False evidence

Chapter 519 The Heartless Monk

Although I seem to be in dire straits myself right now, the masked monk left a very deep impression on me.

That made me feel that if I couldn't fulfill his request, although I might not necessarily be ashamed to face him, I had a vague feeling that if I failed to take this wisp of soul with me, I would suffer bad consequences.

Without hesitation, I leaped onto the platform.

Tang Lin wore a strange smile, her movements stiff as if she were a puppet that had just come to life.

I finally understand the ultimate purpose of this "ritual." It is to complete the legacy of a ghost, or rather, an evil spirit.

As soon as I climbed onto the platform, I immediately regretted my rashness.

I'm certain that apart from "Grandma" and Zhong Lan, no one else, including Grandpa Sun, can see me.

The problem is that I am now just a living soul. Without the white fish, how can I preserve the remnant soul of the murdered woman?
A strange sound came from behind.

Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw that it was Zhong Lan, who was standing below the platform.

She wasn't looking at me, but rather facing the back of the bed, her eyes lowered as if she were chanting some kind of incantation.

In the blink of an eye, she suddenly raised her eyes, looked into the void, then turned around and hurriedly walked to the left.

On a whim, I jumped off the platform.

Zhong Lan came up to me, threw something into my arms, but didn't stop walking. She bent down and slipped into the hidden door under the platform.

I didn't even bother to see what she threw at me, nor did I have time to think about it. I just crouched down and tried to follow her inside.

Zhong Lan turned her head and glared at me fiercely, while whispering quickly, "If you want to achieve your goal, you should come from the same place and go back to the same place."

After saying that, he turned and disappeared into the depths of the dark passage.

I was stunned by her actions and subconsciously looked up at the dark passage from which we had come, which was half-suspended in mid-air, and then looked at Lü Xin.

Without hesitation, Lü Xin said in a low voice, "You are a living soul now, you have no weight, I can send you up."

"how about you?"

"Tsk, it's none of your business. If I can come down, I can come up."

I believe he has the ability, but he seems to have forgotten one thing.

Just as I was about to remind him, he pulled out a cloth belt from his waist, grabbed both ends, and wrapped it around me. Then, holding one end of the belt, he wrapped the other end around one of my feet, and kicked and bent his leg backward.

In this way, the cloth strip, held between his one hand and one foot, became a large "bow," which he used as an arrow to accurately launch me into the dark passage in mid-air.

"Hurry up and go!" I urged him even as we were still in mid-air.

They landed inside the cave and looked back, but it was too late.

Lu Xin was about to flee immediately, but before he could put away the cloth strip, a ghostly figure had already appeared behind him.

It's a "student"!
"You really think I can't see you?"

The "student" gave a sinister smile and effortlessly tossed Lü Xin onto the high platform.

After the "inheritance ceremony" was completed, the platform no longer seemed to be a forbidden area. Students followed and jumped onto the platform. Before Lü Xin could get up, they kicked him in front of Old Man Sun.

Old Man Sun didn't even glance at Lü Xin, but instead bowed slightly to Tang Lin: "Master, what should we do with this brat?"

Tang Lin's movements were still stiff, and a fierce look appeared between her brows: "This person is repulsive, not only does he speak in an unpleasant way, but his mouth also stinks."

She only uttered a complaint, but Old Man Sun already understood and said directly to his "student":
“Your Majesty is feeling unwell, so we will not kill any animals today. Your Majesty dislikes his bad breath and unpleasant speech, so let’s make him keep quiet. That’s good, so he won’t tell others about our men’s affairs.”

Lu Xin had remained silent until now, but finally couldn't help but shout, "When did I speak? How do I have bad breath?"

I sensed something was wrong and immediately wanted to jump down to help him escape, but just as I was about to jump, a voice suddenly came from behind me: "Amitabha, it's no use. What's meant to happen has already happened twenty-one years ago, and it can't be changed."

I was startled and turned around to see the masked monk had appeared behind me without me noticing.

The mask, half black and half white, looked eerie in the dim light. "Your friend is destined to suffer this ordeal. But he's not Wang Ben; he only empathizes, and won't actually be harmed."

The masked monk sighed and held out his hand to me: "Give it to me."

Then she whispered, "Lan gave this to you."

I took out the object that I had casually put in my pocket, which I still couldn't figure out.

It was a bamboo tube, only as thick as a thumb, resembling bamboo, yet also like a piece of uncut jade carved in the shape of bamboo joints, translucent and lustrous.

The masked monk took the bamboo tube, uncorked it, and placed the opening against his left chest.

Next, I witnessed an extremely bizarre scene.

His monk's robe gradually sank inwards, not from the pressure on human flesh. It seemed... as if the area around his heart was empty.

It's like a monk's robe covering a hole the size of a bowl.

"I am a heartless person," the monk said calmly, handing over the covered lid again. "This woman lost her life because of that calamity years ago. I will perform a ritual to help her pass on to the afterlife, and at the same time, I will help someone settle a karmic debt."

"Who is so and so?"

“He’s right down there.” The masked monk held one hand up to his chest and pointed downwards with the other.

I looked in the direction he was pointing and was surprised to find that he was pointing to "students".

I didn't have time to think about what the masked monk meant, because at that moment I had already witnessed a scene that could only be described as a human tragedy.

I saw the students using a pair of pliers they had found somewhere to pull out Lü Xin's teeth one by one.

I was furious and wanted to rush down and stop them, but suddenly I found myself unable to move.

The masked monk's voice came from behind: "He's alright, don't worry. Now, I'll give you this mask. After that, remember these people. Once this matter is settled, go find them and do as I instruct you."

A withered yet delicate hand reached out in front of me and pointed downwards.

I didn't want to follow the instructions, but my actions and gaze were completely out of my control.

The monk pointed to three people in total. After I was forced to memorize their faces, the monk stuffed something into my hand.

My movements were restricted, and I couldn't see what he gave me, so I felt that it was like a layer of leather.

For the next period of time, my mind was almost blank.

I watched helplessly as the "student" grinned maliciously and plucked out all of Lü Xin's teeth, one by one. Then, with a flash of light, he cut Lü Xin's tongue off by the root.

"Let's put some medicine on him. We said we won't kill any animals today."

These were the last words Old Man Sun spoke.

Then, the "student" haphazardly poured a packet of powder into Lü Xin's mouth, and then, as if carrying a leather bag, jumped off the platform and bent over to enter the secret passage on the left.

"Let's go."

With the masked monk's whisper, my body regained its mobility.

The bloody scene I just witnessed truly shocked me. I wanted nothing more than to tear that "student" to pieces, but my regained senses told me that it was best to leave with the masked monk.

Returning the way they came, the masked monk was the first to step up the stairs, but he didn't fall down a single step.

"Just remember, to find out the truth, avoid stepping on the ninth day of the lunar calendar. Right now, however, we are deliberately doing it without any hesitation."

"Who are you exactly?"

“Like you, I was once a king. Now, I am a sinner.” The masked monk chanted a Buddhist prayer. “After this parting, we shall meet again a year from today. I have a request—when we meet again, burn me in that very place. Of the seven relics, you may take two and use them, and the remaining five… Heh, I was overthinking it. As the Tenth Master, how could you not know how to make the best use of them? Just burn me.”

I paused, a thought suddenly flashing through my mind, and blurted out, "Are you the Jianwen Emperor?"

(End of this chapter)