Xu Wenbin took the secret letter, unfolded it, and examined it carefully. As he read, he fell into deep thought.
Emei had spent quite a long time with him and had a certain understanding of his expressions and reactions. Sensing something was amiss, she waited patiently. Once he came back to his senses, she tentatively asked, “Young Master, is something wrong?”
“Taking the fall.” Xu Wenbin muttered to himself in confusion, “With the level of our spies within the Zhenhai Command, how could they easily uncover such a confidential matter?”
Emei said, “That was the previous plan. We initially intended to let the Tanhua take the fall, but after the Ming Temple intervened, it was naturally abandoned, so it cannot be considered much of a secret.”
Xu Wenbin shook his head slightly, “It is not as you think. Involving the death of the Earth Mother’s relatives, even if someone is to take the fall, it must be kept strictly confidential, or at least highly classified. Under normal circumstances, the number of people who know would be counted on one’s fingers. They would only act and not speak, and even if they stopped, they would not make a fuss.
In other words, at least before the actual execution, those in the know must be the high command of the Zhenhai Command, and the news is unlikely to spread. The Zhenhai Command operates in such a delicate environment. Their high command would not be so undisciplined as to not even be able to control their own tongues. If they lacked even this much self-discipline, what would become of them?”
Hearing this, Emei also sensed something unusual. “Does the Young Master think there is a problem with this news?”
Xu Wenbin’s gaze fell on the content of the secret letter, and he pondered, “Either the news is wrong, or someone deliberately released it. If it is the former, it does not matter much if the information was gathered incorrectly. The problem is, with the Earth Mother’s relatives dead and the Zhenhai Command looking for a scapegoat, spreading such rumours is no joke. Do you think such chaotic information would appear within the Zhenhai Command at this time? If it is the latter, if someone deliberately released the news, what is their intention?”
Emei asked in surprise and suspicion, “So you are saying that the latter is highly likely, that someone deliberately released the news?”
Xu Wenbin put down the secret letter in his hand, suddenly smiled slightly, and changed the subject, “Emei, the matter of asking the world’s number one scholar for his calligraphy will probably have to be put on hold.”
“Ah?” Emei was clearly surprised. She first lifted her skirt and knelt on the rush cushion in front of the desk. Then she took the fire tinder, opened it, blew it alight, took the secret letter from just now, lit it, and put it into the fire brazier to burn. After putting the fire tinder away and returning it, she tentatively asked, “Before we came, did the Young Master not say that you were an old acquaintance of the Tanhua? I wanted the Tanhua’s inscription, and did you not say it would just be a matter of greeting him when we meet? Did you not say that asking him to write seven or eight, or even ten pieces would be no problem?”
Xu Wenbin could not help but raise his hand and scratch his forehead, saying with a mix of laughter and helplessness, “It feels like I spoke too soon. Then again, those few broken characters he wrote, is it not just writing a few characters? Is it really as good as you all think?”
Emei said gently, “Having followed the Young Master for so long, I know the Young Master is not one to make empty boasts. Coupled with your current actions, it is clear that the Young Master and the Tanhua must be acquainted. When I was in the capital, I went to look at the ranking list. His calligraphy is indeed very well written. The world’s number one scholar is not just a vain name. I heard he abandoned literature for martial arts and stopped writing. Now his words are hard to buy for a thousand gold, and a single character is hard to seek. Even the Duke Xuan’s mansion cannot find a single piece. I do not want seven or eight, or even ten pieces. If the Young Master can just get him to write one piece for me, just one piece!”
She held up one index finger to indicate slightly, and her expression indeed showed that she was very eager and really wanted it.
“The world’s number one scholar.” Xu Wenbin muttered again, as if he wanted to laugh at the mention of this title, but after a brief pause, he shook his head. “Regarding the matter of using the great scholar to take the fall, if this is news deliberately released by someone, do you know what it means?”
Emei seemed to think of something and fell into silent thought.
Xu Wenbin asked and answered himself, “This matter seems to have changed its flavour. It no longer smells like a simple murder case. There seems to be someone hiding behind the scenes watching like a hawk, as if using the great scholar as bait! With a behind-the-scenes figure who can influence the Zhenhai Command to cooperate, do you think we can still easily approach that great scholar? Without knowing whether it is good or bad fortune, we might as well stand by and watch with cold eyes first.”
Emei understood his meaning. “If a calligraphy or painting by the Tanhua suddenly appears in my hands, once someone accidentally finds out, I might be targeted by certain people?”
Xu Wenbin nodded, “That is the idea. The problem is that we have no idea what the person behind the scenes wants to do right now. We should not act blindly, otherwise the consequences will be unpredictable. In short, there is no rush. As long as the person is safe, there will be opportunities in the future. If that fellow’s cultivation is ruined and he no longer runs around taking risks, there will be plenty of time for him to write for you.”
Emei, who was looking regretful, was amused into a chuckle. “The Tanhua is already so miserable, and the Young Master is still joking about him.”
“Serves him right! Is it fun to jump around and bang his head against the wall everywhere? He actually managed to commit murder at the Langhuan Residence, and killed someone with the identity and background of Wang Xuetang. If he did it, he did it. As long as he ran away and there was no evidence, it would be fine. The case here must be closed before the Earth Mother intervenes. I do not know why he still insists on staying here stubbornly. If it is not asking for it, what is it?”
“Young Master, to become the world’s number one scholar, he must be a smart person. There must be a reason for him to stay.”
“Without intelligence channels, ignorant of the situation in all aspects, and without intelligence to support him, no matter how smart he is, it is useless. Did he not cover his own eyes and ears, and shrink at the door of the Xiaoyunjian waiting to be caught? This time he killed someone, and he can actually sit and wait to be caught again, always falling into the same pit. What can I say about him? Others wait by the stump for a rabbit, he is the rabbit waiting by the stump. This is something only a confident smart person like him could do.”
Seeing him describe the Tanhua so badly, Emei could hardly bear to listen anymore and changed the subject. “Young Master, since we are not meeting him for now, what should we do next?”
“Go and ask again. Have our spies in the Zhenhai Command describe in detail the process of how they learned the news about the scapegoat. I need to confirm and judge whether my guess is wrong.”
“Understood. The Young Master has travelled a long way here and waited for news all night. Now that the person has been saved, there should be no more trouble. You should rest early and not ruin your health.”
After expressing her concern, Emei stood up in her white dress and left gracefully.
The room fell silent. Xu Wenbin, alone, picked up an old piece of paper on the desk again. It was a paper that already looked somewhat mottled and worn. It was nothing else but the family seeking notice created by Yu Qing, a complete piece carefully peeled off from the streets of the Sea Market by someone.
After staring at it and pondering for a while, he could not help but mutter to himself, “Seeking relatives. Your ghost of a sister. What exactly is this fellow trying to do by running to the Sea Market to mess around?”
Saochen Temple.
In the main hall, two extremely old monks with white beards and white robes sat cross-legged facing each other, their eyes closed in Zen meditation.
Standing on the steps outside the hall was the middle-aged monk with clear eyebrows and bright eyes, wearing a black and gold checkered kasaya. He was the abbot of the Saochen Temple, the current Ming Monk.
In the courtyard, there were also two young sweeping monks in black robes, with the dharma names Changkong and Baiyun, the two disciples of the Ming Monk.
There were no golden statues in the Saochen Temple, nor were there booming incense offerings, let alone any popularity. It was cold and quiet, with a total of only five Buddhist disciples.
At this moment, the two young sweeping monks and the Ming Monk standing quietly on the steps all turned their heads to look at a courtyard wall. They saw black smoke rising from a section of the wall again.
After the black smoke, another layer of ash fell on the bone ground inside the temple, making it dirty again.
Baiyun finally could not take it anymore. He grabbed his broom and walked quickly to the bottom of the steps. “Master, look, that bug is here again, making a mess of the ground once more. We should just catch it.”
The Ming Monk’s eyes sparkled as he smiled. “If you want to clear the pest, why bother me? Showing no respect to your superiors, just go and catch it yourself.”
Hearing this, Changkong also walked over and said, “Master, it is not that we have not tried to catch it. Before, junior brother and I tried several times, but it always ran away. This bug is highly vigilant. It runs away just as we are about to get close, and its speed is extremely fast. We cannot catch up.”
Baiyun could not help but sigh. “What is annoying is that after we chase it away, it will sneak back without anyone noticing, and then continue to gnaw at the wall. It gnaws all day and night. We can hear it clearly at night, and it often releases black smoke to provoke us. It is truly too arrogant.
Master, the courtyard wall has already been gnawed into several holes by it day and night. If we let it continue, the wall will be gnawed down by this woodworm. A bug that gnaws on bones must be no good. To eliminate this harm, it requires you or the two great masters to take it down.”
The Ming Monk smiled. “Have you ever seen snakes, bugs, rats, or ants harm the Saochen Temple before? It is all driven away by our cultivation aura. This bug has already gained spiritual awareness and is not afraid of our Buddhist aura, so it must not be a yin evil or vicious creature. Being able to dwell at the corner of a Buddhist wall, crossing the white bones of the dead, and raising dust inside the temple, does this not perfectly match the name ‘Saochen Temple’? Since it has an affinity with our Buddha, why harm its life? Reckless movement will surely cause trouble. If the wall falls, someone will naturally come to take the blame and repair it. You do not need to worry, just sweep the dust.”
Baiyun asked curiously, “Someone will come to take the blame? Does Master mean that this bug has an owner?”
Changkong said, “Since Master said so, it must have an owner. I wonder who the owner is?”
The Ming Monk smiled gently. “A sudden arrival must have its cause and effect. If a butterfly comes, there must be fragrance.”
The master and disciples were slightly stunned. Changkong quickly realised. “The owner is inside the temple?”
Then the two brothers turned their heads to look at the three zhang high skeleton tower inside the temple.
“Time to change the medicine.” The Ming Monk gave a sentence, while walking down the steps. Holding his dark glossy prayer beads, he walked barefoot towards the skeleton tower.
Changkong and Baiyun immediately put down their brooms and ran to the inner courtyard. After a moment, they each carried a medicine box and caught up with their master in front of the tower door.
Inside the tower, on the ground of the lowest level, Yu Qing was lying down and Nan Zhu was lying on his stomach. The two neighbours were cursing at each other, their faces red and necks thick from the mutual scolding.
One blamed the other for misjudging the situation, causing everyone to suffer so much.
The other cursed the other for bringing it upon himself. I told you to leave and you would not leave, how can you blame me?
If it were not for the inconvenience of moving their bodies, the two might have directly started fighting.
There was also an empty wooden board on the ground. Mu Aotie, who was supposed to be lying here, was at the window upstairs, leaning against the window looking at the sea, with a bleak and melancholy expression on his face.
Suddenly hearing the footsteps outside, the two who were lying and lying on their stomachs cursing at each other finally shut up.