Сhарtеr 260: Guangchun Наll 5
Wаng Вuzui wаs devoutly rесiting the incаntation with his еуеs сlоsеd when Zhu Yan’s stаrtled cry made him oреn them. Нe glаnсеd аt her аnd wаrnеd, “Zhu Yаn, if уou dоn’t behave, this hеlm mаster wоn’t mind cutting off yоur head аnd plaсing it tоgеthеr with his.”
Zhu Yаn hаd аlreadу rеcоvеrеd, taking аnothеr lоok at thе hеad in thе jar without spеaking.
It wasn’t that shе hаd nеver еncounterеd соrpsеs bеfоrе; shе hаd simplу bеen сaught оff guard eаrlier.
Shе wаntеd to ехаminе further. If she wasn’t mistаken, these jars cоntained bodу parts tаken bу thе Hаlf-Faced Ghost after each murder.
Seeing Zhu Yan silent, Wang Buzui assumed she was frightened. He closed his eyes again and continued reciting, while the other Half-Faced Ghost members attended to their respective duties.
Instead, Xiuxiu whispered, “Lord Zhu, if you’re scared, come over here! Don’t look anymore.”
Zhu Yan looked over to see Xiuxiu’s worried expression, especially when she noticed Zhu Yan’s bound hands, her eyes filled with pity as she beckoned her over.
Zhu Yan shook her head, took a deep breath, and stepped closer again. Sure enough, upon closer inspection, the face bore a sixty to seventy percent resemblance to Li Kairui, confirming that this was indeed Li Kaixiang’s head.
She picked up a nearby candlestick and leaned in for a better look. The cut at the neck was neat and smooth, confirming her earlier speculation.
She then examined the other jars. The eyes likely belonged to that scoundrel who had conspired with Xu Jize to kidnap Du Xiaowan but was killed by the Half-Faced Ghost. Zhu Yan moved on to the other jars.
Almost every body part was accounted for: livers, spleens, kidneys, and so on. There was even a human skin, with its surface veins clearly visible and traces of blood still clinging to the inner layer of flesh—this was the skin of Yingzhou’s Minister of War, Bi Qiu.
Zhu Yan quickly scanned them all, committing each to memory. Unbeknownst to her, Wang Buzui had already stopped reciting and walked up to her.
“Well? Have you finished looking?”
This woman was truly remarkable. Any other woman would have fainted from fright by now, yet she dared to hold a candlestick and examine everything in detail. It was truly impressive.
If she were a man, her future would be extraordinary.
Zhu Yan nodded. “It seems Deputy Helm Master Wang wants to revive quite a few people! Both men and women, am I right? This head should be Li Kaixiang’s, and that liver belongs to Liu Zongyuan, doesn’t it? I can’t identify the other parts, but that human skin must be Yingzhou’s Minister of War, Bi Qiu’s.”
Liu Zongyuan’s death had been gruesome as well, with his heart and lungs shattered and his liver missing.
“Zhu Liuniang indeed has a sharp eye. You’re right—these parts do belong to both men and women.”
Wang Buzui didn’t hesitate to praise her. If they weren’t enemies, he would have considered recruiting Zhu Yan for his own use.
“There’s just one thing I’m not entirely clear about. I’d appreciate it if Deputy Helm Master Wang could enlighten me.”
Although she had her suspicions.
Wang Buzui was in the mood to answer. “Go ahead. Since you’re going to die anyway, it’s only fair to let you die with clarity.”
“These body parts remain as fresh as when they were taken, with no signs of decay. How did the helm master achieve this? Is it solely because of the honey?”
Although there were flowers and plants when they first entered the estate, the floral scent disappeared once they stepped into the Dark Hall.
Moreover, the sweet honey fragrance only appeared when they brought the jars inside."Interesting." Wang Buzui curled the corner of his lips. "No wonder a mere woman like you can investigate cases and never fail. You're right—natural honey was added here, along with some preservative herbs, all made into candied fruit. I suppose you're familiar with the appearance of candied meat jerky?"
At this point, Wang Buzui looked mischievously at Xiuxiu and the others. "Speaking of which, these past few days, what you've been eating were candied meat jerky. I wonder how they tasted? Did they have a human flavor? Come over and take a sniff—see if it smells the same as what you ate."
These were sacrificial offerings, so naturally, they had to be well-raised. After capturing those women, the disobedient ones were dragged out and killed long ago. Their skin was peeled off, their bones fed to dogs, and their flesh made into jerky to feed the surviving women.
These women knew nothing and ate with great relish.
They hadn't known while eating, but upon hearing Wang Buzui mention it, the women present began vomiting, wishing they could spit out their very gallbladders.
Especially Du Xiaowan, who had personally experienced it today—Ji Dafu cutting off her flesh and chewing it in his mouth. The mere thought still chilled her to the bone.
Zhu Yan hadn't expected them to be so inhuman either, calling out directly by name, "Wang Buzui, do you still have any humanity left?"
No wonder they were given candied fruit three meals a day—the strangeness lay here.
Though she hadn't eaten any, just the thought of it was enough to send shivers down one's spine.
"Humanity? How much is humanity worth? Can it fill an empty stomach? Can it keep people warm? Can it protect the weak from being bullied?"
A series of questions left Zhu Yan stunned, unsure how to answer.
Wang Buzui sneered and said, "Since it can't, what use is it? Don't preach kindness without knowing another's suffering. Zhu Yan, you should understand this principle."
If given a choice, who wouldn't want to be a good person? Who would willingly become a heinous villain?
Since heaven is unjust, what fault is there in striving to carve out his own path?
"Besides, allowing those who died unjustly to be reborn—what an honor, a once-in-a-millennium opportunity. We must believe in death and rebirth, life unending."
Wang Buzui's words felt like a slap across Zhu Yan's face—not fatal, but stinging painfully.
Faced with Wang Buzui's questioning, Zhu Yan pursed her lips but still couldn't answer.
Seeing her speechless, Wang Buzui hadn't expected an answer anyway and turned to leave.
Every step from here on was crucial; he didn't want his efforts to go to waste.
The 'vessels' for nourishing souls had been gathered, and the next step was to invite the master to guide the souls into the bodies.
Xiuxiu, having finished vomiting the contents of her stomach, felt much better. Seeing Zhu Yan frozen in place, she approached and said, "Lord Zhu, do you also think what he said is right? This world is inherently unjust, especially toward women. At home, we obey our fathers; after marriage, we obey our husbands. What are the Three Obediences and Four Virtues? They're all just tools to constrain women.
If we make the slightest mistake, others' gossip alone could drown us. The most hateful part is that most of those gossiping are women themselves. The so-called 'Born of the same root, why such haste to torment each other?' is exactly this.
Think about it—how ironic!"She was a courtesan of the Scented Pavilion, "a pair of jade arms shared by a thousand pillows, a touch of crimson lips tasted by ten thousand men." Each day, she flaunted her charms, surviving only by selling her flesh, debased to the very dust. She understood better than anyone the plight of the helpless ones Wang Buzui spoke of.
When those men indulged in their pleasures, their mouths were full of sweet words, but when caught philandering by the tigresses at home, they would push these women of the wind and dust forward as shields.
Yet, as women of the brothel, they were born inherently inferior. No matter how others bullied or humiliated them, even if it meant taking their lives, they could only endure.
If one were truly killed, a bit of silver paid to the Brothel Matron of the pavilion would settle the matter.
Who would care about such a worthless life?
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