14 Qingshan Town

That's it?

Hearing this, Chu Qing became suspicious. She felt that Li Yi was hiding something, but seeing his current shaken appearance, she couldn't press him any further.

No, finding out the truth is important, but Ling Xueluo is still in danger, so she needs to hurry.

No, that's all.

Li Yi stammered, keeping his head down and fidgeting with his fingers, his body trembling.

"This is a communication talisman. Tell me immediately if you find anything."

Chu Qing pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling as if a huge rock was pressing on her chest, and got up and walked out.

"Come, follow me to that temple."

"Yes, Master."

Yin Li replied that he was also planning to go there to investigate, as he had sensed the suppressed demonic energy stirring since last night.

Could it be that this incident is related to the demon race again?

The two men stopped having the government officials follow them and changed into coarse clothes, mingling among the common people.

"Hey, make way, make way!"

"Hey, don't push me! I got here first. If you're going to queue, you should go behind me!"

Not far from the suburbs, the crowd was larger than Chu Qing had imagined. What kind of new temple was this that attracted so many people to worship it?

"Yin Li, I'm going inside to check on the situation. You can find a few people and ask them what's going on."

"good"

Chu Qing squeezed in. Logically speaking, this place is so lively, but it's obvious that they're not worshipping any proper gods or Buddhas, so why doesn't the government care?

She finally reached the door, but the sight before her was astonishing—this was no celestial being at all, but simply the most ordinary Manjushri Bodhisattva!

How could that be? She clearly saw it last night, how could she not see it this morning...?

Thinking of this, Chu Qing quickly glanced at the plaque again—Wenshu Temple.

Manjushri Temple!

No, calm down. What I saw last night couldn't have been a hallucination. Someone must have tampered with the statue after I got back. The plaque might not have been touched, but this kind of statue could be easily stolen.

Suddenly, a faint white light flashed, which Chu Qing keenly noticed, but when she looked further inside, she couldn't see anything at all.

People came and went in an endless stream, most of them bringing fruits and incense to make offerings. Some even paid to enter the temple to pray and recite scriptures, seemingly undergoing a deeper spiritual cleansing.

However, Chu Qing had a question. Although men, women, and children could enter, most of the people who went inside, whose appearance was not visible, were dressed more elegantly than ordinary people.

There seems to be an unwritten rule here that subtly discourages commoners from going.

Strange, and that white light just now also seemed to be coming from inside. What's inside?

However, seeing that she had been there for a while, Chu Qing was still worried about Yin Li's situation, so she quickly left.

Once outside, he was nowhere to be seen for a long time. Where did that kid go again? Did he go to investigate the clues of Ling Xueluo's disappearance by himself?

After waiting for about half an hour, my back started to ache, before I finally spotted a belated figure in the distance.

Yin Li thought Chu Qingge had already returned to the inn alone, but when he returned to the same spot, the white tree standing tall like a cedar tree came straight into his eyes.

Is she waiting for me?

"Master, teacher."

"You're back?"

Whether it was because I'd been playing the persona for too long, or because a sudden surge of inexplicable anger welled up inside me, my tone was clearly very unfriendly.

"Master, your disciple knows his mistake."

Yin Li pursed her lips, concealing what was inside her chest, and continued, "Master, those people outside the door did indeed share some useful information, but there are too many people and too many eyes here—"

"go back."

After uttering those two words, Chu Qing quickly flew away on her sword, not noticing the boy who was still standing there in a daze.

Is Chu Qingge angry?

With her back to the other person, Yin Li put away her smile, her eyes filled with an unfathomable darkness.

So, you do care about me after all.

[Current favorability rating: 47. Please continue your efforts, host.]

She returned to the inn, travel-worn, with Yin Li following behind. Together they slipped into Chu Qing's room and placed the peach shortbread they had just bought on the table.

The rising steam and the unique sweet aroma instantly evoked Chu Qing's memories. Before she transmigrated, she loved old-fashioned pastries, especially shortbread, particularly peach shortbread.

After arriving here, I tried to buy it myself, but every time I ate it, I would either think of the lovely students who gave me gifts on Teacher's Day, or I would chatter on and on with my friends about recommending this pastry. Over time, in order to reduce my longing and sadness, I haven't eaten it for a long time.

Yin Li keenly caught the fleeting sense of loss and longing in the other person's eyes, and a feeling of unfamiliarity welled up in his heart. This made him suddenly feel that Chu Qingge was wearing a veil, and that her heart was not genuine beneath her indifferent exterior.

Yin Li actually managed to sense her preferences. Could there be some kind of trap? Is he playing the victim? Or pretending to be innocent?

Okay, let's get down to business.

"What did you learn there? Did you find any clues about Ling Xueluo?"

“I initially asked an old man who seemed to be waiting for someone in the temple. He told me that the temple was very powerful and that as long as you were sincere, you could have almost any wish granted, especially recently.”

In the last few days?

Upon hearing this, Chu Qing subconsciously tightened her grip on the teacup in her hand and hurriedly asked, "How many days is this period of time? Does it start from when our sect's disciples disappeared?"

"Your disciple does not know."

Yin Li shook his head: "But my disciple thinks the same way as you."

"No, I went to see it today. It's not a celestial being statue at all, it's just an ordinary Manjushri Bodhisattva. If Manjushri statues are supposed to be powerful, it shouldn't be in this period of time. And it seems like people can still enter inside, but—"

"But only people with a certain status and position are allowed to enter."

Yin Li didn't care whether the other person had finished speaking. He frowned and said in a somewhat hurried tone, "That's why I came back late today. After listening to what the old man said, I walked forward a bit, wanting to take a look at the side of the temple. I saw several carriages parked in some relatively secluded places. However, they didn't seem to want to deliberately hide their location. The drivers occasionally chatted, and one of them said that there was another room in the temple, which was reserved for people of high status."

"So, it seems Li Yi probably knows what's inside."

"Then let's do it now—"

"No"

Chu Qing raised her hand to stop him, and slowly said, "We'll go by ourselves."

"You will come with me in an hour."

Chu Qing checked the time. Sunset would be approaching soon, and there shouldn't be as many people as in the morning. She wanted to see what was inside.

The peach shortbread was still warm, and as if possessed, I picked one up, put it to my lips, and took a small bite.

The sweet aroma instantly filled her mouth, making Chu Qing want to cry.

Yin Li's favorability rating has increased again, which is a good sign. As long as I stay true to myself and subtly show concern for him, it will always be effective.

If we persevere a little longer, once the divine artifact is created, we can kill the villain, help Yin Li walk his own path, and then we can go home.

When she came out again, Chu Qing had regained her usual indifference. She had changed into a set of brocade robes, a light purple dress adorned with a few fresh flowers, which made her look more lively and playful, and less dull than before.

Yin Li, standing to the side, was still dressed in white and had her usual ponytail. The two of them stood together with an extraordinary air, like siblings descended from heaven, making anyone who saw them wonder if their backgrounds were extraordinary.

Yin Li rented another carriage and slowly drove to the side of the temple, where it stopped.

The two walked forward, entered the gate, and then walked towards the statue of Manjushri Bodhisattva, before circling around to the depths of the room.

After walking a few more steps, the scene inside was obscured by a curtain in the candlelight.

"Gentlemen, where are you headed?"

Suddenly, a bald monk stopped them. Although he was smiling, his eyes were full of wariness.

“Master, we came here through an introduction from the Li family. My father and Master Li have been business friends for many years, but recently our family has encountered some difficulties. We heard that this place is very auspicious, so we would like to pay a visit. What do you think of this place?”

Chu Qing put on a heartbroken and anxious act. To make the two look more like family, she pulled Yin Li's arm closer to her, the strength in her hand seeming to threaten him: If you dare to dodge, you're finished.

A smile appeared and then disappeared. Despite being such a cold person, Chu Qingge's body was actually warm. When her soft fingers held her forearm, she suddenly had the illusion of being a little bird nestled against her.

"This is troublesome. My sister has been unable to eat or sleep well these past few days. We have complete trust in Mr. Li, and we hope you will grant our request."

As he spoke, Yin Li also put his arm around Chu Qing's shoulder and leaned against his chest.

That brat, he overacted!

"So it was Master Li who introduced us. Come on in, come on in. But I'm sure you two have heard that sincerity brings results. If you are truly sincere, how could you not have a good outcome?"

As the monk spoke, he lifted the curtain, and the sudden brightness was dazzling. The scene inside and outside was completely different!

The ominous image inside was twice the size of the one outside. This was the ominous image Chu Qing had seen last night—the Heavenly Fiend Image!

However, this malevolent creature seemed much larger than the one from last night, and its sharp, fine teeth, revealed when it smiled, appeared even more sinister under the candlelight and the glow of gold.

Its eyes were fierce, as if it was staring at the people below no matter which angle you looked at it from.

It's definitely not as simple as it seems from the outside.

"Please follow me, esteemed benefactors."

The monk made a "please" gesture and led them to the statue of the Heavenly Demon.

The moment his knees touched the soft cushion for kneeling, a chilling feeling of being spied on washed over his entire body.

There's something wrong with this Heavenly Demon statue!

After seeing Chu Qing and the others kneeling, the monk took out two bowls from behind and placed them in front of them.

"Since you are going to kneel and make a wish, then you two need to show your sincerity."

Sincerity? This bowl? Or money?

"Each of you must pay fifty taels of silver as an offering. At the same time, you must drip your blood into the bowl. If the pattern at the bottom of the bowl lights up, it means that the gods have approved of you, and you can make a wish. If the pattern at the bottom of the bowl does not light up, it may mean that we are not destined to be together."

A drop of blood?

At this moment, Chu Qing hesitated.

[Author's Note]

Uh... I managed to update a chapter when I had some time~ but I feel my writing skills aren't quite up to par with the plot and the interactions between the male and female leads. Please forgive any awkwardness in the writing; I'm really sorry, I'll try my best! Finally, I wish everyone a happy National Day holiday! Love you all~ [sprinkling flowers]