But there was no one in sight.
If it weren't for the fact that the Wulou Temple was still relatively clean, and that the sound of striking a wooden fish and chanting scriptures could be clearly heard from inside the temple, it would have been a different story.
Thinking about what Wanwan had just said, and combined with the sound that had entered my ears, I couldn't help but think of things like "exorcising the souls of the dead".
As the group entered the temple's front courtyard, Chu Qinghe's spiritual energy slowly dispersed from between his brows.
A few breaths later, as if sensing something, Chu Qinghe's lips suddenly curled into a smile. Then, he withdrew his spiritual energy and turned his attention to the area around the temple.
A moment later, as the group crossed the front courtyard of the temple and entered the inner temple, they saw an old monk in a white robe, with a solemn appearance, sitting under a Buddha statue in a Buddhist hall.
The sounds of striking the wooden fish and chanting scriptures just now came from this old monk.
Almost at the same time that Chu Qinghe and his companions noticed the old monk, the old monk also stopped chanting and slowly opened his eyes to look at Chu Qinghe and his companions.
After putting down what he was holding, the old monk stood up and walked to the entrance of the main hall.
When Chu Qinghe and his companions arrived at the entrance of the Buddhist temple, the old monk put his hands together and said respectfully, "Amitabha, this humble monk greets you benefactors."
However, just as Wanwan's gaze fell upon the old monk, her body stiffened for a moment, but she quickly returned to normal.
However, at such close range, how could Wanwan's physical reactions be hidden from Chu Qinghe and the other women, including Dongfang Bubai?
Even though they noticed Wanwan's unusual behavior, Chu Qinghe and the other goddesses, including Dongfang Bubai, did not show any emotion.
Chu Qinghe even took the initiative to respond with a smile, saying, "I am Zhao Shanhe, greetings, Master."
The old monk nodded and said, "In recent years, Wulou Temple has had very few worshippers. I did not expect that you would come to visit today. I am sorry for not welcoming you properly. I hope you will forgive me."
Chu Qinghe shook his head and said, "Since there are few of us, it should be us who disturbed your peace, Master. Why should you apologize?"
The old monk said with a kind expression, "Please come in, young masters."
A moment later, as Chu Qinghe and the others walked to the Buddha statue in the hall, the old monk took some incense from the offering table and placed it on the candle flame. After the incense had burned, the old monk handed three sticks to Chu Qinghe.
Chu Qinghe did not refuse the incense in front of him, but accepted it with a smile.
Seeing this, the other women also accepted the incense offered by the old monk.
After the women each had three incense sticks in their hands, Chu Qinghe stepped forward and placed them into the incense burner on the offering table.
Taking in Chu Qinghe's actions, the old monk slowly shook his head and said, "Since you are offering incense, why not be more sincere than you are being so perfunctory?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Qinghe looked at the old monk and said, "If one is not devout, then this incense is not valid?"
Upon hearing Chu Qinghe's question, the old monk put his hands together and said, "Although one can calculate, it is difficult to achieve true sincerity and efficacy."
Chu Qinghe said, "There is no shortage of three incense sticks before the Buddha. Life is full of more than ten thousand kinds of sorrow. We can light incense to worship the gods, hoping to calm our minds. But I have no hatred or injustice in my heart. The incense in the censer is just incense. I have no wishes in it. It is just my intention. Since I have no desires, why do I need it?"
A glint flashed in the old monk's eyes as he said, "I never expected you to be so magnanimous."
Chu Qinghe smiled lightly, then stood quietly to the side.
After the other women heard what Chu Qinghe and the old monk said, they followed Chu Qinghe's example and stepped forward one after another to insert the incense sticks in their hands into the incense burner.
Wanwan, in particular, had a rather nonchalant demeanor.
After having Xiao Zhao take out a gold ingot and put it into the donation box, Chu Qinghe looked at the old monk and asked, "Master, is this temple open to visitors?"
The old monk put his palms together and said, "Since you have no requests, please feel free to do as you wish."
After saying this, the old monk chanted a Buddhist prayer and then sat back down to continue striking the wooden fish and chanting scriptures.
"That's interesting."
After a slight smile to himself, Chu Qinghe led the women on a tour of Wulou Temple.
However, no one noticed that during Chu Qinghe's stroll, a tiny, almost imperceptible insect flew out and scurried through the Wulou Temple.
Before long, in Chu Qinghe's perception, the mother worm of the Devouring Essence Mother-Child Glazed Gu in Chu Qinghe's hand suddenly trembled and emitted a distinct warmth.
"So you're here too?"
After sensing the situation in his palm, Chu Qinghe controlled the worm to fly back silently.
Before long, the group slowly emerged from Wulou Temple.
Before leaving, Wanwan unconsciously glanced at the old monk sitting cross-legged under the Buddha statue chanting scriptures before leaving with Chu Qinghe and the others.
After walking nearly a hundred feet, Shui Mu Yin Ji first glanced at the spies still following in the distance, then turned to Wan Wan and asked, "Miss Wan Wan, do you know that old monk from earlier?"
In response to the question posed by Shui Mu Yin Ji, Wan Wan nodded and said, "That old monk just now was one of the four great holy monks of the Tang Dynasty."
Upon hearing what Wanwan said, the girls all raised their eyebrows slightly.
Buddhism flourished in the Tang Dynasty.
Besides Cihang Jingzhai, there were naturally other Buddhist forces within the Tang Dynasty.
The most famous Buddhist disciples among them are the four holy monks whose cultivation has all reached the Celestial Realm.
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