Chapter 1: Found a Mouse
In late spring in Xuancheng, the rain falls like a river.
An inconspicuous green-covered horse-drawn carriage rumbled northward. As the sun set and there were no houses to stay at, the carriage had no choice but to stop outside a Guanyin Temple that was neither new nor old.
The person who got off the bus was covered from head to toe with a dirty gray rag. He was thin and had a frail back, looking no different from a beggar on the street.
Although the face under the rag was so dirty that its true appearance could not be seen clearly, if you look closely at the eyes, you will see that they are clear and bright, shining like stars, which is completely different from the spirit that a wandering beggar should have.
After traveling for most of the day, the girl hadn't eaten a single grain of rice and was already feeling hungry and dizzy. She went to the Guanyin Temple not only to take a break from the rain but also to try her luck and see if there were any offerings to fill her stomach.
God helps those who work hard. There were several plates of offerings on the altar, but she observed carefully and found that these offerings had been left for too long, and all that was barely edible was a plate of cakes and a plate of apples.
The appearance of the pastry seemed normal, but when you smelled it up close, you could smell a strange smell. The apple was also half wilted. But for Song Lingyi, who hadn't had a full meal for a long time, having something to eat was better than going hungry.
She clasped her hands together and knelt on the mat: "Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, I am passing through this precious place and would like to ask for your shelter for one night... Good deeds will be rewarded, and you will send the Buddha to the west. Please give me some food. I am so hungry. If I don't eat, I will starve to death. When I return to the capital and have money, I will make sincere offerings to you!"
After saying this, Song Lingyi bowed to the Guanyin statue on the stage and took away the two plates of tribute.
The pastries didn't taste very good, but Song Lingyi hadn't eaten decent food for a long time. As long as she could fill her stomach, she felt more satisfied than anything else.
It was also her bad luck. She was exploited by her boss at work, died suddenly from overwork, and was able to travel through time.
Wear it, at least treat her well, make her a princess, a county lady, a lady from a noble family, or even a different gender! She's not picky and will obey any adjustments.
But the damn God actually made her reincarnate as a young lady from an official family whose parents were both dead and whose father's family was impoverished!
What's the use? Just ask what's the use?!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Song Lingyi angrily took a bite of the apple.
Before she traveled through time, she would not even touch fruits like apples that had no fruit tension. But things are different now. Han Xin can still endure the humiliation of being kicked in the crotch, and eating a half-wilted apple is no big deal.
Suddenly, there was a lot of noise on the path outside the temple gate.
The girl's body suddenly stiffened.
The owner of this body was down and out, but she was beautiful. She must have encountered an emergency while traveling, otherwise she wouldn't have dressed herself as a beggar to hide her appearance.
The noise outside the door made the girl alert.
She calmed down and listened carefully, confirming that the noise was not the sound of wind and rain, but a series of rapid and complicated footsteps, which were gradually approaching the Guanyin Temple. The girl immediately panicked. The Guanyin Temple was small and there were not many places to hide. In a moment of desperation, she crawled under the altar.
The yellow silk cloth covering the altar hung down to the legs of the table. Unless you looked carefully, you would not be able to tell that there was a person hiding inside.
Soon, the door of the Guanyin Temple was pushed open with force, and a strong wind rushed into the small temple, along with the sound of hurried footsteps.
"Close the door!"
The person who spoke had a tense voice, as if there was a flood or a beast chasing him from behind.
The girl was lying on the ground, and through the narrow gap she could see that there were about seven or eight people coming, all holding swords and their clothes were stained with blood.
Did we encounter bandits?
The girl's heart sank and she prayed silently that they wouldn't discover her.
One of them took a letter and put it into the other's hand, saying in a low voice, "You must take the secret letter to the capital..."
The drizzle hit the window frames, and the wind was so loud that Song Lingyi could not hear clearly what they were plotting, and she could only complain in her heart.
The saying "When you're down on your luck, even drinking cold water gets stuck in your teeth" is truly true. She'd fallen to the point of living in a Guanyin temple, yet she still encountered bandits. Was this Guanyin's punishment for stealing offerings?
Bang--
There was a loud bang.
Song Lingyi was so frightened that her heart trembled. The "bandits" outside the curtain shuddered, clenched their swords and looked outside the temple gate.
In the rain, a group of burly men in dark clothes and conical hats were holding long swords and looking aggressive. It was obvious that they were not friendly.
The two groups had probably fought each other once, and the atmosphere was like a balloon that had expanded to the extreme and would burst at the slightest touch.
The girl huddled under the altar, her gaze passed over the curtains and the "bandits", and she saw from afar a tall figure in a black robe, walking slowly towards them with an umbrella.
Although the man's face could not be seen clearly, the girl could clearly feel that the group of "bandits" outside seemed to be very afraid of him.
Could the enemies of the "bandits" be officers and soldiers?
No, no, you must wear uniforms when on duty. The officers and soldiers in movies and TV dramas don’t dress like this when they arrest people. Let’s wait and see.
"We are the soldiers from Xuancheng, and we have been ordered to go up the mountain to suppress the bandits. Who are you? How dare you go against the government?"
The person who spoke stared at the figure in the black robe, and it was obvious that he lacked confidence.
At that time, the wind died down a little, and the girl vaguely heard a very pleasant sneer.
"Leave no one behind."
The man in black robe didn't say anything extra. With a command, the group of people behind him rushed into the Guanyin Temple with swords in hand.
In an instant, swords flashed and blood splattered into ashes.
As a law-abiding citizen of the 21st century, Song Lingyi had never seen such a bloody and violent scene and was stunned by its shock.
But in a moment, a group of people who claimed to be military subordinates were all beheaded. One of them fell outside the curtain, staring at Song Lingyi with his eyes wide open.
“…” The girl covered her mouth tightly, trying hard not to scream.
The people who were thought to be "bandits" turned out to be officers and soldiers. The people who looked like "officers and soldiers" were the real bandits!
Now the bandits have killed the officers and soldiers. As a witness, if she is discovered, how can she survive?
"Find the letter."
A lazy, low-pitched voice echoed in the temple.
If it weren't for the man who ordered the killing, Song Lingyi would definitely praise it as a "heavenly sound", but it was different now. She only felt that the sound was like the scimitar of the god of death, the death warrant of the King of Hell, which was terrifying.
Now she could only pray that they could find the letter quickly and leave quickly.
A pair of dusty black boots took two steps toward the altar. Song Lingyi's heart was beating like a drum and she held her breath.
"Boss, we found it!"
Suddenly, one of the bandits held up the letter he had turned over. His voice was so loud and rough that the Guanyin Temple was small, and the sound echoed, which frightened the girl.
The man in black robe took the letter, glanced at it briefly, then walked to the altar and burned the letter with the remaining candle.
"Boss, when do we set off?"
"No rush."
The lazy voice was very close, as if it was falling from above her head. The girl covered her mouth, not daring to make a sound.
The letter turned into ashes and fell on the cakes. Xiao Mingyi then noticed that there was only half a cake left in the porcelain plate, and there were some residues and fruit cores on the altar.
The pair of narrow and long phoenix eyes were slightly narrowed, and the look in his eyes was cold and chilly.
"Boss, what's wrong?"
Xiao Mingyi's thin lips curled slightly: "Nothing, I just found a mouse."
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