Jiang Chan controlled the detector, focusing on scanning the area around the intersection.
The result was disappointing.
To the east: The road leading to Ciyun Temple is clear, flanked by bare, cracked farmland and sparse, withered trees. There is no sign of water as far as the eye can see.
Forward: The official road was wider, but soon it meandered into a range of low hills. The hills were bare, with sparse and withered vegetation.
The detector zoomed in for a scan and found no signs of life or water, except for a few abandoned villages with collapsed walls.
The terrain is rugged and unsuitable for travel, let alone for settling down.
As the detection range expanded, she couldn't find a single location within dozens of miles that met her expectations—a safe, secluded place close to a stable water source!
All possible wilderness areas are either devoid of water, have treacherous terrain, or are abandoned villages, posing an extremely high risk of exposure.
Jiang Chan's heart sank.
The planned parting of ways has become extremely difficult.
Taking Xiao Tao and these few supplies and recklessly venturing into that desolate, dangerous hilly region with no water or food would be tantamount to suicide.
The probe changed direction and sped off in the direction leading to Ciyun Temple.
The distance of several kilometers was covered in an instant at the speed of the probe. A temple built against the mountain came into view from above.
It is quite large in scale, and the outline of flying eaves and brackets can still be vaguely seen, but many places look old and dilapidated.
The probe descended to a lower altitude and silently disappeared over the temple.
Switching to thermal imaging mode.
The outlines of the front courtyard, main hall, side halls on both sides, and back courtyard are clearly visible.
The red dots representing life forms are densely packed, mostly concentrated in the open area of the front yard and in several communal rooms in the back yard.
The light spots are in various poses: lying down, leaning, sitting cross-legged... corresponding to a state of deep sleep or rest.
A few scattered points of light moved slowly inside the hall, seemingly kneeling in worship.
No armed personnel were found gathered, nor were there any fences or guard posts restricting the movement of people.
The heat source is naturally distributed, making it suitable as a temporary shelter for a large number of disaster victims.
The detector hovered on the beam of the main hall, changed the imaging mode, and zoomed in.
Inside the hall, the tall Buddha statues had lost their gold paint, revealing their mottled base color. In the cold field of vision of the detector, they had no divinity to speak of, leaving only the cold outlines of mud, wood and stone.
The kneeling figures inside the hall were dressed in tattered clothes, their movements numb yet devout.
A chilling sarcasm rose in Jiang Chan's heart.
Gods and Buddhas? If they were truly useful, where would these thousands of starving corpses come from? Where would that scourge of Wengjia Village come from? They are nothing but clay figures used by the desperate to deceive themselves!
But she quickly suppressed the thought.
She didn't know if gods and Buddhas existed, but this temple, at least for now, didn't seem to be a trap for human traffickers.
That's enough.
Having confirmed the route and the condition of the temple, Jiang Chan did not linger.
The probe was maneuvered to change direction and return silently.
A dozen minutes later, it landed precisely in the palm of the hand, the faint light went out, and it was retracted into the space.
Jiang Chan lay on the ground with her eyes closed.
The road ahead is clear; for now, we can only go with the flow.
As dawn broke, the place of rest was awakened.
The people of Liushutun and the fleeing group they encountered last night got up almost simultaneously.
Both sides maintained a cautious distance, several dozen feet apart, as they packed their belongings and silently embarked on the road to hope.
Xiao Tao's fever subsided, but her face remained pale and she seemed listless.
Jiang Chan wanted to lift her onto the cart.
"Sister Jiang...I...I can walk." Xiao Tao shook her head, her voice soft but firm.
She went to the back of the cart, stretched out her small hands, and braced herself against the board to help push it forward. Her thin body leaned slightly forward, pushing with some difficulty, but her eyes were earnest. "I...I can push it too..."
Jiang Chan glanced at her and didn't insist any further.
Pushing the cart, Jiang Chan felt that faint but persistent strength.
The procession moves forward.
The goal is clear—Ciyun Temple.
This goal is like a carrot dangling in front of a donkey, sustaining everyone's overexerted energy.
The adult pursed his chapped lips, stared intently at the road ahead, and moved his feet mechanically.
When the children get tired of crying, they are carried on the backs of adults or tucked into the corner of a cart, where they fall into a drowsy sleep.
No one spoke; only the heavy footsteps, the creaking of the cart, and the heavy breathing intertwined, forming a silent march toward hope.
The sun was gradually setting in the west.
Finally, a clear Y-shaped fork in the road appeared ahead.
The fork in the road to the east winds its way into a relatively flat mountain valley.
Looking into the distance, at the end of the mountain valley, a cluster of temple buildings with gray tiles and yellow walls nestles at the foot of the mountain.
Several taller palaces reflected a dim light in the afterglow of the setting sun, barely deserving the description of "carved beams and painted rafters".
That is Ciyun Temple.
A suppressed gasp rippled through the ranks, and their weary faces instantly lit up.
"We're here! Almost there!"
Thank goodness! We've finally arrived!
People unconsciously quickened their pace.
The closer you get to the fork in the road, the larger the crowd becomes.
They were all refugees who had come from different directions, dressed in rags and looking emaciated.
The group from Liushutun mingled with the fleeing crowds and slowly moved toward the temple gate.
The temple gate was tall and imposing, its vermilion lacquer mottled.
The open space in front of the temple was packed with people.
Some were resting with their eyes closed, some were praying softly, and most were just numbly curled up.
Just as the crowd was slowly moving, a gaunt figure suddenly burst out from the pile of huddled refugees beside him! Like a startled, thin deer, he charged straight at the front of the Liushutun group!
"ah!"
A gasp and commotion erupted from the crowd.
Zhang the butcher and Liu Dazhuang, who were guarding the front, instinctively reached for the knives at their waists.
The figure stumbled and fell a few meters in front of the group, raising a cloud of dust.
Only then did everyone see clearly: it was an extremely thin man! A monk! He was wearing a tattered piece of cloth that could barely be identified as originally being a gray monk's robe! He had a stubble of hair about an inch long on his head, clearly indicating that he hadn't been ordained in a long time.
His face was so dirty that his features were unrecognizable, except for his eyes, which were bloodshot and wide open, filled with extreme terror and a kind of frenzied lucidity!
He struggled to prop himself up, his withered fingers digging desperately into the soil. A hoarse, sandpaper-like sound suddenly erupted, sharp and piercing: "Don't go! Don't believe it—!"
He stared intently at the person before him, a wild, guttural growl emanating from his throat as he roared, "Fake! It's all fake! Buddha never said that! Buddha... never said those things! Buddha couldn't have said those things! Don't believe it! Don't believe it—!!!"
His screams, filled with despair, echoed for a long time in front of the temple, sounding particularly abrupt and jarring.
The people of Liushutun were stunned by the sudden appearance of the mad monk and his shrill warning.
The progress came to an abrupt halt.
Jiang Chan suddenly tightened her grip on the cart.
The cold gaze swept over the crowd, landing on the mad monk's bloodshot, fear-filled eyes, before slowly moving toward the open, dark temple gate.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
