Chapter 42

Although Ye Yu was not proficient in medicine and knew nothing about refining medicinal pills, as a former soldier, he had some knowledge of how to extract opium from poppies.

After several failed attempts at extraction, he finally managed to refine a crude form of opium.

He was extremely cautious with this substance. He had never intended to use it for huge profits but rather to destroy it after this matter.

When blending the opium into rosemary, Ye Yu carefully controlled the amount, as he did not want to use it to cause anyone's death.

Although Lu Zheng had a deep grudge against him and his father wanted to kill him, Ye Yu was still alive and well. Therefore, he only wanted to punish Lu Zheng and did not intend to take his life.

In Ye Yu's view, even if Lu Kun were punished, whether anyone in the court would plead for him was secondary. However, the wealth he had embezzled from the people would certainly be confiscated according to the law.

But how much of this so-called confiscation would truly enter the national treasury? Embezzlement had been a problem since ancient times, and even under the Song Dynasty's policy of high salaries to prevent corruption, no one would find too much money to be a burden!

Therefore, only a third of Lu Kun's vast wealth would end up in the treasury! But even this small portion, how much would be used to help the people? Most of it would be spent by high officials, and eventually, it would all be exhausted!

Although Ye Yu had never been in the bureaucracy, such situations were all too common in the modern world.

Rather than let this wealth be stripped layer by layer until not a single copper coin remained, it would be better for him to deceive this wealth into his hands and return it to the people of Qingliu County at the right time, truly taking from the people and using it for the people.

Even if this action might be looked down upon by some, Ye Yu was not a pedantic person.

"Master, will that thing really not cause death?" Qiulan asked Ye Yu in a low voice, her face flushed.

Guo Xiaotian glanced at Qiulan and said sternly, "Didn't you just say that the boy deserved to die? Why are you concerned now?"

"Harming others is not good... I'm worried that Master might get into trouble because of this..."

Qiulan, who was naturally kind, could still think of Ye Yu at this moment, which deeply moved him. He comforted her, saying, "Don't worry. Since I've given the medicine, I've already controlled the dosage. He will suffer for quite some time, though..."

As he spoke, Ye Yu turned to Li Dayin and smiled, "Brother Li, you can let Qin Yue return. Next, it's our turn to act! Are you willing to go to the underworld with me?"

"The underworld? Hahaha! You're fearless in the face of mountains of knives and seas of fire, so how could I not go with you to the underworld?"

Li Dayin laughed loudly when Ye Yu mentioned the underworld, which left Qiulan puzzled. She thought that only the dead could enter the underworld, so why...

Thinking this, Qiulan tilted her head and asked, "Master, the underworld..."

"Without going to the underworld, how can we find evidence of Lu Kun's crimes and punish him in the world of the living?"

...

In the back hall of the county office, Lu Kun was pacing back and forth, his face full of worry. It was already past the time for the court session, but he had no intention of going home.

Thinking of his son, he was extremely anxious. It had been ten days, and he had invited all the doctors and imperial physicians in the county, as well as those from Lai'an Prefecture.

But the results were disappointing. Apart from prescribing some calming and nourishing medicines, no one could stop the addiction from tormenting his son.

"Sir..." At this moment, Wang Shi rushed in from the front hall.

"What's the matter? Is it about Zheng'er?"

Seeing his wife so flustered, Lu Kun thought his son might be causing trouble again. These days, despite locking Lu Zheng in the room, his constant fussing had made him, as a father, extremely anxious.

Wang Shi hurriedly came close and panted, "No, it's... about..."

Lu Kun was immediately angry, already anxious, and shouted, "Speak clearly!"

Wang Shi was frightened by Lu Kun's outburst and stammered, "I heard that there is a wandering monk at Longshan Temple who is very skilled in treating strange and difficult diseases. Why don't we invite him to treat Zheng'er? It might work!"

"Hmph! Wandering monks are mostly frauds, how can we believe them?"

Hearing Lu Kun's dismissive words, Wang Shi was unhappy, turned around, and sat on a stool, coldly snorting, "So you're just going to watch Zheng'er suffer?"

"Am I not already inviting famous doctors to treat Zheng'er?" Lu Kun saw that Wang Shi was angry and softened his tone, sitting down to comfort her.

It was better not to mention this, but when it came up, Wang Shi couldn't help but choke up, her voice trembling with tears, "You call them famous doctors? You've invited so many, but none of them can cure Zheng'er's illness. This disease is not something ordinary medicine can cure. Why don't you try the monk's skills? Perhaps he can really cure Zheng'er..."

"This..." Wang Shi's words left Lu Kun hesitant. Although he didn't believe in the skills of wandering monks, his wife's words made sense.

"Sir..."

Seeing his wife's anxious look, Lu Kun stroked his beard and thought for a moment, then agreed and sent the county office guards to Longshan Temple to invite the wandering monk to treat Lu Zheng.

However, what Lu Kun didn't expect was that this monk, Zhiyuan, was not easy to invite. First, the guards he sent couldn't bring him, and then when his wife, Wang Shi, went, Zhiyuan refused to come down the mountain, claiming he was researching medicine.

However, he gave Wang Shi a bottle of pills, saying it could alleviate Lu Zheng's condition.

Monks refining pills was not uncommon. With the changing times, the ideas and beliefs of Buddhism and Taoism had gradually merged.

Therefore, monks were not just sitting in meditation and chanting scriptures but also engaged in refining pills to save lives. Taoists were not just refining pills and practicing asceticism but also had a deeper understanding of Buddhist principles, such as the phrase "Boundless Life Buddha" often used by Taoists.

Wang Shi, holding the bottle of pills like a treasure, hurriedly returned home and gave them to her son. The result was as Zhiyuan had said, the pills indeed alleviated Lu Zheng's condition, which made Wang Shi even more convinced that Zhiyuan could cure her son.

Seeing that the pills were effective, Lu Kun was also overjoyed. However, it was a pity that Zhiyuan refused to come down the mountain.

He had thought about sending guards to force him, but he reconsidered. The Buddhist temple was a place of purity, and using force would have a significant impact.

It seemed he had to go personally, but at this moment, Lu Kun felt something was not right, though he couldn't say exactly what.

This time, the cautious Lu Kun did not bring servants but brought the county office guards for protection.

Lu Kun, with a group of guards, arrived at Longshan Temple, which was founded during the Liang Dynasty in the Tianjian period. The temple was surrounded by ancient trees, and there was a spring on the mountain that flowed year-round. Wu Guo had written, "Climbing the ladder to the temple under the moon, breaking the bamboo to draw the mountain spring," describing the beautiful scenery. It was rare to have such an ancient temple in Qingliu County.

Upon arriving at Longshan Temple, Lu Kun first paid respects to the abbot, Yuan Tong, and then learned that the wandering monk, Zhiyuan, was staying in the Western Zen Hall, where he mostly meditated and studied medicine, rarely speaking to strangers.

As they walked and talked, they soon arrived at the Western Zen Hall.

"Master, forgive my impertinence, but where did Zhiyuan take his vows, and why did he end up here?" Lu Kun asked softly as they entered the Western Zen Hall.

Abbot Yuan Tong was a fat monk, his round body fitting his name. Perhaps because of his robust build, he still had a ruddy complexion despite being over fifty, with few wrinkles on his round face.

Seeing Lu Kun's question, he chuckled, "Amitabha, Sir, you may not know, but Zhiyuan has been staying here for half a year. As for where he took his vows, many years ago, when I was on a pilgrimage, I passed through Fengxiang's Jinguang Temple, where I met Zhiyuan..."

Lu Kun nodded, feeling more at ease, and then bowed to Yuan Tong before entering the Western Zen Hall. Without asking for permission, he went straight to the meditation room and pushed the door open.

Upon entering, he found the room empty, with only the incense burner on the altar emitting a fragrant smoke. The smell was particularly pleasant, and he felt refreshed after taking a deep breath.

Lu Kun looked around but found no sign of Zhiyuan. He decided to find Abbot Yuan Tong to ask for more information.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, he suddenly felt a dizziness, and the door of the meditation room closed automatically. The alert Lu Kun sensed something was wrong and hurriedly tried to leave.

As he stumbled towards the door, a figure in gray rushed out from his left. The figure, dressed in gray, with black hair covering his face, held a dagger and lunged at him with a fierce expression.

Lu Kun was terrified. He shouted, but no one responded. He deeply regretted leaving the guards in the front courtyard, as they were too far away to help.

The gray figure moved like lightning, catching Lu Kun before he could escape. Without a word, he stabbed Lu Kun in the abdomen.

Lu Kun felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, making it hard to breathe. Looking down, he saw his blue robe soaked in blood.

He never expected his trip to Longshan Temple to be his last. Combined with the dizziness, Lu Kun fainted on the spot.