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墨書 Inktalez
"The master truly has a compassionate heart, using a spell to relieve this guest's discomfort," Xing Ruyi clapped her hands and squeezed through the crowd. "Xing Ruyi pays her respects to the master!"
"Greetings, Benefactor Xing!" The monk glanced at Xing Ruyi, his expression subtly shifting, yet he maintained a slight smile.
"I, the Fox Demon, have heard a story before. Seeing the master's miraculous methods now, I would like to ask if you could enlighten me, Master?"
"Benefactor Xing, please speak! However, whether I can provide enlightenment depends on whether there is a connection between us," the monk replied, slightly bowing his head while still glancing at Xing Ruyi from the corner of his eye.
In terms of appearance, the young lady before him was not exceptionally beautiful, but for some reason, he felt she was different from other women. Looks are one aspect; demeanor is another. Moreover, he could faintly sense a gloomy aura about her that oddly coexisted with sunlight. Such a unique person was hard not to take a second glance at.
In this vast world filled with skilled individuals, the monk did not dismiss the possibility that this Miss Xing was also among them. However, it remained uncertain whether she was merely here for entertainment or had ulterior motives.
Thinking this over, the monk prepared himself slightly. If Xing Ruyi relied on ghostly techniques, she could naturally perceive his intentions; however, she looked down upon such scrutiny and felt it unnecessary. While observing earlier, she had already concluded that this monk was most likely involved in the incidents at the tavern; those plates of sesame oil stir-fried pig liver were likely prepared by him.
"I have heard a story where a master recited spells over a tile, handed it to someone else, and then used that tile to scratch a wall, causing it to crack immediately. Afterward, the person with the tile could freely enter others' homes. I wonder if your spell can achieve such results?"
"Benefactor Xing, are you interrogating me?"
"You misunderstand, Master. I am just an ordinary woman curious about whether this story is true or false. After all, it sounds too mystical; I think it's fake. What do you believe?"
"For common people, this matter indeed seems mystical and is often deemed false. However, from my perspective as a monk, it is not difficult," he said while glancing at the ground. "I intended to demonstrate it personally for you, but unfortunately, there are no tiles here."
Xing Ruyi secretly signaled Shengzi, who quickly returned with a tile and placed it in front of the monk.
"Now that we have a tile, please demonstrate for the Fox Demon so that the villagers around can witness it."
"This is not difficult!" The monk said as he picked up the tile and chanted for quite some time before handing it to Xing Ruyi. "You just need to hold this tile. But do not speak; if you do, it won't work."
Xing Ruyi gestured for Shengzi to go ahead, then spoke, "Thank you, Master. However, matters like breaking through walls are better left to men. As a delicate Wife, how could I possibly do such things?"
The monk smiled silently and handed the tile to Shengzi.
Without hesitation, Shengzi took the tile to the tavern. Sure enough, after making a mark on the wall, a hole opened up. Upon entering, it was indeed the back kitchen of the tavern, specifically where ingredients were stored. Moreover, the tile made almost no sound against the wall, so Shengzi's entrance and exit went unnoticed by anyone nearby.
Returning to the market with the tile, Shengzi wasted no time and grabbed the monk.
The monk's expression changed as he looked at Shengzi and asked, "What does this mean, young master?"
"I am an official from the Government Office," Shengzi replied. "You must understand why I am taking you now."
The monk was taken aback at first but then shook his head. "Goodness! Goodness! I knew something would happen to that young master. It was only my good intentions that led to this innocent entanglement; where should I go to resolve this?"
"Whether you are innocent or not, this Sheng Catcher will certainly help investigate thoroughly. However, for now, we need you to accompany us elsewhere. After all, there are many people on the street with sharp eyes and tongues; it could harm your reputation."
Xing Ruyi nodded and waved her hand. Shengzi wasted no time and took the monk to the tavern where the incident occurred.
Meanwhile, Xie Xuan and Chang Tai had also arrived upon hearing the news. Surprisingly, the fox had brought along that scholar. When the scholar saw the monk, he immediately turned his head away. The monk sighed upon seeing him: "I had good intentions; why must you involve me in this?"
Realizing that things had already been exposed, the scholar didn't need Xie Xuan's official status to interrogate him. He blushed and shouted, "It is clearly this lecherous monk who has not given up his wicked ways and has implicated me! Sir, I have been harmed by this monk; I am willing to bear all consequences. Please investigate thoroughly and punish this monk severely!"
"Very well! If what you say is true, I will handle it fairly. But if you are lying in an attempt to shift your guilt onto another, I will ensure you face severe punishment!"
"I dare not!" The scholar lowered his head and pointed at the monk. "Though this monk claims to be from Golden Mountain Temple, look at his attire; he hardly resembles a true monk but rather appears to be a fraud. This matter is also my fault; I should never have let that incident slip out. As a result, I have brought disaster upon myself."
"A scholar, how can he speak so incoherently? What on earth is going on that it has dragged so many innocent citizens in my city into suffering?" Xie Xuan asked sternly. The scholar couldn't help but tremble slightly, and his knees buckled as he knelt on the ground.
Xing Ruyi quietly asked the fox, "How do you know this matter is related to him? I can't figure out the connections no matter how hard I think."
"I just found out myself," the fox replied without opening its mouth, but its words penetrated into Xing Ruyi's mind one by one. "When you went to help his brother-in-law with a diagnosis, I noticed that this person had a somewhat dazed look in his eyes. Later, I heard Shengzi had found the suspect, so I came to take a look. Upon seeing them together, I discovered that this monk knew the scholar, and in their minds, they both harbored the image of a woman’s face. After further investigation, I found out that the woman was actually the wife of the tavern owner."
"From what I've heard, it sounds like a story involving two men and one woman; it seems quite complicated."
"Actually, it's not complicated at all!" The fox made a shushing gesture, signaling Xing Ruyi to listen carefully to the scholar's account.
It turned out that the scholar had known the tavern owner's wife for a long time. Although the tavern owner was capable, he was just a cook by trade. His personality was gloomy and he was not good with words, rarely making an effort to cheer up his wife. Among his three sons-in-law, he was the most ordinary-looking. Over time, this left his wife feeling somewhat disappointed. The scholar, on the other hand, was handsome and articulate; although he didn't know much about cooking, he could recite many poems related to food and grains. The two gradually developed feelings for each other. However, due to her married status, they never found an opportunity to indulge in their affections.
It seemed that luck was on the scholar's side—or perhaps viewed from today's perspective, it was misfortune. While out running errands, he unexpectedly encountered this monk. They hit it off immediately and began chatting happily. From the monk, the scholar learned that he knew many spells and asked if there was a way for him to meet his beloved freely. The monk, being someone who had been expelled from the temple and learned some dubious practices, became curious about the wife's appearance upon hearing this.
When returning to town, the monk shared a spell with the scholar that involved breaking through walls with tiles. Following this advice, the scholar came to the tavern owner's home late at night, broke in through the wall, and went straight to bed with the tavern owner's wife.
Just as they were caught up in their passion, they suddenly heard movement in the room. Terrified that it was the tavern owner returning to catch them in the act, they pulled back the curtain only to find it was the monk. Using this situation as leverage, he not only took advantage of the wife but also extorted a significant amount of silver from the scholar.
The scholar felt frustrated but helpless. He thought this matter would simply pass. However, unbeknownst to him, their antics that night led to the tavern owner catching wind of something amiss. Under pressure, his wife had no choice but to admit her affair with the scholar.
The tavern owner inherited his father's tavern and naturally did not dare to do anything drastic against his wife. Yet he couldn't suppress his anger and instructed his staff to secretly beat up the scholar and extort more silver from him.
With no money left to pay them off, he could only seek help from the monk again. He claimed that if the monk didn't help resolve this issue, he would turn himself in and reveal everything. The monk pondered for a moment and suggested a so-called foolproof plan: create an accident to ruin the tavern.
The return of his brother had been planned a month ago; however, it was actually suggested by the scholar himself to go out for dinner on that day. He specifically chose a time when good fortune would come just so he could witness firsthand when Good Fortune Tavern would face its downfall. Some of Xing Ruyi's previous guesses were correct while others were wrong. The scholar did not eat those sesame oil stir-fried pig livers that day not because he truly disliked them but because he knew that dish had been tampered with by the monk. He even used his parents' health as an excuse to advise them against eating it; as for his brother and sister-in-law, he didn't make any special efforts regarding them.
When Xing Ruyi asked the scholar why he allowed his brother and sister-in-law to eat a dish that he knew was problematic, the scholar initially tried to stop them. However, his brother-in-law did not listen. Furthermore, his sister-in-law had always been very strict with him, often criticizing him in front of their parents. This made him feel resentful, and he thought to take this opportunity to get back at her. Initially, he and the monk had only planned to use spoiled or dirty meat as a substitute for the original ingredients, but he did not expect the monk to be so malicious as to use Guanyin soil to prepare the dish. When the scholar realized that disaster had struck, he felt some fear but also relief that his brother and sister-in-law were also affected. In some ways, it cleared him of suspicion. His eagerness to appear at the Yamen was also to gather information.
However, despite all his calculations, he did not anticipate that Xing Ruyi and the others would find the monk and learn about his dealings with him.
The incident at Haoyunlai Restaurant had been thoroughly investigated by this point. The scholar naturally had to take responsibility for his actions, and the monk could not escape his involvement either.
As the monk was about to be taken away, Xing Ruyi called out to the Yard Officer and asked a question that had troubled her for a long time. She asked the monk, "Haoyunlai Restaurant has many signature dishes; why did you specifically choose the sesame oil stir-fried pig liver?"
"Actually, I tampered with other dishes as well. However, during those days, the owner heavily promoted sesame oil stir-fried pig liver, and it attracted many customers. So I focused all my efforts on that dish. Later, I learned that sesame oil stir-fried pig liver was the favorite dish of the owner's wife and that it was because of this dish that they became a couple. Who would have thought that while the owner’s cooking improved over time, his wife's taste had already changed."
"Why choose Guanyin soil? Wouldn't it be more time-efficient and labor-saving to use regular soil?"
"Well, first of all, Guanyin soil has a better texture than ordinary soil. Secondly, it’s a personal experience from my past. My parents died from eating this stuff; I was fortunate enough to be saved by monks at a temple. Even after all these years, the words 'Guanyin soil' have remained etched in my mind and cannot be erased. So I thought that if I used this soil to make a dish, perhaps I could finally let go of it in my heart."
"It seems you have not let go. Not only have you not let go, but you have also taken on more burdens. As a monk, you naturally understand cause and effect; retribution is inevitable. You indulged in fleeting pleasures but have accumulated many lives lost due to your actions; when you reach the underworld, there will come a time for you to repay."
The monk sighed softly and said, "If I do not enter hell, who will? These are my sins; I must bear them."
With that, the monk joined his hands together in prayer as he was escorted by the Yard Officer along with the scholar back home.
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