Chapter 112: This Morbid World

Before long, the people sent to look for Cai Mei came hurrying back. They reported that they had been unable to find her. Then someone from the research institute rushed in through the gate and said that Cai Mei had taken Old Fan and fled toward the rear mountain.

The Grand Master led several people out of the courtyard, with the research institute staff following close behind. As darkness gradually descended, some carried torches while others wielded flashlights, and the group hurried toward the rear mountain.

These matters no longer had anything to do with Zhang Qinglin and the others. Yet the moment Zhang Qinglin remembered Zhu Sha’s final words to him in Tianmen Cave, he became restless. Zhu Sha and Cai Mei must have known each other, and some sort of emotional entanglement must have existed between them. Otherwise, Zhu Sha would never have asked him to deliver such a message. But Old Fan’s relationship with her was clearly no ordinary one either.

Looking out at the darkness shrouding the area beyond the main hall, Zhang Qinglin realized that more than an hour had passed, and the Grand Master and the others had still not returned. Just as he was about to go outside and take a look, a commotion erupted beyond the hall.

The Grand Master and the others had returned. They had surrounded Cai Mei in the open space.

Her hands were bound behind her back, and ropes were tied around her legs. Her disheveled hair nearly covered the upper half of her face, while blood stained both her face and body.

After tending to his wounds, Old Fan walked over to the Grand Master and asked how the matter should be handled. The Grand Master said that someone had already been sent to contact the local police station, whose officers would soon arrive to take her away.

“What do you think happened to Master Cai? How did she suddenly become like this? Do you think she’s really gone mad? Look at her—she seems possessed.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. This is a sacred Buddhist site. Still, when I saw her yesterday, I already felt that something was wrong.”

“Do you know that madman—the one Master Cai often brought food to? Could he have infected her?”

“Hey, he’s spoken to me before. He didn’t seem like that. All right, all right, let’s stop guessing.”

Two people standing beside Zhang Qinglin whispered among themselves. Zhang Qinglin kept his eyes on Cai Mei. Suddenly, she jerked her head to one side, revealing an expression of terror as she stared blankly at him.

Old Fan slowly bent down and raised a hand to adjust his shattered glasses. Then he demanded, “Cai Mei, I asked you this earlier, but I’ll ask you again: Were you the one who stole those things? And what exactly were you trying to accomplish by approaching me?”

Cai Mei’s vacant gaze never left Zhang Qinglin.

Zhang Qinglin slowly walked toward her.

“No... Don’t. Don’t come any closer.” Cai Mei suddenly twisted her face into a ferocious expression. Excited and panicked, she dragged herself backward while raising her head and shouting at Zhang Qinglin as he approached.

Her abnormal behavior left everyone bewildered. Old Fan was startled beside her, and though he tried to conceal his nervousness, he straightened and turned to look at Zhang Qinglin.

“Do you have some grudge against her?” Old Fan asked.

Zhang Qinglin was equally stunned. He took a few steps back and studied Cai Mei carefully, unable to understand why she was so frightened of him.

Cheng Che, standing behind him, said unhappily, “Mr. Fan, what are you implying? We’ve only met her once. What grudge could we possibly have against her?”

“I wasn’t speaking to you, so please don’t interrupt. Comrade Zhang, forgive me for being abrupt just now. It’s simply that she reacted so violently the moment you approached. I don’t understand why she’s so afraid of you.” Old Fan’s expression was grave.

At that moment, Zhang Qinglin noticed Cai Mei’s eyes. She was not staring at his body, but at his right hand.

The next second, Zhang Qinglin realized what he was holding in that hand. He quickly brought it in front of him, and Cai Mei’s reaction confirmed his suspicion.

“I have no grudge against her. She’s afraid of this.” Zhang Qinglin opened his right hand and displayed the jade tiger in his palm for everyone to see.

The crowd immediately erupted in another round of discussion. Old Fan’s expression changed as soon as he saw the jade tiger.

“Where did you get that?”

A sharp glint flashed through Zhang Qinglin’s eyes. “It seems you know what it is, Mr. Fan.”

Old Fan stared intently at the jade tiger in Zhang Qinglin’s hand and nodded. “It’s a jade tiger. Judging from its appearance and patterns, it seems to date from the Shang Dynasty. But what is so unusual about yours that it provoked such an extreme reaction from Cai Mei?”

“That is something you’ll have to ask her. Since she reacts so strongly to the jade tiger, she must have suffered some kind of trauma.” As he spoke, Zhang Qinglin put it away. Then he said, “Calm down. You know Cinnabar, don’t you? He asked me to deliver a message to you. He said he was sorry and hoped you could forgive him.”

Although Zhang Qinglin’s voice was not loud, Cai Mei’s body reacted even more violently when she heard him.

Her eyes stared blankly ahead. Suddenly, she began murmuring, “Where are you, Old Zhu... Where are you...”

“Cinnabar—the man who chopped firewood? You’ve seen him? Where is he now?” Old Fan asked.

“He’s dead. Do you know what kind of relationship existed between Cinnabar and her?” Zhang Qinglin asked, turning slightly to the side.

A young monk stepped out from the crowd. His bright eyes darted about as he said, “I know what their relationship was. Madman Zhu and Master Cai were originally husband and wife. They never officially married, but they had a child. Unfortunately, the child died not long after being born. I heard that Master Cai killed it, which was why Cinnabar went mad.”

As the young monk spoke, everyone looked at Cai Mei in horror. No one had expected her to commit such a thing. In their eyes, she was no longer human. Her cruelty was worse than that of a beast, and even those who had initially pitied her now regarded her with cold indifference.

Zhang Qinglin sighed inwardly. It was true—every person possessed life, but not everyone understood its value, much less cherished it. To those who did not understand life, life itself became a punishment.

(At last, the novel has officially launched. Thank you all for your support and encouragement during this time. In the days ahead, let’s continue striving together. To all my wonderful readers and fellow authors, Little Jiu loves you!)