Legend of Zhan Zhao

A suspect not included in Chapter 12
"No."

Ding Yi's eyes flickered, and he spent a much longer time recalling the events before finally uttering two words slowly.

"not a single one?"

Jiewen's expression darkened, and he pressed for more information.

"Under the disciple's watchful eye, there was nothing..."

Dingyi said, "Although I am sitting in the position where I can most easily observe others, my line of sight is limited, and I cannot see everyone's movements. It is inevitable that I may miss some."

He paused for a moment, then added, "However, when someone is groaning in pain, the disciple should notice the action of drinking the tea that was not drunk before.

As Jie Wen frowned, Chen Xiuhan, Dinghai, and Dingjue all looked at Zhan Zhao.

Meeting the gaze, Zhan Zhao remained silent.

He had previously determined the motive and scope of the murderer based on the time period.

As a result, despite mobilizing a large number of people and investigating for two days, they found nothing.

Based on the number of people poisoned, he has now deduced the killer's scheme.

As a result, they were unable to identify any suspects at all.

'Was the murderer cautious enough to completely avoid touching his tea even after discovering there was no poison in it?'

'Or am I just overthinking it? Did the killer use a different method?'

After a moment's hesitation, Zhan Zhao decided to trust his own judgment: "I want to go and take a look at the dining hall."

"Dinghai, you lead the way!"

Without hesitation, Jiewen showed his trust. After arranging for his disciple to lead the way, he earnestly said, "Junior Brother, there is no need to hesitate. Trust your conscience! The cunning of that murderer may be beyond our imagination. I will go and investigate those six people immediately. We must find them as soon as possible!"

"Thank you, senior brother."

Zhan Zhao had never wavered before, and now he was even more determined.

The two sides acted separately.

Jiewen led Dingyi and Dingjue to find the six novices who hadn't drunk the tea at first.

Dinghai then led Zhan Zhao and Chen Xiuhan toward the dining hall.

"brother……"

Along the way, Chen Xiuhan tried to persuade him not to get involved in the matter anymore.

But looking at Dinghai's solemn face, and then at Zhan Zhao's unhurried steps but resolute eyes, he chose to keep his mouth shut.

soon.

The three of them arrived at the dining hall.

This place has an elegant name: "Xiangji Hall".

Fortunately, there are thousands of incense offerings available, but it's better to simply go and enjoy a simple vegetarian meal.

But it is still commonly known as the dining hall.

Before they even entered the hall, they saw a dozen long tables in the front yard, with rough pottery bowls and plates neatly arranged.

Stacks of steamers were laid out, steaming with white mist, carrying the sweet aroma of freshly cooked millet, which mingled with the sandalwood smoke drifting from the corner of the hall, forming a hazy curtain.

"smell good!"

With his mind preoccupied, Chen Xiuhan couldn't help but swallow hard when he smelled that aroma.

'These foods are not simple.'

Zhan Zhao knew that, in addition to talent and physical constitution, martial arts practitioners also had requirements regarding their daily diet.

He was poor when he was young. If it weren't for the Taoist priest bringing him high-quality meat every now and then, and later, specially preparing medicinal cuisine for him when he got a little older, he wouldn't have achieved what he has today.

Even the tea served to novices at Daxiangguo Temple contains ingredients that replenish vital energy, so one can only imagine the daily necessities of regular monks.

Dinghai took a few steps ahead, but saw that the eyes of the passing monks were full of wariness.

Poisoning students during morning classes is a heinous crime, and the investigation is certainly not limited to Jiewen's group.

The monks of Puxian Temple interrogated the disciples in charge of each step of the tea-serving process, especially those in the kitchen.

Under such circumstances, if they see monks who are not from this temple visiting outside, the monks inside will inevitably feel nervous.

Dinghai was aware of the other party's condition, but since his junior uncle was coming, he still walked inside. "Wait!"

Zhan Zhao stopped him, saying, "In such a depressing atmosphere, even if we go in, we won't get any information. Could you find a younger disciple to come outside and question him directly?"

"This is easy to handle."

Dinghai breathed a sigh of relief and went into the hall. A short while later, he led out a chubby-faced little monk.

The young monk put his hands together and bowed respectfully: "Greetings, Uncle-Master. Is there anything you wish to ask Dinggeng?"

Seeing that even the seven- or eight-year-old little monk had a Dharma name, Chen Xiuhan's lips curled into a smirk, sensing the disparity in their abilities.

Zhan Zhao then asked in a gentle tone, "Does the tea used for the morning lessons at Mingguang Hall have a name?"

"Of course there is! It comes from the renowned 'Samadhi Soup of Zen Tranquility' of our Buddhist community!"

The young monk explained, "However, after drinking the 'Samadhi Soup of Zen Tranquility,' one must use internal energy to neutralize its medicinal properties. If one's foundation is insufficient, the meridians will feel as if they are being filled with boiling water, which will overstimulate the acupoints and be harmful to cultivation. Later, the formula was improved into the 'Five Sufferings Eliminating Soup,' which uses the root of the tongue to refine the body and mind, thus achieving clarity of mind and body."

Zhan Zhao said, "So the tea that the novice monks drink for their morning prayers every day is this 'Five Sufferings Relief Soup'?"

"Not bad! Don't underestimate it. The ingredients used inside include bitter tea, cypress mud, aged plum blossoms, Ganoderma lucidum shavings, and salt crystals..."

The young monk rattled off more than a dozen ingredients as if they were his own treasures, then licked his lips and said, "They're all very precious!"

Zhan Zhao once again deeply appreciated the richness of Buddhism, while Chen Xiuhan secretly regretted his actions.

If he had known that this awful tea was so precious, he would have licked the bowl clean every morning.

But on second thought, staying at Daxiangguo Temple was indeed a wise move. The number one Buddhist temple truly lives up to its reputation!

Zhan Zhao then began to inquire about the specific process, and the young monk answered all his questions without reservation, even describing the process of brewing the medicine with almost animated gestures.

After learning more about the details, Zhan Zhao finally got to the point: "If the murderer wanted to poison the 'Five Bitterness Relief Soup,' when would be the best time?"

"Anyway, it wasn't dropped here!"

The young monk straightened his round face and said resolutely, "There are records in the hall. Every day, the ingredients are used, which hall they are sent to, how much is sent, and who is guarding them. It is all recorded. We dare not embezzle in the slightest, nor will we give the murderer a chance to poison us!"

'Who are you kidding!'

Chen Xiuhan silently pursed his lips.

Looking at your chubby face, you must be sneaking food in the dining hall. How dare you say you haven't embezzled anything?

The position in the dining hall is too wonderful. If he could get the job, aside from satisfying his cravings, it would also be of great benefit to his internal cultivation!

"Registered?"

Zhan Zhao's focus was on something else: "Could I take a look at the records that were sent to Mingguang Hall that day?"

"Alright! Junior Uncle, you have to trust us!"

The little monk looked at Dinghai, and seeing Dinghai nod repeatedly, he finally agreed and ran inside in a flash. A short while later, he came out with a thick booklet.

Zhan Zhao opened it.

Indeed, the records were very detailed.

However, as he looked, Zhan Zhao's eyes suddenly narrowed: "The day before yesterday at dawn, three hundred bowls of 'Five Bitterness Relief Soup' were prepared, of which sixty-five bowls were sent to Mingguang Hall... Weren't there sixty-four novice monks listening to the lecture? Why were there sixty-five bowls of tea soup?"

Mingguang Hall was not the only place for morning prayers; the novice monks who went there to listen to the lectures consisted of 64 people from eight different monks' quarters.

Zhan Zhao was certain of this, because there were sixty-four prayer cushions, and everyone was seated completely.

"what?"

The young monk was momentarily stumped by the question.

But he quickly realized what he had said and chuckled, "Junior Uncle, have you forgotten that there was another person in the hall at the time?"

"Ok?"

Zhan Zhao paused, then suddenly realized, "That's right, how could I have forgotten about him..."

Chen Xiuhan, standing beside him, asked blankly, "Who?"

"The ones who have the most to say are not the listeners below the stage, but the monks on the Dharma platform who are giving the Dharma talks!"

The young monk replied matter-of-factly, "This bowl, which isn't included, is for the monk who gives the sermon. He gets his tea from the table in front of the hall, just like everyone else. He's treated the same!"

(End of this chapter)