Chарtеr 55: Тhе Вuddhа Statue Вlееds
Аt thаt moment, a lоud сrash suddenlу camе frоm insidе thе rооm.
The twо were startled and rushed tо thе scеne, оnlу tо witnеss a bizаrrе sight.
Тhе fеmalе corpsе thаt had bеen lying on thе woodеn plank just mоmеnts аgо hаd асtually sаt uр!
Wriggling maggоts аnd sеmi-liquid, rotting flеsh werе fаlling off. With the imраct оf hitting the ground, the dеcaying flеsh аnd mаggots sсattered аll оvеr the flооr.
Zhu Yаn fеlt gооsebumрs аll ovеr her bоdy and shuddеred, nеаrlу jumping uр in fright.
"Whаt... whаt is this situаtion!" Wu Taiming еxclaimed so еxcitedlу he almоst bit his tonguе.
Нeаring the commotion, the guards outside the door rushed in. Upon seeing such a scene, they turned and fled as if they had seen a ghost.
"False... False Death?" Zhu Yan didn’t know how to explain it either. Despite her years of experience, she had never encountered such a bizarre situation.
Wu Taiming’s expression turned unusually grim. With a darkened face, he said "Let’s go" and led Zhu Yan out.
Soon, rumors about the False Death incident spread like wildfire.
Before one wave had settled, another arose. A young novice monk hurried over and told Zhu Yan and the others that the main Buddha statue in the Western Brightness Temple was bleeding from all seven orifices.
Zhu Yan and Wu Taiming rushed to the scene. By then, the main hall was already crowded with people, all whispering to each other and endlessly discussing the matter of the Buddha statue bleeding.
Some said it was the wrath of the gods and Buddhas, hence the bleeding. Others claimed it was the gods and Buddhas grieving over the coldness of the world, thus warning humanity.
Various rumors continued to circulate. Even Abbot Jingkong, the head of the Western Brightness Temple, was frightened, believing it to be a divine punishment. He hastily began performing religious rites.
"How could this happen?" Wu Taiming looked astonished, momentarily unsure how to handle the situation.
Meanwhile, Zhu Yan lowered her head in thought, sensing something was amiss. First, the False Death, then the Buddha statue bleeding—something felt off.
After careful consideration, Zhu Yan decided to go alone to examine the corpse that had undergone False Death.
Returning to the backyard, she found it deserted, with even the guards nowhere to be seen.
The corpse was still sitting there. The fallen maggots had crawled away to who knows where, while the decaying flesh continued to emit a pungent odor.
Zhu Yan cautiously approached, her palms sweating with nervousness. This was her first time examining such a bizarre corpse.
Both deceased were wearing white sweatshirts, now stained with dust. Combined with the decomposition, it was impossible to tell what material they were made of.
But at that moment, Zhu Yan unexpectedly noticed an inconspicuous red string hanging from the female corpse’s wrist. At the end of the string was a peach-shaped ornament that had already rotted.
Why did this small object look so familiar? Zhu Yan felt as if she had seen it somewhere before.
A flash of white light suddenly crossed her mind—the Liang family maid who had pushed her into the water!
Zhu Yan was shocked. She had seen this maid just a few days ago. How could she have died so quickly...?
Sensing something strange, she walked to the garden path, picked up a dry branch, and returned. Gently, she lifted the scattered pieces of decaying flesh on the ground.
Apart from the foul stench, there was also a puzzling fragrance.
What was going on?
When she first interacted with this maid, she hadn’t noticed any unusual scent on her. Could it be scented powder intentionally used to meet a man she fancied?
Puzzled, Zhu Yan gently prodded the corpse’s forehead with the branch.
By now, only white bone remained on the forehead, with some decaying flesh inside the skull still emitting its odor.
With a loud "thud," the corpse fell over.
Zhu Yan, still shaken, didn’t believe in ghosts or gods and didn’t have a favorable impression of that maid, but she still wished for the deceased to rest in peace.The matter had repeatedly been connected to the Liang family, so another visit to the Liang residence was necessary.
Just as Zhu Yan was preparing to leave Western Brightness Temple, she encountered Lu Chuichui and Jiang Langxing on the road.
The two seemed to be arguing about something, with Lu Chuichui’s face flushed red in agitation, holding a black tabby cat in her arms.
“What’s going on with you two?” Zhu Yan asked, puzzled, as she stepped forward to inquire.
Seeing Zhu Yan approach, Lu Chuichui seemed to have found support and quickly stood beside her. “You’ve come just in time. Help us settle this. I found this cat, so why should he take it away?”
Confused, Zhu Yan glanced at the cat and then at Jiang Langxing.
Jiang Langxing promptly clasped his hands in salute. “Madam Shen, it’s not that I wish to argue with Lady Lu here, but the Marshal has ordered that no clue, however small, should be overlooked.”
“You can investigate the case all you want, but why trouble a cat?” Lu Chuichui retorted.
“This cat appeared in Western Brightness Temple without reason—it’s anything but ordinary. That’s why I cannot let you take it away.”
“It’s just a cat. Can it kill someone? What on earth are you men thinking…”
Lu Chuichui, having the upper hand, continued to argue, but Zhu Yan didn’t hear the rest.
Her thoughts lingered on Jiang Langxing’s words: this tabby cat had appeared in Western Brightness Temple without reason—it couldn’t be a coincidence.
Zhu Yan recalled the scene of the corpse rising. Could it be related to this cat?
To confirm her suspicions, Zhu Yan ignored the two and turned to leave.
“Liu Niang!” Lu Chuichui called from behind, but Zhu Yan acted as if she hadn’t heard, quickening her pace as she left the temple.
When she arrived at her master’s home again, she unexpectedly found Shen Du drinking with him.
Why was he here?
Seeing Zhu Yan arrive, Chen Wen assumed she had come looking for her husband and teased, “What’s this? We’ve only had a few drinks, and you’re already worried. Such deep affection between husband and wife.”
At these words, Zhu Yan’s cheeks flushed red. “Master, you always tease me. I didn’t come here for him this time. I have something to ask you.”
“Oh?” Chen Wen took a sip from his cup and said contentedly, “Have you run into trouble with the case again?”
Zhu Yan nodded. “Something strange happened today, and it’s already causing quite a stir. I’m so anxious I could burn my eyebrows off, unlike some people who have the leisure to drink idly here.”
The “some people” in her words were self-evident.
Chen Wen felt a bit embarrassed. His disciple was straightforward and spoke her mind in front of him, which he understood.
But still, Shen Du was here—she should have left him some face.
“Let’s talk about the case. What exactly happened?” Chen Wen set down his cup and glanced at Shen Du, who continued drinking, seemingly unbothered by Zhu Yan’s words.
“Today, when I went to examine the corpse for clues, it suddenly sat up. I don’t believe in ghosts or spirits, but could there really be such a thing as False Death in this world?”
“False Death?” Chen Wen pondered thoughtfully. “You mean a dead corpse suddenly sitting up?”
Zhu Yan nodded, her expression bewildered, not even glancing at Shen Du.
“Such a thing is indeed rather eerie,” Chen Wen continued. “But it’s not entirely without explanation.”
Seeing that her master knew something about it, Zhu Yan eagerly sought his guidance. “Your disciple is ignorant. Please enlighten me.”"Haha..." Chen Wen laughed heartily a few times, rising to his feet with a tipsy sway. "I can't really explain it clearly to you, but I can demonstrate the reason behind it. You'll understand as soon as you see it."
Upon learning that her master was going to personally demonstrate for her, Zhu Yan felt a surge of excitement in her heart.
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