Dao Cheng Gui Xian

Chapter 25 Undercurrent
When Li Wushou arrived at the Ren family compound again, the entrance was already crowded with people.

There were onlookers and officials maintaining order.

Li Wushou recognized several of the constables; they were some of the men who had visited his home yesterday.

After identifying themselves, they stepped into the corridor and entered the courtyard. The deceased family members of the Ren family on the second floor were all placed in the courtyard.

The local constables were carefully keeping an eye on a monk in a yellow robe.

The monk was blind, with two ordination scars on his head. Li Wushou had seen him before; he was the same one who had given the notice at the market last time that he would have a pair of eyes implanted again.

Huang Dabing and two other corpse movers who weren't very familiar with each other waited to the side. Li Wushou consciously stood over there, and the three of them tacitly kept their distance from Li Wushou.

Li Wushou didn't care and observed the yellow-robed monks of the Blood Buddha Temple with great interest.

The monk in the yellow robe stood expressionless, his bloodshot eyes blinking on the ordination scar on his head, though he was actually quite uneasy. He naturally knew why such a thing had happened at the Ren family compound.

Master Ren's wife was discovered by himself and presented to his Uncle Liu Mu.

Today should have been a harvest day, but unexpectedly, Uncle Six Eyes returned last night covered in blood and in a state of panic, clearly having suffered some misfortune.

Given his cautious nature, he would never have entered the Ren family compound, especially since it had caused trouble for his martial uncle. However, his martial uncle had given him orders to come and ask the corpse mover from last night a few questions.

I want to refuse, but I don't dare.

Upon arrival, they learned that another corpse mover had gone to gather more men, so they were left to stand there idly.

He was like this, and so were the others, so the people who should have been busy dealing with moving the corpses were strangely idle.

After about an incense stick's time had passed, more and more people came to carry the corpse, and Li Erniu finally returned to the Ren family compound.

The careful constable spotted him immediately and quickly called out to him.

"Why is Li Erniu taking so long? Master has been waiting for a long time!"

Upon hearing Hu Cha Tou's call, Li Erniu took a deep breath, approached the yellow-robed monk, bowed, and said...

"Li Erniu greets the master!"

The yellow-robed monk did not respond, but turned to the head constable and gave him instructions:

"Bring the yellow flatbread and Ren Sanyi here!"

Clearly, the yellow-robed monk was also dissatisfied with Li Erniu for making him wait so long.

Still shaken, Huang Dabing was startled when he heard the yellow-robed monk say his name. He then trembled as he walked out of the corpse-carrying team.

Before long, the younger generation of the Ren family helped the heartbroken Third Master Ren over.

The yellow-robed monk's bloodshot eyes were wide open, with blood-red fascia protruding from the top of his head as he stared at the three of them and slowly asked.

"Ren San, when did your old man pass away yesterday? And when was the body-moving team notified?"

Despite his mental exhaustion, Ren San still dared not be negligent in the face of the yellow-robed monk's questions.

"Reporting to Master, my father passed away a little past 5 PM. I notified Captain Li before 7 PM."

Upon hearing this, the monk in the yellow robe turned his gaze to Li Erniu.

"When did Captain Li receive the notification, when did he leave home, who did he call along the way, and when did he arrive at the Ren family's house?"

Li Erniu didn't understand, but he still answered truthfully.

"Reporting to Master, I received the notice before 7 PM and immediately set off from home. Around 1:15 PM, I called for Huang Dabing and arrived at the Ren family home just before 9 PM."

The monk in the yellow robe remained expressionless, then looked at the yellow flatbread.

"When did you receive the notification, and when did you arrive at the Ren family's residence?"

"Reporting to the Master, Captain Li came to call me at 1:15 PM, and we arrived at the Ren family's residence around 9:00 PM." The yellow-robed monk didn't explain why after asking the question, but simply instructed Li Erniu to move the body as soon as possible before turning and leaving.

It wasn't that the monk in the yellow robe didn't want to answer, but rather that he himself didn't understand why he should ask these questions.

Only Li Wushou, who witnessed the entire event, listened thoughtfully.

Although Li Erniu was quite puzzled, he was anxious about moving the corpse, so he immediately arranged for everyone to handle it after the yellow-robed monk left.

Everyone here is an experienced corpse mover, and since it's daytime, the process is naturally quick.

However, because so many members of the Ren family had died, the filial son was so busy washing and dressing that it took almost half an hour to finish everything.

Unlike Li Erniu who used a blood lamp to lead the corpse last night, most of the corpse movers used their own fingers. So, after the matter was properly handled, the group led the corpse out of the Ren family compound.

The crowd erupted in uproar, then scattered in a panic.

They knew that people in the Ren family had died, but they didn't expect so many to have died!
The body-moving team consisted of only nine people, and it took them two trips to finally move the body to the Blood Buddha Temple and burn it before nightfall.

This day and night had taken a toll on Huang Dabing, and now that things were finally over, he couldn't help but complain to his teammates.

"Damn it, what bad luck! Why did this have to happen to me?"

The teammate next to him treated Huang Dabing completely differently than he treated Li Wushou, and patted him on the shoulder to comfort him.

"Who told you to live so close? You're lucky to be alive!"

"Yeah, come over to my place for a drink tonight!"

"That works, haha!"

The two walked past Li Wushou with their arms around each other's shoulders, like strangers.

Li Wushou watched the two figures walk away, muttering to himself, "Living nearby?"

He finally understood why the yellow-robed monks at Blood Buddha Temple had asked such strange questions.

The old beggar's pleas concealed the traces he left in the hearts of Li Erniu, Huang Dabing, and others.

But the marks of time cannot be concealed.

The biggest flaw last night was this: Master Ren informed Li Erniu, Li Erniu called Huang Dabing, and then together they called Li Wushou. The three of them arrived at the Ren family compound close to 9 PM.

But if Li Erniu called Huang Dabing and the two went directly to the Ren family compound, how could they have arrived close to 9 PM, given the route from Huang Dabing's house to the Ren family compound?

These wicked monks from the Blood Buddha Temple are indeed not easy to fool; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they are blind in their eyes but wise in their hearts!

The other party must have sensed something was wrong, which is why they used this method to investigate.

However, Li Wushou wasn't worried. Even if the other party knew there was someone else there last night, so what? What did it have to do with Li Wushou, who was sleeping at home?
You're seriously underestimating the old beggar!

After clapping his hands, Li Wushou prepared to buy some food and go home.

Meanwhile, at the city lord's mansion on the east side of Wufang City.

The lark on the plaque shone brightly in the afterglow of the setting sun.

A constable hurriedly rode up, dismounted upon reaching the gate, and shouted to the guards standing watch:
"I have important matters to report to the city lord!"

A moment later, a letter arrived on the desk of the city lord, Zhu Sihai.

By the light, the letter could be clearly seen to be written on it.

"Those involved in the creation of the City God's golden statue included the minor priest Lin You and Li Wushou, the corpse carrier from the south of the city."

(End of this chapter)