Chapter 26 – Fourty Thousand; A Debt Collector’s Story
Continuation of warnings from last chapter: Child Abuse, implied Rape, Child Rape
Miao Chen was Master Xuan Ming’s disciple. Due to his disability, he was abandoned by his family when he was still an infant. Master Xuan Ming who went out travelling heard the cries and picked him up from the grass on the side of the road, and raised him up next to him. He also tried his best to treat his disability. They were called Master and Apprentice, but their affections were like father and son. The monks in Bodhi Temple also liked this clever and sensible child.
He had been missing for three or four days straight so everyone was naturally burning with worry in their hearts. Regardless whether it was day or night they search in the mountains, afraid that he went there to have fun but was taken away by a beast. Master Xuanming even lowered his face to seek help from the nobles who came to the temple to pray in order to find his disciple as soon as possible. Who would have thought that his little apprentice did not wander off but was met with misfortune.
Seeing the ice-cold body a martial monk carried over, Master Xuan Ming mind went blank while the surrounding crowd was terrified. The child's naked body is covered with various bruises, rope marks, stab wounds, lashes, and even teeth marks. The neck was even bitten badly mangled with a hole in it. Its tragic appearance makes people dare not look straight. And it's not hard to imagine the cruel treatment he experienced when he was still alive.
Xuan Ming took just one look and felt like he was going to faint.
The martial monk who held the corpse gnashed his teeth, his face ferocious, obviously already hated to the extreme, sobbingly choked out, "Reporting back to shifu, little shidi was really lying under Wang gongzi’s bed buried in lime and ice. It seems that... it seems that he had been dead for three or four days. "
Blu; shifu – master (for monks/ cultivators)/// shidi – junior (male) fellow apprentice
Master Xuan Ming finally couldn’t stand and had to forcefully prop the staff on the ground to support his body, then he reached to hug his little apprentice, his pale dry lips gaping, as if wanting to call "Miao Chen", but could only make a senseless and extremely sorrowful cry.
"Master, I'm here, Miao Chen is here, don’t be sad, please don’t cry ......" The little novice monk who had become a ghost pulled his shifu’s hem but only to end up grasping at air. Humans and ghosts have different paths, and he has no chance to meet with Master Xuanming ever again.
In desperation, he could only tearfully look at the youth through the crowd.
You Shu’s heart was secretly moved and he started to come forward but was hugged more firmly by his Master.
Now, people have returned to their senses. The women shrieked and fled while the men wanted to withdraw. Master Xuan Ming was truly furious and waved the monks to surround the altar, not letting anyone leave, and menacingly eyeing the Wang family, as if they would fight at any time. At this time, only Ji Changye who has not been implicated naturally will not let the teenager run into the fray.
Wang Xianggan didn’t expect the situation to take a sudden downturn, but after all, he had occupied a high position for so many years and soon calmed his mind. He tried to defend himself, "Only relying on a corpse. How is it enough to prove that my child did this? What's more, my child is also deceived by evil spirits and also suffered equal harm. There are many people in the temple, maybe someone planted the body to shift the blame? Asking the Master to make a clear judgement. I myself will also inform the government to let them find out the true murderer. "
Master Xuan Ming once exorcised evil spirits for Zhang gongzhu; conducted the current Emperor’s coming-of-age ceremony; he also presided over the funeral of the previous emperor. His status can be called "teacher of the country". Don’t speak of high officials, even the royal kinsmen had to show some courtesy to him. Therefore, Wang Xianggan did not dare to put on airs and waved his hand to let the guards put down their arms, so as to avoid conflict with the monks at the Bodhi Temple.
His eyes sharply swept a glance on the youth and the Third Prince. Obviously thinking that someone arranged all this. It happened so coincidentally, and the target was clear. If someone told him there was no one behind it, he would never believe it. He didn’t expect that the lovable, sensible and brilliant son in front of him, would actually be as malicious as an evil spirit in secret, acting like a despicable villain. Of course, he didn't mind this, after all, his own code of conduct was "all great men are ruthless", but if he had known the inside story earlier, he would certainly not be as righteous as he is now, and not afraid of danger.
He was not afraid but Lin-shi and Wang Junxi were scared till they shivered. In recent years, the young children who died directly or indirectly by Wang Tian You’s hand could not be counted on both hands. They relied on the strength of the Wang family and their actions had not been very secretive. It was too easy to find out a piece of evidence or two. In the residence, except for Wang Xianggan and Wang Lao Taiye who had ignored matters of the inner chambers, probably everyone knew the inside story.
Now, Wang Xianggan directly saying that he would report to the government, isn’t it bringing about their own destruction? The mother and daughter supported each other so as not to faint on the spot.
Wang Lao Furen also revealed apprehension. She opened her mouth several times but couldn’t make a sound, and in the end, she did not dare expose the matter on the spot. Fine, just let the government intervene. My son is a high official of the Ministry of Military Affairs. It should be easy to find a scapegoat. With this in mind, she turned to look at the young man behind the crowd, and a dark light flashed across her eyes.
Mother and son were of one mind. Wang Xianggan also turned to look at You Shu, his expression extremely insidious, and the whole body was filled with killing intent. He originally thought that this matter was You Shu borrowing the hand of the Third Prince to get revenge on the Wang family. Therefore, the government could not find evidence and he would also find a way to kill You Shu. Afterwards, he would declare that the di son who suddenly died had returned and was replying on the Crown Prince’s political opponent. With such major information, he naturally wanted to handle it cleanly.
Blu: di son – son of the first wife (shu is the concubine counterpart)
Thinking of Song-shi’s unknown whereabouts, the killing intent in Wang Xianggan’s eyes became thicker. This mother and child are indeed a calamity!
"She wants me to bear the blame, he wants to kill me." You Shu was very sensitive to malicious intent from others. Just one look and he knew what Wang Lao Furen and his cheap father was thinking. He stretched out his fingertips and pointed at the two, already making up his mind to destroy the Wang family. He was always like this: If you don’t mess with me, I won’t mess with you; you mess with me, I want your life directly.
"Do not be afraid, in less than half a month, Wang family will fall apart." Ji Changye is not a good person. He had also long set the same outcome for the Wang family. He patted the boy's slightly cold cheek to comfort him.
You Shu nodded and whispered, "I am not afraid, I want to say a few words to Master Xuan Ming."
"What do you want to say?" asked Ji Changye looked down and asked.
You Shu did not answer. He pulled apart his Master’s arms and quickly ran over.
The centre of the chaotic situation had been brought under control by the martial monks. The women either bowed their heads, or covered their faces, or turned around, or trembled together, but no one dared to glance at the mournful Master Xuan Ming who looked sadly at the corpse. Wang Xianggan stepped forward slowly, whispering something. The officials of the Crown Prince's fu and the inner attendants sent by Xiao Guifei also went over to mediate.
Master Xuan Ming took off his kasaya to cover his naked disciple while chanting《Death Sutra》and ignored everyone.
Wang Tian You on the lotus seat already had his mouth gagged by the Wang family’s guards, his hands tied behind his back, to prevent him from spouting more nonsense and losing his self-control. At present, although the excuse of "possession" can still be used to justify the crime, but the nature of teasing the An Hua Junzhu and the killing and hiding of the corpse was very different, that is, no matter how the cause is, his sanity was accused, and his future and reputation are also ruined.
Wang Xianggan secretly hated You Shu in his heart. Seeing the youth run over, his face immediately darkened. When he received the letter from his mother, he should have immediately sent someone to kill that evil beast. How dare that beast make trouble as he pleased?
But You Shu did not care about him at all. He looked straight ahead and walked to Master Xuan Ming and whispered, "Someone wants to tell you something." Then bent over, his right palm which was filled with vibrant spiritual power covered Xuan Ming’s eyes.
Xuan Ming is chanting, so he was not on-guard. He just felt his eyelids go warm and saw his long-dead disciples actually squatting by his side, two streams of bloody tears flowing down his face, loudly shouting "Master" again and again. He was wearing a weirdly patterned short-sleeved shirt, covering the scars, wiping tears frequently with one hand, and pinching his clothes with reluctance.
Xuan Ming looked at the ice-cold corpse in his arms, then looked at the weeping young child at his feet, and actually froze for a while. He believed in ghosts and gods, but it was the first time he saw them.
"Miao Chen. Is that you, Miao Chen?" He held out his hand to stroke the young child on the cheek, but only touched empty air.
"Shifu, it’s me." The little novice monk smiled through his tears, holding his Shifu’s fingertips and gently shook. He knelt down before his Shifu and knocked his head once on the ground, and then he faced the other monks standing around and knocked his head on the ground another time, then gently said, "Thank you Shifu for raising me, thank you to Shishu, Shizhi, Shixiong, all the other Shidis for taking care of me. Miao Chen will go now. "
Soon the disciple’s body gradually becomes pale and transparent. Master Xuan Ming finally recovered from the shock. He reached out to make him stay while urgently asking, "Disciples, who is the one who harmed you?" Wang Xianggan's words affected his judgment. Also, You Shu has the ability to command a ghost. It is not difficult for him to kill the apprentice and shift the blame to Wang Tian You. But now, he didn’t dare to be certain.
He is not stupid. He knew that the reason his disciple could show up to bid a final farewell was because You Shu helped. With just this piece of evidence, it’s not possible that You Shu was the murderer.
The little novice monk exposed a look of fear, quickly ran to hide behind the youth, only stuck out half of his shiny bald head, before extending a trembling hand to point towards the person on the lotus platform who was being pressed down by others, Wang Tian You.
"Shifu, it’s him who hurt me."
Xuan Ming suddenly widened his red eyes, following the fingertips of his disciple.
At the same time, the young novice monk’s soul was going to dissipate soon. Before disappearing, he heavily knocked his head on the ground again towards the youth, "Many thanks to the wonderful benefactor for fulfilling Miao Chen’s last wish. Miao Chen will definitely repay you in the next life. "
By the time Xuan Ming’s head turned back, that small figure had completely disappeared. He stood up, looked around hurriedly. After determining that his disciple was truly gone, only then did he burst into tears.
Others did not dare to get close to the corpse so they couldn’t hear their conversation. They just thought that the little boy wiped off a tear for Xuan Ming. And this evoke mixed feelings in Xuan Ming, causing him to lose his mind, and was somewhat crazed at the moment. Several monks knew that what Master cherished the most was Miao Chen, and when they saw that he had hallucinations, yelling Miao Chen’s name in the air, they quickly stepped forward to help and comfort him.
You Shu quietly backed away, his gaze met Wang Xianggan’s; who was not far away. The youth, who had always had an indifferent expression, narrowed his eyes and clearly showed a murderous expression.
Wang Xianggan slowly hooked his lips, his smile ice-cold yet disdainful. In his opinion, the youth was just an ant and could easily pinch to death. So what if he seeked refuge with the Third Prince? The other party was barely able to save himself, let alone others. Till when can he even protect him?
Ji Changye had a full view of the confrontation between father and son. His face did not change but the currents in his heart surged and the thought of killing him rose.
The skies of the capital were about to change ……
THE CORNER
SAMUI: if there are a few weirdly phrased sentences, i did my best but damn the emotions ㅠㅠ
RECRUITMENT: I'm looking for a translator to help me! It doesn't matter if you don't have any experience translating novels! I also don't mind if you don't know any Chinese. As long as you have the drive to learn, then it's okay! Just email me at bludeblobtranslations@gmail.com and I'll tell you what softwares I use (you can use them if you want to) and give you the test!
Please do apply. I really do need the help (´∀｀；) And you'll also get more frequent releases! ┗(｀・ω・´)┛