Volume 2: Female Corpse in Monk's Clothes Chapter 80: How many possibilities are there?
"Do those four women know each other?" Xu Zun asked again.
"Two of them belong to the same brothel, so they know each other," Ju Ran replied, "but the other two are from different brothels, so they have no contact with each other."
"Then..." Xu Zun asked again, "Were there other girls from the brothel who went to the Huguo Temple to burn incense back then?"
"Yes, of course," Ju Ran answered without hesitation, "Huguo Temple was very popular in those days. It was mainly used to pray for career and fame, and was quite popular among businessmen and students."
"..."Xu Zun was speechless. He didn't understand whether those sisters in brothels were seeking a career or fame?
"That is to say," Zhao Yu analyzed, "not all prostitutes are murder targets?"
"Yes, I have thought about this question as well," Ju Ran said, "I even specifically asked Monk Liankong what these four women had in common that led to his killing?
"But Liankong only said six words: It's hard for mortals to see through!"
Hearing these six words, Xu Zun and Zhao Yu looked at each other.
"I naturally didn't believe it, so I carefully checked these four women," Ju Ran continued, "They have a lot in common, such as they are all slim and graceful young women, and they all fell into prostitution because of their poor backgrounds, etc.
"But these...tsk tsk..."
"These are the common characteristics of women in brothels," Xu Zun nodded, "They are nothing special compared to other women."
"Yes!" Ju Ran nodded in agreement, "But...if we hadn't caught Lian Kong at that time, who knows how many more people he would have killed?"
"Hey? Now that you mention it, I have an idea," Zhao Yu asked, "If you really arrested the wrong person, then why did the case of the female corpse in monk's clothing stop after Lian Kong was arrested?"
"Yes!" Ju Ran said with a bitter face, "That's why I have had no doubts about this case for the past ten years!
"But if he is not the real murderer, how could the method and details of the crime be exactly the same? Could it be... Could it be..."
As he spoke, Ju Ran looked around as if he was frightened, as if there really was some evil spirit in this dilapidated temple.
"Captain Ju," Xu Zun advised, "I advise you not to scare yourself!
“You and Magistrate Taimin can rest assured. Based on what you have said, even if they really arrested the wrong person back then, it is understandable.
"Because, if there is another real murderer, then there is no doubt that Lian Kong volunteered to take the blame, unless you tortured him into confessing."
"No, absolutely not!" Ju Ran assured, "I can swear to God, let alone torture him into confessing, we didn't even use a whip or a stick on Lian Kong, he confessed as soon as he was caught."
"Sir," Zhao Yu asked Xu Zun, "Do you think that the wrong person was arrested?"
"It's hard to say. In my opinion, there are only two possibilities for this matter," Xu Zun said, holding up a finger. "One is that the real murderer is someone else, who disappeared for some reason and committed the crime again ten years later.
“Back then, it was Lian Kong who took the blame for him, so he wanted to make a comeback by paying tribute to Lian Kong, and then start a new killing spree in Shangyuan City.
" The other possibility is that you didn't catch the wrong person," Xu Zun said to Ju Ran, "The real murderer is the monk Liankong, but he had an accomplice or a disciple back then, who taught this monk the killing method.
“The one who came out to commit the crime now is this accomplice or apprentice!
"And the third one..."
Unexpectedly, before Zhao Yu and the other two had time to savor it, Xu Zun actually raised his third finger.
"Wait," Zhao Yu interrupted, "Didn't you just say there are only two possibilities?"
"Oh, I thought of it temporarily, let me add another one!" Xu Zun said seriously, "It is also possible that Lian Kong took the opportunity to translate the Buddhist scriptures and wrote down his experience of killing in the Buddhist scriptures.
"Later, this killing experience was seen by someone, and this person became obsessed and became a new generation of monk killer!"
"this……"
This time it was Zhao Yu and Ju Ran's turn to look at each other, their eyes full of surprise.
"As for the fourth one," Xu Zun stretched out his fourth finger and said mysteriously, "It sounds a bit mysterious, but it's not impossible."
"There is... a fourth type?" Zhao Yu asked, "What is it?"
"That is..." Xu Zun said, "The real Lian Kong didn't die back then!"
"Ah!?" Hearing this, Ju Ran almost fell to his knees.
"This..." Zhao Yu also looked around timidly and said, "Master Xu, I think we should leave here quickly. I feel like something is a little weird..."
As the cold wind blew, the atmosphere in the ruins became increasingly eerie.
Just at this moment, the coroners had already lifted the body intact onto the stretcher and covered it with a white cloth.
"Let's go, let's go!" Seeing this, Zhao Yu almost pulled Xu Zun and Ju Ran out of the temple.
"Impossible!" However, Ju Ran kept muttering as if possessed, "The identity was definitely verified at that time! How could it be fake?
"Eh? No, that's not right. I was delayed by something back then and didn't see his execution with my own eyes. Was he replaced by someone?
"No," he pinched his chin again and denied, "If he were still alive, he would be an old man in his 60s now, how could he still be capable of committing a crime?
"Listen to me, that monk became ill from overwork during the translation of Buddhist scriptures. He would tremble when holding a knife or even a pen. It's impossible, absolutely impossible..."
"Alright, alright," Zhao Yu pulled Ju Ran's arm and dragged him out, "Stop talking. If you keep talking, the three of us will go crazy..."
When the three of them followed the corpse carrier out of the temple, Xu Zun discovered that Lord Li Yan was still waiting outside the door!
I have been delayed for so long that I actually forgot about the governor.
Seeing Xu Zun coming out, Li Yan and Taimin hurried forward and asked, "How is it, Jiying?"
"Well..."
Xu Zun saw that Taimin's face was as pale as wax paper, and his eyes were evasive when he looked at him. It was obvious that he was still deeply worried about the case of the female corpse in monk's clothes.
"Is it really a homicide?" Li Yan's concerns were obviously different from Tai Min's. "I just thought about it and I think what you said makes sense. If it is really a homicide and it is related to the daughter of the Marquis's Mansion, then we are in big trouble!"
"It is indeed a homicide!" Xu Zun nodded with a heavy face.
"Ah?" Li Yan was dumbfounded.
"However, we cannot confirm whether it is related to Miss Lu's disappearance for the time being." Xu Zun said in an official statement tactfully, "Further investigation is needed."
"Alas!" Li Yan sighed heavily, "What happened to Tangzhou? We just solved the iron coffin case, and now so many difficult cases have popped up.
"Jiying, this time, I'm counting on you! The female corpse is fine, but the Marquis' daughter must be found!
"Otherwise, if His Majesty blames us, none of us can afford it!"
Tsk tsk…
Xu Zun smacked his lips secretly, feeling as if he had been tricked. He had just been promoted to the position of Chief Justice of Tangzhou, and now he was going to be blamed and punished by the Emperor?
I'm not here to take the blame, am I?
"Sir," Xu Zun said pertinently, "Even if the two cases are unrelated, we must investigate them thoroughly. No matter who the murdered girl is, she also needs someone to help her get justice..."
