Chapter 10, Er Ya

Are there no clues?

I witnessed everything that happened that night, including the two of them going to the graveyard.

"I have concealed this matter for fourteen years, and today I finally have no choice but to speak of it," sighed Old Man Li

"It is a cat demon." He recounted the matter of the old monk who had not yet crossed over.

"Get lost, or I will wipe you all out." Liu Shisan raised the wooden stick

"Graveyard?" Old Man Li was even more surprised, "Are you saying there are two people, Er Ya?"

Thus, Liang recounted all his recent experiences, merely omitting the incident of how he had "opened his heavenly eye" and lost sight in his left eye, as sharing that would invite ridicule.

Damn, it turns out this cat demon possesses such wicked sorcery. He cursed inwardly as he stepped back, for he did not wish to suffer damage to his Yin eye; otherwise, he would truly become blind.

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For the sake of Er Ya, Ji Zu has never married or started a family. Now, looking back, his tragic death might also be related to this legacy of Sun. Could it be that anyone who gets involved with the Medicine King is doomed to an untimely death?

Old man Li stepped out and looked at the young man, hesitantly asking: "You are..."

At the entrance of the Tiansha Hutong, Liu Shisan sat on the ground in tattered clothes, silently extending his hand to beg as passersby went by. Around eight or nine o'clock, he caught sight of Sun Yifeng coming out with a leather bag, locking the courtyard gate behind him, and then riding his bicycle away with the crowd.

Indeed, he has returned, Liu Shisan thought to himself, perhaps the abbot knows his whereabouts

Sun Huaiyuan has passed away, buried in a foreign land, his remains unable to return home

"What kind of person is this old blind man, Liu Shisan?" Old man Li asked in confusion

In the spring of 1976, Li Jizu returned to Hanzhong and immediately went to Sunjiayuan in Yaoxian, where he found the widow of Sun Huaiyuan. He met the little girl, Er Ya, who was only one year old. At that time, the child's mother was suffering from deep melancholy and was gravely ill, on the brink of death. In her final moments, she earnestly requested Li Jizu to adopt Er Ya. Thus, he took the child back to Lijiagou in Hanzhong and raised her as if she were his own daughter.

"Grandfather, you look so frightening." The second girl felt scared upon seeing Old Man Li so serious for the first time

Old Man Li looked at the two of them and finally nodded in agreement

Liu Shisan slowly got up and strolled to the entrance of the Sun family. Noticing that no one was around, he propped his wooden stick against the wall and flipped over the courtyard wall.

His goal is the Tomb of the Medicine King, as it is said

Liu Shisan returned to the Dongfeng Inn at night, only to find that Liang Bu was not in the room. The backpack and other belongings were still piled in the corner. Where could he have gone? During this trip to Hanzhong, he had secretly visited but found no trace of Sun Yifeng. He had not come to Lijia Gou, so two days later, he hurriedly returned to the capital.

However, he cannot understand why Sun Yifeng would want to kill the abbot of Weidu. It seems that there must be some hidden circumstances behind this.

That evening, Liu Shisan could no longer sit still. He packed his backpack, settled his bill, and left the inn, continuing to take the night bus towards Tongguan. At dusk, he climbed the mountain and arrived at Foyasi, still dressed in the attire of an old beggar.

I can accompany Er Ya," said You Liang suddenly. Sun Jiayuan is the original hometown of Sun Simiao, and there may be clues related to the Tomb of the Medicine King. The most urgent task at hand is to find the Zhi Ke needle. Once the meridians in both hands are opened, there will be no need to fear Sun Yifeng any longer

Old man Li was taken aback upon hearing this and hurriedly asked what was going on

"Uncle Li, does Er Ya have any relics from the Sun family? It seems that Sun Yifeng was looking for something that night when he was grave robbing," Liang speculated.

"It is merely a small ornament made of jade," explained Old Man Li

"Has he passed away? How could that be?" Liu Shisan was taken aback.

"Secrets, what secrets do I have?" Er Ya was quite astonished

This is as it should be; once the rapeseed is harvested, grandfather will take you there.

You Liang finally understood that Li Er Ya was the true descendant of the Medicine King. Sun Yi Feng had been painstakingly plotting to obtain the whereabouts of the Medicine King's tomb from her, while Liu Shi San mistakenly believed that Sun Yi Feng was the descendant of the Medicine King and had been secretly coveting it.

Back then, apart from her clothes, Er Ya had nothing with her, except for the jade pendant that needed to be handed over. However, it was lost later on, and despite searching high and low, it could not be found

"Grandfather, Er Ya wants to visit Sun's family source and burn some paper money at my mother's grave." At this moment, Li Er Ya said softly.

The old mother cat's green, eerie eyes suddenly widened, her upper and lower eyelids rapidly opening and closing, as strange biological waves enveloped her.

In ancient times, many women used gold, silver, and jade hairpins. For instance, Liang remembered that his mother had one, but it was later lost in a fire. However, this is the first time I have heard of jade hairpins. If the Sun family could leave behind any ancient books or maps, there might be clues about the Tomb of the Medicine King within them

Li Laohan's only son, Li Jizu, enlisted in the army in 1968. Among his fellow recruits from Shaanxi, there was a close comrade named Sun Huaiyuan, from Sunjiayuan in Yaoxian. The two were as close as brothers and shared everything. Sun Huaiyuan was two years older than Li Jizu and got married during a home visit in 1974. In early 1975, their engineering unit was dispatched to Laos to build roads. It was during that year that Sun Huaiyuan was killed in an explosion during a demolition mission. Before he died, he told Li Jizu that his daughter had just been born and asked him to visit Sunjiayuan to inform his wife of the truth about his situation. Due to the secret nature of the mission to assist Laos, his family back home was completely unaware, and he did not want his wife and children to remain ignorant of where he had died. He also solemnly entrusted a treasured piece of jade to Li Jizu, telling him it was a family heirloom meant for his daughter.

At that moment, Er Ya came out from the inner room and was greatly surprised to see him: "Oh, aren't you that little monk from Foyasi Temple?"

Is the abbot present? he asked

The poor monk is also puzzled; one of the abbot's shoes has ended up under the bed, with bloodstains and some black animal fur stuck to it. It has been many years since any wild beasts have been seen on Buddha Head Mountain

He was killed by someone," the fat monk roughly recounted the events, sighing, "I do not even know who the murderer is. The abbot had such a kind heart, yet he fell victim to someone's treachery. What kind of world is this?

"Are we really going back to Fo Ya Temple?" he murmured in confusion

"Uncle Li, we have met before," said Youliang

"How did you come here? Is Master Wudu doing well?" Old Man Li asked

"A den of monsters." Liu Shisan muttered to himself, his gaze peering through the window. There was no sign of a good person inside; it seemed he was not here.

He shook his head and said honestly that he himself did not know the true origins of Liu Shisan

He nodded slightly and described the events of that day when he and Liu Shisan were in the purple cypress forest on the mountain, as well as his experience of following Professor Sun to the cemetery.

The old mother cat emitted a threatening hiss.

Alas," the plump monk replied sadly, "the abbot of the monastery has already passed away.

As night fell over the Hanzhong Plain, wisps of smoke rose from the Li Family Gully, signaling that the villagers were preparing for dinner. At that moment, a traveler, weary from the journey, arrived at the home of Old Man Li.

Having escaped from Sun Yifeng's courtyard, on the way back, Liu was filled with doubts. There were no acquaintances of Liang in the capital, and he certainly would not just vanish into thin air. After returning to the inn, he sat quietly on the bed, deep in thought, carefully recalling the words Liang had said when he returned from Sun Yifeng's house that day

"Er Ya, you were adopted..." Old Man Li struggled to recount the events of that year

"What is jade?" he asked

Er Ya is just an immature child, how would she know anything about the Tomb of the Medicine King

Liu Shisan did not close his eyes all night, and Liang Shi still has not returned. Could something have happened?

That night, Liang stayed at the Li family. The next morning, Old Man Li gave Er Ya some money and sent the two of them to the town to take the northbound long-distance bus to Xi'an, and then transfer to another bus heading to Tongchuan and Yao County

With a "meow..." a large, plump mother cat was squatting at the door, its right hind leg partially wrapped in a bandage, glaring fiercely at him, while a group of black kittens cautiously gathered around its feet

Pushing open the fence gate, an empty coffin is parked in the corner of the yard, and smoke is wafting out from the kitchen

It is me

The abbot was killed by someone. There was a hint of redness around his eyes.

"The old monk is so kind, why would anyone want to harm him?" Er Ya said, puzzled.

Where did that little monk go? Liu Shisan asked the fat monk

Er Ya handed the water bowl to You Liang, and he gulped it down.

His name is Sun Yifeng, and he is a teacher at a school in the capital. He keeps a group of black cats at home, among which the largest, an old female cat, killed the abbot at Fo Ya Temple

Regardless of the circumstances, he has indeed treated Er Ya, and the descendants of Sun Simiao must be concealing some secrets. This is why Sun Yifeng is relentlessly pursuing him; he will not let Er Ya go.

"Useless, there is no real evidence. The government will not just take our word for it and arrest Sun Yifeng." Old Li shook his head.

Hmph, this fellow has quite the temper, who knows where he has run off to said the fat monk indignantly

The old man Li, alert, recalled the black cat's corpse in the coffin of the witch Liao, along with the two silver needles on its head, and thus said, "The witch Liao was indeed possessed by the black cat demon and faked her death"

Medicine King

Old Man Li listened carefully and remained silent for a long time, his expression growing increasingly grave. Finally, as if he had made a significant decision, he spoke: "You Liang and Er Ya, listen carefully, this matter is of great importance."

Sun Huaiyuan's ancestor is Sun Simiao from the Tang Dynasty

Er Ya only learned of her origins today, and could not help but be overwhelmed with sorrow, throwing herself into the arms of Old Man Li and weeping bitterly

Liu Shisan immediately understood that it was Sun Yifeng and his old cat who had attacked the abbot, and that the old monk Wudu had also injured the cat demon's leg. He had seen it wrapped in bandages at the Sun family yesterday morning

So it turns out that it was Professor Sun who was digging up graves. Old Man Li was so angry that he gritted his teeth

Ah. Liu Shisan let out a soft exclamation, and a sudden sharp pain erupted from the hidden eye behind his sunken right eyelid, causing tears to flow uncontrollably.

Grandfather, let's go report to the police station, " Er Ya said, wiping her tears.

Is this Li Er Ya's home? Liang is standing at the door.

Er Ya looked nervously at her grandfather, with a conscience that wondered if it could be the Tomb of the Medicine King

The monk was quite surprised to see him and warmly led him to the kitchen to offer him a meal.

All the events that have transpired in recent days are directed towards Er Ya. The initial occurrences, including the possession by the fortune teller Liao and the resurrection, Er Ya's night visit to the graveyard, Sun Yifeng's grave digging, and the murder of the old monk, are all related to a secret

"Indeed, it is the young monk; I hardly recognized him in this attire. Please, come inside," Old Man Li finally recognized him.

As for Er Ya, she herself was completely in the dark, utterly unaware of everything