The atmosphere at the rest area by the dried-up stream was somber.

The men leaned against their carts, silently sharpening the knives and axes they had obtained from Wengjia Village. The blades made a monotonous "chacha" sound as they rubbed against the stones, but their eyes kept glancing at Jiang Chan and Xiao Tao in the corner, their gazes filled with lingering fear and complex emotions.

The women kept their heads down, nibbling on their biscuits, not daring to look in that direction.

Suddenly, a commotion arose from afar.

Across a few dozen feet, on another patch of withered grass, another group of refugees was resting.

There were quite a few people, with their families in tow, all looking disheveled and exhausted.

But they clearly noticed the gleaming knives and axes in the hands of the men from Liushutun, and dared not approach. They gathered there whispering and watching them warily.

The men of Liushutun gripped their knife hilts tightly, their eyes sharp as they looked over.

Their previous experiences had made them extremely wary.

However, the other party did not seem to have any intention of getting closer or clashing.

Their conversation drifted over on the wind, not quiet, and tinged with urgency:

"...Really! It's just a dozen miles ahead! That temple is incredibly efficacious!"

"Yes, yes! Brother Zheng heard it from someone himself! It's called Ciyun Temple! The monks are kind-hearted and take in disaster victims!"

"We'll give you food! And water! We just want you to help with some temple chores, like sweeping and chopping wood..." a man said loudly, waving his arms as if encouraging his men.

"It's better than waiting to die in this desolate wilderness! Who knows if we'll run into more grain robbers!" a woman echoed, her voice trembling with tears. "Yes! Let's try! Maybe there's a way to survive!"

These words clearly reached the ears of everyone in Liushutun!

Like a boulder thrown into stagnant water!

"temple?"

"Take in disaster victims?"

"Food? And water?"

These words seemed to possess a magical power, instantly rekindling the extinguished light in the eyes of the people of Liushutun!

The fear, hunger, thirst, and uncertainty about the future that had been building up for days seemed to find an outlet at this moment!

temple!

There's food!

There's water!

There's also a place to shelter from the wind and rain!

More importantly—it's a temple! A place to worship Buddha!

Having experienced the bloody battle and the bizarre "divine punishment" in Wengjia Village, the people of Liushutun are filled with awe for the forces of the unseen.

Many people subconsciously touched their chests, remembering the "Mountain God" who had protected them and kept them safe.

Now that I've heard of a Buddhist temple, I can not only solve the immediate survival crisis, but also go there to burn incense and fulfill my vows, pray for the Bodhisattva's protection, and wash away the bloodstains of last night... This is simply a hope for survival in the face of despair!

The villagers of Liushutun exchanged glances, their eyes brimming with barely suppressed excitement and longing.

"Did you hear that? There's a temple!"

"I heard that, and they even said they'd give us food and water!"

"May the Bodhisattva protect us..." Aunt Zhao murmured.

Even Liu and Wang, who were leaning against the cart looking dejected, had a glimmer of light in their eyes.

"Village Chief..." Old Man Wang couldn't help but look at the village chief first, his voice filled with urgency, "Village Chief, how about... we go and take a look at Ciyun Temple?"

All eyes were focused on the village chief.

The village chief's withered fingers unconsciously twirled his beard, his cloudy eyes fixed on the group of disaster victims discussing in the distance, as if judging the authenticity of the news.

His tired face was furrowed with worry and a hint of barely perceptible expectation.

Going to a temple?

While the food and water were tempting, what moved him even more was the sense of security and psychological comfort that the word "temple" brought.

Last night's bloodshed left him desperately needing a way to comfort the frightened villagers and also to calm his own anxious heart.

Go to the temple to pray, light incense for peace of mind, and recite a few verses for those who died in Wengjia Village... Isn't this exactly what they need right now?

Moreover, look at the group of people around them: pale and thin, with frightened eyes, bearing injuries, and dragging their exhausted bodies.

We haven't even reached our destination yet. Even if we don't encounter bandits, we'll collapse sooner or later!

Ciyun Temple, it seems, is now their lifeline.

He took a deep breath and made up his mind.

"Butcher Zhang, Liu Dazhuang, come with me and find out what's going on!" He then specifically instructed, "Put down your weapons! Don't scare anyone!"

They laid down their weapons, empty-handed, and cautiously approached the group of disaster victims.

The people of Liushutun watched with bated breath.

The disaster victims were visibly nervous when they saw people approaching, but they relaxed a little when they saw that the people were empty-handed and their attitude was relatively friendly.

The sounds of conversation could be faintly heard, with words like "Ciyun Temple," "more than ten miles away," "cooking porridge," and "working" coming out intermittently.

Soon, the village chief and his two companions returned. The village chief's face bore a mixture of exhaustion and a hint of excitement.

"I've found out!" His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to everyone's ears. "About ten miles ahead, at the fork in the main road, turn east, and there's a Ciyun Temple."

The abbot of the temple was kind-hearted and took in the refugees, providing them with porridge and water, but they needed to help with some chores at the temple.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "I'm thinking, everyone's tired and has things to do. How about we go to Ciyun Temple tomorrow? First, to pray to the Bodhisattva and thank the mountain god... uh, thank the gods for protecting us and letting us escape. Second, to find a place to catch our breath, rest, and get something to eat. Third..."

His voice lowered, "It's time to find peace of mind about what happened last night."

These words struck a chord with everyone!

"Yes, village chief! We'll listen to you!"

"Yes! Let's go to the temple and pray! We'll ask the Bodhisattva for blessings!"

"Any place to rest is fine!"

"It's better than sleeping in the wilderness!"

Almost no one objected!

The immense pressure to survive and the psychological need to seek refuge led them to choose this seemingly hopeful path without hesitation.

...

The night was as thick as ink.

The people of Liushutun huddled in their simple bedding, their snores mingling with their weary groans.

The man on night watch, carrying a knife and axe, sat leaning against the ditch, his eyelids drooping heavily, trying to stay alert.

The guards have already rotated once between the first and second half of the night.

In a corner of the camp, Jiang Chan lay fully clothed beside a cart.

Xiao Tao slept soundly beside her, breathing evenly.

After confirming that no one was paying attention to the corner, Jiang Chan quietly set up the cart, creating a shadow that barely blocked the view.

The detector was fully charged and, once activated, silently floated in her palm.

Jiang Chan's consciousness stirred.

The pale blue light suddenly dimmed, and the detector, like a ghost blending into the night, instantly accelerated, silently darting into the sky and disappearing into the vast darkness.

The winding official road appears grayish-white in night vision mode.

The probe flew at high speed along the official road.

In one corner of the screen, terrain data streamed like a waterfall.

As shown on the daytime map: a dozen miles ahead, the official road shows a clear Y-shaped fork.

One path continued forward, disappearing into deeper darkness; the other turned east, heading towards the "Ciyun Temple" that those people spoke of.