Chapter 14 Chapter Thirteen

September 21st of the Gregorian calendar. I drank a lot of wine the night before, but I didn't eat a few mouthfuls of food.When the banquet was over, I was seventy percent drunk, so I went to the side room next to me to sleep soundly with my clothes on.It was early morning when I woke up, I got up and returned to my senses, then walked out of the room and went to the yard.Yesterday the woman was picking up flowers and plants in the yard. When she saw me coming out, she saluted me and said, "Mr. Feng, you are awake. Our master is still upstairs. You can go to the hall and have a bowl of hot porridge first."

I waved my hand and said, "No need, I'm still in a rush. Tell your master a word, just say that I thank him for his overnight hospitality!" While speaking, I walked straight to the gate of the courtyard.The woman called me twice behind me, but seeing that she couldn't be called, she hurried upstairs to report.I didn't care too much, I opened the courtyard door by myself, then stepped out of Ling's mansion, and walked out of the bamboo forest. Today's plan is to go to the nunnery on the other side of the mountain to track down the secrets about the "monster".I think I should find a guide to lead the way first. As for the candidate, who else is more suitable than Ah Chuan?I searched all the way to the vicinity of the train station, and finally saw the figure of Hammer by the side of the road.Ah Chuan also saw me, he took the initiative to move towards me, and then asked, "Grandma Meng is dead—what's going on?"

"I don't know exactly what happened." I lowered my voice slightly, and said again, "But I suspect that Ling Mufeng did something good." A hammer immediately echoed me and said: "I also think it has something to do with the surname Ling—the two guys were sneaking around outside the yard the day before yesterday, what good intentions can they have?" I sighed softly: "It's a pity that there is no evidence. The surname Ling used some tricks, leaving no trace. The scene looks like..." I was hesitant to say anything, but A Hammer rushed to add: "It's like ghosts are killing people?"

"how do you know?" "It's been spread all over the town: It is said that the ghosts of Chu Hanshan and Du Yuhong appeared, not only killing Mrs. Meng, but also the two of us!" Ah Chuan said while staring at me, as if demanding As if to prove something.I think most of those rumors spread from the police station, A-Chui was dubious when he heard it, and he couldn't help but feel worried. I couldn't deny it either, so I had to smile wryly: "Yes. There is a spirit tablet on the altar at the scene, with a total of three people's names written on it. In addition to Mrs. Meng, there are you and me."

A hammer grinned and said, "We have no grievances with Du Yuhong and his wife, so why are the ghosts trying to get along with us?" "Didn't the two of us buy the sacrifice for the soul call?" I explained, "The ghost thought that if Mrs. Meng wanted to reveal the secrets of the past, it would be bad for Chu Yun. In a fit of anger, they implicated both of us in it." gone." "Fart!" Ah Chui became anxious when he heard it, "We didn't do anything to Chu Yun. If the ghost was angry, the first person to look for should be Ling Mufeng! How much trouble did Chu Yun suffer at Ling Mufeng's hands? Don't look for it." He came to us instead?"

"Didn't you say: Ling Mufeng is a rich man, how can we compare?" I echoed what Ah Chuan said to me two days ago.Hammer lowered his head in frustration, and remained silent.I said again: "Let's say that the house in Ling's mansion is surrounded by mountains and rivers, surrounded by bamboo forests. This is called Fushoulu Sanquan, which is a first-class feng shui. Even if the ghost wants to find him, it can't enter the gate of Ling's mansion! " A-Chui was stunned for a moment, and said bitterly: "Fuck, we can't move the mountains and rivers. As for that bamboo forest, I will plan it for him sooner or later, and see how he can be blessed, long-lived, and well-off."

I looked at his appearance, snickered in my heart, and asked him: "Which one do you believe in? Is it Ling who committed murder? Or is it a ghost that is harming people?" Hammer blinked his eyes and said, "I think the surname Ling did it. Now it's the era of the Republic of China, and the world is bright and clear. Where did the ghost come from. Detective Feng, are you right?" When Ah Chuan mentioned the birthmark on Chu Yun's butt the day before yesterday, he insisted that it was the ghost of the Ling family's baby girl.Now it is contradictory to talk about the era of the Republic of China, when the universe was bright and clear.I guess he is actually more afraid of ghosts, so he has to prove that this has nothing to do with ghosts, for peace of mind.To such ignorant people, I didn't want to say anything more, so I said perfunctorily, "I don't know. Anyway, life and death are up to fate, I'm too lazy to worry about it."

Ah Hammer swallowed resentfully, unable to say anything more.I then turned the conversation to the main topic at the right time: "Take me to the mountains for a walk." "where to?" "The nunnery on the other side of the mountain. Do you know Tao?" Ah Chuan narrowed his eyes and asked, "Where did Chu Yun stay when he was a child?" "right." "Knowledge is knowing—" Ah Chue looked at me with searching eyes, "What are you doing there?" "What do you care? You just say whether to go or not." A hammer scratched his neck and said, "I won't go. I have nothing good to do with you. I went to the county town the day before yesterday, and I got a goddamn spirit card."

I didn't talk nonsense, took out a silver dollar and threw it at him: "Will you go?" Ah Chui reached out to catch the silver dollar, took a breath, listened to it again, and then sighed: "Oh, you are a character who can't be fooled. Sooner or later, my old life will be broken with you!" I shook my head: "Stop talking nonsense, let's go." A Hammer put the silver dollar into his pocket, and stepped forward to lead the way.The two of us walked south out of the town and soon came to the mountains.Ah Chuan pointed to a mountain peak in front of him and said, "I have to climb over this mountain, and I can't get down within two or three hours." I nodded.A hammer then found a small path up the mountain and led me on the trek.The mountain road has not been artificially repaired, it is completely stepped on by climbers with their feet.At the beginning, the road was easy to walk, but the path became narrower as it went higher, and the bushes and branches on both sides gradually became dense, and many times it was almost like walking through the mountains in the dense forest.After walking for more than an hour, I was really tired, so I called Ah Chuan to stop and take a breath.

Ah Chue boasted triumphantly: "People in the town want to go up the mountain to cut firewood or something, but they usually can't go to such a high place. You just found me. If you want to change someone else, you have to get lost." I leaned against a tree stump, unbuttoned my neckline to let off heat, and asked at the same time, "Isn't there a town on the other side of the mountain? You two towns don't communicate?" Ah Chuan said: "There are very few contacts. Besides, even if there are contacts, they usually walk around the mountain. Who wants to go to the top of the mountain? But the nunnery is also halfway up the mountain. If you go around the town and then climb up the mountain It’s not worth it, it’s better to go over the mountain directly.”

I said "Oh" and understood what the other person meant.When the breath came over, I urged him to continue on his way.The two of us walked through the mountains and forests, and when we finally reached the top of the mountain, both of us were sweating through the skirts of our clothes.However, the autumn wind on the top of the mountain is cool, which is very pleasant.We stopped and rested for a while, and after a while the sweat disappeared before we started on the road again.This time we crossed the hill and headed down the other side.Going down the mountain is not as laborious as going up the mountain, but the legs and feet are hard to bear, and if you walk too much, you will feel light and uncontrollable.After going on this road for another hour, Ah Chuan suddenly stretched out his hand and pointed forward: "Did you see it? It's there." I looked in the direction of his finger, and sure enough, I found a few green bricks and black tiles among the mountains and forests.Estimated from the road, there is at most ten minutes' walk to get there.I cheered up and quickened my pace to rush down the mountain.As we get closer to the destination, the mountain road gradually becomes wider and flatter, obviously because people have been going up and down nearby all the year round. After turning around a mountain road, I finally arrived in front of the nunnery.The temple in front of me is not big, and there is a plaque hanging on the eaves of the door, with three big characters written on it: Cuilin Temple. The two of us stepped across the threshold into the yard.The courtyard is only about ten paces square, with a Buddhist hall in the front and a small side room on the left and right sides.A cypress tree stands in the middle of the yard, and a stone tablet under the tree is quite eye-catching.I stepped forward to take a closer look, and it turned out to be a monument of meritorious deeds.There is an inscription engraved on the stele, to the effect that a certain person was chased and killed by bandit soldiers during the war in the late Qing Dynasty, and was seriously injured and fled here. Fortunately, Mrs. Ming Xin of Cuilin An was rescued.Many years later, this person returned to Cuilin Nunnery to fulfill his vow and set up this monument. Ah Hammer was not interested in the stele.He couldn't see anyone on the left or right, so he yelled, "Is anyone there?" Just as he finished speaking, there was a burst of fierce dog barking.Both of us were taken aback. Following the sound, we saw a huge yellow dog rushing out of the backyard, baring its teeth and rushing straight at A hammer.Hammer quickly took two steps back and hid behind me.Seeing the yellow dog rushing in front of me, I quickly stretched out a hand, and at the same time teased twice with "Hello".The dog was friendly to me, and immediately stopped barking, and instead came over and sniffed at my feet. Seeing this, A Hammer smiled "hehe" and said, "Hey, you are good at teasing dogs." I reached out and stroked the yellow dog's head, and said, "A dog is the most human animal. If you have kind thoughts in your heart, don't be afraid of it, and it will no longer be hostile to you." One person interjected: "The almsgiver said well." I looked up and saw a nun coming out of the Buddhist hall. She was about thirty or forty years old, wearing black cloth shoes, with a dignified demeanor. I took two steps forward, bowed and bowed, and said in my mouth: "Master is very polite." The nun clasped her hands together and said: "Amitabha, the poor nun's name is Huiqing." Then she looked me up and down, and asked: "The benefactor You look strange, could it be that you came from afar?" I nodded and said, "That's right. I'm here to ask my teacher about something from the past." Huiqing smiled slightly: "It doesn't matter what it is. Since you have come to Cuilin Nunnery, you are destined. Please sit in the side hall." So I followed Mrs. Huiqing to the hall on the left hand side.Ah Chuan also wanted to follow us, but when the yellow dog saw him taking a step, he immediately barked viciously again.Hammer had no choice but to stop his feet and cursed: "Hey, you little bastard! It's not over yet!" I turned my head and said to Ah Chuan: "Forget it, just wait for me outside." Ah Chuan retreated out of the courtyard helplessly, muttering as he walked, "What a snobbish bastard. Bah, dogs look down on people!" Huiqing saw Ah Chue go away, smiled at me and said: "This dog is not snobbish. It's just that it has been soaked in this nunnery for a long time, and it already has Buddha nature. It knows the good and evil of this visitor at a glance. It is willing Being friendly to you shows that the donor must be a kind-hearted person." "Oh?" I asked with great interest, "How long has this dog been in the nunnery?" "It must have been seventeen or eighteen years? It's older than a poor nun! When it came to our nunnery, it had just been weaned, but now it is an old man." Huiqing looked at the yellow dog and sighed. Tao——Judging from the lifespan of a dog, it is indeed an old man. I asked again: "How many years has Mrs. Shi been here?" "I became a monk fifteen years ago." While talking, we had already entered the side room, which looked like a reception room, with two wooden chairs and a simple coffee table.Huiqing pointed to the chair and said, "Sir, please sit down. I'll make a cup of tea." I hurriedly waved my hand and said, "No, no, I'll leave after a few words, don't bother me much." Huiqing nodded: "In that case, then I won't make a fool of myself - our nunnery is cold and there is no good tea." We took our seats, and I greeted each other again: "Is the incense still flourishing here?" "It's a small place with high mountains and dangerous roads. Usually, few people come here. I go down the mountain every three to five days, and I am begging for alms in the town at the foot of the mountain. I can barely maintain the worship of the Buddha." After Huiqing's answer, the topic changed. Asked, "What is the purpose of the donor's trip?" I let out a "huh" and cut to the point: "Since the teacher became a monk fifteen years ago, should I know that there was a little girl living in this nunnery?" Huiqing immediately replied: "The benefactor is talking about Chu Yun, right? She is an abandoned baby adopted by my master Ming Xin, who lived in this nunnery for many years. Later, the respected master passed away, and the child returned to her own home. She Her family is in Feng'an Town on the opposite side of the mountain. I heard that two years ago she married into Feng'an's Ling Mansion, which is a well-known local family." I nodded and said, "We came from Feng'an." "Oh?" Huiqing seemed a little surprised, and then she asked again, "How is the child doing now?" "This..." I pondered for a while, and said, "She has a strange disease, and I am here this time to find out the root cause of her disease." Huiqing showed concern: "What disease?" "This disease is called 'schizophrenia'. Specifically, she often feels that she is another person..." Just as I said this, Huiqing interrupted me and said, "I understand." "you understood?" "Yes, and you've been right today—I know where the root of her illness is." "Is that so?" I hurriedly leaned over, "May I ask my teacher to give me some pointers." Huiqing said: "That child was taken away by someone who made a foreign film." This foreign film is a common name for old people to take pictures. In the past, people were superstitious, and there was indeed a saying that taking pictures can capture the soul.But why did Chu Yun's strange illness have anything to do with taking pictures?I asked in confusion: "A foreign filmmaker? What's going on here?" Huiqing recalled and said: "One year when the Spring Festival was almost over, my master took little Chuyun to the county town to go to the market. I don't know what she thought, but she even took a foreign film tape for Chuyun in the county town. Come back. This kid’s soul is already weak, so how can he make foreign films? Little Chuyun gradually lost his soul after that. God is just like you said: she feels like she's someone else." "How does she behave, can you tell me?" Huiqing nodded: "I remember this deeply. It was an evening, and that day Xiao Chuyun was watching foreign movies in the yard again. I finished the evening meal and went to call her. At that time, I called her Nickname: Yunyun. The child looked up at me for a while, and suddenly said: I am not Yunyun. I thought she was playing with me, so I asked her with a smile: You are not Yunyun, then who are you? It turned out that she really said a name that I had never heard of..." I interrupted and asked, "Is the name she said called Ye Mengshi?" "That's right!" After my reminder, Huiqing immediately replied with certainty, "It's Ye Mengshi——I was terrified at the time." "Are you afraid of that name?" "No, it's because the child's expression is too scary. There is no smile on her face; her eyes are bright and bright, like two bottomless black holes. That appearance is completely bewitched, and it is terrifying. Don’t dare to take a second look.” Such a strange expression on a beautiful little girl is indeed heart-palpitating.I was silent for a moment, then asked again: "What happened next?" Huiqing said: "Later, my master also rushed to the yard. She snatched the foreign film from Xiao Chuyun's hands, and then picked up the child to coax him for a while, and Xiao Chuyun came back to his senses." Could it be that the problem really lies in that photo?I couldn't help asking: "What kind of foreign film is that?" "It's Xiao Chuyun alone. It's pretty good-looking, even better than that child in real life." "Then has Chu Yun ever had a similar situation since then?" "This is the only time I saw it. After this happened, my master hid the foreign film. Afterwards, little Chuyun was often alone in a daze, but he never said that he was another person." From this point of view, the root cause of Chu Yun's illness did indeed fall in Cuilin Nunnery, but it was not serious at that time.Later, Chu Yun fell ill again in Feng'an Town, which was just a continuation of this incident.I thought about it for a while, and then asked: "How old was Chu Yun when that accident happened?" "Eight or nine years old." Huiqing thought for a while, and added, "My master died of illness in the second year. Her illness is mostly related to Chu Yun's change. A good-looking child is bewitched by evil spirits. Who cares about it?" Don't worry? My master loves Chu Yun very much, so he must have remorse, that's why he got that serious illness." I nodded secretly.Chu Yun's strange disease may really be related to that photo, but I absolutely do not agree with the so-called superstition of dementia.There must be something hidden in it, and Mrs. Ming Xin is one of the insiders.So she was able to prescribe the right medicine in the early stage and control Xiao Chuyun's condition.Later, Chu Yun fell ill in Feng'an Town, and Pozi Meng was also able to successfully "call out the soul", there must be something in common. I believe that the source of everything is the secret of that "monster".Discovering this secret is the real purpose of my trip. However, it is not easy to speak about this matter. After deliberating for a while, I turned a corner and asked, "Master, you were a monk fifteen years ago. Then when you came to Cuilin Nunnery, Chu Yun had already Are you six years old?" Huiqing nodded and said, "Not bad." "Then before you came, besides Mrs. Ming Xin and Xiao Chuyun, were there other people in this Cuilin Nunnery?" "There is no one else, only a big yellow dog." Huiqing said with a smile while tilting her head and looking at her feet.The yellow dog lay at her feet, staring at me with black eyes.This dog should also be a witness to many things that happened back then, but it is a pity that it can't say anything. I coughed twice, cleared my throat, and began to cut into the most critical topic. "When you first met Xiao Chuyun, was there anything wrong?" Huiqing was taken aback, and asked, "What's wrong?" "That's... Do you think that Chu Yun is different from ordinary children..." Seeing the other party's expression, I still didn't understand, so I simply said it thoroughly, "Do you think that child is like a monster?" "Monster?" Huiqing laughed dumbfounded, "What are you talking about? Chu Yun is indeed different from ordinary children, because she is too cute and beautiful. How can she look like a monster?" It seemed she didn't know about that.I pondered for a while, and then asked further: "Then do you know that there is a strange birthmark on Chu Yun's butt?" Huiqing shook her head and said, "I don't know. Little Chuyun lives with my master and is not close to me. I really haven't seen the private parts." At this point, I knew that if I asked more questions, there would be no more gains, so I got up and prepared to leave. "Master, please don't be offended by the interruptions today." I said as I took out a silver dollar and put it on the tea table, "—this is the incense money I offered to the Buddha." Huiqing clasped her hands together and gave a deep bow: "The benefactor is indeed a kind person. My Buddha will definitely bless the benefactor for a lifetime of well-being." While she was speaking, the yellow dog also stood up from the ground.It looked at me with drooping eyes, and its tail wagged happily, as if it was also thanking me for my kindness.