Chapter 21: Simply Unspeakable

The monks of Wuguo Temple recognized the intruder. He was an official recently transferred from the capital following the great upheaval, a man of profound cultivation whose strength was not in the least inferior to their own master.

The middle-aged man nodded to the young monk before turning to the elder, bowing respectfully: "Greetings, Master of Wuguo Temple."

From start to finish, he did not even glance at Xie Peiling.

The elder nodded and said softly, "I wonder what urgent matter brings Magistrate Wang here? If it lies within my power, I shall certainly do my utmost to assist."

The official surnamed Wang sighed. "In truth, this matter is neither large nor small. After all, those who died were merely cultivators from minor sects, of no consequence to our Great Jin Dynasty and hardly worth worrying about. Yet, regardless, it is something that must be resolved."

The elder lowered his eyes slightly, a flicker of confusion appearing in his clouded pupils. He spoke with a heavy, gravelly tone. "If that is the case, why not seek out the authorities instead of coming here? Could it be... that this matter concerns us?"

Everyone else in the shop had been cleared out. Had the young monk not been seen speaking with Xie Peiling when Magistrate Wang arrived, they likely would have been driven away as well. Fearing that their conversation might be overheard, Wang glanced at Xie Peiling, though he remained unconcerned, and spoke directly.

"The Chu family has been killed."

The young monk was shocked. He looked at the elder, stunned that anyone would dare kill members of the Chu family within the city of Yu'an, and in such a murky, unexplained fashion.

The apothecary Wang Shiming was a different matter; he was upright and remained right there, yet no one sought him out. Including this official from the capital who shared his surname, for everyone knew that Wang Shiming was destined to die.

Magistrate Wang continued, "I suspect it was the group that obtained the medicinal liquid at the auction."

The elder’s face remained expressionless, revealing a cold indifference that felt uncharacteristic of him. He said flatly, "Oh? And where are the remains of those fellow practitioners? While I possess no extraordinary talents, I could at least chant a passage for their journey toward rebirth."

Magistrate Wang was unfazed by the sudden shift in the elder’s demeanor. After all, the previous incident—where the dignity of Wuguo Temple had been insulted and the medicinal liquid snatched away—would have surely left the monks feeling bitter, had it not been for that lad, Bai Ci, leaving behind an extra vial. He smiled bitterly.

"The remains are nowhere to be found. Had their soul-lantern tablets not shattered, we might not have discovered their deaths for quite some time."

The elder said quietly, "Does the Magistrate suspect that we have taken those two in?"

"What a thing to say," Magistrate Wang replied calmly. "I will state this clearly: who in this world would dare suspect Wuguo Temple? Even if they had committed suicide, it could not possibly be your doing."

*If it weren't for the affair of the Calming Ice Flake and the deaths of the Sandu Sect members, why would you come to us?* the young monk thought to himself.

"The medicinal liquid was taken by those in Room 305," Wang said, looking at the two with sincere inquiry. "Do either of you happen to know the background of those individuals?"

They shook their heads. Wang was not annoyed and continued, "Then you must be aware that an elder and a direct disciple of the Kuozhen Sect were killed, shortly after the auction concluded?"

They shook their heads again.

The young monk felt a chill as he thought of the person standing beside Xie Peiling. Yesterday night, every time he closed his eyes, he felt that biting sword intent—something he had never even sensed from the sword-guarding masters within the temple.

At this moment, Xie Peiling, who had been watching the scene for some time, looked at Magistrate Wang with great seriousness and suddenly spoke. "I was also present at the auction that day. If I recall correctly, there were two of them, were there not?"

"Indeed. Even the auction house does not know what they look like, nor their specific cultivation levels, nor what methods they rely on. But at the very least, we know that their attainments are definitely among the top in Huming Province."

The young monk wanted to say something, but found he could not speak. Beside him, the elder’s brows furrowed tightly as he stood up and said to him, "How could you be so careless?"

"Why is this?" Magistrate Wang asked.

The elder replied, "My disciple is currently at a critical stage of cultivation. He is practicing the inner and outer manifestations, which is the purification of the three karmas: body, speech, and mind."

From his initial deductions, the young monk was now one hundred percent certain. After Xie Peiling and Xu Yuanming vanished from their field of vision, it was highly probable that Xu Yuanming had killed the members of the Chu family the Magistrate spoke of.

"In common terms, it is a vow of silence."

The elder touched his own bones and flesh before suddenly speaking.

Magistrate Wang understood the implication. He cupped his hands and said, "Many thanks for your guidance, Master of Wuguo Temple. My mind is now clear. I shall not disturb you and your disciple any further as you catch up with your friend."

After speaking, he bowed slightly and retreated a few steps before turning sharply. The smile on his face vanished, replaced by a different expression as he faced his soldiers and the commoners, appearing like a fierce beast.

Just as Magistrate Wang’s foot crossed the threshold, the elder spoke again.

"My descendant of unknown generation is now in this state; I know not whether he lives well or poorly."

"That is... no concern of yours, Master." Having said this, he turned his head back to look at Xie Peiling. "Young friend, do you belong to any sect?"

Xie Peiling shook his head. "I do not."

"Would you be willing to serve the Imperial Court?"

Xie Peiling remained expressionless. He pointed to himself and smiled. "I thank Magistrate Wang for the invitation, but I know I am not qualified for such a sacred position, and I would not wish to occupy it."

All three present understood this to be a polite refusal, a mere way to provide a graceful exit.

Magistrate Wang shook his head and sighed. "It seems your heart does not lie with us. Perhaps if another were to come, things might be different. If you ever have a change of heart, you may come to the 'Muhun Prefecture' to find me."

"I will."

After he departed, the young monk let out a long breath. He looked at Xie Peiling with a complex expression and asked, "Was it truly so?"

Xie Peiling was silent for a moment, then shook his head and pointed to the sky. "Why not ask the heavens? Perhaps it knows?"

After Xie Peiling replied, the elder extended a finger and tapped the young monk’s forehead. A faint glimmer of light flickered as he smiled. "Disciple, look, you are attached to appearances."

Deep within that light lay confusion, the weight of a bound tongue, and the heart of a bird longing to soar, yet powerless to do so.

"You are desperate to untie this knot and transcend this realm, not realizing that such desire is inconsistent with cultivation. To drift in the mundane world is to walk alone. Perhaps, before long, you will walk through the world and realize for yourself the meaning of 'perfection'."

The young monk was startled and began to silently recite Buddhist scriptures.

Xie Peiling smiled, looked at the two of them, and remarked casually, "Natural and spontaneous; it has always been thus."

The elder’s face, as ancient as gnarled wood, softened like loosening cement as he smiled. "What you say is perfectly correct, fellow practitioner."