Chosen One, how did I end up as the villain?

As we emerged from the cave, the sky was already beginning to brighten.

The two returned to their lodgings and rested for a while.

After the little girl woke up and had breakfast, Qin Huaiyu checked out of the inn and left.

The deserted streets seemed desolate compared to usual, and even the occasional pedestrian crossing looked forlorn. The golden Buddha statues on the doors of each house were smashed on the ground, and faith turned into a nightmare of the end in one night.

"Waaah"

Sobbing cries came from the street corner.

The three looked over and saw an old man with messy hair and tattered clothes squatting in a corner, crying bitterly with snot and tears streaming down his face. Upon closer inspection, they recognized him as Old Man Zheng, who had been full of vigor just yesterday.

"The villagers here still have some conscience; they spared his life!"

Shen Wan'er said with some reluctance.

"Such a conscience is worse than having none at all!"

After Qin Huaiyu finished speaking, he shook his head, then spurred his horse forward, and galloped out of the village.

Seeing this, Shen Wan'er followed.

Crossing the deep forest and entering the trade route, the horses headed towards Pingxing Town.

During their journey, Qin Huaiyu passed by a mortuary and collected the pieces of flesh. He then made a grave in the woods. Although he didn't know who it was, it was better than leaving the body to rot in the wilderness. It was a way to give the deceased a proper burial and a final resting place.

As for Shen Wan'er, she still couldn't find her father, so she had no choice but to settle for a cenotaph and go home.

The little girl went with her.

In the little girl's own words, "Big brother, I'm bad at talking, that's not good!"

Qin Huaiyu rolled his eyes at her but readily agreed. After all, Shen Wan'er had just lost her closest relative and was bound to be lonely. Having someone to keep her company would help her get over her grief as quickly as possible.

They escorted the two back to the Shen residence.

Qin Huaiyu walked towards home.

Passing by Xifang

By this time, the sun was high in the sky, and the streets were bustling with people, with vendors shouting their wares louder and louder.

What's outrageous is that many items related to Buddhism have appeared for sale, such as Buddhist beads, golden Buddha statues, obviously fake relics, and even Zen staffs.

"Come by, take a look! This stall sells genuine Buddhist items to ensure peace and good fortune. Quantities are limited, first come, first served!"

A fat, big-eared stall owner was shouting his sales pitch.

"Where did all these vendors selling Buddhist items come from!"

Qin Huaiyu knew very well what Xifang used to look like; it was definitely not like it was now. He scanned the various stalls with questions in his mind.

Just then, a shout came from behind.

"Huaiyu, Huaiyu."

Upon hearing this, Qin Huaiyu turned his head and saw a burly young man in fine clothes with a round face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes rushing over.

This man is Feng Hao, the only son of Mayor Feng Yunming, and the young master of the Feng family.

He had some impression of him; he was a decent person, without the typical playboy ways of a spoiled young master, and quite polite and approachable.

"Why are you, Young Master Feng, strolling through the market?" Qin Huaiyu teased.

"Just joining in the fun!"

Feng Hao smiled and continued, "By the way, where have you been these past two days? I went to your residence, but the servants said you weren't there."

"I was away for two days due to family matters and just got back today."

Qin Huaiyu casually made up an excuse, saying that in terms of friendship, the real young master Qin was on good terms with him, while he himself had only met him once or twice.

He glanced casually at the stalls and asked:

"When did so many Buddhist items appear in this market? What happened?"

Feng Hao pursed his lips and said dejectedly:

"It's all because of Yinling Temple; now the whole town is acting strangely."

Hidden Spirit Temple?

Upon hearing this, Qin Huaiyu quickly asked:

"Could you elaborate?"

Feng Hao frowned and said:

"Recently, for some reason, a lot of strange things have happened at Yinling Temple, with people getting their fortunes told through divination. Some people have planted money in the ground and it actually grows into money; some have been scoundrels for years and suddenly found beautiful wives; and some have even gotten pregnant overnight. Isn't that strange!"

...It's all the same stuff again. How did it get so widespread? What exactly is Yinling Temple up to?

Qin Huaiyu's expression turned serious. "What does the accuracy of the divination slips have to do with these vendors?"

"Of course! Yinling Temple has a very high reputation in the town right now. Even my father, the town mayor, has been overshadowed. In addition, the abbot announced that he will preside over a Dharma assembly in three days. Naturally, these Buddhist items are highly sought after!" Feng Hao explained with great displeasure.

Kongzhi did mention the Dharma assembly.

Qin Huaiyu suddenly had a bad feeling. It was too coincidental that these monks were now acting like they could grant any wish. With the number of believers increasing so rapidly, wouldn't the religious ceremony be...?

How could a wicked person, who wouldn't act without self-interest, possibly cast a net of kindness?

However, this may also be an opportunity.

"Is your father content with this?" he asked.

Feng Hao rolled his eyes. "What can I do if I'm not willing? There's nothing I can do. Who can blame me when the temple can grant my wishes?"

"Never mind that, I need to talk to you about something."

"Forehead?"

Qin Huaiyu was taken aback, then said half-jokingly:

"What could possibly be difficult for you, Young Master Jiang?"

"Don't be like that. I can't compare to you. Everyone knows you, Young Master Qin, now. You solved the missing persons case with your wisdom and killed two secret masters with your martial arts. You're a big shot in town now."

Damn, it's all gone from Dapu to the present day, and now it's even a catchy rhyme.

Qin Huaiyu glanced at him sideways and said, "Goodbye!"

"Hey, no, no, I'm not kidding anymore!"

Feng Hao stopped him abruptly. "It's like this, you remember the Jiang family, right?"

The Chiang family?

Qin Huaiyu thought for a moment, "Is it the one who runs the silk shop in town?"

"Yes, yes!"

Feng Hao nodded quickly and continued:

"Two days ago, something happened to the Jiang family. Jiang Cai's eldest son was murdered in his own house at night. His head was smashed and his death was gruesome. So he came to my father to seek justice and to apprehend the murderer."

"and then?"

"My father led people to inspect the scene. There were signs that the door had been pried open. According to Jiang Cai's daughter-in-law, she saw a masked man in black break into the room and knock her unconscious. The second young master of the Jiang family also heard the commotion and saw someone running out of the courtyard after he went out."

The father searched the surrounding area but found nothing. The neighbors hadn't heard any noise either; it was as if the person had vanished into thin air.

After recounting the general outline of the matter, Feng Hao smiled somewhat awkwardly: "So my father sent me to find you."

Alright, Mayor, I was just about to look for you, but this home invasion murder...

Qin Huaiyu thought for a moment and asked:

"Were there any signs of disturbance inside the house? For example, was anything stolen?"

Feng Hao shook his head. "No, I was there at the time. Apart from the body and a murder weapon candlestick, everything else in the room was exactly the same. It hadn't been touched at all."

If it wasn't for money, it doesn't seem to be a home invasion robbery.

Qin Huaiyu raised an eyebrow slightly. "Have you inquired whether the deceased had any enemies?"

"I asked around, and the eldest son is an honest man with a good reputation in town. He doesn't have any enemies on the surface."

"And what about his wife?"

"Birds of a feather flock together. His wife is also known for her gentleness and virtue, as everyone in the neighborhood knows," Feng Hao said.

...That's interesting. It wasn't a revenge killing, nor a robbery, so there's only one possibility left...

Qin Huaiyu curled his lip. "Where is your father now?"

"In the Chiang family!"

"Okay, you go back first. I'll let you know I'm safe when I get home and then come right away."

"Alright!"

After saying that, Feng Hao left with a grin.

..................