Daoist Jinbi and Huang Qingcang arrived at Wannian Temple ahead of schedule and were subsequently attacked. After paying a certain price, they might be able to escape into the temple or retreat the way they came. The worst-case scenario was that they were forcibly taken away by the attackers.
If Daoist Jinbi and Huang Qingcang escaped or retreated, it would mean the attackers' strength was not insurmountable. The worst outcome was the latter possibility.
If both Daoist Jinbi and Huang Qingcang were captured, it was possible the attackers held an absolute advantage in both strength and numbers!
What mortal enemies did the Emei Sect have that would stop at nothing short of annihilation?
Could it be the Xin Xuan Mountain Sect?
This would be quite in line with the Xin Xuan Mountain Sect's modus operandi.
Yan Shouyi examined the corpses while contemplating the matter in his mind.
Previously, he had heard from Qi Dongqiang that a spiritual fruit had appeared in the Emei Sect. Could this spiritual fruit have attracted the Xin Xuan Mountain Sect?
After Yan Shouyi's examination, he discovered that the disciples from Qingcheng Mountain and Dianyi Sect had died from sword wounds.
Their fatal wounds came from a swift and deadly blade that sliced through their throats, causing them to struggle in agony as they died.
Unfortunately, Yan Shouyi had not brought any followers of folk sects like corpse handlers or body sewers this time; otherwise, he might have found more clues from the bodies.
The belongings of the disciples from the two sects were intact; no one had touched them. This confirmed that they were likely killed because they had witnessed something they shouldn't have, and the killers had no other reason to act.
Next, he turned his attention to the disciples of the Emei Sect.
The Emei Sect only accepted female disciples. Yan Shouyi did not examine their private areas but instead checked the exposed wounds.
From the Emei Sect disciples, Yan Shouyi found more clues.
The wounds on the Emei Sect disciples were scattered, with many scratches and bite marks. The fatal wounds were mostly caused by bites to the carotid artery, leading to death from excessive bleeding.
Compared to the disciples of the other two sects, the Emei Sect disciples appeared to have been attacked by wild beasts, while the disciples of the other two sects were killed by a formidable swordsmanship.
Why was there such a difference?
Yan Shouyi frowned deeply.
It was clear that the attackers were not the same group, though it could only be said they were not the same *batch*, not necessarily that they weren't part of the same *group*.
After examining a few more corpses, Yan Shouyi made his final discovery.
The souls of all the corpses had been dispersed.
Whether they were disciples of the Emei Sect or Qingcheng Mountain and Dianyi Sect, their bodies contained no souls.
Not the same group, yet they all chose to scatter the souls. Was this to prevent some secret from being discovered?
With no further discoveries, Yan Shouyi could only ask Qi Dongqiang, who was beside him, "Dongqiang, did you find anything?"
Qi Dongqiang's expression was grim, and he shook his head reluctantly. "I think you're smarter than me. If even you couldn't find anything, I wouldn't be able to either."
Yan Shouyi did not press further. With no leads, his head felt somewhat groggy.
Why had two groups of people come to Wannian Temple in succession?
What was their motive for killing?
Where had Daoist Jinbi and Huang Qingcang gone?
Were Abbess Guanyun and the others still alive?
With so many unanswered questions, Yan Shouyi fell silent for a while, eventually giving up.
He turned back to rejoin the others. The clues they had analyzed were similar to what Yan Shouyi had already considered, and even less comprehensive.
There was nothing more to investigate on the outer plaza. The group could only look towards the interior of Wannian Temple.
Wannian Temple was built facing the sea of clouds. After passing through the main gate, the first thing seen was a brick hall without beams, also known as a beam-less hall. It was built in the twenty-eighth year of the Wanli reign, corresponding to 1600 AD, and was erected by Emperor Wanli to celebrate his mother's birthday.
The group gathered, proceeding cautiously and slowly into the beam-less hall. Qi Dongqiang's monkeys were instructed to wait outside the hall.
Upon entering the beam-less hall, one could see that the four walls inside were adorned with myriad Buddhas, radiating divine light.
The lower parts of the inner walls featured twenty-four Buddha niches, each containing a cast-iron Buddha statue. The middle and upper parts of the inner walls were inlaid with horizontal niches, which also housed many small Buddha statues.
The domed ceiling was painted with four flying celestial maidens, each holding a pipa, konghou, sheng, or dizi, their depictions vivid and their colors bright.
At the four corners and the center of the ceiling stood five white pagodas, the central one being larger, and the corner ones smaller. The four corners of the ceiling were also decorated with auspicious beasts like lions, elephants, and deer.
It was said that if the beam-less brick hall were considered a massive pedestal, then the entire structure of the beam-less brick hall would resemble a colossal King Kong treasure seat pagoda.
As soon as Qi Dongqiang entered the hall, he couldn't help but look up at the surroundings, turning his body in a circle.
As he walked, he let out exclamations of "Wow," looking like someone who had never seen the world.
"Is this where Caiyun usually recites scriptures and meditates?" Qi Dongqiang muttered to himself.
At this moment, Yan Shouyi grabbed Qi Dongqiang.
"What's wrong?" Qi Dongqiang asked, confused.
Yan Shouyi pointed behind Qi Dongqiang, his expression more somber than ever.
The expressions of the others were similarly grave.
Qi Dongqiang turned around and finally noticed a bronze statue of Samantabhadra nearly eight meters tall in the center of the beam-less hall.
Samantabhadra was seated on a lotus throne atop a six-tusked white elephant, wearing a five-Buddha golden crown inlaid with six precious pearls, making him more opulent and beautiful than ordinary Bodhisattvas.
His head was slightly tilted to the left, his eyebrows were slender and curved, his eyes held a divine gaze looking straight ahead, his nose and mouth were small and refined, his cheeks were full, and his ears wore ornaments, with a necklace around his neck and pearls adorning his chest.
His upper body sat upright, clad in a shawl, with colored ribbons tied around his waist, and his chest half-exposed.
His legs were crossed, seated on the lotus throne, exuding solemnity yet appearing natural. His arms were bent, holding a *ruyi* scepter.
Beneath the lotus throne was a white elephant, its head bowed, ears lowered, and eyes gazing downwards. Samantabhadra sat serenely on the lotus throne, graceful and dignified.
However, what truly shocked Qi Dongqiang was not the bronze statue of Samantabhadra, but the person in front of it.
On a prayer mat before the statue, a young girl was lying prone, her face towards the ground, her back facing upwards. Her clothes were in disarray, as if... she had been violated.
Upon seeing this back, Qi Dongqiang's eyes instantly turned red, and he rushed forward, muttering, "Impossible... it's not her... impossible!"
He ran a few steps, then suddenly stopped a few meters away, not daring to go any closer.
Because he recognized the back as Caiyun's, the person he longed for.
Yan Shouyi hesitated for a moment and said to Tian Jue'er, "Jue'er, go help her."
"Okay..."
Tian Jue'er responded with a soft "Oh" and silently walked towards Caiyun. She placed her hand on Caiyun's back, feeling for a moment, and whispered, "She's already dead."
Qi Dongqiang's body trembled, and he eventually fell to his knees, powerless.
Tian Jue'er took off her jacket and draped it over Caiyun's lower body before turning her over.
It was a maiden with a very pure appearance, an oval face, large eyes, and small freckles on her cheeks.
It was a pity that the maiden's eyes were fixed in the terror and pain of her final moments, and her body bore multiple fractures and internal bruises.
It could be imagined that before her death, Caiyun had not only been violated but also mercilessly tortured.
Such an innocent and lovely maiden, devoted to Buddhism and accumulating good deeds, had met such a horrific fate in the very place she recited scriptures and meditated daily.
How desperate she must have felt then.
Looking at Caiyun's corpse, Tian Jue'er couldn't help but shed tears.
If she hadn't encountered Yan Shouyi and the Folklore Research Society, her own fate might have been similar.
Qi Dongqiang mustered his strength, crawled to Caiyun's side, took her body from Tian Jue'er, and held her tightly, weeping silently.
Outside the beam-less hall, Huanhuan and Lele seemed to sense Qi Dongqiang's emotions and stretched their heads out curiously to check the situation.
Long Feicheng remained silent for a moment before stepping forward to offer comfort. "Dongqiang, let her rest in peace first. We will find the killer and avenge her!"
Qi Dongqiang lifted his head, closed his eyes, and after his tears had dried, he nodded.
He reached out to close Caiyun's eyes.
But to his horror, no matter how Qi Dongqiang tried to manipulate Caiyun's eyes, she simply couldn't close them!
Her eyes stared blankly at Qi Dongqiang, as if questioning why he hadn't saved her life.
Yan Shouyi stepped forward to sense the situation and found it strange. "Her soul has clearly been scattered. Even if there were lingering resentment, it couldn't gather. How could she not close her eyes?"
Qi Dongqiang quietly laid Caiyun down and said in a deep voice, "Perhaps she wishes to close her eyes only after the killer receives their due punishment."
Zhuge Ji searched the surroundings and, finding no other solution, split open the hall's donation box, makeshift creating a coffin to place Caiyun inside.
With Caiyun's body temporarily placed in the coffin, Qi Dongqiang still couldn't let go of his grief.
However, Yan Shouyi and the others couldn't stand idly by, as the danger in Wannian Temple had not yet passed. Moreover, finding the killer was their most pressing task.
Yan Shouyi stood before the bronze statue of Samantabhadra, feeling a pang of sorrow.
The killer had chosen to violate Caiyun in front of the statue of Samantabhadra, a truly audacious act!
As the saying goes, "Three feet above your head, there are spirits." This person dared to commit such a brazen act, indicating they had no regard for gods or Buddhas, showing extreme arrogance and presumption.
But... why Caiyun?
Yan Shouyi looked back at the plaza in front of the hall. There were many disciples with better appearances than Caiyun. Why did the killer specifically choose Caiyun and kill her in such a brutal manner?
Was it merely a coincidence?
Inside the beam-less hall, there were no other corpses and no signs of a struggle.
The incense in the censer had long since burned out, and there were no new clues.
Yan Shouyi patted Qi Dongqiang on the shoulder and said, "We need to move further inside. Caiyun's revenge awaits you."
Qi Dongqiang slowly stood up, lowered his head, and gritted his teeth, saying,
"I will definitely find the killer and tear him to shreds!!"