Chapter 9
“I want my will to be Buddha’s will. The final outcome will always be as I desire.”
These two sentences were incredibly domineering.
The young monk Liaonian’s face flushed red upon hearing Heng Yu’s words. “Is this how the Hehuan Sect teaches its disciples?”
Liaowu corrected Liaonian. “Lord Luo didn’t mean to offend Buddha.”
He then looked at Heng Yu and praised calmly, “Lord Luo is eloquent and ambitious.”
Their previous conversation was essentially a debate between two people pursuing different paths of the Dao. This young master of the Hehuan Sect seemed to be pursuing the path of freedom and detachment.
Heng Yu said seriously, “There are three thousand paths of the Great Dao. No matter which path one takes, reaching its peak grants eternal life. Therefore, I respect the Buddhist path and understand Senior Brother Liaowu’s Dao.”
“But even though I respect and understand, I still maintain that your current path may not lead to success.”
Liaowu pondered for a moment, then a faint smile touched his lips. The subtle smile was like the ripples created by a dragonfly skimming across the surface of a lake. In this moment, his Buddhist aura faded slightly, replaced by a sense of genuineness.
Seeing this smile, Heng Yu’s expression softened. — One couldn’t help but feel happy when seeing something beautiful.
Liaowu said, “There’s time yet. This poor monk looks forward to Lord Luo proving it to me. If this poor monk is truly wrong, I will repay Lord Luo’s guidance generously in the future.”
Heng Yu narrowed her eyes slightly.
Did Liaowu say this intentionally or unintentionally?
If it was intentional, was he allowing her to approach him?
Thinking this, Heng Yu felt a surge of curiosity. She smiled and took two steps closer to Liaowu in the rain.
She stopped when only half a step remained between them.
She looked up and stared at him intently.
“There’s time yet? So the Buddha-son hopes there will be a future between us?”
“And what is this generous repayment you speak of? If I ask you to give yourself to me, would you betray Buddhism for me?”
Liaowu lowered his gaze and remained silent.
Heng Yu’s smile deepened. She took two steps back, opened her oil-paper umbrella, and walked forward, using her spiritual energy to dry her Daoist robe.
After a few steps, Heng Yu turned slightly and looked at Liaowu and the stunned Liaonian, her smile faint. “What are you still standing there for? Let’s hurry to the Zhao family.”
The further they walked down the alley, the more dilapidated the houses became.
Zhao Fan’s house was almost at the very end.
Heng Yu held her umbrella and knocked on the old wooden door.
“Coming!” An old man’s voice called out from inside, followed by a fit of coughing.
After a while, a white-haired old man with a limp opened the door. Seeing the three of them, the old man was stunned. “Miss and two Masters, what brings you here…?”
Heng Yu got straight to the point. “Old man, is this Zhao Fan’s house? We’re looking for him.”
“So you’re looking for Afan.” Mentioning his son, the old man relaxed slightly.
“Afan just went out and hasn’t returned yet—”
Just as he finished speaking, the old man looked down the alley and saw a familiar figure walking through the rain. He called out happily, “Afan, you’re home! This young lady and two masters are looking for you.”
Zhao Fan was walking with his head down, lost in thought, and hadn’t noticed the three people standing in front of his house.
He only looked up when he heard his father’s familiar voice. Seeing Liaowu in green robes, his face paled instantly.
Zhao Fan quickly composed himself. He wiped the rain from his face. “Miss and two Masters, what important matter brings you to me?”
Heng Yu said, “We’re here to investigate the murder at the Li Mansion.”
Zhao Fan’s handsome face showed confusion. “Why are you looking for me to investigate the Li Mansion murder? I have no relation to such a wealthy family and have never interacted with them much. Besides, I’m just an ordinary person, with slightly more strength than most. How could I possibly sneak into the Li Mansion and kill Li Jia?”
Investigating demons required a special technique, which was difficult to master. Even within the Buddhist sect, not many had learned it.
Among those present, only Buddha-son Liaowu had definitely learned the detection technique.
Heng Yu glanced at Liaowu and saw him chanting sutras with his eyes closed, his right hand continuously turning his prayer beads. The black beads glowed faintly with spiritual energy, indicating he was using the technique to investigate Zhao Fan.
Heng Yu didn’t interrupt him and countered Zhao Fan’s words. “Those whose hearts are corrupted by demonic Qi can transform into demons. Sneaking into the Li Mansion and killing a man at the third level of Qi Refining wouldn’t be difficult in that state.”
“Is Miss suspecting me?” Zhao Fan asked.
“Miss!?” This exclamation came from Zhao Fan’s father.
Heng Yu had been carefully observing Zhao Fan’s micro-expressions. After she spoke, a flash of panic crossed his face, followed by a subtle worry. But soon, he calmed down and pressed his lips together.
Panic was understandable, but worry was intriguing.
Heng Yu chuckled softly. “If it’s not you, then it’s Man Xue’er.”
At the mention of Man Xue’er, the worry on Zhao Fan’s face deepened. He clenched his calloused hands, his nails digging into his palms, using the pain to clear his mind. “It can’t be her. Xue… Madam Li wouldn’t even dare kill a chicken, how could she possibly kill a person?”
After these few probing statements and observing Zhao Fan’s reactions, Heng Yu reached a conclusion.
She transmitted her voice to Liaowu. “Senior Brother Liaowu, there’s no need to investigate further. The person who killed Li Jia isn’t Zhao Fan. Let’s go to the Li Mansion and see Man Xue’er.”
Using the demon detection technique consumed a lot of energy.
Liaowu, who had already halfway activated the technique, stopped turning his prayer beads upon hearing Heng Yu’s transmission. He opened his eyes and looked at her with confusion.
“This poor monk would like to know how Lord Luo reached this conclusion.”
Heng Yu smiled. “Senior Brother Liaowu can only rely on the technique to detect if someone has become a demon. I haven’t learned the technique, so my judgment is based on seeing through illusions and discerning the human heart.”
She had spent many years in the Time and Space Administration, encountering all kinds of people. The greatest gain from those days was probably her ability to gradually see through people’s hearts.
However, the human heart was unpredictable, and she couldn’t always discern it accurately. But Zhao Fan was too obvious. He wasn’t someone who could act and disguise himself.
Liaowu was silent for a moment, then asked, “What does it feel like to see through the human heart?”
Heng Yu opened her umbrella again. “You’ll know when you can see through it yourself.”
She walked down the steps, smiled politely at the old man, and walked past Zhao Fan towards the Li Mansion.
A quarter of an hour later, Heng Yu arrived at the white-bannered Li Mansion. The coffin had been carried inside, and only the scattered, wet yellow paper offerings on the ground indicated the recent Buddhist ceremony.
Heng Yu raised her hand and knocked on the door.
No one answered.
She knocked again. After a while, the gatekeeper came to open the door.
The gatekeeper was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man. He peeked out from behind the door. “Miss, what is the matter?”
At this time, the monks from the Undying Sect were clearly more useful.
The gatekeeper was initially wary, but upon seeing Liaowu behind Heng Yu, he immediately relaxed and asked politely what they needed.
Heng Yu said, “We’d like to look around the mansion for clues about the demon.”
The gatekeeper went to report and then led them into the mourning hall.
A coffin was placed in the hall, containing the body of a young man in burial clothes. His face was pale, with large wounds on his chest and stomach. Just looking at these wounds, one could imagine the pain he had endured before his death.
Li Jia’s parents had cried themselves out and were being helped by servants as they greeted Heng Yu and the others.
Man Xue’er, still wearing her rain-soaked mourning clothes, knelt silently in a corner of the hall, weeping.
Heng Yu said softly, “Why hasn’t Madam Li changed into clean clothes?”
Mentioning Man Xue’er, Old Madam Li’s expression turned unpleasant. “My daughter-in-law is clumsy. She forgot to change even after being drenched in the rain. With so much going on in the mourning hall, no one noticed her.” She waved her hand, signaling a servant to take Man Xue’er to the back to change.
The servant who went to help Man Xue’er showed no respect.
Their reactions further confirmed Heng Yu’s earlier judgment — Man Xue’er was indeed unwelcome in the Li Mansion.
“There’s no need to trouble yourselves,” Heng Yu said.
She cast a cleansing spell on Man Xue’er, and her clothes quickly dried.
As her clothes dried, Man Xue’er’s eyes regained some of their spirit. She glanced at Heng Yu and thanked her softly, then lowered her head again, standing silently in the corner.
“How about this, the three of us will look around the Li Mansion for clues, so as not to disturb the deceased’s soul here,” Heng Yu said, then pointed to Man Xue’er. “Madam, please show us around.”
Leaving the mourning hall, Heng Yu held her umbrella over herself and Man Xue’er.
Without the cold rain falling on her, Man Xue’er looked at Heng Yu. “Thank you, Miss.”
“You’re welcome,” Heng Yu smiled softly.
She transmitted her voice to Liaowu. “Senior Brother Liaowu, how about a wager?”
“What does Lord Luo want to wager?” Liaowu replied via transmission.
“I bet that if Man Xue’er’s heart was truly corrupted by demonic Qi, she will admit it herself. If you lose, you have to agree to one request from me.”
Liaowu sighed softly.
He replied, “Agreed.”
Having made the wager with Liaowu, Heng Yu didn’t mind paying more attention to Man Xue’er.
She took out two candies from her storage ring and offered them to Man Xue’er. “Have some candy. You’re too weak. You should take care of yourself.”
Man Xue’er hesitated for a moment, then reached out. Her hand was ice-cold, and she flinched slightly when her fingertips touched Heng Yu’s warm palm.
Taking the candies, Man Xue’er unwrapped them and put them in her mouth — they were hard candies, and after a while, a rich, comforting sweetness spread through her mouth.
Heng Yu took out three more candies, tossed two to the young monk Liaonian, and unwrapped one for herself.
“Do you like them?” she asked Man Xue’er. “These are the most popular candies in the Middle Continent.”
Thanks to the candies, a faint smile appeared on Man Xue’er’s desolate face.
She even felt like talking. “Miss, did you come from the Middle Continent?”
“Yes.”
Man Xue’er said shyly, “I’ve lived in Hua City my whole life and never knew what the outside world was like.”
Heng Yu said, “Can you read? If you can, I can give you a travelogue. After reading it, you’ll know how small Hua City is and how vast and exciting the outside world is.”
Man Xue’er seemed more lively now. She said, “Brother Zhao Fan attended school for two years and taught me some common characters. But I don’t need the travelogue. It’s yours, Miss. How can I accept it?”
“Once I give it to you, it’s yours. Don’t refuse.”
They gradually reached the Li Mansion garden.
Man Xue’er bit her lip and mustered her courage to ask Heng Yu, “Miss, I planted a peony deep in the garden. With all the commotion in the mansion these past few days, I haven’t had time to tend to it. Could you wait for me for a moment while I go check on it?”
“Do you mind if we admire the flower you planted?”
Man Xue’er’s eyes lit up.
She asked Heng Yu, “Would you, Miss?”
Heng Yu nodded. “Miss Man is refined and elegant. The flower you planted must be exquisite.”
In this moment, she addressed her as “Miss Man.”
If Man Xue’er’s memories of the past year in the Li Mansion were only filled with pain, Heng Yu thought she would prefer “Miss Man” to “Madam Li.”
Man Xue’er was perceptive. She noticed the change in Heng Yu’s address, and her already swollen eyes reddened again.
She turned her head slightly, suppressing the bitterness in her heart, and led Heng Yu and the others to the back of the garden — where a peony grew freely beside a pile of rocks in a secluded corner.
It was the peony’s blooming season, and a bud hung at the tip of its stem, half-open. Even so, a faint fragrance wafted through the air.
“It’s clear that you’ve taken good care of it,” Heng Yu complimented.
Man Xue’er laughed. “Thank you, Miss.”
Her laughter was clear and pleasant.
Sensing the change in Man Xue’er’s mood, Liaowu paused in turning his prayer beads. He looked at Heng Yu inquisitively, then looked away after a moment.
Man Xue’er continued talking to Heng Yu, knowing that the immortal would listen patiently. Perhaps in the past year, too few people had listened to her attentively, so encountering someone like this, even knowing she was a high and mighty immortal, Man Xue’er couldn’t help but let down her guard.
“I thought it would have bloomed already, but it seems it needs a few more days.”
Heng Yu smiled softly.
She said to Man Xue’er, “I think it’s about to bloom. Why don’t you try touching it? Maybe it will respond to you.”
Man Xue’er was stunned. “Can flowers have spirits too?”
She bit her lip. “Then I’ll try. Please wait a moment, Miss.”
Man Xue’er stepped out from under the umbrella and approached the peony.
Heng Yu took a drop of spiritual water from her storage ring. With a flick of her fingers, the spiritual water silently seeped into the peony.
This action was subtle. Only Liaowu noticed it; Man Xue’er and Liaonian didn’t detect anything unusual.
“Amitabha,” Liaowu chanted softly.
Man Xue’er reached the peony.
She stretched out her hand and gently touched the bud.
At that moment, the bud trembled slightly, then, to Man Xue’er’s astonishment, it bloomed rapidly.
Finally, it bloomed fully.
Looking at the lavender peony, Man Xue’er stood frozen.
When she came to her senses, tears streamed down her face.
At some point, Heng Yu had walked over to her, tilting her umbrella to share it with her. Then, this cold yet gentle immortal cast another cleansing spell, drying her rain-soaked mourning clothes.
“Miss…” Man Xue’er said, “If I’ve strayed from the right path, do you think I still have a chance to turn back?”
Heng Yu handed her a handkerchief. “Do you want to turn back?”
Man Xue’er took several deep breaths to calm herself.
She took the clean, soft handkerchief and wiped her tears.
“I thought I didn’t want to, but if I don’t turn back, I’ll be betraying this kindness.”
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