Clasping my hands in front of me, my gaze grew more resolute.
Mangying showed a hint of unease, as if she wanted to say something more. But after nibbling her lips, she remained silent.
I turned to leave the temple and Mangying hurriedly followed me.
Only after stepping out of the temple did a monk come from behind to shut the gates.
"The monks are indeed difficult to deal with. As an outsider, and with you by my side, it's normal for them to ask more questions…"
"You can't be impatient. You have to be able to bend and stretch..." Mangying bit her lip as she told me.
I furrowed my brow and explained my thoughts to Mangying.
For a moment, Mangying was obviously at a loss for what to say.
My mood calmed slightly, and then I told her that when the time comes, there will be a way. If all else fails, we could try our luck at the funerary chapel of the official kiln. Even if we were to take things to the extreme, during my time learning the lesser arts, I could make so many objects on my own. Could I not carve out a few peach-wood swords?
Mangying's expression looked much better.
We walked just a few steps and found ourselves by the reservoir. To our surprise, there was no boatman on the boat across the lake.
"Are they off work?" Mangying seemed to be puzzled.
I scanned around, but couldn't find a path to walk across the lake. The layout here was strange. If we considered the lake as having four sides—east, west, south, and north—then one side was the Respite from Calamity Monastery. The other two sides were vertical cliffs that enclosed the lake. The area directly opposite the monastery was a small clearing with a path leading down the mountain.
"There's a bamboo raft over there, it should be used by the monks. You can row it across yourself," Mangying pointed to a spot.
We were about to get on the bamboo raft.
But suddenly, the door of Respite from Calamity Monastery opened.
Several monks hurried out.
I felt slightly puzzled. After a moment's hesitation, Mangying's eyes shone with a faint hint of joy. She murmured, "Sharp tongue, soft heart? They've changed their minds and want to help you?"
In the next second, more monks poured out of Respite from Calamity Monastery in a row.
They quickly dispersed, forming a circular arrangement on both sides, subtly encircling Mangying and me in the middle.
My heart sank instantly.
I'm not as optimistic about things as Mangying is.
As they came out, it might be that they want to sell me magical artifacts…
Probably, they don't want to let us leave?!
The very monk who had earlier been named Xie Nà, walked out of the temple gates last.
Xie Nà stood with his hands behind his back, his demeanor now colder and harder than before.
"Brother, please don't leave. Stay overnight in the temple."
"We will verify your identity with the Jìn Yáng Shuànguān, and if it's true, we will provide you with what you need. Your friend can leave the gate first."
Mangying's expression changed slightly, and my heart sank again.
I hadn't expected that the Respite from Calamity Monastery would be so cautious, so careful.
To verify identity? How will it be verified?
Zhang Xu has been dead for a long time.
The reason why I'm afraid to reveal my true name is simpler. My name may have already spread to Jǐn Yáng, and I don't want to bring myself any trouble.
"No, you can verify it yourselves. I don't want my friend to leave alone." I spoke up in a deep voice.
"Allowing her to leave alone is already a sign of my trust in you. Otherwise, with a Ghost Bottle at her waist and a soul attached to her body, it's impossible for her to leave the mountain. She would need to be severely interrogated," Xie Nà's tone became even more cold.
My face changed once more.
Even Mangying's face betrayed a hint of shock.
Unbeknownst to us, the daylight was swallowed by the night, and everything around us was engulfed in darkness.
Mangying's waist began to emit gray vapor, and Old Gong's head poked out. He coughed and spat out a mouthful of phlegm.
"You sorcerer, the whole temple! I'll rip your head off!" Old Gong cursed furiously.
The other monks in the field all changed colors, their faces contorted with anger, and their killing intent surged.
Xie Nà's pupils constricted, and he too exuded a thick aura of death.
But he watched Old Gong with the utmost vigilance, as if recalling something.
"Having a bull's nose and a donkey's head, ungrateful and betraying!" It was obvious that Old Gong was very angry.
Xie Nà's face changed again, and he was filled with surprise and doubt.
Mangying looked lost and bewildered, and I was equally puzzled. What was going on?
Is Old Gong familiar with Xie Nà? No, that can't be right. How could Old Gong possibly know him? Then, it must be Wu Zhongkuan who knows Xie Nà?
After Old Gong ate Wu Zhongkuan, everything Wu Zhongkuan had became Old Gong's. However, the memories were fragmented and Old Gong was still Old Gong. He often acted impulsively without considering the consequences.
"You, the Yángshénguǐ... You... are Dìrúshén?"
"Xiánchǐ Jīnxiàng Dìrúshén?"
Xie Nà's expression trembled, his tone grew heavier, and his eyes were filled with even more confusion and shock.
"The Yángshénguǐ, leader mentioned, Sīyān mentioned, Han Qū mentioned."
I know that when Daoists and scholars pass away, they become Yángshénguǐ.
But I truly didn't expect that Wu Zhongkuan had passed through this place and actually knew this monk Xie Nà.
"Jìn Yáng... Ah, you lived in Jìn Yáng... I've heard of Qi Jia Village, heard about your disappearance... I didn't expect you to..."
"These two, they're not your disciples..."
"Is this...?"
Xie Nà's attitude had undergone a complete change.
Old Gong hummed, and his expression slightly improved.
He jumped down from the Night Pot and walked towards the temple gate, leaping from one step to another. While it looked comical, his face was very serious, giving off a sense of the Master's inherent authority.
My heart slightly settled, and Mangying glanced at me, calming down quite a bit.
Soon, Old Gong passed by Xie Nà and glanced at him. Xie Nà's expression, which had been rigid and cold, now became more respectful and complex. He hurriedly followed Old Gong's head into the temple.
They entered the temple gates.
The other monks stood there, clearly unsure of what to do.
I too took a step, heading back.
This scene was unexpected, but they definitely wouldn't dare to attack Mangying and me.
Back inside the temple, we arrived at the main hall.
Behind us, the other monks had gathered outside the main hall.
There were many stools on the ground inside the main hall, and Old Gong's head was on one of them. He was looking towards an angle on the side.
Xie Nà stood beside him with his hands hanging down, but he too was looking at that direction.
I looked in the direction, but my pupil slightly contracted.
The main hall had three Qīng (three purities) at the front, and different deity statues on both sides. However, at the edges of those fierce and solemn statue sculptures, there was actually a figure made of clay. It seemed out of place but upon closer inspection, it had a strange coherence with the surroundings.
What was even more puzzling was that the figure's appearance was identical to Wu Zhongkuan!
The Old Gong on the stool had a strange change in appearance in the previous few moments, and the more I looked at him, the more I felt that he was identical to the statue.
Initially, Old Gong woke up and appeared much younger, with a completely different appearance.
At that time, I knew that he had a strange connection with Wu Zhongkuan.
That's why Xie Nà had such a reaction.
Here, Wu Zhongkuan is being worshipped...
But why, and why, is Wu Zhongkuan's statue placed among these deity statues?
Old Gong said he was ungrateful. What did Wu Zhongkuan do in Official Kiln City that benefited the Respite from Calamity Monastery greatly?
"Ah... With hands and feet, handsome, truly handsome... It's me..."
Old Gong's tone was filled with regret.
