my book Dream Pool Essays."
"Have you seen anything similar? Also a dead body."
"They were not dead bodies, but some objects struck by lightning. I have seen similar objects in the house of the eunuch Li Shunju. I will recite to you what I remember: the house of the eunuch Li Shunju was struck by a violent thunderstorm. The lightning and fire came out from the window and hit a wooden grid where various objects were stored. The silver of the lacquerware and silver buckles melted to the ground, but the lacquerware was not burned. There was a precious sword made of extremely hard steel, which melted into liquid in the sword chamber, but the room remained intact."
"This? How can they be connected?"
"If you can draw inferences from one instance to another, you can find the origin of the connection. Let me ask you, why is it that silver melts to the ground and a precious sword melts into liquid? But lacquerware does not burn, and the family remains in good condition?"
"I only thought that lightning was a punishment from heaven for evil, that people who violated moral principles and behaved badly would be struck by lightning, and good people would avoid it. But I didn't know that objects could also be divided into good and evil?"
"No, no, how can thunder distinguish between good and evil? It's just that thunder can find things that can attract it," Shen Kuo shook his head. "Let me ask you again, do you know the thunder pillar under the ridge purlin of the palace's pointed roof?"
"I know this. It is said that this pillar must occupy the Xun position to avoid thunder and fire."
"You are wrong again. This pillar can indeed stop thunder and fire, but the tip must be made of copper and covered with gold paint, and the base of the long pillar must be seven feet into the ground. Otherwise, it will not stop thunder and fire even if it occupies the Xun position. In fact, the Thunder God Pillar does not stop thunder and fire, on the contrary, it attracts lightning."
"Attract lightning but avoid lightning fire?" Xu Chong looked at Shen Kuo.
"Yes, lead the lightning and fire into the underground."
"Drawing lightning and fire into the ground?"
Xu Chong no longer understood anything.
"Why did the gold objects in the house of the eunuch Li Shun melt into water, but the dry lacquerware, wooden objects and houses were not damaged? The direction of the lightning and fire can be guided. From what I have seen, gold objects or wet objects are more likely to attract lightning."
"So water in the human body can also attract lightning?" Xu Chong finally understood.
"Yes, people who are struck by lightning will naturally burn to death. If a piece of gold is inserted into the ground, it can guide the lightning into the ground. For example, the Thunder Pillar is often struck by lightning, but the palace is not damaged. If the gold is not inserted into the ground, such as Li Shun's silver sword, the lightning fire will accumulate and have nowhere to go, just like iron in a forge, melting it into water."
"But what does this have to do with those five dead men?"
"The five people also died in the form of being struck by lightning and burned by fire."
"But there are some differences. The burn marks are on the forearms and waist."
"This is a puzzle, but it also triggered another thought in my mind: why is the burn site here?"
"Why?"
"Maybe they have lightning conductors wrapped around their hands and waists? Then I remembered again, when you were chasing Yu Lao Si that day, why was he so eager to take that bundle of thin ropes with him when he escaped? What was so strange about that rope that you risked your life to take it with you?"
"Just tell me everything you're thinking." Xu Chong's mind was full of questions and he could no longer follow Shen Kuo's guidance, so he slowly asked the questions.
"I started thinking the night before last. How did the puppets fly in the air? If it wasn't the power of ghosts and gods, what other possibilities were there? Could someone be controlling them from a higher place? Also, it's almost the middle of February now, which is clearly the time of the Waking of Insects when wind and thunder start. Why did these puppets appear at this time? Why were the deaths so strange? Why did they die in the same place but around the Baifan Building? These thoughts kept lingering in my mind. Until just now, I suddenly had an idea. Those five people might be controlling the puppets."
"But they are on the ground?" Xu Chong got to the key point.
"Can't we control things in the sky from the earth?" Shen Kuo asked himself, and it was obvious that he didn't have the answer yet.
"So we head west out of town? The more I listen, the more..."
"I feel the same way about this matter, but my mind is still a little blocked and I haven't understood it clearly yet. If I return empty-handed, I will ask Master Huailiang tomorrow."
