Lodging at a Ruined Temple

After dealing with the old man, Lin Chan didn't immediately go to pick up Little Li. Instead, he checked his luggage.

The custom carriage was wrecked beyond repair, so he had to take everything out and travel light.

"What a waste of all this meat!"

Looking at the dried meat scattered on the ground, Lin Chan felt a pang of regret.

He could only gather the clean pieces, bundle the rest into a large pack, and sling it over his back.

As for what was still edible, he let Little White eat as much as he could.

By the time Little Li rushed back, there was hardly any meat left on the ground.

Little Li had worked hard all day, and seeing that dumb dog Little White do nothing yet feast on so much good food, he got furious and started fighting with Little White again.

But he was too tired—having pulled the cart and chased enemies all day—and soon lost.

Still, they were just messing around. After a bit of scuffling, they shared the remaining feast.

Lin Chan casually dug a pit, buried the tortoiseshell Cat Ghost, then shouldered his pack and led the cat and dog to the carriage ahead.

The white-haired old man had nothing valuable on him; he hadn't kept the art of refining the Cat Ghost on his person. Lin Chan only glanced roughly inside the carriage before pulling back.

"Forget it. The carriage is full of blood. Better not use it."

After a moment's thought, Lin Chan abandoned the carriage and set off on foot to the next location.

Little Li walked a while, got too tired, curled up on the pack strapped to Lin Chan's back, and fell into a deep sleep.

Little White, having slept enough, wasn't drowsy and trotted alongside Lin Chan.

The next few days went smoothly.

He even ran into a merchant caravan heading the same way. Spending a bit of silver, Lin Chan easily joined the group.

With the Karma Eye, he could roughly tell the good from the bad among these merchants, so he wasn't afraid of being ambushed.

They traveled for two days until a fork in the road, where they parted ways.

After that, he stayed at inns whenever possible—he had plenty of travel money and didn't mind spending it.

Another half-month of steady travel brought him less than halfway from the Shu Mountains.

Along the way, Lin Chan encountered a few bands of bandits.

But since he was alone and wore nothing flashy, looking quite shabby, the bandits easily let him pass.

That night, as the sky darkened and he spotted a dilapidated temple ahead, Lin Chan decided to stop there for the night.

"Sorry for the intrusion."

He bowed respectfully to the broken clay statue, showing his reverence.

Then he set down his pack.

The one man, one cat, and one dog split the work. After gathering some firewood, Lin Chan used a flint to start a fire.

"Not much food left."

He tossed some jerky to Little White and Little Li.

They gulped it down in one bite and came back to Lin Chan's side.

"No way! I'm hungry too!"

Lin Chan shook his head. If he didn't eat his fill, he wouldn't sleep well.

He should have bought more food at the last stop—he'd misjudged his pace.

Now, in the middle of nowhere with no one in sight, there was nothing to eat.

After finishing everything, Lin Chan still felt a bit hungry.

"Little Li! Go catch some prey!"

Lin Chan jokingly nudged Little Li with his foot.

Receiving the order, Little Li, though reluctant, padded out of the temple and vanished into the night.

Back in Yulin City, they had gone on an autumn hunt together.

After all, hunting was an annual event, and Lin Chan had learned it when he was older.

Seeing Little Li actually go, Lin Chan didn't stop him.

If he brought back something, fine. If not, it didn't matter.

To let his body rest properly, Lin Chan switched to Little White's body and kept watch by the fire.

If you can't find the book by title, try searching by the author—maybe it just changed names!

Not long after Little Li left, there was movement outside.

"Back already?"

Lin Chan felt a bit disappointed. He'd hoped Little Li had really grown up and could bring back a wild chicken or rabbit.

But the one who walked in wasn't Little Li—it was a woman in red.

The woman was stunningly beautiful, with fair skin and a tall, slender figure, as she crept softly into the ruined temple.

"Young master!"

Seeing Lin Chan asleep leaning against his bundle, she called out gently, her voice alluring and captivating.

Lin Chan immediately withdrew from Little White's body and opened his eyes, activating the [Karma Eye].

He saw a dense, murky black aura swirling around the woman—her Bad Karma was even greater than Little White's.

Lin Chan said nothing, his hand gripping the knife handle, ready to draw at any moment.

"Young master! Why does it feel so hot? Don't you think so?"

The Red-Clad Woman began to loosen her clothes, letting her outer robe fall to reveal her undergarments—a seductive sight.

Hearing her voice, Lin Chan felt a wave of heat and his lips went dry.

"Is this an illusion?"

Realizing what was happening, Lin Chan didn't hesitate. He slashed at the Red-Clad Woman with his blade.

Struck by the blade's energy, the woman let out a shrill cry and dissolved into a puff of smoke.

"That was close."

Lin Chan felt a chill of fear. That woman had definitely cast some kind of illusion—otherwise, he wouldn't have entertained any improper thoughts.

At the very least, he wouldn't have been swayed after just two sentences.

This was far too unusual.

He had no idea what that Red-Clad Woman was, but she was likely some kind of ghostly entity.

"This place is no good!"

Lin Chan glanced around and considered leaving.

But Little Li hadn't returned yet. If Lin Chan left now, Little Li would come back and find no one.

Besides, these ghosts were putting on a show—that meant they weren't all that strong.

After all, if they were truly powerful, they wouldn't need to go through such trouble.

Just then, there was another sound outside.

An old woman wearing a headscarf walked in, carrying a stack of food boxes.

"Young man, you must be hungry! Come over and eat something."

As she spoke, she opened the food box, revealing several dishes—fish, meat, and fragrant, steaming buns.

The food gave off an enticing aroma that made one's mouth water.

In response, the old woman received only a single, casual slash.

The blade's energy swept through, and the old woman dissolved into smoke, just like the Red-Clad Woman before her.

The food box fell to the ground, and the delicacies inside turned into scattering insects and ants.

This time, Lin Chan didn't waste words. He used the [Karma Eye], confirmed the old woman was also steeped in Bad Karma, and cut her down.

Next, a wealthy merchant in fine robes ambled over. Before he could speak, a slash came his way.

Soon after, a man in a Daoist robe approached and said:

"I can guide you in cultivation, teach you to absorb qi and live without food."

The words had barely left his mouth when the blade's energy arrived, and the Daoist Robe Youth took a hit too.

Just as Lin Chan thought this would go on endlessly, the entire temple fell silent.

Lin Chan immediately packed up, ready to leave.

As for Little Li, he could only hope it would catch up slowly.

Slinging his bundle over his shoulder, Lin Chan hesitated.

"These ghosts came to the temple to lure me out—maybe it's not the temple that's the problem. On the contrary, the temple might be the safest place."

Thinking this, Lin Chan set his bundle back down.

He decided to stay in the temple and wait until dawn.