Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
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Hearing the cold, mechanical voice in her mind, Meng Yingying couldn't feel happy at all. This was the first friend she had made in this world. Although things had changed, Li Zhaodi in the original book had also died, only she was killed by Zhou Xiuqi with a single sword strike, without even a sound. When a paper doll stood in front of you with flesh and blood, or even died in front of you, and you were powerless to do anything about it, Meng Yingying began to resent the author for writing such tragic endings for everyone in the book.
Why couldn't Li Zhaodi, such a kind girl, have a happy ending? When I read the book, I felt that the whole thing was a tragedy. I was so engrossed in it and felt sorry for the characters. I really wanted to change everything the author wrote.
"Zhao Di! Zhao Di!" Zhou Runsheng cried out hoarsely, desperately reaching out to grab her, but Li Zhao Di's arms and legs were broken. She could only gaze at him tenderly with her eyes.
The less fire, the bigger
Zhou Runsheng burst into tears: "I said it, I said it, I said I would marry you, how could you leave before me? How am I supposed to live alone in this cold and lonely world!"
As the flames died down, Zhou Runsheng collapsed to the ground, utterly disoriented. Meng Yingying walked to his side and said, "Zhao Di has entered the cycle of reincarnation. If you... truly love her, live out this life and wait for her."
Can you afford to wait?
Zhou Runsheng's refined face cracked and crumbled bit by bit as he sat weakly on the ground, saying, "It doesn't matter whether you're a human or a ghost."
"I promised her I would marry her. She is my betrothed, and I will never leave her in this life or the next." His lips trembled, unafraid of life or death, unafraid of reincarnation, just as she was unafraid, waiting for the next life.
His voice was utterly exhausted. He stood up unsteadily and left the place alone.
Meng Yingying watched his figure grow smaller and smaller. Zhou Xiuqi patted her shoulder: "It's over." Kong Fusheng looked reluctant and took one last look at that spot.
He followed behind Zhou Xiuqi without saying a word.
Meng Yingying raised her foot
The red-clad youth standing to the side watched everything unfold, smiling and chatting as he slowly walked to Meng Yingying's side: "How wonderful, such a loving couple."
Meng Yingying walked out the door without even looking up: "Shang Mang, that's for another day."
Shang Mang chuckled and walked around to stand in front of her: "You recognize me?"
Meng Yingying: "One's appearance reflects one's heart."
Shang Mang scoffed: "I never believe in such a hollow saying as 'appearance reflects the heart'."
Meng Yingying nodded and said, "You're right."
"Most people are probably not as kind as they appear. Just like you may look fierce, but you are actually quite kind inside."
Upon hearing this, Shang Mang was taken aback: "Me? Kind?"
Meng Yingying placed the last piece and stared at him: "It seems that you're not too bad so far."
Shang Mang hasn't heard anyone say he's kind for years, it seems like he never has. From the moment he was born until he grew up to be the person he is now, no one has ever said he's kind.
"You're not very good at judging people." Shang Mang stepped to her side and walked alongside her.
Meng Yingying looked ahead: "People's thoughts are different, and the boundary between good and evil is blurry. There is a line, but sometimes there is no line."
Upon hearing this, Shang Mang looked down and saw her eyelashes fluttering.
Meng Yingying: "Is a hypocrite good or evil? Is a hypocrite evil or good? Everyone has their own opinion on whether a person is a good person or not."
"I have eyes, I can see."
Shang Mang seemed to sigh and laugh at the same time, his shoes making a rubbing sound as they stepped on the ground.
"I really want to kill you right now."
"Then you may not have that opportunity."
"I can take your life anytime I want; your life belongs to me."
"You've been eyeing my life every day, you wouldn't happen to like me, would you?" Meng Yingying suddenly had a flash of inspiration and looked at him.
Shang Mang tilted his head and sneered, "I don't need this kind of fake emotion."
Meng Yingying snorted: "How can liking someone be a fake feeling?"
"Love, hate, anger, and infatuation are all experiences that everyone must go through," she continued.
"That's a coincidence, I'm not human." He said coldly, expressing his extreme disgust for the topic.
Meng Yingying didn't want to upset him, so she kept quiet. Shang Mang glanced at her and saw her looking down at the ground, kicking pebbles with her cloth shoes.
There was a patch, neither too big nor too small, on the cloth shoes.
Noticing his gaze, Meng Yingying withdrew her foot and hid it under her Taoist robe.
"You Taoists are so poor, you can't even afford a decent pair of embroidered shoes?" Shang Mang questioned.
Meng Yingying rubbed her feet together and said, "We don't charge money when we come here to catch ghosts. Usually, they are just minor ghosts. I'm always out and about, so I have to change my embroidered shoes every day."
Shang Mang sneered softly.
Meng Yingying turned her head and said, "Don't call me Taoist anymore. My name is Meng Yuan. Remember my name."
She ran forward quickly. Shang Mang reached out his hand, only to find that she had already arrived at the inn. He was dazed and didn't realize that the road was so long, yet he had walked so fast.
As the moon set and its light spilled out, he remained calm and still, murmuring, "Meng Yuan."
...
Above the Buddhist hall, a golden Buddha statue looked down with disdain. A monk sat on a futon, his eyes closed in meditation. Beside him, Zhao Qiao'er suddenly felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. She was awakened by the pain, turned around, and saw the monk. She grabbed his robe and tugged at it weakly, saying, "Master Ji Cang, save my child."
Ji Cang did not respond, but continued to chant scriptures.
Zhao Qiao'er tugged at his clothes and held them tightly in her hand, looking at him: "I've done everything you asked me to do. That's my own daughter, and I've treated her so cruelly. You must help me."
Ji Cang slowly opened his eyes and looked at her. Zhao Qiao'er came into his view, and he could only see the sorrow in her eyes. Ji Cang chuckled softly. That's how people are; they do all sorts of bad things, yet they still want a good reputation.
"good."
"I'll help you get rid of this burden," Ji Cang said with a gentle smile.
His hand touched her belly, and Zhao Qiao'er smiled slightly: "Look, the baby is still moving."
The next moment, Zhao Qiao'er stared blankly, her eyes wide, as Ji Cang plunged the dagger into her stomach and covered her mouth with his other hand.
"The only way for all things to be liberated is through death," he said calmly, his eyes slightly brightening.
The dagger slid downwards, and the hem of Zhao Qiao'er's dress, which she was clutching in her hand, fell to the ground.
Ji Cang reached into her belly and smiled as he looked at the child.
The Buddha statue looks down upon all living beings, smiling as it observes the changes in the world.
A ray of light shone in from outside the Buddhist hall. Ji Cang squinted as he looked out, the light dazzling and blinding.
Outside Biyun Temple, five people stepped off a narrow carriage.
"So this is Biyun Temple, located in such a remote place." One of the young men, dressed in a yellow robe with a round collar, glanced at it a few times and then tossed his ponytail.
“I think it’s quite unique,” another girl in pink said, stroking her chin in appreciation.
What makes it different from others?
"It has a really powerful feel to it."
"Senior Meng, is there something wrong with your eyes? This clearly looks like a very ordinary dilapidated temple," Kong Fusheng said honestly. Meng Yingying glanced at him, sometimes really feeling that Kong Fusheng's brain wasn't in the right place. A normal person should be able to understand this kind of irony.
Meng Yingying wanted to roll her eyes, but she held back out of politeness.
“Indeed, she is quite different from others.” Xiao Zheyu walked gracefully over, with Cong Rong beside her. A sword was at her waist. Today, she was dressed simply in blue, with an orchid in her hair, making her look like a refined and elegant beauty.
Kong Fusheng retorted, unconvinced, "What makes us different? We all have the same eyes. Do you have the ability to see ghosts?"
Xiao Zheyu smiled and looked at the temple, saying, "Before I came here, I heard that the monks in this temple have been mysteriously disappearing recently."
Kong Fusheng opened his mouth, his curiosity piqued: "Why did you disappear?"
“A temple unlike any other naturally holds secrets.” Xiao Zheyu turned to the temple, Kong Fusheng scratched his head, and Meng Yingying said to him, “Idiot!”
Then, running forward, Kong Fusheng put his hands on his hips and angrily said, "I'm not stupid. I'm the number one in Wushuang Temple." He quickly glanced at Cong Rong, who was looking down at the ground.
Kong Fusheng ran after Meng Yingying, and Zhou Xiuqi followed without saying a word.
There were only a few monks outside the gate. Once inside, a young monk, about six or seven years old, came out and asked, "Gentlemen, what brings you here?"
Zhou Xiuqi bowed his head and put his hands together, saying, "Pray for blessings."
The young monk said, "We came here to pray for blessings. The temple has a winding path, so I will lead you inside."
Several people clasped hands in thanks to him, and the young monk smiled shyly: "Three years ago, there weren't so many people coming to our temple. I don't know why there have been so many recently."
This is practically a must-say line for any NPC. The group exchanged glances, and Meng Yingying asked, "Three years ago?"
A monk walked towards us, with compassionate eyes, a bitter smile on his lips, wearing a monk's robe, and his hands clasped together.
As she brushed past her, a chill ran down Meng Yingying's spine.
Turning to look at his back, the monk walked to the side of an old woman and worriedly helped her walk forward. The old woman laughed and let him support her, and the chill on Meng Yingying's back dissipated.
Seeing that she was falling behind, Kong Fusheng pulled her up and said, "Senior sister, keep up."
Meng Yingying was pulled forward by him, while the monk behind her had a bitter smile on his lips that looked like he was about to cry.
It gets deeper and deeper.
The temple is serene and tranquil, with lush green bamboo standing tall throughout.
The young monk led them into the Buddhist hall, where a golden Buddha statue stood. Meng Yingying asked in confusion, "Since few people come to your temple, why is there a golden Buddha statue?"
Upon hearing this, the young monk said, "It was originally a clay Buddha statue, but a lady, in order to do good deeds, repaired the Buddha's body with gold."
Xiao Zheyu smiled and asked, "That lady?"
The young monk scratched his forehead and said, "I don't remember."
He looked outside and said, "There are few people in the temple. I have other things to do, so I won't disturb your practice."
After bidding farewell to everyone, Zhou Xiuqi and the others stood in place.
“Something’s not right.” Kong Fusheng frowned and pondered: “How come no one has come to steal the golden statue in a dilapidated temple?”
“Everything is a bit off, which makes it all the more unsettling.” Xiao Zheyu did not kneel down, but looked up at the Buddha statue before quickly looking away.
The strangeness of Biyun Temple makes one feel that something is not right. To what extent would a person reveal their flaws to others without reservation? It all seems unreasonable.
"Brother, sister, are you here to worship Buddha too?" The familiar voice rang out, and the group turned around.
On the prayer mat, the young man was dressed in a bright, pale yellow robe, with gold leaves hanging from his head, exuding both wealth and worldly elegance.
Meng Yingying looked at him and thought to herself, "Is this guy addicted to pretending?"
Kong Fusheng exclaimed in surprise, "It's you?"
The boy stood up: "Yes, I never expected we would have such a connection."
Kong Fusheng: "Don't your family care about you?"
“I am an orphan,” he said. Meng Yingying looked at him, her eyes pausing slightly.
Kong Fusheng couldn't believe it: "How could you possibly be an orphan dressed like that?"
Shang Mang still smiled: "What rule is there that orphans can't dress nicely?"
Kong Fusheng choked out, "We're more like orphans."
Meng Yingying thought he must be a looks-obsessed person; after all, if he was going to pretend to be an orphan, he had to pretend to be a pretty one.
"What's your name?" Zhou Xiuqi, who rarely spoke, suddenly asked. His tone was very calm, as if he were asking casually.
"My name is A-Guai," he said with a smile.
Kong Fusheng said in a low voice, "What kind of name is A-Guai?"
Meng Yingying felt as if her heart had been inexplicably squeezed.
Zhou Xiuqi nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
Xiao Zheyu suddenly exclaimed in surprise. Her body was knocked off balance by the impact. Zhou Xiuqi instinctively reached out and embraced Manxiang. Xiao Zheyu held onto his shoulders.
An apologetic voice sounded from behind: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." The man seemed to be chased by eight horses, and he quickly got up from the ground and ran.
Xiao Zheyu took a breath and met their gaze, saying, "I can't move my legs."
"Yes, you can walk," Zhou Xiuqi asked her, his voice somewhat blunt.
Xiao Zheyu frowned slightly: "We can't go any further."
Zhou Xiuqi lowered his hand, hovered it around her waist for a moment, and then put it on her.
Cong Rong watched from the side, her gaze slightly darkened.
Kong Fusheng exclaimed in surprise, "Oh dear! What should we do! Is anyone there? Is anyone there? Quickly, call someone!"
Meng Yingying thought he was being too flamboyant, but she said with concern, "Taking a carriage might worsen the wound. Let's stay here for a while."
A monk hurried over, his face covered in sweat: "How many rooms would you like?"
Kong Fusheng tilted his chin up and said, "Give me three rooms!"
Meng Yingying slapped him and said, "Two rooms will do, thank you for your trouble, Master."
The monk bustled around, wiping the sweat from his brow: "No trouble at all, no trouble at all."
"Our temple is simple, with only two empty rooms. People used to live in those two rooms, but they've all gone these past few days," the monk said as he led the way.
It seems those rumors are true; the recent mysterious disappearance of monks from Biyun Temple is also true.
This increasingly strange place is actually quite intriguing.
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