Chapter 054: Transcending Oneself

Seeing me nod, Captain Cui wasted no time and immediately ordered his men to set up a net of surveillance around the ancient Baolian temple. Should the murderer show themselves, escape would be impossible.

Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion. Captain Cui stood before the corpse, arms folded, brows deeply furrowed.

"Jiang Huai," he called to me, voicing the question that weighed on his mind, "Is there any significance to the corpse’s hands pressed together?"

It was all connected. After I explained the incense inserted at the crown and the corpse’s eyes facing west, I too pondered the meaning behind the clasped hands. The answer dawned on me only when the scent of incense wafted from the corpse.

Earlier, I had mentioned that the body of a virtuous soul, one whose goodness spanned three lifetimes, must not be disturbed upon death. A spiritual master must be sought to perform rites for three days; only then should the body’s fate be decided. With so many police present and so few spiritual masters, the practitioner must have foreseen this predicament and devised a strange solution—allowing the corpse to conduct its own rites, facing the great Buddha statue whose features were now indistinct.

After my explanation, Captain Cui shook his head in disbelief. "Jiang Huai, ever since I met you, I feel like the forty-odd years I lived before were all for nothing."

I gave an awkward smile. Only Captain Cui would accept such an explanation; anyone less receptive might not react so kindly.

All was ready when Captain Cui received a phone call.

The moment he hung up, his face darkened, as if frost had struck an eggplant. He looked at me, anger flickering across his features, and pointed his finger at me. "Jiang Huai, if you ever stand in front of Yu Nie again, I won’t hesitate to pull the trigger."

My heart skipped a beat. "Officer? What happened?"

Captain Cui clenched his fists, fixing his gaze on me, and pronounced each word with deliberate force. "Yu Nie injured the guards at the hospital and escaped."

Yu Nie had fled—wasn’t everything ruined now?

Though I could argue endlessly, no matter how convinced I was that Yu Nie wasn’t the killer, what could I say? Even if I tried to explain until the heavens split, Captain Cui would never believe me now.

"Officer… I…"

Captain Cui waved off my words and looked at me with meaningful seriousness. "Jiang Huai, there’s no doubt you are a good person, and your kindness is clear. But remember, not everyone is like you. You can know a person’s face, but not their heart. Yu Nie’s sudden appearance was no coincidence. Ten years ago, he committed an unspeakable crime. I don’t believe ten years is enough for someone like him to change. That kind of person… lacks humanity."

My cheeks burned as I faced Captain Cui. It wasn’t anger—it was embarrassment at his words. Reflecting, I realized I had acted too impulsively. If Yu Nie truly was the murderer, then I had made a grave error.

"Enough, don’t dwell on it. You’re young; misjudging people is normal. Just remember, next time, don’t so easily take a bullet for a stranger."

After much deliberation, all I could do was force a bitter smile. Everything happening now pointed directly at Yu Nie as the culprit, harboring secrets.

Yet deep in my heart, I was convinced things weren’t as they appeared, though I had no proof. The only way to clarify right and wrong was to catch the real killer.

At this moment, I cared more than anyone about the murderer’s true identity. If left unresolved, this matter would weigh on my chest like a stone.

That was why I chose to stake out the old temple alongside Captain Cui.

According to my theory, the killer would appear during the deceased’s seven-day vigil. But Captain Cui insisted on keeping watch the entire time. He told me to go home and sleep, but how could I rest?

I went home, grabbed my backpack, and returned to Captain Cui’s side.

Upon seeing my return, Captain Cui gave me a look of disdain. "Jiang Huai, do you really believe Yu Nie’s nonsense? That I’ll die at midnight tonight?"

I gave a sheepish grin. It was already around ten o’clock; midnight was not far off.

I looked at Captain Cui and replied with his own words, "Better safe than sorry."

He laughed, telling me to rest for a while and promising to wake me if anything happened.

I wanted to sleep, but leaning against a tree, rest was impossible.

Yawning, I surveyed my surroundings.

The old Baolian temple stood in a remote location, abandoned for untold years. The area could only be described as utterly desolate.

Wild grass grew thickly all around, and where we stood, unfamiliar insects would occasionally emerge, forcing me to slap myself every so often.

"Officer, I suggest that once we catch the killer, you lock him up with the mosquitoes."

I lost count of how many tiny bloodsuckers I dispatched. As I kept swatting them, suddenly the world grew unnaturally quiet.

Where once the insects’ buzzing could be heard, now silence reigned, so deep I could hear Captain Cui’s breathing. The temperature around us began to drop, goosebumps rising on my skin.

A loud bang echoed as the temple’s main gate swung open on its own, releasing a wave of pungent, fishy stench.

It wasn’t just me—even the battle-hardened Captain Cui nearly retched.

"Stay put, I’ll go take a look…"

Captain Cui seemed to have forgotten my purpose for being there. He gave a brief instruction and started toward the temple. I quickly grabbed his arm, shaking my head. "Officer, it’s better if I handle this. You shouldn’t go."

"Shouldn’t go?"

I grinned. "I accepted your payment; I ought to do my job."

I opened my backpack and took out a peachwood ruler, which I had modified into a short sword, fastened it to my waist, and gave Captain Cui a thumbs-up. "I’m going in."

"Jiang Huai."

"Hmm?"

Captain Cui mimicked my gesture, offering his own thumbs-up. "Be careful."

Chapter 54: Self-Performed Rite