"The upper layer of this oil pot is vinegar," Zhao Ce explained. "Vinegar boils at a very low temperature, so when I put my hand in just now, the vinegar had already boiled and it didn't burn my hand. But as the temperature of the oil rose, the master dared not put his hand in anymore. So I don't have any Buddhist protection, it's all just their little tricks."
Zhao Yuanwai looked bewildered. "As for the turtle that guided us, that's even simpler," Zhao Ce continued to explain. "The paper turtle was made by cutting a piece of paper into the shape of a turtle, then mixing bear bile and carp bile to paint on the paper before letting it dry. When the paper is placed in water, it will appear to be moving in a terrified manner. As for the pig's head..." Zhao Ce glanced at them, but shook his head and said, "You wouldn't understand."
Zhao Yuanwai quickly said, "I don't understand, but my son is a scholar, he will definitely understand." Zhao Anming was pushed forward with some fear, looking at Zhao Ce. He had seen Zhao Ce's strength just now and was afraid that if Zhao Ce got angry, no one could stop him. Zhao Anming stuttered, "Y-you can tell me, I'm listening." Zhao Ce said, "Okay, I'll explain it to you. There's a type of solution called a dissolving solution. Dip a clean brush in the dissolving solution and draw the outline of the pig's head on the paper. After the paper dries, it looks like an ordinary piece of white paper. But when the marked area is touched by fire, it will burn away, revealing the pig's head drawing." "Now that I've explained it, do you understand?"
Zhao Yuanwai looked at his son expectantly. Zhao Anming didn't want to admit that he didn't understand, so he pretended to understand and said, "Yes, I understand." But his words were met with laughter from the crowd.
The scholar standing next to Su Cai'er looked at Zhao Anming and burst into laughter. Seeing that Zhao Yuanwai and his group were looking at him, the scholar said boldly, "To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge."
"You pretending to know what you don't is just plain ignorance," the scholar continued. Zhao Anming's face turned pale and then red. Zhao Yuanwai added, "What Li Xiucai means is, son, are you pretending to know what you don't know?" The scholar named Li Xiucai smirked at Zhao Anming, who was at a loss for words.
Finally, he just stood awkwardly aside. Zhao Yuanwai then realized that he had just exposed his own son's ignorance. However, he was still confused because the master had sat outside their house for six days without eating or drinking, which everyone had witnessed. This was not the legendary skill of fasting, so what was it?
After Zhao Yuanwai expressed his doubts, Zhao Ce chuckled lightly and then said seriously, "That's why I said earlier, you should tie them up and report them to the officials!"
"They are not monks, but murderers! And they have probably killed more than one person!" Zhao Anming's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the master on the ground. "Murderers?" Zhao Yuanwai had spent a lot of money to hire them, but it turned out they were a bunch of murderers?
Zhao Ce pointed to the master's Buddhist beads around his neck and said, "When the master first arrived in the city, he had 24 beads on his necklace. Now, there are only 18 beads left. Where did the other 6 go?" This statement left Zhao Yuanwai stunned.
Zhao Anming, on the other hand, was the first to react. "The beads contain food!" he exclaimed. "These beads do not contain food," Zhao Ce replied. "A person who does not eat or drink for six days and nights, even if there was a little bit of food, without water, it would not be possible for him to have such a healthy glow on his face."
"The only possibility is that these beads have a special origin," Zhao Ce continued. "If I'm not mistaken, they are what is known as infant pills..." "Infant pills..." Some of the people present had heard of this before and their faces changed.
"The Infant Pill is not an ordinary thing. It is made from unborn babies. No wonder Zhao Ce said that these people killed more than one person.
Zhao Ce said, "Zhao Yuanwai, why don't you just have them taken to the officials and explain this matter to the county magistrate? Once these thieves are examined, everything will become clear."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuanwai's face immediately changed. He didn't dare to delay and quickly had the group of people taken to the county office. "You fake, how dare you deceive me like this!" "I'll take you to the officials right now!" The servants immediately brought out ropes. Zhao Ce took back the Zen staff from the master and the master struggled with all his remaining strength. It took several servants to subdue him.
Zhao Yuanwai looked at the master and then at Zhao Ce, muttering, "This young man is so strong, if I didn't know any better, I would have thought he really had the protection of Buddhism." The people were taken away and the onlookers followed them to the county office to see the excitement.
Back at the Zhao residence, Li Xiucai, who had been watching the scene, said boldly, "Since there's no more excitement to see, let's go drink." He then swaggered away. Zhao Ce returned to Su Cai'er's side and she relaxed, asking, "My husband, did you get hurt?" She checked him over anxiously and Zhao Ce smiled, "Of course not."
Just then, Zhao Yuanwai and his men arrived. "Young Master Zhao, please stay." Zhao Yuanwai had had a really bad day. He had originally wanted to pray to the gods and Buddhas to ward off misfortune, but he had ended up hiring a group of bandits with blood on their hands. His expression, no matter how pleasant, was all fake.
Today, if they had been deceived by this master and had sent him away, and then the master had been caught, the news would have spread and his family would have become accomplices. Fortunately, this young man had exposed the truth. Otherwise, they would have been in big trouble. Thinking of this, Zhao Yuanwai respectfully said to Zhao Ce, "Young Sir, it's a good thing you're knowledgeable. If not for you, our family would have mistaken these thieves for our benefactors."
Zhao Ce glanced at Zhao Anming meaningfully and said, "Young Master has great talent. Even if I hadn't exposed these thieves, Young Master would have done so naturally." Zhao Anming thought of how he had kneeled down and worshipped the so-called high monk earlier, and then helped his father push the high monk, he felt that he had lost face as a scholar. He glared at Zhao Yuanwai, blaming his father for all the ugly things he had done in public."