Monsters at the Door (Thanks to "LMA Hound Fox" for becoming an Alliance Leader)

Both were frightened, yet both still clung to a sliver of hope.

Chen Du thought that although this place was remote, the Ancient Shu Road, famous far and wide, lay near the foot of the mountain. In recent years, its fame had soared thanks to promotion by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and it attracted plenty of tourists.

There was also an ancient town nearby.

In recent years, mountain climbing and hiking had become hugely popular, especially among fashionable young men and women. The mountain where the Daoist temple stood was remote, but its scenery was beautiful. Heavy-gear hikers often came by, as did people who had arranged photo shoots with photographers. Some even came into the temple to use it as a backdrop or borrow water.

With the rain and fog at night making the mountain paths slippery, it seemed possible someone might have stayed on the mountain. If so, wearing hanfu and carrying a lantern as an accessory seemed understandable too.

Hmm, maybe she's just an internet celebrity looking for a place to stay.

But there had been far too many strange occurrences lately, and he had been worried for a long time. He couldn't afford to be careless.

Across from him, the woman was also wrestling with her doubts.

Although this place was extraordinary, even in her time, accomplished cultivators had been exceedingly difficult to find. She herself had once spent more than ten years searching the world without finding one.

Besides, spiritual energy should have only just begun to recover. With everything still in its infancy, there should have been even less chance of an accomplished cultivator appearing.

Even if there was one, how could she have run into him right away?

Considering that monks and Daoists had always favored beautiful mountains and clear waters as sites for their temples, and that such places were often blessed with spiritual energy and outstanding qualities, it was no surprise that the spiritual energy here was somewhat denser.

Before this, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth had gradually dwindled. Once it had fallen completely dormant and the world had been left without any truly accomplished cultivators, it made sense that ordinary monks and Daoists would have occupied those immortal mountains and grotto-heavens.

But she didn't dare take the risk lightly.

If she made the wrong choice, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Yet the longer the two remained silent, the heavier the atmosphere grew.

The wind, rain, thunder, and lightning filling the sky all seemed to heighten the tension.

At last, Chen Du spoke first, breaking the silence:

"Who are you looking for?"

"Hehe, so you're a Daoist priest." The woman's voice was gentle, and she took special care to choose her words. "I... this humble woman lost her way and came here. It is late, and the rain is heavy. I have taken the liberty of disturbing you, so please forgive me, Daoist priest."

"..."

This is bad!

Chen Du fell silent again.

That tone and choice of words...

Something's very wrong!

Besides, everyone had a phone these days, and it wasn't as if there was no signal here. How could anyone get lost so easily?

If you're lost, why don't you call the police?

He looked the woman over again. Now that his eyes had adjusted to the light, he could see her more clearly. Drenched by the rain, she looked all the more delicate and pitifully beautiful. Her slender, fair hands held a banana leaf and a lantern respectively. Her appearance seemed designed to inspire pity, but to him, she looked exactly like a female demon or ghost from an ancient supernatural tale!

Is she a demon or a ghost?

What does she want?

Chen Du's head buzzed, but he did his utmost to keep it off his face, all the while frantically searching for a way to deal with her.

It was the dead of night, rain was pouring down on a deserted mountain, and there was no one nearby to call for help. Even if he called the police, they couldn't arrive immediately. He had neither magical powers nor martial skills. If the woman before him really was a demon or ghost with ill intentions, killing him probably wouldn't be difficult.

How can I make her leave?

Chen Du was a Daoist priest, after all. He had gone down the mountain with his master to perform rituals since he was little, and he had seen a thing or two. Now he did his best to cast aside his nerves and panic, swiftly searching his mind.

If demons and ghosts really existed, they couldn't have appeared only now. They should have existed in ancient times too. In that case, there must have been written records and stories passed down from those days.

He had read many stories in old books about ordinary people suddenly encountering demons and ghosts, and had noticed a common thread running through them: those who were afraid when they met demons and ghosts often came to a bad end; those who met them without realizing what they were might come through the ordeal safely, and quite a few even formed bonds with demons and ghosts and became friends with them.

Those who ultimately defeated demons and ghosts, on the other hand, were often the ones who knew what they had encountered but felt no fear.

For example, In Search of the Supernatural recorded the story of Song Dingbo capturing a ghost. He met a ghost while traveling at night and, without panicking in the slightest, made up a story about himself to deceive it. He kept the ruse going until dawn, then not only escaped safely but also captured the ghost and sold it at the market.

Similarly, What the Master Would Not Discuss recorded the story of Vice Minister Jie's elder kinsman driving off a ghost. The ghost had intended to harm him, but when it discovered that he wasn't afraid and was instead ready to fight it to the death, it became afraid too.

As the saying went, when the heart was settled, the spirit was steady, and when the spirit was steady, demons and ghosts kept their distance. When the heart was in turmoil, the spirit scattered, and when the spirit scattered, demons and ghosts seized their chance.

Thus, the most urgent task was to cast out his fear!

Not only could he harbor no fear in his heart, he also couldn't let the woman before him see any fear. Otherwise, she would likely take him for the weaker party and bully or kill him.

On closer thought, other matters seemed much the same. Fear did nothing to help solve a problem. In a contest, if one side appeared too weak, it was also likely to make the other side more aggressive.

Then he remembered that this was a Daoist temple, with divine statues enshrined inside. He was wearing Daoist robes and was even the temple master. If she really wasn't human, he refused to believe that none of this would deter her in the slightest.

So should he deceive her like Song Dingbo, or confront her head-on like Vice Minister Jie's elder kinsman?

In diplomacy, courtesy came before force.

If all else failed, the sword hidden behind the door might yet give him a fighting chance!

With a plan ahead and resolve behind it, courage gradually rose in Chen Du's heart, and his thoughts grew steadier. He said nothing for the moment, only stared at her intently.

Just as he had expected, when he remained silent instead of answering, the woman visibly grew nervous, and her alarm rose even further.

Did I say something wrong?

Or was my accent wrong?

The next second, something stirred behind the Daoist priest. A slender black-and-white cat emerged from behind his legs, looked up, and tilted its little head, staring at her with a curious expression.

"!"

The woman's pupils contracted slightly.

She saw it at a glance-

This cat! It has become a spirit!

Panic surfaced on the woman's face, impossible to conceal. Her hands unconsciously tightened around the banana leaf and lantern, fine blue veins standing out on her five slender fingers. She nearly crushed the banana leaf.

It wasn't that she feared a cat that had only just begun to show signs of becoming a spirit, but that this cat was following a Daoist priest.

It seemed to be a pet the priest kept.

The woman shot him a quick glance, hoping to read something from his face, but his expression remained as impassive as ever. Her heart unconsciously beat even faster.

In her desperation, the woman almost made a move.

Reason held her back.

Chen Du maintained his expression while continuing to watch her, thoughtful:

"Lost?"

His voice was calm, but the woman visibly jumped.

"Y-yes. This humble woman came up the mountain with family and friends today to enjoy the spring scenery. We encountered wolves, and I became separated from them without realizing it. With the heavy rain and fog tonight, I lost my bearings at once. I was afraid, so I wanted to find somewhere to shelter from the rain and spend the night..."

Having recovered herself, the woman lowered her eyes and adopted a meek expression. As she answered Chen Du's question, spinning what she believed was a commonplace lie, an eye as tiny as a speck of dust and as black as ink grew amid her black hair, which was adorned with hairpins, and swiftly looked around.

She soon noticed that the shoes on the priest's feet were very unusual. They were airy like wooden clogs, but their material was neither wood, grass, nor cloth.

Strange!

And what he used for light was not a lantern, but a thin, rectangular little slab. On the back was a spot about the size of a pearl, emitting a dazzling white light.

What treasure is this? Why is its radiance so dazzling?

Strange, strange!

Just then, the priest withdrew his phone behind his back.

He noticed even though I was so discreet?

The woman followed it with the eye atop her head, concentrating as her gaze struggled to penetrate the dark night and curtain of rain. At the same time, she seemed to catch a fragrance and couldn't help sniffing.

Only then did she discover in surprise that an extremely rare spiritual plant seemed to be growing in the courtyard behind the priest.

He even has a treasure tree growing in his courtyard!?

This priest is definitely no ordinary man!

She began to regret blurting out that she wanted to shelter from the rain and stay the night.

"Shelter from the rain and stay the night?"

The priest stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm.

In truth, one hand was already resting on the phone's power button. Pressing it five times in quick succession would automatically call the police.

He hesitated.

In the end, he didn't act rashly.

Besides considering that the police wouldn't be able to arrive immediately after he called and that there would be a dangerous conversation in the meantime, he had also been watching the woman's expressions all along.

Chen Du still wasn't certain whether she was a demon or a ghost, but the changes in her expression clearly proved that his line of thinking wasn't wrong-

His Daoist robes and this Daoist temple did have some deterrent effect on demons and ghosts.

He had also caught the way she looked at his cat and the change in her expression afterward.

That's right, this cat is close to becoming a spirit.

The temple might be an ordinary temple, and the priest might be an ordinary priest, but what if there was an extraordinary cat in the temple? Would anyone still think it was just an ordinary temple with an ordinary priest?

For now, he had to keep her from seeing through him, and above all, keep her from seeing that he was afraid.

As for her request to stay the night, he wasn't sure whether it was a test.

He probably couldn't refuse.

It was said that demons and ghosts were like wild beasts and house dogs alike: they all preyed on the weak and feared the strong, weighing the benefits against the risks. If she tested him and found him timid, she would likely take him for weak, and trouble would come knocking.

"Yes..."

The woman answered, hoping in her heart that he would refuse.

"Then come in."

Chen Du spoke calmly, then turned and walked back inside.

The cat didn't know what fear was. It merely gave the woman a curious look, then scampered after him in quick little steps.

The woman was silent for a moment before saying:

"Many thanks..."

Then she steeled herself and followed him.

Her regret had reached its peak.

Why did I have to blurt out that I wanted to shelter from the rain and stay the night?

Otherwise, she could have made up any excuse by now, either asking him for directions or pretending that she lived in the mountains and admired his learning and appearance. She could have found an opening to get away from here.

Isn't this like spending the night beside a tiger?

At the same time, hearing footsteps behind him, Chen Du's heart was pounding too. He couldn't help wondering whether it would have been better to find an excuse to refuse her.

One behind the other, they walked toward the guest hall.

"Please come in."

"It would be discourteous to refuse..."

The woman was now certain that this priest was no ordinary priest, but she didn't know how deep his cultivation was, whether he was good or evil, or what he intended. If he meant to get rid of her, would she, having only just awakened from her slumber, have the strength to resist or escape?

Yet she couldn't discern what level of cultivation he had.

Alas...

She could only blame her terrible luck.

The woman wanted to sound him out one last time before deciding whether to speak frankly, flee, or beg for mercy. After pondering briefly, she asked, "Daoist priest, do you usually cultivate here in these remote mountains?"

It is a test after all!

She's still testing me!

The corner of Chen Du's eye twitched. Without turning his head, he answered with effortless composure:

"I have also traveled beyond the mountain."

"Life in the deep mountains must be lonely."

"Without fear, one is at ease."

"Does anyone keep you company on the mountain?"

"As an ancient poem says, the mountains are my companions, the clouds and moon my friends."

"Who taught you the Dao, Daoist priest?"

"The Dao follows nature."

"May I ask how many years you have cultivated, Daoist priest?"

"In the mountains, years have no meaning. In quiet cultivation, I lose track of time."

"Hiss..."

The woman drew a slight breath, her lips trembling.

Chen Du glanced back and saw deep apprehension on her stunning face.

She was standing at the doorway and hadn't even come in.

It seemed his plan had worked, and she no longer intended to harm him. Perhaps he could seize this chance to frighten her away once and for all.

So Chen Du struck while the iron was hot. Turning around, he said:

"You're no mortal either. Why do you keep testing me? Could it be that you mean to harm someone?"

Rumble! A bolt of lightning tore across the night sky!

"Huh?"

He saw through me already?

The woman started and blurted out, "Absolutely not! I've never harmed anyone!"

"If you don't harm people, why is your mouth full of lies?"

"I..."

Another crisp snap rang out!

Like a flash of lightning, the room suddenly became as bright as day.

Only then did the woman see clearly that inside this seemingly ancient and timeworn Daoist temple lay a whole different world!

The room before her was covered in clean, neat flooring, as though it had been waxed. It even reflected the light. It was so clean that for a moment she didn't dare step on it, afraid she would get dust on it.

Wherever she glanced, she saw wooden tables and long couches, pure vases and fresh flowers, glazed treasures, talisman paper and horsetail whisks. Though winter had only recently passed and the spring chill had yet to fade, there was even fresh fruit on the table that she had never seen before, shining like tribute for an emperor and flawless in appearance.

What gave off light now was a disc overhead, like a full moon, illuminating the room as brightly as day.

There were also many strange objects, novel and unfamiliar.

By the lamplight, she saw a couplet written on either side of the wooden door to a meditation room. It was so old there was no telling how many years it had been there.

On the right were the words:

The abode of immortals who live forever without aging;

On the left were the words:

"The home of a Daoist who shares heaven's longevity."

"Hiss!"

The woman jolted and saw the Daoist standing in front of her, looking at her.

At some point, he had taken an antique-looking longsword in hand, though it remained sheathed. He stared at her coldly:

"Still not going to come clean!"

"Thud!"

The woman's legs gave way, and she fell to her knees.

Thunder rumbled overhead without cease, just like the tumult in her shaken heart, while her face had turned deathly pale.

A mistake, a mistake! I barged into an expert's residence.