Volume 2: Female Corpse in Monk's Clothes Chapter 111 Mysterious Crying
That evening at 11:00 p.m., in a guest room in the side courtyard of Chongtian Temple.
"This Taoist temple... has a problem!" Zhao Yu said to Xu Zun and others, "I didn't see many people burning incense, but the Taoist temple was built so big, did it have some extra money?
“There are several corridors, courtyards, palaces and gardens. I calculated silently before that I might get lost if I walked in them!
"And that horse," Zhao Yu added, "is the Yuzhao Lion Horse. You can only afford it with five hundred taels of silver or more!"
"I also feel something is wrong," Huo Anu nodded and said, "I always feel that these Taoists have a kind of bandit spirit, and the way they look at people is not clean."
"Brother Xu..." Lu Mingyue listened to the two's discussion and asked Xu Zun, "What do you think? Should we ask them about Lu Xiaofeng's family?"
Before Xu Zun could speak, Zhao Yu took over and spoke to Lu Mingyue.
"Miss Lu, you'd better be mentally prepared," he reminded, "Even if there is something wrong with this Taoist temple, it does not mean that it is related to the disappearance of Lu Xiaofeng's family!"
"Oh?" Lu Mingyue asked, "Why?"
"Lu Xiaofeng's family of nine mysteriously disappeared. Would someone who could do such a thing be so stupid as to ride a jade-like lion horse, wear ten-square boots, and swagger into Wude Silver Bank to withdraw money? And what he took was the Lu Family Bookstore voucher?"
"This...what do you mean?" Lu Mingyue was anxious, "Are you saying that we are looking in the wrong direction?"
"And, what a coincidence," Zhao Yu continued, "just when we were trying to fully investigate the disappearance of Lu Xiaofeng's family, this person came out to collect the money?
"Also... the fire at the Lu family bookstore, if it was really just for money, why did they burn the bookstore?"
"Oh," Lu Mingyue looked at Xu Zun anxiously, "Brother Xu, why didn't you tell me these things earlier? Doesn't this mean that the direction of our investigation was wrong?"
"No , that's not necessarily true!" Xu Zun picked up the teacup, sniffed the tea, and said calmly, "It is precisely because someone pretended to be a Taoist priest to go to the bank to withdraw money, and he was riding a jade lion horse, that I think this person might be providing us with clues!"
"Ah? You mean..." Lu Mingyue became more and more confused, "The person who took the money is not a bad person?"
"Don't be anxious," Xu Zun advised, "Be patient and wait, maybe we won't be in vain on this trip!"
Ding ding ding...
At this moment, someone knocked on the door. When I opened it, it turned out to be two young Taoist priests from the Taoist temple, both of them holding thick quilts in their arms.
"My dear friends, the weather is too cold. Our brothers asked us to add some blankets for you!"
"Thank you very much!"
Huo Anu quickly got up and took the quilt.
"If it's not enough," one of the young Taoist priests said, "Just tell us. We are in the room with the light on at the very edge!"
"Thank you, um..." Xu Zun suddenly asked the young Taoist priest directly, "Master, we want to ask you about someone. Do you remember him?"
"Oh?" The little Taoist priest was surprised and asked hurriedly, "Who are you looking for?"
"My friend's family of nine came to Chongtian Temple to burn incense and fulfill a vow three months ago," Xu Zun asked, "I wonder if you have seen them?"
"Oh?" The young Taoist frowned, "A family of nine? Three months ago? This..."
As the young Taoist priest was reminiscing, Zhao Yu suddenly stood up and asked, "Oh, I need to pee urgently. Excuse me, little Taoist priest, where is the toilet?"
"Turn right when you go out, it's behind the woodshed." Another person reminded.
"There are nine people in the family," Xu Zun continued to describe, "three girls and six boys. One of the girls is about the same age as my young lady and is extremely beautiful!"
"This..." The little Taoist priest shook his head and said, "Sir, there are so many people coming to our Chongtian Temple to burn incense, and most of them come together as a family! And it was three months ago, I really have no impression..."
While speaking, the little Taoist kept staring at Lu Mingyue, with a deliberate light flashing in his eyes.
"Oh, yes, it has been a while indeed!" Xu Zun shook his head.
"In this case, we will not disturb you all!" After saying this, the two young Taoist priests lowered their heads and walked out of the house.
"Brother Xu..." Lu Mingyue was silent for a few seconds, staring at Xu Zun and said, "Did I smell it wrong? Why does this little Taoist priest smell like rouge?"
"Really?" Huo Anu smelled the quilt and thought it was the smell on the quilt.
"Okay, there is progress!" Xu Zun smiled faintly, "It's not just these two little Taoist priests. All the people in this Taoist temple that we have met before have the scent of rouge on them, and each one is different."
"This..." Lu Mingyue asked nervously, "Is there really something wrong with this Chongtian Temple?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the door opened and Wei Beihui came in from outside.
"Miss, Xu Tixing," Wei Beihui said, "I just came back from Chenyuan Palace. I heard that the current abbot of Chongtian Temple is called Yuyangzi, and the Taoists in the temple call him Yuyang Zhenren!
"This person is not Taoist Master Xu Tianyou's disciple, but his fellow apprentice."
True Man Yuyang?
Xu Zun secretly smacked his lips. This name sounded really familiar. Was there a Jade Yang Master in The Legend of the Condor Heroes? Or was it some other martial arts novel?
"Master Wei," Lu Mingyue asked hurriedly, "Do you think there is something wrong with this Taoist temple?"
"It's not like there is, but if we say there isn't..." Wei Beihui said, smacking his hands, "This Taoist temple is completely different from when I came here more than ten years ago. Some of their rules seem to have changed as well!
"I noticed that the instruments on the altar were crooked, the offerings were not placed in the right order, and the Xuanming Hall was a sacred place, but I found someone laughing behind the stone pillars.
"Of course," Wei Beihui continued, "they also have many laxities in their etiquette, which would never happen when Master Xu is here!"
"Master Wei," Lu Mingyue reminded, "We just smelled the scent of women's rouge on some of the Taoists."
"Oh?" Wei Beihui was surprised. "This... I haven't smelled it, but... but..."
"But what?" Lu Mingyue asked.
"I have devoted myself to self-cultivation since I was young, and my hearing is different from that of ordinary people," Wei Beihui said hesitantly, "On my way to Chenyuan Palace just now, I seemed to hear faint sounds of a woman crying!"
"What?"
Everyone was shocked. Lu Mingyue asked hurriedly, "Did you hear it right? This is not a women's Taoist temple, so how can there be a woman's voice?"
"I'm not sure," Wei Beihui said, "From the direction, it seems to be coming from behind Chenyuan Palace!"
"Shh!" Huo Anu suddenly signaled everyone to be quiet.
Squeak...
The door was gently pushed open, and in walked Zhao Yu who was going to the toilet.
"Master Xu," Zhao Yu said nervously, "Our tactic of throwing stones to test the water seems to have worked. I saw the two young Taoist priests running towards the backyard in a panic. They must have gone to report to their superiors!
"Unfortunately, there are people guarding the backyard, and I can't follow!"
It turned out that this was all arranged in advance by Xu Zun and Zhao Yu, and Zhao Yu was not going to the toilet at all.
"Ah?" Lu Mingyue instantly became excited, "Could it be that... Xiaofeng's family really came here?
"Master Wei..." Lu Mingyue first glanced at Xu Zun, then begged Wei Beihui, "You are very skilled in martial arts, I wonder... can you go over and take a look?"
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