Tang Dynasty Puppet Doctor

Chapter 105 The Significance of the Name Roll

After the smoke dissipated, Xue Huaiyi's body was carried out. Lu Shiyilang almost vomited when he saw it. To be precise, this could no longer be called a human being, but a piece of black charcoal, and the black charcoal raised its right hand in a strange posture pointing to the top of its head.

"Why do I feel like I was struck by lightning? Was there thunder just now?"

"No!"

"There wasn't any thunder, but I seemed to see a flash of lightning across the sky, as if an immortal had descended. Then the monk suddenly pointed to the sky and swore, 'My heart is with the Great Zhou.' Finally, I heard a bang, and the man started to burn."

Murong Huan interrupted and asked, "Wait, what did you just say? Swear to the heavens?"

"Yes, this monk Xue himself confessed that he once preached the dual cultivation method of immortality mentioned in Laozi's Xiang Er Zhu in the White Horse Temple, and deceived many beautiful women into practicing dual cultivation with him. He also said proudly that even the Queen was obsessed with his body. He used to be a herbal medicine seller, and now he is making elixirs for the Queen. He also said that the Queen would never kill him, and he would accompany the Queen to achieve immortality!

We were chatting animatedly when he suddenly swore, saying he hadn't plotted rebellion and that his heart was still with the Great Zhou and the Empress. Then, suddenly, a bright light flashed from the top of our prison, and with a bang, a huge fire erupted around him. He didn't even get a chance to scream before he ended up like this.

The jailer said this, looking at Xue Huaiyi with a mixture of fear and disdain. "Lu Shaoqing, do you think this monk Xue really offended the Thunder God and was struck to death by lightning?"

"Didn't we hear any thunder? How could it have struck us?" Lu Ling asked. "Stop talking about supernatural powers and disturbing people's minds!"

While the jailer was talking, Murong Huan came to Xue Huaiyi and saw that his whole body was burnt, but his left hand was clenched into a fist, and he seemed to be holding something. She asked someone to bring a pair of pliers to pry open his fingers, picked out some debris from it, and called the coroner Xin Wei to take a look.

After Xin Wei examined it, he said, "Is it burnt paper?"

Murong Huan nodded, stood up and asked, "Did Xue Huaiyi come into contact with anyone else during his interrogation?"

A captain of the police replied, "From the time he was released from the prison to the court, he didn't come into contact with anyone except those from the Dali Temple. Oh, on the way out, he bumped into a little beggar. He rashly bumped into me and fell to the ground. I went to help him up, but I didn't let Xue Huaiyi come into contact with him!"

"The moment you helped him was enough. What did the little beggar look like?"

The captain looked very embarrassed: "I just... I only saw him once. I'm a bit face-blind, so I can't remember his face."

"You can't remember anything at all?"

The captain scratched his head desperately, trying to recall for a long time before reluctantly answering, "I only remember that his face was very dark and dirty, his eyes were small but bright, his hair was curly and frizzy, and his clothes were ragged. He should have been a boy... and then... I can't remember anything else."

As he spoke, Murong Huan began to draw the portrait. After a moment, the figure of a disheveled little boy appeared on the paper.

"Is it like this?" Murong Huan asked.

The captain's eyes lit up and he nodded: "It's quite similar, it seems so!"

"Young lady, are you suspicious of this little beggar?" Lu Shiyilang asked curiously.

Murong Huan said, "I suspect that someone sent Xue Huaiyi a letter or some kind of hint while he was being interrogated. The content of the letter might have been to trick him into doing something to rescue him, making him believe it. But when he did it, someone took advantage of the right time and place to kill him."

"What would that ask him to do?"

"Like swearing to heaven!"

"I still don't understand. What will happen if I swear to heaven?"

At this time, Xiao Muchen continued, "If you stand on an open ground or on the highest point during a thunderstorm and point your finger toward the sky, it will attract lightning."

"Is that so? But our Dali Temple prison has only four walls and a small window on the top, so it's not an open space!"

Lu Shiyilang's question made everyone fall into deep thought again.

"However, this Xue Huaiyi is no good either. He actually tricked some ignorant women into practicing dual cultivation with him. It seems countless men in Luoyang City have been cuckolded. He deserves it, right?"

When Lu Shiyilang said this, his eyes gleamed, and he asked curiously, "And what about that bleeding puppet doll? The puppet seemed to depict Hong Xian's death. Could it be that someone anticipated how Hong Xian would die and created that puppet doll for us to see?" At this point, he became puzzled again, "Then what do you think the murderer meant? Before killing someone, he told us how this person would die. Is he trying to show off how smart he is and how stupid we are that we can't find him?"

"Maybe you really can't find him..."

Murong Huan sighed and fell into deep thought, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"Young lady, what's wrong with you? Do you know who the murderer is?" Lu Shiyilang asked again when he noticed that Murong Huan seemed a little unhappy.

At this time, Xiao Muchen said, "Let's go back first. We will continue to investigate this case and close the White Horse Temple case first."

Lu Ling nodded.

Xiao Muchen took Murong Huan's hand and was about to leave. At this time, Lu Ling looked at Murong Huan and asked, "The crimes committed by Su Yu will undoubtedly be punished by death. Do you have anything to say to him? About your father and mother?"

Murong Huan stamped his feet and said, "No need for that. I will ask the King of Wei about this!"

……

After leaving the Dali Temple, Xiao Muchen and Murong Huan boarded the carriage.

Seeing Murong Huan frowning in thought, Xiao Muchen asked first, "Do you suspect this murderer is related to Master?"

Murong Huan nodded. "To be honest, I dreamt of these famous scrolls drawn by Master last night. He'd told me stories about them before, but I don't believe Master is the murderer. How could someone like him kill someone? And why would he do that?"

Xiao Muchen comforted her, "Perhaps you're overthinking it. This matter has nothing to do with Master. Just like Helan Minzhi knows hypnosis, perhaps there are other people in this world who know the story of these famous scrolls."

Murong Huan nodded again, half believing and half doubting.

"By the way, why was this scroll of Yingying's biography left with Governor Nanke? What does it want to tell us?"

"Hong Xian once told me that in her assassin organization, everyone holds the name of another assassin. The one in Hong Xian's hand is the name of Governor Nan Ke, and the one in Governor Nan Ke's hand is the Legend of Yingying." At this point, Murong Huan's eyes lit up. "Perhaps the person who killed Governor Nan Ke is the protagonist of the Legend of Yingying."

"Are you talking about Cui Yingying? But who is this Cui Yingying?" Xiao Muchen said, and a name suddenly flashed in his mind.

Murong Huan seemed to have thought of something and said, "Let's go to the Bailiang Poetry Society and take a look!"

……

At this time, in the Prince of Wei's mansion, Wu Chengsi sat dejectedly at the side of the table. Opposite him, a man in brocade clothes said unhappily, "I told you long ago not to act so radically. It will displease the Saint. I never thought you would actually cooperate with a dead criminal to commit such a treasonous act.

If I hadn't pleaded with the Saint to save your life, you would have died in the Dali Temple prison by now."

"Aunt, you must be very disappointed in me, right?" Wu Chengsi sighed. "I never intended to commit treason. This time, I simply wanted to use Lai Junchen to wipe out all those who opposed my Wu family. But I never imagined that Xiao Muchen and a little slave would ruin all my plans."

"My aunt has always held Di Renjie in high esteem. In his early years, he served as an official in various parts of the state. He was honest and upright, deeply loved by the people. While he ostensibly avoided forming cliques, many officials in the court secretly befriended him and were willing to risk their lives to plead for him. Previously, you had Zhou Xing murder Prime Minister Le's family, but their youngest son was saved by Xiao Muchen and taken to the Ministry of Agriculture as a servant. This time, it was this nine-year-old child who interceded with the Saint on Prime Minister Di and Xiao Muchen's behalf, claiming that Lai Junchen had deceived the Saint. As long as you, King Wei, cite a single crime, Lai Junchen will make any official confess, and it must be the exact same crime you accused them of."

The man finished speaking in one breath, then looked at Wu Chengsi, shook his head and sighed, "There are people in the palace who testify to this, and there are people outside the palace who testify to this as well. This is why my aunt has completely given up on you. The worst thing you should have done was let Lai Junchen falsely accuse Di Huaiying!"

"Although the ministers in the court have already leaned towards the Wu family under the pressure of my aunt, they are still loyal to the Li Tang family deep down. My Wu family does not necessarily have to fight for the position of crown prince, but we can let the descendants of the Li family fight each other and reap the benefits.

Prince Luling Li Xian, Prince Xiang Li Dan, and even the current Princess Taiping are all very good chess pieces. And the male favorites around the sage can all be used!"

Wu Chengsi's eyes moved, and he finally said, "No matter what, Xiao Muchen and that little bitch Murong Huan cannot be kept. Although Xiao Muchen said that the girl doesn't have the plum blossom mark on her body, I just have a hunch that she is that child and our biggest rival in the future."

(End of this chapter)