Lingxi said calmly, "To join my sect, you must abide by four rules."
Ayao stammered, "Master, please speak..."
Lingxi simply said, "Get up at 5 a.m., study at 1 p.m., go to bed at 7 p.m., and do not go out."
Ayao stared wide-eyed, not understanding a single word.
Lingxi was too lazy to explain; with his aptitude, he was sure he understood.
She waved gently, and the door opened.
"Get out. We'll start tomorrow morning."
Seeing this bizarre scene, Ayao was so frightened that he ran away.
The young boy, who was waiting outside, saw him come out and hurriedly asked, "Boy, what did the abbot say to you?"
Ayao composed himself and stood obediently. "The abbess accepted me as her disciple and told me to call her Master."
The boy gaped in astonishment, "The abbot accepted you as a disciple?! What's so special about you, kid?"
Ayao put on an innocent expression, "I don't know, Abbot... Master didn't tell me."
Showing off, blatantly showing off!
They got the benefit but are still acting innocent!
A strong sense of crisis rose in the child's heart, and his tone became sour, "You—!"
Ayao timidly stepped back, accidentally bumping into the door and making a noise.
Then, a clear, crisp voice came from behind.
"Stop making a fuss, little boy, take him away."
The boy was furious but helpless. "Boy, come with me and don't disturb the abbot's rest."
Ayao nodded obediently, "Yes."
This kid has been putting on an act for a short while; he'll become a formidable foe in the future.
The child rolled his eyes. "What's your name?"
“Ayao”.
Where are you from?
"A person from the capital."
At this point, Ayao lowered her head, her eyes instantly reddening, "Waaah, they don't want me anymore..."
"Hey, don't cry."
The child stopped being angry and began to imagine a tragic backstory.
Although Ayao was a prince, he was not loved by his father or mother and lived alone in a temple since childhood.
The monks are bullying him, poor child.
The boy patted his chest and said, "Since the abbot has accepted you as his disciple, you are now my younger brother."
“If anyone bullies you, just tell your brother, and your brother will help you call the abbot for help.”
Ayao smiled shyly, "Mhm."
He breathed a sigh of relief after successfully getting away with it.
During his years in the temple, he learned to feign weakness and play the victim, and to pretend to be stupid. By casually mentioning his misery, he could avoid being beaten.
The two walked toward a dilapidated house. The boy pushed open the door and said, "You'll be living here from now on. It's a bit run-down, but it's much better than the temple. The abbot won't scold or hit people; he'll only fight ghosts..."
Ayao lowered his head and remained silent.
The boy muttered to himself for a moment, then whispered, "Ah Yao, the Taoist temple is extremely terrifying at night. Don't go out no matter what you hear."
"Remember, don't go out!"
Ayao wrote it down.
The door closed, plunging the room into darkness, while the doors and windows creaked in the wind.
Ayao sat alone on the ground, those unbearable images flashing through his mind.
His mother was banished to the Cold Palace by his father, and he was imprisoned in a very dark place.
It was heavily guarded on all sides, with only a small window on the top, making it dark and gloomy.
Everyone can bully him, even rats bite him.
Endless darkness spread, and Ayao trembled all over.
Is he locked up again now?
No! He doesn't want to be locked up!
Suddenly, his hand felt heavy. Ayao lowered his eyes and saw a huge rat lying beside his leg, its eyes like mung beans, emitting a faint green light.
"Squeak squeak squeak!"
The large rat's face turned fierce, and it opened its mouth to bite down.
"ah--!"
Ayao screamed and rushed out the door.
Night fell, and the surroundings were eerie and terrifying. It felt as if something was watching him from behind in the darkness.
He shouldn't have come out.
There are big rats inside, and unidentified things outside.
Ayao forced himself to calm down and slowly moved along the wall.
Colorful shadows flashed before my eyes—red, white, and black.
In short, they are not human.
Ayao bit her lower lip, her legs trembling uncontrollably.
Strange shadows surged over, countless eyes staring intently at him.
"The little baby that the abbot brought back."
"It's so small, what will the abbot use it for?"
Who knows what the abbot is thinking?
A sharp, ghostly scream rang in his ears, more terrifying than a rat biting a person, and Ayao was filled with terror.
He wants to leave; he doesn't want to stay here.
Just as my eyes were about to press against his body, the door next door opened.
Lingxi's eyes were clear and cold, and her red lips parted slightly.
"roll!"
The shadows scattered in all directions.
Ayao squatted in the corner, his eyes wet, his face, which he had just washed, was dirty again.
Lingxi glanced at him and said, "Come in."
When Ayao heard her voice, he instinctively followed her.
The room was very simple, with a bed, a wardrobe, a table, and two chairs.
Ayao didn't dare to look up, standing there awkwardly.
Lingxi asked, "Why did you run away?"
Feeling guilty, Ayao said, "I can't sleep."
Lingxi looked him straight in the eye, "You're lying!"
The two words were incredibly oppressive; Ayao's lips twitched, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"Master, I... am scared."
He huddled up in a ball, his eyelashes wet with tears, his nose red, looking utterly pitiful.
A hint of confusion appeared on Lingxi's indifferent face.
They're just white ghosts, what's so scary about them?
When she was that age, she captured three vengeful ghosts and killed five great monsters.
Lingxi waited quietly until her disciple finished crying.
She asked, "What do you want?"
Ayao wiped his face and mustered his courage to speak, "I don't want to go back, don't send me away."
Lingxi said coldly, "Then stay."
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