Сhаpter 54: Тhе Вuddhа Dеvours Sin
Returning to thе Shеn residenсe, Zhu Yan sееmеd tо hаvе lost her sоul, her mind filled with the words her mastеr hаd left fоr her.
Оn оnе hаnd, he еnсоurаgеd her tо investigate thе сasе, yet on thе other, hе urged her nоt tо wоrrу аbоut his situаtion.
But thе inсident with thе сinnаbar wаs the killеr’s wаrning to her—whаt shоuld she dо?
Just as her thoughts wаndered, Lu Chuiсhui аrrivеd agаin, her facе аs рalе аs рареr, filled with unеаse. “Liu Niаng, somеthing terrible hаs haрреned.”
Sееing Lu Сhuiсhui’s exprеssion, Zhu Yan’s heart sank tо the depths. “Whаt is it? Has sоmething еlsе haрpened?”
Though she had braced herself, hearing Lu Chuichui say it aloud still made her stagger back into her chair.
“Another body has been discovered!”
Lu Chuichui’s words felt like an invisible pressure in the darkness, making it even harder for Zhu Yan to breathe.
Another pair of bodies had appeared, almost as if one pair surfaced every few days. What exactly was the killer trying to do?
Murder after murder, and always in pairs—how deep was the killer’s obsession?
Once bustling and lively, the streets of Chang’an were now sparsely populated.
A cold wind blew, carrying only withered leaves as they danced in the air. The roadside vendors and inns had all closed their doors for business.
Walking along this desolate street, Zhu Yan felt as though she were in an empty city.
Even the men who once hustled for their livelihoods now quickened their pace, shutting their doors as soon as noon passed.
The entire city was gripped by panic, and the rumors of “The Buddha Devours Sin” grew more and more fantastical.
Zhu Yan clenched her fists, recalling her master’s words in her mind, and made an important decision.
No matter how difficult the path ahead, she would uncover the truth of the case.
In her position, she bore the responsibility. She had to believe her master’s words—as long as she persevered, the day would come when the clouds parted and the sun shone through.
In the imperial palace, within the court hall.
Aside from Lai Luozhi and Prime Minister Zhang Xingwei, other officials also submitted frequent memorials.
The Great Pavilion Commander Shen Du and the personnel of the Inner Guard Bureau had failed in their duties, leaving the case unresolved and the people of Chang’an in a state of panic.
The common folk lived in constant fear, shutting their doors as soon as noon passed. The once prosperous and vibrant scene had vanished without a trace.
Her Majesty should prioritize the people and ensure their safety, making a swift decision on this matter.
Looking at the pile of memorials before her, all stating the same issues, Empress Zhou Zhao felt a deep headache.
On one hand, she trusted Shen Du’s abilities, yet on the other, she was urged to prioritize the people. It was truly difficult for her to decide.
As she pondered, she suddenly remembered His Highness the Prince of Ying’s wisdom and intelligence. Perhaps discussing the matter with him might yield a different conclusion.
Shortly after the morning court session, she sent someone to summon His Highness the Prince of Ying to the palace…
Where there were dead bodies, there was the Ministry of Justice. With new bodies discovered, Zhu Yan had to follow along.
The serial murders were no longer as simple as they had been at the beginning. The killer had threatened her, and though she felt fear, she was determined to catch the culprit, to prove her own conscience and bring justice to the deceased.
Following the crowd to the backyard of the Western Brightness Temple, Zhu Yan stood at the entrance.
From a distance, she could see the four bodies, each in varying stages of decay. Some were nothing but bones, while others were in the midst of rotting.
Flesh turned inside out, maggots wriggling on the decaying remains. The sight was enough to ruin one’s appetite, and some with weaker stomachs couldn’t hold back and vomited right outside the door.
These were all bodies that had been dead for a long time, though the exact time of death remained unknown for now.A nauseating stench of decay permeated the air everywhere, so overpowering that even the guards stationed at the entrance had retreated to a distance, unable to bear the smell.
Lu Chuichui stood beside her, retching uncontrollably.
"Maybe... maybe we should come back another day. This smell is really overwhelming."
As she spoke, Lu Chuichui gagged again, nearly vomiting.
Even Wu Taiming, standing behind them, had his brows tightly furrowed, his expression unusually grim. Beneath his long robe, his fists were clenched so tightly that veins bulged.
Clearly, he too was holding back.
"We don’t have time," Zhu Yan said, leaving these words behind as she stepped directly into the room.
Both Lu Chuichui and Wu Taiming were stunned. Was Zhu Yan out of her mind? Could she really not smell such a strong odor of decay?
Approaching the corpses, Zhu Yan observed the clues with a serious expression.
Judging by the surface characteristics of the bodies, one pair had died some time ago, while the other pair had died more recently.
Zhu Yan first went to the bodies in the advanced stage of decay. Based on the degree of decomposition, they had likely died one to two months ago. From their clothing and the remnants of their skin, it could be determined that they were a young man and woman.
Turning to the other pair of skeletal remains, she examined the cartilage plates on the ulna and radius of their forearms. The degree of closure of these cartilage plates varied with age, allowing her to determine that they too were a young man and woman.
Perhaps she was too deeply engrossed in her thoughts, for she failed to notice someone else entering the room.
"Find anything?" Wu Taiming suddenly spoke, startling Zhu Yan.
"Why are you here?" Zhu Yan wasn’t surprised that Wu Taiming had come at this moment, but rather by his attire, which was rather amusing.
He was tightly wrapped in a black cloak, with two wads of cotton stuffed into his nostrils. Even his voice sounded oddly strained.
"It wouldn’t be right to leave you here alone to investigate, so I came to keep you company."
"If you’re coming, why dress like this?"
Wu Taiming wore an expression of helplessness mixed with admiration. "I don’t have your level of endurance. How can you not smell such a strong stench?"
"Stench?" Only then did Zhu Yan recall the pungent, foul odor of decay. A wave of nausea washed over her, but she forced it back.
Vomiting in front of the corpses would be a great disrespect to the dead.
She hurried past Wu Taiming and ran out to the backyard, retching violently.
After calming herself, Zhu Yan felt as though she were on the verge of collapse. How had she not noticed it earlier? It was so foul!
Wu Taiming quickly followed Zhu Yan’s side, removing his cloak and the cotton from his nostrils, gasping for air.
"By the way, have you found anything?" Even while catching his breath, Wu Taiming didn’t forget to ask about the progress of the case.
Zhu Yan waved her hand. "No major discoveries, but two minor ones. The victims are all young men and women, and two of them likely died within the last one to two months."
"One to two months..." Wu Taiming pondered thoughtfully. "Recently, have there been any missing persons cases?"
Zhu Yan shook her head. If Wu Taiming didn’t know, she certainly wouldn’t either.
"There’s one more thing," Zhu Yan continued. "The two pairs of victims died at different times, and the gap is quite long. Even if there were missing persons cases, they would be too far apart to be easily connected, making them easy to overlook or miss."
Wu Taiming nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. Oh, right, there’s something I wanted to tell you."
"What is it?" Zhu Yan looked at Wu Taiming, her face still somewhat pale."Due to the serial murder case, there have been fluctuations in the court as well. While investigating the case, you must also pay attention to your own safety."
Though Wu Taiming's words were somewhat veiled, Zhu Yan grasped their meaning immediately—Shen Du's current situation might be somewhat precarious.
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