Jiangli entered Jiaoyang Temple and made straight for the main hall.
"Ancestral Master, lend me a hand."
Jiangli bowed slightly to the statue of the Ancestral Master, walked over, and climbed directly behind the statue.
She moved the statue aside and knocked on the base of the Ancestral Master’s image.
The next second, with a click, Jiangli prised a Jade Token from the base of the Ancestral Master’s image.
"It’s indeed still here!"
That day she returned, she had noticed that although the statue of the Ancestral Master had changed from solid gold to gilded, the base had not been replaced.
It was still the stone base she had carved herself.
Back then, in order to carve the stone base and to nourish the Magic Artifact, Jiangli had buried six Jade Tokens within it, allowing them to bask in the incense offered to the Ancestral Master together.
This way, some simple Magic Artifacts could quickly be cultivated.
However, Jiangli hadn’t yet had the chance to excavate the Magic Artifacts for use before she had to enter secluded cultivation for eight hundred years.
Unexpectedly, the secret within the base had still not been discovered.
Luckily it hadn’t been found.
Otherwise, she feared all these would have been squandered by those wasteful disciples of hers.
Jiangli, feeling extremely relieved, took down the Jade Token, replaced the statue of the Ancestral Master, and jumped down from the platform.
Just as she landed, the incense burning well in the censer suddenly snapped in half with a crack.
Jiangli knew the Ancestral Master was showing his displeasure at her.
"Don’t be so stingy—"
Jiangli clicked her tongue, patted the leg of the Ancestral Master’s statue, "This stuff was buried by me to begin with; it’s my property, what’s wrong with taking back my own things?"
The three incense sticks, already broken in the middle, snapped off another piece.
Glancing over, Jiangli smiled amicably, "Old coot, don’t make me take action. If you push me too hard, do you believe I would dismantle even this gilded body of yours?"
The Ancestral Master’s statue: "..."
The red robe on the statue suddenly fluttered without wind.
As if to show just how angry he was now.
Jiangli sighed, walked behind a door, and took out a hammer.
She looked at the statue of the Ancestral Master very obediently.
"Since you’re even willing to part with this gilded body, I will fulfill your wish."
As she finished speaking, she lifted the hammer, ready to take action.
With a plop, the robe on the statue’s body fell off, seemingly clinging tighter as if to resist Jiangli’s violence.
Jiangli toyed with the hammer in her hand, "It would’ve been fine if you acted earlier. I’ll take my stuff, you continue enjoying your offerings, and we won’t interfere with each other, I’m leaving."
With a wave of her hand, Jiangli tossed the hammer next to the base and walked away.
The Ancestral Master’s statue: "..."
Upon leaving Jiaoyang Temple, Jiangli saw Wu Mei with a pale face, crying her eyes out, nearly collapsing into Xia Xin’s embrace.
"Ancestor..." Xia Xin, struggling to hold Wu Mei, saw Jiangli emerge as if seeing a savior.
Jiangli, playing with the Jade Token in her hand, asked, "Did you find it?"
Xia Xin replied, "It seems like..."
But Wu Mei hadn’t told him.
Understandingly, Jiangli looked at the out-of-breath Wu Mei and asked, "Where’s Fan Siguo?"
Wu Mei shuddered, cried out loudly, "My, my husband is at Hen Cheng’s house... right there in Hen Cheng’s house, I, I saw him covered in blood, so, so much blood..."
Jiangli’s expression darkened, "Let’s go."
Xia Xin, supporting Wu Mei, said, "I’ve already called for a car, it’ll be here any moment."
Wu Mei had driven here, but in her current state, she certainly couldn’t drive.
Neither Jiangli nor Xia Xin knew how to drive, so they had to wait for the car to arrive.
Fortunately, Xia Xin had been wise and called for a car in advance.
After less than two minutes, the car stopped at the gates of Jiaoyang Temple.
Jiangli got into the car and took the passenger seat.
Xia Xin, helping Wu Mei, followed right after.
As soon as they were in the car, Jiangli asked, "Where’s Hen Cheng’s house?"