Mystery

Seeing Qin Wei and the others enter the temple one by one, Ling Yun's eyes flickered slightly as he stepped inside as well.

"Follow me."

Jie Wu gave Ling Yun and the others an indifferent glance, then turned and headed in one direction without looking back.

The group exchanged glances and silently followed behind him.

Past the temple gates lay a dense cluster of buildings. The space within was far more complicated than they had imagined.

Quite a few braziers had been lit throughout the area, yet the surroundings remained dim. The air was thick with incense and candle smoke, along with a stench resembling rotten food.

On both sides stood rows of dark, gloomy side rooms, within which swaying black shadows could vaguely be seen.

Ling Yun's pupils shifted. With his eyesight, he could naturally see those so-called shadows clearly—they were a group of expressionless young novice monks.

Some stood beneath the windowsills, others hid behind the doors. Each exposed only half his head, staring fixedly at them with bloodshot eyes.

Something was wrong with this place!

Ling Yun was not the only one who thought so. The other Demon Suppression Envoys had also sensed the abnormalities around them.

Their expressions grew solemn as they vigilantly surveyed their surroundings.

Only Qin Wei appeared completely unconcerned. He merely strode after Jie Wu, heading deeper into the temple.

After walking for who knew how long, they finally arrived before a courtyard.

The courtyard looked somewhat dilapidated. As far as the eye could see, there was only a withered old tree and a dust-covered chessboard.

A faint glimmer of firelight shone from the room ahead.

From within came the intermittent tapping of a wooden fish and the sound of sutras being chanted.

"Abbot, they have arrived."

Jie Wu pressed one palm against the other and spoke respectfully.

As his words fell, the rhythmic wooden fish stopped, followed by an aged voice from within. "Amitabha. Esteemed guests, please come in."

The group strode forward, pushed open the door, and entered.

The room was exceedingly simple.

A massive Buddha statue, a wooden fish, and an old monk seated cross-legged upon a meditation cushion.

The old monk wore a tattered cassock. Before him stood an offering table bearing several sutra books and an incense burner filled with candles and incense sticks.

Wisps of bluish smoke curled up from the burner, carrying a strange scent of sandalwood.

"This old monk is Monk Zhikong. Greetings, my lords, Demon Suppression Envoys."

"May I ask why you have paid a visit to this humble temple so late at night?"

Once they entered, the old monk opened his somewhat clouded eyes. His tone was calm, and he looked kindly and benevolent.

Jie Wu's expression changed at once. Clearly, he had not realized their identities before this.

Meanwhile, Qin Wei shed his previous ferocious manner. Pressing his palms together, he said mildly,

"Greetings, Master Zhikong. We have come tonight for one matter only."

"A few days ago, several of my subordinates came to your temple. Has Master seen them?"

"If it is convenient, please tell us where they are now."

Monk Zhikong pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head.

He then looked toward Jie Wu beside him and asked,

"Jie Wu, have any outsiders entered the temple these past few days?"

"Reporting to Abbot, those who have come up the mountain lately have all been worshippers here to make offerings. I do not believe any were the people the esteemed Demon Suppression Envoys are seeking."

Jie Wu lowered his head as he spoke, placing particular emphasis on the words "Demon Suppression Envoys." Evidently, he still bore a grudge over what had happened earlier.

Qin Wei waved a hand to stop the restless men behind him, then cupped his fists and said,

"In that case, we have disturbed you today."

"However, the night is already deep, and the mountain is full of tigers, leopards, and beasts. We would like to stay here for the night. Could Master grant us this convenience?"

Monk Zhikong looked at the Demon Suppression Envoys behind him, each with the appearance of a fiendish god, and did not answer immediately. He seemed somewhat hesitant.

Seeing this, Qin Wei immediately took out a banknote from his robes and gently placed it upon the offering table.

"On the way here, I saw that many of the temple's facilities were damaged. Let this be our donation for incense offerings."

"Please be compassionate, Master. We will leave at dawn tomorrow."

Ling Yun looked at Qin Wei strangely. He could hardly imagine this fellow was actually capable of speaking calmly and reasonably with someone.

In Ling Yun's impression, this man ought to have kicked over the old monk, then seized him by the neck and threatened him.

At this moment, Monk Zhikong sighed and slowly closed his eyes.

"Good, good."

"Since that is the case, Jie Wu, find the honored guests a good room for them to rest through the night."

"Also, remember to notify the kitchen to prepare some hot vegetarian food."

Though Jie Wu looked displeased, he did not dare voice any objection. After giving a Buddhist salute, he snorted coldly and walked out.

Qin Wei cupped his fists in thanks and turned to leave as well.

Ling Yun's gaze flickered. Before leaving, he gave Monk Zhikong a long, deep look.

The fluctuations of blood and qi within that old fellow were extremely strange. At times, they were powerful enough to seem divine; at others, they became weaker than those of even a Force Conduit martial artist.

It was as though... two entirely different people had been forcibly pieced together.

But he said nothing, merely following the others out of the room in silence.

Before long, the sound of sutras being chanted drifted out from the room once more.

After twisting and turning through countless paths,

under Jie Wu's lead, the group finally arrived before a side room.

"You may rest here. Do not wander around without cause; there are quite a few beasts in the mountains."

"As for the vegetarian food, someone will deliver it shortly."

After coldly delivering those two sentences, Jie Wu turned and left without looking back, quickly vanishing around a corner.

"Damn it, Boss, just give the word and I'll smack that bald donkey to death with one palm!" One Demon Suppression Envoy ground his teeth in fury. When had he ever suffered such treatment?

But Qin Wei merely gave him a faint glance, and the man immediately shrank his neck, not daring to complain further.

Qin Wei then looked up at the side room before him and pushed the door open without hesitation.

The room was not particularly large. It contained only several tables and a row of connected beds, though it should be enough to accommodate all of them.

The moment they entered, the Demon Suppression Envoys each displayed their own abilities, pulling all sorts of strange and unusual objects from their robes.

Some held bottles and jars, splashing foul-smelling liquids everywhere. Some muttered tongue-twisting incantations. Others even took out bundles of talismans and scattered them all around.

The scene was a riot of demons dancing wildly. Ling Yun watched with a baffled expression, inexplicably feeling as though he were watching Taoist priests perform a ritual dance in a movie from his previous life.

Fortunately, they soon stopped their actions and gathered around Qin Wei.

"My lord, we found no trace of any Evil Spirit."

"The Tracking Beetles have not reacted either. It seems the people from the second team truly are not here."

Qin Wei looked at the two golden beetles circling in place, and his expression darkened slightly.

He then looked toward another man and asked in a low voice,

"Ma Xiu, what did you find?"

Ma Xiu stood quietly in place. Countless writhing shadows crawled out from cracks all around, then returned to his own shadow.

Hearing his boss's question, Ma Xiu immediately opened his eyes and shook his head helplessly.

"Boss, I searched the entire area around us. I found nothing unusual."