False evidence

Chapter 329 The Treasures of Heaven and Earth, and the Wonders of Clouds and Things
After the forensic doctor issued the death certificate, Anxin's second uncle was cremated along with her father that same day.

Lu Zelin and I drove Anxin's second uncle's van and took the old macaque's body to a specialized pet crematorium to be cremated. The ashes were buried with Anxin's father.

After these matters were settled, Anxin's mother's attitude changed drastically, as if turning the page of a book. She not only spoke coldly to us but also cursed and swore at Anxin. She even blamed Anxin for giving her younger brother sleeping pills, saying that she had damaged her son's brain and that she would kill Anxin.

An Xin seemed to have come prepared, as she simply pulled a small suitcase and got into our newly repaired car.

Following her were two little macaques named Er Gou Dan and Shu Fen.

Before getting into the car, Yan Fengwei asked me privately, "I know you have a kind heart, but you and this girl are not related. Is it necessary for you to help her like this?"

I said, "We're not related, but taking care of her is a favor from a friend, and it's also a way of repaying a debt of gratitude."

The letter Jiang Budai wrote to me clearly stated that An Xin's mother was actually Jiang Budai's ex-wife, and An Xin was Jiang Budai's daughter.

The three-legged sheep was specially found for me by Jiang Budai.

Finding a live snake is not easy, and Jiang Budai must have consulted countless divinations behind the scenes. All he did was want his daughter to suffer less.

The car started moving, gradually moving away from the 'Female Horse' hotel sign.

An Xin breathed a sigh of relief and told us that her mother had been seeing other men long before her father went to prison. Even her younger brother might not be her father's biological son.

The blind man muttered, "That's for sure. It's taboo for a shepherd to get married. Even if he has a child, it will either die young or be mentally challenged. How many children can be 'blessed by their ancestors' like Xiao Shen San?"

It was already 10 p.m. when I met up with Liu Hong.

He carried a large bag of things to the trunk, got in the car, pointed to his ear, and said apologetically:
"The things were ready this morning, but my hearing aid broke, so I had to get a new one made temporarily, which delayed me."

I said it's okay. We haven't been idle during this time either; we've collected the ashes twice.

He was born deaf in one ear, and even after treatment, he can only hear with a hearing aid in the other ear. He can barely hear anything if someone speaks softly.

Given his condition, he certainly can't drive himself, and having two separate cars isn't very convenient either.

So, the train became quite lively.

A seven-seater vehicle with six people, plus two monkeys and a sheep. I wonder if the traffic police would consider it overloaded.

We did not stay overnight in Nanjing. Following Liu Hong's advice, we rushed to a small town more than 200 kilometers away from Nanjing, located next to the Yangtze River.

We still need accommodation, and our group needs a temporary base.

There was only one hotel in town, and only one standard room and one double room were left.

If An Xin were a man, it would be acceptable, but since she is a girl, it's difficult to arrange.

Liu Hong said, "I'll sleep in the car tonight, and we'll talk about it tomorrow when I can make room for you."

Yan Fengwei said, "Alright then, I'll make do on the bus for the night. An extra bed in a standard room, so the three of you can make do..."

The hotel owner, still half asleep, said, "We can't add extra beds here."

Anxin tugged at me, "I'll sleep in the same room as you."

"You think highly of me."

An Xin said something in a low voice, but I didn't hear it clearly.

It was already past midnight, and I was too lazy to be sentimental.

Yan Fengwei came to help, so it wasn't appropriate for him to sleep in the car. In the end, Lu Zelin and Liu Hong slept in the car, Yan Fengwei and Liu the Blind Man slept in the double room, and An Xin and I stayed in the standard room.

After arranging the room, Liu Hong pulled me aside and whispered, "Is this girl over eighteen?"

I was stunned for a moment before I realized what they meant. "What the heck are you thinking? Do you think I'm that kind of person?"

Liu Hong lowered his voice even further: "You're not that kind of person, but this girl seems to have misunderstood. I just read her lips, and she said, 'Anyway, you're my man, I'm not afraid of you.'"

...That night, I truly acted like Liu Xiahui (a legendary figure known for his chastity and integrity).

I don't have the self-control of Liu Xiahui (in fact, I've always suspected that this gentleman was impotent in some way, which is why he remained unmoved by a woman in his lap), so all I could do was take a quick shower, get dressed again, hold a monkey in my arms, and lean against the bed to read that tattered book.

Liu the Blind said that this book, "The Record of the Treasures of the Earth and the Wonders of Clouds and Things," is truly a remarkable book, divided into three parts: Heavenly Spirits, Earthly Treasures, and the Appraisal of Things.

It also details the four unique skills of observing the heavens, surveying the land, stepping on the dragon, and gacha treasures.

However, the section recording the Heavenly Spirit seems to have been deliberately torn out, and the Earthly Treasures section is also incomplete, while the Observation of Things section has been completely preserved.

At first, I just flipped through it casually, but as I read on, I became completely engrossed in it.

The "Examination of Things" and the physiognomy I have learned both involve judging things by observing their appearance.

The difference is that "xiangyu" refers to people, while "xiangwu" refers to objects and animals.

I learned from the book that the little male monkey Er Gou Dan that was being held in his arms was not an ordinary macaque.

The buttocks of ordinary macaques are red hearts, and Shufen is the same, but Ergoudan's buttocks are black.

I vaguely remember that the old monkey named Gou Dan also had a black bottom.

This unusual macaque has a single name in the book "The Treasures of the Earth and the Wonders of the Clouds and Things": the Sitting Tai Sui.

It is said to be a descendant of the Spiritual Stone Monkey, one of the four legendary mischievous monkeys. Not only is it skilled at stealing, but it can also identify treasures. For treasure hunters, it is a rare and highly sought-after item.

Legends are just legends, but this little monkey is far more docile than any macaque I've ever seen.

Looking at Shufen, although she is obedient, her monkey-like nature is hard to change. Except when she is sleeping, she never stops making all sorts of little movements.

……

When I woke up at daybreak and saw that it was raining outside again, I gritted my teeth in anger.

Liu Hong said that the reason he came here was because he found out that less than 20 kilometers west of Yugu Town, in the mountains, an emperor's concubine was buried.

The concubine surnamed Li is said to have died in childbirth and was sent back to her hometown for burial after her death.

If the information we obtained is accurate, then it is very likely the remains of the emperor that we are looking for.

However, to retrieve the remains of the emperor, it must be done on the night of a full moon.

It's already the middle of the lunar month, but it's been raining non-stop.

The next full moon will be followed by Qingming Festival, how could I not be anxious?

At the roadside breakfast stall, seeing that I wasn't eating much, Blind Liu said slowly and deliberately:
"Don't worry, I checked the sky last night and it will definitely clear up tonight."

I didn't know if it was true or not. After thinking about it, I said to Liu Hong:
"How about we have breakfast first and then go check it out?"

Liu Hong nodded: "That's what I thought too. When I came here a few years ago, I heard that there was a concubine's tomb on Yugu Mountain. At that time, I only wanted to find the Yin-Yang Fan and did not go to see the concubine's tomb."

Because of his hearing impairment and his lack of effort to lower his voice, his voice is louder than average.

The owner of the breakfast stall happened to overhear this and stepped forward to ask:

"Are you going to Yugu Mountain? Are you going to the Niangniang Temple to burn incense?"

"Yes, I've heard that the temple to the goddess here is very efficacious," Yan Fengwei said, offering him a cigarette.

The shopkeeper waved his hand: "I don't smoke. The Niangniang Temple is indeed very effective, especially for those who want children; they really grant all requests. But I'm afraid you can't go now."

Yan Fengwei asked, "Why can't we go?"

The shopkeeper said, "I heard it from my cousin, who's a policeman. A couple of days ago, some tomb raiders dug up Li Fei's tomb. The tomb raiders have been caught, and the police have now sealed off the area around the Niangniang Temple. Archaeological experts are already cleaning the artifacts from the tomb."

(End of this chapter)