"Amitabha!"
Master Qiku pressed his palms together and replied, "It is good that Benefactor understands."
After a brief pause, Chen Qing asked again, "Master, regarding the Blood Bodhi, when do you need this junior to find it?"
Qiku's fingers did not stop moving over his prayer beads as he answered calmly, "For this poor monk, the sooner the better, naturally. But fortune cannot be forced. Benefactor need only act within your means. This poor monk believes benefactor Chen is one who keeps his word. Since you have promised, you surely will not leave this poor monk waiting in vain."
"This junior will certainly do his utmost."
Chen Qing nodded, then asked, "Master, this junior has observed that the Killing Intent in the prison seems more restrained and tranquil than it was some time ago. Has its source been completely suppressed?"
Qiku replied, "Killing Intent is like the tide—it rises and falls. The previous purification merely soothed its agitation for the moment and returned it temporarily to silence. Yet its root is deeply embedded, like subterranean fire: it may seem extinguished, while turbulent currents still surge beneath. It could stir up waves again at any moment. The real trouble has not yet..."
Before he could finish, his brows suddenly drew tight, and the hand clutching his prayer beads abruptly stopped.
Qiku whipped his head around toward the passage leading deeper into the prison's depths. A trace of gravity flashed across his face, as though he had sensed some subtle change.
"Benefactor, please make yourself at home. This Monk must go deeper and investigate."
After hurriedly tossing those words to Chen Qing, Master Qiku said no more. His figure flickered, turning into a wisp of gray smoke that slipped swiftly and soundlessly into the darkness. His aura vanished into the distance in