I didn't know any of the four people in the cave.
But there was no doubt that the person in front of me was a monk—or had once been one.
A monk following others to steal Buddha heads? That was betrayal of his faith and his master. It was the sort of thing that could easily enrage anyone who heard about it.
I took a breath, trying to handle the situation calmly.
I tested it first and found I couldn't touch them, so I had to think of another way.
Killing them over this was obviously out of the question.
So the best option was to confirm their whereabouts and report them to the police through Chen Yihan after the dream ended.
As I thought it over, they began talking again.
It was the monk who spoke.
He sat down on the ground facing a Buddha statue. He seemed to be discussing Zen, or perhaps just chatting, as he began to speak.
"Senior, I'm no great benefactor, but neither am I a bad person. I promised I'd do good deeds once I got out, and I'll keep that promise. As for you, just say the word. If there's anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to ask."
In the dim light, a knowing smile appeared on his face.
"I visited the temple here earlier and heard an interesting story from one of the monks. What happened to you was moving. But so many years have passed, and the people here have forgotten you. Those who do remember you all have their own motives. Why keep foolishly protecting the people here? I heard that in the end, nobody even gathered your remains. They carved statues of you, but didn't finish them all—they left out quite a few of you... And