Magistrate Tao had two reasons to make things difficult for them. First, he was already irritated by their audacity. Second, the deceased was his brother-in-law. Having heard that the prefect was passing through, he had eagerly brought Zheng Ke along to ingratiate himself, only for the man to end up dead instead. His sister was now wailing in distress, adding to his frustration. Eager to capture the culprit, he wasted no time in pushing for an investigation.
Hong Ning had no objections and requested to visit the scene. The abbot led them and the gathered officials to Zheng Ke’s room.
The chamber was clean and simple—perhaps a bit too plain—but it was still evident that this was one of the temple’s better guest rooms.
Lord Hai explained, “When the servants discovered him, Young Master Zheng was lying on the floor in the center of the room, completely soaked, as if he had been submerged in water. The coroner examined him and confirmed that he drowned.”
Hong Ning inspected the windows and found them tightly nailed shut. She then asked, “Did anyone visit Young Master Zheng that night?”
The bailiffs responded, “We were guarding the courtyard the whole time—there was no movement.”
Hong Ning remained silent.
The abbot sighed. “Amitabha… Our humble temple was once just a tiny monastery. It was thanks to Zheng Patron’s generous donations over the past decade that we have grown into what we are today. Who could have expected him to meet such an end…”
A man notorious for oppressing the common folk, yet willing to spend money on temple renovations? Hong Ning found the irony amusing. “Did anyone notice anything unusual at the time?”
Silence.
Lord Hai spoke up. “There were traces of water plants on his body.”
Hong Ning asked, “Where did the water plants come from?”
The abbot hesitated briefly before answering, “They came from the lotus pond in our temple. Zheng Patron was particularly fond of that pond—he personally stocked it with many fish and forbade us from disturbing it.”
Hong Ning nodded. “That makes sense. He was drowned by the water from the pond.”
Magistrate Tao sneered. “Are you saying he ran to the pond himself?”
Lord Hai also frowned. “Young Master Zheng was in his room all night—he never left.”
If she were to suggest that something in the pond was responsible, would the esteemed Prefect Hai even believe it? Unable to explain it directly, Hong Ning instead countered, “Then does Your Lordship believe that the pond’s water somehow flowed into the room and drowned him?”
Lord Hai shook his head.
Magistrate Tao snorted. “Ridiculous!”
Hong Ning wasn’t sure how to proceed, so she turned to look at Bai Ling.
Bai Ling gave a slight nod and said quietly, “Buddha.”
Hong Ning was puzzled.
Bai Ling elaborated, “Everything in the temple is usually marked with the character ‘佛’ [Buddha].”
Realization struck Hong Ning. “That’s right! Earlier, when we checked our own room, everything had that mark. But why doesn’t this room have any?”
A young monk quickly stepped forward and pressed his palms together. “Patron Zheng said he found them an eyesore and ordered me to remove them.”
Everyone was surprised.
Prefect Hai looked skeptical. “Is that true?”
Another monk stepped in to confirm, “Yes, Patron Zheng personally instructed us to take them down.”
Hong Ning shook her head. A man who had donated large sums to expand a temple, yet couldn’t tolerate seeing the word ‘Buddha’ in his room? Normally, places infused with Buddhist blessings would deter lesser demons from causing harm. But Zheng Ke had removed his own protection—and as a result, he suffered the consequences. Truly, it was fate.
Magistrate Tao was visibly uncomfortable. “We are here to find the murderer, not to discuss Buddha.”
Hong Ning replied calmly, “If we are to conduct a thorough investigation, then naturally, every detail must be examined.”
The case was bizarre to begin with, and Prefect Hai had not expected much from Hong Ning and Bai Ling. After a moment of thought, he nodded. “Very well, let’s rest for now and continue tomorrow.”
Magistrate Tao followed suit with some brief remarks before repeatedly inviting Lord Hai to return to the city for proper accommodations. However, Lord Hai declined. He was well aware of his late brother-in-law’s past misdeeds, and now that Zheng Ke had met such an inexplicable end—especially in a place like this—he couldn’t help but feel uneasy himself.
Seeing that night had already fallen, he quickly bid farewell and left, though not before assigning several bailiffs to remain behind and ensure Lord Hai’s safety. After all, if an imperial official were to meet with an accident within his jurisdiction, he would not escape accountability.
The air was filled with a delicate floral fragrance. In Flower Dawn Palace, the seasons were forever like spring. Jin Xiu stood by the crimson railing with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the cluster of fiery red camellias below as if lost in thought.
Behind him, a woman dressed in a flowing red and white gown, holding a sprig of apricot blossoms, softly called out, “Divine Lord.”
Jin Xiu turned slightly.
The woman hesitated before speaking. “They say… the Divine Lord will soon step down and return to the Middle Heavens.”
Jin Xiu smiled. “And?”
The woman lowered her gaze and murmured, “It’s just… after this, we won’t see the Divine Lord again…”
“A divine ascension is a joyous occasion,” another woman interjected coldly before Jin Xiu could reply. She was elegant yet aloof, and with a wave of her hand, a tree full of red plum blossoms bloomed instantly, filling the air with a rich fragrance. “If we devote ourselves to cultivation, we will ascend as immortals one day. There will always be a chance to meet again in the celestial court. Clinging to him like this will only disrupt the Divine Lord’s cultivation.”
The first woman flushed with embarrassment and glared at her.
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