Chapter 113: Intentions or Treachery

"You useless woman, you are not worthy of possessing this body at all."

"Shut up! You have caused me such misery, made me endure endless suffering, and now you mock me? Get out of my body immediately!"

"Old Fan, I am Cai Mei. No matter what that woman says to you, do not believe her. She is an evil spirit."

Cai Mei’s face twitched. Behind her frenzied laughter, her eyes rolled back and forth, alternating between black pupils and whites. Old Fan stood to the side, watching her in astonishment.

"In this life, I only wish to find the Great King. Why can you not let me be, Fu Hao?"

Cai Mei revealed the whites of her eyes again and roared at Zhang Qinglin. Although her voice was loud, her words were slurred and indistinct; no one could clearly make out what she was saying. However, that mention of "Fu Hao" struck Zhang Qinglin with shock. He wondered, could she be the woman who killed Fu Hao?

Seeing this, the master gestured for others to move Old Fan and Zhang Qinglin back, then joined several monks to surround Cai Mei, beginning to chant Buddhist mantras.

Before long, the chanting pacified her.

A while later, the police arrived and took Cai Mei away. As they left, Old Fan called out to stop Zhang Qinglin.

No one knew what kind of person Old Fan truly was. Fearing for Zhang Qinglin to be alone with him, Cheng Che stopped in front of Zhang Qinglin and glared at Old Fan.

"It’s alright, go wait for me over there," Zhang Qinglin said to Cheng Che.

Watching the others head toward the main hall, Old Fan turned to the side and looked up at the moon.

"Mr. Fan, please say what you have to say," Zhang Qinglin observed, realizing Old Fan did not intend to ask about Cai Mei.

Old Fan pulled half a pack of cigarettes and a box of matches from his pocket. He took out two, offering one to Zhang Qinglin, who waved his hand to decline.

Old Fan placed the cigarette between his lips, struck a match, lit it, and took a deep drag. With half-closed eyes, he asked, "May I see the jade tiger in your possession?"

Zhang Qinglin watched him intently, then took out the jade tiger and placed it in his palm. Old Fan held the piece up to the lightbulb hanging on the wall, examining it closely.

Leaning against a pillar at the doorway, Cheng Che kept his eyes fixed on Old Fan. Seeing him stroke the object Zhang Qinglin had given him under the light, he asked curiously, "What exactly is the relationship between Old Fan and Cai Mei?"

Chi Tan leaned in and whispered into Cheng Che’s ear, "Brother Che, don't you think Cai Mei looks like someone?"

Cheng Che shoved him away and curled his lip, asking, "Like who?"

"That girl, A Shui, who hanged herself!"

Cheng Che raised his arm and slapped the back of Chi Tan's head.

"It seems Old Fan is very interested in the jade tiger. Chi Tan, where did this piece come from?" Wan Qing asked thoughtfully.

Chi Tan turned his head, blinked, and leaned toward the corner, recounting the harrowing encounter he and Zhang Qinglin had experienced with the eerie tree, the stone disc, and the Heavenly Gate Cave.

"Hmm, it is indeed a Shang Dynasty artifact. The craftsmanship and patterns are exquisite. Who gave this to you? I know this cannot be yours," Old Fan asked.

"Mr. Fan, have you seen this jade tiger before?" Zhang Qinglin remained composed.

Old Fan nodded, explaining that a few days ago, someone had come up the mountain to speak with the abbot, and he had happened to see that person holding this very piece. He had intended to acquire it from that person, but the man left in a hurry, and he hadn't been able to track him down since. Now, he wanted to acquire the one in Zhang Qinglin’s hands.

"I’m sorry, Mr. Fan, but this jade tiger is very important to me. Furthermore, this is not the piece you mentioned. Although there are few round-carved jade tigers from the Shang Dynasty, many replicas have surfaced recently. You should be well aware of that, Mr. Fan. Please forgive me for being unable to help," Zhang Qinglin said, looking at Old Fan as he reached out to take back the jade tiger.

Old Fan adjusted his glasses, his brow furrowing slightly. As he saw Zhang Qinglin turn to leave, he asked, "Do you want to know about Master Ma?"

Zhang Qinglin stopped in his tracks immediately. "You know Master Ma?"

Old Fan touched his nose, cleared his throat, and said, "Ahem... Master Ma is quite mysterious. His affairs..." He paused, darted his eyes left and right, and continued, "It is not convenient to discuss his matters here. I will come to find you tomorrow afternoon and tell you everything you want to know. How about that?"

"You will tell me what I want to know, and then what? Are you looking for..."

"Comrade Zhang, you are truly a smart man. Let’s leave it at this for today. Everyone get some rest, and I will see you tomorrow afternoon." Old Fan patted Zhang Qinglin on the shoulder and walked away, limping.

After Old Fan left, Cheng Che and the others approached Zhang Qinglin, asking what had been said and if it concerned the jade tiger. Zhang Qinglin nodded and relayed how Old Fan had used information about Master Ma as a bargaining chip.

"This Old Fan acts like a gentleman on the surface but pulls these stunts in the shadows. I guessed right! Old Zhang, you must think this through. Even if the jade tiger wasn't obtained through proper channels, you shouldn't let him have it for a pittance. If this thing is real, it’s worth a fortune," Cheng Che said with a sharp gaze.

"Regardless, if he really has information on Master Ma, it might be worth it," Wan Qing added, lifting her eyes to look at them.

After Cai Mei was taken away by the police, the Xia Temple felt exceptionally quiet that night, and the hours passed quickly.

The next morning, someone returned from the foot of the mountain with news: Cai Mei had committed suicide while in police custody.

The news was truly unexpected.

Before she died, Cai Mei had written a letter in blood, in which she mentioned Old Fan and instructed him to go to a house at the edge of Chafu Village to retrieve an item, then bury that object with her.