The Buddha is actually me

Chapter 187: Hongmen Banquet, Fishing for the Painted Skin

Why... does Yue Ling have such amazing karma?
When the black air becomes extremely dense, it will turn into a trace of karma, symbolizing that this person is deeply sinful. Those death row prisoners in prison are at most at this level.

However, under the golden light of merit, the karma on Yue Ling's body was so heavy that it was like dark clouds covering the sky or the abyss of the falling sun. The more you looked at it, the more shocking it became.

He is hated by both humans and gods, and abandoned by heaven and earth!
Zhang Jiuyang even suspected that even the Master of Painted Skin did not have such amazing karma. It was truly terrifying.

Is there something wrong with Yue Ling?
This speculation made his scalp tingle. The person he trusted the most was actually an evil spirit who was even more evil than the Painted Skin Master?

"What happened to you?"

Yue Ling frowned slightly, a trace of worry flashed in her bright eyes, thinking that Zhang Jiuyang was suffering from the side effects of opening his third eye.

"nothing."

Zhang Jiuyang adjusted his breathing, relaxed the muscles throughout his body, and his face regained its calm.

"I just saw that spy. This person is entangled in karma and has committed shocking sins. I didn't expect it to be him."

Looking at Yue Ling's heroic face and thinking of every moment they had spent together, Zhang Jiuyang made a choice even though he did not explain what he had seen.

He believed in Yue Ling.

Just like at every critical moment, Yue Ling would choose to believe him.

Moreover, unlike those extremely evil people, although Yue Ling has terrible karma, he also has the dazzling golden light of merit.

Just as black air when it becomes extremely dense will turn into a trace of karma, the power of merit when it becomes extremely concentrated will turn into a trace of golden light.

The golden light of merit on Yue Ling's body was quite astonishing, several feet high, shining brightly, as dazzling as the sun.

Great evil and great good coexist, karma and merit are born together.

Zhang Jiuyang couldn't figure out the reason for the time being, so he chose to remain silent and slowly explore the secret of Yue Ling later.

Lu Yao knows horsepower and sees people's hearts over time.

God's eyes are powerful, but he believes more in the experience of the two people sharing hardships.

"Oh? Who is the spy?"

Yue Ling asked quickly.

Zhang Jiuyang had completely calmed down. He glanced around and whispered a name.

"Shen Tuxiong."

Upon hearing this name, Yue Ling's pupils narrowed.

"I didn't expect it to be him!"

She picked up the Dragon Sparrow Knife, her eyes as cold as lightning, and said decisively: "I'll go get him!"

"and many more."

Zhang Jiuyang shook his head and said, "Since we already know that he is a spy, why not set up a trap and use him one last time to add more strength to our decisive battle with the Painted Skin Master tomorrow night."

"How are you going to set up the situation?"

Zhang Jiuyang smiled slightly, and then whispered his plan in her ear.

Yue Ling looked at him in surprise and said with a smile: "Zhang Jiuyang, you are so insidious."

"Haha, thank you."

……

Day 8, night.

Yue Ling held a banquet at the Shen Mansion and only invited three people, Lao Gao, Li Yan and Shen Tu Xiong, while Zhang Jiuyang sat quietly beside her.

"Xiaojiu, where have you been? You're finally back!"

Lao Gao greeted him enthusiastically and wanted to go up to him and put his arm around his shoulder, but was forced back by Yue Ling's cold gaze.

Li Yan and Shen Tuxiong have already noticed something is wrong.

Yue Ling’s murderous aura is too strong.

Moreover, they invited the three of them to the banquet, but there was only a glass of wine on the table for each of them, without even a dish or snack.

She clapped her hands and someone closed the door and locked it from the outside.

The expressions of the three people changed slightly.

"Yue Jianhou, what do you mean?"

Shen Tuxiong was hot-tempered and was the first to speak up and scold: "Isn't it just that I want to report you? Do you want to take revenge privately?"

Li Yan and Lao Gao also looked puzzled.

Yue Ling motioned for the three of them to sit down, and then said in a cold voice, word by word: "Among the three of you, there is a painted skin."

In an instant, the three people's faces changed drastically. Just as they were about to say something, they were interrupted by Yue Ling's wave of hand.

"I believe in your resume, but the art of painting skin is hard to guard against. It can replace you silently and even possess your memory and abilities."

"The tragic situation at the Yangzhou Lantern Festival a few days ago was caused by the Painted Skins exposing themselves and warning us not to take over Shenju Mountain."

Lao Gao suddenly realized, "There are only three of us who know about Shenju Mountain, so one of us must be Painted Skin. He was the one who leaked the news!"

For a moment, the three of them looked at each other, feeling a chill in their hearts and a hint of vigilance in their eyes.

Who is Painted Skin?

Li Yan remained silent, but Shen Tu Xiong refused to listen.

"Bullshit, I have fought for the Imperial Observatory for so many years, and now you say I am a painted skin?"

"Yue Ling, when I joined the Imperial Observatory to fight demons and monsters, you were not even born yet!"

He had a demon-subduing pestle in his hand, and he thrust it hard. The blue bricks on the ground immediately cracked into pieces, and the cracks spread like a spider web.

As both of them are marquis of Jianhou, his status is not inferior to Yue Ling. The only thing is that he is only the deputy chief investigator of this case.

But this does not mean that he will allow himself to be framed and slandered.

"Shentu Jianhou, please be patient. I believe that Yue Jianhou will not frame a good person, nor will he let a bad person go."

Zhang Jiuyang suddenly spoke up to smooth things over.

Shen Tu Xiong looked at him, his eyes flashing, and said: "Zhang Jiuyang also knows the news about Shenju Mountain, so he should also be suspected. Yue Jianhou, why do you favor one over the other?"

Yue Ling took off her sword and placed it on the table, with the handle facing her so that she could draw the sword at any time.

Her long black hair fluttered in the wind. She remained unmoved by Shentu Xiong's questioning. She had a dignified demeanor and a loud voice.

"Zhang Jiuyang is naturally a suspect as well, so a glass of wine has been placed in front of the four of you." Everyone looked at the glass of wine and discovered that some secret spell seemed to have been cast on the wine, and they could vaguely feel the fluctuation of magic power.

"Among the four glasses of wine, one was cursed and placed in front of the painted skin."

She looked up and said, "If you have a clear conscience, drink the wine in front of you."

After saying this, she closed her eyes and said nothing, but her hand was on the hilt of the knife. The meaning was very clear: those who dare not drink are painted skins.

"Nonsense!"

Shen Tu Xiong shouted angrily, "What right do you have to curse me without any evidence? These are just your one-sided words. I will report this to the Supervisor and ask him to make the final decision!"

"Everyone, we have risked our lives for the Imperial Observatory, so we cannot—"

Before Shen Tu Xiong finished speaking, he saw Lao Gao and Li Yan had already drunk the wine in front of them without any hesitation.

Zhang Jiuyang also picked up the wine glass in front of him and drank it calmly.

When the three of them looked over, the pressure was instantly put on Shentu Xiong.

He was silent for a moment, then slowly picked up the glass of wine. Just when everyone thought he was going to drink it, Shen Tu Xiong suddenly snorted coldly and poured it on the ground.

"As a prisoner, what qualifications do you have to test me without any evidence?"

"I won't drink this glass of wine today. I want to see how arrogant you, Yue Ling, are!"

Yue Ling did not say anything, but slowly drew out the Dragon Sparrow Sword.

Her movements were not fast, but the sound of the knife continued, giving people a huge sense of pressure.

"If you don't drink, then I'll have no choice but to cut your face open myself and see if there's another face underneath."

Shen Tu Xiong's face changed, especially when he saw that Li Yan also stood up silently and took out his spear, locking him from a distance with his aura.

Not only that, there were also several faint auras outside the room. They were Yue Ling's subordinates, all lying in ambush outside.

Hongmen Banquet!
"Yue Ling, are you going to be lawless?"

He questioned loudly, his hair and beard like spears, his eyes wide open, and his voice was like thunder, echoing in the room and causing dust to fall from the beams.

Yue Ling seemed very calm. She had completely pulled out the Dragon Sparrow Sword and with her other hand she raised the wine glass, ready to drop it.

Breaking the cup is the number!

Once the wine glass falls, the Lingtai Langs lying in ambush outside, as well as Yue Ling and Li Yan will attack together and take down Shen Tu Xiong with lightning speed.

Domineering, cold, strong, and firm as iron.

But just as she was about to smash the wine glass, Shen Tu Xiong suddenly sneered and said, "Didn't you say I'm a painted skin? Don't bother Yue Jianhou, I'll do it myself!"

Then he pulled out a dagger from his waist and slashed it towards his face.

Blood splatters!

There was a hideous wound on Shentu Xiong's face, with flesh and blood clearly visible inside, and there was no second face.

Shentu Xiong is not a painted skin!

In an instant, Yue Ling frowned suddenly and looked at Zhang Jiuyang calmly.

Zhang Jiuyang smiled faintly, seemingly not surprised, and nodded slightly to her, indicating that the play was almost over and they could move on to the next step.

"Is Yue Jianhou satisfied with this?"

Shen Tu Xiong ignored the blood on his face and glared at Yue Ling.

Yue Ling sheathed his sword and said, "I'm sorry, Shentu Jianhou, please forgive me, because before I make a new plan, I must first eliminate the suspicion of you guys."

Shentu Xiong was stunned. New plan?

Yue Ling continued, "The court has issued a secret order that Yan Luo, who possesses the art of painting skin, must be eliminated, so we still have to go to Shenju Mountain, and in ten days, the supervisor will come in person."

After hearing this, everyone was immediately cheered up.

The Supervisor is going to take action himself?
It seems that the Yangzhou Rebellion has completely angered the imperial court, and even the Supervisor, who has not left the capital for many years, has to take action to subdue the evil.

Zhang Jiuyang smiled bitterly and said, "I see. No wonder Yue Jianhou insisted on testing me with poisoned wine. I think these wines are just a trick and there is no curse."

Yue Ling nodded and said, "The Supervisor has ordered me to clean up the internal situation first. I did suspect you, but now it seems that the news must have leaked from the headquarters."

"Please forgive me."

Shen Tu Xiong took a deep breath, wiped the blood off his face, and said, "Before killing Yan Luo, I will put the overall situation first, but I will remember what happened today."

"I will personally visit the Supervisor and His Majesty in the future. Goodbye!"

After saying that, he left angrily and even smashed the locked iron door, which showed how furious he was.

"What should we do? This feud has been established. Xiaojiu, I didn't expect that you were wrong. Shentu Jianhou is not a spy!"

Lao Gao said with some concern.

Li Yan also frowned suddenly. He came from a military background and had a good impression of brave generals like Shen Tu Xiong. If the other party was not a spy, then what they did today was indeed a bit too much.

It turned out that both of them were acting, and Zhang Jiuyang had already told them in advance.

"Shen Tuxiong must be a spy."

Zhang Jiuyang poured himself a glass of wine, smiled faintly, and spoke in a very affirmative voice.

Lao Gao was surprised and said, "But he is not a painted skin."

"Just because he's not a painted skin, does that mean he's not a spy?"

"Don't forget, he never dared to drink that glass of wine from beginning to end."

Zhang Jiuyang picked up the wine glass and took a sip.

The wine was neither poisonous nor cursed. He originally thought that Shen Tu Xiong was a painted skin, but now it seems that he had fallen into a misconception in thinking.

Does the owner of Painted Skin have to have Painted Skin?

No wonder no one has been able to catch this "painted skin".

If it weren't for the fact that Heaven's Eye saw Shen Tu Xiong with dark energy and heavy karma, he wouldn't have dared to believe that this prisoner, who was known for his bravery and heroism and had made great military achievements, was actually a hidden pawn of evil.

"Although there are some twists and turns, the trap has been set."

"Next, just wait for him to take the bait."

……

(End of this chapter)