Lu Fei threw the item he had clamped with the branch onto the ground.
It was a very small bone, with a substance resembling brain matter sticking to its surface, appearing corroded and incomplete.
"Huzi, look, what kind of bone is this?"
"Boss, it's too fragmented to tell."
Hu Zi squinted and examined for a while, then shook his head.
Lu Fei continued to search with a branch in the decaying matter, picking out pieces of bone residue one after another, but they were all so rotten that it was hard to tell what kind of bones they were.
"Boss, could it be that people who were camping here left the meat bones after eating them and buried them here?" Hu Zi asked, stroking his chin.
"For bones to become brittle and decay, it takes at least ten to fifteen years. Moreover, the way these bones have decayed is not right; what is this pile of stuff?"
Lu Fei frowned slightly.
"Hu Zi, bring over the rice jar."
"Okay!"
Hu Zi quickly moved the rice jar from the side over.
Lu Fei carefully lifted a corner of the lid and looked at the grayish-white mass of flesh at the bottom of the water.
He then looked again at the grayish-white decayed material in the soil.
"Could these two things be related?"
The lump of flesh lay quietly at the bottom of the water tank, motionless, as if it were just a lifeless hunk of dead meat.
There were too few clues, and Lu Fei couldn't figure it out either.
"Huzi, look around some more."
Lu Fei put the lid back on, and together with Huzi, they walked around the peak but found no additional clues.
After some thought, they started walking towards Lingyun Temple.
This area was already far beyond the boundaries of the tourist site, and no one usually came to this part of the mountain, where wild grass and trees grew in disarray.
Lu Fei and Huzi stopped and searched everywhere, and the small black dog sniffed along the way, but unfortunately, they did not find any more of that decaying substance.
"Boss, if we go further down, we'll be going down the mountain, and over there is Lingyun Temple."
They stopped and looked ahead. From where they stood, they could see the ancient and traditional roofs of Lingyun Temple.
"That's strange!"
Lu Fei frowned, clearly feeling that these two matters were related, yet he couldn't find the key clue to connect them.
This mountain is not too big, but it's not small either. How long would it take to search it bit by bit?
"Why don't we go and check out Lingyun Temple?" Hu Zi suggested.
"Alright, let's bring the things from the rice jar and compare them with the spirit lingzhi at the temple. If they are the same, then it must be the same thing." Lu Fei thought for a moment and nodded.
"But when you hold this thing, be careful, don't touch it, and don't drop it out."
"Don't worry, boss, I know!"
Hu Zi held the rice jar and patted it gently.
The two went down the mountain and soon arrived behind Lingyun Temple.
There was a back door in the high wall. Lu Fei peered through the gap and saw no one guarding it, so he put the little black dog into his backpack.
Then, with a push of his legs, he jumped up, grabbed the wall, and nimbly flipped over it in just a few moves.
After landing, he observed for a while to make sure no one noticed, then opened the back door, letting Hu Zi, who was carrying the rice jar, in, and then took out the small black dog from his backpack.
"Xiao Hei, it's up to you to lead the way."
The small black dog wagged its tail vigorously. Its two pitch-black eyes were bright and alert. After sniffing around, it led Lu Fei and the other person forward.
The temple was quiet, as if there was no one around.
The two people and the dog arrived at the backyard without any trouble.
"There it is!"
Lu Fei's eyes lit up when he saw the Zen room ahead.
Last time, it was Xiao Hei who led him here. In that room, there was a large water vat, and something inside was making a faint splashing sound.
At the time, he didn't know what it was.
It seems, it's most likely the flesh of the Grand Marshal.
Lu Fei and Hu Zi exchanged a glance, cautiously walking to the front of the meditation room, and peered inside through the window.
In the dimly lit room, the large water vat stood quietly in the corner, occasionally emitting a faint sound of water.
"The thing is inside."
Just as Lu Fei was about to ask Hu Zi to open the door, the small black dog bit his trouser leg and tugged at it hard.
Immediately after.
They heard the faint sound of footsteps.
"Someone's here! Quick, hide!"
The two of them and the dog quietly ran to the other side of the meditation room and hid behind the wall.
As soon as they were hidden, the footsteps approached.
Lu Fei cautiously peered out with his eyes, looking towards that direction.
It was a young Taoist from the observatory, walking towards the meditation room, looking around furtively as he went, his actions stealthy, like a thief.
The young Taoist arrived at the door of the meditation room, carefully looked around, and took out a key. Possibly due to nervousness, his hand trembled for a long time before he managed to unlock the door.
Creak——
The old door slowly opened.
The young Taoist glanced inside, swallowed hard, and summoned his courage to step inside.
"Is he trying to steal something?"
Lu Fei thought for a moment, intending to go over and take a look.
"Ah!"
A terrified scream suddenly echoed from within the meditation room.
"What's wrong?"
He and Hu Zi were instantly startled.
Then, they saw the little Taoist stumbling and crawling out from inside, but before he could even crawl out the door, he quickly retreated back in.
A very eerie sound of water waves came from the meditation room.
A few seconds later.
The little Taoist's scream suddenly stopped.
The temple was instantly filled with a terrifying silence.
Lu Fei's heart was pounding, not knowing what had happened inside.
The screams would certainly attract others, so Lu Fei didn't go to check immediately.
Sure enough.
In less than a minute, several Taoist priests hurried over.
The leading priest was the strange Taoist that Lu Fei had seen before, with an old-fashioned appearance but a very youthful face.
"You're overestimating your abilities!"
The Taoist walked to the door, glanced inside, and let out a cold snort.
Then, he looked at the three young Taoists.
"See this? This is the outcome of being greedy! Is there anyone among you who still wants to enter this room?"
The young Taoists all lowered their heads, their backs trembling slightly, like frightened quails.
"We dare not, Master!"
"Who knows if you really don't dare or are just saying it! You are my disciples. As long as you obey me, I will ensure you enjoy boundless wealth and honor!"
The Taoist's icy gaze swept over each of the young Taoists in turn.
"If you're like the one inside, acting one way to their face and another behind their back, this is the best outcome you can get!"
"We wouldn't dare! We disciples are completely loyal to our Master. Whatever the Master says goes, we've never thought of anything else!"
One of the young Taoists answered timidly.
"Good to know." The Taoist sneered coldly and waved his hand impatiently, "Aren't you going to carry it to the back mountain and bury it? Leaving it here will only dirty the grounds of Lingyun Temple!"
"Yes, sir!"
The three young Taoists, as if granted a great pardon, entered the meditation room and soon came out carrying a black body bag.
It looked like there was a person in the bag, but also not quite, because the body seemed soft and squishy, like melted clay, oozing in all directions.
"Remember to clean up properly. If any trouble arises, you'll be the ones suffering the consequences!"
After speaking, the Taoist glanced in the direction where Lu Fei and the other were hiding.