Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 131 Old grudges unresolved, new cases arise

These monks were all dressed in gray robes, their steps steady, their eyes fixed straight ahead. Leading them were several middle-aged monks with solemn faces and restrained demeanor, their temples slightly bulging, and a glint of shrewdness flashing in their eyes as they opened and closed.

They clasped their hands together and chanted scriptures softly. The voices were not loud, but they seemed to strike the hearts of people directly, making the surrounding noise seem to decrease.

In the middle of the group stood an old monk draped in a red robe. He had a gaunt face and held a string of ebony prayer beads in his hand. Every step he took seemed to resonate with the pulse of the earth, and a faint golden light emanated from his body. His dignified appearance was so imposing that one dared not look directly at him.

"They're monks from the Vajra Temple," Wei Qingyi said softly to Chen Anran, a hint of surprise in her voice. "Judging by this entourage, the master leading them is extremely powerful, likely an elder of the temple. Why would they appear so ostentatiously in the bustling city center?"

Chen Anran did not answer. His expression darkened, and he clenched his fists involuntarily.

When he saw the familiar young monk at the very end of the line, he couldn't help but frown, his eyes filled with disgust.

Huiming, Shi Haisheng's disciple, was now completely different from the one Chen Anran remembered.

Huiming's cheeks were sunken, his eyes were deep-set, and his complexion was an unhealthy sallow. His once robust physique now looked so thin that a gust of wind could blow him away. He followed closely behind the group, maintaining a subtle distance from his fellow disciples ahead, as if an invisible chasm separated him.

Chen Anran was silent for a moment, then took Wei Qingyi's hand and was about to leave, "Let's go, senior sister, there's nothing to see in this group of bald monks."

Wei Qingyi didn't move. Her eyes showed reluctance. "The one who did evil is Shi Haisheng. It may not have anything to do with Master Huiming. Look at him. He looks withered, his breath is weak, and his steps are unsteady. It is clear that his foundation is damaged and his essence is greatly depleted. Where is the slightest trace of a cultivator? It looks more like... he has been subjected to some kind of severe punishment."

Upon hearing this, Chen Anran's gaze fell on Huiming once again.

Indeed, at this moment, Huiming was not only emaciated, but also devoid of any spiritual energy. He was like a scarecrow with its core emptied out, with only his eyes staring blankly at the monk's back, filled with an indescribable numbness.

Wei Qingyi sighed softly, "Judging from his appearance, he must have suffered a lot. He has borne most of the consequences of the sins committed by Shi Haisheng."

Chen Anran frowned even more deeply. "No matter what, since that incident, our Yunyin Sect can no longer have any dealings with the Vajra Temple. It's not a good place to stay."

He gestured for Wei Qingyi to leave again. Although Wei Qingyi was reluctant, she knew that Chen Anran's words made sense, so she decided to leave with Chen Anran.

But just then, two familiar faces appeared at the street corner—Shen Zui and his little follower Xiao Qi.

Shen Zui happened to see them as well. His eyes lit up, and he immediately led Xiao Qi through the crowd and walked over.

"Fellow Daoist Chen! Fellow Daoist Wei! What a coincidence!"

Chen Anran was slightly taken aback before shaking hands with Shen Zui. "It is indeed a coincidence."

Shen Zui seemed to be in a good mood. He smiled and said, "I was originally planning to contact you two after everything was settled, but since we've run into each other, let's do it together." After a slight pause, Shen Zui continued, "I've made an appointment with the master of Jingang Temple to handle this matter together."

Chen Anran said in an unhappy tone, "Section Chief Shen, you have an official background and are a descendant of Maoshan. You should be more or less aware of the feud between our Yunyin Sect and Jingang Temple."

Shen Zui gave a wry smile and helplessly spread his hands: "Fellow Daoist Chen, the Vajra Temple is indeed in the wrong regarding Shi Haisheng's matter. But the investigation has made some progress, so we really can't avoid mentioning them."

Chen Anran frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

Shen Zui sighed, "It's all related to that Shi Haisheng. I never thought that even though he's gone, his disciple is still... Sigh, I'll talk about the details later."

As he spoke, Shen Zui led Xiao Qi quickly toward the group of monks from the Vajra Temple.

Chen Anran and Wei Qingyi exchanged a glance. After a couple of seconds, Wei Qingyi said, "Let's go take a look."

Chen Anran took a deep breath, did not object, and nodded.

Shen Zui walked quickly to the group of monks from the Vajra Temple and respectfully clasped his hands in prayer to the leading red-robed old monk.

"Master Haishan, thank you all for making this trip down the mountain."

The red-robed old monk, known as Master Haishan, stopped in his tracks, and the monks behind him also stopped, the previously low chanting abruptly ceasing.

Master Haishan's face remained calm and composed, his deep eyes looking serenely at Shen Zui. He returned the greeting with one hand raised in a gesture of respect, saying, "Since this matter may be related to the sins left behind by our temple's traitor, Shi Haisheng, Vajra Temple bears an inescapable responsibility."

After speaking, his gaze immediately passed over Shen Zui and landed on Chen Anran and Wei Qingyi not far away.

Shen Zui quickly stepped aside to introduce them: "Master Haishan, these two are Fellow Daoist Chen Anran and Fellow Daoist Wei Qingyi from the Yunyin Sect. They are also our assistants in this investigation."

Upon hearing the words "Yunyin Sect," the expressions of the middle-aged monks behind Master Haishan shifted slightly, their eyes revealing a complex mix of scrutiny, wariness, and, more than anything, embarrassment.

Huiming, at the end of the line, trembled slightly, his head drooping even lower, almost burying itself in his chest.

Master Haishan remained unmoved and once again clasped his hands together, saying, "Shi Haisheng's past actions have offended your sect greatly. This old monk apologizes on behalf of Jingang Temple. Cause and effect are cyclical, and retribution is inevitable. He has now been executed, and it is a fitting punishment for his crimes."

His words were sincere and his posture extremely humble, which surprised Chen Anran, who had been holding back his anger. He loosened his fist and returned the greeting calmly: "Master, you flatter me. The Cloud Hidden Sect will not forget what happened in the past, but we are not the kind of people who would take our anger out on innocent people."

Master Haishan nodded slightly, said no more, and turned to Shen Zui: "Benefactor Shen, this is not the place to talk. Shall we find another place to discuss this in detail?"

"Of course, of course!" Shen Zui quickly replied. "I have arranged a quiet tea room nearby. Masters, Fellow Daoist Chen, Fellow Daoist Wei, please follow me."

The group followed Shen Zui through the bustling streets and headed towards a nearby, elegant teahouse. Passersby cast curious glances and pointed at the group, a mix of monks and laypeople with an extraordinary air about them.

The aroma of tea wafted through the quiet private room.

After the waiter served the tea and snacks, he quietly left. Xiao Qi gently closed the door from the outside, leaving only the monks of Jingang Temple, Shen Zui, Chen Anran, and Wei Qingyi in the room.

Master Haishan picked up his teacup, but didn't drink it. He simply felt the warmth of the porcelain and slowly spoke, "Benefactor Shen, it's inconvenient to discuss this over the phone. Now that we've met, please tell me the details of the case."

Shen Zui straightened his expression, took out a tablet computer from his briefcase, pulled up the data, and pushed it in front of Master Haishan.

"Master, these are the detailed reports on five bizarre murder cases that have occurred in Guangzhou in the past month. The victims' internal organs were all withered, and their life force was instantly drained. Extremely faint but peculiar evil energy remained at the scene." Shen Zui pointed to the data and photos on the screen. "After repeated investigations and tracing, we found that the nature of this evil energy is more than 70% similar to the fluctuations produced when the 'Reincarnation of the Vengeful Buddha' technique, which is registered in your temple and has been listed as a forbidden technique, is activated."

The words "Rebirth Method of the Vengeful Buddha" made Chen Anran's pupils shrink instantly, because Shi Haisheng had mentioned that he created the "ghost flight" tragedy for this so-called "Rebirth Method of the Vengeful Buddha".

Upon hearing the name "The Rebirth Method of the Vengeful Buddha," Master Haishan was finally moved, his fingers tightening slightly as he gripped his teacup. The middle-aged monks behind him paled, some even uttering a soft Buddhist chant.

"Amitabha... It really is this evil practice!" a resolute-faced monk exclaimed angrily. "Shi Haisheng, this scourge who has ruined the reputation of Buddhism, committed heinous crimes in his lifetime, and even in death he continues to poison the world!"

Master Haishan slowly put down his teacup, his fingertips twirling the ebony prayer beads. "The 'Rebirth of the Vengeful Buddha' method was created hundreds of years ago by a senior monk of our temple who fell into demonic possession. It uses extreme resentment and the essence of living beings as a catalyst to attempt to reverse life and death and achieve the so-called 'Venerable Buddha body.' This method is extremely vicious and violates the natural order. It has long been listed as the highest forbidden technique and sealed deep within the Sutra Repository. No one may access it without the joint approval of the abbot and the head of the Discipline Hall."

Shi Haisheng was the abbot at that time.

After a moment's thought, Chen Anran understood. At the airport, Shi Haisheng wasn't alone; he was with a group of disciples.

Chen Anran sneered, "After all this talk, it's nothing more than the fact that this time, the harm was done by your Vajra Temple disciples again."

Master Haishan showed no anger upon hearing Chen Anran's blunt accusation; instead, his eyes were filled with even deeper compassion. Several middle-aged monks behind him, however, could not contain themselves and their faces showed displeasure, but Master Haishan stopped them with a single glance.

Master Haishan chanted the Buddha's name softly, "What Benefactor Chen said may be unpleasant to hear, but it is the truth. Shi Haisheng and some of his followers have also fallen into depravity, some dying and some fleeing, their poison spreading far and wide. If this incident is indeed related to the 'Rebirth of the Venerable Buddha' method, it is certainly inextricably linked to the lax discipline and ineffective cleansing of our Vajra Temple."

Seeing this, Shen Zui quickly smoothed things over and steered the conversation back to the case itself: "Master Haishan, based on the tracking of residual auras and analysis of behavior patterns, the suspects we have identified, or rather, the possible spellcasters, are most likely the work of Shi Haisheng's disciples."

Master Haishan slowly twirled his prayer beads and pondered, "The 'Rebirth of the Vengeful Buddha' method requires immense resentment and pure vitality as its catalyst. The process is perilous and unpredictable, and only those with unwavering resolve and profound cultivation can attempt it. It is also extremely easy to backfire on oneself. Those few wicked individuals, if they were to forcibly perform this method without guidance, would be courting their own destruction and would cause immeasurable harm."

"Therefore, we must find them as soon as possible and prevent the tragedy from happening again." Shen Zui's expression was solemn. "We have mobilized all available resources to set up a surveillance network, but the other party is cunning, good at hiding, and seems to have a good understanding of counter-tracking. Therefore, I would like to ask the masters of Jingang Temple to use their familiarity with the same source of martial arts to help us pinpoint their exact location."

Master Haishan nodded slowly upon hearing this. "What Benefactor Shen says is quite right. It is the Vajra Temple's duty to cleanse the sect and stop evil practices from harming people." He turned to a middle-aged monk behind him with a sharp face and piercing eyes. "Brother Haijing, you are well-versed in the 'Immaculate Buddha Eye' and have the most sensitive perception of qi. You will take the lead in this matter and cooperate with Benefactor Shen."

The monk named Haijing solemnly clasped his hands together and said, "I will respectfully follow my senior brother's instructions."

Shen Zui's face lit up with joy, and he quickly said, "With Master Haijing's help, we'll definitely achieve twice the result with half the effort!" He looked at Chen Anran and Wei Qingyi, "Fellow Daoist Chen, Fellow Daoist Wei, this matter involves a wide range of people. Evil cultivators are cunning, so the more help we have, the more certain we'll be. I wonder if you two..."

Chen Anran remained silent, his gaze sweeping once more over the emaciated Huiming in the corner, before turning to the sincere Master Haishan and the group of monks before him. His animosity towards the Vajra Temple had not vanished, but as Wei Qingyi had said, the one who committed evil was Shi Haisheng, and if his disciples were allowed to continue their evil deeds, innocent mortals would ultimately be the victims.

Chen Anran glanced at Wei Qingyi, and seeing her nod slightly, he took a deep breath, suppressed his resentment, and said to Shen Zui, "Since we've run into this, we certainly won't stand idly by."

Seeing Chen Anran and Wei Qingyi agree, Shen Zui felt a great weight lifted from his heart, and a relieved smile appeared on his face. "With the strong support of these two fellow Daoists, this matter will surely be resolved soon!"

Master Haishan also said, "Benefactor Chen is very righteous. On behalf of the monks in the temple and the people who may have been harmed, I thank you."

The discussions in the tea room ended quickly. Although the atmosphere was slightly tense due to old grudges, a temporary cooperation was reached under the common goal.

Shen Zui and Master Haijing exchanged information and action plans in hushed tones, finalizing a preliminary investigation plan.

"Our people will continue to monitor several areas with abnormal spiritual energy fluctuations, and focus on investigating places the deceased may have frequented before their deaths." Shen Zui pointed to the map on the tablet. "Master Haijing, we would like to trouble you and the other high monks to use Buddhist teachings to sense the shared evil energy and help us narrow down the search area, or even locate it directly."

Master Haijing, with a calm expression, clasped his hands together and said, "It is my duty. Although the 'Rebirth of the Vengeful Buddha' method is heretical, its foundation is ultimately derived from the orthodox Buddhism of our temple. When it is in operation, there will surely be clues to be found. This old monk will immediately lead his disciples to set up the 'Immaculate Buddha Eye' formation to sense the entire city."

"Excellent!" Shen Zui exclaimed with delight. "We will fully cooperate and provide all necessary support."

Once the agreement was reached, Shen Zui asked Xiao Qi to go with Hai Jing and the others.

At this point, only Haishan and the disciples of Vajra Temple, including Huiming, remained in the room.

"Benefactor Chen," Master Haishan spoke slowly, his voice carrying a calmness born of experience, "I know you still harbor resentment towards Vajra Temple, which is only natural. The sins committed by Master Haisheng cannot be erased by a mere apology or a single cleansing of the temple. Everyone in Vajra Temple must reflect on and repent for this."

Chen Anran's expression softened slightly, but his tone remained calm: "Master, you flatter me. The Yunyin Sect has its own judgment on past matters. The current matter is to stop the evil magic from harming people. As long as we share the same goal, that's fine."

Master Haishan nodded slightly, saying no more about the matter, and then said, "I just heard from Benefactor Shen that Benefactor Chen and Benefactor Wei also have a place to stay here. My disciples and I are temporarily residing at Jingxin Zen Temple in the west of the city. If you need any assistance, or if there is any progress in the case, please feel free to come to us."

"Thank you, Master," Wei Qingyi replied on his behalf, her manners impeccable.