Volume 2: Female Corpse in Monk's Clothes Chapter 78: The Monk-robed Killer (Part 1)
"Ten years ago, it's been exactly ten years now..."
Ju Ran brought Xu Zun and others to a sheltered area of the temple and told them the whole story about the female corpse in monk's clothes.
"At that time, there was a case of a female corpse in monk's clothing in Shangyuan City, and... it was a serial murder case!" Ju Ran pointed to the crime scene in the distance, "The victims were all young women like that. After death, they were all wearing monk's clothing and sitting cross-legged in front of the Buddhist temple. Their postures were all the same..."
"Oh? Is there such a thing?"
Xu Zun and Zhao Yu looked at each other, feeling a little surprised.
"The cause of death..." Ju Ran sighed and said, "He died because his abdomen was cut open and his internal organs were destroyed. Moreover !"
this……
Xu Zun frowned greatly, he didn't expect the murderer to be so cruel.
"That year, after winter began, within just two months, four women in Shangyuan City were murdered," Ju Ran recalled. "Their bodies were dumped in various temples in Shangyuan City.
"For a time, people were in a panic, and every household closed their doors. They were all terrified by this killer in monk's clothes!"
"Those women..." Xu Zun thought for a moment and asked, "Who are they? Have you found out their identities?"
"Of course," Ju Ran said, "the four of them are prostitutes , and they are all around 20 years old."
"oh……"
Xu Zun unconsciously glanced at the crime scene and suspected that the deceased was also a prostitute, because she had an unusual fragrance on her body and her nails were painted in bright colors.
"Ten years," Zhao Yu asked thoughtfully, "So, after ten years, this assassin in monk's clothes has made another move?"
"No, no, no," Ju Ran said hurriedly, "You two adults have misunderstood. If it is really that simple, why would I stop you?"
"Oh, then stop wasting time," Zhao Yu said anxiously, "Tell me quickly, what's going on?"
"In fact, we caught the monk-robed killer ten years ago. Moreover," Ju Ran said, "I caught him with my own hands!"
"ah?"
Xu Zun and Zhao Yu were surprised again.
"Caught?" Zhao Yu asked hurriedly, "Who was it?"
"It was a monk!" Ju Ran replied, "Back then, in order to solve the case, we mobilized the entire city and searched day and night for quite some time.
“Finally, we found a temple based on the testimony of an eyewitness, and then we searched the temple and caught the real culprit.
"That man's Buddhist name was Liankong, and he was already over 50 years old at the time," Ju Ran said. "We found the tools used in his crime, such as the disembowelment weapon, and sutures, etc....
"And the monk confessed to his crime, and the case of the female corpse in monk's clothing was solved!"
"Oh?" Xu Zun asked, "What happened next?"
"Later," Ju Ran replied, "we interrogated him in detail, and the details he confessed did match those at the crime scene.
"So, the governor of Taimin County submitted a letter to the court, preparing to execute him.
“But…what was unexpected was that this monk Liankong was actually the translator of a rare Buddhist scripture, and he was translating this scripture at the time.
“As a result, the abbots of Shangyuan City jointly wrote a petition, requesting that Liankong finish translating the Buddhist scriptures before executing him.
“At that time, the Xuan Dao had not yet risen, so the higher-ups actually approved the application for probation, allowing Lian Kong to continue translating scriptures in prison.
"This translation took six or seven years," Ju Ran recalled with regret, "and then in the first year of Taikang, Lian Kong suddenly announced that he had completed the translation of all Buddhist scriptures and could be executed!
“It’s really bizarre to say, but if he was delaying on purpose, it would probably take another ten or eight years to deliver those thick boxes of Buddhist scriptures.
"But the monk Liankong forgot to eat and sleep, worked tirelessly, and actually completed the task ahead of schedule.
“In fact, the monks at that time were grateful for his contribution in translating Buddhist scriptures and wanted to plead with the court to spare his life and let him live out his life in prison.
“But at that time, Xuan Dao was on the rise, Buddhism was declining, and the monks no longer had a say!
"So, after verifying his identity and re-examining him, Liankong was beheaded and displayed to the public, and then his body was taken away by the monks..."
Oh no…
After listening to what Ju Ran said, Xu Zun and Zhao Yu were stunned. They didn't expect that there was such a bizarre story about the case of the female corpse in monk's clothes.
"Sir, please be kind enough to judge for me," Ju Ran said with embarrassment, "Do you know which temple the monk Liankong became a monk?"
"ah!!?"
Hearing this question, Xu Zun took a breath and got goose bumps all over his body.
"No way..." he asked in surprise, "Is this the place?"
"It's the Huguo Temple!" Ju Ran pointed to the location of the female corpse in the distance, "I can remember it right, that's where Monk Liankong lived!"
I click!
Xu Zun felt his scalp tingling again.
Zhao Yu couldn't help but wrap his clothes tightly, as if he was about to be frozen.
"Sir," Ju Ran continued, "I would like to ask, in the entire Shangyuan City, is there anyone who knows more about this case of the female corpse in monk's clothing than me!?
"I dare not deceive you again," he suddenly bowed and clasped his fists, "I feel like we arrested the wrong person back then!"
No way?
Xu Zun thought that the numbing scalp would stop there, but after hearing these words, it became numb again.
"Otherwise..." Ju Ran said excitedly, "Why would this female corpse be placed in the room where Lian Kong lived back then?
“Otherwise, why are the details of this female corpse’s death exactly the same as the case ten years ago?
"Otherwise, why did Lian Kong want to die so desperately back then?"
The three of them made Xu Zun have a vivid scene in his mind:
Ten years ago, Liankong pleaded guilty for protecting the murderer.
Ten years later, the monk killer reappears in Shangyuan City to avenge Liankong! ! ?
"Sir," Ju Ran said again, "It is precisely because of this that the county governor ordered me to stop it. If you knew these secrets, the two of us would definitely be implicated.
"I was the one who arrested the man back then, and Lord Taimin was the one who tried the case. If it is proven that the monk-robed killer is someone else, then the two of us...then...ah..."
oh……
Xu Zun finally understood why Taimin and Ju Ran looked so unhappy just now.
"Wait a minute, let me ask you something first!" Zhao Yu asked Ju Ran, "Is this case of a female corpse in monk's clothing known to everyone in Shangyuan City?"
"Yes!" Ju Ran admitted, "It was such a sensation back then, so naturally everyone knew about it."
"What are you doing? Can you hide this? Can you hide it?" Zhao Yu asked.
"You are right. I am ashamed," Ju Ran clasped his fists again, "It was because the female corpse came too suddenly, and the Marquis and the Governor were both present at the time. Lord Taimin and I were panicked, so we were so confused...
“We wanted to wait until all the adults left before discussing countermeasures, but unexpectedly, you insisted on checking the body.
"I just offended you, Lord Tixing. I hope you will forgive me!"
"Captain Ju," Xu Zun asked, "are you so sure that the case in front of you was really committed by the monk killer ten years ago? Isn't it a copycat crime?"
"I wasn't sure at first," Ju Ran said, "but after seeing the sutured wound just now, I can be sure!
"Whether it's the location of the wound, its length, or the stitching of the sutures, everything is exactly the same as it was back then. How could it be possible if it wasn't the real murderer himself?!"
Tsk tsk…
After reaching this conclusion, Xu Zun smacked his lips repeatedly, feeling a fog suddenly rising in front of his eyes.
"Hey?" At this time, Zhao Yu thought of an important question and asked Ju Ran, "Since everyone knows it, how could the Marquis not know it?
" Is n't he worried that the person who kidnapped the young lady might be the monk killer?"
