Abandoned Woman Busy Farming-Chapter 2438 - 2439: Mechanical Cipher

The guards lying on the ground watched Bai Ruozhu and her group leave with the injured little deer in their arms. The short-tempered Lord Xinye from their household surprisingly didn’t stop them, leaving the guards to feel utterly dismayed.

The matter was soon brought to General Chisong’s attention, who was somewhat displeased but reprimanded the guards who had roasted donkey meat at Zhaoti Temple. This particularly irked Luzhi.

"Xinye, what exactly are you doing? Where has your samurai pride gone?" Luzhi asked angrily.

Xinye’s mood dampened, "My lord, it’s my fault for not handling matters properly. Please punish me!"

"Old rules apply, do as you see fit." Luzhi replied coldly.

Soon, the guards sent to Zhaoti Temple learned that Lord Xinye had received thirty lashes, and they became more convinced that it was due to Xinye’s lack of protection that they were right to roast the deer meat at Zhaoti Temple.

...

Bai Ruozhu and her group were unaware of the subsequent events. After a few days, Master Puru was able to slowly walk, and the deer Bai Ruozhu rescued had recovered and was sent back to Zhaoti Temple.

"I’ve heard about these matters. Thank you, benefactor, for your compassionate heart," Puru said, bringing his hands together to chant the holy name.

Seeing that there was no one around, Bai Ruozhu softly spoke, "Still nothing has been discovered. Master, didn’t your master ever mention any marks or features?"

Puru shook his head and thought carefully for a moment, then suddenly said, "I just remembered, after telling this story, my master said the Dharma is boundless, and if you devote yourself to the Buddha, the Buddha will guide your path."

"The Buddha will guide the way?" Bai Ruozhu’s eyes lit up, thinking that it must be related to the Buddha.

With this new discovery, she hurriedly bid farewell to Master Puru, intending to return to Space for a thorough examination.

Jiang Yichun and the others joined her, and as they walked outside, they again smelled the aroma of roasted meat before even reaching the temple gate.

"Damn it, why don’t these people learn?" Fo Lanying and a few other girls had specifically come back to release the deer, only to find themselves facing roasted deer meat again. The young women were instantly incensed.

Fo Lanying, with the best martial arts, charged forward, and sure enough, those guards were again roasting deer meat.

"If it weren’t for General Chisong’s face, I’d have already slaughtered you men!" Fo Lanying angrily scolded, and Yuan Licheng immediately jumped to assist, with others rolling up their sleeves.

One guard jabbered away, but with no Sa Tian with them today, no one understood what he was saying, though his expression indicated it was anything but good.

Bai Ruozhu’s face turned cold, and she said icily, "I’ll make sure they never want to eat deer meat again in this lifetime."

She moved her fingertips slightly, releasing countless powder particles into the air, soon inhaled by the guards.

"Lan Ying, don’t fight; let’s go!" Bai Ruozhu commanded.

"Just let them off so easily?" Fo Lanying said, unwillingly.

Bai Ruozhu pulled her over, "Hurry up and leave, otherwise I fear you won’t stand it soon."

Everyone understood Bai Ruozhu must have poisoned them, and it seemed to be quite a terrifying poison.

Sure enough, after walking a short distance, the guards behind them, who had been aggressively shouting, began to moan one by one. Some clutched their stomachs in pain, others hurried to find a toilet, and some couldn’t hold it any longer and let loose.

The air was immediately filled with the stench of feces, and the remaining guards turned pale, bending over to vomit.

Fo Lanying glanced back and her face instantly changed, "Quickly leave, the smell is coming our way, it’s too disgusting!"

Bai Ruozhu smirked slightly and said, "I guarantee they won’t want to smell deer meat again, perhaps not even want to eat meat for a long while."

Everyone laughed. Fo Lanying laughed so hard she almost cried, and gave Bai Ruozhu a pat, saying, "I’ve realized you can’t afford to offend anyone, especially not you. Luckily, I’ve mended my ways early."

"You should be grateful you didn’t harm my second brother and sister-in-law, otherwise..." Bai Ruozhu elongated her voice and chuckled twice.

Fo Lanying shrank her neck and quickly hid behind Yuan Licheng, realizing how naïve and brave she had been in the past. Fortunately, she hadn’t offended Bai Ruozhu too harshly.

After returning to the posthouse, Bai Ruozhu and Jiang Yichun went back to their room to rest and then entered Space.

"Pick out everything related to the Buddha," Bai Ruozhu instructed.

Thus, the two found a stone tablet marked with a swastika and a copper Buddha statue partially burnt, along with various trinkets engraved with Buddhist scriptures, though the small items couldn’t hide a box.

"The Buddha will guide you." Bai Ruozhu repeatedly pondered the phrase, then looked at the somewhat disfigured copper Buddha and said, "Could it be this?"

Jiang Yichun took the copper Buddha for inspection, checking and tapping. Soon, he drew his sword and began to chisel at the statue.

"It should be here at the mouth, but it was obstructed due to melting," Jiang Yichun explained as he worked.

"Yes, the Buddha guides you; it hints at this meaning," Bai Ruozhu said excitedly, proudly patting her smart husband on the shoulder, "Achun is indeed clever."

She noticed Jiang Yichun’s ears turning slightly red and secretly laughed inside. Even with just a few words of praise, her husband had such a shy side.

Soon Jiang Yichun carved a hole out of the front of the Buddha, revealing the originally wide-open mouth.

This statue should initially have been a laughing Maitreya Buddha, with a key inserted into the mouth.

Bai Ruozhu took the golden pendant and carefully placed it inside.

The interior wasn’t a slot, and the pendant didn’t fit like a key in a lock, causing Bai Ruozhu to wonder if they were misdirected.

But after about three breaths, the statue emitted a cracking sound of gears, then started rotating bit by bit as it separated into parts.

"This statue turns out to be an ingenious mechanical creation!" Bai Ruozhu chastised herself for not realizing before, her aunt had indeed taught her mechanical techniques for a time.

However, the statue’s mechanism was well-concealed, its opening method unique, and with its altered appearance due to burning, her oversight was understandable.

Finally, the noises stopped, and the statue completely transformed into a box.

Bai Ruozhu slowly opened the box, uncertain what astonishing secrets might be hidden inside.

The box lay quietly with a pouch, which was peculiar, lacking any embroidery and made from fabric unfamiliar to Bai Ruozhu, resembling silver and unlike any fabric she knew.

Jiang Yichun gasped, "It’s woven from Heavenly Silkworm Silk, rumored to be impervious to swords, guns, and resistant to water and fire. Sadly, there’s only a little bit."

"This material should be more suitable for making soft armor, impervious to swords, guns, and resistant to water and fire," Bai Ruozhu said with gleaming eyes.