FS-novel #260 - Who committed the murder?
#260 - Who committed the murder?
"Master!"
"Master, is dead!"
"Master, alas! Is dead!"
Early in the morning, an old servant with gray hair rushed into the backyard.
Upon seeing Master Zhang, he hobbled forward, shouting softly.
"Get out!" Master Zhang immediately cursed, "Master is not dead! You're the one who's dead!"
"Master, I'm not dead either!" The old servant retorted, sticking out his neck, "It's Qi the Taoist, Qi the Taoist is dead!"
"The Taoist is dead, just say the Taoist, why are you shouting Master is dead... Wait a minute! What did you say?" Master Zhang, halfway through his scolding, realized what he'd heard, and his eyes widened, "Who did you say died?"
The old servant tiptoed forward, his voice soft.
So he didn't quite catch the 'Qi' of Qi the Taoist just now.
But now, asking again, he was somewhat afraid to believe it.
"Master, Qi the Taoist is dead!" The old servant walked up to him, speaking closely.
"Dead? How did he just die?" Master Zhang's heart pounded, "How did he die?"
"This morning when I went to deliver food, I saw him sitting there motionless. I touched him, and he was already cold." The old servant had seen many dead people and wasn't afraid. He had even looked closely, "I smelled alcohol; I guess he drank himself to death."
He had been looking at the Taoist, who didn't seem like he would live long.
His face was sallow and thin, and he spoke slowly and weakly.
Especially after returning from Lingzhou two months ago, his complexion had turned gray, and his lips were purple, as if he had been drained of his essence.
So the old servant wasn't surprised to see him dead.
It was just that the master had told him to keep an eye on the man, and he was afraid he wouldn't be able to explain himself, so he pretended to be surprised and reported the news.
"Drank himself to death?" Master Zhang frowned, "Dead just like that? How could it be so coincidental?"
So coincidental, of course, referring to the fact that the young Taoist had just entered, and the old Taoist had died.
"Although Qi the Taoist is a wild Taoist who dabbles in unorthodox practices, he does have some real ability."
As he said this, his brow relaxed slightly.
Qi the Taoist was dead. Suddenly hearing this news gave him a start. But after the initial shock, he felt a sense of relief.
Compared to those bastards who wanted to seize his family property, Qi the Taoist, who wanted their family to offer human lives as sacrifices, was more hateful and even more terrifying.
Now that he was dead, it was a good thing.
But then he thought, with this guy dead, those bastards outside would have no more scruples.
He also thought of his family. The sick tiger in the back was dead, but a wolf had come to the front door.
"No, not a wolf, a snake!" Master Zhang muttered, the muscles on his face twitching.
He didn't know if it ate people!
"Fortunately, that young Taoist looks like a proper Taoist."
Many fake monks were greedy for women, and many fake Taoists cheated people out of money.
However, in the Great Zhou Dynasty, there were more people who swindled and deceived by posing as Buddhist monks, and fewer dared to pose as Taoists.
Because the Empress revered Buddhism and the Xuan Sect was in a bad situation, the Taoists were already short-tempered, emphasizing freedom and seeking the Tao. When they saw imposters committing evil and ruining their reputation, they would really kill them.
"If he's fake, he wouldn't be so bold."
If a real one caught him, he wouldn't be let off even if he was killed.
Some would even have their souls scattered directly.
If they were a little better, had not committed too many sins, and encountered a more good-tempered Taoist, who was willing to write a petition and take their yin souls into the City God Temple, they might have a chance to suffer and atone for their sins in the underworld.
"Speaking of which, this young Taoist is much better than Qi the Taoist."
"Although his words are unpleasant, and he wants me to offer up my family property as soon as he opens his mouth, he is also reasonable."
He already said that he wouldn't take everything, nor would he forcibly rob.
He said during the meal that he wanted his family's grain and a little money to build the temple.
"I hope he keeps his word." After a night of thought, Master Zhang had already made some calculations in his heart.
He could also roughly guess what the young Taoist wanted to do.
If he could protect most of his family's property and the future peace of his family, it might not be impossible.
And now that the old servant had come to tell him the news of Qi the Taoist's death, he understood even more that there was no turning back.
"Go, don't make a fuss." Master Zhang waved his hand to dismiss the old servant, telling him not to talk nonsense. He himself began to circle in the yard, muttering to himself.
"He killed Qi the Taoist as soon as he settled down, not even spending the night. This method is undeniably ruthless."
"Yesterday I saw that his eyes were clear and he didn't look like an evil person. I didn't expect him to be so decisive in killing. But he didn't hurt anyone in my family, so it seems he also values some morality."
"I wonder which spirit beast he keeps that did it?"
"Wait, why don't I ask him to go with me to see the dead Qi the Taoist?" Master Zhang stopped and said.
After thinking about it again, he made up his mind, beckoned for someone to call the steward, and turned to go to the west side courtyard.
......
The Zhang residence was a three-courtyard compound.
Each courtyard was divided into east and west side courtyards.
The steward and servants lived in the front courtyard, and the female relatives lived in the back courtyard.
Master Zhang lived in the east side courtyard in the middle, and Xu Chengxian and his party were placed in the west side courtyard.
Even Ma Chengfeng and Da Sheng Xiao Sheng had a room.
The bedding was new, and the rooms were spacious, making it very comfortable to live in.
So Xu Chengxian decided in a good mood to be nicer to Master Zhang.
From the bottom of his heart, he felt that the Zhang family was not bad people.
Although they occasionally organized the people of Songjia Village to go out and rob, there was not much yin energy on this family.
Karmic entanglement would inevitably produce yin energy, but ordinary people could not see it.
Just like when they restrained their demon qi, there would still be a protective demon light, but those with insufficient cultivation could not see it.
In addition, yesterday when Mao Shijiu cast his spell, the demon power radiance was also invisible to Master Zhang and the others.
Xu Chengxian could see it.
Therefore, he decided that he could give Master Zhang a little benefit appropriately.
"But now, I've changed my mind." Xu Chengxian said, holding his arms and speaking to Xu Xiaobai, who was holding a cake and gnawing on it.
"Daddy, why?" Xu Xiaobai asked, cheeks bulging, taking the time to ask.
"Because he framed me!" Xu Chengxian snorted.
It wasn't him who killed Qi the Taoist at all.
Nor was it any of the demons under him.
Yesterday they honestly slept in their rooms, never expecting to be splashed with dirty water early in the morning!
Although that old Taoist with karmic entanglement deserved to die, he didn't die at his hands.
"The person who did it, Master Zhang probably wouldn't even dream of who it was."
So this old guy put the blame on his head.
The entire Zhang residence, no, the entire Songjia Village, was within the range of Xu Chengxian's divine sense.
Of course, he also knew everything that happened last night.
"Then who is the murderer?" Dahei popped out.
"It's Zhang Wan." Xu Chengxian snorted and said.
"Ah!" Xu Xiaobai was very surprised. She had met Zhang Wan, "That smiling sister?"
She didn't look like she would kill someone.
Sure enough, people can't be judged by their appearance!
"And that young Madam Zhang."
"Is it a conspiracy?" Dahei asked.
"Well, it can't be considered a conspiracy."
"Daddy, I don't understand."
"The two didn't discuss it, but it was indeed them who acted together."