Jinyi Spring

Chapter 181 Buried in the Belly of Wolves

Qingxin was so frightened that she was scared out of her wits. She didn't know where she got the strength, but she took off running.

I had only run a few steps when a piercing howl suddenly echoed from the woods, "Woo-woo-woo—"

It's the howl of a wolf!

The sound was terrifyingly close, as if it were right next to her ear. Qingxin's legs went weak, her vision went black, and she collapsed to the ground.

Just as the three men reached the bridge, they saw three gray figures dart out of the woods.

It's a wolf!

Two wolves dragged Qingxin, who had fallen to the ground, while one of the wolves howled at the group of people in the distance. The figures quickly disappeared into the darkness.

"Not good! Hurry up!"

Just as a young soldier was about to rush forward, he was grabbed by the person next to him.

"Are you crazy? The three of us can't possibly defeat a pack of wolves?"

A secret smile flashed in his eyes—heaven is on my side. He had been trying to figure out how to make Qingxin "accidentally" drown, but tonight's fire had somehow made her run out on her own and end up in the wolf's belly.

The others tacitly agreed: Deputy Commander Xue couldn't be happier if Qingxin died sooner, then things would be much easier for him.

An older man pondered, "But if we don't go to rescue them, we'll be blamed by our superiors tomorrow..."

The person who spoke earlier waved his hand, "There are only three that have come out so far. Who knows how many more are still in the forest? It's pitch black in these mountains. If we go in, we'll definitely be eaten by wolves."

The young man said with a bitter face, "Whether we chase after them or not, if we lose them, we'll be lucky to escape with our lives."

The person who spoke earlier added, "She ran out on her own. If we're punished, we'll only get a few dozen lashes, which is better than losing our lives."

The group stood on the bridge, gazing at the dark forest, and none of them moved.

Two more old women caught up from behind, asking, "Where is Qingxin Fagu? Why are there wolves howling?"

One of them pointed to the woods and said, "There's a pack of wolves in there, more than twenty of them. Qingxin Fagu was dragged in by the wolves."

The old woman's legs went weak with fear. "What should we do?"

"She ran here in the chaos... She's asking for it!"

The wolf howls gradually faded into the distance before they slowly crossed the bridge and entered the woods, torches in hand. After only a few dozen steps, the torchlight illuminated the bloodstains on the ground and a few pieces of cloth—the very same gray-brown garment Qingxin had worn that evening.

The group exchanged glances, their legs feeling even weaker.

One person said in a trembling voice, "The Pure Heart Dharma Master... has probably already been killed by wolves..."

"Go back quickly and call more people to go up the mountain and look for them," another voice said weakly.

One person ran quickly towards the temple, while the others, not daring to linger in the woods, retreated to the bridge to wait.

A little over fifteen minutes later, more than twenty people carrying torches poured out of Zixia Temple, crossed the bridge, and entered Qingmiao Mountain. Others went to nearby villages and found dozens of strong laborers to go up the mountain together to search for the people.

They searched until dawn, but found nothing but bloodstains and scraps of cloth.

The news spread quickly: Qingxin Fagu had been devoured by a pack of wolves that came down from the mountain in the middle of the night. The nearby villagers were terrified and lived in constant fear.

At dawn, banners fluttered at the foot of Qingmiao Mountain.

Commander Xie, Xue Jicheng, and Ming Shanyue personally led five hundred Flying Eagle Guards, while Commander Jin personally led five hundred Left Guards of the Prefecture Army, arriving in a grand procession at the foot of Qingmiao Mountain.

Upon receiving the news, Qin Wang and his son Xiao Henian did not dare to delay for a moment and rushed over with their men.

The Prince Qin kept crying, his eyes swollen from crying, and he was so heartbroken that he could barely walk and had to be supported by two people. He choked back sobs, saying, "Mother, it's all my fault for being unfilial, causing you so much suffering... Waaah..."

Xiao Henian and his son were also filled with grief, calling out all the way:

"Little sister, you've had a hard life, you must wait patiently for us to come and save you..."

"Aunt, you can't be hurt..."

This scene is truly moving. Considering that Qingxin Fagu was once an empress, beautiful as a flower, her death is simply horrific.

Everyone rushed forward to stop him, saying, "Your Highness, it's cold and dangerous up here. Please wait at the foot of the mountain..."

He ignored the king's pleas and insisted on going up the mountain.

Commander Xie said with a stern face, "You go up the mountain to search for her, while Lord Ming and I go to Zixia Temple to interrogate the relevant personnel. How could she have run off alone in the middle of the night?"

When the big stick comes down, he can't escape blame either.

Xue Jicheng was secretly delighted. Before he could even make a move, this accident had taken Qingxin Nun's life. She had brought it upon herself, and no one would suspect him.

Who says the Water Balance "bears the fortune of the world"? Heaven is on King Zhao's side.

He didn't want Ming Shanyue to interrogate the people, and hurriedly said, "The most important thing right now is to find the people. It would be better if Lord Ming searched the mountain with us."

Ming Shanyue had an indifferent attitude.

Commander Xie then instructed, "You must ensure His Highness's safety."

He then led a few close followers directly to Zixia Temple.

Inside Zixia Nunnery, the fire had been extinguished, but a strong smell of smoke still lingered in the air. Several charred beams and pillars leaned precariously, particularly glaring in the morning light.

Inside the meditation hall, Abbess Bai Bei, Guest Master Liao Ji, twenty Flying Eagle Guards, and six female monks stood in a row.

Commander Xie took his seat at the head of the table, his gaze sharp as a knife, slowly sweeping over the crowd.

This is the Royal Nunnery. He showed some politeness to Abbess Bei, bowed slightly, and asked, "How did the fire last night start?"

With a sorrowful expression, Abbess Liaobei lowered her eyes and clasped her hands together, saying, "Amitabha. A few days ago was the eightieth birthday of the late Consort Shen, and Prince Ming offered one hundred and eight eternal lamps. He added too much lamp oil, and some inevitably spilled on the ground."

"It seems that the oil spilled during the day wasn't cleaned up properly, and some rats came out to forage for food in the middle of the night, knocking over the lamp in the corner of the wall. The flames followed the oil trail all the way to the woodshed..."

She paused, her voice still tinged with fear, "By the time we realized it, the fire had already started, and with the strong night wind, it quickly spread to the kitchen next door. Fortunately, the nuns worked together, and with the help of the Flying Eagle Guards, the fire was finally extinguished."

“Otherwise, the entire nunnery would probably have been burned to the ground, and who knows how many innocent lives would have been lost. But Qingxin Fagu… Amitabha, what a sin, what a sin.”

She kept turning the prayer beads in her hand, her fingertips trembling slightly.

Only after the person said he would meet Qingxin Fagu on the bridge did she relent and agree to the plan.

She thought she was saving people, helping Qingxin escape from suffering, and that letting her go was an act of compassion.

But little did she expect that the vegetarian kitchen would burn down, and so would her tranquility. She didn't reach the other shore she thought she had reached, but instead perished in the belly of wolves.

Alas, how can one's assumptions determine the course of events in this world? Every sip and every bite is preordained. Perhaps this is how the path to a pure heart should be walked?

She cannot save herself, nor can Buddha. Karma is like a shadow, following you wherever you go; it cannot be changed by external forces.

Master Liaobei closed her eyes and silently recited in her heart, "Amitabha. You have suffered enough in this life, your karmic debts have been repaid, and your worldly ties have been severed. May you be reborn in the Pure Land of Lotus in your next life, free from all suffering, and only experiencing joy. May you no longer fall into this sea of ​​suffering in the mortal world, enduring all kinds of torment..." (End of this chapter)