I Can Strengthen Infinitely-Chapter 101 - 90: Ancient Temple of the Former Dynasty (2)
Rainy days made the slopes slippery and difficult to traverse.
While supporting himself with tree trunks and branches to stabilize his footing, Chen Chun led the way and narrated the case details to Qin Yuesheng.
Chen Chun was orphaned at a young age and was raised by his uncle.
His uncle, a porcelain craftsman, had been dispatched by the town chief a few days ago to repair some ceramics in the Ancient Temple on the East Slope Forest.
Four other master craftsmen from the town accompanied him, making a total of five.
It’s said that the town chief wanted to repair the ceramics in the Ancient Temple to curry favor with Guang Zhao, who had recently been assigned from Chang’an to the Yangzhou Prefecture.
Given the rising status of the eunuch faction, gaining the appreciation of a eunuch could easily result in the promotion of a small town chief to a County Magistrate of some place.
The allure of this opportunity was substantial.
For several days, the five craftsmen worked in the Ancient Temple and then suddenly vanished the night before last, without any signs of struggle. Their families searched the Ancient Temple and the East Slope Forest but found nothing.
The situation now was that they were neither alive nor dead.
With no other options, since his uncle had a heavy paternal role in his upbringing, Chen Chun couldn’t just watch as his uncle’s whereabouts remained unknown. Thus, he went alone to report the matter to the authorities in Cyan Yang City.
As they walked further, Qin Yuesheng could already see the towering Ancient Temple located halfway up the East Slope Forest in the woods.
It was no wonder—it had been funded by a former emperor. Even after so many years, it retained its awe-inspiring grandeur.
Arriving at the temple entrance, Qin Yuesheng closed his umbrella and entered. With a corridor for shelter from the rain, he no longer needed the oil-paper umbrella.
"This way, officer," Chen Chun, familiar with the surroundings, guided Qin Yuesheng towards the main hall.
The hall inside no longer housed a Buddha statue, and a thick layer of dust had accumulated on the chipped and scarred stone pedestal.
On the floor were cockroach carcasses, moth corpses, and even dried rat corpses, their cause of death unknown.
"Officer, it’s here. This is the white porcelain mural my uncle and the others were repairing," Chen Chun pointed towards the wall.
It was a large mural embedded in the mud wall, no smaller than two carriages, and its history was unknown.
The mural depicted a panoramic view of a palace with pavilions, winding corridors, ponds, gardens, groups of maidservants, and court ladies drinking together—all crafted with colored materials.
Undoubtedly, it was a rare and precious antique, though the multiple cracks at its edges greatly diminished its original value.
"This mural is impressive," Qin Yuesheng praised.
Chen Chun replied, "This Ancient Temple originally housed many treasures, but many were stolen by robbers. Now only this, too cumbersome to remove, remains."
Such a large white porcelain mural would be worthless if broken while prying it off. And removing it whole would be impossible without enough manpower.
"Is this where they disappeared?" Qin Yuesheng asked.
"During those days, my uncle and the others spent all their time here, with meals delivered by family members. If something drastic hadn’t happened, they wouldn’t have left the Ancient Temple without completing the mural repair."
Chen Chun was earnest: "They must have encountered some misfortune."
Qin Yuesheng touched the mural’s surface, which felt icy and smooth like jade.
"I see."
The hall still showed signs of campfire burns and scattered repair tools—the tools of the porcelain craftsmen.
At that moment, Qin Yuesheng formed three hypotheses.
① The craftsmen were kidnapped.
② They fled after encountering danger.
③ They failed to escape a threat and were completely devoured.
Previously, Qin Yuesheng would have disregarded the third hypothesis, but after encountering many such apparitions, the possibility seemed credible.
"I understand the situation now. I will stay here to investigate the Ancient Temple further. You can’t do much, so you should leave," Qin Yuesheng advised.
If something truly eerie were present, Chen Chun, an ordinary person, would be nothing more than a sacrifice, lacking even the ability to resist before dying.
Seeing that Chen Chun was orphaned and had now lost the uncle who raised him, Qin Yuesheng encouraged him to leave to avoid a tragic fate.
To Qin Yuesheng’s words, Chen Chun naturally complied. In his view, Qin Yuesheng was an official, someone the town chief had to respect, and he, an ordinary citizen, couldn’t go against his wishes.
Thus, Chen Chun quickly bid farewell to Qin Yuesheng and returned to Jingci Town.
After Chen Chun left, Qin Yuesheng retrieved the Exorcism Toad from the Celestial Demon pouch and began patrolling the Ancient Temple, looking for areas of significant malevolence.
However, after spending half an hour scouring the temple, the Exorcism Toad showed no reaction; this place seemed utterly normal, with no sign of anything eerie or malevolent.
"Not related to anything ghostly or demonic?" Qin Yuesheng was puzzled.
If not for that reason, it must have been human intervention. But who would come to the East Slope Forest specifically to capture five porcelain craftsmen?
There was no sense to it, even for ransom, it wouldn’t amount to much and would be less valuable than robbing a merchant’s goods once.
"Looks like I’ll have to stay at the temple tonight. I should have opted out of renting a room in Jingci Town," Qin Yuesheng put away the Exorcism Toad.
...
Chen Chun was a helpful person. Despite his difficult life, it didn’t diminish his love for the world.
For friends and neighbors, as long as he could help, he would do whatever he could.
He was hard-working, industrious, respectful to elders, loving to younger ones, fond of small animals, kind-hearted, and never jealous of others.
Even so, at 19, he was still single.
Alas, a poor man without money couldn’t find a wife.
The sky gradually darkened.
Worried that Qin Yuesheng might lack food at the Ancient Temple, Chen Chun cooked a pot of sweet potato porridge and steamed three large potatoes, packing them in a wooden box to bring to the East Slope Forest as a dinner for Qin Yuesheng.
However, when he arrived at the main hall of the temple, Qin Yuesheng was nowhere to be found, and Chen Chun didn’t know where he had gone.
"Officer?" Chen Chun called out in puzzlement but received no reply. With no other choice, he placed the wooden box in a clean spot, found something to sit on, and began waiting quietly for Qin Yuesheng’s return.
As he waited, he idly cast his gaze towards the white porcelain mural.
No matter how many times he looked, every time Chen Chun admired the mural, he felt genuine admiration.
If only he possessed such skills, he might become wealthy and no longer live in poverty.
Suddenly, a maiden figure on the mural blinked, then merrily ran through the palace. The maidens who had stood beside her swiftly joined in pursuit, suddenly playing and frolicking within the mural.
Chen Chun was utterly gobsmacked, vigorously rubbing his eyes.
What was happening?
Was he seeing things?
