Puji Temple.
Wu Jing stood in front of this poor temple, looking at the old plaque, in a daze.
He really wanted to keep his promise and stay in that courtyard for the past three days without going anywhere.
On the one hand, it is out of trust in Di Jin, and on the other hand, the four junior brothers continue to bring back news. The Kaifeng government office is working hard to investigate the case. There are more and more clues, and the case is getting clearer.
If he had a choice, he would naturally hope to force his master to become a murderer of a high-ranking official and pay a huge price in front of everyone, instead of having his own blood spattered five steps away. The person who was killed might not be the person most responsible, and his relatives would suffer pain. , Haters are quick.
However, not long ago, when the four junior brothers were away, a voice suddenly came from the window: "Sun Hong is hiding in Puji Temple, thirty miles southwest of the city. If you don't go to see him, you will be arrested by the Yamen people." Woke up!"
Wu Jing rushed out, only to see a silhouette passing by and leaving the yard.
The speaker's Qinggong skills are not inferior to those of the third junior brother, and he has been unable to catch up. The key is that this person not only knows their identity and hidden location, but he can actually tell the whereabouts of the master?
Wu Jing didn't completely believe it, but he didn't dare not believe it. After thinking about it, he finally gritted his teeth, hurriedly pulled a piece of cloth, bit his finger, wrote that sentence, then left the yard and rode here.
But when he came to the end, he was like a wanderer who is more timid when he is close to his hometown, and he was a little afraid to go in.
After hesitating for a while, he finally took the step.
It was already late at night. Most of the monks in the temple had gone to bed after being interrogated and questioned by the government officials not long ago. Wu Jing searched all the rooms and found nothing unusual, let alone anyone who looked like his master. Not a single year old.
"Is Master really here?"
"It's been three years, why is he in a temple like this?"
Wu Jing frowned, unwilling to give up, and moved toward the back of the temple.
Not long after, there was some movement ahead, and a figure could be vaguely seen inside a Buddhist hall, staggering around to pack a box.
Through the dim candlelight, Wu Jing stared at the back figure, his body suddenly shook violently, and he groaned: "Master...Master!!"
The figure turned a deaf ear to it, until Wu Jing rushed over and threw himself in front of him, then he slowly raised his head and used his cloudy eyes to identify the person coming.
Wu Jing paused suddenly.
Because the person in front of me has gray eyebrows and wrinkles on his face. He is the old monk who silently prayed for the urn before. Judging from his age, he must be around seventy or eighty, already an octogenarian.
Wu Jing knew very well that his master Sun Hong was still under sixty this year, and he was accomplished in internal training and had a young appearance. When they parted for the last time, Sun Hong looked like he was only in his early forties. Compared with the person in front of him, Completely two people.
However, he firmly believed that he would never admit his mistake, so he fell to his knees with a thud and cried: "Master!"
The old monk was silent for a moment, and finally sighed softly: "Child... you found it..."
Tears burst into Wu Jing's eyes and he hugged his skinny legs: "Master!! Master!! It's only been three years, it's only been three years, how did you become like this!"
Sun Hong patted his back gently: "Three years? For a teacher, it seems that thirty years have passed... Come in..."
When Wu Jing let go of his hands, Sun Hong staggered towards the Buddhist hall and cut the wick of the candle to let the light shine brighter: "How did you find it? Is it because of those Kaifeng government officials?"
Wu Jing pursed his lips, not daring to say that a mysterious person had left a message for him. He gritted his teeth and said, "Master, let's not talk about this. I will take you out of here first and hide in a place where no one is around!"
Sun Hong's turbid eyes moved, and he sighed softly: "It seems that it's not the Kaifeng government office... It's someone with intentions who lured you here... My child, I won't go anywhere, please sit down!" "
Wu Jing hesitated for a moment, and even wanted to knock him out and take the people away first, but he raised his hand and looked at the skinny old monk, and finally did not dare to make a move.
"There's still time! We still have time!"
Thinking that even the detective was probably searching in the city and would not have thought that the master was hiding directly in this temple that had been searched, Wu Jing reluctantly calmed down and sat down: "Master, who killed him?" Where is your biological child?"
Sun Hong's brows trembled: "Do you know?"
Wu Jing said sadly: "Master, you should have told us earlier!"
Sun Hong smiled helplessly and said slowly: "I don't have the face to tell you, especially when I see your cheerful smiles every time you come to the house, I can't bear to say it... What's more, compared to You travel all over the country and sleep in the open air, but it will be much better to be a teacher in the capital. For us monks, this is already a good life, isn't it?"
"No! No!" Wu Jing shook his head repeatedly, but he didn't want to deny the master's choice, so he gritted his teeth: "Let's not talk about that. They should never have sent someone to give away the master's child just because the twins were unknown. It’s so harmful that I even forced my wife to hang herself!”
Sun Hong didn't seem to expect that even these disciples knew about it. After a moment of surprise, a deep sadness appeared on his wrinkled face: "The twins are unknown... The twins are unknown... I don't know where such evil customs can exist. I only know that it is so hard for a young mother to give birth to a child. I have to guard against them and protect my wife and children. Outsiders really can’t hurt them..."
Wu Jing was startled: "How could that happen?"
Sun Hong was silent for a moment and said slowly: "It was Shiro. He was very strong. He lifted my two children high, threw them to the ground, and kicked them in the heart. By the time I arrived, it was already too late. …”
Wu Jing froze, then trembled violently: "It's him! It's him!! I...I taught him...blame me...blame me..."
Sun Hong shook his head and said softly: "Master knows that you taught him martial arts, but you don't have to blame yourself. Not only Si Lang, but also the family has discussed it. Sanniang pretended to be sick and asked me to see him. Da Lang deliberately delayed me. Erlang and Sanlang Then I watched the wind from outside, and finally Shiro got it..."
"They believed that the twins were unknown, and were afraid that my child would affect their future. Even if they were prepared that time, they would still take action later, unless I left directly with my mother and child, and walked far away. not coming back……
"At that time, I was greedy for a stable life and had a weak temperament. I never thought about leaving. I just felt that I also had the skills to stay by my side every day, which was enough to protect my wife and children. It wasn't until the child was gone and the young mother hung herself that I finally I woke up, but it was already too late..."
Wu Jing finally couldn't help it, hugged his thin body, and started crying: "Master! Master, why did you encounter such a thing?"
Sun Hong hugged his disciple gently: "Don't cry! Don't cry! It's because I didn't discipline them well. These children were actually very good when they were young. They always surrounded me when I called them daddy. I was really happy in those years..."
"But later, as the children grew older, they discovered that I never went to their mother's room, but that some outsiders would come. They quickly learned the truth and ignored me. Sometimes they looked at me with vague eyes. Full of hatred..."
"I didn't understand at first. Even though I was not their biological father, I had raised them for so many years. Why? I later learned that they were venting their grievances on me as children of outsiders and not being able to recognize their ancestors. Already..."
"But after all, I have raised these children since they were young. Every time they got sick, I was always there to take care of them, feeding them and taking medicines. I really didn't know what to do at the time..."
"Until that doorman came with a knife and wanted to kill me!"
"I'm afraid those people also know that my wife and children are dead, and I can no longer take good care of the children for them. It has become a disaster, so they sent people to kill me so quickly..."
"But the disciple they sent was too weak. He only used two swords and was killed by me. I even found poison in his body..."
"I held the knife and looked at the packet of poison. Thinking of the young girl who was hanging in the room and they didn't even bother to restrain herself, I finally knew what to do!"
"That night, I became possessed by a demon!"
Wu Jing shook his head repeatedly: "No! No! Master, they deserve to die. These ungrateful beasts should have been killed long ago. They all deserve to die!"
Sun Hong shook his head gently: "Even if blood debts are paid with blood, they don't all deserve to die... For example, Wu Lang and Liu Niang are very innocent. They are still four or five-year-old children who don't understand anything at all. There are also Xu Sanbo and Lin Liu Aunt...Although they didn't dare to say anything, it was obvious that they sympathized with my mother and my two children..."
"But my master was like crazy at that time. He just wanted to kill everyone in the house, stain every room with blood, and avenge my poor wife and children. He also accidentally injured innocent people! Every day and night for the past three years. At night, when I close my eyes, both Wu Lang and Liu Niang seem to be asking me in front of the bed, Daddy, Daddy, why do you want to harm us? I...I don't know how to answer..."
"Uncle Xu Sanbo and Aunt Lin Liu... they have families, parents and children. I caused their parents to lose their children and their children to lose their parents. I am no different from those evil thieves..."
At the end of the sentence, Sun Hong lay down with tears in his eyes and said slowly: "I have made a big mistake as a teacher. My child, you must not commit more murders!"
"No! How can this be considered revenge?" Wu Jing couldn't accept it at all: "If those powerful people hadn't forced Master to this point, how could there have been such a tragedy? Those ungrateful concubines and children deserve to die, and those powerful people deserve to die even more. The leader is the consort Li Zunxu, right? He deserves to die especially, I will cut him into pieces to vent my anger!"
"It is indeed the consort who came forward... As for the most hateful thing... alas..."
Sun Hong murmured something, unwilling to say anything more, and slowly stood up.
He staggered, took out a self-bound booklet from the box he had sorted before, and handed it over: "This is a pediatric medical book written by me. If I were still on the mountain, I might never be able to write this in my life, and give it to Wu." You know, he is talented in medical skills. There are too few doctors in the world who are willing to treat children. I don’t know enough. I hope he can carry it forward so that more children will not die young!"
Wu Jing was unwilling to accept it: "Master, go with me to see the second junior brother and hand it over to him personally!"
Sun Hong did not answer, but maintained the posture of handing the book, his arms trembling slightly.
Wu Jing's eyes turned red and he quickly took it: "Yes!"
Sun Hong breathed a sigh of relief, and then said slowly: "After I killed everyone that night, I also thought that I would never stop doing it, so as not to let those noble people have an easy time! For this reason, I even cut off my head, even my mother-in-law All the corpses were mutilated, just to use the corpses of the disciples to cover up the signs that I was not dead! I was really obsessed at that time, thinking about revenge, so that she and the child could rest in peace in heaven. Fortunately, I did not do that later …”
Wu Jing's eyes widened and he was extremely puzzled: "Why did you change your mind? Master is not enough. We are all brothers and sisters, and there are so many people on the mountain!"
Sun Hong sighed: "What I'm most worried about is this. My grudge will involve five of you brothers, and then more disciples on Mount Wutai. And this is exactly what some people want to do!"
"They initially offered to help me clean up the scene and make my escape from the fake death seamless. I was really moved. But those heads were going to be abandoned in Wuyou Cave and never see the light of day. Suddenly I couldn't do it anymore..."
"I took the opportunity to place the head, and after procrastinating for a while, they realized something was wrong, and I was almost imprisoned in the Wuyou Cave. In the end, I was able to hide in Puji Temple with the help of a kind-hearted pilgrim. His child I have saved my life, and I am willing to repay you, and even more, I am willing to send me out of Beijing..."
"But I can't leave Beijing because I'm worried that one day, you will be taken advantage of. But my health is getting worse and worse, and they are watching Yulin Lane very closely. I can't remind you, so I can only hide in the end. , I couldn’t even find a chance for my young lady to be buried intact..."
"I wanted to go to the Yamen and surrender, but I also heard that the prosecutors were dead. The case had been suppressed a long time ago. I have been confused for the past three years. I don't know why I faked my death at that time. I just hoped that you wouldn't make a big mistake. But you still found it now. When you came here, did someone tell you that my master is here? Did you agree to any of their conditions and did something wrong? "
After hearing the end, Wu Jing couldn't help showing hesitation.
"Say!" Sun Hong sounded stern for the first time.
Wu Jing made a puff, knelt down on the ground again, and said with shame: "Disciple... Disciple... I was indeed lured here!"
He had already realized that after Master killed someone, Master Qi of the Beggar Gang must have wanted to help with the aftermath. Of course, it was not a kind help, but an attempt to use Master's identity to drag Mount Wutai into trouble. As a result, Master was unwilling, and in the end, that Master Qi became angry and wanted to imprison Master in Wuyou Cave.
Fortunately, Master saw that the situation was not good and escaped with the help of his former benefactor and hid in the remote Puji Temple. However, the Beggar Gang refused to give up and instead stayed outside the Sun family's house. When the monk came to visit again, they contacted him as a matter of course. He took these disciples and used his desire to pursue the truth to lead them step by step into a dangerous place that would never be recovered.
"Seventh Master! Seventh Master! Sure enough, he knew the truth a long time ago and tricked me into killing more people in Kaifeng Mansion, saying that this would force the government office to investigate the case and pursue the murderer! Ahhh! I must kill him! I must kill him! Kill him!"
Just when Wu Jing clenched his fists and his eyes were about to burst, Master Sun Hong's voice came to his ears again: "What have you done for them?"
Wu Jing raised his hand and looked at his master's thin body. He did not dare to tell the truth and could only say: "The leader of the Beggar Gang did agree to help his disciple investigate the case in order to get the promise of our brothers. Its work..."
Hearing this, Sun Hong frowned even more tightly and murmured: "I knew they wouldn't let you go..."
Wu Jing hurriedly said: "Fortunately, my disciple met Di Jieyuan. He is a descendant of Duke Di Liang of the former Tang Dynasty. He is a real detective who knows every detail. He has guessed the truth before. With his help, disciple and The four junior brothers are no longer being used by the Beggar Gang, and they have also captured many thieves and entered the Kaifeng government office!"
"Di Jieyuan...is he the young man from before? He probably also saw that I was hiding in the temple, but he didn't reveal it..."
Sun Hong's expression finally relaxed, he nodded slowly, and warned: "Be careful of the Beggar Gang, and be careful of door thieves. There are no good people in Wuyou Cave. No matter how they confuse you, you must not believe their words!"
Wu Jing said sadly: "Yes!"
Sun Hong then said gently: "The pursuit of momentary pleasure will only lead to endless pain. It is easy to pick up the sword, but it is extremely difficult to put it down! My child, I have regretted it all the time in the past three years as a teacher. You must never do it for me again." Master's revenge has directly caused the death of Master's wife and children, and it is meaningless to involve them any more. It will only implicate more people and increase the sin! Remember! Remember!"
"Disciple...disciple..."
Wu Jing knew very well that he had harmed the innocent Chen Zhijian, and the master's efforts to hide in the past three years had been wiped out. He was filled with great sadness, but he repeatedly agreed: "The disciple remembers what the master said, so just follow him." !”
Sun Hong did not respond, and took out two more wooden boxes from the box. After thinking about it, he simply pushed the whole box in front of his apprentice: "I don't want you to come, but you can come. If you can avoid future troubles, I will have no regrets as a teacher." Yes! You should put this away, there may be some in it that you can use in the future..."
After seeing Wu Jing accept it, he turned around, slowly sat down on the ground, and looked at the empty Buddhist hall: "I am a very cowardly person. I only know how to treat illnesses, but not discipline... I want stability, and I don’t know how to maintain a stable life... I have become obsessed with the world in my old age, and I have caused the death of my wife and children... I have committed adultery and killing, and now I am taking refuge as a monk..."
"Put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha immediately... I put down the butcher's knife, but I don't want to become a Buddha. I only hope to reunite with my wife and children after death..."
"Now that you can come here and not be used by thieves, your last wish as a master has been fulfilled. Finally, you don't have to support me anymore. You can bury my body with my mother and child..."
As he spoke, his voice became lower and lower.
"Master...Master? Master!!"
The more Wu Jing listened, the more wrong he became. His expression changed drastically, he got up, threw himself in front of the master, and stretched out his hand tremblingly.
The candle has gone out.
This old and skinny poor man's head drooped slightly, his frowning eyebrows relaxed, with a touch of relief, and no more breath.
