Zhang Yunwu had intended to follow Jiang Qing’s advice and squeeze to a pavilion closer to the boat, where amidst the chanting of sutras from the monks of Wuchan Temple, he would release a blessing lamp into the lake imbued with the aura of Buddha.
But shortly after Jiang Qing left, an accident occurred.
It turned out that the gluttonous Zhang Yue’er, having eaten too many sweets, finally suffered discomfort and began to experience a bad stomach ache.
After several trips to the outhouse, the little girl lost her earlier liveliness and seed to be completely drained and listless. Especially since she had worked up a sweat playing and then got chilled by the cold wind, she had lost all her energy.
Fearing his daughter might catch a cold, Zhang Yunwu decisively gave up the idea of squeezing through to the pavilion and decided to head ho early.
He carried his daughter to a quiet and spacious area downstream of Huailan Lake.
The view here wasn’t great, and he could barely see the boat carrying the Buddha bath ceremony.
Following the principle that sincerity breeds spirituality, Zhang Yunwu placed a small red-wax lamp inscribed with Sanskrit into the lake and respectfully knelt three tis in the direction of the boat, praying for his mother’s safety and health.
Afterward, he released seven more small lamps into the lake, each bearing the nas of Wen Zhaodi, Zhang Yue’er, the masters of Vajra Temple, Jiang Mo, Liao, Li Nanshuang, and Lu Renjia, praying sincerely for blessings.
"Daddy, why isn’t there one for you?" Zhang Yue’er asked in her clear voice.
Zhang Yunwu was stunned for a mont. Looking at the blessing lamps slowly drifting away on the lake, he scratched his head sowhat sheepishly, feeling rather embarrassed, "Daddy forgot. It’s okay, I’ll pray for myself next ti."
Snowflakes began to fall heavily.
The snowflakes lting into the lake started to create ripples that were barely noticeable, like quietly blooming lotuses, one after another.
Zhang Yunwu gazed at the vague image of the golden Buddha and thought of that master.
He was a blind old monk.
Despite wearing tattered robes and grinning with big yellow teeth, lacking the image of a high monk,
In Zhang Yunwu’s eyes, the master possessed Buddha’s light.
Because he had cured his mother’s leg disease and taught him martial arts to protect his family.
The master was the best Buddha in the world.
Perhaps it was the emotion of the recollection or perhaps the chanting from afar beca clearer, Zhang Yunwu felt a peaceful and serene energy envelop his body, providing extraordinary comfort.
But gradually, his body seed to be bound by thin threads, giving rise to a penetrating pain.
The pain lasted only a few seconds before fading quickly, leaving him sowhat dizzy.
Suddenly, Zhang Yunwu sensed that the lamp representing Wen Zhaodi in the lake moved slightly.
He looked intently.
Thin wisps of mist twined around the lotus lamp.
Inside the lotus lamp, the red candle wax was continuously twisting, slowly forming a vague image of his wife Wen Zhaodi.
Her body stark naked, posing seductively.
It was like the won in places of pleasure, emitting a dissolute allure.
Zhang Yunwu was slightly dumbfounded, his breathing gradually becoming heavy, as if veins of blood started to crawl into his pupils.
"Daddy,"
His sleeve was gently tugged.
Zhang Yunwu abruptly ca to his senses and noticed that the lotus lamp still quietly held the red wax, with no sign of his wife.
"Daddy, what’s wrong?"
Zhang Yue’er looked at Zhang Yunwu, her face full of concern as he sweated profusely.
Zhang Yunwu looked up at the blurry golden Buddha, confounded by his reaction just now and, to keep his daughter from worrying, smiled and shook his head, "It’s nothing. Let’s go ho." He took off his overcoat and wrapped it around his daughter.
Walking along, Zhang Yunwu beca increasingly groggy, with the sound of chanting constantly drifting into his ears.
He also seed to see many blurred figures twining before him.
These figures could vaguely be made out as the graceful silhouettes of won, twisting like seductive snakes.
Occasionally, the chanting turned into seductive, enticing voices.
Zhang Yunwu’s breathing grew heavier.
Every passerby he encountered seed to transform into the image of his wife. So nestled and smiled coyly in the arms of male companions, while others pranced provocatively...
Several tis Zhang Yunwu almost rushed forward.
The blood vessels in his pupils grew denser, like a web of interlacing spiders, his reddened eyes filled with intense malice.
"Harlot..."
The man’s lips trembled slightly.
——
Separated by a single door, a man and a woman.
Danger lurked everywhere.
We Zhaodi picked up a broken porcelain shard from the floor and gripped it tightly in her hand, staring intently at the door, trying to use the pain in her palm to regain clarity.
Drop by drop, blood fell from between her fingers.
Hearing the woman’s question, Jiang Qing hesitated outside the door and said in an urgent tone, "Cousin-in-law, my cousin had good luck tonight, joining a group of devout believers aboard a boat to listen to the monks from Wuchan Temple recite scriptures and pray for blessings.
The monks say that if you wish to successfully rid soone of an illness, it’s best to cut a few strands of hair from the person who is sick and place them on the altar for more efficacy. My cousin has difficulty walking, and Yue’er is young, so it had to be ."
"Sister-in-law, they are all waiting anxiously. You cut a few strands of your aunt’s hair first and give them to . If we’re too late, the monks from Wuchan Temple might leave."
Jiang Qing quickly concocted such an excuse.
However, he underestimated We Zhaodi’s intellect.
The woman, who had already sensed the danger, would not believe the other’s implausible story.
But to wait for her husband to return, We Zhaodi could only play along with the other party’s words to buy ti, "Okay, I got it. You go back first, I will cut the strands from mother-in-law’s hair and bring them over myself."
"Cousin-in-law, it’s just a convenient thing to do, and you still need to take care of your mother-in-law," said Jiang Qing from outside the door.
We Zhaodi took several deep breaths, pressing the back of one hand against her lips, desperately suppressing the burning desire within her.
She picked up the porcelain shard in her hand and stabbed her thigh twice with force.
Allowing the pain to once again chase away the desire, the woman with a clouded mind and drenched in sweat said with a quivering voice, "Then you wait a mont, I... I need to help mother-in-law... put on her clothes."
"Cousin-in-law, you just crack the door for to take it would be enough,"
Jiang Qing was growing impatient.
"You... just wait a mont."
Pain was no longer enough to suppress the desire. We Zhaodi’s speech was clearly breathy.
There was silence outside the door.
Before the woman could breathe a sigh of relief, there was a loud bang as the door was kicked open.
We Zhaodi quickly grabbed clothes to cover herself, glaring angrily at the handso man at the door, who was all smiles. She gripped the porcelain shard even tighter in her hand.
Her body was on fire, but her heart plunged into an icy cave.
Wu, please co save .
The woman silently prayed.
——
anwhile, atop Zhao Wancang’s roof.
Through the half-closed window shutters, so of the happenings in Zhang Yunwu’s ho were visible.
Out of respect, as We Zhaodi began bathing, Jiang Shouzhong had already turned around, leaving it to team leader Li Nanshuang to keep watch.
Seeing the situation inside, Li Nanshuang angrily drew her sword, ready to rush in.
Jiang Shouzhong, sensing sothing was wrong and disregarding the propriety of gender, quickly wrapped his arms around the delicate body of the girl, "Don’t be impulsive, just wait a bit longer..."
"Wait for what? If we wait any longer, it will be too late!"
Intending to break free by force but also afraid of injuring Jiang Shouzhong, the girl’s delicate face turned red with exertion.
"Trust , we can stop this."
Jiang Shouzhong, also nervous, finally managed to calm down the girl with persuasion.
He glanced at Feng Yichen, who was ditating with closed eyes beside him.
Next to the young Taoist stood a woman who looked exactly like We Zhaodi!
But her eyes were lifeless, like a paper puppet.
"I wonder if this trick of swapping the doppelgänger for the Crown Prince will be successful."
Jiang Shouzhong had his doubts.
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