The thoughts of these people, Old Tao could somewhat surmise, yet he said nothing, instead continuing to examine the detached mural fragment, then observing the surroundings of the grotto.

Meanwhile, Qiao Yu asked in a low voice, "This whole affair is highly suspicious. Who do you think did it?"

"Why are you so certain it was done by human hands?" Bei Ye murmured, "After all, why would anyone destroy a mural for no reason?"

"Who knows? Maybe it was an accident," Qiao Yu speculated. "Then, not wanting to stop there, they finished the job, ruining all the murals like this to make it look like the result of thermal expansion and contraction."

"Xiao Qiao, don't speak carelessly," Bei Ye cautioned gently. "It's not good if someone overhears."

"What's there to fear?" Qiao Yu chuckled softly. "If you have the nerve to do it, you shouldn't fear being talked about. We've all heard plenty about deception, shifting blame, and covering things up. Now we've finally seen it firsthand."

"Don't be too quick to judge."

However, Wang Guan held a different view: "Thermal expansion and contraction is naturally unreliable, but it doesn't necessarily mean intentional damage. The fractures on the pieces look quite natural, somewhat resembling cracks caused by seismic tremors."

"Earthquake?" Qiao Yu’s voice rose slightly, then she immediately shook her head. "Impossible."

"I was just guessing," Wang Guan smiled, also agreeing. "If it were an earthquake, probably not just this single grotto, but all the grottos would have been affected."

"Exactly!" Qiao Yu nodded, speaking plainly, "So your guess is even less reliable."

"Not necessarily!"

Just then, Old Tao turned back and said, "It really could be an earthquake."

"What?"

Everyone was stunned, some even left speechless. While others’ opinions mattered less, such a reason—or perhaps an excuse—was unthinkable coming from the upright and selfless Old Tao. In the eyes of the management staff, the earthquake excuse was even less plausible than thermal expansion. Reporting such a reason to their superiors would certainly not fly.

"Don't believe me?" Old Tao smiled faintly. "Actually, earthquakes are divided into two types: natural earthquakes and man-made earthquakes."

"Huh? Man-made earthquakes?"

For a moment, many people were baffled, though some quick-witted individuals reacted instantly, hurriedly saying, "Does Old Tao mean someone was conducting construction nearby, causing these murals to crack?"

"Who? Who is doing construction?" Upon hearing this, the Director immediately erupted in anger. "We have issued strict, repeated orders forbidding the use of machinery like pile drivers within the grottos. Whoever violated the regulation must step forward immediately!"

"Director, there isn't any," at that moment, a manager scratched his head, utterly confused. "There haven't been any maintenance projects scheduled lately."

"That's right. Besides basic dusting and upkeep these past two months, there haven't been any major undertakings."

The other managers nodded in agreement, which also helped the Director recall that it was indeed the case. After all, any project required his signature and seal to take effect; it couldn't be implemented secretly behind his back.

"No projects?" Old Tao frowned slightly, then suddenly pointed to an indentation on the floor. "Then what is this?"

Everyone quickly looked over. The mark wasn't very clear, but upon closer inspection, they could barely make out the outline of something heavy falling there.

"Ah?"

Suddenly, someone cried out.

The Director glanced over and immediately asked, "Do you know the cause?"

"Director, some tourists complained a while ago that there were too many grottos, and they got tired walking around without many places to rest. So, after discussion, we decided to place some stone benches near the grottos."

The person quickly explained, pointing to the mark, "I remember it was the day before yesterday; when two workers were carrying a large solid stone bench past here, the rope suddenly snapped, and the bench crashed down with a thud. At the time, I was just relieved that the two men weren't injured, otherwise we'd have had to pay out more for work injury compensation..."

"Stop with the irrelevant details," the Director snapped, then mused thoughtfully, "So, it was precisely that impact that caused the murals to detach?"

"Something like that," Old Tao mused. "After all, the murals have weathered for years and are already somewhat fragile. Even without external forces, if not meticulously cared for, in another ten years or so, they would naturally show signs of cracking. That impact the day before yesterday accelerated the process, leaving behind a hidden danger that only manifested today."

In truth, there was something Old Tao didn't say, but everyone understood in their hearts. When the stone bench struck the ground and the resulting shockwave traveled through the rock wall, the murals must have cracked infinitesimally, but these people were careless and failed to notice. In a way, these managers should bear some responsibility.

Of course, responsibility could be discussed later. Now that the concrete cause was found, the Director breathed a sigh of relief. He was effusively grateful to Old Tao, lowering his demeanor considerably, and carefully requested, "Old Tao, now that the problem is clear, even though it was an accident... is there any way to salvage the situation?"

In an instant, several managers looked eagerly toward Old Tao again, hoping to hear an affirmative answer.

"They're all cracked, what can be salvaged?" Old Tao said dryly. "Glue them back together?"

The managers exchanged glances and offered awkward, bitter smiles. In fact, when they first discovered the mural detachment, they had considered that very idea, but the fragments were too shattered to be reassembled; they could only report to the Director. After much anxious deliberation, it was the middle-aged man who had fetched Old Tao who suggested inviting Old Tao for assistance.

Exchanging glances, one person, understanding Old Tao’s temperament, decided to speak truthfully, smiling sheepishly, "Old Tao, actually, we hoped you might lend your expertise to repair the murals..."

"Repair? How would you repair it? It might as well be repainted entirely," Old Tao retorted.

"That would be excellent..."

In that moment, someone blurted out, and everyone stared at him as if he were an idiot, mentally cursing him for either being naive or foolish enough not to catch the sarcasm in Old Tao's tone.

"I knew there was no good news when you asked me here," Old Tao said with a knowing, slight smile. "So you planned to use me as a scapegoat."

"Old Tao, how would we dare..." The group quickly shook their heads in denial. Even if they harbored such a thought, they absolutely couldn't admit it verbally, or not only would remediation fail, but the consequences might be far worse.

However, Wang Guan was also curious about why these people seemed so deferential to Old Tao. It didn't look like respect for a cultural figure but rather an attempt at currying favor.

Sensing Wang Guan's confusion, Qiao Yu whispered beside him, "Teacher's younger brother is a Standing Committee member of the Provincial Party Committee..."

Instantly, Wang Guan understood their intentions. If Old Tao were to repaint a mural, even if the higher-ups suspected foul play, they probably wouldn't dare press the issue too hard.

"Trying to use Teacher—they're still too green," Qiao Yu scorned slightly, then smiled. "They'll probably spend time arguing amongst themselves. It's boring to wait here; why don't we go look around outside?"

Wang Guan agreed, and Bei Ye had no objection either. The three then said goodbye to Old Tao and immediately left the grotto, beginning to wander casually.

Qiao Yu was quite familiar with the area, frequently explaining the origins of various grottos to the other two. "Look, that one over there is the most magnificent grotto in Tianlong Mountain, renovated by the state. Inside, there's the seated statue of Maitreya and the Eleven-faced Guanyin statue..."

"There are also many Tang Dynasty grottos. Teacher said the Tang Dynasty was the zenith of Chinese Buddhism, and Jinyang was the birthplace of the Li Tang Dynasty, so the carving of grottos and construction of temples in Tianlong Mountain reached its peak, with eighteen grottos carved across the East and West Peaks," Qiao Yu spoke fluently. "However, most of the Buddha statues in those grottos have severed heads and limbs; only the bodies remain."

"That's terrible," Bei Ye’s eyes flickered with a touch of curiosity. "Didn't they say they could be repaired? Why not fix them completely?"

"If they were perfectly restored, they would lose that flavor of historical vicissitude."

Gazing at the life-sized Buddha statues before him, Wang Guan felt a twinge of emotion. "These works are perfect artistic treasures, but like so many things, we never cherish them when they are intact. Only when they are damaged do we realize their worth. However, it's not too late to mend the fences; leaving these flaws might serve as a reminder, urging us not to repeat the same mistakes."

"Hmm, that sounds quite reasonable," Qiao Yu said lightheartedly. "Xiao Ye, after we finish the grottos, let's go down to see the temple at the foot of the mountain. It was originally called Tianlong Temple, but it's been renamed Shengshou Temple now."

"In the temple, there is a Coiling Dragon Pine. That tree is very strange; its branches and leaves don't grow upwards like normal trees, but spread out horizontally and radiate outward in all directions. From a distance, it looks like a green cloud, but up close, it resembles a giant umbrella..."

Qiao Yu chirped on like an excited little bird. Before long, led by her, Wang Guan and Bei Ye arrived before the so-called Coiling Dragon Pine.

After a brief look, Wang Guan was also somewhat amazed. The tree wasn't tall—barely three meters high counting everything—but its main trunk was stout, with branches and leaves spreading outward. To support the ancient pine's continuously expanding canopy, the caretakers had erected dozens of supporting pillars around it, which looked like the ribs of an umbrella canopy or the pillars of a pavilion, quite unique.

The three walked underneath, feeling as if they were sheltered beneath an immense, natural awning. Looking up, the layered, twisted branches resembled dragon arms and claws, winding and interlacing like a coiled dragon suspended in the air, hence the name Coiling Dragon Pine.

"What do you think, isn't it nice?" Qiao Yu gestured. "The shade covers two hundred square meters, wider than some buildings."

"It is nice," Wang Guan smiled. "Sleeping here in the summer should be quite cool."

"Dream on, the mosquitoes will eat you alive," Qiao Yu chuckled, then enthusiastically led Bei Ye around the temple grounds. After half-heartedly burning a few sticks of incense, they finally left Shengshou Temple.

As soon as they stepped out, Qiao Yu pointed to a building about a hundred meters to the left. "See that? That's Tianlong Mountain Villa, a place for people to eat, drink, and have fun..."

"Xiao Yu!" At that moment, someone called out to her from far in front of the Tianlong Mountain Villa entrance.