The Strange Case of Dee Renjie's Ghost Temple

During Wu Zhou's reign, Luoyang, the capital, was prosperous and picturesque. In this prosperous age, undercurrents are constant, the world is treacherous, and strange cases abound. Di Renjie, who was the Minister of Dali Temple at that time, although he upheld the law like a mountain, he rarely enjoyed leisure. Fifteen miles outside Luoyang City, at the foot of the green mountains, there is a Ghost Lantern Temple. It is said that this temple is very popular because the "Ghost Lamp Bodhisattva" enshrined in it can relieve hundreds of ghosts and ward off disasters. However, more than a month ago, something strange happened in this temple: a pilgrim was found dead in the temple after offering incense late at night. The body was so miserable that his head was missing. What's even weirder is that there was no moon in the sky that night, but a strange ghost fire wandered in front of the temple, scaring away the monks guarding the temple. This incident spread to ten people and hundreds of people, and the people were panic-stricken and spread the word "Ghost Lamp Bodhisattva appeared and demanded his life". Report from Jingzhao Mansion Three days after the incident, the governor of Jingzhao reported to the court and requested a thorough investigation of the case. Wu Zetian heard this and said angrily: "The Tang Dynasty was prosperous, how could it allow evil spirits to confuse people's hearts?" Then she ordered Di Renjie to investigate in person and solve the case within ten days, otherwise the black yarn would be removed. After receiving the order, Di Renjie stroked his beard and smiled, "Although this case is strange, the theories about ghosts and gods are mostly false, and someone must make strange appearances to confuse the public." He immediately dressed up, led his assistant Yuan Fang and a group of policemen, and rushed to the Ghost Lantern Temple in the dust. Preliminary visit to the site When he arrived at the Ghost Lantern Temple, Di Renjie saw that the temple door was closed, dilapidated and deserted, with only a few brave villagers watching from a distance. Outside the temple, the grass is luxuriant, as if it has not been repaired for many years; inside the temple, the incense burner has fallen over and the Buddha statues are covered in dust, which is quite eerie. Yuan Fang frowned and said, "Sir, although this place looks dilapidated, there is something wrong."