Volume Two: The Great and the Small, Chapter Sixty-Seven: Clues Within the Water-Cloud Convent

The next morning, Huang Ming set out from Beijing accompanied by Qi Changfeng and Xu Xingzhi.

Since his arrival in this era, this was one of the few times he had left the city, and his first visit to the western suburbs.

In later centuries, this area would become bustling and prosperous, still considered part of the capital, where buying a house would require generations of savings—often beyond the reach of ordinary people.

But several hundred years ago, during the Ming dynasty, the western outskirts beyond the city appeared rather desolate.

Though there were villages, they were separated by several miles. The view was mostly of official roads and dense, lush forests—a stark contrast to the city’s vibrant scene.

Approaching Shuiyun Temple, the surroundings were especially deserted for miles around. No wonder the kidnappers chose this place; there was truly no fear of being disturbed.

At the temple entrance, one of Zhang Han’s attendants was still on guard. Seeing Huang Ming and his party arrive by carriage, he hurried forward to greet them and reported, “The young ladies inside the temple are quite shaken and have talked about reporting the matter to the authorities. It was only after repeated persuasion on my part that they calmed down and didn’t actually go to the Daxing county office.”

According to regulations, this western suburb fell under the jurisdiction of Daxing County, while a large area to the east of the capital belonged to Wanping County. Both counties ultimately reported to the Shuntian Prefecture.

Huang Ming patted the attendant’s shoulder. “You did well. Did you ask the young ladies what exactly happened that night?”

“They all said they couldn’t remember clearly. It happened at night while everyone was resting; suddenly they were attacked. There were only women in the temple, except for Young Master Xu, the only man, so they couldn’t resist at all...”

Huang Ming nodded, not rushing inside but first circling the relatively small Shuiyun Temple. He soon found signs of someone climbing over the wall at the northeast corner.

Broken bricks and bits of mortar lay freshly at the base of the wall.

Huang Ming picked up a handful, rubbing it between his fingers. “Their number must have been small, and they weren’t particularly skilled.”

Qi Changfeng, who had the most experience in such matters, immediately agreed, “Exactly, Master. The wall here is barely taller than a man, yet they left so many traces. Since marks appear only in this corner, they must have climbed over one by one. There couldn’t have been many—around five, perhaps.”

Xu Xingzhi looked at the two with admiration, feeling inferior. As a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he was a novice at crime scene investigation compared to Huang Ming and Qi Changfeng.

“Let’s go inside and have a look,” Huang Ming said, and Qi Changfeng easily vaulted over the wall, landing lightly inside without soiling his clothes.

After a short time, he emerged just as gracefully.

“Master, I took a careful look. This side leads to the courtyard where the young ladies and pilgrims sleep. The courtyards are spaced apart, so if they were careful, they wouldn’t have been noticed.”

Huang Ming smiled faintly. “These people may not be strong, but they are cunning. They must have scouted the place before, perhaps even entered Shuiyun Temple previously. Let’s go speak with the young ladies and see how much they remember.”

They were received by a nun around fifty years old, who introduced herself as Huixin, abbess of Shuiyue Temple.

Though still visibly shaken, years of cultivation had taught her to greet guests with decorum.

After some polite exchange, Huang Ming got to the point, asking about the events of that night. The abbess could only say they couldn’t recall clearly, hadn’t seen the attackers’ faces, and were knocked unconscious and bound with their mouths gagged.

“Since there are almost no homes nearby, aren’t you worried about incidents like this?” Huang Ming asked casually from another angle.

Huixin smiled bitterly, “Our temple has stood here for decades, and nothing like this has ever happened before.”

“Hmm...” Huang Ming responded thoughtfully.

Huixin explained, “Our temple doesn’t have the bustling incense and offerings of most temples. We have only a few acres of temple land, just enough for our needs as practitioners, so no thieves have reason to bother us.

“Moreover, Shuiyue Temple was built in the Chenghua era with funds from the Duke of Dingguo’s estate. It’s essentially a family temple of the Duke’s clan. Naturally, no petty criminals dare to cause trouble here.”

Huang Ming raised an eyebrow, surprised to learn of Shuiyue Temple’s connection to the Xu family.

Xu Xingzhi was also somewhat taken aback. Having visited many times, he had never known this temple was linked to the Duke of Dingguo’s household. No wonder his mother chose to come here to pay respects.

“Besides Miss Xu Yunzhi and her companions, do others come here to offer incense or stay for a few days?” Huang Ming asked.

“There are no outsiders. This is an abbey; we generally don’t accommodate overnight guests. Only members of the Duke’s clan are welcomed to stay and worship.”

“Have any Xu family members who don’t usually come here visited recently?”

Xu Xingzhi’s heart skipped. Could it be that the attackers were from the Xu family itself?

“None, I believe...” Huixin thought hard but shook her head.

“None at all?” Huang Ming pressed.

“No…” Huixin shook her head again but then seemed to recall something. “No guests stayed overnight, but a few visitors came with Miss Xu and her group. They only walked around the temple, offered incense, and then left.”

“What kind of people? How many?”

“I didn’t ask in detail, but Miss Xu called the woman in the couple ‘Third Sister.’ There were four of them: a couple, a maid, and a servant.”

“Third Sister? Could that be Wang Mao and Xu Zhen’s couple?” Xu Xingzhi immediately speculated but quickly dismissed it. “If it were them, they wouldn’t be involved. They’re an upright family, and Wang Mao holds the title of juren; they wouldn’t associate with such criminals.”

Huang Ming made no reply and asked, “No one else came by?”

“No. Shuiyun Temple is always quiet, with few visitors.”

Huang Ming pondered silently, then glanced at the sky. “It’s past noon. Let’s rest briefly, then prepare to head to the Western Hills.”

Indeed, the Western Hills were not far from here—only about half an hour’s journey to the mountain’s foot. They came partly to investigate the case, and Huang Ming’s expression suggested he had already caught a crucial clue.

After resting for half an hour and as the afternoon heat lessened, the three men and their carriage set off again and soon arrived at the base of the Western Hills.