Holy Bone

Chapter 2002 The Mystery and Major Upheaval at the Prince Zunyi's Mansion
"It has been quite busy."

"I may not be able to stay long this time, as I will have to leave to handle official business."

Jin An replied.

While waiting for Young Master Yiyun, the steward chatted with Jin An and asked curiously, "There shouldn't have been any problems with the ancestral worship ceremony, right?"

After the steward finished speaking, he realized that he had been meddling in court affairs too much, so he hurriedly explained, "My master has also received an invitation from the Holy Emperor for the ancestral worship ceremony. My master and young lady will both attend the ceremony that day."

"This old servant is just concerned about Master and Miss. Please forgive me, Lord Shenwu."

"If it is a sensitive matter that is inconvenient to answer, Lord Shenwu, please just ignore my words and let it pass. There is no need to answer this old servant's question."

"Haha," Jin An laughed and said, "That's not a secret."

"The ancestral worship ceremony proceeded normally and in an orderly manner, without any unexpected incidents or accidents, so there is no need to worry."

Upon hearing this, the steward breathed a sigh of relief, then said with an awkward smile, "This old servant's anxious words have made Lord Shenwu laugh. This old servant will drink three cups of tea instead of wine to apologize to Lord Shenwu."

After that, the steward stopped asking about the ancestral worship ceremony. Instead, the two chatted about many interesting things in the capital. However, as time passed, one incense stick after another, Young Master Yiyun still hadn't returned.

Seeing that Young Master Yiyun was not coming for a long time, the steward was also a little anxious. After a moment's thought, he clasped his hands in a fist and said to Jin An, "Miss has not returned yet. Lord Shenwu, please sit in the main hall for a while. Allow this old servant to go down and ask about the specific situation."

Jin An politely replied, "Okay, I'm sorry to bother you."

After that, only Jin An, Fatty Li, and a few maids remained in the large hall.

After waiting for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the steward still hadn't returned. Jin'an, who was tired from sitting for so long, got up and walked around the hall, admiring some antique bronzes and landscape paintings and calligraphy displayed there.

Li Pangzi couldn't sit still either, so he stood up and accompanied Jin An to admire the antique calligraphy and paintings.

The two admired the scenery along the way and soon arrived at the main entrance of the lobby.

"what?"

Jin An suddenly let out a soft exclamation, his attention drawn to the two pendants located at the main entrance of the hall.

Those were two protective pendants.

The water is clear and the mist is light, the brocade and embroidery are exquisite, and the gold thread is used to embellish it. It is very luxurious, beautiful and lovely.

Jin An turned the amulet to the front, where he saw four large characters embroidered on it: "Peaceful Amulet".

Both amulets are for peace and safety.

"A Peace Amulet. There's a Peace Amulet in Prince Zunyi's residence. It seems that Young Master Yiyun uses it to pray for Prince Zunyi's peace, health, and good fortune," Fatty Li nodded and commented.

Jin An laughed and said, "How can you be so sure that this was hung by Young Master Yiyun to pray for the safety of Prince Zunyi?"

"It's also possible that this was hung by Prince Zunyi to pray for Young Master Yiyun's safety."

Upon hearing this, Fatty Li grinned at Jin An and winked, saying, "Daoist Jin An, we're young people, and young people don't lie to each other. These kinds of novel things are usually only enjoyed by young people."

“King Zunyi is already in his fifties. It can’t be said that he doesn’t play these games anymore, but he rarely gets involved in these new and interesting affairs.”

Jin An smiled, but said nothing. He continued to admire the antique paintings and calligraphy in the hall with Fatty Li. Only the Peace Amulet fluttered in the wind, swaying gracefully and beautifully.

Not long after, the steward returned. With an embarrassed expression, he approached Jin An, bowed, and said apologetically, "Reporting to Lord Shenwu, the servants I sent out have not yet found Miss."

"Logically speaking, since Miss has only been out of the manor for a short time, we should be able to find her quickly. But this time we haven't been able to find her yet. Perhaps she stopped for a while at a teahouse or restaurant along the way."

Upon hearing this, Jin An felt a slight disappointment. He had come to see Young Master Yiyun and the Gewu Immortal Cauldron to investigate the historical case from over a decade ago and to learn the truth about the deaths of the late emperor and his successors. However, since Young Master Yiyun was not present, he was destined to have no way of knowing the specific details of the Gewu Immortal Cauldron today.

Although Jin An was a little disappointed, he didn't show it on his face. He then said with a hint of regret, "Then I will visit the Prince Zunyi's residence again next time."

The steward said anxiously, "Why don't you stay at the Zunyi Prince's Mansion a little longer, Lord Shenwu? I have already sent several more servants to look for Miss. If we find her, we will definitely bring her to see Lord Shenwu."

Young Master Yiyun has been preoccupied with many things since childhood, always keeping a heavy heart, rarely smiling or laughing. Jin An is one of the few people who can make Young Master Yiyun laugh. The steward naturally knows how important Jin An is to Young Master Yiyun, so he sincerely wants to find Young Master Yiyun for Jin An.

He also helped his young mistress a lot.

To share the burdens and difficulties of his young mistress.

Jin An clasped his hands in a fist and said with a smile, "The Criminal Investigation Department is very busy, and with the ancestral worship ceremony approaching, there are even more matters to attend to. I will return to the Criminal Investigation Department first."

"If your young lady returns, I will pay her another visit. Or, if the Prince Zunyi's residence sends someone to the Criminal Investigation Department to inform me, I will definitely come to visit her in person."

The steward was a reasonable man, and seeing that Jin An had said this, he could no longer dissuade her. He could only say with regret, "Alright, after Miss returns to the manor, I will definitely send someone to inform Lord Shenwu as soon as possible."

"Thank you." Jin An clasped his hands in thanks, and after chatting for a few more minutes, he and Fatty Li left the Zunyi Prince's Mansion and boarded the Bixie carriage to return to the Criminal Investigation Department.

On the carriage.

Fatty Li, who was temporarily acting as the coachman, said with regret as he drove the carriage, "It's a pity we didn't run into Young Master Yiyun today."

Inside the carriage, Jin An responded, "Mm."

"Master Jin'an, shall we go straight back to the Criminal Investigation Department now?" Fatty Li asked.

Jin An said, "Fatty Li, you can take the carriage and my clone back to the Criminal Investigation Department. My main body is going back to the Five Organs Taoist Temple."

Fatty Li said, "Then I'll take Master Jin'an back to the Five Organs Taoist Temple first, and then I'll go back to the Criminal Investigation Department."

Jin An smiled and said, "Then there's no need."

"The Five Organs Taoist Temple and the Criminal Investigation Department are quite far apart, practically in opposite directions. This will waste too much time. You can go directly back to the Criminal Investigation Department, and I can go back to the Five Organs Taoist Temple myself."

Fatty Li knew that Jin An's cultivation was unfathomable; only others were in danger, while Jin An would never be. So he nodded and said, "Alright, Daoist Jin An, you don't need to overwork yourself. It's best to balance work and rest." "Haha, good," Jin An laughed, and the carriage fell silent.

Only Fatty Li remained, focused on driving the carriage.

……

The Imperial Street stretches for ten miles, adorned with brocade and glittering with fine horses and carriages, a scene of dazzling elegance.

The capital city is known as having half the wealth of the world. Walking through the streets of Jin'an, one hears the constant cries of vendors, and the city is bustling with activity. Restaurants, brothels, teahouses, theaters, and street food stalls are all packed with customers.

Ginger shop, yarn shop, horse shop, fruit shop, fish shop, rice shop, meat shop, southern sheep shop, northern sheep shop
Shops selling gold and silver, silk and lacquerware—a dazzling array of goods; camels, caravans from the Western Regions, grapes, Shanshan melons, and Western Region red wine—all in vibrant colors, a dazzling and bizarre spectacle…

Rice in water, stewed meat, dried meat, dried meat, eel buns, chicken skin, kidneys and chicken, pan-fried sheep intestines, frozen fish head, smeared red shreds, sliced ​​sheep head, spicy feet, ginger and spicy radish, roasted pork skin and meat, wild duck meat, pan-fried sandwiches... a colorful array of dishes, delicious and appetizing, making one's appetite soar.

Jin An was not in a hurry to return to the Wuzang Taoist Temple. Today, he was traveling alone and enjoying a carefree life. He slowly made his way back to the temple, lingering along the way at stalls selling dried meat, roasted pork skin, fried dumplings, and other delicacies, making sure to treat his internal organs to various delicacies.

Fatty Li once said, "Work and rest should be balanced."

He has certainly listened to the good advice of his friends and family. Treating his body with delicious food is a good way to balance work and rest.

Hahaha.

After a journey filled with food and strolls, Jin'an returned to the Wuzang Taoist Temple around noon. Upon arriving at the market town where the temple was located, the flow of people immediately surged. From ordinary people to prominent families in the capital, everyone came to the Wuzang Taoist Temple to offer incense and pray for children, to search for offspring, and to seek peace and health.

The Five Organs Taoist Temple is especially effective in finding lost children; it is said to be infallible. As long as you bow and worship the Thousand-Eyed Taoist God statue in front of the gate, your mischievous child who has gone missing, gotten lost, or been abducted by human traffickers can be found.

As long as the child hasn't been missing for too long, the child-finding service is 100% effective.

The youngest child is the family's hope. Once the youngest child is found, the whole family will become admirers of the Five Organs Taoist Temple without hesitation. Then, along with grandparents, maternal grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives, they will all devote themselves to the Five Organs Taoist Temple. So you can imagine how popular the Five Organs Taoist Temple is.

With more people, the many good deeds and acts of kindness performed by the Five Organs Taoist Temple will naturally spread widely among the population.

Furthermore, the various comic books published by Jin'an in the capital were still widely known, such as "Jin'an Taoist Priest Fights the Seven Headless Rain Fairy Sisters," "The Legend of Marquis Shenwu in Jiangzhou: The Case of Framing Him After His Coffin," "The Legend of Marquis Shenwu in Jiangzhou: The Case of Framing Him After His Coffin," "The Case of Marquis Shenwu: The Case of Eating People and Picking Up Bones," and "The Case of Marquis Shenwu: The Case of Tomb Robbery at Ghost Moth Mountain." These stories further enhanced the reputation of the Wuzang Taoist Temple in the capital.

With so many deeds accumulated, the Wuzang Taoist Temple was always packed with people coming to offer incense and worship the gods.

When the Five Organs Taoist Temple became a hit, the incense shops and longevity shops in the market also naturally became very popular. People came to buy incense and candles every day, and the business was busy from morning to night, with no rest throughout the year.

Therefore, all of the above factors combined have resulted in the scene that we see in Jin'an's market today: a sea of ​​people, a constant flow of traffic, and everyone walking shoulder to shoulder.

Because the market was crowded with people, even Jin An, the abbot of the Five Organs Taoist Temple, was rarely seen among the crowd. Even if someone did notice him, he would have already disappeared in the blink of an eye, and there would be no way to stop him.

Jin An walked through the bustling crowd for about half an hour before arriving at the Wuzang Taoist Temple. Just as he was about to reach the temple, he suddenly stopped and let out a soft exclamation.

"what?"

Jin An looked towards the Five Organs Taoist Temple.

Unexpectedly, even from the Zunyi Prince's Mansion, which is quite a distance away, someone would appear at the Wuzang Taoist Temple, carrying a basket of incense and candles, wanting to come to the Wuzang Taoist Temple to burn incense and candles to worship the gods.

Jin An had only just arrived at the Zunyi Prince's residence today, so he naturally knew what the servants' attire was like. The woman carrying the incense and candle basket was a maid from the Zunyi Prince's residence.

When Jin'an saw the people from the Prince Zunyi's Mansion at the Wuzang Taoist Temple, he was delighted. He was genuinely happy and excited about the Wuzang Taoist Temple's great popularity and popularity among the people.

Unbeknownst to them, the distance between the two had narrowed. Jin An was heading towards the Wuzang Taoist Temple, while the other person was coming out of the temple. Just as the two were about to collide, suddenly, the other person dropped a small cloth bag from their waist into the crowd.

Jin An was about to call out to the other person, "You dropped something," but there were too many people in front of the Wuzang Taoist Temple. Amidst the hustle and bustle, the maid from the Zunyi Prince's Mansion was no longer visible.

Jin An frowned slightly, then relaxed his grip and went over to pick up the things the other person had dropped.

His idea was simple: he would just hand it over to Fatty Li and have him take it back to the owner of the Zunyi Prince's Mansion. It wasn't complicated.

"Ok?"

When Jin An picked up the small cloth bag, he let out a soft exclamation of surprise. Then, when he opened the bag and saw a string of copper coins, he smiled.

As expected...

It is a string of copper coins.

He already had a feel for it when he picked it up.

Jin An didn't think much of it and planned to hand it over to Fatty Li that night. However, just as Jin An was about to put the copper coins away, he suddenly seemed to notice something on the coins, and his hand abruptly stopped moving.

Then, Jin An, with a slightly serious expression, took a copper coin from a string of copper coins. After examining it carefully for a while, he took off a second copper coin to examine it.

Then his expression became even more serious.

Next, the third coin, the fourth coin, the fifth coin... were removed.

Jin An's expression grew increasingly solemn, and eventually, his brows furrowed tightly.

He wasted no more time, put away the copper coins, and immediately went into the Wuzang Taoist Temple. There, he found the old Taoist priest in the Sanqing Hall who was giving out divination and talismans.

However, he did not personally enter the Sanqing Hall to find the old Taoist priest. He was the abbot of the Wuzang Taoist Temple, and if he entered the Sanqing Hall now, it would surely cause countless pilgrims to flock to him.

So he used his divine sense to send a telepathic message to the old Taoist priest, saying, "Old Taoist priest, I have something urgent to discuss with you. Please come to the backyard to find me sometime later."

"Eh, it's a bright, sunny day, and it's not even night yet. What brings you here to see me, young man?" The old Taoist muttered to himself as he performed divination. He looked up to look for Jin An, but Jin An had already returned to the backyard, so he found nothing.

The old Taoist priest was so busy that he didn't have time to come to the backyard to find Jin'an until lunchtime.

"Young man, what brings you to this old Taoist priest's door?" the old Taoist priest asked curiously.

In the backyard, Jin An sat at the stone table, waiting for the old Taoist priest. Then, he took out the string of copper coins he had picked up at the entrance of the Wuzang Taoist Temple and placed them on the stone table. With a solemn expression, he said to the old Taoist priest, "Before I explain the reason, old Taoist, take a look at these copper coins. Do they look familiar and give you a good impression?"