And I can be sure that he hadn't followed this group before, always lurking in the shadows, as if acting as an observer.
"You may rest assured, the punishment will be severe. No one can deceive the Five Monasteries, and no one can undermine the trust of the High Monk Agon in our village." Ma Wang became even more respectful, and he turned to look out the window together.
I know that Ma Wang misunderstood. He thinks I'm angry because of something suspicious in this matter.
In fact, I'm just concerned about the person who appeared in the dark. Who is he? What does he want to do?
Suddenly, the sky dimmed as a thick cloud covered the sun above.
In such high-altitude places, where the distance to the clouds is closer than anywhere else, the changes in the sky are extremely fast. It may be blinding sunshine one moment and cloudy weather the next, and then it could rain heavily in a matter of seconds.
I pushed the door open, stepping out.
Outside the courtyard by the roadside, those people kneeling were incredibly excited, talking eagerly in a way I couldn't understand.
Just then, the person who had been spying from under the road embankment disappeared without a trace on the grassland.
It was only a moment of opening the door that he realized I had already discovered his attempt to spy?
The brim of the hat is still low, and I can be sure that he can't see my face directly.
Ma Wang followed me, and he spoke sternly, pointing at the people outside as if he was cursing.
I can't describe that kind of palpitation.
Is there anything else suspicious about this matter?
"We need to find out the truth and not wrongly accuse them," I whispered to Ma Wang, "This distance, combined with the wind blowing in, means the people on the roadside won't hear me."
Ma Wang nodded vigorously, walking back to the entrance of the courtyard.
I went back inside, where the woman prepared a bowl of steaming hot butter tea for me and also brought out a plate of snacks, including milk candy, cheese, and twisted fried dough sticks.
Children inside the courtyard also ran in, timidly looking at me with their eyes wide open.
Taking a sip of tea, I felt much warmer, so I sat quietly and paid attention to the situation outside the window.
Not long after, another group of people arrived and took away the people outside.
The person spying from the shadows did not appear.
Ma Wang returned to the house, rubbing his hands together and smiling in a simple and heartfelt manner.
He showed me even more devotion and reverence, saying that it was all thanks to me that this family of cheaters was exposed.
"We need to make sure nothing goes wrong," I repeated once more.
This should not be considered as involvement, and it should not conflict with the instructions of High Monk Agon, right?
I pondered silently.
Ma Wang nodded repeatedly, arranged for me to stay in a room on the left side, and told me that he would go around the surrounding villages to find out if there was any commotion caused by Gongbu.
I reminded him that it might not be Gongbu, but any strange events or misfortunes should be reported to me.
Ma Wang said he understood.
The remaining time passed quickly.
By the time the evening came, Ma Wang's family served me dinner, with a hearty and simple table filled with dishes such as stir-fried beef, tripe stuffed with bread crumbs, and baked buns as well as qingke wine.
Unable to resist Ma Wang's hospitality, I took a few sips, just enough to warm my body.
After a satisfying meal, Ma Wang's family went to rest, and I had just returned to my room, about to lie down to sleep.
But I heard a very noisy and bustling sound, and I could see some firelight flickering outside the window.
The night on the high plateau is not as pitch black as one might expect, rather, it has a bit of a gray tinge.
Among the gray and black sky, there are still thick smoke rising in the air!
The wind directly permeates through the window cracks, carrying a faintly suffocating smoke smell.
"It's a dark and windy night, someone is setting fires, interesting, really interesting," the old Gong said with a smile as he appeared by the bedside.
"Don't interfere, don't ask, High Monk Agon said, we can only watch," the old Gong added.
I remained silent, and instead of lying down to sleep, I sat cross-legged by the bed, quietly meditating.
I heard the sound of a door opening, which should be Ma Wang running outside.
I was about to meditate using the concentrated mind technique.
Suddenly, a bizarre scene unfolded.
My room door opened silently with the wind, then shut with a creak.
"Out!" I shouted in a low voice.
Something had entered, something that ordinary people couldn't see, but I could. Earlier, a thin gray mist had slipped in.
"Master, as the saying goes, guests are not to be chased away. You are also a guest." However, the old Gong suddenly sang a counter-melody.
His head rolled under the bed.
With a whoosh, the old Gong's head shot out, as if kicked out by something!
"Come out!" I suddenly got up from the bed, staring at the dark bed edge below.
The old Gong kept saying "Ow" and said that the missus was not very considerate. He helped to say nice things, but he was slapped across the face without warning.
For a moment, the room became unusually quiet, and nothing came out from under the bed.
I waved my hand, and a talismanic character stuck to the bedside.
The paper trembled slightly, and a terrible scream was heard. The gray mist burst out from under the bed, and another person appeared in the room!
She was wearing a long dress with her lower legs exposed. Her entire face looked terrifying and resentful, with a particularly shocking wound on her neck. Her head was slightly twisted, and she cast a glance towards the window. The blood in her eyes was so intense it seemed to be dripping down.
The female ghost who siphoned my vitality at the hotel has followed me here?
Groggily, the old Gong stood up straight, his limbs reappearing under his head. He used to be very hunched over, but now he stood quite straight. He coughed and said, "Don't be afraid, miss. My master is just a bit cautious. If there's anything, you can just call out for Old Gong."
"They're here!" The woman's voice was very desolate and sharp.
"Who are they?" I frowned and asked.
"The murderers! The people who harm others! Ghosts can pull a person's ankle, my husband has disappeared, it's them!"
"They are going to kill again!"
The woman's voice became even more shrill, laced with deep resentment and fear.
My expression changed.
Ghosts killing people?
This woman was actually involved in that incident, and coincidentally, it happened in Ma Wang's village.
It's quite ironic that the family who was blamed for scaring away tourists and driving them to their deaths is about to be punished by the entire village.
This incident really does have something suspicious about it!
I was about to step out of the house.
Suddenly, Lao Gong's hand was on my shoulder. He smiled at the woman and said, "Miss, don't be afraid. As long as you stay in the house, no one can take you away. And my master doesn't want to get involved in your business. It's not easy to explain. Just call out Lao Gong, and I will protect you."
Lao Gong's strength was not great, but his words made my heart tighten again.
He was reminding me that I shouldn't get involved any further.
The few words I said during the day were my excuse not to get involved. They were true, but it wasn't until the situation was right in front of me that I spoke up.
If I had just walked out directly, I would have definitely gotten involved in the matter.
High Monk Agon wants to force the wandering spirit of Chanren to appear with a major incident. If I resolve the situation, it will be even less likely for Chanren to come out...
"Lao Gong, it's the Luo family. I can tell with certainty: they're not here to find the zombie ghost, but they know that it's difficult to find a zombie ghost, so... they want to bring one out!" My pupils shrank as I spoke with certainty.
"So what? They're the dogs of Heicheng Temple, their henchmen. My master, you should not get involved anymore. At most, we can leave this woman here, and I'll take care of it." Lao Gong still didn't let go. He raised his arms like a hemp rod and pointed at the woman.
"She has heard a lot. She can't leave anymore."
However, my chest feels even more oppressed. If it's not really my business, I can stay away from it. But the Luo family causing trouble, I still have some Luo blood in me.
My father's mother was a woman from the Luo family.
The righteousness in my chest and the reluctance from deep within make me want to stop this matter from escalating.
"Don't be stupid, master. You have to listen and not forget what Shendiao said. This world already has too many people, and without you, the events here will still happen. You're not looking for trouble; you're just telling yourself that you're saving more people by ignoring them." Lao Gong spoke wisely, each word carrying weight.
