Chapter 68: Pei Maomao stays calm in the face of crisis
Chen Yu and Zhou Jingming spread out the detailed map and carefully marked the route they had taken with their fingers.
"That's right, this is the road," Zhou Jingming muttered, looking up at the silent temple and the deserted road they came from. "What about Ling Yue and Huo Xiao? They can't have just taken a dislike to each other and started fighting."
Just as he finished speaking, the temple's wooden door, which looked a bit old and had a mottled paint color, was suddenly pushed open slowly from the inside.
A young monk, about ten years old, with a round face and wearing a gray monk's robe, walked out from the door with his hands clasped together.
He saw four people standing at the door and chanted the Buddha's name in a formal manner, "Amitabha, are you here to visit the small temple?"
Shen Shi stepped forward and said in a gentle tone, "Young Master, have you seen two teenagers about our age? They should have arrived before us."
The young monk blinked his round eyes and didn't answer directly. He said vaguely, "Just now... two donors did go in."
He turned sideways and invited them in, "Why don't you come in and rest your feet and have a cup of tea, benefactors?"
Zhou Jingming and Chen Yu looked at each other and turned their gaze to Pei Heng at the same time.
Shen Shi glanced at the screen and frowned slightly, “There’s no signal here, their calls can’t get through.”
But this is a mature scenic area, and there shouldn't be no signal near the main road.
Shen Shi turned to Pei Heng and took his hand, "Heng, something is wrong."
"Why don't we go back the way we came and contact them down there where there's a signal."
The little monk glanced at Shen Shi and said nothing.
Pei Heng looked back at Shen Shi with worried eyes, clasped Shen Shi's slightly cold fingers with his backhand, raised his hand and rubbed the soft earlobe, and gently pressed his fingertips on the ear stud he gave to Shen Shi.
"It's okay," Pei Heng said, "Let's go in and wait. This temple is so small, they won't just disappear out of thin air."
He paused, even showing some interest, "Besides, we're already here."
Shen Shi then nodded obediently, "Okay."
The four of them followed the young monk into this slightly dilapidated but ancient temple.
The temple is indeed not big, and the courtyard is clean.
In the center of the courtyard grows a tall old tree with lush branches and leaves, and it is covered with densely packed red wishing ribbons. However, over the years, wind and sun have mostly faded, and the wishes written in ink on it have long been blurred and the specific content cannot be seen clearly.
The young monk raised his head and asked in a childish voice, "Dear donors, would you like to wear a wishing ribbon as well? It is very effective."
The four of them declined tacitly.
The young monk did not insist and led them to the main hall.
The door of the hall was ajar, the light inside was dim, and there was a faint scent of incense in the air.
The little monk pushed open the door of the temple and entered.
The person sitting on the cushion in the hall was not Ling Yue and Huo Xiao, but he could be considered a semi-acquaintance.
It was the elegant middle-aged man who inexplicably struck up a conversation with them in the open-air garden last night, telling them about his marital difficulties and claiming to be a geologist.
At this moment, a middle-aged woman in simple clothes was sitting next to him.
The man was surprised when he saw them come in. He then stood up and greeted them with a smile, "Welcome. What a coincidence, you're here too."
Pei Heng raised his eyebrows slightly, "You are surprised."
The man laughed when he heard that and introduced himself calmly, "Yes, I didn't expect to meet you again so soon. My name is Jiang Yue, and this is my wife, Ying Hong."
As he finished speaking, there was a slight click from outside the hall. It was the sound of the door bolt falling.
The young monk who led them in closed the temple door from the outside.
Zhou Jingming was startled. He bent down and picked up the iron rod leaning against the corner of the wall, held it horizontally in front of him, and looked at the door nervously.
“Who, what are you doing!”
After he got ready, he realized belatedly that Shen Shi and Chen Yu were looking at him with complicated eyes.
Shen Shi: "...Where did you get this stick?"
Zhou Jingming followed their gaze and looked down at the weapon in his hand, then looked along the other end of the stick to the corner of the hall.
In the shadow leading from the rear hall to the side room, there stood four or five tall and strong men in black clothes, staring at them gravely.
Zhou Jingming: “…”
"Uh... borrow it, borrow it for a moment, huh?"
Chen Yu took a step forward, slightly blocking Zhou Jingming behind him, and looked at Jiang Yue with a cold gaze.
"What do you mean?"
Pei Heng seemed calm and even took two steps forward. "Is there someone behind you?"
He pondered and complained, "Who is this black-hearted person who is so deliberate and deliberately trying to make things difficult for me?"
From the imperial capital to the islands, from school sports meets to ancient temples in the mountains.
Who has such a big grudge against Xiao Pei!
The smile on Jiang Yue's face faded, "I'm just... a little surprised by your courage."
"Didn't I remind you last night that although this island has beautiful scenery, it also has many geological hazards?"
"So... it shouldn't be surprising if two or three people disappear in the mountains occasionally."
Shen Shi was alert and protected Pei Heng tightly behind him. He stared at Jiang Yue and the man in black behind him with sharp eyes.
The man in black at the front raised his hand expressionlessly, holding a pistol in his hand, with the black muzzle pointed at them.
It is full of deterrence.
"Chen Shi." Pei Heng reached out and gently pulled Shen Shi's tense arm, and pinched his cold earlobe with his fingertips again, "It's okay."
At this time, Pei Heng was very calm.
He said, "This mountain is not that big. It's just behind the hotel. We won't disappear. Someone will come looking for us soon."
Shen Shi lowered his eyes to hide the fierce look in his eyes, and shook Pei Heng's hand again.
Under the threat of the other party's gun, Pei Heng seemed not to see the threat. He sat down on the mat opposite Jiang Yue and stared at him expressionlessly, as if staring at prey.
Shen Shi sat down beside him, took the ancient purple clay teapot on the small table, first filled the teacup in front of Pei Heng to 70%, and then poured himself a cup.
The mist of heat rose up, blurring the coldness in his eyes.
The two of them sat upright, and in this strange confrontation, their momentum did not lose at all.
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