I suddenly became enlightened.
Old Chu was unwilling to wait until tomorrow?
He intended to go alone to the Gaotian Temple after I and Chuying return to our room, and that is the reason why his life and death are unpredictable!
"There's no problem. Only by solving it safely inside can it be resolved. If something else happens and we can't bring Yang Guijin out, it will only add trouble and create complications."
"Uncle Chu, at this critical moment, you cannot add to the confusion," I said in a grave tone, warning him.
Chuying paused and said a few words about Uncle Gong's strength.
Old Gong's head lifted slightly, as if he was smugly pleased.
"Xuanchi Jin treasures the land like a god..." As Chu said this, his mole on his mouth twitched slightly, and he looked particularly displeased.
"That's right. Be a bit sweeter with your mouth. Don't be coming out of the latrine every day. If you have something to do, you can still call on Uncle Gong, after all, why don't I like to save you?" Old Gong didn't miss any chance to say something to Chu.
"I won't be going out, but Luo Xian Shen, you have to ensure that Big Brother is safe." Chu's voice was hoarse.
"No one wants anything to happen to Yang Guijin. I will do my utmost."
After saying that, I felt that it was about the same. I looked at Chuying and both of us left the room.
After closing the door, Chuying lightly made a gesture and two black shadows quietly lurked in the shadow of the corner.
The two of them understood each other without words and went back to their rooms.
The mountains and the Gaotian Temple are linked, no matter what the reason, I would find it hard to enter. Even when I was asleep, my mind was still mulling over these things, which resulted in my sleep quality being rather poor during the latter half of the night.
The next morning, we left the guesthouse before six o'clock.
The large lump at the back of Chu's head had not yet disappeared, and it looked rather pathetic.
We first found a breakfast stall to satisfy our appetites before heading to the Gaotian Temple.
Chuying had bought the tickets early from Mrs. Cai Qing, and by the time we entered the temple, it was already crowded with people.
I paid attention to the hole next to the steps. When we entered, we looked for the same position.
What stunned me was that there was no hole at the foot of the temple wall.
I quickly realized that the hole was below the steps outside. When we went up the stairs, which were about two meters high, the temple's overall elevation was nearly two meters higher than the outside. So, the hole was essentially underground relative to the inside of the temple.
Where is the other exit of that cat hole?
Chu looked very worried, and Chuying looked thoughtful. She then walked over to the ticketing staff at the entrance and asked a few questions.
Then Chuying returned to us, spoke softly and said that the other end of the hole was in a side hall. She indicated the direction.
The three of us walked towards that direction.
After passing through a passage on the right of a round-roofed temple structure, we saw a slightly smaller courtyard and two smaller Buddha halls on either side, symmetrically arranged.
In the foot of one of the side halls, we saw a black, round hole that entered our sight.
Two cats were lying by the entrance of the hole. One was orange, and the other was completely black. They were both so fat that they looked like balls.
Some tourists took photos of the cats curiously, and they seemed to be accustomed to it, lazily and reluctantly licking their fur.
I swept my eyes left and right. The temple had a strong, heavy atmosphere, and there were basically no modern renovations. However, I could see several security cameras.
If it were decades ago, Yang Guijin would definitely be able to come and go without a trace. However, now he absolutely couldn't do that. He might not even have had time to move around before being discovered by someone.
"How do we find someone?" Chu grumbled at me.
I slightly furrowed my brow, telling him to calm down.
With my eyes, I hadn't yet seen any monks of Gaotian Temple. Turning around, I walked in a different direction.
The temple wasn't actually very big. After a while, Chuying and I walked to a place that was somewhat familiar to us.
A row of houses at the foot of the mountain, with seals attached.
Ahead, there was a caution tape, with a sign indicating that non-staff were not allowed to enter.
"We need to find the abbot here or someone in charge," Chuying whispered.
I nodded in agreement, and Chuying was on to the main point.
Chu, however, appeared eager, turning around and walking back. Chuying and I quickly followed him.
Soon, we arrived at the largest Buddha hall of Gaotian Temple.
This Buddha hall was taller than the others and could not be entered directly.
The courtyard, already about two meters higher than the outside, had a small ten-meter foundation raised. The main hall stands tall on top of it, with three stacked steps. At each step's intermediate break, there is a large pottery stand.
The entrance threshold of the main hall was very high, requiring a large step to enter, but at this moment, there was no one entering it.
The long recitation of sutras formed a strange melody that reverberated within the temple.
The tourists outside were reverently folding their hands in prayer, very quiet, as if they were offering prayers.
Chu appeared to be in a mood that was neither good nor bad, preparing to walk up the steps.
Chuying slightly sidestepped and gestured to indicate that the monks were doing their morning chants. It was better to wait until they finished before going up to ask, rather than offending anyone by showing up uninvited.
Chu's breathing was very heavy, and he stopped in his tracks.
Just as we waited, I began to feel something strange, as if someone was watching us.
It should be normal for there to be many tourists here, and it's common to be looked at for a while. However, that sense of being watched has been persistent and unrelenting.
I suddenly turned my head, looking in the direction from which my gaze was coming. All I saw was a large incense burner, with a lot of smoke and fire, as if the air were writhing water waves, and shadowy figures could be seen behind it, but were indistinct.
"Something wrong?" Chuying asked me, slightly unnaturally.
"I'll go take a look, you all wait here."
After saying that, I walked straight towards the incense burner.
When I reached the side, I could only see about seven or eight tourists burning incense behind me, and there was no one watching me.
The next second, that feeling of being watched reappeared.
I looked up and saw a figure hastening down a narrow path.
My pupils contracted slightly, and I quickened my pace to follow.
After passing through a area with green plants and flower beds, the buildings became much more dense and smaller. There were two buildings that should be monks' dormitories, sandwiched by a very narrow path. Above the path, it seemed like there was a loft, sealed with wood, creating a sense of oppression and confinement.
A figure was moving quickly through that passageway.
I stopped in front of the passageway but didn't take a step forward.
Was someone intentionally leading me here?
I'm not familiar with this place, and the layout here is not conducive to dealing with unexpected situations.
If the person coming is unfriendly, I can't follow him in and use my martial arts.
I determined that he was intentionally leading me because his intention was too strong. After I discovered it, he walked a little and stopped a little, as if afraid I wouldn't be able to find him.
If he was just casually observing, he could have stood still among the crowd, and I wouldn't have been able to do anything to him.
The figure suddenly stopped in his tracks, and stood there watching me in the shadows.
The light was too dim, and I could only see his silhouette.
Then I turned around and left in the direction I had come from.
The sensation of being watched returned... that person had followed me!
I didn't go too far, and stopped in an area with fewer tourists, and quietly looked back.
A little further, at the end of the flower garden, there was a person standing, with a bald head and no hair on it, wearing an old monk's robe, staring straight at me.
