Chapter 111: Two Poles

After the high monk finished packing his long needles and left with a few parting instructions, Wanqing stood up from her chair and recounted the unusual events that had unfolded at dawn.

"We were trapped under the cliff at the time. You had gone to look for Chi Tan and hadn't returned, and Cheng Che was still unconscious. I didn't dare leave him alone to go find you, so I had to wait where we were. During that time, a fierce windstorm blew through. After it died down, I leaned against a rock and heard footsteps. Thinking it was you all returning, I opened my eyes to look.

"I caught a glimpse of a figure heading toward the wreckage of our overturned vehicle. I called out, but there was no response. Then, I heard a series of rustling sounds from inside the car, as if someone were searching for something. After calling out a few more times with no reply, I started walking toward the car. The rummaging sound continued, so I picked up my pace.

"I clenched my fists and rounded to the other side of the vehicle, but found that everything had gone quiet. Just as dawn was breaking, I saw someone walking toward us. When the person drew near, it turned out to be Cai Mei.

"Cai Mei’s expression was very strange; she seemed to be smiling. Then, Cheng Che woke up.

"I asked her, 'Why are you here?' She replied, 'I just came back from the village and happened to see someone here while passing by.'

"Later, while we were heading from the mountain road toward Xia Temple, we found you. You were collapsed at the edge of the cliff on a bend. The situation was dire; you were burning with fever and struggling to breathe. There wasn't a single vehicle on the mountain road, and both the surrounding villages and the path down the mountain were too far away. In our desperation, we had no choice but to go to the nearest place, Xia Temple, to seek help."

"Cheng Che, didn't you notice anything off about Cai Mei?" Wanqing asked.

"Now that you mention it, I did. It was that jade tiger in Old Zhang's hand."

Zhang Qinglin picked up the jade tiger to examine it closely. He then noticed a deep, purplish-blue bruise on the palm of his left hand and finally felt the stinging pain—it must have been caused by gripping the jade tiger too tightly.

"What does this have to do with the jade tiger?" Wanqing asked.

"It has everything to do with it. Didn't you see Cai Mei kneeling beside Old Zhang trying to take the jade tiger? I thought she was wiping the sweat off his forehead at the time, but now that I think about it, she looked terrifying when she left. I spoke to her, and she left looking very nervous. Also, it seemed like she was hiding something in her sleeve, but it wasn't the jade tiger," Cheng Che recalled of the scene he witnessed that morning.

Chi Tan hopped down from the kang and said, "I saw it. It was a knife."

Cheng Che and Wanqing looked at Chi Tan simultaneously. Zhang Qinglin was also stunned, wondering if Cai Mei had been planning to strike at him.

Zhang Qinglin asked, "So, where is Cai Mei now?"

"I asked around in the front earlier today, but everyone said they hadn't seen her. And Old Fan isn't in the temple either," Wanqing said, leaning against the table.

"What about Little An and Director Fan?"

Cheng Che leaned in and whispered, "I heard that after Director Fan returned yesterday, he handed the theft investigation over to Old Fan and left Xia Temple overnight. The people at the research institute say he went back to Hebei to handle some matters. I think he must have followed Director Fan. I found this on the exhaust pipe of the Jaguar." Cheng Che pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket.

The paper had only two words written on it: "All is well."

"If he went to Hebei, he should be safe. Now, there is something very important I want to ask you. The person who hunted you down at the hospital got away, and he was the one who set the fire there. I want to know if this person is the same one from the mine who tried to kill you," Wanqing said, walking to the edge of the kang and gazing at Zhang Qinglin.

Cheng Che added, "I remember you said you were being hunted at the North Slope. Could it be the same person? Why exactly does this person want you dead?"

"I think it has to do with my father."

Wanqing said calmly, "Don't worry, I will find a way to track him down."

Suddenly, a shout echoed through the courtyard: "Master! Master! Something is wrong, come quickly!" This was followed by the sound of frantic footsteps.

Zhang Qinglin and the others exchanged glances. Hearing the urgent cries, it sounded like something major had occurred. They left the room and followed a young monk toward the backyard. A crowd had already gathered on the side of the courtyard, and as Zhang Qinglin and his companions pushed through, they saw two injured monks lying on the ground.

One had already been helped up; his chest was covered in deep gashes, and he was soaked in blood. The other still had a knife plunged into his chest; blood was flowing out, though the wound did not appear deep.

Someone had already brought a medical kit and was working to stop the bleeding and treat their wounds. The Master knelt beside them, tending to their injuries while asking what happened. The less severely injured monk caught his breath and stammered, "It... it was Cai... Master Cai..."

As soon as he spoke, everyone was shocked. "Master Cai? Are you sure you didn't mistake her? Master Cai has been in this courtyard for over a dozen years. Why would she hurt you?"

The injured monk explained that about ten minutes earlier, he and his junior brother had gone to the kitchen to put away firewood. After they finished, they heard a commotion inside the room, thinking perhaps Master Cai was preparing something delicious, so they headed inside.

When they reached the half-open door, they saw a figure crouching in front of the stove, head bowed, frantically devouring something. A pungent, fishy odor hit them.

The two rushed in. Since the temple observed a strict vegetarian diet, no meat was allowed in the courtyard; even the researchers followed a vegetarian regimen.

The junior brother, who was in the lead, hadn't even reached her when Master Cai turned her head. They were both terrified to see Master Cai with her mouth covered in blood, holding a half-eaten, bloodied bone in her hand. In the bamboo basket in front of her lay a bloody, dead rabbit.

Before they could say a word, Master Cai stood up. Her almond-shaped eyes widened, and she looked like a completely different person as she marched toward them. She first shut the door and tried to negotiate with them, asking them not to speak of what they had seen. But when the junior brother refused, Master Cai’s expression hardened, and she pulled out a sharp knife from somewhere and slashed at them.

"That can't be right. She has such a good temperament," said a simple-looking middle-aged man from the research institute.

"Indeed, indeed!" several others echoed in agreement.