City God Temple

Du Sanniang let out a soft snort:

"I'm not that shameless. I merely want to cooperate with him. Evil spirits run rampant throughout this world. With one more source of strength, we can save more lives."

Old Taoist Songhe glanced at her, seeming lost in thought.

They had only just sat down when—

Qin Bo emerged from the woods, carrying the black cat.

"Taken care of?"

Chen Song rose and looked at Qin Bo.

"Taken care of. I even hacked that coffin to pieces."

Qin Bo waved his hand, looking completely at ease.

"Not bad. To deal with the Red and White Twin Evils, you have to destroy the vessels that bear them. Only then can you prevent new manifestations of the strange from appearing."

Chen Song nodded, clearly impressed.

Du Sanniang looked Qin Bo up and down, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes.

"I didn't expect someone so young to be so swift and decisive. The Red and White Twin Evils have been haunting this place for a long time. The nearby villages have suffered who knows how much. You could say you've rid the people of a great menace."

Qin Bo smiled and said modestly:

"I had Little Black Charcoal to thank as well. Otherwise, I wouldn't have succeeded so easily."

As he spoke, he gently stroked the black cat's head in his arms.

Little Black Charcoal narrowed its eyes in comfort, a purring rumble rising from its throat.

Old Taoist Songhe stroked his beard and said, "Since matters here are settled, let's continue on our way."

"We have to take advantage of the early hour and reach the City God Temple outside Yunzhou City as soon as possible. Nighttime is when the real horror begins!"

Everyone nodded and continued down the road.

At last, as dusk began to fall, they reached a remote hamlet.

A solitary old residence stood amid the entire stretch of forest.

An eerie strangeness seeped through the gloom.

"We're here. This is the City God Temple. Yunzhou City is still a few miles away, but the city gates are closed at night. We can't get in, so we'll have to spend the night here!"

Qin Bo sized up this so-called City God Temple.

The temple doors were half-shut. The red paint on the hinges had mottled and peeled away, exposing the rotting wood beneath.

One corner of the stone lion before the temple was missing as well, leaving it looking utterly dilapidated.

Weeds grew thick all around, as though no one had set foot here in ages.

"This City God Temple looks so desolate. Can people really stay here?"

Qin Bo could not help asking.

Chen Song smiled and explained:

"Though this City God Temple is run-down, it's still better than sleeping rough in the wind and eating in the open. Besides, this place is strengthened by a peculiar power that can ward off some evil spirits, making it relatively safe."

The group entered the City God Temple, where an air of age and decay hung thickly.

In the main hall, the statue of the City God was already coated in dust, its features blurred beyond recognition.

The murals on the walls to either side had also been eroded by the years and were incomplete. Only vague scenes of subduing demons and exorcising evil could still be made out.

Du Sanniang wrinkled her nose and took a piece of cloth from her bundle.

She began wiping down the offering table as she said, "When traveling, we have to make do. At least let's clear out a place where we can put our feet."

Qin Bo and Chen Song began searching the surroundings for materials they could use to start a fire.

Before long, the two returned to the main hall with an armful of dry branches and lit a fire in the corner.

The warm firelight gradually drove away the chill and gloom in the main hall.

Little Black Charcoal wandered all around the hall, occasionally pawing at the odds and ends in a corner and making a rustling sound.

Qin Bo took off his bundle. Inside was the dry food Master Li had given them before they set out.

There were some flatbreads, as well as dried meat!

He spread it all out and handed it to them.

"Oh? Not bad. My efforts to save them weren't wasted after all."

Old Taoist Songhe accepted the flatbread and dried meat, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

Chen Song accepted some food as well. After biting into a strip of dried meat, he said, "Master Li is quite a solid man. He prepared enough dry food to keep us going for quite some distance."

Du Sanniang picked up a flatbread gracefully, took a small bite, and nodded. "We've been traveling for so long. I am indeed a little hungry."

While eating his flatbread, Qin Bo watched Little Black Charcoal fussing about in the corner and called out:

"Little Black Charcoal, stop playing. Come over and eat."

Hearing him call, Little Black Charcoal came running over on its tiny, quick steps.

Qin Bo took a small piece of dried meat from the bundle and handed it to the cat.

Little Black Charcoal happily hugged it with its paws and began eating with great relish.

Just then, everyone stopped eating.

They all raised their eyes toward the temple entrance.

A noise came from outside the doors.

"Phew... Miss, come in quickly. Luckily, this old man remembered there was a City God Temple here. Otherwise, tonight would have been difficult indeed."

A middle-aged man dressed in brocade robes entered first and called toward the outside.

He did not notice Qin Bo and the others at all.

Immediately afterward, a young woman moved lightly into the temple on lotus steps.

She wore a pale pink gauze skirt, her dark hair cascading like a waterfall. Her stunning face nevertheless revealed a trace of weariness.

Several servants followed behind her, carrying some luggage.

Qin Bo and the others watched the group warily, uncertain of their intentions.

The middle-aged man turned around and only then noticed Qin Bo and the others. His expression tightened.

Apparently realizing that they were human, he immediately cupped his fists and said, "Everyone, I'm truly sorry. We were hurrying on our journey, and night has already fallen. We barged in without permission. I hope you'll forgive us."

Old Taoist Songhe looked them over. Seeing that they did not resemble villains, he returned the courtesy.

"No harm done. This City God Temple has no owner, and we are all travelers on the road. Meeting one another is fate. It's just that this place is somewhat strange. How did you come to be here?"

The middle-aged man smiled bitterly.

"To tell you the truth, we were originally heading to Yunzhou City to visit relatives, but we lost our way on the journey. And since Yunzhou City cannot be entered at night, I remembered in my panic that there was a City God Temple here, so I brought the young miss to take shelter for the night."

Du Sanniang glanced at the young woman and said softly, "Miss, you look rather pale. Could it be that the journey has exhausted you?"

The young woman gave a slight curtsy and said weakly, "Thank you for your concern, Sister. I'm merely a little tired from traveling all this way."

Du Sanniang turned back to look at the others and nodded. Qin Bo was taken aback, not understanding what she meant.

Then Black Charcoal meowed twice at the group.

Only then did he understand.

They had been latched onto. Their bodies had already been tainted by the aura of the strange.

However, the others did not reveal anything either.

Since they had entered the City God Temple, it meant that the strange thing had not followed them—for the time being.

Qin Bo remained secretly vigilant, but on the surface, he pretended that nothing was amiss.

He quietly observed the group and discovered that although the middle-aged man was trying hard to remain composed, a trace of panic still showed in his eyes.

And beneath the young woman's delicate exterior, some unknown emotions seemed to be hidden as well.

Old Taoist Songhe had also sensed that something was wrong. Without making a sound, he slipped a talisman into his sleeve in preparation for any unexpected need.

Chen Song tightened his grip on the longsword in his hand. He appeared to be resting, but in truth, he was paying attention to every movement around them.

As time passed, the night grew deeper and deeper.

The City God Temple was silent, save for the occasional crackle of burning firewood.

Suddenly, a gust of sinister wind swept past, sending a chill through Qin Bo.