A thousand enlightenments in one night, starting from being a menial apprentice.

Chapter 397 Which is more difficult?

After Duan Rong came out of the charity cemetery, he rushed to a dilapidated temple on the outskirts of Tongbai County that night and met with Ximen Kankan and Liu Shushan.

Liu Shushan had already listened to Ximen Kankan's explanation of Duan Rong's plan in the dilapidated temple, but Ximen Kankan did not understand many parts of the plan. However, he had a good memory and repeated it to Liu Shushan without missing anything.

Liu Shushan was naturally confused as well.

But it is an indisputable fact that Shen Yanliu has been rescued.

Moreover, it is an indisputable fact that the person being searched and investigated in Ruyang Prefecture is Tang Wanhong.

Although no one knows how Duan Rong did it, there is no doubt that he accomplished something almost impossible by luring the old fox Chen Xun into a maze he had set up.

Although this dilapidated temple was located in the wilderness where few people go, they did not light a fire at night for the sake of concealment. Only Ximen Kankan and Liu Shushan took turns to keep watch.

Liu Shushan sat at the door of the dilapidated temple, keeping watch and thinking about things. From time to time, a light night breeze blew through the wilderness outside, making a rustling sound.

Under the dim light of the stars and the moon, a dark shadow suddenly flashed in.

Liu Shushan's heart skipped a beat, and he was about to make a move, when he heard a familiar voice, "Shushan, it's me."

Liu Shushan felt relieved. It was Duan Rong's voice.

In the darkness, he looked at the vague outline at the door. After a few days, he found that Duan Rong had completely captured him.

Although Duan Rong had solved many strange cases in the past few months, he was, after all, fighting against the cunning people in the market. But in this case of Shen Yanliu, Duan Rong set up such a big trap for him right under the nose of the Lord of the House Chen Xun.

Chen Xun himself was the number one old fox, and he also had a group of hangers-on, but no one could see through him.

It is really about thinking about the unthinkable and doing things in a way that is impossible!
Shen Yanliu's original prison uniform had been burned by Ximen Kankan, and he was changed into a linen shirt. With his haggard face and messy hair, he really looked like an old farmer who was seriously ill.

Duan Rong, Ximen Kankan, Liu Shushan and others only waited in the dilapidated temple for another day. After Shen Mizhi and Xiao Yu buried the two coffins in the charity cemetery, they rushed over.

Duan Rong used his spiritual sense to investigate carefully and found that there were no spies following Xiao Yu and Shen Mizhi.

It seems that after Shen Yanliu was killed, Chen Xun has given up tracking Shen Mizhi. After all, there are still many things that make him anxious, and in his eyes, Shen Mizhi is probably not worth tracking now.

The few people did not stay in the dilapidated temple for too long.

After discussion, they decided to let Ximen Kankan and Liu Shushan send Shen Yanliu to the Ximen family's villa in Yuanyang Prefecture to recuperate.

Although Shen Yanliu was once the magistrate of Xiangu County, he had hardly ever shown up in Yuanyang Prefecture, and he was recuperating from his injuries. Besides, he was actually a dead man in the official documents. Unless someone personally escorted him and brought him to Chen Xun, the matter would not be exposed.

Duan Rong, Xiao Yu and Shen Mizhi stood side by side on the official road, watching the carriage going further and further away.

Shen Mizhi was naturally reluctant to leave, but the Shen Yanliu case had just happened, and her identity was still somewhat sensitive, so it was inconvenient for her to go with him. She could only wait until the storm had passed before rushing to Yuanyang Mansion to serve and show filial piety.

"Let's go!"

Seeing that the carriage had turned into a black dot, Duan Rong spoke softly.

Shen Mizhi nodded, and the three of them reined in their horses, turned around, and headed in another direction along the official road at the intersection.

Having been delayed here for more than half a month, they should have returned to the contact point to report on the tasks assigned by the sect.

Riding his horse at a rapid speed on the official road, Duan Rong felt a sense of satisfaction as he watched the lush and green forests in the wild recede behind him on both sides. He silently recalled the origin of this plan in his mind.

It was after he had explored the dungeon in the city. That night, he was lying alone on his bed, half asleep and half awake, when, like a flash of lightning, something burst out in his mind.

It was just an inspiration, or just an initial thought, and then Duan Rong started to deduce based on that thought.

Looking back now, that idea and the subsequent deductions were not groundless.

In his previous life, he read a mystery novel that left a deep impression on him.

That was Keigo Higashino's "The Devotion of Suspect X". He had to admit that his initial idea and inspiration came from this novel.

The protagonist of the novel, Ishigami, is a mathematician. He set up a trap and used a nearly perfect plan to lead the police investigating the case into a fog.

If you want to solve a problem, you must first be able to see the problem.

How can you solve a problem if you don't even see it?
There is a dialogue in the novel where Ishigami asks his physicist friend Yukawa, "You asked me a question before: Which is more difficult, to formulate an unsolvable problem or to solve it? Do you remember?"

Yukawa replied, "Yes. My answer is that design questions are more difficult. I always believe that the answerer should respect the questioner."

In Ruyang Prefecture, he did almost the same thing as Shi Shen, which was to not let Chen Xun see the problem at all.

If what you see is a pseudo-problem, a maze designed by others, then you have already lost at the beginning, and there is absolutely no chance of turning the tables, because you have never sat at the gambling table! No matter how good your gambling skills are or how much money you have, it will all be in vain.

After they reported to the sect, they received another mission assigned by the sect and went to different places to carry out their missions.

The New Year is coming to an end in a blink of an eye.

This year, Zhu Xiaoqi bought a lot of New Year's goods at home, but when the New Year was about to come, Ximen Kankan came and insisted on asking Duan Rong and Xiao Yu to go to Yuanyang Mansion to celebrate the New Year.

The two men couldn't persuade him, so they had to agree.

Zhu Xiaoqi had no choice but to buy gifts for them with a sad look in his eyes.

That night was New Year's Eve. Outside, firecrackers were booming. Duan Rong and his wife and Ximen's family were sitting around a large round table, eating a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner.

Duan Rong ate the authentic Eight Treasure Gourd Duck again. He picked up two pieces for Xiao Yu, who praised it highly after eating it.

The two families were in great joy, toasting each other and sending each other New Year's blessings...

Shen Yanliu and his daughter Shen Mizhi actually lived in a rather remote courtyard of Ximen Mansion at that time, but they did not come to the lively New Year's Eve dinner.

It's not that they are being rude. After all, Shen Yanliu is a criminal, so it is not convenient for him to show up in such a lively occasion.

Shen Mizhi usually spends most of her time outside on sect missions, and only comes to take care of her father when she has some free time.

However, Shen Yanliu's injuries have almost healed. In the past six months, Xiao Yu has visited him several times.

Usually, he lived alone in that courtyard and had no contact with outsiders. His daily food and clothing were all sent from here.

After the New Year’s Eve dinner, Duan Rong and Xiao Yu returned to their rooms.

Xiao Yu sat on the dressing table and began to remove her makeup.

Duan Rong suddenly picked up the long wooden box that he had placed on the bed and said, "I'm going to go over there to see Mr. Shen and will be back soon."

Xiao Yu looked at Duan Rong's reflection in the bronze mirror and said, "Go ahead and bring good luck to me."

Duan Rong had discussed with Shen Yanliu about giving the thing in his hand to her before coming, and she agreed.

Moreover, she also felt that it would be better for Duan Rong to go alone.

If both of them go, the couple will make such a big fuss, as if they are afraid that the other party will not accept your kindness.

Duan Rong took the long wooden box and walked into the rather remote courtyard. He saw that the father and daughter had already finished their New Year's Eve dinner. Shen Mizhi was cleaning up the dishes and removing the plates, while Shen Yanliu was standing alone in the courtyard, looking at a clump of bamboo in the corner of the courtyard. The moonlight filtered through, casting a mottled shadow on the ground.

When Duan Rong walked into the courtyard, Shen Yanliu's eyes moved slightly.

Xiao Yu had come here several times in the past six months, but Duan Rong had never been here.

Shen Yanliu was seen wearing loose clothes, with her hair tied up lightly with a ribbon, and her face was calm and her eyes were gentle.

Duan Rong admired him slightly in his heart. After experiencing life and death, this man seemed to have let go of a lot.

Duan Rong smiled and said, "Mr. Shen, how are you?"

"Master Duan!" Shen Yanliu clasped his fists and said with a faint smile: "He is a man who has been punished and is just lingering on."

The two men then walked into the house. Shen Mizhi served each of them a cup of tea and then left. Her attitude was very respectful, and her usual arrogance was no longer there.

The biggest changes to people are separation between life and death, just four words.

Wherever there is experience, there is transformation.

Duan Rong took a sip of tea and asked, "Mr. Shen, are you used to living in this villa?"

Shen Yanliu said: "It's very quiet here."

Duan Rong smiled and said, "I think you are in very good condition, sir. After this incident, you seem to be ten years younger."

Shen Yanliu smiled cheerfully and said, "Your Excellency has a sharp eye. I am now free from official duties and have nothing to do!"

Duan Rong also smiled, and then he pushed the long wooden box on the table towards Shen Yanliu, saying, "This is what the master left with me when I went to Shen Garden last time. Now, it is returned to its original owner."

"Shen Garden?" Shen Yanliu's eyes jumped. "Ni Yunlin's "Fishing Village in Autumn"?"

Duan Rong took a sip of tea and said, "That's exactly it!"

To be honest, Shen Yanliu lived in the other courtyard of Ximen Mansion, after all, living under someone else's roof, which was not a long-term solution. In addition, the limelight of the big case had passed, and they were considering finding a place to move out.

However, money became a problem.

Shen Yanliu's property had been confiscated, and naturally all the wealth he had accumulated was reduced to ashes.

Although Shen Mizhi was an outer sect disciple, she handled cases in various places and stayed in inns with all the food and lodging provided. However, the rewards given by the sect for handling cases were all merit points and pills, and there was definitely no money.

Because, in Changliu Mountain, silver bills are not circulated at all.

Moreover, most of the outer disciples are from aristocratic families and have no shortage of money. But Shen Mizhi's situation is rather special. Her family suddenly fell into poverty and she had no money, and she never knew how to get money.

Shen Yanliu was having a headache over this matter, and Duan Rong's painting was a timely help. Moreover, Duan Rong said that the property should be returned to the original owner, which also took care of his face.

Shen Yanliu's hand gently stroked the surface of the wooden box, looked at Duan Rong, and sighed, "My lord, you are thoughtful!"

The two chatted for some more time, and then Duan Rong stood up and said goodbye.

Duan Rong was walking on the road, thinking about the conversation he had just had with Shen Yanliu. He didn't expect that the two of them had such a good chat.

There is an old saying: In the vast sea of sin, it is only when you turn back that you can find the shore; if you put down your butcher knife, you can become a Buddha right away.

However, it is easy to put down the knife in your hand, but it is hard to put down the knife in your heart.

After this big change, Shen Yanliu felt somewhat relieved.

After Duan Rong left, Shen Yanliu took the tea on the table, opened the wooden box, and carefully took out the old and yellowed scroll inside.

Shen Yanliu spread the scroll on the table, and the familiar brushstrokes and artistic conception appeared before his eyes again.

When Shen Yanliu was young, he was quite fond of calligraphy and painting, and he studied it for several years. If it weren't for this experience, he wouldn't have met Tang Wanhong.

Seeing the sparse bamboos painted by Ni Yunlin, so noble and pure, Shen Yanliu burst into tears and murmured, "I never thought I would see this painting again in my lifetime. The bamboos in this painting are much cleaner than me. I have wasted half my life, but it is nothing but an illusion."

When Shen Yanliu looked at the painting again at this time, his mood was very different from previous years.

The painting has not changed, but the person who looks at it is no longer the same person as before.

When Duan Rong returned to the room, Xiao Yu was already asleep. In the days leading up to the New Year, she had been busy with welcoming guests and buying gifts.

Duan Rong sat beside the bed, looking at Xiao Yu sleeping soundly, his heart was very calm. He blew out the candle and sat cross-legged on the bed.

The vitality of heaven and earth was too thin to break through the vitality realm. Over the past year, Duan Rong's cultivation had stagnated and he had always been in the realm of great perfection of the true qi realm.

He also distributed the pills and other things that the sect rewarded him with to Xiao Yu, Ximen Kankan and others.

However, instead of focusing on cultivation, this year did allow him to figure out another thing, which was how to deal with the original blood light of the Filthy Blood Divine Art within his spiritual sea of consciousness.

After nearly a year of searching, he finally found a way to completely eradicate this scourge.

Since he has decided to develop in Taiyi Sect for a long time, this scourge must be eliminated, because the closer he gets to the core of the sect, the greater the chance of this scourge being exposed.

Moreover, that blood has always been a big concern for Duan Rong.

Duan Rong skillfully hit a certain point with each breath. He felt dizzy for a moment and entered the sea of spiritual consciousness.

He was in the center of the black earth. Looking up, he saw a shadow sitting cross-legged above the sky. His features and eyebrows were exactly the same as his own.

Eleven stars were slowly rotating around the shadow.

The moment Duan Rong appeared in the center of the black earth, the phantom was in telepathic communication with him.

The phantom above the sky is slightly different from the one in Changliu Mountain.

I saw a faint red light in the dantian of the phantom.

Yes, Duan Rong controlled the phantom and swallowed the original blood light of the Filthy Blood Divine Art into his dantian.

Moreover, Duan Rong discovered that after the phantom swallowed the original blood light, he activated the Taizang Sutra, and the power of the Taizang Sutra actually digested the original blood light bit by bit.

Although it is slow, it is indeed effective.

Since he discovered this method, Duan Rong has been working diligently every day, because this thing also requires hard work and diligence.

He had to completely refine that piece of blood light before he completed his three-year period as an outer disciple and was promoted to an inner disciple.

This time when he enters Changliu Mountain, he must be an inner disciple.

He had been an outer sect disciple for only a year when he heard a saying among the outer sect disciples: Inner sect disciples are the true members of the sect, while outer sect disciples are just the sect's dogs.

Inner disciples will begin to get involved in the real core affairs of the sect, and before that, Duan Rong will only feel at ease after completely dealing with the original blood light.

(End of this chapter)