Chapter 46: Chapter 45 Bodhisattva Opens Eyes_1

The hall was deserted, and the sound of rain covered everything in the mountain temple shrouded in darkness.

Ke Chengxing blinked in confusion, unable to comprehend what the woman meant. However, he quickly caught on and looked at her with a guarded expression.

She called him Master Ke... Did she know who he was?

Ke Chengxing wanted to call Wan Fu into the hall to help him, but his whole body was numb and weak, and he couldn’t speak. His mind was filled with shock and doubt, uncertain where this bodily change had come from, and whether this woman was human or ghost.

Sounds of turtles and soft-shelled turtles agitating the water in the tank echoed; the woman took two steps forward, her shadow elongating and flickering behind her with the wavering flame.

Ke Chengxing took note of this and his eyes suddenly brightened.

If there’s a shadow, then she’s not a ghost...

This woman is human!

However, if she is a human, why is she here?

If she’s not a spirit and uses no evil magic, then how did she manage to leave him in such a paralyzed state, unable to speak or move?

Ke Chengxing felt like he was in a dream, everything vague and unreal, as the long incense he had placed in front of the shrine spread a thick fog of smoke around, its fragrance intoxicating and rich.

Does ordinary incense smell like this?

He pondered in his dazed state, watching the woman reach the shrine and gently touch the unburnt incense smoke.

She said softly, "It’s called ’Sheng Qian Shang.’"

Ke Chengxing looked at her.

"When this incense is lit, its fragrance is so intoxicating that one breath of it is like consuming a thousand cups of strong alcohol, rendering one completely inebriated. Hence the name ’Sheng Qian Shang,’" the woman spoke with a melodious and soothing voice. "However, those who smell it are left rigid, mute, and at the mercy of others, yet their thoughts remain clear."

She slightly tilted her head, looking at Ke Chengxing, "Master Ke, do you want to ask why I can still move freely and am unaffected even after inhaling this incense?"

Ke Chengxing tried hard to nod his head.

With a smile, the woman said, "Because, this incense, was made by me."

Ke Chengxing’s mind went blank.

How could the incense be made by her?

The incense was clearly prepared by Wan Fu, who had been instructed to make the "offering to the gods" seem more sincere; even specially choosing a few thick sticks of incense. At the time, he had praised Wan Fu for handling things properly.

But... why hasn’t Wan Fu come in yet?

If he was in the temple for a long time, with Wan Fu’s cautious character, he would definitely come to check.

And this woman, before she came in, didn’t she see Wan Fu? If she saw Wan Fu, why didn’t he stop her?

A thought began to dawn on Ke Chengxing, one that he was afraid to consider.

With her back to him, the woman looked at the deity’s figure, faintly visible through the incense smoke, and spoke lightly: "Master Ke, you worship the gods at midnight, which shows your fear. But what makes you think that the gods can save you? If there really were gods in this world, my sister would not have died in the Lu Family’s flower pond."

Sister?

Ke Chengxing’s pupils shrank.

She called Lu Rou sister... But Lu Rou didn’t have any sisters, did she?

No, that’s not right! Lu Rou did have a sister!

Some days ago, his mother mentioned that a distant relative of the Lu Family named Wang Yingying had come to their house and had been sent away. Lu Rou didn’t have any other relatives in Shengjing, so this must be that Wang Yingying.

But Wang Yingying was just a destitute relative who came for Lu Rou’s dowry, hoping to take advantage. Why would she conspire with Wan Fu to lure him here?

His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, trying in vain to make sense of it all.

"Wang Yingying" continued to speak as she turned around to face Ke Chengxing, who was paralyzed beside the water tank, and said softly: "They say the heavens are high above, and even spirits are not to be deceived. Since it’s past midnight and the first day of April, the time when the Bodhisattva opens her eyes, good and evil will be clearly distinguished."

"Master Ke, I have several questions I’d like to ask you. Please take them seriously and answer."

Having finished speaking, she walked over to Ke Chengxing’s side, slowly squatted down, extended a hand, and grasped his neck.

That hand was icy cold and damp, unlike that of a living person, wrapping around his neck and giving him instant goosebumps.

Though the woman appeared fragile and delicate, she had great strength, grabbing his neck and dragging him violently to the front of a water tank.

The tank was huge, containing turtles and soft-shelled turtles intended for release the next day, and a stench of fishy water overwhelmed his nose as, under the dim light, he saw their reflections on the water’s surface.

The woman possessed a beautiful visage, her eyebrows like crescent moons, her eyes like autumn waters, a divinely sculpted appearance of jade cast into the water, as captivating as the reflection of the Water Moon Guanyin.

Her voice was gentle, too, as she softly asked by his ear, "Master Ke, was it you who killed my sister?"

Ke Chengxing was stunned.

The next moment, the reflection of Guanyin shattered suddenly, and he felt his head uncontrollably pressed down into the water, a blanket of water rushing into his mouth and nose.

Ke Chengxing struggled with all his might, but having just inhaled "Sheng Qian Shang," he had no strength left to move; his entire body heavy as stone, he felt enveloped in darkness as if cast into an abyss.

Just as he was engulfed in utter despair, his body suddenly lightened, and he was yanked up, away from the water’s surface.

Ke Chengxing coughed weakly.

"Wang Yingying" held his hair and calmly asked, "Why don’t you answer?"

She knew full well he had inhaled the poison and couldn’t move or speak, yet she still asked him with such earnestness.

Ke Chengxing, unable to speak, looked at Wang Yingying with eyes full of fear.

This woman was a madwoman!

Wang Yingying’s eyes turned as her gaze met his, and she suddenly let out a soft laugh; with that laugh, as breathtaking as a newly blooming hibiscus.

She sighed, "Strange, when committing evil deeds, people always hope Heaven doesn’t notice, yet when doing good, they fear the gods won’t see. They adorn their sins with pretty words and conceal them, while parading their virtues for all the world to see. It seems there is no difference whether the Bodhisattva opens her eyes or not."

The corners of her mouth turned up, but there was not a hint of a smile in her eyes, as she stood in the vast hall, pallidly beautiful like a gorgeous ghost.

Ke Chengxing was unable to speak.

Then, the hand holding his hair tightened, and Wang Yingying’s soft voice reached his ears, "Second question, were the deaths of the four members of the Lu Family orchestrated by the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion?"

Ke Chengxing wanted to open his mouth to answer, but his tongue was stiff and he couldn’t make a sound; the next moment, with a violent push from the woman’s hand, he was again submerged in water.

He seemed to hear Wang Yingying’s sigh, as she said, "Why don’t you answer again?"

Cold water filled his nostrils and chest as Ke Chengxing felt a suffocating pressure. He wanted to struggle, wanted to scream, but his voice was muffled by the enormous tank, the chaotic fluttering of turtles, the night rain on the mountain temple, the distant sound of bells, leaving no gap to be found.

With a "splash," the water surface broke once more.

He saw her beautiful face again, still calm and gentle.

Tears streamed down Ke Chengxing’s face.

He struggled to move, wanting to plead with her for mercy, to stop tormenting him. He wanted to speak. Since Wang Yingying was seeking answers for the Lu Family’s sake, he could tell her more about the death of the Lu Family, as well as the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion.

Yes, the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion!

The ringleaders of all this were from the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion; she should be seeking them out instead!

He struggled to move his lips, and Wang Yingying noticed his attempt.

With some surprise, she softly asked, "Does Master Ke wish to provide me with a new clue?"

Ke Chengxing blinked, in place of nodding. If she would only release him, he was willing to help reveal the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion!

He waited anxiously, hoping she would stop in time and let him go. However, the next moment, the familiar feeling of drowning suffocation struck again.

The woman stood in front of the water tank, her snow-white hand grasping his hair. Those delicate and soft hands seemed to possess endless strength, completely overpowering his attempts to struggle as she brutally forced his face into the tank.

With a smile, she spoke, "But I don’t want to listen."

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read