Chapter Twenty-Two: Unexpected Harvest

  Lan Xinlin thought for a moment, the Zongtian Group would stop at nothing to seize the cultural relics from the tomb of the ghost, even using force to snatch them from the police. The three-eyed Buddha's head was the only item in the coffin, so it was extremely valuable. Old Master Mo knew that the three-eyed Buddha's head had fallen into the hands of the grave robbers, and with the manpower and financial resources of the Zongtian Group, it would not be difficult to find out where the three-eyed Buddha's head was. However, in the end, the Zongtian Group did not get the three-eyed Buddha's head either, or they would not have been chasing Old Master Mo relentlessly. As long as they could find the three-eyed Buddha's head one step ahead of time, they would have the capital to negotiate with the Zongtian Group and it was possible to hook out this big fish, Zongtian. Once she understood this point, Lan Xinlin excitedly said, "We must find the three-eyed Buddha's head before Long San and Lin Tianxue do."

  "You say it's easy, but where should we start looking for the Three-Eyed Buddha's head?"

  Lan Xinlin was speechless, with no clues in hand, and the Three-eyed Buddha's head was not as large as the Godo Maru, which could be hidden anywhere. Blindly searching for the Three-eyed Buddha's head was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Moreover, it was also possible that the Three-eyed Buddha's head was no longer in the city, so how to search for it?

  Jin Tianxing said, "Why don't we ask Captain Han for help?"

  "No way." Lan Xinlin disagreed, "Don't forget that the Zongtian Group has an inside line in the police station. We told Captain Han, and he will definitely send a large number of people to find out about the Three-Eyed Buddha's whereabouts. If we are discovered by the Zongtian Group's insider to have contact with Captain Han, I don't need to tell you what our outcome would be."

  Thinking of Long San's venomous gaze, Jin Tian Xing shuddered. Although Long San was polite on the surface, as soon as Zong Kuo gave an order, he would definitely tear him to pieces. Jin Tian Xing shook his head and threw Long San out of his mind. Soon, he thought of a plan: "Why don't we go back to the scene from that year? Maybe we'll gain something unexpected." Lan Xin Lin couldn't think of a better method for the time being, so she agreed with Jin Tian Xing's proposal. The unexpected gain Jin Tian Xing mentioned referred to finding clues about the Three-Eyed Buddha's head. He never expected that this trip would bring them such enormous and unexpected gains, making him wonder if he had stepped on dog shit when leaving the house.

  She had thoroughly examined the files of the Zongtian Group and was familiar with every detail of the case, including the location of the ghost tomb. She simply told her family that she wanted to go out and play with Jin Tianxing to clear her mind, and the two of them hailed a taxi and rushed to the scene of the crime.

  It takes about an hour to drive from Lán Xīn Líng's house to the location of Guǐ Zhǒng. The driver, a warm-hearted person, chattered non-stop along the way, saying, "You two must be newlyweds on your honeymoon, right? From your looks, you two are really well-matched, a perfect example of '郎才女貌' (a talented husband and a beautiful wife). Miss, you have great taste, this gentleman has an extraordinary demeanor, just one look and you can tell he's a wealthy man. You two have the aura of a married couple, you'll definitely live happily ever after until old age."

  Jin and Bai were embarrassed by the driver's words, both of their faces turned red, especially Lan Xinlin, whose heart felt like a small deer was running wildly. The driver saw this and became even more convinced of his judgment. Jin Tianxing, being a man with a slightly thicker skin, asked, "Where did you see that we are husband and wife?"

  The driver said with a smile, "We drive taxis all day and deal with all sorts of people. The more you see, the more experience you gain. When this gentleman got in the car, he gently placed his hand on top of the door to prevent this lady from hitting her head. And this lady would occasionally glance at the gentleman, her eyes filled with affection. Although they didn't say much, their every move showed a perfect understanding between them. Only people who truly love each other behave like that, right?"

  "Right, right." Jin and Lan had never noticed these details, but now that the driver pointed them out, their minds were a jumble. Jin Tianxing hastily changed the subject, "Are there any worthwhile scenic spots near where we're going?"

  "You're asking the right person." The driver said with pride, "Before I drove a taxi, I used to drive a bus for a travel company. At this time of year, when we arrived at Poyang Lake, it was just in time to watch the sunset. The setting sun cast a golden glow on all the clouds in the sky, and the lake surface was like a mirror, with the clouds reflected in the water. It was incredibly beautiful, just like a paradise on earth. After watching the sunset, you can find a nearby farmhouse to stay overnight, try some local farm dishes, and if there are many tourists, there might even be a bonfire party at night."

  The driver said it was good, but neither of them listened to a word, Blue Heart Lin's cheeks were getting hotter and hotter, her heart was about to jump out of her mouth. She glanced at Jin Tian Xing with the corner of her eye, her whole body had a numb and tingling feeling, she had never felt this way before. Her heart kept asking herself, did I really fall in love with him? Jin Tian Xing's situation wasn't much better, after being teased by the driver, he realized that he actually liked Blue Heart Lin, liking her simplicity, liking her sincerity. He had a guilty feeling in his heart, Luo Yi went missing not long ago, and he had already fallen for Qing Qing and Blue Heart Lin one after another. Wasn't he being a bit too promiscuous?

  "By the way, if you believe in Buddhism, there's a place you must visit. Not far from the lake shore, there is an Iron Zen Temple with a large scale, prosperous incense and a long history. It is said that many years ago, a wandering monk discovered that there were evil spirits haunting the lake, so he raised funds to build this temple. After the temple was completed, the number of missing persons in the lake decreased significantly, and the wandering monk became an immortal due to his boundless merits. In modern times, local residents still go to the Iron Zen Temple to pray for blessings from time to time. The current abbot is Master Yi De, a virtuous Dharma master who has allegedly converted a tomb raider into his disciple."

  "What? Say that again." The words "Lake Disappearance Case" and "Tomb Robber" floated into Lan Xinglin's ears, causing her to snap back to reality.

  The driver repeated what he had just said, and Jin and Lan listened carefully. After investigating the ghost tomb, they went to this Iron Zen Temple to take a look. If the abbot really had a disciple who was a grave robber, it would be a great gain, and maybe they could get some information about the whereabouts of San Yan Fo Shou. After asking for the address of the Iron Zen Temple, Lan Xinlin wrote it down in her notebook.

  An hour later, the taxi drove to the side of Poyang Lake. After giving the driver several hundred-yuan bills, the driver happily drove away.

  Jin and Lan stepped off the car, and a beautiful lake appeared before them. The water was like a mirror, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds. The speakers by the lake were playing soft music, with a gentle flute melody floating lightly on the surface of the water, carrying a hint of sadness. Directly in front of them was the mysterious old temple's waters, and seeing this place again filled both of their hearts with endless emotions. It was this very body of water that had tied the two together, but what secrets lay hidden beneath its surface? Jin Tianxing gazed at the lake, remembering the days when he and Luo Yi stood hand in hand on the bow of a yacht, his eyes filled with a hint of sadness. Lan Xinlin felt the same way, reaching out to take Jin's hand, "It's getting late, let's go find Tie Chan Temple first."

  Jin Tianxing nodded and took a step forward in the direction the driver had just pointed.

  Two hours later, it was already late afternoon. Jin and Lan finally found the Iron Zen Temple, a magnificent and grand building that occupied a vast area of land. The temples were connected in a row, and the sunset cast a faint golden glow on the high temples. From afar, the Bright Temple looked particularly solemn and sacred.

  Lan Xinlin sat on the white jade steps at the door, complaining, "Finally arrived! I knew it was so far away, I should have let the driver take me here directly. My legs are almost broken from walking."

  Jin Tianxing also sat on the stone steps, gazing towards the Iron Zen Temple. There were still many tourists in the temple, but no one was laughing loudly here. As if there was a kind of serene power soothing people's souls, comforting their wounded hearts. Jin Tianxing's heart gradually calmed down, and a warm current flowed through his body, like a gentle stream, like a faint breeze, indescribably comfortable. A picture appeared in his consciousness.

  Vast lakes and seas. Emerald waves stretch for thousands of miles.

  The sky is high and the clouds are light, a gentle breeze blows, water birds soar high, and huge fish leap. This is an extremely vivid and harmonious picture.

  Endless ocean, rolling up the mighty waves of heaven. Standing in front of it, one can feel the smallness of oneself. Heaven and earth in an instant...

  Lan Xinglin rested well, clapped her hands and stood up, "We've rested for half an hour, we should go find Master Yi De now."

  Jin Tian Xing woke up from the image, feeling extremely strange in his heart. In just a snap of his fingers, half an hour had passed. Why did he see such a bizarre scene?

  Lan Xinlin urged again, "Hurry up, what are you spacing out for?"

  Perhaps it was just a dream, Jin Tianxing didn't tell Lan Xinlin about what he saw.

  As soon as they stepped into the temple, both of them were stunned. On the left side of the gate, in the most eye-catching position, a water ink painting was hung, with simple strokes outlining a Buddha's head, which was exactly the three-eyed Buddha's head that the two were looking for. Next to the painting stood a young monk, who walked over after seeing the two staring at the three-eyed Buddha's head for a long time. "Amitabha," the little monk chanted a Buddhist mantra, "Do the two donors recognize this object?"

  "Of course we recognize it," said Blue Heart Lin, "we came for this very thing."

  The little monk rolled up the painting, "Those two donors come with me, Master Yi has been waiting for you for a long time." The young monk led the two of them through the crowded area where tourists gathered, passed through a small gate, and walked on a quiet path. Both sides of the road were planted with lush green bamboo.

  "Little Master, where are you taking us?" Jin Tianxing asked.

  "Go to the place where the virtuous master is in charge of the purification."

  Jin Tian Xing asked again, "Who painted the painting in your hand?"

  "It is a virtuous host."

  Xiao Heshang replied, "I've been waiting at the door for a long time." Blue Heart Lin also asked, "Little monk, how long have you been waiting at the door?"

  "It's been almost half a year, and you've finally arrived. I don't have to stand at the door every day anymore." Little monk was still young after all, and his words were filled with excitement.

  "How long has it been?" Lan Xinlin was shocked. "How did you know that the one De Master is waiting for is us, and the three-eyed Buddha's head in the painting is in the temple?"

  "A person with a different expression on their face when seeing his painting is someone with fate, I just need to bring people with fate to the place where he cultivates his mind and that's it. If you have any questions, go ask the abbot." The little monk stopped in his tracks, pointing at a thatched hut at the end of the path, "Abbot Yide and Master Yiban are there, go find them, I'm finally free!" The little monk cheered as he ran down the path. Lan Xinlin exclaimed, "Someone actually has the Dharma name 'Yiban', this name is too interesting."

  The thatched hut was made entirely of bamboo and thatch, extremely simple in construction, which would collapse with a strong gust of wind. The thatch on the roof couldn't even keep out the rain, a truly rustic abode. As they approached the door, a loud male voice came from inside. "Two benefactors, please come in, I have been waiting for you for a long time."

  Two men pushed open the door and entered, the interior of the thatched hut was extremely simple, with four or five tatami mats, a single oil lamp, a wooden fish drum, and nothing else. Inside the hut were two monks, one about fifty years old, with a dignified appearance, wearing a kasaya robe, who should be the famous Master Yide. The other monk had his back to the two men and was reciting scriptures, his face unseen.

  "Great Master Yi De is great." Jin Tianxing joined his palms together and bowed to Master Yi De. Lan Xinlin followed his example and also bowed to the master.

  "You two donors don't have to be polite, I've been waiting for you for a long time."

  "Does the Master know why we have come?"

  "Three-eyed Buddha's head!" Yide continued to recite a Buddhist mantra, "Namo Amitabha Buddha, sin, sin."

  Lan Xin asked anxiously, "Master, do you know where the Three-eyed Buddha's head is?"

  "These three-eyed Buddha heads are right here in the temple, and if the two donors want them, I'll give them to you immediately. There's something I need to remind you of beforehand: these three-eyed Buddha heads may be called Buddha heads, but they have nothing to do with the Buddha at all. Moreover, there is an evil spirit on the Buddha head that can bring disaster, it's best to throw it back into the ghost tomb and stop harming people."

  Jin Tian Xing asked several questions in one breath, "Master actually knows about Guiyuan, I suppose you have some understanding. The establishment of Tie Chan Temple seems to be related to Guiyuan as well. So who exactly built Guiyuan? Is there an immortal buried inside Guiyuan? What's the relationship between Guiyuan and the mysterious disappearance in the lake? And what about the evil power on top of San Yan Fo Shou?"

  "You've finally asked the right person, I'm familiar with the Ghost Mound. You ask, and I'll answer one by one. Who built the Ghost Mound? I don't know, probably no one in this world knows. I've searched through all the classics, but couldn't find any information about it. It's as if the Ghost Mound existed before humanity did. Maybe it was just suddenly discovered one day, or maybe it wasn't even built by humans. Is there a deity buried inside? I don't know either. The legend of deities is vague and unreliable. What's buried inside will be revealed when the mound is opened. As for whether Master Shi is related to the Ghost Mound's disappearance in the lake, I still don't know. However, every time something strange happens in the Ghost Mound, there's an anomaly in the lake water too. Whether they're connected or not, I'm not clear about that either. Regarding the evil power on the Three-eyed Buddha's head, I still don't know. But my disciple knows very clearly, so let him tell you."

  Yi De Master said he knew Gui Zhong, but several people didn't know that Jin and Lan were quickly stunned. Fortunately, someone heard about the Three-Eyed Buddha's head. The monk who was facing away from the two of them turned around after hearing Yi De's words, and when he saw his appearance clearly, Blue Heart Lin almost couldn't help but shout out "Ghost!", even Jin Tian Xing, fear appeared in his eyes.

  "Don't be alarmed, both of you donors. He is my disciple, and the reason he's become like this has an inseparable connection with the Three-eyed Buddha's head. Let him tell you in person."

  This half-monk was as his name suggested, with only half of him resembling a human and the other half looking like a wind-dried skull. His skin was dark grey, dry and sunken, revealing blood vessels and tendons. The exposed skin occasionally flashed with an eerie blue light. He looked more like a ghost than a human, emitting a terrifying aura that made people wonder how someone like him could still be alive.

  One of them spoke up and said, "My mundane name is Kong Xuan."

  Lan Xinling jumped up, "You are Kong Xuan, the notorious tomb raider, a Class A wanted criminal on the national list?"

  "In the past I was called Kong Xuan, now I am half alive and half dead, a half monk."

  Jin Tian Xing pulled Lan Xin Lin to his side and whispered in her ear, "You're not a police officer now, listen to him finish speaking first."

  One of them, with a poker face, said, "I know what you want to know, so I'll start from the beginning. Two years ago, in early May, Wu Haoyue, also a tomb raider, came to me and said that his younger brother had discovered two fellow thieves from Hong Kong who seemed to be planning something big in our city. I didn't believe it, as I had already explored the surrounding areas countless times, and even if there was a 'big score', it would have been looted many times over by now. Wu Haoyue wanted me to believe him, so he took me to secretly follow the two men from Hong Kong. After several days, we indeed discovered a large tomb on the shores of Poyang Lake. We were overjoyed, thinking that if we could pull this off, we could retire with a fortune. The two men from Hong Kong didn't seem to be in a hurry, lingering around the lake for several days, as if they were surveying something. We took advantage of the opportunity and gathered a group of people, planning to steal from them without having to enter the tomb ourselves. Five days later, the two men dug a hole in the reeds and entered the ancient tomb. We guarded the entrance to the tunnel for three days and three nights, but the two men didn't come out. We guessed that either they had triggered some mechanism inside the tomb and died, or they had exited through another passage. After discussing it with Wu Haoyue, we decided to bring five experienced younger brothers and follow the two men's tunnel into the ancient tomb."

  Although he had mentally prepared himself, Jin Tianxing still exclaimed, "You've descended into the Ghost Tomb?"

  "I didn't know it was a haunted tomb at the time, if I had known it was a haunted tomb, even if you lent me the courage of heaven, I wouldn't have dared to go down. Now I've finally gotten my just deserts."

  "Tell me quickly what you saw in the ghost tomb." Blue Heart Lin was eager to know what made this ghost tomb different from others.

  Half of his face was pale with fear, recalling that experience was a cruel torture for him, but he still forced himself to continue speaking. "The seven of us brought our equipment and went down into the ghost cave. The Hong Kong people's tomb raiding skills were very professional, and they were already standing in front of the grave door. The walls on both sides of the grave path were painted with murals, which seemed to depict a person becoming an immortal. I didn't look closely, but the grave door was already open, and we seven people walked through it into the tomb chamber. As soon as I stepped into the tomb chamber, I felt uneasy, and I glanced at Wu Haichuan, who also looked terrified. The entire tomb chamber was filled with an eerie atmosphere. The other five people didn't notice anything unusual and were excitedly searching for valuable antiques. Wu Haichuan and I walked around the tomb chamber in a circle, but we couldn't find any signs of the two Hong Kong people - they had vanished into thin air. We two didn't want to stay in the ancient tomb for another moment, so we gathered up the antiques that our younger brothers had found and took a look at them. But this only deepened the mystery in our hearts - as tomb raiders, we knew something about antiques, but the ones in front of us included items from various dynasties, and Wu Haichuan even found a piece of porcelain from the Republic of China era. Could it be that the person buried here was someone from modern times? Wu Haichuan and I exchanged a glance, and our eyes fell on the coffin in the center of the tomb chamber - the answer we sought lay within it. To get to the bottom of things, I agreed to open the coffin. When we lifted the lid, a burst of green light shot out, filling the entire tomb chamber with an eerie glow. I took a look inside the coffin and saw that there was no body, only a three-eyed Buddha head. Suddenly, strange noises began to emanate from all around us - rumbling sounds that grew louder and closer, accompanied by the faint sound of a woman's crying. Everyone panicked, and Wu Haichuan grabbed the three-eyed Buddha head and ran out of the ancient tomb. By the time we climbed back up to the surface, it was already past 9 am. Afraid of attracting attention from local fishermen, we hid in the reeds. We could still hear strange noises coming from underground. After about twenty minutes, the sounds stopped. Suddenly, the lake's surface began to shake violently, and a white light shot out of the water - coincidentally, an airplane was flying overhead at that moment, and it seemed like part of it had vanished into thin air before crashing to the ground. We took advantage of the distraction to make our escape from the reeds."

  Lan Xin's eyes welled up with tears, half of what was said had touched the pain in her heart, and she shouted loudly, "Is what you're saying true?"

  Half of them didn't know why she was so sad, and solemnly said, "I swear to the heavens and the Buddha's ancestors that if there is one false word in what I say, may I be beaten down to the eighteenth level of hell and never attain enlightenment."

  Jin Tianxing knew why Blue Heart Lin was heartbroken, her sister was on that plane, missing for three years with an unknown fate. Although she knew her sister's disappearance had something to do with Guizong and Lao Yema Temple, this was the first time she learned about the truth of her sister's disappearance. Jin Tianxing gently patted her back, trying to comfort her a little.

  After a minute, Lan Xilin lifted her head up. Except for her red eyes, there was no sign that she had just cried. She was indeed a strong girl. "What happened next? Continue telling."

  "We, a group of people, brought the three-eyed Buddha head back to the city and hid it in an abandoned warehouse. Everyone was extremely excited as the material of the Buddha head seemed like jade but not gold, definitely very precious. However, bad news came soon after, the tomb raiders were discovered by locals, and the government ordered a full investigation. A group of thugs from Hong Kong also arrived to inquire about the two men from Hong Kong and the antiques in the tomb. It wasn't long before there was a big fight between the two groups over the antiques, with guns even being fired. We didn't dare hide in the warehouse anymore, so we decided to hand the three-eyed Buddha head over to Wu Haoyue for safekeeping while we lay low for a while. However, not many days passed before Wu Haoyue died unexpectedly, and the three-eyed Buddha head fell into someone else's hands. Not long after that, this person also died, and within less than three years, everyone who had possessed the three-eyed Buddha head met with unexpected death. Finally, the three-eyed Buddha head ended up in my possession. The third eye of the Buddha statue was originally closed, but one night I woke up from a dream to find it open, staring at me like a living person. I fainted immediately and when I came to, I felt extremely tired, and the third eye had closed again. I realized that the three-eyed Buddha head was absorbing my life force, and with no other choice, I decided to end my life once and for all. I brought the three-eyed Buddha head to the lake and prepared to drown myself, but fortunately, I met Master Yide, and although my life was saved, half of my body became like this. If we hadn't been greedy at that moment, we wouldn't have brought this evil object into the world. Therefore, I decided to retreat from the world and become a monk to atone for my sins."

  Yi Ban finally finished his story. Jin Tian Xing couldn't help but ask, "Master Yi De, is the Three-Eyed Buddha's head really an evil object?"

  "Amitabha Buddha, I don't know either, but one thing I'm very sure of is that this three-eyed Buddha head doesn't belong to a human being."

  Jin Tianxing's head got bigger, "Not a human thing, is it a fairy or an alien?"

  "This old monk doesn't know."

  Lan Xinlin muttered under her breath, "It would be great if I could take a look at the Three-eyed Buddha's head."

  "It's not difficult, the Three-Eyed Buddha was buried outside the house from the beginning. Half of it has been dug out, and I've decided to give it to the two donors."

  "Ah..."